STRANGE DAYS

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Pietro Arnese, the founder and editor of Apocalypsesoon.org is available for speaking engagements, seminars and addressing church services on Bible prophecy.

Nov. 24, 2003

If anything, our present times can be remembered as the " years of the bombs." Hardly a day goes by that some bomb or bomber explodes somewhere on this planet. This creates fear and instability, which is one of the purposes of the evil people who use this method to put forth their certainly rotten values. Alas, 99% of the bombers have an Islamic matrix, and this is irrefutable. Surely this is a warped conception of Islam, just as the Crusades were a warped conception of Christianity. In time, Christianity has been able to purge these extremist views and actions while Islam, which is the number two religious faith in the world, has not been willing to eradicate the fanatics in its midst, but with the deafening silence which accompanies each bomb, it has actually encouraged them somewhat. And let's not call them "suicide bombers," but rather cold blooded "homicide bombers."

No matter what defenses the various governments try to implement, there is no protection against a mad person, and lets get this straight once for all: these bombers are mad and totally evil persons who, in their sick deluded minds, pick the places of their hits to where they can inflict the most casualties, regardless of women, children and generally helpless victims. Only a truly diabolical mind can sit down and concoct to carry out these actions, no matter what the provocation or injustice or any other stated reason, and to think that they expect 70 some virgins plus all the food and booze they can handle, makes it such a ludicrous proposition as to leave one speechless at the level of stupidity to which the human mind can fall.

On the other side, it's childish to think that all those who follow Islam are like that, BUT most of them have given a silent assent, when not outright approval to these beasts and if a so-called "moderate" voice arises amongst them, it is quickly put down and publicly shamed if not downright persecuted by their media and authorities, as it is happening even in these days of extreme terrorist activity.

As I said, it's next to impossible to stop these madmen and, if I am discerning the Bible prophecies correctly, things will only get worse, until God intervenes, and He surely will at His already established time. How this will happen and as you can read more fully in other parts of this site will be the aftermath of the war on Israel by its enemies (Ezekiel 38, 39).

Let us be realistic about it, and face the fact that no defense system of man but only God can rid the world from this particular scourge. So, while we brace ourselves for more of the same, let's find comfort in the Word of His promise. Deliverance is coming, let's hope it is soon.

Nov 1, 2003

The incontrovertible evidence that humanity is fast sliding into its last days is all about us, for "whomever has eyes to see it and hears to hear it," though the reasons for this descent are not as obvious, and while many things can be listed as contributors to this, such as moral decadence, multinationals' greed, political correctness, MTV, Hollywood, rampant and aggressive homosexuality, ultra-feminism, political instability and corruption, the exploding growth of world population, the threat of unstoppable natural disasters, the global spread of old and new disease, social and religious unrest, terrorism and wars, genetic modifications, environmental crises and so forth, we must not forget that there is a main plan being unraveled. But more on this, later.

Surely each one of us has a pet reason to point as to the cause of the decline of the human race, and let's not make the mistake to think otherwise: a decline it is, notwithstanding the nonsense being spewed by deluded optimists and irrepressible futurists of the hitech or spiritual-trascendent bent. No sir, there is no such future coming up on the horizon as generally imagined by these types.

Man, being the rational being that he is, likes to make plans and surely, much of our present reality is the result, sometimes unexpected, of this planning. There are also different levels of planning that span from the individual to the corporate and not to forget the secret planning. As I have said before, there are groups and so-called secret societies that have been planning covertly for centuries to bring about their ideas and purposes. We may also call these attempts "strategies, " (strategy-an elaborate and systematic plan of action), so we must realize that we are caught in something not entirely of our own making, to say the least.

Where does God comes into play into all this? Does God have a PLAN? And if He does, what place in the pyramid has His plan?

If man is basically a rational being, so infinitely more must his Creator be so. As it happens, God does have a plan and His plan supersedes all others'. Then why is it that everything seems so hopelessly out-of-control? If God is in command things should work just great, since He is perfect, all-knowing and all-powerful. Again, the answer is obvious: as I have said before, either we are free or we are puppets. We are indeed free to make and follow our plans but that will not impede God's ultimate plan to be executed, to the smallest detail.

In this web site we deal with God's plan for mankind: the prophecies that we deal with are part of His plan and we could actually say that they are the plan. Surely not all points are clear to us at this moment, but we have the general picture, and the details are regularly lining up for all to see.

The Lord Jesus Christ gave us several "signs" to discern the times of His return and of the end of the age. His return will also be the end of the age. What is meant by this is not the end of the world, although all that will happen in the years previous to his return will make it appear as such for most. The expression rather means the end of man's rule on earth, or let's call it the end of history and the beginning of His eternal rule.

In these difficult days we are living, it gives much hope and joy to know that this world will not go on like this forever. There is a closure coming up.

There will be a closure for wars and violence, for greed and hate, for hunger and suffering, for disease and infirmity, for injustices and evil deeds, for discrimination and abominations.
These are the fruits that mankind has gathered in its march away from God. It's good to know that this march will soon be stopped.

I have placed the so-called Rev. V. Gene Robinson on our opening page, calling him a contemporary apostate. I may have been too kind to him, since he is probably not an apostate. The word "apostate" indicates "a disloyal person who forsakes his cause or religion or political party or friend etc. " or better, "a renegade," "someone who turns away from what he has professed and confessed to embrace another truth". The so-called Rev. V. Gene Robinson has probably never been a Christian, so there is nothing for him to apostatize from. I saw his investiture on CNN and could not help notice more than one person in the audience with raised fists, obviously to signify that finally, gays have arrived to places of religious authority. So sorry for all these deluded Episcopalians and Anglicans, truly the blind leading the blind. We love gays enough to have the courage to tell them that they have to repent and then turn to Jesus Christ for redemption. Anybody else who tells gays differently is a liar and does not have their best interest at heart. Jesus Christ will deliver from sin the most hopeless case, if He is given a chance.

Oct. 9, 2003

On the heels of my last article on Syria and the Damascus prophecy, (see below), what do you know, Israel ACTUALLY went after Syria. The following article details the event, and there is also a map which Israeli intelligence have drawn about the so-called terror-network in Syria. It seems that these camps circle somewhat the Syrian capital. Wow, a hit in Damascus would obliterate these camps as well.

Observing how thing are lining up, it may seem that my comments are irreverent, but I can assure that it is not so. When judgment comes, many perish, but judgment does not come without a reason. In truth, the feeling between Syria and Israel has never been a good one, with Syria playing its cards in a most clandestine and sly way. But make no mistake about it, Syria is and has been a hotbed of terrorist's activities for decades. Who knows, maybe the time has arrived that destiny will catch up with Syria.

Sorry, the map is not too hot, but that's the way I got it.

Israeli Map Shows 'Terror Network' in Damascus

Reuters ^ | 10/7/03 | Megan Goldin Posted on 10/08/2003 8:36 AM PDT

"We know where you live." That was the unmistakable message of the release by Israeli authorities Tuesday of a map pinpointing what it said were homes and offices of Palestinian militant leaders in Damascus. The army said the map was intended to illustrate the extent of the "Terror Network in the Damascus Region."

It came on the same day that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Israel would attack its enemies "any place, and in any way." Sunday Israeli planes bombed what the Israeli military said was a training camp for Palestinian militants near Damascus, after a suicide bomb killed 19 people in Haifa. Syria said the target of the Damascus strike was a civilian site. The Israeli army map shows supposed locations of the homes of senior Hamas leaders Mousa Abu Marzook and Khaled Mashal, Islamic Jihad leader Ramadan Shallah and Ahmed Jibril, chief of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine -- General Command, or PFLP-GC. It also shows 10 sites in Damascus the army says are the political, military and in some cases media offices for Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Fatah and the PFLP-GC.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad sources in the West Bank and Gaza Strip said Abu Marzook, Mashal and Shallah moved between Damascus and Beirut for "security reasons." Syria, which has been under intense US pressure to kick militant groups out of its territory, says Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other Palestinian groups maintain only media offices in Damascus. "The map is proof of the extensive presence of Palestinian terror groups in Syria," an Israeli security source said. "We said it before and we say it again, everyone that is involved in terror and endangers the lives of Israeli citizens is not immune." Sharon took a tough line Tuesday but made no specific threats. "Israel will not be deterred from defending its citizens and will hit its enemies any place and in any way," he said in a speech broadcast live from a military cemetery in Jerusalem. "At the same time we will not miss any opening and opportunity to reach an agreement with our neighbors and peace."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, breaking his silence on the attack near Damascus, accused Israel of trying to drag Syria and the rest of the Middle East into a wider conflict. Analysts see Israel stepping up its campaign to pressure Syria to cut links with Palestinian militant groups and expect more clashes with Hizbollah guerrillas on the border with Lebanon, where Syria acts as the main powerbroker. But they expect it to stop well short of war.

Sept 17, 2003

Where are the WMD? That's the top question that has been playing in post-Saddam Iraq and the ironic question of all those who have opposed the war. There has been quite a bit of fallout in the media and corpses are lettering the ground, (see the BBC controversial handling of this question, and the apparent suicide of a British Government weapon advisor, (Dr. David Kelly) who was too incautious to trust the BBC with some misgivings he was having about the affair.

Anyway, it seems that the WMD are not to be found in Iraq, as the following intelligence report indicates. Syria seems more involved in this than it appears. We report on this because of the prophecy upon Damascus:

which is still to find its ultimate fulfillment. As our views are explained in other parts of this web site (notably in X File 9), we understand that, at some point in time, Israel will "nuke" the Syrian capital. Maybe some terrible terrorist action will cause Israel to retaliate drastically against Syria, which is contiguously exerting its influence in that part of the world, especially through the Hez' Bolla'ah in Lebanon, directly maneuvered from Syria.

Wonder why no major news media source has reported on this.

US now thinks Iraqi WMD are in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley

US intelligence has finally identified the probable location of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. That's the good news. The bad news is that the Iraqi WMD are not in Iraq. US Intelligence has detected tractor-trailers filled what appear to be WMD and missile systems moving from Iraq through Syria and into Lebanon.

Quietly, US officials have made inquiries in both Beirut and Damascus. So far, those inquiries have predictably encountered a stone wall. But some in Washington are pressing for a military operation in the Bekaa. The movement of the trucks began in January 2003. At the time, their importance largely escaped the CIA. The flow of Iraqi trucks from Syria continued through March, just two weeks before the U.S.-led war. Over the last few weeks, following a dead-end in leads of WMD sites inside Iraq and near the Syrian border, the CIA has taken a second look. The problem is that the trucks and the equipment have been brought to underground sites in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

The area is heavily fortified with Iraqis, Iranians, Syrians and Hizbullah operatives. The obvious question is how to get inside. US intelligence suspects that the area includes extended-range Scud-based missiles and parts for chemical and biological warheads. The CIA is certain that Saddam Hussein and Syrian President Bashar Assad had a deal to hide the weapons. Bashar was believed to have received tens of millions of dollars from Iraq. According to Israeli intelligence, Saddam paid Syrian leader Bashar Assad $35 million to hide the weapons. Stay tuned.

Today, it's the first day in many weeks, that the relentless heat, after some heavy thunderstorms has abated somewhat . It's still hot, but bearable. This morning I saw in the news that in Paris there have been over 13,000 deaths due to the smoldering heat. There have been hot weather-caused deaths in several European countries, but France seems the worst hit. The minister responsible for the public health has resigned under increasing citizens anger generated by the incompetence of his department. In all truth, it must be said that nobody was expecting such a devastating impact, therefore nobody was really prepared for it. All kind of temperature records were broken and the effects will be felt for some time to come, as farmers, for example, have lost quite a bit of their grains, veggies and produce and at the supermarket prices for fresh produce are climbing up steadily. Only vines and olives groves are not suffering the great heat and the lack of water, and wine experts are pronosticating an exceptional year for vintage wines. A verse comes to mind:

"... A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine."
Rev. 6:6

this speaks of famine to come, but I have always wondered why wine and oil were to be exempt. I have heard some explanations, but none that really satisfies me.

And on to the homosexual "bishop" story, the time has come for those who call themselves Christians to ask themselves some heavy questions, one of them being: can we consider Episcopalians as Christians, in light of the indecent, immoral and unbiblical going-ons within their denominations?
I am quite sure that there are many Episcopalians who love the Lord and are no end shocked by the recent events that have transpired within their group. To them I have only one firm word: LEAVE! Those who remain are those who agree with those prerogatives and are therefore not to be called Christians. Episcopalians are officially a cult, having departed from biblical truth and orthodoxy. There is no other way to look at it, sadly.

Renowned politician and writer Pat Buchanan has written a sharp article about the "Reverend." It echoes what I have previously written and goes one farther.

Yes, Virginia, there is a religious war
Pat Buchanan (archive) August 10, 2003 (abridged) - www.townhall.com

He may be beloved of progressives everywhere, but the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, now bishop-elect of the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, is a flaming fraud.

Insensitive, you say? Consider his conduct. Fifteen years ago, Robinson dissolved his marriage, dumped his wife, abandoned his two little girls and went off to shack up. He thus violated his marriage vows, flouted the teachings of the Anglican faith he was ordained to uphold and entered into a sinful liaison his church has always taught was perverted.

Having failed to conform his life to scriptural command, Robinson now demands that Scripture be reinterpreted to conform to his deviant life style. To see Robinson elevated to bishop is to be reminded that in the French Revolution, the Paris mob used the high altar at Notre Dame Cathedral to canonize the town tramp as their Goddess of Reason.

Now, with massive moral arrogance, Robinson protests that if the Episcopal faithful do not accept him as a consecrated bishop, they -- not he -- will have broken communion and be responsible for dividing the church.

Faithless to every vow he ever made, this impious cleric now proclaims undying faith to boyfriend Mark Andrew. My advice to Mark: Have his eminence fitted with one of those ankle bracelets that lets you know where the suspect is every moment of the day.

Robinson is being portrayed in the prestige press as a man of moral courage. But a man of moral courage would have stayed with his family, kept his vows, fought his temptations. Robinson ditched his family, dishonored his vows and disgraced himself. He should have been defrocked and excommunicated, not elevated to bishop.

As for the Episcopal faithful, they have little choice but to break communion. For if Robinson is morally qualified to be bishop, then Scripture is wrong. If Scripture is right, Robinson is a reprobate. You cannot teach it both ways. Either homosexual acts are immoral or the Episcopal Church has been teaching homophobia 600 years.

To witness the moral confusion at the Minneapolis convention of the American Episcopal Church is to understand which way the wind is blowing. Gay rights has become the civil rights cause du jour of our cultural elite, and politicians -- those most reliable of weather vanes -- are signaling recognition of the new correlation of forces.

HOT NEWS today!!!

Here in Europe we are experiencing a record-breaking heat wave and the bad news is that it will not end anytime soon. The number one activity is, at this time, keeping cool, in a physical sense. Since there have been deaths caused by the sizzling heat, newscasts and newspapers continuously dish out advise on how to fight the hot weather. This is really bad for senior citizens and sick people, since air conditioning is not widespread in Europe as it is in America, and many of them find it hard to breath.

In the city where I live (and elsewhere), all ventilators (electrical fans) are sold out at all stores. You just can't buy them. As I am writing this blog, it's 10 AM and I am sitting in a room with all shades down, so that no sun rays can penetrate. I am wearing only a pair of short pants and going barefoot. Oh, the touch of the cool floor tiles against my soles! Overhead, a ceiling fan is moving the air around to give a bit of relief. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? Not quite, though, since sweat pours abundantly at the minimum physical effort and even sitting at my computer brings out rivers of sweat, so that I have placed a cotton towel in the back of my office chair, to absorb some of it. I have a luncheon appointment and I actually dread getting in the car, which is standing in the full blast of the sun (no garage), with windows open and with an aluminum shield placed in the windshield. We do what we can and hope for the best. And by the way, temperatures will be getting hotter, according to Scripture.

And now, for a different kind of HOT NEWS:

 By a 62-45 vote at the denomination's session in Minneapolis, the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, 56, was elected bishop of the New Hampshire Episcopal Church.

A very normal headline, were not for the fact that the "Reverend," a father of two, has been leaving in a homosexual relationship for the past 13 years, after having left his lawfully wedded wife, when God (the "Reverend" says) called him to acknowledge himself as a gay man.

This sorry excuse of a human being, has the audacity to mention God blessings upon his perverted lifestyle. I usually do not get this incensed, and I play fair and do not use strong words referring to persons, but there are limits. This so called "Reverend" has furthermore blasphemed God in his numerous statements:

“The good news is that the harvest of your life and mine is not yet here. There is time. We are ‘works in progress.’ God is patient and kind. If we acknowledge our need of God, our sin is forgiven, and we are empowered to love the world in His Name--as individuals, as brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ…”
The Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson, Biography

Ultimately, of course, Jesus Christ challenges us to take Him at His word, to accept the extravagance of His accepting love, to be the Child of God we were created to be, no matter the cost—in order to better serve Him. I answered God's call to acknowledge myself as a gay man. My wife and I, in order to KEEP our wedding vow to "honor [each other] in the Name of God," made the decision to let each other go. We returned to church, where our marriage had begun, and in the context of the eucharist, released each other from our wedding vows, asked each other's forgiveness, cried a lot, pledged ourselves to the joint raising of our children, and shared the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson, Biography

These are two of the items that I have come up with, and there is much more and worse, like comparing his missed Friday election (due to reports of unbecoming behavior from his part) and his subsequent election to the "Good Friday" and "Easter" of Jesus Christ. The gall and complete blindness of this person and of the Episcopalian church whom has elected him!

I will reprise this story on my next blog, but here and now I want to make it clear, as I have done in past occasions that we are not on an anti-gay crusade. Gay people are sinners and as such they need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, IF THEY WANT TO. Christians are to respond in love when dealing with them. Another thing is for an homosexual to serve in the Church. This is categorically to be excluded on all bases. That a supposed Christian denomination (Episcopalian, Anglican Communion) accepts such is simply a sign of the times and a sign that they do not know the God whom they profess to belong to. The God of the Bible has stated without any shadow of doubt, both in the Old and New Testament that homosexuality is a grievous sin, and these godless liberals Christian-impostors, can waltz all they want around it but they cannot and will not invalidate or erase the Word of God:

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revelers, nor extornioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9,10

July 25, 2003

Sorry for not being able to update this column in the past weeks, due to much other work and circumstances in my life. I'll try to keep at least one update per week and more, when possible.

The news of the day is certainly the death of Saddam Hussein's sons, of which we have been hearing incredible reports of their cruelty and evil. It staggers the mind how a whole country has been subjected for such long time to such fear levels by two nobodies, no doubt well trained by their daddy who in these matters is a number-one expert. It has been said that if only half of the accusations about these two chaps are true, we do have a case of evil personified.

It reminds me of another and upcoming fellow, who will really be evil personified. But Mr Antichrist will not be so crude and rude as Saddam's boys, at least for most of his carrier. To the contrary, he will be an "enlightened" leader, a charismatic crowd-pleaser, a regular Mr. Wonderful, the man the world was waiting for. But true to his nature, in due time and after having duped the world, he will reveal himself as the monster he really is. There must be something to the fact that he is called the Beast.

Anyway and returning to our subject, let's now hope that after the boys, they get daddy. It is not a desire of vengeance, but as mass grave after mass grave and horror after horror get uncovered, the need of some kind of justice becomes imperative, and while we understand fully well that perfect justice is not of this world, a closure is due to the Iraqi and to all those who hunger for it.

This is the fifth and last entry in this empire-building series.

The purpose in these articles has been to discern who will be the players of the End Times scenario, and we have seen how America (the USA), previously prophetically unconsidered, has emerged as the top choice for Antichrist's emergence.

This new situation, while not totally unpredicted, goes against 99% of all that has been preached about the Antichrist and his dominion, but if we look at the world with an uncluttered (spiritual) eye, we must agree with this inescapable fact. Since prophecy is NOT fortune-telling, we should be very careful in pointing out what our opinion may be regarding such, since our frenetic age has accustomed us to astounding upheavals. For example, many believe that the USA will be destroyed by a Sino-Russian attack and be totally removed from the End Times events. There are several web sites that deal with this particular possibility, citing "prophetic" utterances of so-called mystics and prophets, (Dimitri Dudu's being possibly the most known of the lot). While I think that this may indeed happen, I have a hard time figuring how the most potent nation on earth can be caught so off-guard as to be practically destroyed, and moreover that it would not fire off its atomic arsenals in reprisal, and practically making the whole world inhabitable. A surprise attack may indeed happen, but the USA are no slouches in defense and response.

Others speak of asteroids or immense earthquakes that will bring America to its feet. This also is very possible and methinks it has a better chance of occurring than a Sino-Russian attack.

At this point, we must consider a couple of things that could play in both directions:
In the upcoming attack against Israel, (Ezekiel 38, 39) there is no nation that comes to Israel's defense. As things stand now, it seems very odd that the USA would stand by and not intervene upon such an attack, unless there has been a tragic fallout between the two nations. The second fundamental point we must observe is the Antichrist himself: he will be the maneuver of the infamous 7 years pact of peace and security between Israel and its neighbors. In the last decades, several peace /security plans and proposals have been floated and even signed, to no avail. But there is a Plan coming which will indeed be signed and come into effect. When that happens, we will know with pinpoint accuracy where we are in the unfolding events, and moreover, those who will be present then, will have no problem in identifying the Antichrist, who, prior to that signing cannot be detected with 100% accuracy. Sure, speculations run wild. As Christians, we are to look upon the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ and not upon the revelation of the Antichrist. Why then do we even discuss such events, then? Simple: first because they are written in the Word as a warning and a witness, and most important that we may tell others (nonbelievers) of upcoming events while transmitting the Gospel of Salvation. Many present nonbelievers, remembering these prophecies, will turn to Christ when those events come to pass.

In closing, many are saying that President Bush's recent Israel-Palestinian peace plans make him a real candidate for Antichrist, should the pact be accepted and enforced. Let's remember that the plan must be enforced not only accepted, as Camp David and Oslo teach. Surely that candidacy is at best unthinkable at this time, but given today's world conditions it may prove itself of not being so remote at all.

Israel, again and despite itself, is at the center of geopolitical events which as prophesied in God's Word, will bring the closing of man's history on this planet.
Interesting days ahead.

Returning to how-things-work in the world. For reference, please scroll this page down to see the preceding 3 blogs on this subject.

The points I am making are not related to politics, as I have made clear in the past that we, as a web site do not enter the political arena. We are to pray for our leaders, as the Word instructs us, that God may give them wisdom to rule and that's it. While as single Christians we may hold political views, these should not be the compelling reason of our life. It has been said that Christians should enter politics so to produce good moral laws and righteousness in government so as not to relinquish control of our society to the ungodly. Not so: IMO, a Christian, better stay away from such. Politics, in its very nature is, at best, the art of compromise, at worst, the art of deceit. Say what you want, the old adage still proves correct: "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Power and money are without doubt, the two most uncontrollable urges of mankind, with sex running a close third. Mankind has exceedingly proven that it just cannot properly handle these items. A taste of them and the trap snaps shut. Christians are not exempt from this influence and unless strongly consecrated to the Lord, they fall prey just as anybody else, and I don't need to cite examples. Of course, there are exceptions, but they do not a rule make. This is why I question the meddling of Christians into politics. Jesus said clearly that His Reign is NOT of this (present) world and that the present world system is under the influence of Satan. This world system cannot be modified, adjusted or improved despite all the efforts of the best well-meaning legislators. It must and will be totally destroyed by God to be replaced by His eternal Reign. He has allotted us a determined time that we may see the folly of our ways, and thankfully, many have, but there is a time of reckoning coming up fast, and it will not be pleasant. I am amazed at the incredible patience of God in my own life, and He extends this selfsame patience to the world at large. Sadly, we mistake His patience for unwillingness to intervene, incapacity or even as a doubt of His existence. How silly can we become in order to justify ourselves.

I have written in the past that man has tried through the centuries to find the perfect balance in governing himself, but Utopia has always escaped him. We have invented all possible forms of government to no avail. In our day and age, we live in a planet in which the most extreme and contradictory forms of government that man has dreamed up coexist side -by-side: from absolute monarchy to nominal monarchy, from communism to democracy from socialism to military rule, from pseudo-theocracy to tyranny and on and on through all the subspecies of these main patterns without forgetting anarchy, for the "really-free" spirits. The distilled wisdom of thousand of years of human development and knowledge has yet to produce a just and peaceful society, and moreover, none is in sight.

The four prevalent forms of government that we find around the world today I describe as such:

DEMOCRACY: the politics of greed
COMMUNISM: the politics of envy
SOCIALISM: the politics of indifference (what-me-worry?)
pseudo-THEOCRACY: the politics of fear

There isn't very much to be happy with such prospects. Thank God He has different plans for planet earth. See you in a couple of days for the conclusion of this subject.

While the SARS "epidemic" is showing some signs of abating, mystery continues to surround its origin and spread. From cockroaches, to bad plumbing, from casual sneezes to door knobs, from secret genetic experiments to outright bio-terrorism, we have heard it all and we are none the wiser. Surely China, and other Asiatic countries have become as lepers among nations, with air flight banned or severely curtailed from and to those destinations, with people deserting Chinese restaurants and Chinatowns all over the globe. This is a hard blow to those hardworking expatriate Chinese who put in long a long day of work to man their restaurants and convenience stores and who are paying a hard price for the Chinese government lack of sincerity and obnoxious tactics.

Amidst all the hoopla, it can be safely said that this "corona virus" is something never observed before and that it appears to mutate quite fast, making the hope of a vaccine remote if at all possible. Moreover, it has just been released that the mortality rate caused by SARS is much higher than first believed, and that people who recover, may have a relapse, and even if they don't they will bear the scars for life, as scarred and damaged lungs linger as lifelong witnesses.

Whichever theory will prove correct, two facts remain certain at this point:

1) Why do these virulent new viral strains come out of South China?

Some virologists implicate the farming practices common there. In southern provinces of China, farmers raise hens, ducks, pigs and fish in one integrated system. They use the droppings and leftover food from the pigs to feed the fowl. The fowl droppings, in turn, help fertilize the fish ponds.

While it sounds like a perfect system, raising three different species with no waste, the species may be exchanging viruses among themselves through the feces.

The birds can pass avian flu viruses to swine, where the two viruses co-mingle and form a new strain that is passed back to the farmers, whose immune system cannot fight the new virus, as the theory goes. The pigs, which have a genetic make-up more like humans, act as the mixing vessel.

2) Chinese dissident Harry Wu says Chinese farmers also feed human waste to pets, whose waste is fed to livestock.

"It is very common in China, in the rural areas, for the dog to clean up the human bowel (movement)," he said in a WorldNetDaily interview. "You know, the baby makes bowel on the floor (and) the dog will come right in and eat it up."

"The whole environment is like that," Wu added.

He also cited the Chinese people's indiscriminate, omnivorous diet as a possible concern.

"I don't know if these animals are one of the reasons (for SARS), but it is true in the southern part of China that they eat all kinds of animals," Wu said. "We make a joke that they eat everything that flies except for airplanes, and they eat everything with legs except the tables – snails, turtles, chickens, raccoons. Even some right now are eating the fetus, unborn babies, as a delicacy. That is cannibalism."

Paul Sperry - © 2003 WorldNetDaily.com - April 25, 2003

Someone once told me that some Chinese consider a delicacy the still warm brains of a monkey whose cranium gets cracked so that they can dig in with their spoons right on-the-spot. I thought it was a sick joke, but later I found out it was a sick true fact, although officially, it is a banned practice. From a culture that prides itself of its millenarian wisdom and contributions to the human race I would expect sincerely more. Of course, the recently past Communist takeover did not improve things at all and it seems now like all the chickens (pun intended) have come home to roost.

... And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginnings of sorrows.
Matt. 24:7,8

The brief and simplistic explanation of how the world turns which I have offered in my last entries, does nonetheless establish some cardinal points of reference, the most immediate being that the USA are indeed the world only superpower, financially, economically and most important militarily. It has been observed by military experts all over the world that no nation or group of nations can withstand the military might of America.

In prophecy circles, it has been a long cherished belief that Europe is to be the stage from which the Antichrist will make his appearance and play for power. We, at Apocalypse soon, have also sustained this possibility. However, in light of recent developments, a new and totally different vision is taking substance. When I say new, I do not mean immediately new, within the prophetic panorama, but recently new, that is, spanning the last few years.
Talking with a friend at the beginning of the Iraq war, I said that the outcome of that event would imprint end times prophecy with a definite clarity. I proposed that if the USA would win the war with a reasonable positive backlash, then we would have to reexamine our Euro-centric prophetic outlook. Like most, I was sure that the USA would win the war, since there was no other possible military alternative. What no one knew, forecasted or expected is the absolute ease with which it was achieved, and indeed, the Americans and English troops were greeted as liberators with much public acclaim. Sure, some Moslem clerics are trying to stir up resentment, and in a city of 5 million people (Baghdad) they can find a few thousands who will be manipulated to shout anti-American slogans and wave their fists in the air. Truth is that most Iraqis are happy at the end of Saddam's terror regime.

One discordant and disconcerting note, has been to observe the behavior of a few countries like France, Germany and Belgium, refusing to second the USA motion at the UN, and going on record as totally opposed to war against Iraq. France, most of all, in a play for relevance, but with evident delusions of grandeur, has assumed a very antagonistic stance against America, something which will not be forgotten anytime soon.

Now, we are not so naive to believe that the main reason America started her war machine was to liberate the poor Iraqis from a tyrannical regime. Iraq has oil and America needs oil. Enough said, and if in the process a dictator is removed from power and the Iraqis get some freedom and a touch of democracy, so much the better. At the same time, the pseudo-moral posturing of France, Germany and others has been exposed as at best hypocritical and at worst, damning. Lest anybody think that these nations in their antiwar stance were motivated by unselfish love and concern for the well-being of the Iraqis, it has now been amply revealed and documented that their number one motivation was and continues to be money, l'argent, el dinero.
More soon.

April 14, 2003

It is a recognized fact that at this point in time, the USA is the only superpower left, (with pretenders to the throne lurking in the background), and while today we are living in a much different world than at the time of the Roman empire, the geopolitical strategies of the powerful have not changed. In short, if you are number one, you will do your outermost not to become number two.

America has been consolidating her premiership with many and diverse interventions which I shall not discuss here, this being only a brief historical prospect. If the practice to remain number one has not changed since, the tactics surely have: no longer is an invading army always necessary (sometimes, like in the Iraq war it is), but the ultimate purpose is achieved through economic/financial means. "Money makes the world go 'round" goes the old adage, and indeed we must follow the money trail to understand the ins and outs of political strategies. It has been said that all wars have been fought because of financial gains, and while that may not be 100% right, the statement is practically right on the money (pun intended).

America rarely flexes her military muscle to impose her ways, preferring boardroom wars to the real ones. Most of the time this tactic works just as well with the added bonus of going virtually unnoticed.

What to say?
In an imperfect world, it is much much better having American rule than let's say China, Russia or Saudi Arabia rulership, if you know what I mean. Despite her excesses, contradictions, distortions, blunders, arrogance, silliness and whatever you want to add, America is at this moment in history the best guarantor to max personal freedom of thought and action.

Just think how would you fare under a Saddam Hussein-like world power!

April 12, 2003

With the war practically over, it's time for balances, at least from my point of view.

There has been worldwide opposition to the USA (with Great Britain) unilateral attack on Irak, some justified, most of it not. I have seen "peace demonstrations" which were anything but peaceful, I have heard nation leaders demonstrate extreme anti-Americanism with declarations of doom and condemnations of the USA, the self-appointed world policeman, according to these leaders. They are right, but they, knowingly, manipulate the truth.

As I have stated in other articles, the USA is the Rome of our time: the most powerful nation on earth, the numero uno. Ancient empires, used their strength to conquer and rule, while at the same time exporting their culture and promoting the economic development of their subjects under their imposed "peace." The famous pax romana, for example, is universally recognized by historians as a very positive step in the course of man's development. In the history of the world there has always been a prominent nation which has ruled on the others. In recent centuries this reality has changed somewhat in that the spread of progress and knowledge created several nations that could have aspired to be the leader of the pack. So, Europe, at the forefront of social development, introduced the innovative "balance of power" formula, whereas nations would group in two or more camps, with each camp wielding enough power and influence to counterbalance the other, so rending the establishment of new empires practically impossible. This formula was only applied to European and near East countries since only they wielded that kind of power. And not to forego their ever-present imperial ambitions, these selfsame European nations set out to conquer and colonize the remaining continents, from Africa to Asia and not to forget the Americas.

These European arrangements were not able however to stop all wars, proving without any doubt that no earthly arrangement will ever suffice to reach a universal and continuous peace state on earth, because the heart of man is turned without fail towards evil and therefore, all good intents and proposals, in time, fall inevitably.

In the past century, after two world wars, and given the creation of atomic armaments, another kind of balance of power was achieved. We can all remember the MAD ( a more appropriate acronym was never coined) Mutual Assured Destruction defense policy, whereby the two leading superpowers of the time (USA, Soviet Union) plunged the world into the infamous Cold War years but maintaining nevertheless a fragile peace, at least in their areas of influence.

With the fall of Communism and the sudden demise of its supporter nations, in recent times the world has been introduced into the current pax americana.

(to be continued)

April 3, 2003

My local newspaper carried a strange ad yesterday. Instead of announcing their menu and specialties as is the case, a local Chinese restaurant placed an explanation that "due to the current news about SARS, we feel it's our duty to inform our clientele that none of our personel has been in Asia in the last few months and that all our foodstuff comes from Swiss firms." Business at chinese restaurants must be real slow if we have come to this. The Chinese government, in its usual secretive ways, has not been very forthcoming with the World Health Organization, kind of hiding the real extent of the disease. They seem ashamed everytime there is a negative report about China (see the hiding of the AIDS cases) and they withdraw behing their infamous bamboo curtain. They should be ashamed of persecuting Christians and other religious minorities, an operation for which they dedicate lots of time, money and involvement, to this very day. And they are supposed to host the Olympics.

And another sign that things are not going too well for our tired planet:

Is the Earth preparing to flip?
By Dr David Whitehouse BBC News Online science editor (March 27, 2003)

It is not just the plot for a far-fetched science-fiction disaster movie. Something unexplained really is happening to the Earth's magnetic field. In recent years, the field has been behaving in ways not previously seen in the admittedly short time it has been monitored. Some researchers think it may presage a geomagnetic reversal when the north and south magnetic poles flip. Such speculation takes place as the science-fiction movie The Core goes on release. In the film, the Earth's core stops rotating and our planet's magnetic sheath collapses. Scientists admit there are things going on way beneath our feet that they do not understand, and which could have profound consequences for life on the surface.

Towards Siberia
The Earth's magnetic field is caused by motions in the ball of molten iron that lies at the centre of our planet. Electrical currents in the outer part of the core result in the planet-wide magnetic field. The magnetic field not only shields us from harmful cosmic rays but also funnels charged particles shed by the Sun towards the magnetic poles, where they can produce beautiful auroral displays. The field is also an invaluable aid to navigation. Even though today we have the pinpoint accuracy of the satellite-based Global Positioning System, many still rely on their compass needle pointing to magnetic north.

The war and the SARS "epidemic" continue to be the big media news. While we await the end of this so-called Gulf War 2, the SARS epidemic is hitting closer to home. I cannot fail to notice that medical and otherwise authorities are in a semi-panic state. In Hong Kong, Singapore and now Toronto, there have been drastic measures of disease containment, including voluntary and forced quarantines. Some hospitals have been shut down and some apartment buildings have been cordoned off in the frantic race to check SARS spread. Now, I think either these authorities know something that they are not saying to alarm the public, or it's just an unjustified overreaction. While this disease appears to spread very easily, it is nothing compared to past epidemics like the "Spanish" or "Asiatic" of yesteryears. It will probably soon fizzle out, or at least let's hope so.

Let's now turn to the incredible-news department. I have two gems that document man's descent into utter and irreversible stupidity. The first item, is about this fortune teller who has abandoned the much overused and boring palm reading to introduce the more "accurate" and rewarding (at least to him) rear-end reading. This has been widely reported by the media to a smirking public (with photos, of course) a few weeks back . The guy, who is totally blind on top of that has his clients disrobe and then, palpating their derrieres "predicts " their future. He seems to be very good at it (palpating or predicting) because he has developed a loyal and steadily increasing following of rich people, entertainment stars and even politicians. His wife defends his "methodology" adding that, contrary to what one may think, her husband has no prurient interests in his clients and he is quite satisfied with her derriere, thank you! Yes, and we believe also in the tooth fairy and Snow White!

As if this is not enough, here comes a new and more recent item:

Toilet-paper 'Rasputin' riles Lithuania
CNN - Friday, March 14, 2003

VILNIUS, Lithuania (Reuters) -- Lithuanian President Rolandas Paksas stirred up a media storm over his faith in a mystic who wraps people in toilet paper to cure their ills.

Paksas' claim to be a "believer" in mystic Lena Lolisvili has sparked uproar in the Catholic former Soviet country, which is sensitive about its image abroad after being invited to join the European Union and NATO in 2004. Local media have dubbed Lolisvili Lithuania's "Rasputin," after the Siberian mystic who wielded influence over Russia's Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra in the early 1900s.

"Lithuania risks becoming the laughing stock of the world," its largest newspaper, Lietuvos Rytas, said Friday. Lolisvili, an ethnic Georgian who claims God tells her the future and energizes toilet paper she then wraps around her patients, told Paksas in 1996 he would become president. Paksas has said Lolisvili helped him when he was ill, but has never given details of his treatment. She was a guest of honor at his inauguration last month, a move critics decried as a throwback to the dark ages.

"This is clearly the work of the devil," said Cardinal Audrys Backis.

I know, I know, it's April's fools day, but this is really true. Honest.
Pics available on Google.

March 18, 2003

While we wait for the war to start (or not), we continue to fish out (no pun intended) juicy news items like the following, which is right on our department:

'Talking fish' stuns New York
BBC News - March 16, 2003

A fish heading for slaughter in a New York market shouted warnings about the end of the world before it was killed, two fish cutters have claimed.

Zalmen Rosen, from the Skver sect of Hasidic Jews, says coworker Luis Nivelo, a Christian, was about to kill a carp to be made into gelfilte fish in the city's New Square Fish Market in January when it began shouting in Hebrew.

"It said 'Tzaruch shemirah' and 'Hasof bah'," Mr Rosen later told the New York Times newspaper. "[It] essentially means [in Hebrew] that everyone needs to account for themselves because the end is nigh."

Mr Nivelo told the paper he was so shocked he fell into a stack of slimy packing crates, before running in panic to the shop entrance and grabbing Mr Rosen, shouting: "The fish is talking!"

However his coworker reacted with disbelief. "I screamed 'It's the devil The devil is here!', but Zalman said to me 'You crazy, you a meshugeneh [mad man]!" Mr. Nivelo said. A disbelieving Mr. Rosen then rushed to the back of the store, only to hear the fish identifying itself as the soul of a local Hasidic man who had died the previous year. It instructed him to pray and study the Torah, but Mr. Rosen admitted that in a state of panic he attempted to kill the fish, injuring himself in the process and ending up in hospital. The fish was eventually killed by Mr. Nivelo and sold.

What can I say? The fish said it all.

No, it's not a new fashion craze. Just some scared Chinese afraid to catch the "mysterious illness" that has the whole world under alarm. Strange how in a few days, this story has become top news all over the world. The first cases were detected in Asia (Honk Kong, Malaysia, China etc.). Once I read why most flu epidemics start in Asia, but I can quite remember. The disease has been detected in Toronto, Canada, apparently brought in the country by a vacationing Chines family returning from Hong Kong. It has also been reported of some European cases. Airports are under alarm, with doctors stationed in them presiding flights especially from Asian countries. The authorities seem to be kind of panicked over this epidemic, given the fact they don't even know what it is exactly (flu/pneumonia like symptoms) or how it propagates (by air?) and since it appears to be very virulent and deadly.

Air travel has been blamed in the past for spreading viruses and insects quicker from one country to another, but of course, it is not feasible to stop all air travel. Our modern age is suddenly a throwback to medieval times, when people traveling by foot or horse were spreading the various plagues of the time. Isn't funny that despite all the money governments and people spend and overspend on medicine, the world is not a much healthier place altogether? While it's foolish to deny some evident benefits which the medicine has brought to humanity, I think that the whole medical field has been moving on a false path. At last count, according to medical sources, we have over 2000 diseases without cure without counting the new ones which seem to be popping up somewhat regularly.

The Bible explains that plagues and diseases is one of the signs which shall characterize the last days prior to the return of Jesus Christ. So much for the billions $$$ spent in research and development.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
Gal. 6:7

This memorable very soberly reminds us that we all are responsible for our actions. There is no avoiding it, try as we may like to. So it should be no surprise (to the wise) to see the degeneration of society, being the direct result of having banned God from public life and the liberal, social, call-it-whatever you want lifestyle of aggressive behavior which has replaced long cherished good manners. The entertainment media is largely responsible for the elimination of morality since its product is 99% of absolutely no redeeming social value. And there is no escaping it: they will get you while you are still in your mother's womb. And then we see the consequences in broken lives, broken marriages, broken relationships, broken individuals. Is it really that bad or am I too negative? I wish I were wrong but I know for a fact that it will get even worse. Here is a small sample:

A month ago the Associated Press ran a noteworthy story from Philadelphia that began:
``One student hit a pregnant teacher, another exposed himself, and a third stabbed a classmate with a pencil. All have been suspended.''
What made it noteworthy was the next sentence: ``All are kindergartners.''

Feb 18, 2003

While we are waiting for yes-war or no-war in Iraq, everyday events follow their usual downward spiral. I have been saying for sometimes now, that Christians face hard days in the near future before the Lord returnsif not downwout persecution. I have reported of laws which have gone into effect and other laws which are being drafted that will make it a crime to preach the Word of God. It seems unbelievable, but it's happening faster than expected. Behold what has happend in Canada just this past week:

Canadian Court Agrees That Bible is Hate Literature

EWTN ^ | 2/12/03 - Saskatchewan, Feb 11, 03 (LSN.ca/CWNews.com)
In a ruling given virtually no media coverage, the Court of Queen's Bench in Saskatchewan, ruled that a man who placed references to Bible verses on homosexuality into a newspaper ad was guilty of inciting hatred. The December 11, 2002 decision was in response to an appeal of a 2001 Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission (HRC) ruling which ordered both the Saskatoon StarPhoenix newspaper and Hugh Owens of Regina to pay CAN$1,500 to three homosexual activists for publishing an ad in the Saskatoon newspaper quoting Bible verses regarding homosexuality.

The purpose of the ad was to indicate that the Bible says no to homosexual behavior. The advertisement displayed references to four Bible passages: Romans 1, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, on the left side. An equal sign (=) was situated in the middle, with a symbol on the right side. The symbol was comprised of two males holding hands with the universal symbol of a red circle with a diagonal bar superimposed over top...

This kind of nonsense is already law in some "socially-advanced" European countries like Holland and Belgium and it will be enbodied in the upcoming European Charter of constitutional rights. Among other things that a Christian will face is the main fact of not being able to say that Jesus Christ is the only Savior for mankind, because this shows disrespect for other faiths. I think they might just re-open the gulags, where Soviet Christians were confined under the accusation that they were mentally disturbed and deficient. But I suspect that today's average Christian does not even fanthom that such contending for the faith might be required of him and the word gulag is totally unknown in his vocabulary, accustomed as he is to his to pile-deep carpeted, air-conditioned, stereo-enhanced church building.

So, while I still can, I will exercise my public freedom to state that Jesus Christ is the only Way to God.

Nor is there salvation in any other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
Acts 4:12

No Jesus=no salvation, simple as that. God is not complicated, we are.

Feb 15, 2003

Dolly is dead. The famous first cloned sheep has been euthanized by her keepers because it had developed "progressive lung disease." I don't even know what that is, but it must be something really bad if she was "put to sleep". This reminds me of a couple of things: I read on a scientific paper that there are over 2000 diseases without cure, and new ones are discovered continuously. I think the medical profession needs to look at itself with a more critical and serious eye. But on this subject, there will be more later.

Regarding Dolly and other cloned animals, it has been widely reported that they age much faster than normal (non-cloned) animals and that they develop all kind of strange diseases. Certainly, as a Christian I find highly aberrant if not blasphemous the fact that some people pretend to "improve" upon God's creation. Moreover, most of these experiments are designed for one main purpose: $$$ and again, the Word admonishes us that the "love of money is the root of all evil."

The cloning news frenzy which has greeted the start of the new year definitely is setting the tone for the rest of it. This is big news indeed and worldwide, lots of eyes are already sparkling with dancing visions of immortality and all that jazz. Never mind that no proof has been given (and none will be forthcoming) and that the people making the claim have been exposed as frauds in the past.

A most intriguing group these Raelians, and very busine$$ minded. Reading from their web site gives an adequate picture of their, let's call them, beliefs and of their goals. I am not going to bother you with the details, since the mass media have played ball ad nauseam with all things Raelians . Promising free sex (of all denominations) and eternity, the Raelians have the scoop of the ages, leaving far behind all other religious creeds, as they deliver their goods here and now instead of a pie-in-the-sky in the bye and bye, or so they claim.

I never cease to be surprised by the credulity of supposedly intelligent and informed people. Mr. Barnum, of Barnum and Bailey's Circus fame, left us the memorable phrase "There is a sucker born every minute!." Of course that was many years ago. Today we should rephrase it to state: "there is a sucker born every second, at least." Sure, the Raelian top brass knows the game very well, appealing to the most fleshly urges of mankind, but their stories are so irrational that any attentive mind should balk at the nonsense. Methinks the Raelians are after free publicity and money, and thanks to the mass media are getting both, big time.

Now, for the cloning claim itself, if it is possible or if it will ever be possible to clone human beings, I think that scientists can combine and recombine DNA, experiment in in vitro or in utero or in whatever fertilization method, the results will be disappointing at best and most horrible in the final end. It is highly significant that the "creator" of Dolly, the first cloned sheep, has come out adamantly against Clonaid (the company set up by the Raelians to research and produce cloning) so called experiments, and he should know something about it. It is a confirmed fact that Dolly and company are NOT normal animals, aging 3/4 time faster than normal sheep and with a host of unsolved organic and structural problems. I saw a documentary on TV, recently, that graphically showed the outcome of such experimenting that, although shocking, should be a must see by all. To reprise a famous line, ... the horror, oh the horror.

There are people who want to use cloning for spare parts, either for themselves or for the needs of their sick children or loved ones. Frankenstein has come of age indeed.

Apart from the Clonaid fracas, we must address deeper and fundamental problems related to this technique such as: will the cloned beings have a soul or be zombies? Will they be perfect copies down to character and mannerism and so forth? How is God looking at this outrageous encroaching in His own prerogatives?

Genesis 11:6
And the LORD said, "Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; and nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

That's quite a statement, coming from God Himself. Today, the "one language" uniting men is science and scientists are the high priests of this religion which knows no boundaries nor morals but only its self-seeking and seemingly unstoppable interest and glory. To discerning minds, this cloning affair is a giant red flag on the way to the end.

Another red flag is the ominous weather anomalies reported in all parts of the world in this past year, in this current winter season and the forecast for 2003. Volcano activity and earthquakes continue at near record levels.

2003 WILL BE WARMEST YEAR

Sky News - Dec 29, 2002

Next year looks set to become the hottest since records began, the Met Office has warned.

Temperatures across the globe look likely to rise even higher than they did in 1998 - the warmest year on record. That year was especially warm because of the El Nino effect, a weather phenomenon caused by the Pacific Ocean warming up. This year went down as the second warmest since records began.

Moderate El Nino
Scientists are alarmed by the rise during 2002 because the El Nino effect was much weaker. Phil Jones of the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia which has compiled weather data with the Met Office, said: "Globally, warm years generally occur during the latter stages of El Nino events in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean. "The warmth of 2002 is remarkable considering how small this effect was during much of the year compared to the influence of the large 1997/8 El Nino event in the record breaking year of 1998. "Given that a moderate El Nino event is taking place, there is a good chance that 2003 will be warmer than 2002."

Global warming
The average UK temperature this year was 10.5C (51F) - only 1949, 1990 and 1999 were warmer. Nine of the 10 hottest years ever globally have now occurred since 1990, including 1999, 2000 and 2001, providing further evidence of global warming. Average global temperatures have risen by more than 0.6C (33F) over the past 100 years and it is thought that the warming over the past 50 years is mainly due to human activities like burning of fossil fuels.

In the area where I live, farmers are alarmed that some crops will be drastically reduced if not completely lost, due to unusual warm weather and still possible frost spills, since, like it or not we are still in winter. Hearing some of these old-timers speak, gives one the chills. They have never witnessed such weather upheavals in their lifetimes. I am more inclined to believe them than scientists who are still debating weather we are entering a global warming period or a new ice age. The Bible tells me that things will be getting "hot", including weatherwise and that in the last days, mankind will experience serious famine. The conditions are being prepared.

Then we have the perennial red flag over Israel, lest we forget the centerpiece of the last days. Elsewhere in this site there are ample dissertations about Israel and its role, with at the forefront, the coming war moved against it by its surrounding enemies, with a little help from their northern allies (the Gog and Magog war of Ezekiel 39, not to be confused with the war of Armageddon, which will take place subsequently). The Gog and Magog war may start as a reprisal against Israel after it nukes Damascus, Syria.

Syria is very subtly maneuvering her position of strength in Lebanon, and there will come a time that Israel will act against it. The following is an excerpt from a recent article by United Press:

Israel warns of response to mass terror

By Joshua Brilliant From the International Desk Published 12/2/2002 9:48 PM (excerpt)

HERZLIYA, Israel, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The head of Israel's National Security Council said Monday that a "mega-terror attack" threatening Israel's existence would open options for retaliation that hitherto "were unacceptable to public opinion."

Ephraim Halevy, who recently stepped down as head of the Mossad spy service, warned that Israel has "a broad and varied range of capabilities (to cope with a threat to its existence) that better not be exposed prematurely."

In an address to the Third Herzliya Conference on the Balance of Israel's Security, Halevy said Israel must examine the new reality created by last week's attempt to shoot down an Israeli airliner taking off from Mombassa, Kenya.

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz Sunday told the Cabinet there were increasing signs that al Qaida was behind Thursday's attacks in Mombassa. Three suicide bombers attacked a hotel frequented by Israelis killing themselves, 10 Kenyans and three Israelis. At the same time two shoulder-launched missiles were fired at an Israeli Boeing 757-300 taking off from Mombassa International Airport with 272 passengers and crew. The missiles barely missed the plane.

Military chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon, said Monday the Israel Defense Forces have already foiled many al Qaida attacks in Israel. Al Qaida has Palestinian operatives in the occupied territories and "has declared war on ... infidels, making Israel one of its main targets," he said.

Copyright © 2002 United Press International

These are only some of the red flags which are pointing insistently to the imminent Return of Jesus Christ. A word to the wise: the Bible has documented with utmost precision the birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, many hundreds years before those events took place. That same Bible, with the same unchallenged authority, warns us that the Lord Jesus Christ will soon return to this earth. The first time he came as a Lamb, to lay down His Life for all sinners who would accept His Sacrifice. The second time, He shall return as a Lion, to execute His righteous judgment on all those who have refused Him. There is nowhere else to go and no one else or turn to, as all the world will soon start to realize, albeit too late for many.