"The Coming Economic Earthquake?"

There's a new game in Washington, D.C. called "kick the can down the road." The rules? Go from one crisis to another. Wait until the 11th hour to see if the opposition blinks. Agree to a last minute delay. Patch with a temporary band-aid solution and repeat as necessary. After all, no crisis is too big to ignore. The result? A ballooning crisis bubble. Thought you saw the last of the January 1st fiscal cliff?

Nope. It's ba-a-a-a-ack. Only now they're calling it "the sequester." The so-called fiscal cliff "compromise" consisted of a 2-month delay. On March 1st it will rear its ugly head again causing automatic, across-the-board spending cuts to go into effect. President Obama is blaming Republicans, even though the plan was first hatched in the White House as something "so terrible they will never allow it to happen." GOP now says bad spending cuts are better than no spending cuts. "It's a bad idea whose time has come."

Remember the budget? Oh, that's right--they haven't passed one in four years. Instead, Congress has been relying on a series of short-term "continuing resolutions" (CR). The current CR expires March 27, and Congress must pass a new one to avoid a government shutdown. And then there's the debt ceiling (the amount of debt the government must never, ever spend above, or else!)

Originally slated for mid-February, Congress has temporarily raised the debt ceiling until May 19th (when a catastrophic default will result...unless they raise it again). And let's not forget the ever looming Social Security and Medicare tsunami that's relentlessly heading our way. How much longer can D.C. ignore that one? Well, let's see--how far can they kick? The problem with this game is that it can't be won. The road is increasingly bumpy and the cans are turning into time bombs.

Is Congress worried? Nah. They're going on vacation...again.

Okay gang--so what do we do about it? Ideally, we ought to kick them all out of office and start over, but unfortunately that opportunity was lost last November. Instead, many financially savvy experts advise: stop waiting for the government to solve these issues. Prepare your own house. There's a coming economic earthquake that is growing more and more inevitable as each crisis adds more cracks to an already over-stressed system. Any good news regarding the economy must be seen in light of the $16 trillion debt and the seemingly endless money printing.

We'd like to suggest an investment of a different kind: your place in the world to come. (Not sure you're going?click here ). Many of us are so busy living in the here and now, we rarely think about what happens next. Often we fail to realize that the way we live our lives here on earth will have eternal and unchangeable consequences and that our life experience in eternity is being determined by how we invest this life today. Bible prophecy was never intended to merely satisfy our curiosity about future events; it is intended to have a purifying effect on our lives (1 John 1:3).

"Another reason for right living is that you know how late it it; the time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires" (Romans 13:11-14).  In other words, kicking the can down the road doesn't fly for the Christian.

" Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts" (Hebrews 4:7a).

A wise man once said: "The curtain of this earthly drama will close, but it will open in eternity. What we encounter there will have been determined to some degree by the life we lived on this earth. Only in this life can we impact the kind of eternity we shall enjoy. For we are becoming today, the person we will be throughout eternity" --author Erwin W. Lutzer

News:

• Fox News Channel: Nearly 50% of Detroit residents failed to pay their taxes worsening the city's fiscal crisis.
• Politico: ICE announced Tuesday that it has released several hundred undocumented immigrants due to funding cuts (sequestration)
• FNC: Potentially deadly invasive Asian ant species gaining foothold in U.S.
• The Telegraph: Moody's downgraded UK credit rating because of "huge debt burden"

"End of the Road for the Dollar?"

Despite unprecedented government spending, the U.S. economy contracted in the 4th quarter of 2012. That's right, the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is very close to negative at 0.1% growth. The Fed is blaming everything but the kitchen sink.

The truth?

The economy shrank from October through December (the peak shopping season) because the so-called 'recovery' is really just an illusion. It's important to remember that the stock market is not a reliable indicator of economic health. One runs on facts and figures, the other on emotion. They are often divorced from each other.

John Williams, an expert at analyzing government statistics and founder of ShadowStats.com, says, "We haven't had a recovery and we're not about to have one, and it's getting worse...Nations usually don't go bankrupt, they print money. That creates inflation. They can't raise enough in taxes and unless they cut social programs, they can't cut enough (spending). I'm looking for hyperinflation by the end of 2014. Hyperinflation is virtually assured." Williams believes if Congress does not get its financial house in order by the new deadline in mid-May, "it will be the end of the road. They are not going to have another opportunity."

Michael Paterson of the Paterson Foundation contends they "may have prevented the immediate threats that the fiscal cliff posed to our fragile economic recovery, but we haven't remotely fixed the nation's debt problem." He went on to say, "The primary goal of any sustainable fiscal policy is to stabilize the debt as a share of the economy and put it on a downward path, and yet our nation is still heading toward debt levels of 200% of GDP and beyond." According to SIGTARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) Quarterly report to Congress, the economy remains vulnerable to a "house of cards collapse."

These aren't just rumors; the dollar is under attack.

The dollar declines when it loses value in relationship to foreign currencies. As a result of the $16 trillion U.S. debt (much of it borrowed from China and Japan), the dollar has declined 54.7% against the euro between 2002 and 2012! Why would the United States permit its currency's value to slide?

Because it allows us to repay the debt with cheaper money.

In other words, a devalued dollar helps the government, but hurts everyone else.

Does this mean they will allow the dollar to collapse?

According to About.com U.S. Economy, several conditions must be in place before the dollar could collapse:

• an underlying weakness
• a viable currency alternative for everyone to stampede into.
• a triggering event would need to occur

The first condition is definitely in place. No one can deny the dollar is losing its mojo.

But a collapse?

It's hard to say because there are as many opinions as there are experts. Our advice? You do the math. Be ready for anything. Trust in God.

A wise man once said: "Any government, like any family, can for a year spend a little more than it earns. But you and I know that a continuance of that habit means the poorhouse." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:18.

News:

• FNC: Deadly tornadoes demolish houses and buildings in Georgia
• Debka File: Syria and Iran threaten retaliation for Israeli air strike on military site near Damascus; move strongly condemned by Moscow. Western intelligence agencies predict more military action between Israel, Syria, Hezbollah, and possibly Iran.
• CNBC: Aetna CEO anticipates job cuts due to Obamacare; health bill written too quickly and not vetted enough, he says.
• MSN: Rioting in Egypt intensifies; Egyptian Defense Ministry warns political violence could lead to country's collapse if riots continue.

"2013 Predictions"

Predicting the future is both tricky and dumb, and yet, people go on doing it. Why? Because people love it. They eat it up. They're even willing to pay for it. And so, of course, people continue to make predictions. Too bad no one seems to notice (or remember) how few of them come to pass. Google '2013 predictions' and we predict you'll get a ridiculous mix of astrology, I Ching, Nostradamus, and a wide variety of psychic prognosticators. Oh, and just enough Bible prophecy to discredit it along with all the others. That's right. Mix it all together--and wah-lah--the Mayans, the Hopis, and the Bible are all equal.

Wait a minute. The purpose of this blog is to examine biblical prophecy and to raise a word of caution regarding non-biblical attempts to predict the future. We are continually shocked to discover how many people believe there is no significant difference!

Because we are living in the most incredible times the world has ever known, it is becoming clear even to the dimmest among us that something unusual is happening. Everything from political crises to international conflicts bombard us daily. Every new turn of events reminds us that the 'tipping point' could be just around the corner. And it could be. But one of the dangers of such expectations is the wild speculations that are sure to follow.

Instead of wildly speculating, why not use the signs of the times as a motivation to seriously study what the Bible has to say about our future?

As prophecy teacher Dr. Ed Hindson put it: "Along the highway, signs are used to identify locations, provide information, and give warnings. The same is true of prophetic signs. They stand out on the biblical horizon to get our attention. They give a glimpse of things to come--but only a glimpse. Signs are not intended to give all the details of future events, yet they do play a prominent role in biblical prophecy."

Much is being said about 2013. Will we go over the fiscal cliff? Eliminate the debt ceiling? Go to war with Syria? Iran? Your guess is as good as ours.

Speculating about the future beyond what the Bible actually predicts is a dangerous game we don't want to play. Just ask the Mayans.

A wise man once said: "The errors of faith are better than the best thoughts of unbelief." -- Thomas Russell

"You have more than enough advisers, astrologers and stargazers. Let them stand up and save you from what the future holds. But they are as useless as dried grass burning in a fire. They cannot even save themselves" Isaiah 47: 13,14.

News:

• Reuters: Lawmakers rush to break deadlock over the so-called fiscal cliff days before a year-end deadline.
• Fox News Channel: Worst drought in decades threatens Mississippi River commercial traffic
• Jerusalem Post: Revered Palestinian, Marwan Barghouti, calls for a new revolt against Israel. "Launch of a large-scale resistance serves the cause of our people," he said.
• Reuters: Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi has signed Islamic constitution into law. Opposition groups condemn the new law as too Islamic and undemocratic.

"Red Alert"

The problems affecting the world right now are legion. Israel and Gaza are at it again; Europe is awash in turmoil; and Iran is busy planning the apocalypse. In America, it's all about the 'fiscal cliff'--so let's start there: In exactly 46 days, our leaders will either cut a deal regarding taxes and spending, or send the country careening over the infamous fiscal cliff.

In the meantime, it seems President Obama and Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner are busy playing chicken. While one waits for the other to blink, the rest of us are losing our shirts in the stock market. In the last 3 weeks the Dow has dropped 1,100 points. Many analysts speculate the stock dump will accelerate, as wealthy investors position themselves for a myriad of tax breaks to expire and automatic spending cuts to kick in that could hurl the country back into a recession. Swiss investor, Marc Faber told CNBC: "I think the whole global financial system will have to be reset and it won't be reset by central bankers but by imploding markets." Others play down the looming fiscal cliff and stare instead into a fiscal abyss: the country's 16 trillion dollar debt.

Peter Schiff, CEO and Chief Global Strategist of Euro Pacific Capital, believes it's the Federal Reserve policies like quantitative easing (QE1, QE2, and QE3) that will lead to catastrophe. He believes all this money printing will lead to QE3-fueled inflation. "The impact will hit Americans hard. Ultimately, I think we're going see prices skyrocketing."

We will know in a matter of weeks whether or not there are any grown-ups in the room. If not, it could cost the average family roughly 2-3 thousand in new taxes per year! We believe they will manage to co-operate with each other and avoid this fiasco. Maria Bartriromo, CNBC's 'money honey', isn't as optimistic. "Obama has dug in his heels, unwilling to compromise. He's asking for 1.6 trillion in new taxes, double what he asked for last year. If the stock market is a good predictor of what's ahead financially, we may be going off that fiscal cliff."

Meanwhile, life in Israel has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. They are in the midst of an escalation in the latest round of violence between Israel and the Palestinian organization, Hamas, based in the Gaza Strip. As of this writing, Israeli forces are pounding Gaza from the air after Hamas missiles killed three Israeli civilians and sent Tel Aviv residents scrambling for cover. The Israeli Defense Force is calling up reserves ahead of a possible Gaza ground operation. The Hebrew name of the campaign is Amud Anan, which means 'Pillar of Cloud'--a biblical reference to God's taking on the form of a Pillar of Cloud during the Exodus (Exodus 14:24).

Only time will tell how this current skirmish will end. We know from Psalm 83 that eventually Israel will be attacked from every bordering nation and win (with God's help), only to be attacked again by Iran, Russia, and an Islamic coalition. Speaking of Iran, a new IAEA report indicates Tehran is continuing to move its nuclear program deep underground, beyond Israel's ability to reach. The centrifuge count now stands at 2,700.

And then there's the Euro Zone. Hundreds of thousands of Europeans clashed with riot police, as they demanded that governments stop cutting benefits and create more jobs. The protests were met with tear gas.

Oh boy. The problems affecting the world right now are legion. Better start praying, people.

A wise man once said: "My hope despairs; but my despair keeps me hoping!"--Martin Luther

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." -- Matthew 21:22

"And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." --Isaiah 2:4

News:

• Drudge Report: Jobless claims up a staggering 78,000 in the first week after election.
• MSN: Rockets fired on Tel Aviv ramps up speculation of a full-scale war.
• Reuters: U.S. Postal Service has record loss of $15.9 billion; triple last year's loss.
• World News: Spain suspends home evictions for most needy in emergency response to economic crisis.
• Global Markets: Japan cuts economic view for 4th month as recession looms.

"Doomsday Scenario?"

This week the Discovery Channel is airing a special on America's 'doomsday' plans--kinda apropos, don't you think?

The re-election of Barack Obama, though not unexpected, still hit like a body blow. Both parties basically spent 6 billion dollars to get what we already had--a dysfunctional government that can't seem to get the job done. Most people get fired when they fail at their job. How is it we rehired the whole sorry bunch?

Did you know the President has a 'doomsday plane'? Yup. A jumbo jet worth an estimated $223 million, capable of withstanding a nuclear blast while staying airborne for days without refueling. Wow. And get this--the Federal Government has a top-secret underground complex...just in case. No kidding. It's located 64 miles from Washington D.C. in Virginia and it's buried 300 feet underground. We're not talkin' little bomb shelter, people. This place is humongous! It's 20 stories high and features water reservoirs, a sewage treatment plant, hospital, crematorium, and a TV studio (presumably to allow the Commander-in-Chief to address the nation). Yikes!

Our government seems prepared for just about everything except the stuff most likely to happen.Greg Hunter from USA Watchdog believes it will be an economic crisis. "The U.S. faces a financial storm of biblical proportions; I am talking Noah's Ark tsunami. The real fiscal cliff isn't what is coming at the end of the year. It is the debasement of the U.S. dollar at the hands of the Federal Reserve that is printing $85 billion every month in 'open-ended' currency creation"(QE3). You'd think the government would get ready for this, but have they? Nope.

According to Debka file's military and intelligence sources, a grimmer scenario is being discussed by Israeli leaders behind closed doors: "They fear that the second Obama term will usher in a nuclear-armed Shiite Iran which will quickly reach out to the Sunni Muslim Brothers, starting with Egypt, for a joint bid to terminate the life of the Jewish state."

H-m-m-m. Think they'd see that one coming--but again--no cigar.

Let's face it gang, the United States is staring down the barrel of a multitude of existential threats. From the global debt bomb to WW III. And while it would certainly be a bummer to find out we'd rehired a crew that wasn't up to the job, there is something much, much worse...and that, my friends, is to discover we have called God's judgment down on our own heads.

Ridiculous? Consider this: Starting in the early 60's, our nation began to openly reject God.

• We kicked prayer out of public schools
• Legalized abortions
• Celebrated alternative lifestyles
• Legitimized illegitimate behavior
• Made God politically-incorrect

Read 1 Samuel 8. The people did not want to follow God anymore. Instead, they demanded a king like all the other nations, in spite of the fact that God had given the people His word, the prophets and the judges to guide them. In the end, God allowed the Israelites to have what they wanted. He gave them a king like those of the other nations. The point is, God will give us leaders we want because the leaders we choose reflect the will (and the spiritual condition) of the people. Not convinced?

• Barack Obama is not only pro-choice, he is pro-partial birth abortion.
• He not only approves of homosexuality, he believes it's okay for them to enter into God's covenant of Holy matrimony.
• He not only has distanced the U.S. from our God-given responsibility to protect Israel, he has actively put them in danger.

These 3 points are God's litmus test. Barack Obama fails on each point and yet we not only elected him, we re-elected him. That means we have failed the test (as the church). Because, the fact of the matter is, statistically, there are more than enough Christians in this country to elect any one we want. 1 Peter 4:17 says, "For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?" The footnote in our Bible reads" "Judgment does not always imply condemnation in Scripture. When used in relation to Christians, it consistently refers to the evaluation of a believer's works for the purpose of reward." We don't think there will be many rewards given out for this. Especially when you consider this stunning fact: 6.4 million self-described evangelical Christians voted to re-elect President Obama. Roughly 15.5 million failed to vote at all. Obama won by only about 3 million votes (source: Washington Post).

Our government is ready for doomsday. Are we?

"If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear them from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:17).

"And the Lord said to Samuel, 'Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me...'"(1 Samuel 8:7).

A wiseman once said: " We need pastors registering voters in their churches and teaching the people in their congregations the importance of the civic duty of voting."  author Joel C. Rosenburg

News:

• MSN: Wind, cold and snow batter devastated area hit by Sandy last week.
• Reuters: Dozens killed in Guatemala earthquake on Wednesday; many hundreds missing or hurt. 6.3 quake hits Canada.
• Fox News Channel: 55 days left to solve year old "fiscal cliff"
• CNN: Iran fired on U.S. drone flying in international air space on November 1
• Bloomberg: Firearm stocks soar on election news as most other stocks tank.