Church of God News

Laodicea is Composed of Many Ineffective Structures

COGwriter

Ambassador Watch posted the following comments from UCG’s Paul Kieffer:

Paul Kieffer (Bonn, Germany)

This message may be shared.

I appreciated the positive comments made re: the Living Church of God’s media efforts. My father-in-law John Burquist is an elder in LCG. On several occasions my wife Monica and I have attended LCG services as guests, accompanying Mr. Burquist. Other than one time when brief mention was made in the sermon on LCG’s understanding of New Testament governance, everything I heard was pretty much identical to what UCG teaches. The atmosphere at services was — well, like at UCG services. 🙂

“Chicago Bill” Bradford mentioned the potential synergy effect between our two organizations…

Personally I prefer the proactive approach, rather than inertia. I take comments seriously relayed to me from a fellow elder about what some young people say who fellowship across organizational boundaries. “Wait till the older generation dies off, then we’ll get this impasse resolved,” is what some of those young people think.

The recently revised guidelines for accepting an invitation to speak outside UCG have no effect on the policy re: required approval for non-UCG speakers being invited to speak at UCG.

I don’t know how it could be worded, but I think a revision of that policy to exempt or to “soften” the required highest level approval for an LCG elder to speak at UCG would be a very positive signal toward LCG (without UCG expecting any reciprocal action being taken by LCG in return).

Is UCG “big” enough to take this first small step for CoG mankind? 🙂

I think we are.

An animal horn trumpet.

COGwriter

The following item was in the news when I was in Rome:

Evangelical Christians measure the likelihood of end times with the Rapture Index

National Post, Ontario Canada – June 1, 2009

by Sara Efron, Senior Editor of Financial Post Magazine

According to The Rapture Index, a biblical prophecy ranking system created by Todd Strandberg, Jesus will descend to take Christian believers to heaven very soon. The ranking on The Rapture Index is currently 166 – hitting the index’s highest category, which Strandberg dubs with a warning: “Fasten your seat belts.”

The index gives insight into the common belief among evangelical Christians that soon there will be a “rapture,” or a lifting up of Christian believers towards Jesus and heaven. Strandberg believes that the rapture will occur before the tribulation, an era of judgment by God that will begin with the Antichrist signing a seven-year covenant guaranteeing Israel’s peace and security. Wrath will be poured onto nonbelievers, according to Strandberg, as Christ defeats God’s enemies and sets up his kingdom on earth…

The Rapture Index purports to interpret recent events and rank them on a scale of one to five on the basis of how they fulfill prophecies. For example, the price of oil rising earns two points and high unemployment get five points. “Financial pressure is a driving force in prophecy,” explains Strandberg in an interview with the Holy Post. “History tells that most movements toward war, dictatorship and lawlessness are aided by unfavourable financial conditions.”

The category “Beast Government,” which tracks the activity of the EU, gets three points because “Europe has failed to show leadership on several global issues.” Strandberg believes the EU is the revival of the Roman Empire mentioned in Revelations, and that the government will be ruled by the Antichrist.

The “Plagues” category scores a five, due to the swine flu outbreak. “Jesus warned that plagues would be a sign of the end times,” Strandberg says.

Certainly there are many skeptics to Strandberg’s claim to measure end times activity, and they don’t just come from people who aren’t believers in rapture. “The REAL Rapture Index,” (on the site egalitarian.biz) follows similar criteria to Strandberg’s index, but only gives a current rating of 70, meaning that rapture warning signs are very low. The site calls Strandberg’s index “paranoid” and claims to be more objective. http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/holy-post/archive/2009/06/01/sarah-efron-evangelical-christians-measure-the-likelihood-of-end-times-with-the-rapture-index.aspx

While end-time prophetic events are lining up, the Bible simply does not teach a pretribulation rapture.

While it would seem to be great if it were God’s will to take all Christians off the face of the earth just prior to the start of the Great Tribulation, the Bible simply does not teach that is so.

Many who expect a pretribulation rapture will be “caught unawares” (Luke 21:34, KJV) and should study their Bibles and learn NOW that there is no pretribulation rapture of the saints taught in scripture.

Two articles that may greatly assist in this process would include the following:

Is There A Secret Rapture for the Church? When and Where is the Church Protected? What does the Bible really teach? Who really is left behind?
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.

VS.

COGwriter

Ronald Weinland is a self-appointed “prophet” who claims that he and his wife are the two witnesses and that the final 1260 days starting with the Great Tribulation began on December 14, 2008 (he had originally claimed April 17, 2008)–which is over 6 months ago.  He also wrote a book titled 2008: God’s Final Witness.

At the Ronald Weinland: The Prophet that Failed website, “Dill Weed” reported that Ronald Weinland made the following claim in his latest sermon this past weekend:

“Most things concerning the Two Witnesses won’t begin to happen until after the 5th Trumpet. The primary things, in the sense of proof, won’t begin to happen until after the 5th Trumpet.”

Of course, the Bible in no way states that there will be a six or more month delay.

Notice that God claims to give POWER to His two witnesses for that 1260 days:

4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.  (Revelation 11:4-6)

But of course, neither of the Weinlands have that type of power.  Those who have been swayed by the Weinlands need to compare their teachings with the Bible as the Weinlands are often shown to be lacking.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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.
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?
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?

Wheat

COGwriter

There is now a fungus that has potential to greatly affect wheat production (which is already down in many areas):

A ‘time bomb’ for world wheat crop

The Ug99 fungus, called stem rust, could wipe out more than 80% of the world’s wheat as it spreads from Africa, scientists fear. The race is on to breed resistant plants before it reaches the U.S…

Los Angeles Times – June 14, 2009

By Karen Kaplan

The spores arrived from Kenya on dried, infected leaves ensconced in layers of envelopes.Working inside a bio-secure greenhouse outfitted with motion detectors and surveillance cameras, government scientists at the Cereal Disease Laboratory in St. Paul, Minn., suspended the fungal spores in a light mineral oil and sprayed them onto thousands of healthy wheat plants. After two weeks, the stalks were covered with deadly reddish blisters characteristic of the scourge known as Ug99.

Nearly all the plants were goners.Crop scientists fear the Ug99 fungus could wipe out more than 80% of worldwide wheat crops as it spreads from eastern Africa. It has already jumped the Red Sea and traveled as far as Iran. Experts say it is poised to enter the breadbasket of northern India and Pakistan, and the wind will inevitably carry it to Russia, China and even North America — if it doesn’t hitch a ride with people first.”It’s a time bomb,” said Jim Peterson, a professor of wheat breeding and genetics at Oregon State University in Corvallis. “It moves in the air, it can move in clothing on an airplane. We know it’s going to be here. It’s a matter of how long it’s going to take.”

Though most Americans have never heard of it, Ug99 — a type of fungus called stem rust because it produces reddish-brown flakes on plant stalks — is the No. 1 threat to the world’s most widely grown crop.The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in Mexico estimates that 19% of the world’s wheat, which provides food for 1 billion people in Asia and Africa, is in imminent danger. American plant breeders say $10 billion worth of wheat would be destroyed if the fungus suddenly made its way to U.S. fields.Fear that the fungus will cause widespread damage has caused short-term price spikes on world wheat markets.

Famine has been averted thus far, but experts say it’s only a matter of time…

A new strain of stem rust was identified on a wheat farm in Uganda in 1999.”It didn’t draw a lot of attention, frankly,” said Marty Carson, research leader at the Cereal Disease Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “There’s very little wheat grown in Uganda.”

East Africa is a natural hot spot for stem rust…Within a few years, Ug99 — named for the country and year it was identified — had devastated farms in neighboring Kenya, where much of the wheat is grown on large-scale farms that have so far been able to absorb the blow. Then it moved north to Ethiopia, Sudan and Yemen, putting more small farms at risk. Those that can afford it are trying to make do with fungicides, but that’s too cumbersome and expensive to be a long-term solution, Ward said.

To make matters worse, the fungus is becoming more virulent as it spreads. Scientists discovered a Ug99 variant in 2006 that can defeat Sr24, a resistance gene that protects Great Plains wheat.Last year, another variant was found with immunity to Sr36, a gene that safeguards Eastern wheat.

Should those variants make their way to U.S. fields any time soon, scientists would be hard-pressed to protect American wheat crops. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-wheat-rust14-2009jun14,0,1661589.story

Notice that there is potential for problems.  Jesus warned that there would be famines and pestilences (Matthew 24:7), and now there may be a famine caused by a pestilence.  Notice that the fungal problem has affected Africa and the Middle East seems to be expected to affect Pakistan, India, Russia, China, and the USA.

This could cause famine.

Meanwhile in Canada:

Chilly spring cools crop outlook: Canadian Wheat Board

CBC News – June 11, 2009

Cold weather across the prairie provinces has the Canadian Wheat Board projecting a 20 per cent drop in expected crop production for the 2009 growing season. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2009/06/11/crop-outlook-cwb.html

While the end is not yet (cf. Matthew 24:6-21), it may not be too many years from now.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
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?
India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage and discusses some of the witness to them (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? 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?
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?
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?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about 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 his timing and at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most detailed of the articles here at COGwriter related to prophecy and Barack Obama.
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?
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?
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/Nostradamus 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?

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

COGwriter

Iran’s election was in the news:

TEHRAN, Iran — Opponents of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad clashed with police in the heart of Iran’s capital Saturday, pelting them with rocks and setting fires in the worst unrest in Tehran in a decade. They accused the hard-line president of using fraud to steal election victory from his reformist rival.

The brazen and angry confrontations _ including stunning scenes of masked rioters tangling with black-clad police _ pushed the self-styled reformist movement closer to a possible moment of truth: Whether to continue defying Iran’s powerful security forces or, as they often have before, retreat into quiet dismay and frustration over losing more ground to the Islamic establishment.

But for at least one day, the tone and tactics were more combative than at any time since authorities put down student-led protests in 1999. Young men hurled stones and bottles at anti-riot units and mocked Ahmadinejad as an illegitimate leader…

The U.S. refused to accept Ahmadinejad’s claim of a landslide re-election victory said it was looking into allegations of election fraud.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she hoped the outcome reflects the “genuine will and desire” of Iranian voters. At a joint appearance with Clinton, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said his country was “deeply concerned” by reports of irregularities in the election.

Past Iranian elections were considered generally fair. In 2005, when Ahmadinejad was first elected, the losing candidates claimed irregularities at the polls, but the charges were never investigated.

“The majority of Iranians are certain that the fraud is widespread,” said Tehran-based analyst Saeed Leilaz. “It’s like taking 10 million votes away from Mousavi and giving them to Ahmadinejad.”

Whether this is enough to spawn a sustained opposition movement remains an open question…

Ahmadinejad accused the foreign media of producing coverage that harmed the Iranian people, saying “a large number of foreign media … organized a full-fledged fight against our people.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/13/iran-election-results-ahm_0_n_215169.html

Yet some U.S. lawmakers didn’t hesitate to voice skepticism of the outcome.

“There appears to be pretty good evidence that this is a cooked election,” Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., told FOX News. “And the most depressing thing for me is we were going to see whether in fact the true leaders of this country, the religious leaders, were going to allow for a real election to have an expression of the people.

“It appears now from what we see coming in is that was not the case,” he said. “That gives an indication that they did not have a real intention of really have a change.”

Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla., said: “This election was neither free nor fair and the world is more dangerous with Ahmadinejad as president of Iran.

He noted that Ahmadinejad has developed a close relationship with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, “threatening the freedom, security and prosperity of the Western Hemisphere.” http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/06/13/official-obama-administration-skeptical-irans-election-results/

Presuming that the election is over and the demonstrations will die down, the retention of Ahmadinejad suggests that Iran feels that its outward religious bent and nuclear stance should be continued.

Israel, the USA, and others may have a different view.

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

In its latest World Ahead Weekly Update, LCG reported:

For decades, the U.S. economic engine has been churning, but in many cases, the merchants have grown rich through unjust “weights and measures.” Recently, a conservative economist stated, “Now it’s the U.S. government that’s the next victim of the market’s revenge. Why?… Like private corporations, it borrows. Like any borrower, it has creditors. And like all creditors, it’s ultimately up to THEM—not up to the borrower—to decide what to do with their money. But unlike most borrowers, the U.S. government has arrogantly thumbed its nose at its creditors. Without remorse… ‘We can spend our money wantonly. We can bail out our giant corporations to our heart’s content. We can even debase our currency. But YOU, our creditors, are stuck with us. No matter what we do, you’ve got to keep loaning us more money, endlessly.’ Our creditors swallowed hard and tolerated this message for a while. But not now. Now they’re fed up. They can’t take it anymore.” (Money and Markets, May 25, 2009). Millennia ago God warned Israel: “Woe to him who increases what is not his—how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges. Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. Because you have plundered many nations, all the remnant of the people shall plunder you…” (Habakkuk 2:6-8, emphasis ours).

The accumulation of debt by the US government, even according to President Obama is “unsustainable” (see Obama, GM, and Depression).

However, even the USA President does not seem to realize how bad the Bible shows it will be for the great creditor.  Perhaps I should add that the UK is in no better shape than the USA and is expected to have a similar fate.

Those who wish to learn more on that should consider reading the following articles and comparing what they teach with their own Bibles:

Prophecies of Barack Obama? This article gives eight reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and eight reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many 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. Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies.
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 if he is elected president?
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?

Depiction of Levites Carrying the Ark of the Covenant

COGwriter

The Temple Institute, an Israeli-based group hoping “to build the Holy Temple of G-d on Mount Moriah in Jerusalem” and also to resume sacrifices, recently reported (http://www.templeinstitute.org/bezichin.htm) that it has completed another instrument that it feels its priest(s) will need:

” …and you shall make for it a golden crown all around. And you shall make for it a frame a handbreadth [wide] all around, and you shall make a golden crown for its frame all around. And you shall make for it four golden rings, and you shall place the rings on the four corners that are on its four legs. The rings shall be opposite the frame as holders for the poles [with which] to carry the table. And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and you shall overlay them with gold, and the table shall be carried with them. And you shall make its forms, its spoons, its half pipes, and its supports with which it will be covered; of pure gold you shall make them. And you shall place on the table showbread before Me at all times.” Exodus 25:23-30

The two golden bezichin – frankincense vessels, referred to in the above passage from Exodus, as “spoons,” are an essential element of the golden show bread table and the service of the showbread. These two bezichin were used to contain the two handfuls of frankincense that the priests were instructed to place upon the showbread table beneath the twelves loaves of lechem hapanim – showbread. The twelve loaves were replaced every Shabbat and the loaves that were removed were eaten by the outgoing shift of priests in the Chamber of the Hearth, located along the Temple Courtyard. New loaves were set in their place simultaneously, and with them the two bezichin of fresh frankincense. Our sages tell us that the showbread never grew stale, that it remained hot and fresh, and that even a morsel of the bread was filling and satisfying the priests that ate it…

The Temple Institute has just completed the creation of two new golden bezichin – frankincense vessels. Each vessel, made of 150 grams of 14 carat gold is the result of intensive research, planning and painstaking craftsmanship. The bezichin, like all the vessels created by the Temple Institute, are made in strict accordance to the word of Torah, as it has been handed down from generation to generation since its revelation on Mount Sinai. The bezichin, like all the vessels created by the Temple Institute, are intended for use in the Divine service of the Holy Temple, may we merit to rebuild it soon.

The two bezichin were made from gold generously donated by individuals around the world who seek to play a part in the rebuilding of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem…

The Temple Institute (as well as many Protestants) believe that a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem is needed to fulfill certain biblical requirements.

However, both the Temple Institute and the Bible (Ezra 3:6) teach that Jewish sacrifices can take place without a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem.

Thus, while the end cannot come before 2012 (cf. Daniel 9:27), Protestants (and others) should not insist that a Jewish Temple is necessary prior to the rise (or shortly after the rise) of the Beast (the King of the North).

While a physical Jewish Temple in Jerusalem may be rebuilt, those who understand their Bibles realize that such a temple is NOT needed for sacrifices to resume nor for end-time prophecies to be fulfilled.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

Why is a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem Not Required? Although people like Timothy LaHaye teach a third Jewish temple is required, who is ‘the temple of God” in the New Testament?  What does the Bible teach about the temple in the end-times?
The Temple and the Work This article discusses the two temples of the Old Testament and gives insight as to their possible relevance to the situation which has impacted the Church during this past decade or so.
Solomon’s TempleThis is a a 5 minute animated film that shows one artist’s understanding of the details about Solomon’s temple.
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 and others (who were not even on the same continent). 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? How might any of this tie into Daniel 9:26-27?
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?

Wheat

COGwriter

While I reported about lower grain production outside the USA a couple of days ago (see Argentina, Brazil, and Canada Have Grain Concerns), the following about Texas and Oklahoma (and also Australia) caught my attention:

Markets trending up following slow start

Southwest Farm Press – June 10, 2009    excerpt…

By Ron Smith

Blake Bennett, Texas AgriLife Extension economist, says overestimates of the 2009 wheat crop have moved prices up in recent weeks. Trouble with the Southwest winter wheat crop and problems with spring wheat planting support a price increase.

Texas and Oklahoma wheat production will be down as much as 50 percent from 2008. Kansas farmers are not as hard hit, but are still not expecting a bin buster, Bennett said during the North Texas Small Grains Field Day in Leonard, Texas.

“The Kansas crop is not good enough to overcome the losses in Texas and Oklahoma,” he said. Estimates put Oklahoma production at about 20 bushels per acre and about a 77 million-bushel crop. Texas wheat will make about 62 million bushels.

Crop conditions in mid-May showed Texas and Oklahoma wheat trending toward the low end of the scale, with much of the crop rated poor or very poor. Kansas was showing 53 percent of the crop in the good to excellent range.

For the 18 primary wheat producing states, 37 percent of the crop is rated good and 27 percent is fair…

He said concern for drought in Australia at planting time also may affect the market. Western Australia, where 40 percent of the country’s total wheat crop grows, is dry. “Australia is a big player and that may affect prices.”

He said the trend line for the wheat market is up…

He said wet weather in the Midwest may affect corn prices. “Growers have not been able to get into the fields and production could be running into trouble.”

By May 10, only 43 percent of the U.S. corn crop had been planted. The typical 5-year average is 71 percent by that date…

An increased ethanol mandate also would encourage better corn prices. A recent finding that ethanol use results in a 16 percent environmental advantage over fossil fuels, if international land use is considered, may be a negative for the ethanol industry. Without that land use, which many observers consider misleading, the advantage is more than 60 percent.

Bennett said maintaining momentum in an upward corn market remains “a big question mark. If the pork industry improves and if we get more positive news about the economy and if beef demand comes back, we could see a positive effect on the corn market.” http://southwestfarmpress.com/grains/grain-markets-0610/

Thus, wheat and other grain prices seem possibly poised to rise.

While we are not there yet, the Bible points to a time when wheat will be considered much more valuable than most tend to consider it:

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”  (Revelation 6:6).

The situation may be a little tight now, but the end is not yet. The end (meaning the Great Tribulation) CANNOT (biblically) start before 2012.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
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?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Are there biblical and non-biblical prophecies about 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 his timing and at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  This is the longest and most detailed of the articles here at COGwriter related to prophecy and Barack Obama.
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?
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?
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/Nostradamus 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?

COGwriter

In an email link today, GCI’s J. Tkach stated:

You might have noticed that the name of the denomination that sponsors this program has also changed – from Worldwide Church of God to Grace Communion International – and I’d like to take a moment to explain why.

Our church is a changed church, and our new name, Grace Communion International, was chosen for the same reason that Saul’s, Jacob’s, Abram’s and Sarai’s names were changed: to reflect a new identity after a profound transformation.

Grace lies at the heart of our values and mission as a transformed church. The gospel is the message of God’s grace to humanity revealed in Jesus Christ.

Communion is a word that refers to the spiritual unity and positive relationships in the love of God, the grace and peace of Jesus Christ and the life of the Holy Spirit.

International refers to the worldwide, multicultural character of our denomination. We value and respect one another, and we exist not as a single, national church in any given country, but as a unified body of believers who span the globe, sharing a common history and journey of faith…

I praise God, as I know you do, for all he has done for us, in us and through us. Our new name, Grace Communion International is simply an acknowledgement and reflection of the great love, mercy and power our loving God has displayed in our fellowship.

I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.

The MAIN reason that GCI made the change is that it does not want the world’s churches to consider it a cult, and the name change clearly does distance GCI from “Church of God” in the minds of almost everyone.

Of course, I did report on the name change the day it was announced (see WCG Changes Name to GCI!), it is just that J. Tkach wanted to give further clarification as to why it changed, I thought that those interest in the real reason (being accepted by the world, cf. 1 John 2:15) may wish to see it.

Some articles of possible interest may include:

Attending the Church of Choice This article discusses whose choice is important to worship God; should you attend the church of your choice or the church of God’s choice?
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it?
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Palace of Westminster in London

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As mentioned a couple of days ago (see British EU Sceptics Increasing), Britain is having more recent problems related to the rules and intentions of the European Union.

Now many are wondering how tough the UK will be in dealing with the EU:

Calls for Brown to go nuclear in City battle with EU

As Europe’s leaders prepare to strip Britain of ultimate control over finance, insurance, and securities, defenders of the City have begun to talk darkly of the nuclear option – known in EU lore as the “Luxembourg Compromise”.

Telegraph – June 11, 2009

by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Britain cannot veto the massive shift in regulatory power to Brussels now under way. Internal market laws are decided by qualified majority voting (QMV), and London has few friends in this fight.

What Gordon Brown can do at next week’s EU summit it to play the Luxembourg card by invoking “vital national interest”, if he is willing to risk a showdown with fellow leaders. This has no legal status. It is the political equivalent of a stamping bull, or a viper’s rattle. It means back off, or we strike.

“This is an extremely serious crisis,” said David Heathcote-Amory, former Europe Minister and now a key Tory MP on the European Scrutiny Committee.

“Once we lose of control over the City of London we will never get it back, and the consequences could be catastrophic. I think we are in ‘Luxembourg terrritory’. If the City was in Paris you could be pretty sure that French would fight like tigers to save it,” he said.

“The Continental countries have no interest in the health of the City, and some want to turn the tourniquet tighter. I fear the Commission is going to get its way since we have such a weak government,” he said.

Downing Street has given no hint that Mr Brown intends to put up serious resistance. City leaders doubt he will go to the wall for the sake detested bankers. It is easier to claim a cosmetic victory on fiscal sovereignty, letting the killer detail go through.

One British minister admitted privately that UK strategy is to play for time in the hope that “other governments start getting cold feet about giving new powers to the EU”. Some might, but our ally Ireland remained silent at a meeting of EU finance ministers this week, unwilling to waste political capital on Dublin’s Canary Dwarf. It relies on EU favour to survive its own desperate crisis.

France’s Charles de Gaulle was the last EU leader to opt for a showdown in the “empty chair crisis” in 1965, withdrawing his officials from Brussels after the commission pushed its luck too far. It led to the Luxembourg Compromise. No country since has ever pulled the trigger on vital interests. Disputes have always been resolved in time.

Lord Turner, the head of the Financial Services Authority, said in April that the banking crisis would either lead to “more Europe, or less Europe” since the current half-way house is unworkable.

Brussels has seized on events to offer more Europe. “It’s now or never: if we cannot reform the financial sector when we have a real crisis, when will we?”, said Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.

While earlier talk of an EU super-regulator has been dropped, the same goal is being achieved by other means. The plan is to create three “authorities” with a permanent staff and powers to impose “binding” decisions on states. Appeals go to the European Court. There is to be a European Banking Authority in London, an Insurance Authority in Frankfurt, and a Securities Authority in Paris.

Lord Turner fired a warning shot on Thursday, questioning plans to bring London’s securities houses under EU oversight. “Frankly, this is an area that when it gets Europeanized you sometimes get things that are not actually to do with good regulation. If one was absolutely confident that European supervision was going to be completely politics-free, in a neutral, technocratic fashion, we would be more relaxed,” he said.

There is little doubt that Brussels is exploiting the backlash against finance to bring the City under its thumb. Its own Larosiere Report concluded that hedge funds were marginal players in the credit crisis. Yet that has not stopped it drafting draconian rules for hedge funds as well, with chunks copied from French law. What is the purpose, if not to hobble a successful British industry?…

Britain has long fudged matters in dealings with the EU, hoping that common sense will prevail, as it often does. But the assault on the City may be a line too far. London has been the centre of global finance for three hundred years. Either the British government controls the City, or the EU apparatus controls it. This cannot be fudged.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/5508065/Calls-for-Brown-to-go-nuclear-in-City-battle-with-EU.html

What, if anything, Prime Minister Brown will do in the near term is not clear yet.

But, as we in the Living Church of God have long taught, eventually the UK will either be out of the EU or will be relegated to some insignificant status within the EU.

Furthermore, Bible prophecy show the emergence of a Beast power in Europe that will ultimately lead to the destruction the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, and even New Zealand.

Some 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-descended 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?