Church of God News

World Currencies

COGwriter

This morning PCG reported:

The current global recession is likely to be unusually severe and long-lasting due to the fact that it sprang from a financial crisis, the International Monetary Fund (imf) said last Thursday.

According to advance chapters of the imf’s “World Economic Outlook,” to be released in full on Wednesday, since all sectors of an economy rely on the financial sector, recessions tied to a financial crisis—like the current one that has its roots in reckless lending for the U.S. housing market—are more difficult to shake than recessions limited to any other area of the economy.

In its most recent forecast, the imf predicted that the global economy will shrink by up to a full 1 percent this year. A contraction of this magnitude would be the largest since the Great Depression.

Matters are made even worse by the fact that this recession is not specific to America. While the United States may be the epicenter of the crisis, economic downturns are striking all of the world’s major financial centers. The imf warns that synchronized world recessions are “historically rare” events that last 1½ times as long as typical downturns.

“The human consequences could be absolutely devastating. This is a truly global crisis, and nobody is escaping,” warned imf managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

This crisis is starting to look shockingly similar to the Great Depression.

Now this is not new nor a perspective unique to PCG or the IMF.  LCG’s Wyatt reported this on March 29, 2009:

Now, notice what Dr. Roderick Meredith wrote in the July-September, 1999 Tomorrow’s World magazine, well before the 9/11 terrorist attacks and well before our current global economic meltdown!

“Things seem to be going along normally for most people. Although they hear about far-off bombings, earthquakes or storms, their daily lives remain largely unaffected. They are not shaken or terribly concerned about world events. The economy is humming along in good shape, so why worry about world affairs?

“All that is soon going to CHANGE!

“For in the lives of millions in formerly placid areas of America, Canada and Britain, things will never be the same. I tell you on the authority of the Living GOD that the lives of American and British-descended peoples around the world will experience a massive upheaval such as most have never dreamed!” (“A Turning Point in World Affairs”).

As Jesus Christ warned, and as God’s faithful servants continue to warn, our world faces near-annihilation, and only Christ’s return will save us from complete destruction during the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-31).  Our nations continue to reject God, so we continue to careen toward destruction.  And, while we know that Christ will return as a very real King to establish His wonderful and peaceful Kingdom (I Thessalonians 4:16, Revelation 11:15), it seems that before then, we are careening toward economic destruction…and much worse.

Government stimulus programs may yield momentary relief, but our economy and our very society is in mortal peril!  Notice what former Secretary of the Treasury Paul O’Neill bluntly stated:

“Here’s the fundamental problem: How much money can a society borrow before it begins to have negative effects on our ability to borrow any more?… When you get to the point that people won’t loan you any more money as a government, you’ve got a horrendous problem…This financial crisis in retrospect will look like a child’s game compared to what we’re headed into when we have to begin raising enormous amounts of money through floating debt, or reneging on the obligations we made to people” (Frontline, “Ten Trillion and Counting”, March 24, 2009).

Our government and our economic system have been permanently altered.  American capitalism is failing, and our economy is failing.  Understand Hosea 7:9–13.  We have become old and weak and strangers are devouring our strength.  We call to other nations for help instead of turning to God.  God warns that our destruction is not far distant.

The U.S., Britain and our historic allies are heading toward times much worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s.  A weakened “modern Jacob” will eventually be overwhelmed by a European superpower composed of a core group of 10 nations, which is now coalescing (Daniel 2:40, Jeremiah 30:7&8, Matthew 24:21).

Only Christ’s return and the establishment of His kingdom on this earth will save our people and the entire world from complete destruction.  Read Armageddon and Beyond and watch our recent telecast, Five Keys to Understanding Prophecy.  Learn what is coming and what you can do now to reconcile with your Creator.

But I would like to add that one difference between this financial crisis and the Great Depression is that the USA was not in so much debt nor was there anything resembling the European Union in the world.

Thus, the outcome of this financial crisis will be quite different (especially as far as Americans and Europeans are concerned at first) than that of the Great Depression.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. Here are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing.
Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy? There is actually a 17th century Shiite prophecy that some believe that Barack Obama will fulfill that will lead to a rising up of Islam.
Barack Obama Carries Hindu Monkey God Although there are some strange and false stories about Barack Obama, this one seems to be true.

Dmitry Medvedev

COGwriter

Russia is having concerns about NATO in Georgia.  LCG reported the following in its latest weekly update:

Another “Rumor” of War. Two former Soviet satellite nations are breathing threats of rebellion. Georgia is working to throw out its president, while Moldova has a powerful “western” movement underway, possibly spurred on by Romania. Russia is now under pressure to act “in its own backyard” or risk NATO taking a stronger role and thus showing up Russia as weak (Stratfor, April 10, 2009). Jesus noted that “wars and rumors of wars” and ethnic group against ethnic group would be two of the signs of the end of the age (Mark 13:7, 8). As time passes and prophecy marches on, these are two more events in a world-wide chain of events that must come to pass. In addition, developments in Georgia and Moldova could either destabilize or galvanize the Russian powerbase. Prophecy indicates that at the end of the age, a monumental army from the north and east will close in on Jerusalem, and devastate the Beast power (Daniel 11:44, 45). This army could be a conglomeration of Asian and Russian forces. For this to happen, Russia will need to remain strong. Time will tell exactly how Russia fares through this period of instability.

Another source had the following:

Russian president slams NATO exercises in Georgia

Friday, April 17, 2009
By JIM HEINTZ, Associated Press Write

MOSCOW —  Russia’s president on Friday denounced NATO’s plan to hold military exercises in Georgia, calling it a dangerous move that could threaten efforts to improve relations between Moscow and the Western alliance.

NATO has said Russia is welcome to join the exercises beginning May 6 and involving 19 other countries.

But Russia is vehemently opposed to their being held in Georgia, claiming the former Soviet republic is preparing for aggression against two separatist territories it lost in a war with Russia in August. Russian troops are now stationed the territories, which Moscow has recognized as independent.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev accused NATO of “muscle-flexing” by planning the exercises in the small Black Sea country on Russia’s southern border, and suggested they could bring a new chill in relations with the alliance and possible retaliation.

“I think this is a wrong decision, a dangerous decision,” Medvedev told reporters at his residence in Barvikha, near Moscow.

“We will, in the most thorough manner, follow what happens there and take one decision or another,” he said, without elaborating.

Russia also vehemently objects to Georgia’s aim of joining NATO _ an objection that has intensified since the August war.

NATO broke contacts with Russia in the wake of the war, but efforts to resume ties have progressed in recent months ahead of a planned April 29 meeting of the NATO-Russia Council. http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Apr17/0,4670,EURussiaNATOGeorgia,00.html

There will be a lot of posturing from all sides until this, and several related matters, are resolved.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

COGwriter

CNN reported the following:

updated 5:37 a.m. EDT, Sat April 18, 2009

Iranian leader: No one dares threaten us

From Shirzad Bozorgmehr

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — The Iranian president on Saturday hailed the nation as “one of the strongest in the region” during a celebration to mark Army Day, according to the semi-official Mehr News Agency.

“Today our nation is one of the strongest in the region and a great part of the world,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said, according to Mehr. “And no country dares to threaten it.”

Ahmadinejad delivered the speech during a ceremony at the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, Mehr said. Khomeini led the 1979 revolution that toppled the shah of Iran and helped usher in an Islamic state. He died in 1989.

Army Day pays tribute to the nation’s military and showcases its resources.

“Our army uses the most advanced equipment, which safeguards national security and because of its inherent power plays a great part as a deterrent force,” Ahmadinejad said. http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/04/18/iran.ahmadinejad/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

The above is apparently an attempt by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to dismiss the reports that Israel may attack it (see Israel to Attack Iran?).

But the truth is that Iran could well be attacked by Israel.

Denial of a threat, does not change a threat.

I suspect that Israel is NOT holding back an attack now because it fears Iran’s military strength as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suggests, but because it wants to minimize the damage such an attack could cause it with the USA.

Since Iran will NOT be the King of the South, it is certainly possible that Israel may reduce Iran’s influence.  And that will then make the Arab Muslims relatively more influential.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?  What will happen to the nation of Israel?

COGwriter

The recent G20 conference saw the EU getting what it wanted, while what the USA basically got was a cordial reception for President Obama.  LCG reported the following at church services yesterday:

The EU’s Role in the Recent G20 Global Economic Summit. According to the London Telegraph, “The European Commission and its president [Barroso] played a crucial but behind-the-scenes role in G20 agreement.” “…Mr. Barroso and his team have had a quiet but immensely influential role in the whole process. Many of the words adopted by the G20 were drafted in his office. Much of the thinking on the future of financial regulation came out of a European Commission report on the subject. ‘If you look at the conclusions of [the Commission’s] spring council one week ago and the conclusions of the G20, you will find they are [almost the same]… word for word,’ he said.” Mr. Barroso’s office has now been commissioned to draft many new documents ordered by the Economic Summit, including the new global financial architecture (Telegraph, April 3, 2009). The European Commission’s role in the recent G20 meeting is sobering, especially given the role that the coming European Beast power is prophesied to play in the future (Revelation 17:12-13; 18:3, 9-15; Daniel 9:27). The EU is now having an increasingly powerful impact on the entire world. The outcomes of the recent G20 meeting make this all the more clear.

The future “beast power” is forming in Europe.

In relatively little time, there will be a “new world order”, which will be an economic order where the USA and its Anglo-allies will no longer be on top.

Oddly, it is something that the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stated began a couple of weeks ago when he stated, “A new world financial order has been born…” (see G20 Praises “New World Order”).

The USA and UK will ultimately regret this.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”. Might Bible prophecy be fulfilled since he is to be the USA president?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  This article contains many of the reasons that Barack Obama is apocalyptic.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Barack Obama is Not the Antichrist Some have suggested that he may be, but he cannot be.  Find out why.
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 This article explains how the LCG views this, and compares this to Ellen White.  Neither John McCain nor Barack Obama are 666.
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans (the Hindus may have some predictions for the next decade as well). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.

Palace of Westminster in London

COGwriter

Those in the UK are much less likely to attend church services than their ancestors were.  And according to the USA’s president, it is not a Christian nation.

Here are two news items that report that:

Importance Of Church Slips Rapidly Among British

National Public Radio (NPR) – April 15, 2009

Great Britain has changed substantially since the time of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, which described life in late 14th century England…

Rob Gifford…

Once upon a time, England was very Christian. One can tell just from the number of church men and women whose tales grace the pages of The Canterbury Tales.

The parson, the pardoner, the nun’s priest — the list goes on. But the church was just starting to change at the time, as the early stirrings of the Reformation were just beginning. Fast forward several centuries beyond that Reformation, and there has been plenty of change in the church in Britain in recent decades, too.

Church attendance is slipping rapidly as Britain has become one of the most secular countries in Europe. The English church has always seemed to swing between the two extremes: from the piousness of Puritanism to the dissolute courts of the Restoration; from the high tide of Victorian evangelicalism to the deep and broad secularism of the 20th century and beyond. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102922503

Not a Christian nation, Mr. President?

San Francisco Examiner – April 17, 2009

Editorial

President Obama told a news conference in Turkey last week that America “is not a Christian nation,” thus demonstrating that it is indeed possible for a Harvard Law graduate to be correct strictly as a matter of law and otherwise completely out to lunch on the facts of history.

Here’s how our chief executive put it:

“Although…we have a large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation, or a Muslim nation.  We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”

Technically, Obama was right. America’s government provides no official support for any particular faith, Christian or otherwise. But he would have been more historically accurate to say America was created by a mostly Christian people based on principles closely reflecting their faith, including the right of individual conscience.

Or, to put it in Obama’s terms, America was and remains a nation of citizens bound by ideals and a set of values that make little sense apart from their explicitly Christian history, experience and convictions.

Skeptical? Check out the preambles to the 50 state constitutions, each of which refers to God. http://www.sfexaminer.com/opinion/columns/mark_tapscott/Not-a-Christian-nation-Mr-President-43075137.html

The fact is that both the UK and the USA held much more closely to Judaeo-Christian values 50 years ago than they do today.  While some cultural change (like on subjects of race, for example) have been positive, those on moral issues (abortion and acceptance of various sexual sins come to immediate mind), have been negative.

Unless the UK and the USA (and the other Anglo-descended nations like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) repent soon, they will face sudden destruction and no longer be independent nations at all.  This is the time to move towards God, not away from Him.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the Living Church of God?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing.
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? This is the longest and most detailed of the articles here at COGwriter related to prophecy and Barack Obama.

Site of Calvary?

COGwriter

The Eastern Orthodox have a somewhat different religious calendar than other groups.  This Sunday will be their biggest one of the year:

The Eastern Orthodox Celebrate the Resurrection of Christ

The Phoenix, PA – April 17, 2009

Many Christians in the West have no idea that the Eastern Orthodox Church exists…

This year Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 19…

Not Easter, but Pascha

Chances are you will not actually hear the word “Easter” in Orthodox churches. The Orthodox will almost always use the word Pascha for the feast of the resurrection of Christ, as we have since about the time of the Lord’s ascension. “Pascha” is the Greek transliteration of Pesach, which is the Hebrew word for Passover. From apostolic times the Orthodox celebration of the resurrection has been framed within the story of the Passover in Exodus.

This is big. Really, really big

There are 12 major feasts celebrating Christ in the Orthodox year — and Pascha is not among them! Pascha is too big. Pascha is the Feast of Feasts! It gives meaning to everything else we do and believe. So like the woman in the Gospel pouring costly oil on the Lord’s feet, we spare nothing in our love and response to Christ’s resurrection.

We…read aloud the Gospel in many languages, our hearts radiant in the presence of the risen Lord.

Then there is the fellowship meal after the paschal services, which often continues into dawn — tables laden with food and drink, red-dyed eggs and decorated bread, and everyone in bright (or white) festive clothing. No other feast of the Church comes anywhere close to the extravagant, colorful and loud celebration of Pascha.

Pascha, a New Passover

The original Passover is the prophecy for the true Passover, which Christ would accomplish through His death and resurrection on the third day. This is why Christ died during the Passover, and why He celebrated the Passover supper with His disciples. Christ was saying, basically, that this event is only a prophecy, a model of the event that I am now bringing to reality before you. http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/articles/2009/04/17/life/srv0000005118804.txt

While the Orthodox are correct that Passover was not last Sunday.  They seem to have forgotten that they originally kept Passover on the 14th.

They also seemed to forget that colored eggs are not part of Jesus’ original Passover.

If the Orthodox would truly go back to the original practices of the Bible, they could be the church that they want to tell others that they are.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Did Early Christians Celebrate Easter? If not, when did this happen? What do scholars and the Bible reveal?
Passover and the Early Church Did the early Christians observe Passover? What did Jesus and Paul teach? Why did Jesus die for our sins?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Orthodox Church and the Living Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?

VS.

COGwriter

On year ago, on April 17, 2008, CGPFK’s Ronald Weinland declared that the Great Tribulation began, ushering in the last 3 1/2 years until Jesus returned.  He also claimed that he began his 1260 days as one of the two witnesses.

Additionally, on that day, he declared his wife Laura to be the other witness:

It is still the 17th in the U.S. in a couple of time zones…now is the time to publicly reveal the name of the second end-time witness. It is my wife Laura. We are a family through whom God will be working to bring an end to this age and setting the stage (and much more) for the age to follow. Many will mock and ridicule, but as we go forward, this time God will place fear in those who mock Him and His servants. Power has been given to make this so. (Ronald Weinland’s letter of April 17, 2008, posted on April 18, 2008).

He, announcing it two days later, declared that some great power was given to Pope Benedict on that day:

And the 17th marked the identifying and the beginning of Satan’s direct power and influence of a great false prophet, the Pope of the Roman Catholic church. (Ronald Weinland’s pre-recorded 4/19/08 church service titled sermon It Has Begun–the 1260 Days Have Begun)

But nothing really happened as far as I could see.

Ron Weinland declared that God gave him (Weinland) power and authority on the 17th.  And that Ronald Weinland’s first demonstration of this would be to pronounce curses against his critics:

For those of you who want to mock, I do forewarn you, you are going to cease or you will die…You see, I have a unique job and you don’t understand what that job is…You don’t understand…

You don’t understand the power of God and what He has given me to do…

And my first exercise in use of power, that God has granted me in Revelation 11, is to you, you mockers…Truly.

It begins with you, first and foremost.

You will be the first to experience…You don’t have to wait long…

For those who mock, again, from this day forward, by what you say against God’s people, by what you say against God’s truth, by what you say against God’s truths, by what you say against God’s prophets, you will suffer from sickness that will eat you from the inside out. And you will die.

(Ronald Weinland’s pre-recorded 4/19/08 church service titled sermon It Has Begun–the 1260 Days Have Begun)

To the best of my knowledge, none of his critics met the fate that Ronald Weinland pronounced.

This, however, did not deter some of his followers.  Actually, one emailed me and accused me of hiding the fact that I was struck down.  But, of course, as I was not, there was nothing to hide.

To the contrary, not only am I in fine health, the popularity of the COGwriter website doubled since early 2008.

On April 10, 2008 Ronald Weinland (RW) declared the following in an interview with James Whale (JW) on talkSPORT:

JW: Starting next Thursday…next Thursday, we will see something in the news?

RW: Yes…and it’s going to be quite strong…

The talkSPORT interview continued and JW then asked something about the Pope to which Ron Weinland replied:

RW: Starting April 17th, he will not be happy…Everything I’m going to say is going to be about the Pope and the Catholic Church and what they have done to this world and traditional Christianity…

JW: Let’s suppose that none of this…nothing has happened…

RW: If things do not by mid-June very clearly so, I will make it clear that I was a false prophet and I will never preach again…

JW…Antichrist…

RW…people confuse Antichrist…the great false prophet…that has to do with the Catholic Church…He is going to be saying…He is going to be given special powers beginning April 17th when he is in Washington. D.C.

Nothing odd happened with the Pope and June 2008 is past, yet instead of keeping his word, Ronald Weinland continued to preach his false messages.

Notice what he declared in his May 3, 2008 sermon:

Today’s sermon is simply entitled, “April 17th”. April 17th. It’s good we go back and revisit some of that and think about some of those things.

Brethren, whether we understand it or not, that will prove to be a most important day in history. It truly is…

Since Ronald Weinland declared that it was good to revisit April 17, 2008, that is what I am doing now.  However, there were no special news events that I was able to find that happened to make April 17, 2008  “a most important day in history”–it truly was not.

Thus, revisiting that day is GOOD as it shows that Ronald Weinland was in clear error.  But his errors have continued past that date.

As late as June 19, 2008 Ron Weinland kept to his story that April 17, 2008 began the final 3 1/2 years as he posted:

…the First Trumpet was blown (April 17)…So what has happened since April 17? We do clearly see an intensity in the thunders, but only in the thunders. Earthquakes are increasing in magnitude and frequency on a global scale.

The destructiveness from weather is growing far more intense with record numbers of tornadoes. Drought conditions are worsening in some areas of the country, yet others are being flooded. Again, the repetitive nature and frequency of these events is what is important to see. Such events have always been part of the human experience, but the escalation in frequency and heightened magnitude of these events occurring so often is what this thunder is all about.

As far as global economic upheaval, every day there are more reports of serious economic problems in banking, brokerages, large corporations, commodities, transportation, etc. We are now getting very close to a total economic collapse.

Such bad news is becoming so common now that people don’t even seem to take notice…

The bottom line is that I know I am a prophet of God and God’s minister under Jesus Christ, who is the head of the Church of God, the Body of Christ.

The bottom line is that he is a false prophet.

Of course, Ron Weinland later changed his dates.

After proving to be false and after the USA did not have the nuclear attacks he warned would occur in early-mid 2008, he decided on a different set of dates.  Here is what CGPFK’s website currently teaches:

Timeline Questions Answered

God has revealed that there is a separation between the opening of the Seventh Seal and the start of the Great Tribulation. God reveals the truth progressively and will continue to do so through His end-time prophets: “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

1335 Days: The sealing of the 144,000 that will make up the Government of God at Christ’s return in 2012 will take place on the September 30th, 2008, and 45 days later we arrived at 1290 days.

1290 Days: The Seventh Seal is opened on the 14th of November, 2008, which signifies an end to the abomination of desolation that has been working in God’s Church. This marks the beginning of an awakening for spiritual Israel – the final remnant of the Church of God that was scattered (those baptized before December 1994 – approximately 3000), and will continue right up until the return of Jesus Christ. 30 days later we arrived at 1260 days.

1260 Days: The blowing of the first Trumpet will occur/occurred on the 14th of December, 2008. This is the beginning of the Great Tribulation and 3 1/2 years until the return of Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost. The beginning of the fall of the USA and other Israelite countries begins from the start of the 1260 days. God will reveal this period of time for the first Four Trumpets of 6 to 12 months. God will reveal this information to His two end-time prophets (and two end-time witnesses) whose job begins on this same date.

The only way a person can understand this timeline is by revelation given by God.

Actually, the only way to accept what CGPFK’s website is teaching is to ignore what the Bible says is supposed to happen on each of those dates.  The 1335, 1290, and 1260 days simply have not began.  Those who believe Ronald Weinland, in my opinion, must be delusional.

Amazingly, although he is still claiming that the Great Tribulation began, since prophecies from the Bible are not being fulfilled, apparently Ronald Weinland wants to use a different term:

We’re not calling it the great tribulation, it is the great tribulation, but it is not great, yet…We do set dates (Weinland R. Our Commission, Pt. 3. Sermon, February 21, 2009).

Despite all of that, CGPFK’s websites remain highly popular and Ronald Weinland still has followers.

Those interesting in learning more about the subjects in today’s post may wish to read the following articles:

Concerns About Ronald Weinland’s Church of God-Preparing for the Kingdom of God Ronald Weinland falsely claims to be one of the two witnesses God is raising up and that the end will come in 2008 (first April 17th, then June 2008, now December 14, 2008). Why is he a false prophet? He also has at least one other view that suggests that he is not part of the Church of God.
Who Are The Two Witnesses? What is their job? What does the Bible reveal? What has the Church of God taught on this subject? Might even Roman Catholic prophecies give some clues here?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something?There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans. Do Mayan/Hindu/Hopi/Buddhist/New Age/Nostradaumus prophecies have any value here? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?

Jerusalem

COGwriter

UPI indicates that Israel will attack Iran this year:

Iran Protests and Prepares for Israeli Threats

It is possible that Israel will attack Iran, but at this time the USA seems opposed.  But Israel could do it anyway.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?  What will happen to the nation of Israel?

Muammar al-Gaddafi

COGwriter

There are two news items related to Africa that I would like to show here today.   Here is the first:

Gaddafi outlines African vision

BBC – April 15, 2009

Libyan leader and current African Union chairman Muammar Gaddafi has spelled out his plans to create a United States of Africa.

At an AU Executive Council session in Tripoli, he called on the continent to speed up the integration process.

His vision of a pan-African government was at the heart of disputes at February’s AU summit in Ethiopia.

He said an African Union Authority would replace all other organs and be run by three co-ordinators.

The BBC’s Rana Jawad in Tripoli says the establishment of an AU Authority is meant to be the starting point for the envisioned United States of Africa.

More than 60 AU ministers and delegates gathered for a one-day meeting in the Libyan capital to hear Col Gaddafi outline in detail for the first time how his plan would work.

He proposed:

• The current AU Executive Council appoint a head secretary to be in charge of the continent’s foreign affairs
• The AU’s economic development programme, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad), would oversee foreign trade
• The head of the AU’s Peace and Security Council would run the continent’s defence matters

Col Gaddafi envisages a single African military force, a single currency and a single passport for Africans to move freely around the continent.

Some officials, particularly from countries more favourable towards Libya have expressed a positive outlook towards the plan, while admitting it will take some time to implement.

But many will privately express deep concern over issues like state sovereignty, says our correspondent.

And others feel the divisions across the continent over the matter are simply too deep to overcome at this time, she adds. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8000761.stm

While it is likely that any African unity organization will be quite fragile, it is possible that it will help set the stage for the emergence of the one that the Bible refers to as the Future King of the South.

The second item I wanted to report on has to do with problems in South Africa:

Land grab spreads to South Africa as mob seizes farm

The Times – April 16, 2009

When my wife and I visited South Africa (over two decades ago), a woman at church who moved there from Rhodesia (now called Zimbabwe) told us that what happened in Rhodesia would likely happen in South Africa.  Sadly, she appears to have been accurate.  It has long been my belief that God has allowed the formerly Anglo-dominated African nations to be the first to experience what happens when Anglos are considered to be an unnecessary people.   This will worsen when the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand enter the “time of Jacob’s trouble (Jeremiah 30:7) also known as the Great Tribulation.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2009, 2010, or 2011? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What is the beginning of sorrows? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. Here are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies.

The USA Debt Clock as of Apri 19, 2008
The Debt now exceeds 11,000,000,000,000

COGwriter

Today is the deadline for all American citizens to file income tax (US income taxes are stranger than in most other nations).  No matter how much Americans may feel that they overpay in taxes, the truth is that their government more greatly overspends.

Anyway, the following seemed of interest:

The Time Bomb in Your Wallet

Money and Markets – April 15, 2009

Happy Tax Day! As you fork over money to the IRS, you might want to take a closer look at the U.S. dollar. It could very well be turning into a ticking time bomb inside your wallet.

To be sure, the dollar’s strength has surprised a lot of people, including me. And it’s tough to bet against the greenback when other currencies are looking even worse. Now, however, the dollar may be coming up against some simple but brutal math — foreign central banks may not be able to finance much of the 2009 U.S. fiscal deficit.

The U.S. needs to borrow $3.25 trillion this fiscal year, according to Goldman Sachs. President Obama is asking Congress to approve a whopping $3.55 trillion budget for 2010, and that may not be enough — the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the deficit at $1.38 trillion, higher than the White House’s $1.17 trillion projection.

So, if foreign central banks stop or even slow down their purchases of U.S. Treasuries, the mighty greenback could be in for a humbling plunge.

And here’s where the worrying starts:

• China is the top holder of U.S. Treasury bonds with approximately $739.6 billion as of January.
• The Chinese government actually sold bonds heavily in January and February before resuming purchases in March, according to data released over the weekend by China’s central bank.

The Federal Reserve is clearly worried about the ability of foreign central banks to keep buying America’s debt. So now, the Fed is buying U.S. Treasury securities and completed its eighth purchase on Monday. As far as I’m concerned, a government buying its own bonds is like a snake eating its own tail.

Three Reasons These Dollar Worries Continue to Mount …

#1) Global demand for dollars is slowing.

Brad Setzer at the Council on Foreign Relations analyzed the Fed’s custodial data. He says central banks are still buying Treasuries but at a slower pace than in late 2008. And the demand isn’t keeping up with issuance. What’s more, the dollar’s share of reserves for reporting emerging economies, which does not include China, fell from 61.3 percent to 59.7 percent last year.

The year-over-year change is quite striking, as you can see on this graph …

[chart at http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/the-time-bomb-in-your-wallet-33161 ]

In the fourth quarter, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) found that the dollar holdings of countries that report data to the IMF fell by $110 billion. These emerging economies had to sell dollar reserves as investors fled their markets. The reserves of the countries that don’t report data to the IMF fell by $55 billion, and they likely reduced their dollar holdings proportionately.

This could mean hard times ahead for the U.S., because along with the ordinary budget deficit, we are issuing a LOT more debt to pay for various stimulus packages and to bail out the banks. And over time, central bank demand for Treasuries tends to track reserve growth.

#2) The world wants a new reserve currency.

The U.S. dollar is the reserve currency for the world. In fact, roughly 65 percent of the world’s foreign exchange reserves were in U.S. dollars at the end of 2008. China and Russia have expressed a desire for a new global reserve currency based on a mix of currencies and gold, and in the form of IMF special drawing rights (SDRs). Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of China’s central bank, is calling the new currency a “super-sovereign reserve currency.”

Such a process would take years. But even the first steps down the road toward that goal would start to cut away at support for the dollar.

#3) The money supply is exploding.

The “broadest” measure of the quantity of money sloshing around the economy measured by the Fed is known as M2. This is all the currency in circulation, plus deposits the banks have on account at the Fed, money market funds and CDs, etc. In other words, it’s the measure of money that will rise along with inflation.

And the M2 is exploding …

[chart at http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/the-time-bomb-in-your-wallet-33161 ]

So what’s driving the U.S. dollar higher now? Basically, short positions against the U.S. dollar continue to unwind. And while the dollar isn’t winning any beauty contests, the sad-sack economies of Europe make the euro the dollar’s “uglier sister.”

When those short positions are unwound, unless there is a coordinated devaluation in key currencies, and unless the U.S. economy starts to show real improvement, the U.S. dollar index will probably test support and fail.

http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/the-time-bomb-in-your-wallet-33161

I will add a fourth: Bible prophecy.

The reality is that the USA is accumulating debt and the Bible prophesies the destruction of the great debtor:

For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry…
6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him, And a taunting riddle against him, and say, ‘Woe to him who increases
What is not his–how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you (Habakkuk 2:3,6-8).

While this will take some time, the Bible shows that it will happen.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? When does the six thousand years of human rule end?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. Here are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? This is the longest and most complete article on this page on Barack Obama prophecies.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States Some claim that Barack Obama is the prophesied “son of Kenya”, based up an early 20th century writing.
Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy? There is actually a 17th century Shiite prophecy that some believe that Barack Obama will fulfill that will lead to a rising up of Islam.
Barack Obama Carries Hindu Monkey God Although there are some strange and false stories about Barack Obama, this one seems to be true.