"Warning! America is in Danger"

Anyone familiar with Bible prophecy and the ways of God, is expecting judgment to fall on the United States.

In his book, The Harbinger, Jonathan Cahn lays out the correlation between the judgment against ancient Israel and what is happening in the U.S. now. According to Cahn:

• Both nations were uniquely conceived and dedicated to the will of God.
• Those who laid America's foundations saw it as a "new Israel, an Israel of the New World" based on a covenant with God.
• Both nations would rise or fall depending on its relationship with God.

Ancient Israel fell into sin and was judged. Is America following the same pattern? You guessed it--Cahn says we are. After starting well, "America became the most blessed, prosperous, and powerful nation on earth. America rose to heights no other nation had ever known. It became a vessel of redemption, an instrument of God's purposes, a light to the world." Tragically, our country began to shift away from its Biblical roots and gradually shoved God aside.

• Prayer was abolished in public school.
• Ditto, the Bible
• The Ten Commandments have been banned from public buildings.
• Nativity scenes have been kicked to the curb.
• Even the name of Jesus is persona non grata--an embarrassment

And with what results? This quote from The Harbinger says it all: "As God was expunged from American life, idols came in to fill the void--idols of sensuality, idols of greed, of money, success, comfort, materialism, pleasure, sexual immorality, self-worship, self-obsession, the sacred increasingly disappeared, and the profane took its place. It was another kind of spiritual amnesia; the nation forgot its foundations, its purpose, and its calling. The standards and values it had long upheld were now abandoned. What it had once known as immoral, it now accepted. Its culture was increasingly corrupted by the corrosion of sexual immorality, growing continuously more crude and vulgar. A wave of pornography began penetrating its media. The same nation that had once been dedicated to spreading God's light to the nations now filled the world with the pornographic and the obscene."

So is America in danger of God's judgment? We believe the answer is "yes".

A wise man once said: 

If God doesn't judge America, He'll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah." -Billy Graham

"Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit." Galatians 6:7-8

News:

• Huffington Post: Ahmadinejad: "...production and use of weapons of mass destruction is forbidden" by Islam.
• DebkaFile: Israel revives military option after Obama rejects its nuclear demands of Iran
• Reuters: Egypt counts votes, Brotherhood says (they're) ahead
• Jerusalem Post: NATO chief says "no intention" to intervene in Syria
• CBN News: More Aftershocks Follow 6.0 Italy Earthquake
• Discovery News: Quake reveals day of Jesus' crucifixion: researchers believe analysis of Dead Sea seismic activity points to Friday, April 3, 33 A.D.

"Middle East Troop Build-up"

There's a lot of unusual troop movement going on:

• Israeli Defense Forces have moved troops to its borders with Egypt and Syria.
• Seventeen other nations; including the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Qatar have massed troops on the Jordanian-Syrian border.

What's happening in the Middle East? While the most obvious reason for the troop movement is the continuing chaos going on in Syria, it seems like overkill to us. Do they really need so many to deal with Bashar Assad?

Granted, Damascus has seen a lot of action lately. In fact, the two recent explosions in the city galvanized Tehran into ordering Hezbollah to run weapons and military equipment across the border to the Syrian army. Meanwhile, Washington is threatening (what else?) sanctions saying Syria poses an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security.

Although the daily death toll has dropped lately, at last count 9,000 had been killed in Syria. "Unacceptable," says international envoy Kofi Annan. And of course there's always the possibility the situation could deteriorate into civil war. But why gather all the troops on the border and then just sit there? Shouldn't they be doing something?

Unless...there's another reason for all the hoopla. Could the troops be positioning themselves to deal with any attack that could come from Syria, Lebanon and the Sinai in the event of an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities? That's the rumor, and it makes sense in light of a new report coming from an Iranian opposition group, Mujaheddin-e Khalq. It seems the Iranians are much further along in their nuclear aspirations than anyone suspected, including the Israelis. According to DebkaFile, "The exhaustively-detailed Mujaheddin-e Khalq document presents a completely new picture of a well-advanced and centralized nuclear weapons program, quite different from the one broadcast by the U.S. and its fellow nuclear negotiators."

Apparently the report gives new (and terrifying) details of just how advanced the program really is. While the United States is skeptical about the document's credibility, DebkaFile claims: "all of this Iranian group's previous disclosures in the past nine years have proved accurate."

So what's happening in the Middle East? Nothing good--no matter who you believe. Maybe the second round of nuclear talks scheduled to take place in Baghdad on May 23rd will bring clarity. We can only hope (and pray, of course!)

A wise man once said: "The only certain barrier to truth is the presumption that you already have it."

News:

• CNBC: Jim Rogers: "2013 will be a (financial) mess."
• DebkaFile: Palestinians claim eight shot dead in Gaza by Israeli forces
• Jerusalem Post: U.S. Senate Republicans block Iran sanction vote
• Jerusalem Post: Moscow says action on Syria, Iran may lead to nuclear war
• CBN News: Iran's Ayatoliah Khamenei: Israel a 'Historical Cancer'
• Associated Press: Iran hangs 'Mossad agent' for nuclear scientist killing

Voter Anger Burns Israel

The rapidly changing political lineup crossing the globe is enough to make your head spin...or as in Israel's case--your heart race.

Israel lost two champions of the Western confrontation against a nuclear-armed Iran last week. First, U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron's government coalition got trounced in local elections, then on Sunday, conservative French President Nicolas Sarkozy was swept out of office. Both of these leaders were willing to go to bat against Iran. Though not necessarily a friend of Israeli PM Netanyahu, Sarkozy, more than any other Western leader, seemed to grasp the gravity of a nuclear Iran. He spoke out forcefully against allowing the unthinkable to happen and accepted the inevitability of having to go to war to stop it.

Sarkozy was one of the few French leaders of recent times willing to stand up and fight. His help was pivotal in the overthrow of Muammar Qaddafi. He was willing to intervene in Syria. His pro-Israeli policies got him into trouble with the French-Muslim voter, and may even have cost him the election.

Israel is sure to miss him.

And let's not forget Russia. It's only been a few weeks since Vladimir Putin got back into office and already he's making life difficult for Benjamin Netanyahu. If Russia backs Iran (as it is threatening to do), the situation becomes a whole new ball game. And you can bet that won't be lost on Iran.

God's message to Gog (Russia):
"This is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'At that time evil thoughts will come to your mind, and you will devise a wicked scheme. You will say, "Israel is an unprotected land filled with unwalled villages! I will march against her and destroy these people who live in such confidence! I will go to those once-desolate cities that are again filled with people who have returned from exile in many nations.'" Ezekiel 38:10-12

"When My people are living in peace in their land, then you will rouse yourself. You will come from your homeland in the distant North with your vast cavalry and your mighty army, and you will cover the land like a cloud. This will happen in the distant future." Ezekiel 38:14-16

Because Israel is not exactly living in peace in unwalled villages, we believe this prophecy won't be fulfilled next or at least not entirely. It is possible Israel:

• has initial, limited skirmish with Iran, setting back its nuclear program.
• deals with neighbors. (see Psalm 83)
• is hit by Gog in a full-fledged surprise attack when she believes she's living in peace and security.

Let's keep our eye on the ball (God's Word). All the players are in the dugout getting ready for the end-game to begin.

News:

• CNN: Obama comes out in favor of gay marriage
• CNBC: Debt to GDP ratio exceeds 100%
• WorldAffairsBrief.com: FBI: Fake Underwear Bomb Plot Proves Need for Warrantless Surveillance
• Jerusalem Post: Hamas PM: Hamas will not go to war for Iran
• Reuters: US House panel focuses on China's defense build-up
• The Washington Times: Justice Dept. accuses Ariz. Sheriff Arpaio of racial profiling

"The Global Economy: Fed Up With The Fed"

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke departed from his usual “everything’s-going-to-be-okay” mantra at last Wednesday’s news conference. This time he looked straight into the camera and said some scary things.

Ben?!?

Doesn’t he know the Fed never says scary things? Doesn’t he know it’s the Fed’s job to tell us everything’s going to be okay no matter what is really going on?

·        The Fed tells us unemployment is going down.

FACT: The number of working age Americans remained at exactly the same percentage for the last 2 years-58.5%.

·         The Fed tells us inflation is not a problem at only 2%, and it isn’t, as long as you count it their way: excluding food and gas.

FACT: If inflation were measured the same way it was back in the ‘80’s—it would be over 10%.

·        The Fed claims to have a stellar track record when it comes to a stable dollar.

      FACT: The value of the U.S. dollar has declined by 95% since the creation of the Fed.         

      So Bernanke’s warning that the country was about to fall off a looming “fiscal cliff” and that the Federal Reserve would be powerless to keep the economy from disaster—makes us a little…well, nervous.

What are others saying?

Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF: “There are dark clouds on the horizon for the global economy.”

Oliver Blanchard, top economist for the IMF: “One has the feeling that at any moment, things could get very bad again.”

CNN: “The level of selling by insiders at corporations listed on the S&P 500 is the highest that it has been in almost a decade. Do those insiders know something the rest of us do not?”

And last, but not least:

Nigel Farage, member of the European Parliament: “It is inevitable that some major banks in Europe will collapse and the impact on some sovereign states will be serious. I’m afraid we’ve gotten to a point where we really can’t stop this now. We’re beginning to reach a stage where however much false money you create, the problem becomes bigger than the people trying to solve it. We are very close to that point. When I talk about the threats and the risk that this thing could wind up in some kind of rebellion, some sort of awful social cataclysm, they (world leaders) are now very worried indeed. They will talk to you in private, but in public, nobody dares utter a word. I think the deterioration in the last two or three weeks, in the Eurozone is very serious indeed. It’s the bond spreads in Italy and Spain. It’s the fact that youth unemployment is now over 50% in some of these Mediterranean countries. It’s riot and disorder on the streets. And yet a month ago I was here, and there was Herman Van Rumpuy telling us, ‘We’ve turned the corner. Everything is solved. There are no more problems with the Eurozone!’ What a pack of jokers they look like.”

Is Benny-Boy Bernanke trying to avoid looking like a joker? Perhaps. He knows something most people don’t: A series of tax increases and spending cuts built into current federal law is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2013. The average American family will have a tax hike of $3900! Bernanke believes this will be a “significant risk to the economy.” No duh, Sherlock!

Most likely, the next economic shoe to drop will be in the Eurozone, but don’t let that fool you. What happens in Europe won’t stay in Europe. We all need to get our financial house in order.

"Only simpletons believe everything they are told! 

The prudent carefully consider their steps.

The wise are cautious and avoid danger; 

fools plunge ahead with great confidence."

                                     Proverbs 14:15-16

News:

• xinhuanet.news: Israeli military moving 6 battalions to meet growing threat on Egypt, Syria borders.
• Boston Globe: Israel takes possession of four of six nuclear submarines.
• Jerusalem Post: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's father died on Monday at the age of 102.
• Fox News Channel: Former Bush advisor, Karl Rove, predicts an Obama win unless conservatives prevail in swing states.
• setyoufreenews: Russia 'retains right' to pre-emptive strike on missile shield