"Russian Airstrikes: What's the Big Deal?"

While the rest of us were still debating the meaning of the fourth (and final) Blood Moon over Jerusalem, Russia was busy sneaking fighter jets into Syria.

On Wednesday, "Russia stunned the U.S. by giving it just a one-hour heads-up that it was going to pummel ISIS targets," according to CNN's Holly Yan. 

The problem? Analysts say Russia is not pounding ISIS targets. In fact, they're no where near ISIS targets.

Instead, the Russian air strikes appear to be aimed at Syrian rebels and civilian dissidents, the very people the U.S. has been trying to help!

To make matters worse: "Lots of military jets from different countries flying in cramped airspace could be disastrous," said CNN military analyst, Rick Francona.

"This is going to get very dangerous," Francona warned. "Right now you've got the aircraft of the Syrian Air Force, the Russian Air Force and the U.S.-led coalition operating in a very confined area."

"These are high-performance aircraft--lots of weapons, lots of people on edge when they're flying these missions."

Francona cautioned, "Any mistake could result in an incident with fatalities on somebody's side."

The U.S. intelligence community has been caught flat-footed and are now scrambling to figure out Moscow's real motives.

"Ultimately, Russia's intervention is a game-changer in Syria (and the entire Middle East), the Institute for the Study of War says.

"It will alter the nature of international negotiations, compromise and weaken the cohesion and efforts of the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition and strengthen the Assad regime."

Meanwhile, the  Daily Mail.com is reporting:

• Putin has conscripted 150,000 new troops into the Russian Army
• Hundreds of Iranian troops have arrived in Syria over the last ten days, and the
• alliance is set to launch a ground offensive in Syria

Any student of Bible prophecy has to have Ezekiel 38 in mind right now because even though Israel is across the border, the players are the same.

A wise man once said: "The stage is being set for Ezekiel 37-38. However, I believe Isaiah 17:1-2 (the destruction of Damascus) could be on CNN next! Stay tuned everybody." -- Jack Hibbs, Senior Pastor Calvary Chapel Chino Hills

"Then He gave them this illustration: 'Notice the fig tree, or any other tree. When the leaves come out, you know without being told that summer is near. Just so, when you see the events I've described taking place, you can be sure that the Kingdom of God is near. I assure you, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these events have taken place."  Luke 21:29-32

News:

• Fox News Channel: Gen. Petraeus calls meltdown in Syria. "Geopolitical Chernobyl" that will be felt for generations.
• New York Post: 10-13 Killed, at least 7 Wounded in College Shooting. Oregon gunmen singled-out Christians during rampage.
• DEBKA file: Netanyahu sounds alarm over growing Iranian threat; accused Iran of an aggressive build-up of weapon and terrorism.
• Associated Press: U.S. warns Russia against striking non-ISIS groups in Syria; development would cause U.S. "grave concern," says Kerry.

"Pope Francis" 'Obamified'?"

According to a CNN piece by John Blake, the Right-wingers are at it again. (Those dang Right-wingers!)

What have they done this time? The 'Obamification' of Pope Francis!

"The same political slurs and conspiracy theories that critics have used against President Obama are now being deployed against Pope Francis. One critic even says the two leaders have morphed into a sinister figure he calls 'Popama', " Blake laments.

And that ain't all folks...

"Conservative concerns over Pope Francis appear to be growing. A Gallup poll this summer showed that Pope Francis' support among American conservatives fell from 72% last year to 45% in July."

Blake cites three ways the Pope is being 'Obamified':

• He's a stealth socialist (Why? Just because he hates capitalism?)
• He's the Antichrist (we haven't heard that one--but apparently if you Google the phrase "Is Pope Francis Antichrist" you'll get 440,000 hits. Yikes!)
• He's on an 'Apology Tour' ( ala Obana?)  

"Just like President Obama loved apologizing for America, Pope Francis likes to apologize for the Catholic Church," says Fox News.com editor Adam Shaw.

Shaw contends the Pope believes "the church is at its best when it is passive and not offending any one's sensibilities."

According to the CNN piece, "Some have even suggested that Pope Francis' allegiance to the Catholic Church is so shaky that he has an Islamic agenda--an accusation similar to one directed at Obama." (Now that one takes the baklava! So he invited an imam to the Vatican to recite Muslim prayers and Quran readings--how is that Islamic?)

So, is the Pope being 'Obamified'?

Didn't see any ring kisses--but he did get an unprecedented welcome from (his BFF?) the President.

The First Family travelled all the way to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington to greet the pontiff on the tarmac, a rare (read: NEVER!) occurrence, a day ahead of Wednesday's official welcome at the White House. 

Popemania--maybe. But Obamified? Seriously?

A wise man once said: "If Pope Francis embraces the Climate Change agenda (along with President Obama), he will be aligning himself with enemies of the Church and moral principles." -- Marc Morano, Senate Environment Committee

"After this, I heard the sound of a vast crowd in heaven shouting, "Hallelujah! Salvation is from our God. Glory and power belong to Him alone." (Revelation 19:1)

News:

• Washington Examiner: White House Compares Obama to Pope Francis; "the values that both men live out have common ground," says W.H. spokesman
• Bloomberg Business: Pope Visit opportunity for President to showcase Pope's support for issues like income inequality, immigration, and climate change.
• Time: Pope Francis Blurs Political Lines in White House Speech; takes hard stance on climate change, "It represents one of the principal challenges of our time," he said.

"Hadron Collider = Accidental Armageddon?"

The 'God Particle' (aka The Higgs boson particle) has physicist Stephen Hawking worried.

In a new collection of essays and lectures titled "Starmus", the world's most famous theoretical physicist is warning that the God Particle could one day be responsible for the destruction of the universe.

And "we wouldn't see it coming," Hawking warns.

Discovered by CERN scientists in 2012 at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the elusive 'God Particle' gives size and shape to everything that exists.

A particle accelerator like the 17-mile circular Hadron Collider at Cern, Switzerland make subatomic particles travel in opposite directions at greater and greater speeds until they reach the speed of light. Then they smash (collide) them together in an attempt to re-create the 'Big Bang'.

Hawking, a self-described atheist, fears the 'God Particle' could become unstable at very high energy levels and lead to a "catastrophic vacuum decay", and added that "the armageddon scenario could happen at any time."

The good news? Although "the danger is too great to be ignored", Hawking believes the likelihood of such a disaster is unlikely to happen in the near future.

Meanwhile, the Hadron Collider will surpass the speed of light on September 23.

"Stephen Hawking warns of CERN.LHC..."

And for a look at the really freaky side of the Cern Hadron Collider...guaranteed to blow your mind, check out this video: C E R N the Opening of the Abyss?

A wise man once said: "When confronted with the order and beauty of the universe and the strange coincidences of nature, it's very tempting to take a leap of faith from science into religion. I am sure physicists want to. I only wish they would admit it." -- Tony Rothman, physicist

"Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night." Revelation 8:12

News:

• Associated Press: Powerful 8.3 Quake Shakes Chile's Capital Followed By Several Strong Aftershocks; Tsunami Alert Issued
• CBC: Sierra snow pack at lowest level in 500 years and the number of CA wildfires hits 5,225 so far this season after 4 yrs. of drought
• Reuters: Last bid to kill Iran nuclear deal blocked by Senate. "It will go into effect without the American people having their say," said Republican Senator John Cornys. 

"One Second After"

In his best-selling novel, William R. Forstchen paints a vivid picture of life in America One Second After an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack.

A sequel, One Year After, is scheduled for release on September 15th.

For those not up to speed, an EMP attack is a burst of electromagnetic radiation produced by a high-altitude nuclear detonation.

The result? Everything electronic gets fried, including the power grid.

A few months back, Arutz Sheva Israelnationalnews.com ran an op-ed by Dr. Peter Vincent Pry, Executive Director of the Task Force on National Security, describing a nuclear crisis caused by Iran: 

"One nuclear warhead detonated at high-altitude over the United States would blackout the national electric grid and other life sustaining critical infrastructures for months or years by means of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

"A nationwide blackout lasting one year, according to the Congressional EMP Commission, could cause chaos and starvation that leaves 90 percent of Americans dead."

The bad news?

"Iranian military documents describe such a scenario--including a recently translated Iranian military textbook that endorses (a) nuclear EMP attack against the United States."

Meanwhile, the Iran "Nuke Deal" is being voted on in Congress, even though just yesterday Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was busy posting threats to both Israel and the U.S. on his official twitter account. (Maybe he forgot the vote was still pending).

Oh--and for a sneak peak-preview of what life off the grid may look like, check out Forstchen's novel One Second After...while we still have lights!

A wise man once said: "Iran armed with nuclear missiles poses an unprecedented threat to global civilization." -- Dr. Peter Vincent Pry

"Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for He guards the lives of His faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 97:10 (NIV)

News:

• Financial Times: World Bank chief economist warns Fed to delay rate hike fearing "panic and turmoil".
• Los Angeles Times: California Assembly approves right-to-die legislation; bill allows doctors to give patients suicide pills, making CA the 6th U.S. state to allow euthanasia.
• The Telegraph: China leading world towards global economic recession, warns Citibank. 

"Is the Church Full of Phonies?"

"Although large crowds followed Jesus wherever He went, Jesus knew that not all who followed Him were genuine disciples," says Sim Kay Tee, author of Can I Really Trust the Bible?

"Jesus taught often of the radical commitment needed if we want to follow Him," cautions Tee.

"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me," Jesus said in Luke 9:23.

"Deny yourself?Take up a cross?

Who wants to do that?"

John MacArthur, one of today's foremost Bible teachers, dares to teach the hard facts: "The world is filled with millions of people who think they are headed for heaven--but they are deadly wrong.

"Probably most people think heaven awaits them, but it doesn't. But what is especially sad is that many of those people sit in evangelical churches misinformed," says MacArthur.

Why? Because many churches "adjust the message" fearing the truth will make us uncomfortable.

"It's not my truth," contends MacArthur. "I don't have any saving truth, neither does anyone else but God."  Jesus said, "I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God" (John 3:3). "Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven" (John 3:6).

According to MacArthur (and the Bible): "The true gospel is a call to self-denial. It is not a call to self-fulfillment.

"Salvation is giving up your life and embracing His. It is taking in Christ by faith, acknowledging the reality of who He is and what He did."

In other words, we need to understand that Jesus Christ was God in human flesh. He led a perfect, sinless life so He could die an agonizing death to pay the price for our sin. He rose again on the third day in a resurrected body to eternal life. All who receive His substitutionary death and turn away from their sin will also rise to eternal life. Simple, but not easy. Free, but not cheap.

The Gospel message is offensive and exclusive. It offends those who believe they're okay the way they are and it excludes all the offended.

So, is the church full of phonies? A more accurate description is: The modern church is full of unconverted people who don't know the Scripture. And if they don't know the Scriptures, they don't know Christ. They've been taught a watered-down, feel-good, anything-goes gospel. The Bible says "be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).

And let's face it gang-it's impossible to "do" the word if we don't know the word.

Solution? Read the word of God and just do it!

A wise man once said: "As a Christian, you are called to live like Jesus--a life of courage, joy, passion, and purpose. The same Jesus who walked with such resolve and determination throughout His own earthly life has a distinct and daily purpose for yours. God does not call us to happiness, but to holiness." --John MacArthur

"Our lives are a fragrance presented by Christ to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those being saved and by those perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a fearful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume" (2 Corinthians 2:15-16).

How To Go To Heaven...

News:

• USA Today: County Clerk Jailed For Refusing to Issue Marriage Licenses to Same-sex Couples.
• The Jerusalem Post: Donald Trump: Nuclear deal calls for U.S. to defend Iran against Israeli attack; "...we have to fight with Iran against Israel."
• PJ Media: Iran Commander: "We're Getting Prepared to Overthrow Israel"; vows to block inspections.

"Is the Federal Reserve on a Kamikaze Mission?"

The wild stock market swings of recent days have left investors gasping and with good cause.

Does the age-old "Buy & Hold" mantra still apply?

Based on historical performance the answer is 'Yes'...however some see things differently:

Financial expert Bill Holter says the "ability to prevent a crash no longer exists."

"The system has gotten too big...there's too much debt. Too many sovereign governments have bumped up against debt saturation. In the U.S., we are over 100% debt to GDP."

Holter believes the credit bubble was "pricked" this week and no matter how things play out in the very short term, the September/October time-frame looks like a disaster.

"You can't fix debt with more debt--but that's what they keep trying to do," he said. "What we need is a complete reset."

Holter's advice? If we get a bounce in the market, use it to get out.

Chris Martenson, of Peak Prosperity, has these words of wisdom: "What goes up must come down--and that's especially true for the world's many poorly-constructed financial bubbles, built out of nothing more than gauzy narratives and inflated with "hopium"..August, it appears, is the new October."

"Markets are quite possibly in crash mode right now, although events are unfolding so quickly--currency spikes, equity sell-offs, emerging markets routs and dislocations and commodity declines--that it's hard to tell for sure. However, that's usually the case right before and during big market declines," say Martenson.

"Further, most of the gains in financial assets engineered by the central banks were false and destined to burst because the were based on bubble technology, not actual returns."

Jim Rickards, author of The Death of Money, explains why China was unable to keep their limited free market under control: "...markets have a mind of their own," he says. "But the 'Empire' will strike back, they have an enormous arsenal of tools they can use to try to fight the bubble."

Good to know somebody is trying to fight the bubble, because according to Rickards, the U.S. Federal Reserve is now out of ammo and on a "Kamikaze Mission."

So, should we 'buy & hold' or jump out & run? 

Your guess is as good as ours.

A wise(?) man once said: "This is a pre-crash, and we are not making it through September without the real thing." --Jim Sinclair, gold expert

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." Mark 8:36-38

News:

• The New York Times: Signs, Long Unheeded, Now Point to Risks in U.S. Economy; "Once you encourage an equity bubble, it will collapse--and then you're really in trouble," says financial strategist Albert Edwards of London. "This was utter madness."
• CNBC: The New York Stock Exchange invoked the little-used Rule 48 to pre-empt panic trading for three days in a row; move historic.
• The Washington Free Beacon: Iran Renews Support for Hamas and Other Anti-Israel Terrorists Groups. 

"The Significance of September"

There's a lot going down this September (and we're not talkin' blood moons or shemitah's).

It seems the internet is buzzing with chatter and speculation regarding the myriad of events slated for next month.

We want to zero in on only one: the 70th session of the UN General Assembly.

Why? Because it relates to a major Bible prophecy (sans all the hype and speculation).

On September 15th, France plans to introduce a resolution which will give formal UN Security Council recognition to a Palestinian state.

And no, this isn't the first time.

So what's new? In the past, the United States has always had Israel's back and blocked this from happening.

Now? Not so much. Barack Obama has hinted the U.S. may no longer be interested in playing the role of Israel's BFF.

Should it pass, this UN Resolution will invade Israel's sovereignty as a nation and establish a Palestinian state in the middle of Israel.

It would also divide Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and a Palestinian nation.

And most importantly, it would set the 1967 borders as the baseline for future negotiations.

Why does that matter? Because Israel becomes indefensible within the 1967 borders. It is simply too small.

In other words, the 1967 borders spells DEATH for the tiny nation of Israel.

And that ain't all folks!

A two-state solution = poking God in the eye. (see Zechariah 2:1-8).

God has made it abundantly clear throughout Scripture that whoever is foolish enough to attempt dividing His land for "peace" will not end well.

Don't believe it? We've got two words for you: Rabin & Sharon.

Both Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon (former Israeli Prime Ministers) found out the hard way not to ignore God's clear warnings about dividing the land of Israel.

Rabin took a bullet during the Oslo Accords and Sharon suffered a massive stroke (that eventually ended in death) after the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

If you haven't been praying for the current P.M. Benjamin Netanyahu--now might be a good time to start.

A wise woman once said: "The country exists as the fulfillment of a promise made by God Himself. It would be ridiculous to ask it to account for its legitimacy." -- Golda Meir, P.M. of Israel, 1969-1974.

 "And I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land" (Joel 3:2).

News:

• Associated Press: UN to Let Iran Inspect Own 'Nuke Weapons Site' According to New Disclosure in secret 'Sidedeal'.
• Fox News Channel: Russia Arming Iran; Deal to Buy Missile System Going Through Despite Ban.
• Fox Business Network: Stocks Hard Hit on Economic Fears; DOW Plunges 357 Points