Church of God News

COGwriter

In his update late today, ICG’s Mark Armstrong wrote:

Whether you look to the old Soviet Union, Eastern Europe or Central and South America, nationalizing industry, natural resources and printing money leads to ruin.  There are no exceptions to that rule, but there is the “hope” that it will play out differently here in the United States.  Well, it won’t.

This country is hurtling toward a point of no return, and may have already crossed the threshold.  We’re going to need God’s intervention to prevent this bounteous and plentiful nation from slipping into a type of self-inflicted slavery at the hands of those who apparently believe they can control the climate by signing a document at some international conference!

The mainstream press, and even some not so mainstream, have been willing accomplices to the false worship of “the planet” and of creatures, rather than the Creator.  Interesting isn’t it, that every time Israel fell into idolatry and turned away from the true God under self-aggrandizing Kings, they lost everything just as they’d been warned.  We’ve been warned.  This country is being warned.  The time is coming when people will wake up, but it may just be too late to save this grand experiment called America.

Well, as I indicated in my last point, short of national repentance, the long-term future for the USA is not good.

The Bible contains a variety of warning.  Some can be found in the following articles:

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? 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 (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?
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 related to prophecy and Barack Obama.

Rebuilt Gymnasium in Sardis

COGwriter

An article in CG7’s latest Bible Advocate (BA below) has an interview with with Crown Financial Ministries CEO Chuck Bentley (CB below):

BA: Some Christians think this recession is part of God’s end-time plan leading to world collapse and Armageddon; others think we’ll pull out of it. What’s your perspective?

CB: A record number of Americans consider the economy to be our greatest problem…

A friend of mine says, “When the good credit of the United States government is finally exhausted and the nation defaults to our creditors, Financial Armageddon will begin.”

Personally I don’t think we are headed there just yet. However, the present shocks and tremors are early warning signs that we must change — now! To prepare for more diffi cult days ahead, Christians should be living in God’s economy. With political leaders calling for a move from the dollar to a single global currency and with a unified global fi nancial policy that governs the world’s largest economies, I believe we are witnessing prophetic signs. The world is rapidly realigning, and we need to be aware of and sensitive to it. But I do not want to overreach and attempt to interpret these signs…

Because of the massive accumulation in USA debt, this particular downturn is quite likely to be part of a sequence of events that will lead to the Great Tribulation, the Day of the Lord, and finally the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His kingdom.

There has been no plan at the state (I live in California) or national level that anyone intends to actually get implemented that I believe can truly turn the economy around in the long-term.  However in the short-term, loans and stimulus plans will have some affect.  But long-term those debts will lead to financial and national destruction.

Only national repentance can get the USA out of this, and that is NOT something that national leaders advocate.  Hence, I feel that the USA has already crossed the line and that we truly are on the path to financial Armageddon, and even much worse.  Much, much worse that the CG7 article ever suggests.

I would also add that in additional to personal repentance (which all should look at) some physical preparations may also be wise (though without the spiritual ones, they will be of little value).

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
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?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?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something?
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?
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 related to prophecy and Barack Obama.

COGwriter

Back in 1969 Anton Lavey wrote The Satanic Bible. On page 96 (in the 1976 version) it mentions birthdays:

THE highest of all holidays in the Satanic religion is the date of one’s own birth. This is in direct contradiction to the holy of holy days of other religions, which deify a particular god who has been created in an anthropomorphic form of their own image, thereby showing that the ego is not really buried.

The Satanist feels: “Why not really be honest and if you are going to create a god in your image, why not create that god as yourself.” Every man is a god if he chooses to recognize himself as one. So, the Satanist celebrates his own birthday as the most important holiday of the year. After all, aren’t you happier about the fact that you were born than you are about the birth of someone you have never even met? Or for that matter, aside from religious holidays, why pay higher tribute to the birthday of a president or to a date in history than we do to the day we were brought into this greatest of all worlds?

Despite the fact that some of us may not have been wanted, or at least were not particularly planned, we’re glad, even if no one else is, that we’re here! You should give yourself a pat on the back, buy yourself whatever you want, treat yourself like the king (or god) that you are, and generally celebrate your birthday with as much pomp and ceremony as possible.

After one’s own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht and Halloween (or All Hallows’ Eve). (Lavey A, Gilmore P. The Satanic Bible. Avon, September 1, 1976, p. 96–note it is on page 53 of an online version I found also).

It is interesting that birthdays are considered the most important holiday to these Satan worshipers (the founding of their “church”, called Walpurgisnacht, and Halloween are the other ones of importance to them).

The Bible never encourages the celebration of birthdays.  Instead, it tends to speak in a negative manner concerning them (cf. Matthew 14:6-11; Jeremiah 20:14-18).

Of course, early Christians did not celebrate birthdays nor did the early Jews. Nor have real Christians ever celebrated Halloween.

No early religious/church writing from the second century that I have seen (and I have read most that are available) seems to endorse (or even suggest) the celebration of birthdays by any who professed Christ.

Although he was not part of the Church of God, the writings of the early third century Catholic theologian Origen of Alexandria show that, even that late, Orthodox Catholics were against the celebration of birthdays. The Catholic Encyclopedia states:

Origen, glancing perhaps at the discreditable imperial Natalitia, asserts (in Lev. Hom. viii in Migne, P.G., XII, 495) that in the Scriptures sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday (Martindale C. Christmas, 1908).

Here is some of what Origen wrote:

…of all the holy people in the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners (like Pharaoh and Herod) who make great rejoicings over the day on which they were born into this world below (Origen, in Levit., Hom. VIII, in Migne P.G., XII, 495) (Thurston H. Natal Day. Transcribed by Thomas M. Barrett. Dedicated to Margaret Johanna Albertina Behling Barrett. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume X. Copyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton Company. Online Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. Knight. Nihil Obstat, October 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York).

The writings of the late third century Catholic theologian Arnobius show that, even that late, Catholics objected to the celebration of birthdays as he wrote:

…you worship with couches, altars, temples, and other service, and by celebrating their games and birthdays, those whom it was fitting that you should assail with keenest hatred. (Arnobius. Against the Heathen (Book I), Chapter 64. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 6. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1886. Online Edition Copyright © 2005 by K. Knight).

Thus birthday celebrations, even of gods and leaders, were condemned as far as the late third century by even Roman Catholic leaders.  But like many practices associated with non-biblical “Christianity”, this changed in the fourth century.

Essentially birthdays became celebrated later because of compromises with the pagan cult of Mithraism (see Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays?).

And for four decades now, Satanists claim that birthdays are their highest holiday.  Do you observe them too?

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Did Early Christians Celebrate Birthdays? Did biblical era Jews celebrate birthdays? Who originally celebrated birthdays? When did many that profess Christ begin birthday celebrations?
Is Halloween Holy Time for Christians? This article provides some historical and biblical insight on this question.
Is God Unreasonable? Some have suggested that if God requires Sabbath-keeping He is unreasonable. Is that true?
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

COGwriter

The G8 economic summit leaders remain concerned that the world economy is fragile:

G-8 Says Economic Recovery Too Weak to Withdraw Stimulus Effort
By Helene Fouquet and James G. Neuger

July 9 (Bloomberg) — Group of Eight leaders said the economic recovery from the steepest recession since World War II was too fragile for them to consider reversing efforts to pump money into the economy.

President Barack Obama pressed for the door to remain open to more stimulus measures as a renewed stock-market drop stirred concern that $2 trillion spent worldwide so far hasn’t jolted consumers and businesses back to life.

“The G-8 needed to sound a second wakeup call for the world economy,” British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters yesterday in L’Aquila, Italy, after the opening sessions of the leaders’ annual gathering. “There are warning signals about the world economy that we cannot ignore.”…

IMF Forecasts

The International Monetary Fund echoed that skepticism, upgrading its 2010 growth forecast while saying the rebound will be “sluggish” and urging governments to stay the economic- stimulus course.

Emerging countries like China will lead the way, expanding 4.7 percent next year, the IMF said yesterday, up from an April prediction of 4 percent. The Washington-based lender forecast growth of 0.6 percent in the advanced economies, up from expectations of stagnation.

“It’s a very volatile situation,” European Commission President Jose Barroso said in a Bloomberg Television interview in L’Aquila. “We are not yet out of the crisis, but it seems now that the free fall is over.”

In the U.S., a jump in the jobless rate to a 26-year-high of 9.5 percent in June and a 6.9 percent drop in the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index in the past month raised questions whether Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package is turning the world’s largest economy around.

Democrats in Congress are split over whether to spend more, adding to a deficit that the IMF puts at 13.6 percent of gross domestic product in 2009, the highest since World War II.

‘Potentially Counterproductive’

Obama straddled the issue yesterday, telling ABC News that spending more borrowed money is “potentially counterproductive.”

A G-8 statement yesterday embraced options ranging from the second U.S. stimulus package some lawmakers and economists are advocating to Germany’s emphasis on shifting the focus to deficit reduction…

Bank bailouts and recession-fighting measures will explode the debt of the advanced economies to at least 114 percent of gross domestic product in 2014, the IMF forecasts.

‘Exit Strategy’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is the leading opponent of additional stimulus, pushing through a statement at last month’s European Union summit that called for “a reliable and credible exit strategy.”

Merkel, campaigning for reelection in September, has warned against billowing budget deficits, which will rise in the EU to an average of 6 percent of GDP in 2009 from 2.3 percent last year, the EU forecasts.

“We have to get back on course with a sustainable budget, but with the emphasis on when the crisis is over,” Merkel said.

The 16-nation euro economy has shown some signs of resilience since shrinking 2.5 percent in the first quarter, the most since the currency’s birth in 1999. While measures of business confidence, manufacturing and services have ticked up, job cuts by companies from Austrian Airlines AG to ThyssenKrupp AG pushed up unemployment to 9.5 percent in May, a 10-year high.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper occupied the middle ground, saying the first priority is to spend wisely what has already been committed…

Russia, a G-8 member generally classified as an “emerging” economy, also believes that exit strategies “have to be developed already now,” said Andrei Bokarev, a Russian official. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=a6oirZcecvoE

Notice that while the USA wants to increase debt, the Germans do not.  The reality is that the shake-up of the current world economy will ultimately end up with the USA no longer on the top.

The Bible, as most regular readers of this page are aware, has long taught:

And the borrower is servant to the lender (Proverbs 22:7).

Those who increase debt will find that they no longer are true leaders.

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 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?

James and Ellen White

COGwriter

Last night, I happened to see a request for money from an SDA organization called the North American Religious Liberty Association (NARLA).  Essentially, NARLA claims that the campaign to legalize same-sex marriage will affect religious liberty.

NARLA cites various recent legal decisions in the USA and Canada as proof of its position.  Partially to deal with it, the SDAs plan a conference October 15-17th entitled Marriage, Homosexuality and the Church.

Additionally it seems that they primarily want their members to support a bill that titled The Workplace Religious Freedom Act.  Here is what they said about it:

The Act will protect the more than 1,000 Adventists who lose their jobs every year for their Sabbath convictions.  Ironically, the biggest opponent of this bill is the gay rights lobby.  We must continue our efforts to protect religious freedom.

The thrust of the letter seems to be that NARLA hopes that it needs to get the American legal system to be changed and it hopes to do this through legislation and prayer.

The letter ended with the following as a P.S.:

P.S. In The Great Controversy, Ellen White cites Sir Walter Scott about the attack on traditional marriage in the French Revolution.  It is just as timely today: “Intimately connected with these laws affecting religion, was that which reduced the union of marriage…to the state of a mere civil contract of a transitory character, which any two persons might engage in and cast loose at pleasure.  If fiends had set themselves to work to discover a mode of most effectually destroying whatever is venerable, graceful, or permanent in domestic life, and of obtaining at the same time an assurance that the mischief…should be perpetuated from one generation to another, they could not have invented a more effectual plan that the degradation of marriage.” G.C. 270.

The Apostle Paul warned:

1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

We in the Living Church of God believe that Jesus clearly defined marriage as between a man and a woman (Matthew 19:4-6).

We also believe that we are to pray for the political leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

A few articles of possibly related interest may include:

The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject. Would Jesus vote for president? Is voting in the Bible? This is a subject Christians need to understand.
The Sardis Church Era was predominant circa 1600 A.D. to circa 1933 A.D. Discusses early history of the Seventh Day Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists, and COG-7th Day.
SDA/LCG Differences: Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 The Living Church of God is NOT part of the Seventh-day Adventists. This article explains two prophetic differences, the trinity, differences in approaching doctrine, including Ellen White.

Pope Benedict XVI

COGwriter

The Pope has decided to promote a new world order as far as the economy is concerned:

UN could create economic body with teeth, as pope suggested

CNS – July 7, 2009

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Benedict XVI’s call for an international authority with “real teeth” to guide the global economy could be realized with the creation of a U.N. “socio-economic security council” to stand alongside the current Security Council dedicated to peacekeeping, said an economist who advises the Vatican.Stefano Zamagni, a professor of economic policies at the University of Bologna, Italy, and a consultant to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, spoke July 7 at the Vatican press conference held to present Pope Benedict’s encyclical, “Caritas in Veritate” (“Charity in Truth.”)

Pope Benedict wrote that the current financial crisis demonstrated just how little control national governments have over the process of globalization and the interdependence of the world’s economy.

The pope called for the reform of the United Nations, as well as of international bodies involved in economics and finance. The reform, he said, should help ensure that the world’s poorer countries have a voice in economic decisions impacting everyone. The reform should aim to revive ailing economies, protect the environment, provide food security and promote peace more effectively, he said…

The United Nations, he said, has “a security council for military affairs. Why don’t we have one for socio-economic affairs? If we did, the crisis of 2007-2008, which saw the price of grains triple despite an increased supply,” might have been resolved more quickly.

The increase in grain prices triggered food emergencies throughout the world’s poorer countries and has been identified as one of the first signs of what became the global financial crisis…

Archbishop Crepaldi said the central message of the pope’s encyclical is that people have a vocation, a call from God, to act righteously in the economy and at work, in their families and communities and to work for the common good in all those areas.

“If goods are only goods, if the economy is just the economy, if being together means only living alongside each other, if work is just production and progress is only growth,” he said, then there is nothing that inspires people to accept each other as brothers and sisters and help the weakest members of the human family.  http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0903106.htm

It should be noted that Pope John-Paul II also wanted a new world economic order.  It is just now the Vatican seems to be seizing upon the opportunity as it is seemingly becoming possible.

Any new world economic order will see the USA and its Anglo-descended allies in a position other than on top.  It will also likely see the rise of a European leader (the future King of the North) rise up to the very top of it.

Some articles of related interest may include:

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?
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?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Living Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions. Português: Qual é fiel: A igreja católica romana ou a igreja viva do deus? Tambien Español: Cuál es fiel: ¿La iglesia católica romana o La Iglesia del Dios Viviente? Auch: Deutsch: Welches zuverlässig ist: Die Römisch-katholische Kirche oder die lebende Kirche von Gott?

COGwriter

US President Barack Obama has been in Russia the past couple of days meeting with its top leaders:

Obama: US, Russia not destined to be adversaries

By BEN FELLER – 1 hour ago ~ 9:20 EST July 7, 2009

MOSCOW (AP) — President Barack Obama, working to warm U.S. relations with Russia, met for the first time Tuesday with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and told college students that the two countries are not “destined to be antagonists.”

“The pursuit of power is no longer a zero-sum game,” Obama said, speaking in the Russian capital to graduates of the New Economic School but also hoping to reach the whole nation. “Progress must be shared.”

Obama used his speech to further define his view of the United States’ place in the world and, specifically, to argue that his country shares compelling interests with Russia.

“Let me be clear: America wants a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia,” he declared in his speech, not long after holding talks with Putin. The prime minister said: “With you, we link our hopes for the furtherance of relations between our two countries.”…

In his speech, Obama said the interests of Russia and the United States generally coincide in five key areas: halting the spread of nuclear weapons, confronting violent extremists, ensuring economic prosperity, advancing the rights of people and fostering cooperation without jeopardizing sovereignty…

“By no means is America perfect,” Obama said. But he also said: “Independent media have exposed corruption at all levels of business and government. Competitive elections allow us to change course. … If our democracy did not advance those rights, I as a person of African ancestry wouldn’t be able to address you as an American citizen, much less a president.”

Obama’s speech and meetings with Putin did lead the afternoon newscast on NTV, owned by state-controlled natural gas monopoly, Gazprom, and it cast Obama in a favorable light, showing he and Putin smiling and exchanging niceties before taking breakfast outdoors.

Obama’s meeting with Putin lasted two hours — about 30 minutes longer than planned. They met a day after Obama held talks with President Dmitry Medvedev and they agreed that the two countries would seek by year’s end to cut their nuclear stockpiles by up to a third. Obama told Putin he thought he had had “excellent discussions” on Monday with Medvedev…

The Putin session started the second day of Obama’s Moscow mission. The goal: Engage the Russian people and persuade them that their interests coincide with those of Americans.

Obama also had what the White House characterized as a “good meeting” with former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. He was to meet again with Medvedev at the Kremlin; join Medvedev in taking part in a summit of U.S. and Russian business leaders; and was to meet a diverse collection of civil society leaders from both countries — health experts, environmentalists, reporters, human rights advocates — who will be holding their own summit to re-engage bilateral cooperation…

In the late afternoon, Obama was to meet with Russian opposition leaders. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5isOFwdbq0tsqatW6vJpkDRTI1gMgD999J81O7

Now President Obama is correct that the USA and Russia are NOT destined to be end-time antagonists–as that statement is consistent with Bible prophecy.

Interestingly in a hint about military power, Barack Obama stated today that progress must be shared.  The reality is that if both the USA and Russia reduce their nuclear arsenals, then other nations will be proportionately more powerful than they now are.

Also, it will be easier for powers such as the European Union to attain military parity, and even a certain superiority (see Europa, the Beast, and Revelation).

The truth is that for financial reasons, both Russia and the USA want to cut down their future production of nuclear weapons.

But meanwhile, the EU instead continues to try to figure out how it can make itself a major military power–which is what the Bible shows it will become (Revelation 13:3-4).

But the upcoming European military power will ultimately face Russia (Jeremiah 50:41-43) and others from Asia (Daniel 11:44).  And also God (Revelation 19:19-21).

Hence, all those powers (including the USA) will all be defeated (Revelation 11:15).

And ultimately a millennial peace will come.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

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?
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it. Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near?
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?

Palace of Westminster in London

COGwriter

Some of the Anglicans in the UK made a decision today:

Orthodox Anglicans won’t leave Church of England

Mon Jul 6, 2009 By Harpreet Bhal

LONDON (Reuters) – Conservative Anglicans, who oppose the Church of England’s stand on issues such as gay clergy, on Monday ruled out formally breaking away from the mainstream as a group has done in the United States.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE5654CY20090706?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Although some still might end up supporting the Church of Rome, today’s decision is likely to expand the divide amongst the continental European nations that will become more Catholic (perhaps all of them) and much of the UK.

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 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?

COGwriter

There was an archaeological find of interest announced today:

Archaeologists discover King Herod’s quarry

Stones extracted for the construction of the Jewish Temple 2,000 years ago

Associated Press – July 6, 2009 By Jen Thomas

JERUSALEM – Israeli archaeologists have uncovered an ancient quarry where they believe King Herod extracted stones for the construction of the Jewish Temple 2,000 years ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday.

The archaeologists believe the 1,000-square-foot (100-square-meter) quarry was part of a much larger network of quarries used by Herod in the city. The biggest stones extracted from the quarry would have measured three yards (meters) long, two yards (meters) across, and two yards (meters) high.

The archaeologists said the size of the stones indicates they could have been used in the construction of the Temple compound, including the Western Wall, a retaining wall that remains intact and is a Jewish shrine.

“The dimensions of the stones that were produced in the quarry that was revealed are suitable for the Temple walls,” said Ofer Sion, the dig’s director.

The two-week excavation, which was conducted before construction begins on an apartment complex at the site, also uncovered pottery, coins and what appear to be tools used in the quarry dating to the first century B.C.

“Finding a large quarry related to the largest building project ever undertaken in Jerusalem … that’s more than just another discovery,” said archaeologist Aren Maeir of Bar-Ilan University, who was not involved in the excavation. “It’s an additional block that slowly reveals the picture of construction in ancient Jerusalem.”

Herod was the Roman-appointed king of the Holy Land from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. and was known for his many major building projects, including the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple. The Second Temple was destroyed in A.D. 70 by Roman legions following a Jewish revolt.

Excavation at the site is almost complete, and the Israel Antiquities Authority says construction of the apartments will begin in the coming weeks.

Because of the amount of ancient remains in Israel, builders are required to carry out a salvage excavation before beginning construction. Such digs regularly turn up important finds.  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31761755/ns/technology_and_science-science/

There has been a lot of interest in the temple area.  And some of the findings may be of historical and possibly prophetic interest.  But that still does not mean that another Jewish temple must be rebuilt prior to Christ’s return.

Two 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?
Solomon’s TempleThis is a a 5 minute animated film that shows one artist’s understanding of the details about Solomon’s temple.

The USA Debt Clock as of Apri 19, 2008
This Debt Clock Displayed 11,397,711,606,020 on Friday, July 3, 2009, with “YOUR family share” showing $96,604

COGwriter

In a move consistent with others I have reported here, India publicly announced that it wants to drop the US dollar:

India Joins Russia, China in Questioning U.S. Dollar Dominance

Bloomberg – July 4, 2009 By Mark Deen and Isabelle Mas

Suresh Tendulkar, an economic adviser to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said he is urging the government to diversify its $264.6 billion foreign-exchange reserves and hold fewer dollars.

“The major part of Indian reserves is in dollars — that is something that’s a problem for us,” Tendulkar, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, said in an interview yesterday in Aix-en-Provence, France, where he was attending an economic conference.

Singh is preparing to join leaders from the Group of Eight industrialized nations — the U.S., Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Canada and Russia — at a summit in Italy next week which is due to tackle the global economy. China and Brazil will also send representative to the summit.

As the talks have neared, China and Russia have stepped up calls for a rethink of how global currency reserves are composed and managed, underlining a power shift to emerging markets from the developed nations that spawned the financial crisis.

“There should be a system to maintain the stability of the major reserve currencies,” Former Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan said in a speech in Beijing yesterday, highlighting China’s concerns about a global financial system dominated by the dollar.

Fiscal and current-account deficits must be supervised as “your currency is likely to become my problem,” said Zeng, who is now the head of a research center under the government’s top economic planning agency. The People’s Bank of China said June 26 that the International Monetary Fund should manage more of members’ reserves.

Russian Proposals

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has repeatedly called for creating a mix of regional reserve currencies as part of the drive to address the global financial crisis, while questioning the dollar’s future as a global reserve currency. Russia’s proposals for the Group of 20 major developed and developing nations summit in London in April included the creation of a supranational currency.

“We will resume” talks on the supranational currency proposal at the G-8 summit in L’Aquila on July 8-10, Medvedev aide Sergei Prikhodko told reporters in Moscow yesterday.

Singh adviser Tendulkar said that big dollar holders face a “prisoner’s dilemma” in terms of managing their holdings. “That’s why I’m telling them to do this,” he said.

He also said that world currencies need to adjust to help unwind trade imbalances that have contributed to the global financial crisis.

“The major imbalances which led to the current situation, the current account surpluses and deficits, have to be addressed,” he said. “Currency adjustment is one thing that suggests itself.”

Emerging-Market Dependence

For all the complaints about the dollar, emerging markets such as India remain dependent on the currency of the U.S., the world’s largest economy and a $2.5 trillion export market. The IMF said June 30 that the share of dollars in global foreign- exchange reserves increased to 65 percent in the first three months of this year, the highest since 2007.

Tendulkar said that the matter needs to be taken up in international talks, and that it emphasizes the need for those talks to go beyond the traditional G-8.

“They can meet if they want to,” he said. “The G-20 has a wider role, has representation of the countries that are likely to lead the recovery process.” http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aR7yfqUwTb4M

Americans need to realize that the subsidy that they have been receiving from foreigners using the the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency is going to end.  The USA will have to stop adding debt.

And while the end of the USA currency is still several years away, that end will essentially mean the end of the USA as its own country.

The world is talking so regularly on this matter that it seems serious enough about it to take steps that will ultimately make this happen.  And of course, Bible prophecy warns that in the end times, those that accumulate so much debt will have their creditors rise up against them suddenly and the indebted peoples made slaves (Habakkuk 2:3,6-8).  No nation has ever been in as much debt as that USA, and that debt is increasing.  It cannot last.

Several articles of possibly related interest may include:

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?
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.