Church of God News

Janet Yellen

COGwriter

There are hearings being held today for Janet Yellen to be the first woman to become the Chairman of the US Federal Reserve:

November 14, 2013

On Thursday, as President Obama’s choice to be the next chief of the powerful central bank, Yellen’s experience is likely to be much different.

Her confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee comes as the Fed continues to play an outsized role in the U.S. economy. The central bank’s balance sheet has more than quadrupled to nearly $4 trillion since 2008 amid unprecedented and controversial efforts to stimulate growth…

Whenever any Fed official talks these days, people listen for any hint of when the central bank will start tapering its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases, the latest round of so-called quantitative easing that began in September 2012.

Yellen has been a strong supporter of the bond-buying program, so anything she says about its future will be of interest to investors.

Many Republicans have opposed the bond purchases, arguing the Fed is risking high inflation by continuing to pump money into the economy, so they are likely to push Yellen on how much longer the program will continue…

With an unemployment rate that at 7.3% “is still too high” and inflation running below the Fed’s long-term goal of 2%, the Fed was justified in continuing to use monetary policy actions to boost growth, Yellen said.

“A strong recovery will ultimately enable the Fed to reduce its monetary accommodation and reliance on unconventional policy tools such as asset purchases,” Yellen said in her four-page statement.   http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-janet-yellen-federal-reserve-confirmation-senate-20131114,0,6803564.story#axzz2kd9259AA

Janet Yellen has served as the Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve for the past three years.  Quantitative easing, which Janet Yellen supports, is form of ‘money creation’ and is also sometimes called an “asset repurchasing” program. Yet, this is mainly a sham operation that debases the value of the U.S. dollar (mainly the government prints up money electronically and the “asset” purchased is a U.S. treasury note, not a real asset like, let’s say, an oil well; yes there are also some mortgages purchased which have ties to real assets, but there are problems there as well). Calling if counterfeiting is not too far off of a description of it. Quantitative easing will help destroy the USA dollar.

So, Janet Yellen as the next Fed Chairman, is expected to continue to inflate the money supply.  While there appear to be short-term benefits to this, in the long run, it will lead to disaster.  One does not truly improve the economy by electronically printing up money, one improves the economy by producing more goods and services that people need and/or want, especially those that other countries need and can be exported.  Another news item reported today (see US jobless see setback; trade imbalance widens unexpectedly) shows that the USA is going the wrong direction with trade.

Notice also the following:

November 13, 2013…

Yellen, is wrecking the economy,  spoiling any chance for a sustainable recovery, and thereby depriving our children of an economic  future.

There are reasons to listen to Yellen critics such as Senator  Paul. Is it really possible for us to solve an economic crisis in 2008 caused by too much bad debt by piling on even more debt? Will all the new debt, financed by easy money Fed policies, really help us recover and pay off the old debts?

President Obama in his first budget message said: “We are moving from an era of borrow and spend to one of save and invest.” His subsequent actions  certainly belied his words. He has embarked on one of the greatest borrow and spend binge in human history, a binge financed by the Fed.

It is illegal for the Fed to buy government bonds directly with its newly created money. If it did, the government would be “borrowing” from itself.  But after the bonds are sold to Wall Street, the Fed buys them back, which amounts to the same thing. Through this process, the Fed has become the largest creditor to the government, larger even than Japan or China.  http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2013/11/14/what-yellen-vote-will-tell-us-about-today-republican-party/

UPDATE 12:02 pm PST.  The following was added to this post as this post originally came out in the morning:

November 14, 2013

Federal Reserve chief nominee Janet Yellensaid Thursday that the economic recovery still requires support from the central bank….

Yellen also defended the Fed’s $85 billion-a-month program to buy U.S. Treasury and mortgage bonds, saying that the benefits of the purchases still outweigh the risks.

Yellen deflected questions about when the Fed would start reducing the bond purchases, a policy known as “quantitative easing.” Critics say the policy raises the risks of inflation, and Sen. Michael Crapo, R.-Idaho, pressed Yellen on when she, as Fed chief, would move to start withdrawing support.

While acknowledging the validity of such concerns, saying that “the longer this program continues, the more we will have to worry about those risks, Yellen said that there is “no set time” for reducing the pace of bond purchases.  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505123_162-57612316/yellen-warns-against-withdrawing-fed-stimulus/

As far as dangers from the bond-purchasing and other quantitative easing programs that Janet Yellen supports, in needs to be understood that they are pledges that increase debt and inflate the money supply.  Notice an end time prophecy that the Prophet Habakkuk was inspired to write thousands of years ago:

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, Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. ( Habakkuk 2:6-8)

Some have claimed that once she becomes Federal Reserve Chairman, Janet Yellen will be the most powerful woman in US history or currently in the world (see CNN: Fed’s Yellen to become ‘world’s most powerful woman’), this would suggest that Janet Yellen is helping fulfill the following prophecy:

As for My people, children are their oppressors, And women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, And destroy the way of your paths…(Isaiah 3:12)

Note: I am not saying that if US President Obama nominated a man instead that he would necessarily do a better job.  Janet Yellen is following the lead of current Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and his policies have truly set the stage for the destruction of the USA dollar. But Janet Yellen’s views and intended practices are at least as dangerous. Her policies will help lead to hyperinflation.

Many events aligning with properly understood biblical prophecy are coming to pass that relatively few understand. And the USA is definitely on its way down and out.

Federal Reserve officials and others may wish to consider studying the following prophetically-oriented writings:

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?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future.
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos.
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch 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? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Former Pope Benedict XVI

COGwriter

Zenit, a pro-Vatican news agency, reported:

Benedict XVI made a “decisive” contribution to interreligious dialogue, proposing a dialogue of “charity in truth” that resulted in a praiseworthy initiative between Muslims and Christians.

This was the view shared today by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

The cardinal was presenting a new edition of a book Nov. 12 at the Vatican called “Il Dialogo Interreligioso nell’Insegnamento Ufficiale della Chiesa Cattolica (1963-2013)” (Interreligious Dialogue in the Official Teaching of the Catholic Church, (1963-2013)).

The aim of the book, now in its third edition, is to cover the papal magisterium on matters concerning interreligious dialogue from the Second Vatican Council until the pontificate of Benedict XVI (relations with Jews are not included as that is the responsibility of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity).

The book is written in the spirit of “Nostra Aetate”, which encourages the faithful ”to recognise, safeguard and promote those spiritual and moral goods” in common with other religions, as well as “the socio-cultural values they embody”.  http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/benedict-xvi-made-decisive-contribution-to-interreligious-dialogue

Here is some of what another website reported about the above:

Antichrists unites and blaspheme Jesus of the Bible

“The Vatican builds bridge between Islam and Christianity based on love for God and neighbour, in accordance with the teachings of Jesus”.

This is the conclusion made by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue…

Source: Zenit.org

My comment:

Catholicism and Islam have a lot in common. The most important doctrine that unites these two regions, is based on a belief that the Messiah brings all who loves “god” together.   http://ivarfjeld.com/2013/11/13/antichrists-unites-and-blaspheme-jesus-of-the-bible/

Actually, the time will come when there will be some type of deal between those that occupy the Islamic Arab and Turkish lands and those who occupy the lands of Europe (Psalm 83:5-8; Daniel 11:27; see also ), but that alliance will not last (Daniel 11:40-43).

An ecumenical faith is prophesied to rise up and deceive the world:

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?”

5 And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. 6 Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. 7 It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. 8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:3-8)

The Bible indicates that signs and lying wonders will be a factor in getting people to follow this false faith:

9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)

Notice what two Catholic prophetesses have proclaimed concerning ‘Mary’ and Islam:

Blessed Mary of Agreda (17th century): It was revealed to me that through the intercession of the Mother of God all heresies will disappear.  The victory over heresies had been reserved by Christ for His Blessed Mother.  In the last times, the Lord will in a special manner spread the renown of His Mother:  Mary began salvation, and by her intercession it will be completed.  Before the second coming of Christ, Mary must, more than ever, shine in mercy, might, and grace in order to bring unbelievers into the Catholic Faith.  The power of Mary in the last times over the demons will be very conspicuous. Mary will extend the reign of Christ over the heathen and the Mohammedans…(Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p. 49)

St. Louis-Marie Grignion De Montfort (18th century): The power of Mary over all the devils will be particularly outstanding in the last period of time. She will extend the Kingdom of Christ over the idolaters and Moslems, and there will come glorious era when Mary is the Ruler and Queen of Hearts.(Dupont, p. 33)

Hence some Catholics apparently believe that “Mary” (see Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions) will somehow convert/rule over the followers of Islam. Yet the Bible is clear that those in the Islamic world need to be careful not respond to deceptions of any kind (which includes apparitions).

Since Muslims tend to be more serious about their faith than some in other faiths, it would seem that this deception of those who follow Islam will only be temporary:

25 He [the king of the North] shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South…27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time (Daniel 11:25,27).

40 “At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43 He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heels.  (Daniel 11:40-43)

Thus, according to Daniel 11:40-43, the coming alliance between the Europeans (the King of the North in Bible prophecy) and the Arab/Turks (the King of the South in Bible prophecy) will not last.

But, steps are aligning for the alliance to form temporarily.

Other alliances are also in progress.  Notice the following:

November 13, 2013

Metropolitan Hilarion spoke with ZENIT on his visit Tuesday with Pope Francis and the current ecumenical dialogue taking place between the two Churches…

ZENIT: What are the ecumenical prospects between the two Churches?

Metropolitan Hilarion: I think that relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church are developing in the right way, in common positions that concern moral questions. We will develop our relations in the fields in which we can witness our common Christian patrimony.  http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/metropolitan-hilarion-ecumenical-relations-between-orthodox-and-catholic-churches-are-going-the

Ecumenical unity will be a disaster for both the Catholics of Rome and the Eastern & Russian Orthodox Catholics (cf. Revelation 18).  But many of their leaders seem determined to make such unity happen.

Though some have warned against it (note: ‘Greeks’ is a reference to those who are Eastern or Russian Orthodox):

Anna-Katarina Emmerick (October 1, 1820): The Church is in great danger…The Protestant doctrine and that of the schismatic Greeks are to spread everywhere.  I now see that in this place (Rome) the (Catholic) Church is being so cleverly undermined, that there hardly remain a hundred or so priests who have not been deceived.  They all work for the destruction, even the clergy.  A great destruction is now at hand…

(April 22, 1823): I saw that many pastors allowed themselves to be taken up with ideas that were dangerous to the Church.  They were building a great, strange, and extravagant Church.  Everyone was admitted in it in order to be united and to have equal rights: Evangelicals, Catholics, sects of every description.  Such was to be the new Church (Dupont, pp. 66, 71).

Roger Bacon (died 1294): There shall arise a…priest to reform the Church.  The Greeks will return (to the Church)…there will be one fold, one shepherd (Culleton, The Prophets and Our Times, p. 149).

St. Francis of Assisi (died 1226): There will be an uncanonically elected pope who will cause a great Schism, there will be divers thoughts preached which will cause many, even those in the different orders to doubt, yea even agree with the heretics, which will cause my Order to divide. (Culleton, R. Gerald. The Reign of Antichrist, p. 130)

Priest Gaudentius Rossi (19th century): According to St. Malachy, then, only ten, or at most eleven, popes remain to be in future more or less legitimately elected. We say more or less legitimately elected, because out of those future popes it is to be feared that one or two will be unlawfully elected as anti-popes. (Rossi, Gaudentius. The Christian Trumpet: Or, Previsions and Predictions about Impending General Calamities, the Universal Triumph of the Church, the Coming of the Anti-Christ, the Last Judgment, and the End of the World; Divided Into Three Parts, 4th edition. Patrick Donahoe, 1875. Original from Oxford University. Digitized Sep 1, 2006, p. 203)

Priest O’Connor (20th century?): This final false prophet will be a bishop of the church and will lead all religions into becoming one. (The False Prophet.  Living in the Final Generation. http://www.geocities.com/rebornempowered/ApparitionsofMary.htm 10/12/07)

Priest H. Kramer (20th century): In the vision of the Seer now appears a second beast rising out of the earth, having two horns like a lamb but speaking like a dragon…In other places he is called the false prophet…This prophet may re-establish the pagan Roman Empire and build the “Great Harlot”, Babylon… The False Prophet…will persuade all infidels, apostates and apostate nations to worship and adore him…Antichrist “sitteth in the temple of God” (I Thes. II. 4). This is not the ancient Temple in Jerusalem…this temple is shown to be a Catholic Church…The False Prophet will proclaim the resurrection of the Roman Empire. (Kramer H., p. 318,320-323)

Sadly, such a unity is biblically-expected and many leaders from the Vatican and other groups are intent on making that happen.

Diocletian Antoninianus (Photo by Sosius11)

 COGwriter

At least of few within the financial community are seeing some of what the USA is doing to insure its decline:

Senior bank executives explain how US dominance is declining…

November 13, 2013
Singapore

By the early 4th century AD, the Roman Empire was suffering tremendous turmoil…The government simply did not have enough money to sustain its operations, let alone pay for all the generous welfare programs needed to placate the population.

So as you could imagine, they decided to make up the difference by debasing the currency.

Roman coins were being debased so rapidly that they eventually lost credibility as a medium of exchange among the merchant class. As a result, the empire’s once vast trade network practically collapsed.

With such an abrupt decline in commerce, the government’s tax revenue also declined. In 301 AD, things got so desperate that Diocletian stepped in with a ‘solution’.

First, he blamed evil speculators for all the inflation, imposing the death penalty on some of them.

Then he issued…his now infamous Edict on Maximum Prices, which imposed price controls for a thousand goods and services…The long-term effect of the law was devastating. Inflation and shortages soon prevailed. And there was a mass exodus of rich and poor alike who fled the empire seeking a better life elsewhere…

Ironically, Diocletian was actually attempting to ‘reform’ the system, not to send Rome over the cliff. Yet this is one of countless historical examples of how the road to ruin is almost always paved with good intentions.

Just like Diocletian, our modern politicians continually make attempts to ‘fix’ things. Yet their attempts fail miserably, typically making the situation worse.

Two of the most destructive laws recently passed by the US government, for example, are the (1) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and (2) the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA).

Like Diocletian’s Edict, these laws are attempts to reform the system. Yet the results have been disastrous. In particular, they’ve destroyed one of the last competitive advantages that the United States has today: the dominance of its banking system…

Many senior bank executives have explained to me that they are rapidly expanding their regional ‘corresponding bank’ relationships. They’ve also told me how non-US dollar cross border trade is really taking off.

In other words, Asia is beginning to declare its financial independence by establishing its own system to avoid the US banks.  http://www.sovereignman.com/trends/senior-bank-executives-explain-how-us-dominance-is-declining-13178/

The USA has debased its currency and continues to come up with various taxes, financial reporting requirements, and other controls that it thinks will solve its problems.  They will not.

Instead, they are pushing banks around the world to attempt to decouple from the US dollar and US regulatory controls.  This will greatly hurt the USA over time.

As far as currency debasement goes, starting in 1965 the USA started to remove silver from its then silver coins and replace it with cheaper metals.  That has been done in the past.

Wikipedia noted:

The Antoninianus was a coin used during the Roman Empire thought to have been valued at 2 denarii. It was initially silver, but was slowly debased to bronze…

But even at its introduction the silver content was only equal to 1.5 denarii. This helped create inflation – people rapidly hoarded the denarii, while both buyers and sellers recognised the new coin had a lower intrinsic value and elevated their prices to compensate. Silver bullion supplies were running short since the Roman Empire was no longer conquering new territory, the Iberian silver mines were exhausted and a series of soldier emperors and usurpers needed coin to pay their troops and buy their loyalty. So each new issue of the antoninianus had less silver in it than the last, and each contributed to ever increasing inflation.

In other words, it was a ‘dross’ coin. And the basic end result of it is shown at the beginning of this article.  The USA continues to try to cheapen its remaining coins as well.

The Bible warns against cheapening the money supply:

4 Take away the dross from silver (Proverbs 25:4a).

25 I will turn My hand against you, And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy. (Isaiah 1:25)

22 Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water. (Isaiah 1:22)

Dross is a cheaper metal that is normally placed inside a covering of a precious metal like silver. Governments began to do this thousands of years ago when they had financial problems. Putting dross into silver cheapens currency, just like putting water into wine dilutes the wine’s value. In modern times, government spending in excess of revenues and quantitative easing programs (QE1, QE2, and QE3, from the Federal Reserve) are a way to dilute the value of currencies. This is not the biblical solution to US economic problems.

Because of its control and influence over the international banking system the USA has so far seemingly got away with it–but Bible prophecy shows that this will end (Habakkuk 2:6-8).  Unlike the Roman times, the debasing of currency now is mainly done electronically–it does not require the production of tangible coins.  The fact that this is so relatively easy to do, makes it tempting to government officials that pay little heed to warnings from the Bible.

Ultimately, the US dollar will have no monetary value (it may have some minor value as a fuel source, novelty, or something else). The fact that the USA continues to inflate the money supply (combined with other events that will happen, a so-called ‘perfect storm’ ) is setting the stage for a time the USA dollar will be worthless.

Although some realize that the USA is a superpower in decline, most do not really understand how bad it will get.

The Chinese seem to wish to take advantage of the USA’s pursuit of failed Roman Empire policies. (see China seems to have taken steps to further dethrone the USA dollar)  Notice also the following:

November 7, 2013

China is leading the call for a “de-Americanized” world.  The following is from a recent article posted on the website of France 24 …

For decades the US has benefited to the tune of trillions of dollars-worth of free credit from the greenback’s role as the default global reserve unit.

But as the global economy trembled before the prospect of a US default last month, only averted when Washington reached a deal to raise its debt ceiling, China’s official Xinhua news agency called for a “de-Americanised” world.

It also urged the creation of a “new international reserve currency… to replace the dominant US dollar”.

So why should the rest of the planet listen to China?

Well, China now accounts for more global trade than anyone else does, including the United States…

Of course the U.S. dollar is still king for now, but thanks to a whole host of recent international currency agreements this status is slipping.  For example, China just recently signed a major currency agreement with the European Central Bank …

The swap deal will allow more trade and investment between the regions to be conducted in euros and yuan, without having to convert into another currency such as the U.S. dollar first, said Kathleen Brooks, a research director at FOREX.com.

“It’s a way of promoting European and Chinese trade, but not doing it with the U.S. dollar,” said Brooks. “It’s a bit like cutting out the middleman, all of a sudden there’s potentially no U.S. dollar risk.”

And as I have written about previously , we have seen a bunch of other similar agreements being signed all over the planet in recent years…

When that happens, demand for U.S. dollars and U.S. debt will disintegrate and interest rates will absolutely skyrocket.

And if interest rates skyrocket that will throw the entire U.S. financial system into chaos.  At the moment, there are about 441 trillion dollars worth of interest rate derivatives sitting out there .  It is a financial time bomb unlike anything the world has ever seen before…

The standard of living that all of us are enjoying today depends largely upon China.  They can bring down the hammer at any moment and they know it.   http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/how-china-can-cause-the-death-of-the-dollar-and-the-entire-u-s-financial-system

Those living in the USA generally do not realize how much of their standard of living is being subsidized by China and other foreign powers.  The Chinese (and others) have given the USA enough rope to hang itself, but the greed in the USA makes the government (and others) want more and more debt.  The USA is building up towards a massive financial disaster that pales anything before in its history.

Instead of taking proper physical solutions (such as increasing output and cutting imports, living within a budget, and paying down debts), the politicians in the USA keep increasing debt and allow other steps that debase the value of the currency.

It did not work for Rome forever and it will not work forever for the USA.

Without national repentance the USA is doomed. Since the USA seems to be going more into sin nationally, that type of national repentance seems unlikely. Yet, personal repentance is still possible. Do you see the winds of change in the USA and elsewhere that even some financial people now see?

If so, what do you plan to do about it?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves?
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? What will happen to the Jews in 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 West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
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? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2021 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
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?
Is China THE Threat to the United States of America? China is the world’s most populace nation. China has the world’s largest standing military. China is a major economic power and it holds a lot of U.S. debt. China also has problems with corruption, pollution, and its hukou registration system. Will China face civil unrest? Is China prophesied to be wealthy in the end times? Will China takeover the U.S.A. or will it be another power? What does Bible prophecy reveal?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2013, 2014, or 2015? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language video The Great Tribulation Will Not Begin Before 2017.
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no Final End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West? Here is a version in the Spanish language: ¿Quién es el Rey del Occidente? ¿Por qué no hay un Rey del Occidente en la profecía del tiempo del fin?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch 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? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

MiG 29 Jet

COGwriter

Russian weapons likely coming to Egypt are in the news:

November 13, 2013

This week’s visit by the Russian delegation will include officials from state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, which is seeking to sell MiG-29 fighters to the North African country. Pukhov told Bloomberg that Egypt is interested in purchasing 24 MiG-29M2 fighters worth around $1.7 billion. This model features radar absorbent materials, modern avionics and Russian or Western armament.

The Russian drive to sell arms to Egypt comes after the US government suspended some of its $1.3 billion in annual military aid following the ouster of President Mohamed Mursi by the military in July. The aid cuts stopped the delivery of four F-16 fighters, ten Apache helicopters, M1 Abrams tank kits, Harpoon anti-ship missiles as well as $260 million in cash.

Fahmy earlier this month said that Egypt would look beyond the US to meet its security needs. http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32663:egypt-seeking-russian-arms-after-us-aid-cut&catid=49:National%20Security&Itemid=115

“They are trying to send the U.S. a strong message by approaching Russia the way they are, which is ‘unless you stop linking military aid with political issues, we’re going to look elsewhere.'” Message received — except by Obama, who with his unstinting and uncritical support for the Muslim Brotherhood created the vacuum that the Russians are filling.

“Russia negotiates its biggest arms deal with Egypt since the Cold War after Barack Obama cuts defence aid,” by Henry Meyer and Mariam Fam for Bloomberg News, November 12… http://www.jihadwatch.org/2013/11/russia-negotiates-its-biggest-arms-deal-with-egypt-since-cold-war-after-obama-cuts-aid.html

Getting weapons from Russia, instead of the USA, makes Egypt less dependent on the USA.  Notice also another move by Russia:

November 13, 2103

Russian President Vladimir Putin called King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on Sunday, according to Al Arabiya. The overture hints that Saudi Arabia, like Egypt, is poised to shift alliances from the US to Russia.

The two leaders discussed ties between the two countries as well as regional issues such as the Syrian conflict and Iranian nuclear talks. Russian officials told AFP that the two leaders “expressed a mutual interest in furthering cooperation and maintaining contacts at various levels.”…

Analyst and attorney Mark Langfan in August predicted that US President Barack Obama had lost American ties with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and that the Saudis, in distancing themselves from Obama, would turn towards Russia.

Langfan furthermore predicted America’s loss of naval support from Egypt, saying the country would also turn to Russia following a partial suspension of US military aid. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/173936#.UoMQPeIlitI

So, Russia is increasing its influence in the Middle East and North Africa.  But this also means that the relative influence of the USA is decreasing.

What does that mean prophetically?

While some believe that Russia’s influence is tied to Ezekiel 38 and 39, those scriptures will not be fulfilled for at least one thousand years from now (cf. Revelation 20:7-9; see also Is Russia the King of the North?).

But there are nearer term prophetic ramifications for the USA.

The Bible points to a time when there will be a confederation of Arabic/Turkish North African/Middle Eastern nations (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:1-9; Psalm 83:4-7).  Notice what Psalm 83:4-8 states:

4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” 5 For they have consulted together with one consent; They form a confederacy against You: 6 The tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites; Moab and the Hagrites; 7 Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek; Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8 Assyria also has joined with them; They have helped the children of Lot.

Note that this passage of scripture is suggesting that the descendants of Israel (which not only includes the modern state of Israel, but also much of the English-speaking world, cf. Genesis 48:13-16–see a discussion of this in Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel) will be bothered by a confederation of basically Arabic/Islamic peoples from the Middle East who will also somewhat align with a European power (see Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History and Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy).

Notice also:

25 He [the king of the North] shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South…27 Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies at the same table; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be at the appointed time (Daniel 11:25,27).

Notice that these two kings make a deal together, but both sides are lying to each other. Thus, whatever agreement they make is not destined to be permanent.  So, we see deals between the same two areas in both Psalm 83 and Daniel 11.

A December 1979 Plain Truth article by Keith Stump’s titled The Arab World in Prophecy provides insights into who may be the future king of the South as well as who may be involved in Psalm 83, perhaps in partial fulfillment of Daniel 11:27:

Mahdi, the expected end time messiah who is to cleanse and restore the Islamic faith…to usher in a seven-year golden age just before the end of the world…The expectation of a coming Mahdi (in Arabic, “the divinely guided one”) is prevalent among virtually all Moslem sects, though they often differ in the specifics of the concept…

The prophecy of Daniel 11 details events…But who is the “king of the south”?…Just as there is yet to be a final “king of the north”–called in the Bible symbolism “the beast”–who will arise as superdictator over an end-time European confederation, there may very well emerge in the same manner a final “king of the south”–an overall leader of an Arab-Moslem confederation, possibly bearing the very title Mahdi. And these two individuals will eventually find themselves in a head-to-head confrontation–possibly over oil–which will ultimately lead to devastating war in the Middle East!

King David of ancient Israel in a prophetic psalm (Psalm 83) provides additional insight into the Mideast picture. Germany (Assyria in Bible prophecy) and perhaps the rest of Europe will be in league in the future with a union of Arab nations–a vast confederacy bound together in an effort to crush out the name “Israel” from the face of the earth! This Arab-Moslem confederacy may very well be the previously mentioned “king of the south”–a sphere of power encompassing vast portions of the Islamic world.

“They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom [Esau or modern-day Turkey, a non-Arab but Islamic nation], and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia]; of Moab [part of Jordan], and the Hagarenes [anciently these peoples dwelt in the area known as Syria today]; Gebal [Lebanon], and Ammon [modern Jordan], and Amalek [part of the Turks]; the Philistines [the modern Palestinians] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Lebanon]; Assur [whose descendants, the Assyrians, migrated to Germany] also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot [Jordan and Western Iraq]” (Psalm 83:4-8)…

But in the end, this European-Arab alliance will prove short-lived…And the king of the north shall come against him [the king of the south]…The Arab-Moslem Confederation will, of course, be thrown into chaotic disarray in the fact of invasion. (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979)

So, another source concurred that Bible prophecy in Daniel 11 and Psalms 83 points to the idea there will be some type of strong Arab-based confederation that will make a deal with a future European power for the purposes of eliminating “Israel.”

How else can one tie this to the USA?

Specifically notice that the Bible shows that the King of the North of Daniel 11 will destroy those who are perceived to have the strongest military might and divide up their land:

39 Thus he shall act against the strongest fortresses with a foreign god, which he shall acknowledge, and advance its glory; and he shall cause them to rule over many, and divide the land for gain (Daniel 11:39).

The strongest fortresses in the world belong to the USA and to a much lessor extent, its English-speaking allies (for a more detailed explanation of why the USA and its Anglo-allies are involved, as well as the dividing of their lands, please see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel). Daniel 11:24 seems to parallel this as it teaches that the King of the North has plans against the strongholds and succeeds against the prosperous.

But shortly after the USA is defeated, a rift develops between the European King of the North and the Middle Eastern/North African King of the South:

40 At the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41 He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon. 42 He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. (Daniel 11:40-42).

By tying Psalm 83 together with Daniel 11 we see that there will be cooperation between two powers, they will cooperate for a time, the strongest fortresses (USA) will be defeated, then then will turn on each other and the King of the South power will lose.  This loss by a confederation with Egypt is also prophesied in Ezekiel 30:1-9.

The steps taken by Russia, Egypt, and apparently Saudi Arabia are helping set part of the stage for the fulfillment of Psalm 83 and other end time prophecies.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Muslim Brotherhood and the Rise of the King of the South The Bible tells of the formation of a power of nations that are in the Middle East and North Africa that are part of the final “King of the South” (Daniel 11:40-43) The Muslim Brotherhood wishes to have an Islamic empire with basically the same nations. This YouTube video explains what to expect from such a confederation.
The Arab and Islamic 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? What about the Imam Mahdi? What lies ahead for Turkey, Iran, and the other non-Arabic Muslims? An item of possibly related interest in the Spanish language would be: Líderes iraníes condenan la hipocresía de Occidente y declaran que ahora es tiempo para prepararse para el Armagedón, la guerra, y el Imán Mahdi.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria. This is a YouTube video.
Egypt in Prophecy Does Egypt have a special role in end time prophecy? Will Egypt rise up and then be defeated. What does God teach will happen to those in Egypt? Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Egypt and End Time Prophecy.
What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy Do you know the Turkish people descended from? Did the Ottoman Empire possibly fulfill a promise in Genesis? Will Turkey support the European King of the North or Arabic King of the South? Will it betray one of them? Will Turkey be involved in the encouraging the destruction of Israel? Is Turkey going to become Catholic? Is Turkey mentioned in Psalm 83, Daniel 11, and elsewhere in the Bible? This video provides answers.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch 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?
Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? The Book of Revelation tells of a beast power that will rise up. Some think that this must be Russia or could be Islamic, while others say that this power is European. The Book of Daniel tells of the rise of an end time King of the North that some think must be referring to a Russian leader, while others say that this power is European. How can you be sure? This YouTube video has all the scriptural proofs that you should need to prove that this power must be a European one.
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? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2021 or 20xx?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2013, 2014, or 2015? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? See also the video Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2013?
Is There an Islamic Antichrist? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.
Jerusalem: Past, Present, and Future What does the Bible say about Jerusalem and its future? Is Jerusalem going to be divided and eliminated? Is Jesus returning to the area of Jerusalem? There is also a related YouTube video you can watch titled Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Is Russia the King of the North? Some claim it is. But what does the Bible teach? Here is a link to a video, also titled Is Russia the King of the North?

Artist depiction of Catholic saint Dominic presiding over burning two at the stake

COGwriter

A BBC report is challenging some figures related to “Christian martyrs:

It’s often claimed that 100,000 Christians are killed every year because of their religion. Earlier this year, the Vatican called it a credible number. But is it?…

On the internet, the statistic has taken on a life of its own, popping up all over the place, sometimes with an additional detail – that these 100,000 lives are taken by Muslims.

The number comes originally from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC) at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in the US state of Massachusetts…when you hear that 100,000 Christians are dying for their faith, you need to keep in mind that the vast majority – 90,000 – are people who were killed in DR Congo. This means we can say right away that the internet rumours of Muslims being behind the killing of 100,000 Christian martyrs are nonsense. The DRC is a Christian country. In the civil war, Christians were killing Christians…

If you were to take away the 90,000 deaths in DR Congo from the CSGC’s figure of 100,000, that would leave 10,000 martyrs per year.

And the number of Christians who are killed each year because they are Christians is more likely to be in that order of magnitude, according to Professor Thomas Schirrmacher from the International Society for Human Rights.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24864587

I would add that although I do not consider that many killed were actual Christians (and the Bible shows that real Christians would not be killing other real Christians, see, for example ), the fact is that many who profess forms of Christianity are being persecuted and killed in many parts of the world and this is not setting off the amount of international outrage that many would expect.  And this BBC piece, while correct in some points, seems designed to reduce outrage of violence against those being persecuted/killed in Islamic and other lands.

Notice the following:

11/12/13

VATICAN CITY, November 12, 2013 (Zenit.org) – A South Korean news agency has reported that an estimated 80 people were executed in seven cities in North Korea, some of whom were executed for possessing Bibles.

What has happened to various people who profess Christians in places such as Egypt, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and other lands is wrong.

That being said, the Bible tells of a time when more persecution will hit those truly part of the Church of God.

In the past, real Christians were persecuted because they:

• Kept Passover on the 14th
• Refused to eat unclean meat
• Would work on Sunday
• Had false accusations railed against them
• Were binitarian
• Kept the Sabbath
• Were not trinitarian
• Taught that the pope was an Antichrist and precursor of the final Antichrist
• Rejected papal authority
• Did not accept idols
• Had different teachings than the Church of Rome
• Had writings Rome did not like
• Rejected Roman sacraments
• Objected to the dress of the Roman ministry
• Considered Rome to be the prophecied Babylon
• Taught that in the time of the final Antichrist that some would fall away
• Had practices that Rome considered Jewish
• Refused to baptize infants
• Did not participate in carnal warfare
• Teaching the Kingdom of God
• Teaching the millennium
• Baptized adults

In the future, according to Catholic teachings, they ALSO will be persecuted for:

• Not accepting non-biblical teachings about Mary
• Not accepting the Great Monarch (Beast, King of the North)
• Teaching that the Kingdom of God will come soon
• Not accepting the ‘Great Monarch’ (who appears to be the King of the North of Bible prophecy)
• Not wearing crosses
• Teaching after the Great Tribulation begins that Jesus will return within a few years

Christians have been persecuted for holding doctrines that we in the Continuing Church of God hold and are clearly expected to be persecuted in the future for holding Continuing Church of God doctrines.

Persecution is a fact of history. It has happened before and we should be prepared for the fact that it will happen again. And during the time of the final persecutions, the Bible records:

12 Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

Thus, though the Philadelphian Christians will be subject to intense persecution first, even the Laodiceans (The Laodicean Church Era) and other Christians will receive some praise if they endure the persecutions that will then come during the time of “the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world” (Revelation 3:10).

1887 Depiction of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

COGwriter

More reports related are raising concerns of disease as well as food shortages associated with Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Typhoon Yolanda) in the Philippines:

Philippine Health Authorities Fear Outbreak of Illnesses

November 12, 2013

MANILA—Crowded evacuation centers and the lack of clean drinking and bathing water in areas in the central Philippines devastated by Typhoon Haiyan have health officials worried about disease.

The biggest immediate concerns are diarrhea and leptospirosis, a bacterial disease people develop after coming into contact with rat urine that can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure and respiratory problems, Health Assistant Secretary Eric Tayag told The Wall Street Journal.  http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2013/11/12/philippine-health-authorities-fear-outbreak-of-illnesses/

Disease fears as medics overwhelmed in Philippines after typhoon Haiyan

November 13, 2013

Authorities fear outbreaks of diseases in areas devastated by super typhoon Haiyan, with the United Nations calling for more urgency in rescue operations that have been hampered by armed looters desperate for food.

Philippine president Benigno Aquino declared desperately needed help would arrive faster as he ordered troops into villages and towns to protect relief supplies…

Bodies remain uncollected and decomposing in many of the affected areas, prompting fears of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera, aid workers said….

With telephone services cut across most of the islands of the central Philippines, authorities say it is difficult to know how deadly the storm was in remote areas.  http://www.smh.com.au/world/disease-fears-as-medics-overwhelmed-in-philippines-after-typhoon-haiyan-20131112-2xekf.html#ixzz2kSt4ErCi

Looters raided grocery stores and gas stations in search of food, fuel and water as the government began relief efforts and international aid operations got underway.

“Tacloban is totally destroyed. Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families,” high school teacher Andrew Pomeda, 36, told Sky News of the increasing desperation of survivors.

“People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food, rice and milk. I am afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger.”

“It’s like the end of the world,” said Nancy Chang, who walked for hours through debris to evacuate from Tacloban City.  http://www.news.com.au/world/super-typhoon-haiyan-kills-more-than-10000-in-philippines-destruction/story-fndir2ev-1226757095609

While it is not the same as “the end of the world,” the Bible has a series of events that include devastation followed by hunger and disease in Revelation Chapter 6:

1 Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.”

2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.

3 When He opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come and see.” 4 Another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another; and there was given to him a great sword.

5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 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.”

7 When He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come and see.” 8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth (Revelation 6:1-8).

Revelation 5:2 and 6:1 indicate that the seals related to the horsemen had not be opened prior to John’s vision in Revelation (circa 95 A.D.), thus an end time fulfillment (like in the 21st century) is consistent with this prophecy.

Jesus taught that weather-related troubles and food shortages would occur even before the end of the world:

4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.  5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.  6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:4-8).

5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 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 6:5-6)

8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

As the above shows, Jesus foretold on a time of natural disasters and “troubles” as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8; see also Weather Blessings and Sorrows)–and the sorrows seem to have begun. Yet the Book of Revelation (16:8-11) tells of a time of even greater disturbances during “the Day of the Lord.”

The ‘end of the world’ meaning the start of the Great Tribulation cannot begin until at least 2017 (Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2013, 2014, or 2015?; you can also watch a video sermon titled )–and then the end of this world will be 3 1/2 years later.  But sorrows seem to be intensifying now and are leading to to this final time of the end.

Those affected are in my prayers. Additionally, I have sent two emails to the Philippines to see how those in the Continuing Church of God are doing there, but have not heard from them.  Nor were they online to Skype. The area that they are in (Silay City) has been affected, but not as much as places like Tacloban have.

It needs to be understood that other areas of the world, including North America, are subject to having food shortages, pestilences, and other troubles themselves.

Ultimately of course, there is good news as ultimately, God’s kingdom will come and those issues will be gone (Revelation 7:16).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why Does Man Suffer? Herbert Armstrong gives biblical reasons on this topic.
Why Does God Allow Suffering? This is a pdf booklet put out by the old Worldwide Church of God that also answers questions about why God allows war as well as babies to die.
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account?
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? What does the Bible teach about weather? What about floods, droughts, heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, and solar storms? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather? A related item in the Spanish language would be Bendiciones y maldiciones del clima.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
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, Japanese, and others of Asia? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
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?
Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015 What are blood moons? Are four blood red moons going to happen as the result of lunar eclipses in 2014 and 2015? Are they really to occur on biblical holy days or Jewish holidays? Does NASA teach about blood moons? Can Jesus return in 2014 or 2015? Is ‘the rapture’ going to happen in 2014 or 2015? What does the Bible teach about blood moons? Can the Day of the Lord begin in 2014 or 2015? What about the Great Tribulation?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2013, 2014, or 2015? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2013 o 2014? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language video The Great Tribulation Will Not Begin Before 2017.
Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos This is the Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God in Tagalog, the primary language of the Philippines. Here is a link to the first Tagalog edition of the Bible News Prophecy magazine: MGA BALITA NG PROPESIYA NG BIBLIYA January-March 2013 edition.

COGwriter

Communist Chinese leaders are declaring their intention of becoming more capitalistic:

November 12, 2013

China’s Communist Party has wrapped up four days of high-level meetings with a promise to enact “comprehensively deepening reforms” in an effort to spur growth in the world’s second largest economy.

The official Xinhua news agency said Tuesday the leaders at the meeting, known as the Third Plenum, decided to allow the market to play a “decisive role” in allocating resources in China’s state-controlled economy.

In previous official documents, Xinhua said the market was often defined as playing a “basic” role. However, it is still not clear what exactly that new distinction might mean.

The closed-door meeting of the party’s 376-member Central Committee is seen as an opportunity to lay out the economic plan for China in the coming decade. http://www.voanews.com/content/china-to-enact-comprehensively-deepening-reform/1788404.html

November 12, 2013

BEIJING (AP) — China’s leaders promised a bigger role for market forces in the country’s state-dominated economy but failed to produce dramatic reforms to overhaul a worn-out growth model in a closely watched policy meeting Tuesday.

In a report after a four-day meeting, Communist Party leaders gave an unusually strong endorsement of private companies as “important components” of the economy but said state industries will remain its core, disappointing reform advocates who hoped the economic meeting would unleash a wave of change

The market will play a “decisive role” in allocating resources, the party said. http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/11/12/china-leaders-promise-bigger-role-for-free-market/3504393/

China is moving a bit more towards capitalism as the USA moves more towards state control and communism.  Yet, Chinese leaders have shown no real intention to not have more control any time they want it.

China has taken steps to attempt to dethrone the USA dollar as the world’s reserve currency.  They would like the reminbi yuan to replace it, or at least be part of a basket of currencies that would replace the role of the USA dollar.  They want to end USA dominance of the world (see, for example, China calls for ‘de-Americanisation’ of the world and points to USA debt crisis).

The Chinese believe that because of their trade surpluses, accumulation of gold, purchases of other assets, and financial strength, combined with increasing debt of the USA and regular trade deficits by the USA, that if it takes the right steps, in time, the USA will lose its economic and then ultimately military influence.

And while the USA is in the process of losing its dominance, China will not end up as much on top as its leaders seem to believe as the Bible shows that it will a European, not Asian, beast power that will rise up and temporarily have economic dominance before the return of Jesus Christ.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves?
Canada in Prophecy: What Does Bible Prophecy, Catholic Prophecy, and other Predictions Suggest About the Future of Canada? There are prophecies that suggest involvement with Canada. And many are not positive about its future.
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos.
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
Who is the King of the West? Why is there no End-Time King of the West in Bible Prophecy? Is the United States the King of the West?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2013, 2014, or 2015? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? See also the video The Great Tribulation Will Not Begin Before 2017.
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
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”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel. Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
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? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

The First Thanksgiving, painting by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1863–1930)

COGwriter

Today is the American holiday called Thanksgiving. Unlike most holidays observed in the USA, this one is not of pagan origin. Hence, the vast majority in the Church of God (COG) consider it an “optional” (not biblically-required) holiday.

According to Wikipedia:

In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. It is the only other country outside of the United States that officially observes the day as a holiday.

Jesus Himself seemed to observe a national Jewish, as opposed to a biblical, holiday called the Feast of the Dedication in the New Testament as He went to the Temple during it (John 10:22-23).

As Americans know, the history related to the USA Thanksgiving involves a group of people commonly known as the Pilgrims.

They were a dissenting religious group considered to be outside of mainstream “Christianity”. The Pilgrims felt that the only way freely to practice their religion was to physically separate themselves from the Church of England that had persecuted them. First to flee persecution, these “Separatists,” moved to the English Midlands. Then they went to Amsterdam in 1607. In 1609, they moved to the more religiously tolerant Netherlands. But they decided that this would not do. Finally, they began their voyage to America in 1620. It took months to cross the sea and they lost many during that voyage as well as after coming to America.. In spite of all their sufferings and the death of half of their company, in October 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest. In 1863, US President Lincoln made a proclamation that ultimately led to Thanksgiving becoming a US holiday.

The persecutions of the Pilgrims somewhat remind me of the history of the Church of God (a related article of interest may be Persecutions by Church and State)

One song that comes to mind to me at this time (and is in the old WCG hymnal, as well as CCOG’s hymnal with the title Oh Give Thanks and Praise the Eternal!) is based 1 Chronicles 16:8-13 upon which says:

8 Oh, give thanks to the LORD!
Call upon His name;
Make known His deeds among the peoples!
9 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
Talk of all His wondrous works!
10 Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD!
11 Seek the LORD and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
13 O seed of Israel His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

Those of us who understand God’s plan of salvation, should be thankful for being part of those chosen in this age. This is consistent with the following admonition from the Book of Psalms and one from Saint Paul:

4 Sing praise to the LORD, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 30:4).

16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Anyway, the Bible is full of admonitions to give thanks to God. in the NKJV the term “give thanks” is used 40 times and the term “giving thanks” is used 5 times–and nearly all of these verses are discussing giving thanks to God. The term “thanksgiving” is used 24 times. Here are a few of them:

14 Offer to God thanksgiving (Psalms 50:14).

30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. (Psalms 69:30)

2 Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. 3 For the Lord is the great God, And the great King above all gods. (Psalms 95:2-3)

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. (Psalms 100:4-5)

It is certainly appropriate to thank God for calling us, blessing us physical, and for the opportunity to understand the purpose of life and God’s way of life, the sacrifice of Jesus, and for the opportunity for salvation that He has given to us. We can be grateful for the understanding of God’s great plan that the Kingdom of God will bring peace and abundant prosperity.

Despite the fact that we and the peoples of the world will punished for our sins, God does have a plan to bring peace and prosperity (see the article Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism and a 6000 Year Plan?) and will offer salvation to all (please see the article Universal Salvation? There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis).

Give thanks and praise the Eternal!

14th Century Tapestry of the Third Horseman of the Apocalypse

COGwriter

While many believe that the USA will always have enough food, there are concerns as the New York Times reports:

November 11, 2013

At the beginning of 2012, the Agriculture Department projected the largest corn crop in the country’s history. But then a savage heat wave and drought struck over the summer. Plants withered, prices spiked, and the final harvest came in 27 percent below the forecast.

The situation bore a striking resemblance to what happened in Europe in 2003, after a heat wave cut agricultural production for some crops by as much as 30 percent and sent prices soaring…

Whatever their origin, heat waves like these give us a taste of what could be in store…

Among those who are getting nervous are the people who spend their lives thinking about where our food will come from…a report earlier this year from researchers at the London School of Economics and a Washington think tank, the Information Technology and & Innovation Foundation. The report cited a need for “more resilient crops and agricultural production systems than we currently possess in today’s world.”…

Scientists had long hoped that the effect of heat and water stress on crops might be offset by the very thing driving global warming: the sharp increase of carbon dioxide in the air. The gas is the main food supply for plants, and a large body of evidence suggested that the ongoing rise could boost crop yields.

But a lot of that evidence came from tests in artificial environments like greenhouses. Younger scientists, who insisted on testing crops in open-air conditions more closely resembling the real world, found that the bump in yield, while certainly real, was not as high as expected. And it may not be high enough to offset other stresses…

The good news is that agriculture has a tremendous capacity to adapt to new conditions, including a warming climate. Crops can be planted earlier, and new varieties that are more resistant to climate stress can be developed.

But experts say the research needed to make all this happen is getting short shrift.

“Our past successes in agriculture have lulled many of those in decision-making positions into a false sense of security,” said L. Val Giddings, a fellow with the Washington think tank and a co-author of its report. “It’s been so long since any of them were actually hungry.   http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/12/science/earth/warning-on-global-food-supply.html?_r=0

The Bible warns of droughts and food shortages.  Normally, it suggests that sins are a factor in causing negative weather changes:

13 ‘And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, 14 then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. 15 And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.’ 16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, 17 lest the Lord’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you. (Deuteronomy 11:13-17)

6 “Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities. And lack of bread in all your places; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord. 7 “I also withheld rain from you, When there were still three months to the harvest. I made it rain on one city, I withheld rain from another city. One part was rained upon, And where it did not rain the part withered. 8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the Lord. (Amos 4:6-8)

10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace — and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar — 11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. 12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?'” 13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. 14 So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 13:10-14)

15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: 16 “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country. 17 “Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. 18 “Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks. 19 “Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out. 20 “The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me. 21 The Lord will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess. 22 The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. 23 And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. 24 The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed. (Deuteronomy 28:15-24)

6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it. (Isaiah 5:6)

1 The word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah concerning the droughts. 2 “Judah mourns, And her gates languish; They mourn for the land, And the cry of Jerusalem has gone up. 3 Their nobles have sent their lads for water; They went to the cisterns and found no water. They returned with their vessels empty; They were ashamed and confounded And covered their heads. 4 Because the ground is parched, For there was no rain in the land, The plowmen were ashamed; They covered their heads. 5 Yes, the deer also gave birth in the field, But left because there was no grass. 6 And the wild donkeys stood in the desolate heights; They sniffed at the wind like jackals; Their eyes failed because there was no grass.” 7 O Lord, though our iniquities testify against us, Do it for Your name’s sake; For our backslidings are many, We have sinned against You. (Jeremiah 14:1-7)

5 “A sword is against the Chaldeans,” says the Lord, “Against the inhabitants of Babylon, And against her princes and her wise men. 36 A sword is against the soothsayers, and they will be fools. A sword is against her mighty men, and they will be dismayed. 37 A sword is against their horses, Against their chariots, And against all the mixed peoples who are in her midst; And they will become like women. A sword is against her treasures, and they will be robbed. 38 A drought is against her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is the land of carved images, And they are insane with their idols. (Jeremiah 50:35-38)

4 We pay for the water we drink, And our wood comes at a price. 5 They pursue at our heels; We labor and have no rest. (Lamentations 5:4-5)

16 Moreover He said to me, “Son of man, surely I will cut off the supply of bread in Jerusalem; they shall eat bread by weight and with anxiety, and shall drink water by measure and with dread, 17 that they may lack bread and water, and be dismayed with one another, and waste away because of their iniquity. (Ezekiel 4:16-17)

7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” (Haggai 1:7-11)

10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. (Revelation 8:10-11)

8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Revelation 16:8-9)

Droughts and weather problems, including floods and high heat, can contribute to food shortages, higher food prices, and sometimes famines.

The Bible is tells of a time that there will be food shortages and much more serious food inflation:

5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 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 6:5-6)

The sorrows and troubles are just beginning and will get much worse. Hopefully, people will wake up. Asia appears to wish to prepare more, at least at this time, than the USA and certain of its Anglo-allies.

While many will claim that because countries like the USA and Australia export a lot of grain that they are in a better position, the reality is that weather-issues, crop failure, and for the USA, high reliance on genetically-modified grains (for corn and soy), put these nations at risk. They should prepare more than it seems that they have.

Jesus said:

7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7-8)

37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! (Mark 13:36-37)

Tougher times are coming. And for some parts of the world these tougher time may be here now. People who can prepare, should: both spiritually and physically. Westerners need to realize that this will not only affect people in places like Africa, Asia, and the Middle East–the Anglo-descended nations of the West will themselves suffer hunger, civil unrest, famine, and worse. Super wheat will not be the solution–it is much more likely to contribute to a disaster.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2013 or 2014? 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?
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? What does the Bible teach about weather? What about floods, droughts, heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, and solar storms? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather? A related item in the Spanish language would be Bendiciones y maldiciones del clima.
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?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana

COGwriter

More reports related to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines show more problems, including food and clean water shortages:

Food, Water Are Top Concerns for Philippine Survivors

November 11, 2013

MANILLA — In the Central Philippines authorities are struggling to reach many of the some 600,000 people displaced by Super Typhoon Haiyan. Officials anticipate a death toll in the thousands.

At the Villamor Air Force Base in Manila, C130 planes filled with relief goods are headed to one of the hardest hit cities, Tacloban in Leyte Province.

Some relief organizations say their provisions are taking three times longer to get there because so many land routes have been blocked by massive piles of debris from fallen houses and trees…

Tito Lucinareo, a father of two boys from a small town 25 kilometers outside Tacloban. He says he did manage to get a call through to one of his brothers who said the children survived the storm. But Lucinareo is not sure if they have food.

He says, “You think about whether your child is eating. Is he hungry? He likes to eat, especially biscuits.”

Lucinareo, his brother and cousins packed bags full of food that they plan to take to their hometown on foot.

Some in Tacloban have resorted to looting with reports of grocery stores and shopping malls being ransacked by people in search of food and clean water…

At the Air Force Base, Nelida Palconite says she was not sure whether she could get on the flight to go home to Tacloban. So she made this plea.

“We need food, we need… everything that you could give us. Medicines, water,” she said.

An Armed Forces spokesman says “the whole situation is really a challenge” the military has to overcome.  http://www.voanews.com/content/food-water-are-top-concerns-for-philippines-survivors/1787683.html

Tacloban, Philippines (CNN) — Survivors root through the splintered wreckage of their homes searching for loved ones who may be buried beneath. Others are scrambling to find food and water in areas littered with corpses.

Three days after Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms in recorded history, scythed across the central Philippines, people here are struggling to grasp the enormity of what they have lost and the challenges they face.

The storm, known as Yolanda in the Philippines, has left devastation on a monumental scale in its wake.

Thousands of houses have been obliterated. Many areas are still cut off from transport, communications and power…Tacloban is far from the only devastated area. Authorities are trying to establish the level of destruction elsewhere along Haiyan’s path…

Early Monday, it hit the coast of northern Vietnam, where authorities had evacuated 800,000 people, according to the United Nations. It weakened to become a tropical storm as it moved inland.

Five people were reported dead, according to the state-run Vietnam News Agency.

Aid workers said Vietnam was likely to avoid damage on the scale suffered by the Philippines. But officials have warned the heavy rain brought by Haiyan could cause flooding and landslides in northern Vietnam and southern China.

For the devastated areas of the Philippines, the bad weather may not be over.  http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/11/world/asia/typhoon-haiyan/

Those affected are in my prayers.  Additionally, I have sent an email to the Philippines to see how those in the Continuing Church of God are doing there.  The area that they are in (Silay City) has been affected, but not as much as places like Tacloban have.

Jesus taught that weather-related troubles and food shortages would occur:

7…And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matthew 24:7-8).

5 When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. 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 6:5-6)

8 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:8)

As the above shows, Jesus foretold on a time of natural disasters and “troubles” as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8; see also Weather Blessings and Sorrows)–and the sorrows seem to have begun. Yet the Book of Revelation (16:8-11) tells of a time of even greater disturbances during “the Day of the Lord.”

It needs to be understood that other areas of the world, including North America, are subject to having food shortages and other troubles themselves.

Ultimately of course, there is good news as ultimately, God’s kingdom will come and those issues will be gone (Revelation 7:16).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why Does Man Suffer? Herbert Armstrong gives biblical reasons on this topic.
Why Does God Allow Suffering? This is a pdf booklet put out by the old Worldwide Church of God that also answers questions about why God allows war as well as babies to die.
Physical Preparation Scriptures for Christians. We all know the Bible prophecies famines. Should we do something? Here is a version in the Spanish language Escrituras sobre Preparación física para los Cristianos.
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse What do each of the four horseman of the Apocalypse represent? Have they began their ride? Did Jesus discuss the any of this? Might their rides coincide with the “beginning of sorrows? Do they start their ride prior to the Great Tribulation? Did Nostradamus or any other ‘private prophets’ write predictions that may mislead people so that they may not understand the truth of one or more of the four horseman? There is also a related YouTube video titled The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting.
Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account?
Weather Blessings and Sorrows Are weather problems a warning? What should be done? What does the Bible teach about weather? What about floods, droughts, heat, earthquakes, tornadoes, and solar storms? Here is a related YouTube video Does God Use Weather? A related item in the Spanish language would be Bendiciones y maldiciones del clima.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
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, Japanese, and others of Asia? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
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 2013, 2014, or 2015? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Paglalahad ng Mga Paniniwala ng Patuloy na Iglesya ng Diyos This is the Statement of Beliefs of the Continuing Church of God in Tagalog, the primary language of the Philippines. Here is a link to the first Tagalog edition of the Bible News Prophecy magazine: MGA BALITA NG PROPESIYA NG BIBLIYA January-March 2013 edition.