Now What? After the crisis...

This timely article has come from Reuters Africa:

ANALYSIS - After the crisis, a worldwide rise in unrest?

This is just one of several articles - all asking the same question: "What comes next?"

* In authoritarian states, protesters want more freedom

* Financial adjustments bring anger in Western economies

* Vicious cycle of inflation and unrest

With the Middle East in turmoil, other authoritarian states jumpy and post-crisis economic pain prompting protest in western Europe and elsewhere, some suspect a systemic rise in worldwide unrest might just be beginning.

Instability in the already volatile oil-producing Middle East could produce a feedback loop where unrest pushes up energy prices, fuelling inflation and deepening discontent both in the region and around the world.

That's a good way to state it: "a feedback loop where unrest pushed up energy prices, fueling inflation and deepening discontent both in the region and around the world."

And we definitely seem to be caught in this "loop" at the moment. It also raises more questions than answers:

In most countries, the so-called "misery index" -- an aggregation of unemployment and inflation long seen as a warning of protest and instability -- is pushing higher.

"After an extended period of economic growth and political apathy across the developed and emerging worlds, we may have reached a new political cycle -- one where populations take out their grievances on their leaders and their associates," wrote Citi political analyst Tina Fordham. "This won't be limited to the emerging world."

And this combination of events is being called the "perfect storm".

"PERFECT STORM"

"Two crises are happening at the same time - which is unprecedented I think," said Joel Hirst, International affairs fellow at the US-based Council for Foreign Relations.

"An economic disaster and 'readjustment' of the developed world while the developing world fights for their freedoms. Add in there the oil/energy price, which could be seen as the link between the two, and it makes for a perfect storm."

Crude oil prices have risen by up to a fifth on recent unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, enough to act as a potentially brake on already fragile economic growth.

Some also see a wider anti-establishment backlash to the global financial crisis, with anger directed not just at politicians of ruling parties but also whole systems of government and wider economic and market structures.

And ultimately, it comes back to fears of famine - fears that will be fully realized when we reach Revelation 6 on the timescale.

Certainly, the ability to guarantee food has long been core to regime survival and many analysts see governments ramping up purchases since Tunisia's revolt, again pushing prices higher.

"Food hoarding may continue as the general public and governments try to build inventories to protect against future shortages due to political upheaval or even a war," said Ana Armstrong, chair of fund manager Distinction Asset Management, warning that this could also cut growth and leave policymakers with difficult choices over what to do with interest rates.

In Western democracies, few see unrest ousting whole systems -- but it could bring down governments, make structural economic reforms impossible and drive populist policies.

Or, all of this turmoil could set the stage for the emergence of the 10 kings and subsequently produce a figure who will appear to have the answers to the world's problems.

As usual, the people of the earth, aka "the nations", will seek solutions to the various problems from man - in this case, a single individual - rather than to seek solutions from God and prayer. We already know where that leads - to the final, epic failure of human government.

Throughout history man has looked to man, and to human government in order to solve problems. This effort, by my knowledge of history has failed miserably.

But fortunately, this last form of human government - one which will rule the world - will be completely destroyed never to rise again, as the world will be placed under Jesus' rule.

"...the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever." (Daniel 2:44).

Amen. While we celebrate our reunion in Heaven in the presence of Jesus, the last human kingdom will be brought to an appropriate end. And it will never rise again, as Jesus sets up His kingdom - and it will last forever:

"His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him." (Daniel 7:27).

Amen. We're almost there.

The Globalists

This article appeared in Canada Free Press and it puts together a lot of interesting thoughts and ideas regarding the globalists agenda and the article gives us a refresher on the Club of Rome - a very important end times player in my opinion. It is even more interesting because only a decade or so ago, this kind of paper would have been considered as too "conspiracy" oriented, but in today's world it makes perfect sense and is in keeping with everything we see on a daily basis.

"The Plan" - Agenda 21 and the Death Knell of Liberty

Carroll County is the first government organization in America to vote (unanimously) to withdraw from the UN’s International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). If you don’t know why Carroll County’s withdrawal is so important, hopefully by the end of this article you will. May God grant that many other counties across the United States follow Carroll County’s lead—the sooner the better.


The death knell for freedom has been tolling for some time, and only now are people starting to hear it. It started tolling faintly, decades back, and has slowly progressed in volume, until today its tolling is impossible to ignore.

Liberty, after all, is an aberration in mankind’s history—a light that has flared here and there over the centuries, only to dissolve back into the darkness.

Unfortunately, that is indeed the truth - and where society is headed - as global governance comes our way and is now being prepared by the "globalists".

I’m not talking about something we need to be on guard against. It is all already in place. It has been going on for quite some time, and it will continue to go on, at a greatly accelerated pace. We are at the “end game” point.

Already, several generations have been indoctrinated, via our school systems, to value globalization and “social justice,” over personal responsibility and free enterprise. They have been repeatedly sold the idea that they should, “Think globally, act locally.”

God has been demeaned, marginalized, and eradicated, at every turn. Our religions are, in many cases, a watered down and diluted mimicry of true spirituality.

The Globalists have come out from the closets, the woodwork, and from under rocks. They know that their time of hiding is at long last over. They are brazen about, and proud of, their anti-American/pro-globalist stance. Their arrogance and hubris is palpable.

We just showed some shocking quotes here just a couple of week ago. The agenda isn't hidden anymore, for whatever reasons.

Now the article gets to the Club of Rome:

The Club of Rome (CoR) was founded in 1968, in Italy, by Aurelio Peccei, an Italian scholar and industrialist, and Alexander King, a Scottish scientist.

Over the years the list of its members has included ex-presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, diplomats, and billionaires. Its membership roster reads like a “who’s who” of the world’s movers and shakers. It includes UN bureaucrats, scientists, economists, and business leaders from around the globe.

After its inception, it split into two additional branches: The CoB (Club of Budapest), and the CoM (Club of Madrid). The CoB focuses mainly on social and philosophical/religious issues, while the CoM concentrates more on political issues. In addition, there are over thirty affiliated organizations in other countries—such as the USACoR in the United States

The main article (above) provides links for each of the statements above.

Twenty years later, the CoR published “The First Global Revolution”—a quote from that book appears at the start of this article. This book also made a big splash, and helped to re-energize and expand the whole environmentalist movement.

Another quote from the book worth keeping in mind is, “It would seem that humans need a common motivation, namely a common adversary…such a motivation must be found to bring the divided nations together to face an outside enemy, either a real one, or else one invented for the purpose….”

“One invented for the purpose.” Enter global warming and greenhouse gases. But something even more important happened the year before “The First Global Revolution ” came out.

Now we get to the infamous "Earth Summit", held by the UN:

At the instigation of the CoR, and their ilk, in 1992 the United Nations held the Conference on Environment and Development—informally known as the Earth Summit—in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

At the Earth Summit, 178 nations signed an agreement called Agenda 21—so called because it dealt with the United Nation’s agenda for the 21st century.

George Bush senior, then President of the United States, flew down and committed the United States to the UN’s FCCC (Framework Convention on Climate Change) agenda.

(Link can be found in main article at top)

Ever since then, the Executive Branch—Republican or Democrat—has been bypassing Congress, and passing “soft laws” foisting Agenda 21 on the American public. No matter where you go, environmentalism permeates the US Government bureaucracy. Sometimes it is blatant and out front; other times you may need to dig a little, but it is always there.

The Globalists actually tried Global Cooling first, but for various reasons it didn’t fly. Look at page 22 in the 1974 Annual Rockefeller Report, and you’ll find the mention of a conference called to investigate “...the future implications of the global cooling trend now underway….” Things sure warmed up in a hurry

.

This wasn't the only paper expressing fears over global cooling - one can find multiple headlines and magazine articles repeating the mantra that global cooling was of utmost concern. This is easy to understand as the 1940's into the 1970's period was a cooling trend (while CO2 emissions increased dramatically, but I digress).

So what is the purpose behind all this? What’s really behind all the global warming hoopla? Power. It’s the same old Marxist/Communist/Fascist collectivist shtick, dressed up in new clothes.

Global warming is all about a power grab by a wealthy elite and their collectivist sycophants—using the UN as a cover and tool.

Behind it all, is a relatively small group of people who are manipulating the world for their own twisted, narcissistic ends. It’s a perfect cover. Think about it—who doesn’t feel that fresh air, clean water, and a healthy environment are admirable ends to work toward? Any sane person supports such ideals. But hidden in back of the admirable goals are some diabolical designs.

They want the American dollar replaced by a new global currency.

It’s all part of the “The Plan.” Ruin America’s economy, destroy her middle class, and put a stranglehold on her energy grid.

At the UN Summit at Rio in 1992, the Conference Secretary-General, Canadian billionaire Maurice Strong, said “Isn’t the only hope for this planet that the industrialized civilization collapse? Isn’t it our responsibility to bring that about?”

He also said, “Current lifestyles and consumption patterns of the affluent middle class—involving high meat intake, the use of fossil fuels, electrical appliances, home and workplace air-conditioning, and suburban housing—are not sustainable.”

And this story wouldn't be complete without at least one mention of George Soros:

Club of Rome member, multi-billionaire George Soros, echoed Strong’s statement last fall, when he told an Australian newspaper, “America, as the center of the globalized financial markets, was sucking up the savings of the world. This is now over. The game is out,’ he said, adding that the time has come for ‘a very serious adjustment’ in American’s consumption habits.

Forced to cut back on fossil fuel consumption. Forced to cut back on water usage. Forced to give up our property. Forced to eat less. Forced to warm or cool our homes less. Forced to give up driving. Forced to give up these, and many other things that we currently take for granted. It’s “The Plan”—you had better believe it.

Look at what’s happening to California’s Central Valley—once “the world’s breadbasket,” and now a dust bowl. All due to Agenda 21 (link)

(This link mentioned above is worth reading: A storm brews over food water and power)

I assure you that the Globalists will not help the farmers. As the saying goes, “You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.” The Globalists want the land unplowed. They want it to go “back to nature.” They want to increase the price of food. They want to ruin the middle class farming community. It’s all part of “The Plan.”

It is not just America this is happening to, of course. Australia, Great Britain, Japan, Canada, Germany… Every country is on the verge of being converted into a vassal state—part of a global hegemony run by the UN and a power elite.

This is beginning to sound a lot like the Tribulation.

All this will be more easily accomplished with a greatly reduced population. Did I mention population reduction and control?

Behind all of the warm and fuzzy terminology about “smart growth,” “sustainable development,” and “think green,” lies a very chilling fact. The Agenda 21 folks want to reduce the earth’s population—a lot.

Does this sound crazy? Yes, but look at these direct quotes:

In 1996, Club of Rome member and CNN founder, Ted Turner, told Audubon magazine, “A total population of 250-300 million people, a 95% decline from present levels, would be ideal.” A 95% reduction! More recently he has said that getting rid of a mere two thirds of the world’s population would suffice. Getting mellow in his old age no doubt.

Anthropologist and anarchist David Graber put it like this in an L.A. Times book review, “Human happiness, and certainly human fecundity, are not as important as a wild and healthy planet. ... We have become a plague upon ourselves and upon the Earth. ...Until such time as Homo sapiens should decide to rejoin nature, some of us can only hope for the right virus to come along.”

Links are also provided for the quotes above. There is more:

At any rate, because most of these Globalists are atheists, they don’t respect the divine spark in man, or unalienable rights, or divine retribution. In short, they don’t have many qualms about killing people—which they have proven time and again whenever, and wherever, their ilk have come to power. Something to keep in mind.

There’s something deeply disturbed, and disturbing, about too many of these folks. For example, Yale professor and eco-nut, Lamont Cole, is of the opinion that “To feed a starving child is to exacerbate the world population problem.”

You should do yourself a favor and peruse the quotes on Free Republic’s “So you’re an environmentalist…” web-page

Link

And to complete the picture, we see the coming oil crisis:

Iran’s leadership is aching to nuke Israel, and Israel’s only going to wait so long before taking preemptive measures—and there goes a large chunk of America’s oil supply.

And what happens if Egypt comes under the control of the Muslim Brotherhood, and they decide to close the vital Suez Canal?

Long lines for gas—if you can get any at all. America’s power grid will flicker, and intermittently fail. Time for the Globalists to make their final moves.

Is there no hope then? If there are still enough patriotic Americans who value personal integrity, responsibility, and freedom, there is a slim chance we can still turn this thing around, but it won’t be easy. Far from it.

Make no mistake though, if we lose this one, America and the world will sink into an abyss of Godless tyranny for a very, very long time.

Personally, I don't see the U.S. making a come-back. It would be more in keeping with prophecy to see an America which continues its decline as the EU, China and Russia continue to gain power. So far, this is the scenario that we are seeing - a scenario which is entirely consistent with biblical prophecy.

Our hope doesn't rest in a strong America at this point in history. Our one and only hope rests in Christ Jesus. Perhaps it was intended to be that way.

Rather than lament the decline of America or lament the loss of freedom in this globalist world - I believe we should be looking for Christ and remain focused on His return. Certainly that is what Luke had in mind when he instructed us to look up for Christ's return - just at the time that we begin to see the signs (Luke 21:28).

It won't be long now. The signs are abundant. Therefore Christ's return is going to be soon.

Its that simple.

Birth Pains:

4.7-magnitude quake hits central Arkansas

The latest earthquake was centered near Greenbrier , where much of the seismic activity has occurred in the past six months. The shaking was felt far and wide this time, though, as dozens of residents took to Facebook to query, "Did you feel it?"

If it is confirmed as a 4.7, the temblor would be the strongest of hundreds of earthquakes in Faulkner County since September.

Large crack opens the earth in southern Peru

The sudden appearance early in the morning of an enormous crack, measuring 100 meters wide and three kilometers long, caused confusion among residents of the Huacullani district in the Chucuito province, department of Puno.

The exact cause of the crack in the earth still unknown. Peru’s geophysical institute ruled out the occurrence of an earthquake in the region, but what is clear is that the ground opened up and large blocks of earth can be observed scattered throughout the area.

'Mega-mudslides' destroy homes in Bolivia

Heavy rains unleashed a "mega-mudslide" in Bolivia's capital that destroyed 400 homes, authorities said.

But the destruction in the usually dry capital was staggering with some neighborhoods virtually wiped away. House after house -- many made of adobe and some of brick -- simply collapsed.

"It is one of the worst disasters this city has seen in terms of the number of houses affected. It is a mega-mudslide, a massive disaster," he added.

Magnitude 5.7 quake hits Veracruz, Mexico

Other Quakes in the World:

6.0 Chile
4.5 Nicaragua
5.0 Tonga Islands
5.2 Crete
4.5 Afghanistan
5.0 Japan
4.6 Japan
4.4 Myanmar
4.3 Caucasus

Vancouver Island Bald Eagles Are "Falling From the Sky

​It was one thing when starlings, robins, and turtledoves were falling dead from the sky in places like Kentucky, Italy, and Arkansas. Those places are far from the Pacific Northwest, and the birds are just common species that no one cares about anyway. Well, now bizarre bird deaths have finally made their way to the PNW, and it's eagles that are falling from the sky. That's right, bald freaking eagles.

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THE MIDDLE EAST:

Russia to sell Syria cruise missiles

Israel furious at completion of deal, fearing advanced missiles will fall into Hezbollah's hands

"And this is understandable since Hezbollah has repeatedly used weapons that they received either from Lebanon or Syria."

The disputed sale is believed to be worth at least $300 million (218 million euros) and is meant to see Syria receive 72 cruise missiles in all.

Netanyahu wary of new international efforts in peace process

Over the weekend, the United Nations envoy to the Middle East, Robert Serry, announced that Quartet representatives would hold separate meetings with Israeli and Palestinian officials later in the week in Brussels.

However, Netanyahu has voiced his reservations to the meeting, fearing that by agreeing he would open the door to international influence on the terms of the renewed talks. Specifically, the premier is worried of being forced to resume talks toward a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.

The move spearheaded by Quartet members – Russia and the European Union, specifically – is another part of the intense international pressure brought to bare on Netanyahu in wake of the recent standstill in peace talks.

Farrakhan: Mideast uprisings will come to US

Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan predicted on Sunday that America faces imminent uprisings that mirror those in the Middle East.

“What you are looking at in Tunisia, in Egypt … Libya, in Bahrain … what you see happening there … you’d better prepare because it will be coming to your door,” Farrakhan said in a booming voice, thousands of followers cheering in his wake.

And last, this article describes the situation we face in the Middle East today:

Throughout New Middle East, Islamists Have Upper Hand

The new Middle East will favor the Muslim Brotherhood (MB). Their mosque-based clinics, feeding stations, and petty employment gave the MB many millions of foot soldiers, who occupied Liberation Square in Cairo and other such squares in different capitals in the Arab world from Algiers to Manama, Amman, Tripoli, and Sanaa.

The next chapter in Egypt’s history is yet to be written, but there is little doubt that the MB will be a major influence. Under the worst-case scenario, the MB would force the powers to be to immediately sever their relations with Israel, and perhaps with the U.S. as well.

Where Egypt (and the Middle East) is headed:

The delivery of gas to Israel would cease, and Egypt would ally itself with Iran. Such a government would also shut down the Suez Canal to Western navigation, causing great damage to the European economy. Domestically, an MB-influenced government would implement Sharia law as the law of the land, forcing the Coptic-Christian minority to flee the country, convert to Islam, or live in even greater misery and fear.

What about the other countries that we are following in the region?

In Jordan:

Jordan’s Palestinian majority has little access to power, and the people in the Palestinian refugee camps suffer from neglect and unemployment. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees, who flooded into Jordan in recent years, have increased the economic and social burdens on the Jordanian government.

The Muslim Brotherhood is by far the most popular movement in the kingdom, particularly among the Palestinians. King Abdullah II is aware of their dire situation, and understanding that he had to act immediately and decisively, dissolved his government two weeks ago and is seeking to improve basic services.

In Syria:

In the Syrian dictatorship of Bashar Assad, a member of the Malawian minority, the economic strife is even greater than in Jordan. In addition to the chronic unemployment and an influx of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, the country has suffered from a severe drought in the past few years, forcing nearly a million farmers to abandon their lands and move into urban areas where they have joined the army of the unemployed. Like Jordan, the Sunni-Muslim majority is also allied with the Muslim Brotherhood

In Yemen:

The largely tribal Arab state of Yemen faces several fundamental problems like the corruption of President Abdullah Saleh, who was appointed by members of his tribe to run most of the state’s apparatus.
In northern Yemen, Shiite tribesmen are in an open violent rebellion against the Sanaa government, funded, trained, and supplied by Iran. President Saleh may be the next dictator to topple under pressure.

Lebanon:

Lebanon is about to come under the full control of Hezbollah, and by extension become part of the Iranian sphere of influence.

Saudi Arabia:

Even in the seemingly stable kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pockets of instability threaten this Wahhabi-ruled state. In the eastern and Shiite province of Hasa, Iran has incited the populace, and in the southern province of Najran, whose Yemeni population feels discriminated against by the Saudi regime, trouble may be brewing.

Overall:

Years of oppression and corruption along with the lack of democracy, civil and human rights, and religious freedom have awakened the sleeping giant that is the Arab street. The pent-up anger and frustration is as dangerous as lava from a volcano. Undoubtedly most of the dictatorships in the Middle East will be affected by this sweeping rage. But, without a democratic tradition and lacking a modern economic infrastructure, the new Middle East might be different but not better, and it might very well be replacing its secular oppressors with Islamist oppressors.

We are living in a world of turmoil. Not only turmoil politically in the Middle East, as more and more radical Islamic factions seek power and control, but the very earth itself seems to be experiencing birth pains, as we see earthquakes on the rise, floods, mudslides, tsunamis, drought, all leading to famine and now we see these mysterious, unexplained animal deaths occurring world-wide.

It seems that the world teeters just on the brink. On the brink of collapse. On the brink of a major turning point - one that seems to be coming soon.

While the world questions these events and recoils in terror and fear, we can rest assured in God's word: His word which has been given to us through the Holy Scriptures. And, of course, we have the written words of the prophets who described these times perfectly.

We know what is coming and we know our fate.

The apostle Paul characterized what our feelings should be in the face of looking towards our known fate:

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."
(2 Thessalonians 3:16)

AMEN.

EGYPT?

It seems that Egypt has already been forgotten, as the news cycle has moved on and left Egypt in the dust. A similar fate as Lebanon, as that situation too has moved off the headlines (while Hezbollah completes their power play), as the world focuses on Libya.

Lets take a look at Egypt today, and see what is going on. This article comes from Israel Today Magazine and many of the predictions are becoming a reality:

What's happening in Egypt now?

Most of the international community, and certainly the mainstream international press, has moved on from Egypt and its 18-day uprising that lead to the downfall of former President Hosni Mubarak and his dictatorial regime. The new story on everyone’s lips is Libya, where the masses are fighting, and dying, to similarly remove Col. Muammar Gaddafi.

But what is happening now in Egypt? The sudden removal of Mubarak cannot be the end of the story, and with the future of such a significant regional power hanging in the balance, what happens in the weeks and months after is far more important than the president’s resignation.

That takes us to the present - and now we can see that the Muslim Brotherhood is making their move - in a big way:

Amazingly, while the Western intelligentsia spent the two weeks leading up to Mubarak’s departure alternatively insisting that the Muslim Brotherhood was either not a threat or too small to worry about, almost no one covered the February 18 return to Egypt of Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi as the major event it was.

Qaradawi was exiled from Egypt decades ago by Mubarak, and was also banned from entering the US and Britain for his radical views and teachings. But that didn’t stop the cleric. Instead, he was given a spot on Al Jazeera, where his show “Sharia and Life” quickly became the top rated program on the Middle East network.

When he stepped into Cario’s now-famed Tahrir Square this month, it was to a hero’s welcome by the estimated two million Egyptians that came to hear him. During his speech, Qaradawi advised those who had toppled Mubarak that “the revolution is not finished,” and insisted that democracy in Egypt must be along Islamic, not Western lines.

So what does this mean? Perhaps the following quote is the most succinct:

Prof. William Jacobson of the Cornell Law School aptly noted that the event signified that “the yuppie revolution in Egypt is over, the Islamist revolution has begun.” Jacobson accurately explained that Ghonem never was the face of the Arab street in Egypt, “he merely was a face to which Western media could relate.”

The real face of the street in Egypt is Islam, and that is why just as many people who turned out to demand Mubarak go home also came out to hear Qaradawi.

Some in the mainstream media are still trying to whitewash Qaradawi and the Muslim Brotherhood. But the cleric’s long history of poisonous decrees against Israel, calling for attacks on Americans in Iraq, and general hatred for all infidels speaks for itself.

Despite cleverly wording his public speeches in a way that allows the likes of the New York Times to paint him as a “moderate,” Qaradawi remains dedicated to the Muslim Brotherhood’s stated goal of imposing Sharia Law with the goal of eventually establishing an Islamic empire.

It should also be noted that if free elections are held in Egypt, there are very real indicators that the Muslim Brotherhood’s newly formed political party, the Freedom and Justice Party, will sweep them by a large margin.

And that represents the bottom line. It may take several months (September has been proposed for the elections), but the radical Muslim Brotherhood appears to be a lock to gain control and if they do, it won't be good for Israel - that much is a certainty.

North American Union?

Because a North American Union, if formed, could represent one of the biblical "10 kings", it is worth following closely due to the potential prophetic significance. We have no idea how the 10 kings could be formed, but many prophecy scholars believe that the world will be divided into 10 regions, with each region having a "leader" (aka the "10 kings").

This is important to follow because we know from Revelation 17 that these 10 kings will serve to support the antichrist and his evil agenda during the tribulation period - a period that is rapidly approaching.

As posted before, mysteriously, the EU has already divided the world up into 10 regions see here. This concept also ties into the so-called "globalist agenda", which I believe is very real.

Today we see this article:

The North American Union - an act of treason

Elected officials change, but the agenda to destroy American sovereignty or the U.S. as a nation has not.

For the global agenda to work, there must be a shadow power structure that is advancing the globalist ideology, regardless of the visible power brokers and politicians.

Mention such a power structure of the global elite and be prepared to be marginalized, criticized, or called paranoid. Yet, it’s clear that it exists. The world is witnessing this agenda at work at this moment as countries across the globe begin to burn. The unrest is just getting started, folks, yet too few understand what is taking place and what is being planned.

These shadow powers, or the individuals behind these orchestrated revolts are indeed no longer secret. The Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations and the Bilderberg Group are all guilty of illegally setting the worlds agenda without the consent of the people.

These groups are composed of the world’s richest and most influential people in business and politics. They meet together to set policy in foreign affairs, and decide who will be the next face of power. By their own admission, they set such agendas.

That last sentence is key, because this agenda isn't hidden anymore. These enormously rich and powerful "elites" are now outspoken about their agenda - we've posted many articles and quotes supporting this view.

Remember this?

For the last two decades, the media no longer even tries to cover up their complicity. In an address to a meeting of the Trilateral Commission in 1991, founder David Rockefeller gloated and thanked the media for such complicity:

“We are grateful to The Washington Post, The New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost forty years. It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subject to the bright lights of publicity during those years. But, the work is now much more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government.

The supranational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national auto-determination practiced in past centuries.”

This is just one of many similar examples. The agenda is open to the public, but few seem to notice or care.

Obama continues the Bush agenda of the NAU

On March 23, 2005 leaders of North America convened and introduced the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP). The SPP agreement was signed by President Bush, Mexican President Vicente Fox and then-Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin in Waco, Texas.

This arrangement went unannounced to the public and is unregulated by congress.

Understanding the provisions of the SPP serves to explain why our southern border remains unprotected. Like inconveniently placed stop signs at rural intersections, our borders have become mere suggestions. By lacking border security, American sovereignty is under assault by the agenda of the globalists.

This is the reality that we are facing. These are facts, not mere speculation. If indeed the biblical 10 kings end up being 10 world regions, then there will be no stopping this movement. Only time will tell. Even more recent developments point towards a NAU:

Released earlier this month with little fanfare, the United States has partnered with Canada to use biometric software to track North American citizens.

The goal is to implement the use of “biometric chips” to keep track of the denizens of North America. In the four page declaration released by the White House earlier this month, the Obama administration has partnered with Canada to create the technical standards “for the collection, transmission, and matching of biometrics that enable the sharing of information on travelers in real time.” Legitimate travelers, that is.

Again, this is about control, not security. And this is about the creation of a North American Union at the expense of national sovereignty for a global society.

History teaches us that with great power comes great corruption. It seems that we are in a time of great corruption now. If we Americans and Canadians do not regain control of our governments now, we won’t recognize our nations in just a few short years.

However it is packaged, the global agenda is an act of treason. As a component, so is the North American Union.

But issues such as treason are relatively insignificant when it comes to fulfillment of God's plan.

There is no way of knowing of a NAU will definitely be formed.

There is certainly progress being made towards such a union, and the facts that are currently emerging sure seem pointed in that direction. Still, we don't know how exactly God will allow these 10 kings to be formed. IF and I repeat "if" - God decides that the 10 kings will be formed from 10 world unions, then the formation of a NAU will be a safe bet.

Either way, these developments are worth watching closely.

Iran exploiting anarchy in Sinai

How many times can we see similar stories? It seems that every time we take a turn, as far as Middle East affairs, we see Iranian influence.

Iran aiming to exploit anarchy in post-Mubarak Sinai

Iran is working to bolster its weapons-smuggling infrastructure in the Sinai Peninsula as anarchy continues to prevail in Egypt following the toppling of the Mubarak regime earlier this month.

According to information obtained by Israel, Iran has been working to build new infrastructure in the Sinai that can be used to smuggle advanced weaponry in large quantities into the Gaza Strip.

I personally believe that Ahmadinejad realizes that his time is short and he now has a limited amount of time to hasten events in the Middle East which will (in his mind) bring forth the Mahdi. This thought is bolstered simply by viewing their actions; all of which are ultimately directed against Israel:

“Iran wants to take advantage of the current anarchy in Egypt and establish a stronger foothold in Gaza,” a senior defense official said. “They are building new capabilities, upgrading smuggling mechanisms and studying the new military presence there to see how it will affect them.”

One known smuggling route for Iranian weapons to Hamas begins in Sudan or Eritrea where ships unload weaponry, which is then loaded onto trucks that travel up through Sudan and Egypt until they arrive at the Gaza-Egypt border. The weaponry is then smuggled into Gaza via one of the hundreds of tunnels along the Philadelphi Corridor.

In addition the concern about an increase in smuggling, Israel also fears that the Sinai will turn into a launch pad for attacks into Israel.

Recent events seem to confirm Iran's influence is working:

In recent years, the Sinai has turned into a platform for attacks against Israel including by Hamas, which several months ago launched Katyusha rockets into Eilat from the Egyptian territory. The Egyptian military has for years encountered difficulty in controlling the Beduin population that does not hold allegiance to the Egyptian government in Cairo.

In addition to the Kassam rocket fired into Israel, another Kassam was fired that landed in Palestinian territory.

Violence is already escalating:

Meanwhile Saturday, the Israeli Air Force attacked a number of targets throughout Gaza in retaliation to continued rocket fire on the western Negev.

The IAF bombed Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets throughout southern and central Gaza, including a tunnel that the IDF said was being dug into Israel to be used by terrorists who planned to infiltrate to carry out an attack.

“The strike was in response to rocket attacks on Israeli territory and the IDF will continue to work against terrorist activity that threatens the State of Israel,” a statement by the IDF read.

Iran is on the move and making in-roads closer and closer to Israel. They already control Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and now they may well control the Egyptian border with Israel. That would give Iran a ridiculous amount of influence in and around Israel.

Given that Ahmadinejad is focused on Israel's destruction, this is yet another ominous development for Israel as we watch the vice surrounding the tiny country tightening. It will continue to tighten. God will place Israel in such a position that their only possibility for survival will be to turn to God and look for His protection. And we all know how that turns out.

As always - God will deliver Israel from this threat. Ezekiel 38-39 contains all of the details. We have a big advantage in viewing events in the Middle East - we know exactly what happens. God has told us in advance. Its too bad the world leaders don't have this template for the future - but it really doesn't matter - God's plan will play out exactly as we know it will - exactly as described in the prophetic scriptures.

The New Middle East

The Middle East has clearly taken a much stronger anti-Israeli position lately, as radical Islam is gaining more and more control of the region. We've already seen the significance of Iran's influence - and we can never forget how Iran is listed in the coalition who is destined to bring siege upon Israel. In fact, the two most obvious regions involved in this coalition are Russia and Iran.

Now we see Russian involvement in this growing instability in the Middle East:

'Russian missiles could be passed on to Hezbollah'

Following Russia's announcement that it will transfer missiles to Syria, Defense Ministry fears weapons could fall into "wrong hands."

The Defense Ministry issued a statement Saturday regarding publications that Russia intends to complete a deal to transfer cruise missiles to Syria. "This deal was signed two years ago and has been in the process of implementation for some time, despite Israel's appeals to Russia regarding the matter."

Security officials warned that the Russian cruise missiles "are potentially dangerous weapons and they may come fall into the hands of Hezbollah, just as other weapons systems came from Syria."

The announcement came after Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said that Russia would fulfill its contractual obligation and complete the transfer of cruise missiles to Syria, according to AFP.

Also on Saturday, Iran and Syria agreed to cooperate on naval training, Iran's official news agency said on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The agreement came days after two Iranian warships – the Khark, which has 250 crew members and can carry three helicopters, and the Alvand, which is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles – arrived at Syria's Latakia seaport on Thursday, sailing through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean.

The vice that surrounds Israel is definitely tightening.

Caroline Glick gives us an update of the "New Middle East":

Column One: Playing Israel's good hand

On Wednesday night, Israelis received our first taste of the new Middle East with the missile strikes on Beersheba. Iran’s Palestinian proxy, the local branch of the Muslim Brotherhood known as Hamas, carried out its latest war crime right after Iran’s battleships entered Syria’s Latakia port.

For the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran’s warships sailed across the canal without even being inspected by the Egyptian, US or Israeli navies.

Mubarak’s departure was a strategic victory for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and for its sister branch Hamas in Gaza.

As part of his efforts to neutralize the threat the Muslim Brotherhood posed to his regime, Mubarak sealed off Gaza’s border with Egypt after Hamas seized power there in June 2007.

Now she analyzes the situation which has been created by Egypt's instability:

The shift in the regional power balance following Mubarak’s fall has caused Fatah leaders to view their ties to the US as a strategic liability.

If they wish to survive, they must cut a deal with Hamas. And to convince Hamas to cut a deal, they need to abandon the US.

And so they have. Fatah’s first significant move to part company with Washington came with its relentless bid to force a vote on a resolution condemning Israeli construction in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria at the UN Security Council.

While excoriating Obama and the US, the PA is actively wooing Hamas. On Wednesday, the PA accepted the legitimacy of Hamas control over Gaza.

At the same time as he publicly beseeched Hamas to join forces with Fatah, Fayyad announced that the PA is willing to forgo US financial assistance if that assistance continues to come with political strings attached.

This is most definitely a new Middle East. Her sobering conclusion:

But instead of pointing out the truth, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his colleagues maintain their posture as supplicants to Washington, making concession after concession in exchange for further abuse in the hopes of avoiding a confrontation.

As our region is consumed by the flames of rebellion and revolution, the challenges and threats Israel faces multiply by the day. In these new and trying times, our leaders must shed their failed concepts of statecraft based on weakness and adopt new ones founded on strength. The PA is playing a bad hand wisely.

We are playing a good hand foolishly.

We are seeing more and more Iranian and Russian influence in the region, and that is exactly what we would expect based on a literal reading of Ezekiel 38-39. Russia and Iran are the first and second lands mentioned in the description of the invading coalition of Ezekiel 38.

Their time is almost upon them whether they know it or not. This has been in the works for a while now, and the countries that will align with Russia (Turkey, northern Africa etc.) are already on board philosophically in their hatred of Israel. We're watching this coalition getting firmer and firmer by the day now.

We are just on the verge of entering some interesting times.

Middle East Oil War Spreads: Iran Working Behind the Scenes

This article just in from Debka:

Middle East oil war spreads. First demos in Saudi Arabia, Iraq refinery blasted

Iraq's biggest oil refinery at Baiji, 180 kilometers north of Baghdad, was blown up early Saturday, Feb. 26, by an Al Qaeda cell activated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Al Qods Brigades

Thursday night, Feb. 24, saw the first signs of unrest in Saudi Arabia with demonstrations by young people demanding reforms of the kingdom's system of government and by Shiites living and working in the kingdom's oil-rich eastern regions. They demonstrated at Awwamiya in Qatif in solidarity with the protests in Libya and Bahrain.

Once again, we see Iran in the middle of things, stirring the pot:

The slightest sign of unrest in Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, is bound to affect the price of oil. Iran is the biggest beneficiary of soaring prices. Day after day, as Arab capitals are beset by popular turbulence, Tehran is watching the damage caused its economy by international sanctions shrinking.

Early Saturday, Tehran gave the oil market another nudge by knocking Iraq's biggest refinery out of action just hours after clashes with anti- government rallies left nine dead in three North Iraqi towns.

The gunmen shot four refinery guards and engineers and blew up the Al Shamal unit, its main kerosene and benzene producer, leaving sticky bombs in other operational units to explode after they fled. It took hours to put the fire out. The entire installation is now closed. "We are not talking about days," said a refinery official, "The damage is too severe."

So what does this mean?

DEBKAfile's intelligence sources report that the sabotage of the Iraqi refinery marked another stage in the fuel war becoming an integral part of the rising tide of protest engulfing the Middle East since Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution erupted in January. On February 5, the Palestinian Hamas used the uprising in Egypt to blow up the Sinai gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan. Supplies have been cut off since then.

In Libya...the fighting in oil-sensitive areas is thought to have cut supplies by half. It is estimated that Libya's partition between Cyrenaica and Tripolitania will split half of its oil resources roughly equally between the two entities, leaving the export terminals with the rebels.

Today is full of news which relate to Iran's Influence:

'Syria and Iran to cooperate on naval training'

Agreement signed by commanders of both navies, Iranian news agency says; announcement comes same day of reports that Russia intends to complete transfer of cruise missiles to Syria.

The agreement came days after two Iranian warships – the Khark, which has 250 crew members and can carry three helicopters, and the Alvand, which is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles – arrived at Syria's Latakia seaport on Thursday, sailing through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean.

Security and Defense: Channeling chutzpah

As two Iranian warships – the Khark, which has 250 crew members and can carry three helicopters, and the Alvand, which is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles – entered the southern end of the Suez Canal en route to Syria, the Defense Ministry announced another successful test of the Arrow 2 ballistic missile defense system.

The decision to send two warships through the canal to Syria is an attempt to show the world that, despite sanctions and diplomatic isolation, Iran is still a major regional player.

it is possible they are carrying explosives, missiles and other assorted weaponry for Hezbollah. Using warships to transport weaponry would be a smart move by Iran, which was caught in 2009 using the cargo ship Francop to transport hundreds of tons of weaponry to the Lebanese guerrilla organization.

By sending warships through the Suez Canal for the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution, the ayatollahs are showing they can attack Israel from the sea.

The crossing was also likely aimed at flexing a muscle directly in Egypt’s face. Under Hosni Mubarak, ties between the two countries hit an unprecedented low.

Wikileaks Cables Reveal Muslim Brotherhood Ties to Iran

The Hamas charter and Iran’s use of the Brotherhood in Egypt as a proxy prove that it is a violent organization and that Iran is using it to destabilize Egypt. Given Iran’s operational style, it is only prudent to believe that our Middle Eastern nemesis is also providing clandestine support to Brotherhood chapters in Jordan, Yemen, Algeria, Tunisia, and elsewhere.

So no longer does the Obama team have to rely on biased and meddlesome outside observers to advise it on the dangers of the Muslim Brotherhood.

If it just reviews its own classified State Department cable traffic it will learn that the Brotherhood in Egypt is the clandestine proxy of our arch-enemy Iran, that our allies in the UAE regard it is as too dangerous to participate in free elections, that Muslim Brothers created Spain’s first Islamic terrorist organizations, and that the jihad-mongering Muslim Brother Qaradawi, who is closely associated with our own Muslim American Society, continues to support Hamas, which we ourselves list as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization.

And finally, this:

IAF strikes Islamic Jihad and Hamas targets in Gaza

IAF attacked two Islamic Jihad and Hamas targets in the central Gaza strip overnight Friday, in response to Kassam rockets fired on the Sdot Negev Regional Council earlier in the day.

On Thursday Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned Hamas, “I do not suggest that anyone test the State of Israel’s resolve,” a day after two Grad-model Katyusha rockets slammed into Beersheba for the first time since Operation Cast Lead over two years ago.

Never a dull moment in the Middle East and today is no exception. It is truly amazing that just a little digging with almost any developing turmoil will find Iran in the mixture - pushing buttons behind the scenes - attempting to set the stage for Israel's destruction.

Global Revolution?

Washington's Blog is always an interesting place to visit, with interesting commentary on current events. Occasionally this blog unwittingly reaches into areas that overlap with prophecy:

It's Not an Arab Revolution...Its a GLOBAL Revolution

While the revolution in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and other North African countries may seem like an "Arab revolt", it's actually worldwide.

Protests involving thousands of protesters have recently been held in:

- Greece
- India
- North Korea
- China
- Halabja, Kut, Sulaimaniya and other Iraqi towns
- Iran
- And elsewhere

The worldwide riots are not mysterious or unforeseeable. They've been predicted for years, and are a direct result of the bad policy choices made by most nations worldwide.

In other words, by assuming huge portions of the risk from banks trading in toxic derivatives, and by spending trillions that they don't have, central banks have put their countries at risk ....

Let's look at the "root causes" of this financial instability with resulting unrest:

Specifically, nations around the world decided to bail out their big banks instead of taking the necessary steps to stabilize their economies (see this, this and this). As such, they all transferred massive debts (from fraudulent and stupid gambling activities) from the balance sheets of the banks to the balance sheets of the country.

The nations have then run their printing presses nonstop in an effort to inflate their way out of their debt crises, even though that effort is doomed to failure from the get-go.

Quantitative easing by the Federal Reserve is obviously causing food prices to skyrocket worldwide (and see this, this and this).

These three links are provided at the bottom of this post.

Moreover, the austerity measures which governments worldwide are imposing to try to plug their gaping deficits (created by throwing trillions at their banks) are causing people world-wide to push back.

* Today, Moody's warned that future tax rises and spending cuts could trigger social unrest in a range of countries from the developing to the developed world...

* The U.S. Army War College warned in 2008 November warned in a monograph [click on Policypointers’ pdf link to see the report] titled “Known Unknowns: Unconventional ‘Strategic Shocks’ in Defense Strategy Development” of crash-induced unrest:

The military must be prepared, the document warned, for a “violent, strategic dislocation inside the United States,” which could be provoked by “unforeseen economic collapse,” “purposeful domestic resistance,” “pervasive public health emergencies” or “loss of functioning political and legal order.”

The “widespread civil violence,” the document said, “would force the defense establishment to reorient priorities in extremis to defend basic domestic order and human security.”

* Director of National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair said:

"The global economic crisis ... already looms as the most serious one in decades, if not in centuries ... Economic crises increase the risk of regime-threatening instability

* The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warned the the financial crisis is the highest national security concern for the U.S., and warned that the fallout from the crisis could lead to of "greater instability".

There are warning signs everywhere, largely ignored by the U.S. population. Denial is strong.

Others warning of crash-induced unrest include:

- The head of the World Trade Organization
- The head of the International Monetary Fund (and see this)
- The head of the World Bank
- Senator Christopher Dodd
- Congressman Ron Paul (radio interview on March 6, 2009)
- Britian's MI5 security agency
- Leading economic historian Niall Ferguson
- Leading economist Marc Faber and billionaire investor Jim Rogers
- Leading economist Nouriel Roubini
- Leading economist John Williams
- Top trend researcher Gerald Calente
- European think tank Leap2020

This entire article is well worth reading. Towards the end of this article we see this (note the prophetic implications):

It is no overstatement to assert that now in the 21st century the population of much of the developing world is politically stirring and in many places seething with unrest.

The nearly universal access to radio, television and increasingly the Internet is creating a community of shared perceptions and envy that can be galvanized and channeled by demagogic political or religious passions.

These energies transcend sovereign borders and pose a challenge both to existing states as well as to the existing global hierarchy, on top of which America still perches.

Links referenced above:
No Wonder the Economy Isn't Improving
No Wonder the Eurozone is Imploding
Government Economic Leaders Surprised that World Isn't Responding to their Magic Pixie Dust


----------


Things are rapidly changing in the world, and the solutions proposed (global currency, global financial structure with a new single, unified governance) sound exactly like the world which will exist during the Tribulation. We are headed into that era rapidly.

The stage is set - and while most of the world (unwittingly) awaits the "world-ruler" who will appear and fill the leadership void so desperately sought, we await the coming of Christ Jesus.

That represents quite a difference in view.

On the one hand, we see fellow Christians who are grounded in a literal view of the Bible, including the prophetic scriptures. We are told that this is a time of hope and encouragement; a time to be looking up for the return of Christ Jesus. A time to anticipate unimaginable glory - as we have the opportunity to see Jesus in His glory and to be taken to a place that He has prepared for His Church.

On the other hand, we watch "the world" who now generates more questions than answers - wondering what the outcome of all of this turmoil will be; wondering where the world is headed; wondering if there will be complete collapse of this government and financial "system" which has been created by man and is now being severely tested: One that is destined for failure, just as all other forms of human government have failed in the past.

What a stark contrast.

What did Jesus tell us about these times?

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me."

That alone is all we need to hear, really. Are we really listening to those words?

Do we have complete trust in Jesus and His promises?

But it doesn't end there. Jesus knew what kind of world we would be facing - and the truth is, we have a rock-solid promise from Jesus - a promise that He states should serve as our focus in these last days:

"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.

I am going there to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me
that you also may be where I am."

(John 14:1-3)

That should be our focus. We aren't told to watch for the antichrist. We are told to watch for Christ and His coming.

A message of "hope and encouragement" indeed.

While the world wonders what is coming next based on waves of ominous news and questions about the future, we can rest assured in the promises given by Jesus Himself.

What an awesome God we serve. And we are just on the verge of seeing His might and power firsthand.

Iran Pushing the Buttons in the Middle East

It is amazing to see the widespread influence of Iran throughout the Middle East. It seems that everywhere you turn, only a little digging will reveal some form of Iranian influence behind much of what we are seeing in the region today. The biggest problem is the simple fact that of all the countries in the region, Iran is the most determined to see Israel's destruction.

Is Iran using Mideast revolts to reignite Gaza border?

On Wednesday, it seemed that the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip - Hamas and Islamic Jihad - were trying to take advantage of the rapid transformations sweeping the Middle East, and reignite the situation on the border with Israel after a few weeks of quiet.

A border incident led to the firing of a Grad rocket at Be'er Sheva for the first time since Operation Cast Lead two years ago. Whoever decided to fire the rocket was well aware that striking a residential neighborhood would generate a harsh Israeli response and spark a new escalation in hostilities.

Just a brief glance at the region reveals Iran's influence and efforts to stir things up:

But Iranian leaders might have a double aim: to suppress the domestic protest and to further destabilize the region. There is more than a reasonable suspicion that Iran was involved in the unrest in Bahrain. Tehran also dispatched warships through the Suez Canal in order to create a provocation, and its emissary in Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah, threatened to conquer the Galilee from Israel. In addition, the Iranians are examining new possibilities in Egypt, now that the local security forces have been weakened.

Additionally, we see this:

In the meantime, the "Al Jazeera effect" is playing out in an arena closer to Israel. The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan announced this week that it will resume its demonstrations against the regime, and opposition groups are demanding that the king be stripped of the power to form governments and dissolve parliament.

That represents yet another concern. If Jordan's stable and moderate government is toppled by the radical Muslim Brotherhood, it will represent another "game-changing" event in the region - one that will not be favorable to Israel in any way.

We should expect such in these last days.

IDF to Kindergartens in towns by Gaza: Keep kids inside

Doesn't this headline (alone) point out what we are dealing with?

The IDF on Friday instructed teachers to keep children from going outside to play in kindergartens located in towns near Gaza.

The order comes from concerns of further firing from Gaza after two Grad rockets landed in Beersheba earlier this week, causing building damage, with five people treated for shock.

The IDF also instructed residents of towns surround Gaza to be alert over the weekend.

Soldiers responded to the Grad attacks late Wednesday night with a series of attacks throughout the Gaza strip on Thursday.

Palestinian news reports said one person was killed and three wounded in an IAF attack in Rafah. The IDF said the targets were linked to Hamas and had been involved in terrorist activity.

The Grad rocket attacks are back

In retrospect, what was troubling about yesterday's Grad rocket attack on Beer Sheva was not only that it happened, but the near routine reaction of my whole family to the imminent rocket impact.

That's easy to understand, given that rockets fly into civilian areas almost daily. Not that anyone else in the world seems to care.

This morning the only difference in our schedule was that our son was escorted all the way to the gate of his school so that we could react appropriately in case there was another attack.

What was wrong with this scenario is that we were getting used to rocket attacks. As if this were a normal way to live. Just as we all were getting used to be stripped and x-rayed all over the world airports. Instead of solving the problem we were giving in and accepting this abnormal world.

But this will not work for long. The documentary Iranium suggests that Iran could attack the US with missiles tipped with nuclear warheads from barges positioned a hundred miles from the US shores.

Taking into account what Bernard Lewis has reiterated in the movie, i.e. "With these people, with their apocalyptic mindset, mutual assured destruction is not a deterrent, it is an inducement " I find it strange that no one mentioned the possibility that the Iranian warships that just sailed through the Suez Canal might have had the very same purpose -- to launch a N. Korean atom bomb on Tel Aviv.

Were the Iranian ships rehearsing a future scenario? I hope the Israeli government, if not the Obama administration, know what they are doing.

Iranian influence is clearly widespread in the Middle East, and under the leadership of Ahmadinejad there is one single goal and one single obsession:

The destruction of Israel. Period.

To see the eventual outcome of this effort all one has to do is read Ezekiel 38-39. That is where all of this is headed - its just a matter of time now.

Updates From The Middle East:

IAF aircraft strike terrorists in Gaza

Palestinians reported that the IAF also attacked a large number of targets, including in Gaza City. Witnesses reported a "constant noise of fighter jets over Gaza."

The IDF confirmed the attack and said that direct targets were identified and that the attacks were carried out in response to the rocket fire.

Quartet tries new Israeli-Palestinian peace bid

Envoys from the United States, the United Nations, the European Union and Russia are hoping to hold separate meetings with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to try to revive peace talks, the U.N.'s Mideast coordinator said Thursday,

With many Mideast countries preoccupied by anti-government protests, Serry said the Israelis and Palestinians may want to wait to see "what kind of a new Middle East" emerges.

Asked what the Quartet could do that the United States and its mediator George Mitchell couldn't do to revive negotiations, Serry said, "I believe we can help the parties by bringing some suggestions to them which could be a basis for those negotiations."

He refused to provide any details of the suggestions saying the Quartet wants to discuss them first with the Israelis and Palestinians.

Israel navy plans to defend Med gas fields

Israel's navy is drawing up plans to protect the state's new-found strategic resource, a natural gas bonanza in the eastern Mediterranean, parts of which Lebanon and the Palestinians claim.

Israeli navy will present the plan to the general staff of the Israel military in March. If it is approved, it will be sent to the government for a final decision.

Given the extent to which the deep-water gas finds off the coast of northern Israel made over the last three years will transform Israel's economy, it is unlikely Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's coalition will reject the naval blueprint.

The blueprint will involve the protection of offshore drilling vessels and production platforms, undersea pipelines and the like within Israel's maritime economic zone.

The fields, holding an estimated 25 trillion cubic meters of gas, will eventually supply 70 percent of Israel's energy needs for producing electricity as well as generate billions of dollars in exports.

And that fact alone could pull Russia into a conflict with Israel, as these gas and oil findings threaten Russian plans for energy dominance in the region. To add to this mix is "Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon:

The main threat to the gas fields now comes from the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon and Palestinian groups, particularly Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

But the arrival in the Mediterranean of the 1,100-ton Iranian frigate Alvand, armed with torpedoes and C-802 anti-ship missiles, and the 33,000 replenishment ship Kharg on Tuesday caused jitters in Israel.

Israel already faces security problems regarding the gas fields. Lebanon, its northern neighbor with whom the Jewish state is still technically at war, claims the gas fields stretch into its waters.

Hezbollah, which fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006, has warned it won't allow Israel to "plunder" Lebanese resources. Israel has made it clear it will use military force to defend its gas fields.

And more news on the finding of a nuclear facility near Damascus:

Report: Satellite images expose covert Syria nuclear facility

The report, relating to a compound outside the town of Marj as Sultan, near Damascus, said that the facility was intended for "processing uranium yellowcake into uranium tetrafluoride (UF4)."

"This facility could have been related to the process of making fuel for the planned al Kibar reactor," the report stated, citing the location of the reactor Israel bombed.

ISIS claimed, in addition, that the photos also uncovered Syrian attempts to conceal their nuclear attempts.

Glyn Davies, Washington's IAEA envoy, said in a speech posted on the U.S. mission's website on Friday it was "urgent and essential" that Syria heed UN inspectors' requests for extended access to sites, personnel and material.

"Absent clear action by Syria to cooperate fully with the IAEA, we are rapidly approaching a situation where the (IAEA) board (of governors) and secretariat must consider all available measures and authorities...," he said.

Syria is seen as unlikely to yield to a special inspection. Diplomats and analysts believe the IAEA will refrain from escalating the dispute at a time of rising tension with Iran, which the West suspects of seeking nuclear weapons.

Things are happening very fast now in the Middle East. I found one quote above particularly interesting:

"We may want to see what kind of New Middle East emerges" before continuing with further peace talks. That says it all doesn't it?

Because we just don't know what exactly will emerge - only that whatever leadership does emerge in these various countries will join alliances against Israel. That much we do know.

In the news:

North African Turmoil Could Rocket Crude to $220

If the turmoil paralyzing parts of the Middle East and North Africa brings oil production in Libya and Algeria to a standstill, it could cause crude oil to explode to $220 a barrel, derailing the global economic recovery.

World economy will fall if revolts spread to S. Arabia

“If something like we have seen in Egypt or Libya happens in Saudi Arabia, we’re talking about a catastrophic scenario that will bring a global economic meltdown.”

“The world needs to wake up to the fact that if a country like Saudi Arabia follows the same path we’ve seen in Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, it would be a very, very dangerous situation for every economy in the world – the rich and poor alike,” said Luft. “The first thing that will happen is, the poor people of the world will starve; there will be no oil to distribute food in places like Africa. Then all the world markets will collapse.”

Unfortunately, the unrest appears to be spreading rapidly and now reaching northern Africa:

'Days of Rage' Spreading to Africa?

The government of Zimbabwe has arrested dozens of political activists in an attempt to stop protesters from igniting a “Day of Rage.” The 45 activists were indicted Wednesday on charges of treason after watching videos of North African protests.

Police testified the activists were discussing the possibility of holding similar demonstrations in Zimbabwe. Among the group were trade unionists, student leaders and their organizer, Munyaradzi Gwisai, leader of the International Socialist Organisation.

More ominous news from Syria:

Satellite Photos: More Nuclear Sites in Syria

Western intelligence agencies have detected another nuclear plant in Syria – in a Damascus suburb.

Following Israel’s bombing of a nuclear production plant in Syria over three years ago, another nuclear complex, albeit smaller, has now apparently been found, following close analysis of satellite photos

The small, two-building complex reported by the German paper is located in Marj al-Sultan, adjacent to a military base - 15 kilometers east of Damascus.

The images of the smaller building show chemical equipment apparently made of stainless steel, as "would be expected in a uranium conversion plant," according to Western intelligence officials who wished to remain anonymous.

This is very interesting for two reasons: 1) The close proximity to Damascus (consider the pending destruction of Damascus) and 2) Israel will be forced to either ignore this complex or destroy the complex. The decision is binary. So how will Israel handle this new information? Stay tuned for this one.

Iran warships dock in Syria

Two Iranian warships have docked in Syria, a military commander said on Thursday, dismissing Israeli condemnations of the manoeuvre as a "provocation."
Coinciding with political turmoil in Egypt and elsewhere in the Arab world, Iran's decision to send warships close to Israeli territory has rattled politicians in the Jewish state.

NZ quake death toll at 98; 120 bodies under rubble; 226 missing

New Zealand Quake was '1 of 5000 Aftershocks'

The Inflation Disaster is Near

Five dollar a gallon gas will shatter the Federal Reserve's tightly constrained lid on inflation and accelerate the other half our long anticipated "double dip" recession.

Already the increases in food and clothing prices have been felt at the cash register. Disposable income will inevitably drop along with consumer demand for domestic cars and trucks,

In 2009, the United States still imported 51% of all its petroleum requirements, both crude and refined. This continues to be an unacceptably high number in our quest for energy independence. Gas prices remain hostage to the increasing hostile regimes that sell us oil.

IMF says weaker dollar would help global growth

To address global imbalances, the G20 should allow the dollar to fall, the Washington-based institution said.

"Some further real effective depreciation of the US dollar would help ensure a sustained decline of the US current account deficit towards a level more consistent with medium-term fundamentals, helping to support more balanced growth," the IMF said.

Oklahoma Police Captian Faces Disciplinary Action for Refusing to Attend Islamic Event

The Tulsa Police Deptartment is investigating a captain who refused an order to assign officers to attend an upcoming Islamic event because he said it would violate his religious beliefs.

Capt. Paul Fields was reassigned after he refused to order officers under his command to attend the Islamic Center of Tulsa’s Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, a spokesman for the department said.

“It is my opinion and that of my legal counsel that forcing me to enter a Mosque when it is not directly related to a police call for service is a violation of my Civil Rights,” Fields wrote in an internal police department memo obtained by Fox News.

And finally, this in from Debka:

Hamas Iran-made missiles hit Beersheba as Iranian warships dock in Syria

Israel's security leaders ought not to have been surprised when Hamas fired two long-range Iranian-made Grad missiles Wednesday night, Feb. 23 at the Negev cities of Beersheba and Netivot.

The attack occurred exactly when Iranian Navy commander Adm. Habibollah Sayyari was due in Syria's Latakia port to attend the welcoming party for the two Iranian warships which made it through the Suez Canal without US or Israeli interference. It also marked a fresh, redoubled Hamas offensive against Israel.

Wednesday night, Israel put the communities within range of the Gaza Strip, including the cities of Beersheba, Netivot, Ofakim, Sderot, Ashkelon and Ashdod, on heightened alert status for further Palestinian attacks.

That night, Israeli air strikes hit a Jihad Islami missile team and then spread out to bomb Hamas command centers, which had meanwhile been hurriedly evacuated in expectation of Israel's routine aerial reprisal.

DEBKAfile's military sources report that more aggression from the Gaza Strip is inevitable given the Netanyahu government's feeble or non-response despite the urgent need to shore up Israel's security situation continuously eroded by the turbulence in Arab capitals.

Even though it was obvious that Hamas had been strengthened by Hosni Mubarak's fall in Egypt, Israel stood by as Hamas rampaged out of Gaza and into Sinai and the Egyptian-Israeli border areas – even when a Hamas special team on Feb. 5 blew up the Egyptian pipeline which conveyed 43 percent of Israel's gas needs. Replacement sources have added close to $400 million a month to Israel's energy bill.

It looks like the worst fears from the Egyptian situation are now being realized:

Western military sources report that the Iran-backed Palestinian Hamas is further exploiting the shaky situation in Cairo and Israeli inaction to double or even triple the quantities of weapons smuggled via the Suez Canal and Sinai into the Gaza Strip. One Israeli officer said he had never before seen surface-to-surface missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and anti-tank missiles secreted into Gaza in such bulk.

And add this to the mix:

The free passage afforded the two Iranian warships for transiting the Suez Canal Tuesday, Feb. 22 – without Egypt or US and Israeli warships even inspecting their cargoes - has encouraged Tehran to press on with its expansionist ambitions.

Hamas understood that its redoubled offensive against Israel would be most welcome. The Palestinian extremists held their fire until Tehran announced the warships had put into Latakia Wednesday and the arrival of Iran's navy chief that night. And then they went into action – first against an IDF border patrol, then to fire Grads at Beersheba and Netivot.

Israel's policy-makers have chosen to ignore the role of those two vessels as the thin edge of a wedge: They are to set up a permanent base on the Mediterranean with more Iranian naval vessels continuing to pass through the Suez Canal and joining them at Latakia.

Hamas is counting on Iran building up its military presence and on Israel to stand by helplessly – just as it did when its request to the new military rulers of Egypt to stop the Iranian flotilla's passage through Suez went unanswered.

The Palestinians ruling Gaza are sending Grad missiles as messengers to Israel that they now enjoy Iranian support close by in the Mediterranean. DEBKAfile's military sources wonder if this message will not finally act as a wakeup call for Jerusalem.

All of this in one day of prophecy watching. Turmoil and instability is the order of the day - as we watch the Middle East racing to embrace radical Islam - at a degree far more than we have ever seen.

Ultimately, as we know from biblical prophecy - it has to do with Israel being surrounded by her enemies - enemies who will gather together and launch a massive invasion of Israel.

We are watching the exact set-up for this to happen.

God's plan is setting up exactly as we would expect.

We shouldn't be surprised by any of this nor should we have a spirit of fear. We were told that these things would happen, and we were told that we would see such things - on this side of the Tribulation. We were also told to look up - and watch for Jesus' return as we begin to see these things (Luke 21:28).

I don't know about you, but I'm following these instructions and looking up.

I'm ready - are you?

Violence Escalating in Israel: Grad Rockets Fired at Be'er Sheva

More turmoil, more violence and an escalation in tensions in the Middle East: This time in Israel.

Grad rockets fired at Be'er Sheva for first time since Gaza war

Grad rockets were fired at the southern Israeli city of Be'er Sheva on Wednesday, several hours after the Israel Defense Forces fired at a group of militants on the Gaza border, wounding 11.

Three Grad rockets were reportedly fired at the city, but so far only one missile is known to have landed in the city, which hit a building in a residential area of the city, causing damage, marking the first time Be'er Sheva was hit since the Gaza war in 2009.

The IDF responded by saying that an explosive device was detonated toward soldiers who were performing routine activity in the area, on the northern part of the border.

"Shortly afterwards, a mortar shell was fired at the force and five additional mortar shells were fired into Israeli territory, landing in the Sdot Negev Regional Council," the IDF statement read. "Subsequently, the force identified a number of militants in the same area and returned fire in their direction. A direct hit was confirmed."

"The terrorist organizations are constantly operating against Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers," the IDF stated, adding that they held "the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for maintaining the calm in the Gaza Strip and for any terrorist activity emanating from it."

One has to wonder if the fears are now true - of a porous border between Gaza and Egypt, resulting from the recent problems in Egypt - could now be leading to more and more weapons entering into Gaza. This has been one of the many concerns with regard to the situation in Egypt, and we may be seeing the first signs of problems along the border. Only time will tell, but there appears to be a marked increase in mortars being fired from Gaza into Israel.

Headlines for a day

Ahmadinejad: Mideast upheaval will spread to West

Qaddafi launches jihad with sea barrage: blocked oil exports

The dawn of a new Libya? Gaddafi on the brink: Protesters seize control in east and foreigners flee after 1,000 deaths

Flashpoint in the Gulf: Tiny Bahrain Poses Big Headache for the West


All eyes on Bahrain as Gulf tremors frighten oil markets
A few quotes from this one:

"We believe the unrest in Bahrain may be of far greater importance to the strategic balance in the Middle East and to the oil market."
The risk group Exclusive Analysis said there is a "moderate risk of an extremely violent transition" in Bahrain, the linchpin of stability in the Gulf and host to the US 5th Fleet. "There is a significant probability that the present order is completely overthrown and replaced by a new order aligned with Iran," it said.

Iran is clearly hoping to bring Bahrain into its orbit.

Libyan unrest rattles oil markets

Alarming number of dead dolphins being studied

Peculiar geese deaths baffle wildlife officials

Fear of 'Catastrophic' Crash Rising Despite Bull Market

Palestinians fire mortars, IDF fires back

Peres: All of Europe under nuclear threat

Palestinian FM: Statehood by September

Iranian naval vessels sail through Suez Canal

And the day is still young.

Is it just me, or does it appear that the entire world is just on the brink?

"On the brink" - what does that mean exactly?

It is hard to describe - but combining daily headlines for several weeks now we can see the following shaping up:

- Collapse of the U.S. dollar, world financial crisis
- Continual calls for a central currency
- Turmoil spreading throughout the Middle East - with "stable" governments falling to radical Islam
- Israel under increasing threat - almost on a daily basis
- Approaching the "deadline" for a "PA State"
- Earthquakes spreading around the world
- Christian and Jewish persecution growing throughout the world
- Famine spreading and promising to become worse due to droughts, flooding, severe winter, etc.
- Energy prices skyrocketing
- Israel facing a "forced" PA State with new (shrinking) borders, making them more vulnerable than they have been since 1948.
- The EU forming military forces to be used for border control around Europe and the Middle East
- Pending changes in leadership in both the EU and the Med Union
- Oil shortages and dramatically rising prices
- Concerns about another stock-market crash in the U.S.
- Mysterious mass animal deaths - still unexplained
- Rapidly shifting magnetic poles in the world with unknown consequences
- Unusual solar storms approaching from the sun
- Coalitions forming and uniting against Israel
- Iran approaching the ability to produce nuclear weapons, while promising to destroy the U.S. and Israel
- North Korea threatening war against South Korea
- China's rise to world power status


Did I leave anything out?

It is clearly a world that is literally on the brink.

And what we know from biblical prophecy, is that this represents the beginning of "world turmoil" - turmoil which will be dramatically worsened by events which we know are coming, such as:

- The destruction of Damascus (Isaiah 17), presumably triggered by the events described in Psalm 83
- The massive battle/war of Gog-MaGog (Ezekiel 38-39)

And a worsening of every item mentioned above.

Throw the Rapture of the Church into this volatile mix and we can easily foresee a world that will be looking for a powerful, charismatic leader who can "explain" such events and offer solutions. Solutions that will immediately become embraced by the world, who will be willing to give up almost all freedom in the effort to gain security. He will even come up with a peace plan for the Middle East after so many years of constant turmoil.

But we know what happens then (after the Church's removal from this earth) - after the initial period of stability in the beginning of the Tribulation - as described by the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:

"Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

While people are saying, 'Peace and safety', destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman and they will not escape."

They will not escape, because they missed the one and only opportunity to escape - via the Rapture of the Church. The apostle Paul was very careful in this passage to describe the difference in those who believe in Christ vs those who rejected the message of the gospel.

He now turns his attention to the Church to reveal the difference in our future vs. the rest of the non-believing world. It is quite a contrast:

"But you brothers are not in darkness...You are sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness...For God did not appoint us to suffer the wrath, but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ."
(1 Thessalonians 5:4-9)

We clearly have a different future in store. Our instructions during these days of approaching darkness are as follows:

"...and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead - Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."


Note what the apostle Paul didn't say.

He didn't say to worry. He didn't say to have a spirit of fear. He didn't say to hoard necessities and to prepare for the Tribulation era. Nothing like that.

He said to look up and watch for Christ - because His return would be imminent - and because He would come for His people.

These words are bolstered by the the written words of Luke:

"When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
(Luke 21:28).

As things get worse on earth, and as we see the prophetic signs increasing in leaps and bounds - we have specific instructions biblically:

We should be focused on Christ and His return.

It couldn't be more clear.

Iranian Warships in Mediterranean

This just in:

Iran Warships Complete Suez Canal Voyage Amid Israel Objection

Iranian warships sailed through the Suez Canal to reach the Mediterranean Sea for the first time since 1979 as Israel stressed its objection to their voyage to Syria.

The two ships entered the canal early today after the approval of Egypt’s Defense Ministry, the state-run Middle East News Agency cited Ahmed El Manakhly, head of traffic at the Suez Canal Authority, as saying. MENA didn’t specify when the vessels reached open water.

This is already causing widespread concerns:

Crude reached its highest level in a week in New York on Feb. 18 as the heightening of tensions between Iran and Israel because of the trip increased concerns over instability in the region. Iran is the second-biggest producer, after Saudi Arabia, in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. Oil jumped to the highest in more than two years in New York today as Libyan unrest stoked further concern over supplies.

The significance of this recent development is highlighted:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Feb. 20 that Israel views with “gravity” Iran’s plan to send the vessels through the canal, a move that he said highlights the need to increase his country’s defense budget. Lieberman said on Feb. 16 that Israel wouldn’t “ignore forever” such acts.

This will be worth following. As the article states:

“The Iranian warships saga is a significant one but with limited consequence,” Richard Lee, a senior equity analyst at Emirates NBD Asset Management Ltd. in Dubai, said in comments e- mailed today. “It is significant because of the appearance of an emerging tension between Iran and Israel, and it likely to stay as that. I don’t expect this to turn into a full-scale war simply because Iran cannot afford it now.”

It is hard to imagine that Iran would want any conflict at this point. However, Ahmadinejad is on trouble at home and he could be looking for a diversion. We'll have to wait and see what he has in mind this time around.