Church of God News

Official Photograph

COGwriter

US President Barack Obama gave his required State of the Union address several hours ago.  Here is some of what he said in it:

More oil produced at home than we buy from the rest of the world – the first time that’s happened in nearly twenty years. Our deficits – cut by more than half.  And for the first time in over a decade, business leaders around the world have declared that China is no longer the world’s number one place to invest; America is.

That’s why I believe this can be a breakthrough year for America. After five years of grit and determined effort, the United States is better-positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on Earth…

Across the country, we’re partnering with mayors, governors, and state legislatures on issues from homelessness to marriage equality…

As President, I’m committed to making Washington work better, and rebuilding the trust of the people who sent us here…

That’s what health insurance reform is all about – the peace of mind that if misfortune strikes, you don’t have to lose everything…

Our alliance with Europe remains the strongest the world has ever known.

The some of the above statements remind me of what a particular COG minister did when he wanted people to believe his church was more popular than the Continuing Church of God on the internet, when it was not–so he gave an inaccurate picture, and brought up less relevant data.  That is what I thought of the State of the Union talk.

As far as particular points in President Obama’s speech, let me state the deficit has not been cut in half.  It keeps growing.  While the rate is about half of when the stimulus he wanted was counted five years ago, the actual debt has risen.  And to point to the mood of investors towards the USA vs. China as proof that the USA is doing better is grasping at red herring issues.  It is not that all is negative (the USA’s oil production being up is a plus), but the USA is not doing as well as he indicated and really is heading in the wrong direction.  He is promoting the homosexual agenda on the marriage issue, in violation of the Bible.  I do not believe that he is rebuilding trust and has lost trust in the past year.  Health insurance reform has cost many their preferred health insurance.  His comment about Europe disagrees with the facts since the Snowden disclosures.  He did not discuss the type of regulatory relief that small business owners really want in his speech, so there was not much motivation for them to feel he truly understands or wants to help them either.

Let us consider what has happened since his last “State of the Union” address.

The USA has continued to increase its debt.  The USA was already the world’s most indebted nation of all time and that debt increased since the last “State of the Union” speech.  It did not drop.  This is dangerous and the Bible warns about being taken over because of it (Habakkuk 2:6-8).

Also on the economic side since the speech last year, China claimed it has surpassed the USA to become the world’s largest trading nation.  This does not bode well for the USA (and actually, the European Union, which is not considered as a ‘nation,” is the world’s largest trader and has a larger economy than the USA).

Additional regulations, such as related to Obamacare, have been implemented and hurt many Americans.  Promises that Barack Obama made related to people being able to keep their health insurance were broken.   Obamacare is also more costly than promised (Obamacare deadline and ramifications) and working people are losing coverage and/or paying more, often for less coverage.  Small business owners are pressed by this and other regulations that President Obama supports.

We will ensure equal treatment for all service members, and equal benefits for their families, gay and straight.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/12/transcript-obama-state-union-speech/#ixzz2KnGCU4Vj

A few weeks after that speech, the Obama Administration pleaded that the Supreme Court should overturn DOMA and California’s anti-homosexual marriage law.  This what the homosexual activists have long wanted.  This is dangerous and will end in destruction (Romans 1:18-32).

Moves were also taken to expand “abortion rights” (see US government leaders moving to expand homosexual and abortion ‘rights’)–this may be a factor not only in the increase in debt (see Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose and/or watch Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt.), but also in some of the severe weather the USA is experiencing (see Weather Blessings and Sorrows).

This month, President Obama made statements that possibly could intended to increase the acceptance of marijuana by the public.  Some have denounced him for that:

Michele M. Leonhart, the top official at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, told a group of sheriffs last week she’s unhappy with President Barack Obama’s recent comments on marijuana.

Leonhart, according to The Boston Herald, was frustrated by her boss’s statements to The New Yorker in which he said he doesn’t think pot is more dangerous than alcohol.  http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/01/marijuana_news_top_drug_enforc.html

When I asked Obama about another area of shifting public opinion—the legalization of marijuana—he seemed even less eager to evolve with any dispatch and get in front of the issue. “As has been well documented, I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from the cigarettes that I smoked as a young person up through a big chunk of my adult life. I don’t think it is more dangerous than alcohol.”

…he said, “we should not be locking up kids or individual users for long stretches of jail time when some of the folks who are writing those laws have probably done the same thing.” Accordingly, he said of the legalization of marijuana in Colorado and Washington that “it’s important for it to go forward because it’s important for society not to have a situation in which a large portion of people have at one time or another broken the law and only a select few get punished.”  http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2014/01/27/140127fa_fact_remnick?currentPage=all

Moderate amounts have been shown will improve the health and longevity of the majority (though not all).  That is not the case for marijuana.  While moderate amounts of alcohol are not intoxicating, moderate amounts of marijuana are intoxicating.  Smoking marijuana is not good (it is discussed in the article Should Christians Smoke?) and the President  should not be handling it the way he seems to be.  (I do not intend to debate marijuana’s potential legalization, but will say that getting high for recreation is inconsistent with how a Christian is to live–cf. Galatians 5:19-21.)

Since the last  “State of the Union” speech, in terms of human rights, the Snowden leaks showed that the USA has been violating them.  This, including its display of USA hypocrisy, will cause major problems for the USA (see The Snowden Leaks are Leading to the Destruction of the USA). His comment about Europe is prophetically naive as the Bible shows that a European power will eliminate the USA (Daniel 11:39, watch also Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?).  European leaders are incensed by the espionage by the USA against them and their industries–and they will remember this.  Barack Obama’s comments on Europe are simply dangerous.

The following was at a website yesterday in partial response to a cryptic tweet from Matt Drudge, famous for his Drudge Report:

Matt Drudge… took to his Twitter account with a simple warning consisting of just four words… Have an Exit Plan

Drudge included no other details with his Tweet.

The warning, while cryptic, may be the result of direct insider information…

Something has spooked Matt Drudge and he’s not alone. Last year one of America’s leading talk show hosts, Mark Levin, warned that the U.S. government has been simulating the collapse of our financial system and society with the potential for widespread violence. There are countless such examples of highly influential media personalities who are issuing similar warnings.

Within the realm of the alternative media, the last several years have yielded incredible insights into the inner workings of the U.S. government, political system and economic machinations. Everything from manipulations of our monetary system to the sometimes unbelievable expansion of the American police state has been extensively studied and reported by thousands of independent journalists, broadcasters and bloggers operating outside of the mainstream establishment’s sphere of influence.

There have been insider reports indicating that a crisis of unprecedented magnitude is coming to the United States. Contrarian economists, who are almost completely ignored by mainstream media, have warned of dire consequences to the continued operation of our systems of commerce, including our domestic food distribution networks. And though it has not been reported on the alphabet news channels, the U.S. military has been actively war gaming collapse scenarios and engaging in highly suspicious exercises across U.S. metropolitan areas.  http://www.shtfplan.com/headline-news/matt-drudge-issues-warning-have-an-exit-plan_01272014

Those in the USA have lost many rights that were originally provided for in its Constitution and Bill of Rights, and dangers loom (see also It is Citizenship and Constitution Day in the USA).  This is not to say that all of the rights removing events occurred in the last year or only under the Obama Administration, but this trend has appeared to have accelerated.  I do expect civil unrest and governmental intervention.

In terms of support of religious freedom for those that profess Christ, it has been reported that the  Obama Administration is now considered to be a facilitator of ‘Christian’ persecution.

In terms of how he conducts his presidency, the Christian Science Monitor’s front cover on Monday asked if Obama leads an ‘imperial presidency’?  Notice a few selected items related to Barack Obama’s speech last night reported by Julie Pace:

Obama Vows To Flex Presidential Powers In State Of The Union 2014 Speech

By JULIE PACE, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to energize his sluggish second term, President Barack Obama vowed Tuesday night in his State of the Union address to sidestep Congress “whenever and wherever” necessary…

“America does not stand still and neither do I,” Obama declared in his prime-time address before a joint session of Congress and millions of Americans watching on television…Obama sought to emphasize his presidential powers…

The president’s go-it-alone strategy is in many ways an acknowledgment that he has failed to make good on two major promises to the American people: that he would change Washington’s hyper-partisanship and that his re-election would break the Republican “fever” and clear the way for congressional action on major initiatives.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/28/obama-state-of-the-union-2014-video_n_4591087.html?1390966813&icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D436089

“Executive orders” are the way that US presidents tend to bypass Congress. While Barack Obama did not start the practice of ‘executive orders’ to bypass Congress, he certainly is one who has promoted that practice.  The co-called system of checks and balances that many in the USA think is in place in the federal government is simply not being utilized the way that its Constitution seems to have intended.  And getting around the US Constitution this is a trend that Barack Obama seemingly wishes to accelerate (note: so have Republican presidents–it is just that this is becoming more and more blatant).

Celebrity pornography has increased and become more inappropriate, even since the last State of the Union address.  Instead of condemning that trend, back in 2012, Barack Obama publicly praised one involved in celebrity soft pornography as perfect “role model” for his daughters (Pornography: A scourge on society).

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 real State of the Union in the USA and elsewhere?  Can those in the USA/UK see the Handwriting on the Wall?

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. A video of possible interest may be Will Will USA Spying Help the Beast Power?
Will the Anglo-Saxon 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? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
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?
WTO/TTIP and the Babylonian Beast Will international trade agreements like WTO/TTIP/CETA lead to the fulfillment of end time prophecies concerning the Babylonian Beast power that the Book of Revelation warns against? What does the Bible teach? A related video would be WTO Trade Deal and the Rise of the European Beast Power.
Can those in the USA/UK see the Handwriting on the Wall? Is everything fine in the USA/UK or is it like the days of Noah? Can we learn from the handwriting that appeared on a wall thousands of years ago? Here is a link to a related YouTube video Can you see the ‘Handwriting on the Wall’?
The Snowden Leaks are Leading to the Destruction of the USA Can what happened with the leaks of what the NSA has done help the USA to be taken over? What does the Bible teach that seems to be related to this? Here is a related YouTube video titled Are the Snowden NSA leaks leading to the destruction of the USA?
Pornography: A scourge on society Is pornography harmless fun? Does the Bible teach anything about it? What are the views of some involved with it? Here is a link to a YouTube video Pornography: Harmless Fun or a Scourge on Society?
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?
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.
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children. What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on? There is also a YouTube video on this, titled Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? Can homosexuals change?
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may also, or instead, wish to view the YouTube video Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt.
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.
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?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? 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?
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy  Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill?  Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic?  Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist?
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.

COGwriter

Another archeological discovery supports what the Bible teaches in the Hebrew scriptures (AKA the Old Testament):

A few characters scratched into the side of an ancient earthenware jug have archaeologists scrambling for their dictionaries — and wondering if it corroborates the Bible’s stories of King Solomon.

The Ophel inscription — 3,000-year-old characters found in Israel in July — is the earliest alphabetical written text ever found in Jerusalem. It proves the real basis behind the parables and stories in the world’s most famous book, said Gershon Galil, a professor of ancient history and biblical studies at the University of Haifa.

“We are dealing here with real kings, and the kingdom of David and Solomon was a real fact,” Galil told FoxNews.com, in a phone call from Israel…Three letters of the inscription are incomplete, and Galil translates them to read, “yah-yin chah-lak,” which is Hebrew for “inferior wine.” The first half of the text indicates the twentieth or thirtieth year of Solomon’s reign — making the entire inscription a label of sorts for the jug’s contents…

According to Galil’s understanding of the text, the writing ability demonstrated by the inscription proves the existence of a fully functioning administration that collected taxes, prepared storage jars and performed other duties as early as the second half of the 10th century BC.

“The Bible claims that Solomon built the temple and that he was the man that enlarged the city,” explained Galil. Outside of biblical texts, there has not been any evidence that Solomon in the mid-10th century BC ordered the building of the First Temple, the ancient Israelites’ place of worship where the Dome of the Rock currently stands.

Some suggest Judean King Hezekiah actually built the temple in Solomon’s name. Galil scoffed at the suggestion. http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/01/27/message-decoded-again-3000-year-old-text-may-prove-biblical-tale-king-solomon/

There has been a campaign by some opposed to Israel to claim that Solomon and others had no part in Jerusalem, etc.  But that is contrary to scripture.

Here are just a few passage of what Bible tells about Solomon and Jerusalem:

13 And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron. Also more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 Now these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet. (2 Samuel 5:13-16)
1 Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh’s daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and the wall all around Jerusalem.  (1 Kings 3:1)

15 Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants. (1 Kings 3:15)

1 Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the City of David, which is Zion. (1 Kings 8:1)

10 Johanan begot Azariah (it was he who ministered as priest in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem) (1 Chronicles 6:10)

This is interesting as we get closer to the end that archeologists continue to find more evidence of biblical peoples, figures, and events.

Of course, for those of us who believe the Bible, no further proof is needed. But for some who have heard statements from pseudo-archaeologists that deny the biblical accounts, it may be helpful for them to realize that as time goes on, more and more archaeological evidence surfaces that supports the Bible.

The Bible has proven trustworthy and will again.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Read the Bible Christians should read and study the Bible. This article gives some rationale for regular bible reading. Here is a link in Mandarin Chinese: 读圣经.
Bible: Superstition or Authority? Should you rely on the Bible? Is it reliable? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
What is the Appropriate Form of Biblical Interpretation? Should the Bible be literally understood? What do the writings of the Bible, Origen, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Augustine show?
Bible and Historical Resources on the Internet Electronic bibles, Two Babylons, early Christian literature, photos, and even links to old Herbert W. Armstrong materials.
Biblical Archaeology This is a website that has more information on biblical archeological as is sometimes known as the Bib Arch site.
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.

Viktor Yanukovich

COGwriter

The protests going on in Ukraine have gotten its current government to resign:

Ukraine Government Resigns

January 28, 2014

KYIV — Ukraine’s president on Tuesday accepted the resignation of the government in a bid to quell violent anti-government protests that have gripped the capital Kyiv. The demonstrations began two months ago after Viktor Yanukovich backed away from signing a deal with the European Union.

The Ukrainian president’s website said Mr. Yanukovych had accepted the prime minister’s resignation and that, under Ukrainian law, the rest of the Cabinet of Ministers must resign.

It said President Yanukovych had instructed the ministers to continue to carry out their duties “until the newly-formed Cabinet of Ministers starts working.”…

Yanukovich’s supporters in Parliament have vowed to push for a state of emergency to be declared if the opposition refuses to call on protestors to leave government buildings. That could see police and the military move to clear the protest camps.

But protestors won’t give up their territory without a fight.

They are reinforcing the barricades. Sacks filled with hard-packed snow and looped with razor wire block every entrance to Independence Square and surrounding streets. Protestors wearing helmets and armed with clubs and knives man the narrow entrances.

President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that Russia would keep its promise to lend Ukraine $15 billion and to reduce what it charges for natural gas exports to its neighbor even if the opposition comes to power.

Mr. Putin made his comments in Brussels, where he was attending an EU-Russia summit.

Meanwhile the anti-government demonstrations continue to grow in cities beyond Kiev.  As Ukrainian lawmakers seek a peaceful end to the crisis, the atmosphere on the streets remains extremely tense.  http://www.voanews.com/content/ukraine-government-resigns/1839052.html

At some point in time Ukraine will need to more fully decide between the European Union and the Eurasian Union as currently one could not be a member state in both. The protesters have tended to support the European Union.

Biblically (because of prophecies involving the Medes, some of which are in Ukraine, and some in the “north and east” in Daniel 11:44), it would seem that Russia would be close to Ukraine in the end. Yet it should also be mentioned that Bible prophecy indicates that there will be some type of cooperation between Russia and its allies and Europe for a while after the European Beast power has risen up (Revelation 13:3-4).  There also could be a split in Ukraine as there are different ethnic groups and at least two widely spoken languages.

However, Bible prophecy shows that ultimately Russia and its allies (likely to include Ukraine, or some ethnic group currently part of it, at some point) will turn against the European Beast power–for biblical details, see Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future 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?
The Eurasian Union, the Kings of the East, and Bible Prophecy Is there a Eurasian union that will be formed? Is one being formed right now? Are any leaders working on that in the 21st century? Does the Bible teach that there will be a Eurasian union? If some type of Eurasian union is formed, who might it benefit and who will it destroy? A related video would be Is The Eurasian Union Rising?
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
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?
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.

Damage from Syrian Conflict

COGwriter

A COG member sent me the following:

My mom’s side relatives have lived in Aleppo, Syria all their lives, which has had a large thriving Eastern Orthodox Christian Armenian community for nearly a century. A number of them have left during the recent turmoil if they were able. An article in a recent daily news update on cogwriter referred to Christian persecution there. Well, the rebel groups are the ones bombing churches and persecuting those who refer to themselves as Christians (including Armenians). Two of my relatives were kidnapped by rebel forces (now released by ransom money). My relatives are upset at the so-called Arab Spring. It has destroyed the peace, the economy and their way of life, which they were happy with. The more secular Arab leaders like Assad have treated professing Christians very well for decades (though they may be harsh in other ways). The Armenians had no trouble with their religion, churches, schools, cultural activities, and speaking the language. They were highly regarded in the community. Now the rebels want to overthrow the regime and have a fanatical Moslem government, and, like you say, eventually try to establish a caliphate across the Middle East. They persecute any group calling itself Christian and are causing the disintegration of the Orthodox Christian communities.

The situation in Syria is horrible.  I have been praying for those affected in Syria for some time and again ask others to also do so.  The post at COGwriter that he specifically referred to was Obama Administration considered to be a facilitator of ‘Christian’ persecution.

While the Continuing Church of God does not consider that the modern Armenian Orthodox are part of the Church of God, there are certain doctrinal similarities (as well as important doctrinal differences, see Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God).

The records of history demonstrate that early as the first century A.D. there were Church of God Christians in Armenia.  The Armenian Orthodox have claimed:

Christianity was preached in Armenia as early as the second half of the first century by the two disciples of Jesus Christ, namely, St. Thaddeus (John 14:22-24) and St. Bartholomew (John 1:43-51). During the first three centuries Christianity in Armenia was a hidden religion under heavy persecution.

The true Church of God has long endured persecution and I do believe that there were true Christians in Armenia for quite some time.

Around the time of Constantine it was known that there were binitarian Paulicians in Armenia who also kept the seventh-day Sabbath. Tamar Davis reported:

Eustathius was succeeded by Erius, a priest, and semi-Arian…Erius…condemned multiple marriages by the priests…Erius also condemned fasts, stated feasts, prayers for the dead, and the celebration of Easter; he urged a purer morality and a stricter observance of the Sabbath. He had many followers, whose numbers were augmented by one of Paul of Samosota, from whom they were called Paulicians. Notwithstanding the opposition of the prelates, who invoked the secular arm to prevent the defection of their spiritual subjects, the tenets of this sect struck deep root in Armenia and many of its eastern provinces, and finally the great body of Christians in the former country, withdrew from the Episcopal communion, and publicly espoused the sentiments of the Paulicians…The bishops of Syria, Pontus, and Cappadocia, complained of the defection of their spiritual flocks…induced the Grecian emperors to commence, and continue for nearly two centuries, the most terrible persecutions against the Paulicians.

Armenian scholar Nina Garsoian in The Paulician Heresy, wrote: “It would, then, appear that the Paulicians are to be taken as the survival of the earlier form of Christianity in Armenia” (p. 227). She also wrote that the Paulicians were “accused of being worse than other sects because of adding Judaism” (p. 213).

The Catholic Encyclopedia calls the Paulicians heretics because they were basically against idolatry and Catholic ritualism:

The Paulicians, as part of their heresy held…that all external religious forms, sacraments, rites, especially material pictures and relics, should be abolished. To honour the Cross was especially reprehensible.

Furthermore, note this historical writing about the Paulicians in Armenia:

From the earliest ages they have devoutly hated the error and idolatry of the Greeks. Like the primitive Christians, they have ever exhibited an unconquerable repugnance to the use or abuse of images, which, in the eighth and ninth centuries spread like a leprosy…and supplanted all traces of genuine piety in the visible church…

The Catholic saint and doctor Jerome said that various of the Nazarene Christians were in Armenia in the fourth and fifth centuries (see Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes?).  Some of the Paulicians and many of the Nazarene Christians were part of the Church of God.

In the eighth and ninth centuries, many of the Armenian Paulicians were forcibly resettled in the Balkans by Byzantine emperors. After being relocated to the Balkans, the Paulicians came to be called Bogomils.

The Eastern Orthodox also oppressed the Bogomils. Notice this odd admission from an Orthodox scholar (bolding mine):

The Orthodox, as have all religions, berated other confessions and denominations. But Orthodoxy was always benign – no “jihad”, no bloodshed, no forced conversions and no mass expulsions – perhaps with the exception of the forcible treatment of the Bogomils. It was all about power and money, of course. Bishops and archbishops did not hesitate to co-opt the Ottoman administration against their adversaries…

Notice that the Orthodox claim to have not caused bloodshed, forced conversions, or mass expulsions of any group, except what they did to the Bogomils. It is not completely clear how they treated others, but obviously, they felt mistreating people that were associated with the original Church of God was acceptable. Of course, some of the Orthodox began their persecutions much prior to the Bogomils with the early Paulicians (not just the Samosatans), various (like 4^th century) Sabbath-keepers, and the Quartodecimans.

This type of persecution is consistent with what happened to true Christians in the Pergamos and Thyatira eras of the true Church of God.

The historian, Fred C. Conybeare observed this about the Armenians affiliated with the Paulicians:

They are accused by their Armenian opponents of setting at naught all the feasts and fasts of the Church, especially Sunday…The Sabbath was perhaps kept… they were probably the remnant of an old Judaeo-Christian Church, which had spread up through Edessa into Siuniq and Albania…We know that the Pauliani continued to keep Passover on the fourteenth of Nisan…Of the modern Christmas and of the Annunciation, and of the other feasts connected with the life of Jesus prior to his thirtieth year, this phase of the church knew nothing. The general impression which the study of it leaves on us is that in it we have before us a form of Church not very remote from the primitive Jewish Christianity of Palestine.

The following is from the Catholic Priest Basil Sarkisean’s work Manichaean Paulician Heresy and is from a 987 A.D. letter written by Gregory of Narek against the Paulicians (Note that I have left out additions by the editor/translator F. Conybeare):

Then among the observances which we know to have been repudiated by them as neither apostolic or divine the mysterious prayers of genuflexion…

The Font is denied by them…

the communion of immortality…is denied…

We know that they deny the adored sign, which God, made man, raised and carried on his shoulders.

Harvard scholar H. Brown wrote:

The Bogomils…Its doctrine of God is highly dualistic…There is no True Trinity

One of their so-called “dualistic” teachings was that this is Satan’s world. One scholar noted that an:

 …important idea of Bogomils and Cathars, i.e. that this world is the kingdom of the devil.

Perhaps it should be noted that groups like the faithful in the Church of God also believe that this is Satan’s world (cf. Matthew 4:8; Luke 4:5; 2 Corinthians 4:4). This will change, however, when Christ returns (Revelation 11:15). This being Satan’s world is part of the reason that the Bible warns us to not love this present world (1 John 2:15-17).

Another reason that their teachings are called dualistic is probably because, as non-trinitarians (see also Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity?), they would have most likely been binitarian (see also Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning).

Notice this from The Catholic Encyclopedia:

The heresy of the Bogomili was started in the tenth century…followers called themselves Christians and considered their faith the only true one. In Bosnia they were named Paterines. The Paterines, or Bogomili…forbade intercourse with those of other faiths, disbelieved in war.

The true Church of God remains opposed to Christians participating in carnal warfare (see Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence?).

It is of historical interest to note the following doctrinal admissions in the article on the Paulicians in The Catholic Encyclopedia (bolding mine):

They honoured not the Cross, but only the book of the Gospel. They were Iconoclasts, rejecting all pictures…

The whole ecclesiastical hierarchy is bad, as also all Sacraments and ritual. They had a special aversion to monks…

Since Gibbon the Paulicians have often been described as a survival of early and pure Christianity, godly folk who clung to the Gospel, rejecting later superstitions, who were grossly calumniated by their opponents…

In Armenia the sect continued in the “Thonraketzi” founded by a certain Smbat in the ninth century. Conybeare attributes to this Smbat a work, “The Key of Truth”, which he has edited. It accepts the Old Testament and the Sacraments of Baptism. Penance, and the Eucharist. This work especially has persuaded many writers that the Paulicians were much maligned people. But in any case it represents a very late stage of their history, and it is disputed whether it is really Paulician at all.

The following is apparently from the work History of Armenia by Chamich and is from a 1054-1058 A.D. letter written by Gregory Magistros against the Manichaean (Note that I have left out additions by the editor/translator F. Conybeare):

…they represent our worship of God as worship of idol. As if we, who honour the sign of the cross and the holy pictures, were still engaged in worshiping devils.

Those who opposed idols and icons (see What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons?) were often persecuted (see Persecutions by Church and State).

Interestingly, The Catholic Encyclopedia article also admits:

The emperor Alexius Comnenus is credited with having put an end to the heresy. During a residence at Philippopolis, he argued with them and converted all, or nearly all, back to the Church (so his daughter: “Alexias”, XV, 9). From this time the Paulicians practically disappear from history. But they left traces of their heresy. In Bulgaria the Bogomile sect, which lasted through the Middle Ages and spread to the West in the form of Cathari, Albigensians, and other Manichaean heresies, is a continuation of Paulicianism. In Armenia, too, similar sects, derived from them, continue till our own time.

Notice that even some Roman Catholic scholars know that it is possible that some of the Paulicians were the survivors of an early and pure Christianity and that they had spiritual descendants that continued into the future (Alexius Comnenus died in A.D. 1118 and essentially dealt with the Paulicians at Philippopolis in the late eleventh century),  such as those within the Thyatira era, as well into modern times! This, combined with Gibbon’s account, is supportive of the view that a laying on of hands continued from the beginning, through the late eleventh century and beyond. The Cathari were also known to be pacifists, as were the faithful among the Paulicians. Of course, there were many called by those names that were not faithful.  But completely faithful or not, they were often persecuted.

There has long been a history of persecution against those who hold Church of God teachings.  And the Armenians, including those that no longer hold Church of God teachings, have also been persecuted.  The persecution and atrocious massacre by the Turks about a century ago is still an important issue for Armenians.  The persecution of Armenians in Syria and elsewhere in the 21st century is atrocious as well.

Between civil war, chemical weapons, murders, deaths, and war crimes, it is terrible what the people in Syria, Armenian or not have had to endure. They, along with all of us, need to pray “Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10, KJV).

Items of possibly related interest may include:

Persecutions by Church and State This article documents some that have occurred against those associated with the COGs and some prophesied to occur. Will those with the cross be the persecutors or the persecuted–this article has the shocking answer. There is also a YouTube video sermon you can watch: The Coming Persecution of the Church. Here is information in the Spanish language: Persecuciones de la Iglesia y el Estado.
Nazarene Christianity: Were the Original Christians Nazarenes? Who were the Nazarene Christians? What did they believe? Should 21st century Christians be modern Nazarenes? Is there a group that exists now that traces its history through the Nazarenes and holds the same beliefs today? Here is a link to a related video sermon Nazarene Christians: Were the early Christians “Nazarenes”?
The Pergamos Church Era was predominant circa 450 A.D. to circa 1050 A.D. An especially persecuted Church.
The Thyatira Church Era was predominant circa 1050 A.D. to circa 1600 A.D. The Church during the Inquisition.
Some Similarities and Differences Between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Continuing Church of God Both groups claim to be the original church, but both groups have differing ways to claim it. Both groups have some amazing similarities and some major differences. Do you know what they are?
Military Service and the Churches of God: Do Real Christians Participate in Carnal Warfare or Encourage Violence? Here are current and historical perspectives on a matter which show the beliefs of the true church on military participation. Is war proper for Christians? A related sermon would be: Christians, Violence, and Military Service.
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians?
Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus: The Son of God and Saviour Who was Jesus? Why did He come to earth? What message did He bring? Is there evidence outside the Bible that He existed? Here is a YouTube sermon titled Jesus: Son of God and Saviour.
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it? Here is an old, by somewhat related, article in the Spanish language LA DOCTRINA DE LA TRINIDAD.
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.
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.
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?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? 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.
Blood Moons and Prophecy There are four ‘blood moons’ expected in 2014 and 2015. Do they signal the Day of the Lord or the return of Jesus Christ? A related YouTube video is also available: Blood Moons, Prophecy, 2014, and 2015.
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.
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.

(Photo by Geierunited)

COGwriter

Another actor whose image promoted Marlboro brand cigarettes has died of lung disease:

Actor Eric Lawson, once the face of Marlboro cigarettes, has died from respiratory failure due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), at the age of 72.

From 1978 to 1981, Lawson appeared in print ads as “The Malboro Man,” a rugged cowboy synonymous with the cigarette brand…

Lawson’s wife, Susan, told Variety that the actor had been a smoker through much of his life, starting at the age of 14, though he quit when he was diagnosed with COPD. “He knew the cigarettes had a hold on him,” she said in an interview with Variety. “He knew, yet he still couldn’t stop.”

Lawson isn’t the only former face of Marlboro to die from smoking-related diseases. Wayne McLaren, who appeared in Marlboro print ads, died of lung cancer in 1992, and David McLean, who appeared in print and television spots, died of lung cancer in 1995.  http://entertainment.time.com/2014/01/27/marlboro-man-eric-lawson-dies-of-lung-disease/

The tobacco industry knowingly sells and entices people to use an addictive poison –nicotine, which is part of why it is hard to stop.  Every day more than 3,000 children try smoking for the first time, according to Tobacco-Free Kids–about 1/4-1/3 then get basically get addicted to it.

To appeal to teenage boys, companies like Marlboro have tended to use images of tough, masculine appearing men.  To appeal to teenage girls, tobacco companies have tended to indicate that smoking is exciting and keeps one slim.

People are often enticed to smoke:

Hard to Refuse

Smokers find it hard to quit because it’s difficult to refuse offers of cigarettes from others, and taking offers of cigarettes is one of the most frequently cited reasons for initiating smoking, according to the research, which was supported by the National Cancer Institute.

Cigarettes are given as gifts in many societies and were frequently exchanged in the U.S. from at least the 1930s before falling out of favor in the 60s.  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-05/buying-double-happiness-reveals-china-s-tobacco-battle.html

But smoking is bad.  Smoking is bad for the smoker.  Smoking is bad for those around the smoker.  The Bible teaches:

10 My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. (Proverbs 1:10)

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. (James 1:13-15)

If people realized how harmful many behaviors, and not just smoking, were, there would be a lot of positive benefits for society. In the coming  millennial kingdom of God more will realize this.

Notice some of what the New Testament teaches:

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

37…”‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Consider that smoking does not glorify God in your body–it harms your body. Consider that smoking also does not show love towards one’s neighbor–it harms your neighbor. Smoking is a sin against the body, and sometimes more than that.

Smoking is wrong, it is harmful, and it kills people. God wants people to change/repent (Acts 17:30)–which means that, despite its difficulties it can be done (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13). The sooner one starts the better one will be. Christians should strive to not smoke.

Some items of possibly related interest include:

Should Christians Smoke?  Is smoking a sin? What does the Bible teach? What have COG leaders written? Can smokers change? What about marijuana?
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains how he is and should be viewed today.
Overcoming Sin What is sin? How are Christians suppose to overcome it? Here is also a link to a video titled How to Overcome Sin.
How to Prevent Sin This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Just What Do You Mean Conversion? Many think that they are converted Christians. But are they? Would you like to know more about conversion. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.

Nagasaki Nuclear Bomb (1945)

COGwriter

A new report admits that Iran has sought to build nuclear weapons:

Iranian official confirms country sought to build nuclear weapons

A founder of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards now admits that the Islamic Republic was seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. This is the first time any regime official has made such an admission, even as another report claims that one of Iran’s most radical clerics was the spiritual overseer of the nuclear weapons program.

“We pursued ways in order to gain nuclear arms,” Gen. Mohsen Rafiqdoost told the regime’s Mehr News on Saturday. “I asked Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] what his opinion was. He said do not pursue atoms, and we stopped.”

But that claim falls short of the truth. In the late 1980s, a letter by Mohsen Rezaei, then the chief commander of the Guards, asking Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Revolution, for approval of the nuclear bomb program was revealed. It showed the leader had approved of seeking nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, another report out of Iran suggests that one of Islamic regime’s most radical Shiite clerics, who reputedly had the attention of the 12th Imam, was the spiritual father of Iran’s nuclear program. (Shiite clerics, who are the de facto rulers of Iran, believe that Mahdi, who was born in 869, will descend to earth at the time of Armageddon.) http://dailycaller.com/2014/01/26/iranian-official-confirms-country-sought-to-build-nuclear-weapons/#ixzz2rYuJM8rG

This is not a surprise.  I have had reports warning about Iran’s nuclear intentions, including some relatively recent ones (Don’t be fooled about Iran’s nuclear intentions and Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issues nuclear warning to the world).

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly claimed before to have gotten certain messages from the ’12th Imam,’ which encouraged him to want to develop nuclear weapons.

Here is some information about the Shi’ite version (Iran is mainly Shi’ite Muslim) of the 12th Imam:

Imam Mahdi is the 12th Shia Imam and according to Islamic hadiths is in ‘occultation’ or hidden and will return to earth to establish peace and justice on earth. He was born on July 29 869 in the city of Samarra, Iraq and his mother Nargis was of Roman descent. He was kept hidden from birth till he disappeared because the rulers of the time the Abbasids knew the Prophesy of Imam Mahdi who will bring about a revolt against oppression and tyranny. The Abbasid’s knew that the prophesised one will be the son of the 11th Shia imam, Imam Al Askari. http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/08/11/why-is-israel-looking-for-imam-mahdi

Note: The Shi’a feel he will be this hidden one, the Sunni look for a leader, but do not believe that he needs to be the son of Nargis or anyone who lived before the 20th century.

Now here are some signs supposedly forecasting the Imam Mahdi (the following is more of a Sunni view, the Shi’ites see the 12th Imam as more mystical and having been kept in a type of suspended animation for over 1000 years):

Hazrat Imam Mahdi (A.S.) ( Courtesy: http:// www.kr-hcy.com/ articles/ imam-mehdi )…

The term “MEHDI” is a title meaning “Guided one”. The Mehdi is a normal man who is going to follow the true Islam. His name will be Muhammad and his father name will be Abdullah. He is a descendant from Ali and Fatima (daughter of the prophet Muhammad) so he will be descendant from al-Hasan or al-Hussain or both. The Mehdi will be very just and his capital will be Damascus. The Mehdi is NOT a prophet but he is the final Rightly Guided Khalifah. The Mehdi will lead Muslims to a great victory against the Sufyaani and the Romans. This great war or Armageddon…

DETAILS OF IMAM MEHDI

The following are facts taken from the sayings of the Messenger of Allah( Sallallahu alayhi wasallam):

Name and Title

His name will be the same as that of (The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam), i.e. Muhammad. In addition, his father’s name will be Abdullah. His title is the-Mehdi, meaning the guided one. The Holy Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam also called him Khaleefatullah, meaning “the Deputy of Allah”.

FAMILY LINEAGE

Imam Mehdi will belong to the tribe of Quraish and the family of Fatima, the offspring of Imam Hasan…

BIRTHPLACE

He will be born in Madina Shareef.

PHYSICAL FEATURES

He will be tall with a fair complexion, having a broad forehead and an aquiline nose, with a mole on his right cheek.

SIGNS BEFORE HIS APPEARANCE AS THE MEHDI

The world will be filled with a great amount of injustice and oppression. There will be widespread evil in which all people will be heavily involved.

Muslim countries and their people will have become so weak that even animals would defeat them in battle.

Muslims would be totally disunited, hence their state of weakness. On the other hand, the Kuffar of the whole world would be united under one leader…

Throughout the world earthquakes would occur frequently. Innocent people will be put to death…

The Abdaals and pious leaders will all be on the lookout for Imam Mehdi, knowing that only he could bring relief to the failing Ummah…

HIS LEADERSHIP, BATTLES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

With his army now bolstered by saintly and pious people Imam Mehdi will defeat his enemies…

During his rule, the Muslims will experience great economic enrichment. There will be no droughts and lands will be exceptionally fertile…

Imam Mehdi will conquer the city of Constantinople (presently known as Istanbul). The story behind this conquest is as follows:

After the earthquakes, which destroyed his enemies, and the subsequent amassing of Muslim armies under his leadership, the Imam will leave Makkah for Madina, where he will offer salaam at the Rozah Mubarak (The Grave of The Messenger of Allah Sallallahu alayhi wasallam).

Having done this his next step would be to proceed on to Damascus, where the bulk of the Nasara (Christian) forces along with the tribe of Kalb would be deployed, as was previously mentioned.

In Damascus, the Imam will set up his headquarters. From here, he will conduct military operations against the enemies of Islam and defeats them (such as the ones in Jerusalem), and from here, he will rule.

In response to this, the Roman forces will attack, and destroy the city of the Prophet (Madina), and start to gather their forces against its inhabitants…

After the slaying of Dajjal by Prophet Eessa, Imam Mehdi will not live for very long. A few months will elapse and this great Imam, a man who provided the perfect sequel to Allah’s Supreme Religion -ISLAM, will pass on to the realms of the hereafter. The Muslims will perform his Janazah Salat and bury him, and the Messiah son of Maryam will then become the new ruler of the Muslims. (http://www.nooredarwesh.com/main/imam-mahdi-as viewed 05/01/10)

Abu Nadra reported: We were with the company of Jabir Ibn Abdillah… Jabir Ibn Abdillah kept quite for a while and then reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said: “There would be a Caliph in the last (period) of my Ummah who would freely give handfuls of wealth to the people without counting it.” I said to Abu Nadra and Abu al-Ala: Do you mean Umar Ibn Abd al-Aziz? They said: NO, (he would be Imam Mahdi). References: Sahih Muslim, English version, v4, chapter MCCV, p1508, Tradition #6961 Sahih Muslim, Arabic version, Kitab al-Fitan, v4, p2234, Tradition #67 (Imam Mahdi (Descendent of Prophet Muhammad PBUH) by Mufti A.H. Elias and Mohammad Ali ibn Zubair Ali. Islam.tc, http://www.islam.tc/prophecies/imam.html viewed 02/03/2012)

And while there have been earthquakes in various places, etc., Muslims need to be careful about this as this individual does not seem to be one who is trustworthy according to the Bible (cf. Daniel 11:27), nor will his European counterpart be (Daniel 11:27-44). Another point about the first version above, is that while some Muslims expect the Mahdi to be someone who is released from centuries of suspension from paradise, the above one states that he will simply be a “normal man” who is to follow “true Islam.”

Since this “Mahdi” is supposed to be somehow an “anointed” one, the following prophecy might include him:

24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect (Matthew 24:24).

The Greek word for “christs” (χριστος) basically means anointed. Thus, while the Mahdi probably will not claim to be Jesus (nor will the elect possibly accept him), he will likely and falsely claim that he is anointed. And it is possible that some signs and/or wonders may follow him or be attributed to him–so this many deceive many. Hence, the idea of some type of supernatural influence with the final King of the South should not be ruled out.

Though not all Muslims expect the Imam Mahdi, some still seem to long for a leader to unify the Arab World. Some Muslims are looking for a political-spiritual leader, sometimes called the Caliph in English, to rise up (Caliph is a shortened version of “Khalifah rasul Allah” meaning “Successor to the Messenger of God”). The title caliph has been given to the head of state in Muslim-governed countries in the past and is something people of my faith have long suspected would rise again to fulfill Bible prophecy:

The supreme office of caliph, originally elective, became hereditary…Eventually…caliphs became figurehead or “puppet” leaders…Many Arabs…seek to re-create the political and theological unity of the early Islamic caliphate (Stump K. The Arab World in Prophecy. Plain Truth, December 1979, pp. 9-10).

Interestingly, within Islam, there is a belief that someone who sounds like the biblical “King of the South” of Daniel 11, who they tend to call the Mahdi or 12th Imam will participate in a deal like the one in Daniel 9:27…the Bible predicts the rise in the end time of a Future King of the South—and this person may be the one that Muslims will consider to be their prophesied “Mahdi.” …“the Muslim World League issued a fatwa in October of 1976 commanding Sunni Muslims to believe in the concept of an Islamic Savior called the Mahdi.”…Shi’ites also would do well to recognize that just because someone may claim to be the final Imam (or Mahdi), does not mean that God will agree that he should be followed. Neither Sunnis nor Shi’ites should support one who will appear to possibly be the final Imam in the next decade; whoever claims to be will be defeated soundly (Daniel 11:40-43). (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect, Nazarene Books, 2009).

Iran has wanted more military power, including various weapons that can cause mass destruction.

Iran’s use of such items may well result in its neutralization. As regular readers of the COGwriter news page are aware, I have been warning for some time that a regional war involving Iran, Israel, the USA, and/or Syria seems likely.

Since Iran, however, is NOT really south of Jerusalem (though it may support such a king per certain interpretations of the peoples listed in Ezekiel 30:1-9), it will not be the final King of the South of Bible prophecy (cf. Daniel 11:40-43). Because of that, I have tended to believe that Iran may somehow get “neutralized” before this final king rises up. A serious attack by the USA and/or Israel may neutralize Iran and much of its influence–but Iran might hit hard first.

“Neutralizing” Iran would allow most of the other Islamic states (like Saudi Arabia and Egypt) to continue to exist (Syria might not do well per Isaiah 17:1) and allow for the rising of the prophesied King of the South to rise up (revolution in Iran, is also another possibility, for its “neutralization”). Israel has stated in the past that it will stop Iranian nuclear ambitions whether or not the USA will support it doing so.

Yet, Iran may have a role in Isaiah 22 and this will not bode well for Israel (and probably ultimately not Iran). The USA, itself, may also be damaged.

The top leadership of Iran has a Shi’ite Muslim agenda, which they have concluded includes causing chaos and war. I, for one, do not believe that Iran’s leaders have given up on their goals of Islamic domination. This latest report is simply further evidence that Iran has nuclear ambitions, despite what certain of its leaders tell others in the West.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran in Prophecy. Here is a related video Iran In Prophecy.
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 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. Another article related to Iran translated into the Spanish language is: Irán y líderes israelíes discuten las intenciones nucleares de Irán.
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.
Jerusalem To be divided and eliminated Many want Jerusalem. Who does the Bible teach will control Jerusalem? Will the Jews be forced out of Jerusalem and many made captive? What did Jesus teach about this? Are nations even now considering providing the prophesied armies to surround Jerusalem? What is Jerusalem Day? What is Nakba Day? What events should Christians watch in Jerusalem as signs that the Great Tribulation will begin? What is the solution to Jerusalem? This is a video.
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?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (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?
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? 2014, 2015, or 2016? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What is the seven-year deal? 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?
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.

Angry Birds Game by Rovio

COGwriter

It is now reported that the NSA’s and UK’s GCHQ’s surveillance actions include spying on those using Google Maps or playing a game called Angry Birds:

January 27, 2014

The National Security Agency and its UK counterpart GCHQ have been developing capabilities to take advantage of “leaky” smartphone apps, such as the wildly popular Angry Birds game, that transmit users’ private information across the internet, according to top secret documents.

The data pouring onto communication networks from the new generation of iPhone and Android apps ranges from phone model and screen size to personal details such as age, gender and location. Some apps, the documents state, can share users’ most sensitive information such as sexual orientation – and one app recorded in the material even sends specific sexual preferences such as whether or not the user may be a swinger.

Many smartphone owners will be unaware of the full extent this information is being shared across the internet, and even the most sophisticated would be unlikely to realise that all of it is available for the spy agencies to collect.

Dozens of classified documents, provided to the Guardian by whistleblower Edward Snowden and reported in partnership with the New York Times and ProPublica, detail the NSA and GCHQ efforts to piggyback on this commercial data collection for their own purposes.  http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/27/nsa-gchq-smartphone-app-angry-birds-personal-data

January 27, 2014

The NSA and its British counterpart are tapping popular smartphone apps such as Angry Birds to peek into the tremendous amounts of very personal data those bits of software collect — including age, location sex and even sexual preferences, according to new reports from the New York Times and The Guardian.

Citing confidential documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden, the reports detail efforts to supplement data collection from cell phone carriers and smartphones by tapping into “leaky” apps themselves…

Both spy agencies showed a particular interest in Google Maps, which is accurate to within a few yards or better in some locations and would clearly pass along data about a phone owner’s whereabouts…

More surprising is the wide range of apps that the agencies cull for data, including innocent-seeming apps such as “Angry Birds.” One document in particular from GCHQ listed what information can be extracted from which apps, citing Android apps but suggesting the same data was available from iPhone apps.

Angry Birds maker Rovio said it had no knowledge of any NSA or GCHQ programs or mechanisms for tapping into its users’ data.

“Rovio doesn’t have any previous knowledge of this matter, and have not been aware of such activity in 3rd party advertising networks,” said Saara Bergstrom, Rovio’s VP of marketing and communications. “Nor do we have any involvement with the organizations you mentioned [NSA and GCHQ].”

Mobile photo uploads appear to be a particularly rich source of information for the spy agencies as well.  http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2014/01/27/nsa-spying-through-angry-birds-google-maps/

Various fiction television programs and motion pictures have indicated that the government can spy on people through their telephones, webcams, outside security cameras, and distant satellites, all of which can apparently be done and have been used.  Yet, though spying through a video game on a telephone seems bizarre, this, too, has been shown in motion pictures.  Those who did not believe it was possible or true, now should realize that it is.

In my view, the USA’s National Security Agency has repeatedly violated own rules, the intent of the Constitution of the USA, and various foreign laws. It has been able to force companies to collect and transmit data that they have not wanted to do–this latest revelation will likely hurt the company behind Angry Birds as well as Google, yet neither company apparently knowingly went along with the NSA here.

By doing what it has been doing, the NSA is, according to American-companies, apparently strengthening non-USA tech companies, which in turn, will make it harder for NSA to spy as much as it wants (Rovio of Angry Birds can argue that they never could or would have done this as they are not subject to the authority of the NSA or GCHQ, unlike a firm like Google which is). Ultimately, this will help the continental Europeans and result in disaster for the USA and UK. It is also not helpful for the economy of the USA or the UK.

As I have mentioned before, even if the NSA is ordered to stop all of it, it will be too little too late. The reality is that because of the Snowden disclosures, the USA has agreed to share intelligence, espionage, and data collection techniques with the continental Europeans and foreign companies are benefiting from the fear of many being involved with American software/etc.

NSA and other government officials simply try to do as much as they feel that they ‘legally’ can, despite the protections that were written into the Constitution of the USA, such as the Bill of Rights.

Yet, there are consequences for this abuse. The consequences are starting to hurt the USA, its reputation, its economy, and its companies. Ultimately, it will be even much worse. It is not likely that USA government agencies want to give up power, and will likely attempt to make the most minor of adjustments to pretend that they are not as intrusive as they are or can be.

The so-called ‘land of the free,’ is really the land without privacy.  And the UK does not seem to be any better (with the amount of surveillance cameras on streets there, such as in London, may actually be worse than the USA, though the USA has been installing more of late).

The USA will pay for its hypocrisy according to biblical prophecies (cf. Isaiah 10:6, KJV). President Obama possibly could try to truly reverse this (the UK’s David Cameron could do something, but probably not enough), but I am not expecting much more than politically-intended statements and limited changes, despite whatever rhetoric he or his administration will state. Nor do I believe that a Republican administration will do that either (it was a Republican Administration that pushed through the poorly named Patriot Act).

January 27, 2014 Cover

COGwriter

Today’s cover issue of Christian Science Monitor Weekly reports the following about the presidency of Barack Obama:

Is Barack Obama an imperial president?…

Obama, a former constitutional law professor, was once skeptical of the aggressive use of presidential power. During the 2008 campaign, he accused President George W. Bush of regularly circumventing Congress. Yet as president, Obama has grown increasingly bold in his own use of executive action, at times to controversial effect.

The president (or his administration) has unilaterally changed elements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); declared an anti-gay-rights law unconstitutional; lifted the threat of deportation for an entire class of undocumented immigrants; bypassed Senate confirmation of controversial nominees; waived compliance requirements in education law; and altered the work requirements under welfare reform. This month, the Obama administration took the highly unusual step of announcing that it will recognize gay marriages performed in Utah – even though Utah itself says it will not recognize them while the issue is pending in court.

Early in his presidency, Obama also expanded presidential warmaking powers, surveillance of the American public, and extrajudicial drone strikes on alleged terrorists outside the United States, including Americans – going beyond Mr. Bush’s own global war on terror following 9/11. But more recently, he has flexed his executive muscle more on domestic policy.

In the process, Obama’s claims of executive authority have infuriated opponents, while emboldening supporters to demand more on a range of issues, from immigration and gay rights to the minimum wage and Guantánamo Bay prison camp.

To critics, Obama is the ultimate “imperial president,” willfully violating the Constitution to further his goals, having failed to convince Congress of the merits of his arguments.  http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2014/0126/Is-Barack-Obama-an-imperial-president

The above article is actually fairly long, and there are more examples in it.

Let me simply state that, overall, US Presidents have tended to take more power to themselves and rarely are they stopped by Congress or the Supreme Court (both of which could intervene according to the Constitution of the USA).  In my view, the presidents have, though they take an oath to protect and defend the US Constitution, tend to look for ways around it to suit their agendas.

While the USA is supposed to have a lot of checks and balances, and brags to the world about them, in reality many no longer seem to work as the framers of the US Constitution seemingly intended.  And this is another reason why the USA comes across as a hypocritical nation.  That will be deadly to the USA in the future:

5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation.

6 I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.  (Isaiah 10:5-6, KJV)

The Bible shows that a European/Assyrian power will rise up and be used to punish the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies.

The Bible itself also warns against pushing the homosexual agenda:

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.  (Romans 1:18-32, NKJV)

While there have been compromises in other presidential administrations,  as the report from Christian Science Monitor Weekly indicates the Obama Administration has approved and pushed the homosexual agenda harder, both in public and with its ‘legal’ positions than any other.  This will not turn out well according to the Bible.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

COGwriter

In a move stunning certain scientists, famous physicist Stephen Hawking declared that there are no ‘black holes’ in the universe:

Renowned British scientist Stephen Hawking has stunned physicists by declaring there are no black holes.
In a paper published online, Professor Hawking says instead of black holes there are grey holes. The fresh theory tries to address what is known as the black-hole firewall paradox, which has puzzled scientists for almost two years. The professor’s new grey hole theory would allow matter and energy to be held for a period of time before being released back into space. The theory offers a solution to the paradox. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=aaf_1390715981#hd0Oh2eFu8GFoqZG.99

On the other hand, here is other information about ‘black holes’ and why many believe in them:

A black hole is a region of spacetime from which gravity prevents anything, including light, from escaping. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole, there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that marks the point of no return. The hole is called “black” because it absorbs all the light that hits the horizon, reflecting nothing, just like a perfect black body in thermodynamics. Quantum field theory in curved spacetime predicts that event horizons emit radiation like a black body with a finite temperature. This temperature is inversely proportional to the mass of the black hole, making it difficult to observe this radiation for black holes of stellar mass or greater…

Black holes of stellar mass are expected to form when very massive stars collapse at the end of their life cycle. After a black hole has formed it can continue to grow by absorbing mass from its surroundings. By absorbing other stars and merging with other black holes, supermassive black holes of millions of solar masses may form. There is general consensus that supermassive black holes exist in the centers of most galaxies.

Despite its invisible interior, the presence of a black hole can be inferred through its interaction with other matter and with electromagnetic radiation such as light. Matter falling onto a black hole can form an accretion disk heated by friction, forming some of the brightest objects in the universe. If there are other stars orbiting a black hole, their orbit can be used to determine its mass and location. These data can be used to exclude possible alternatives (such as neutron stars). In this way, astronomers have identified numerous stellar black hole candidates in binary systems, and established that the core of our Milky Way galaxy contains a supermassive black hole of about 4.3 million solar masses…

Astrophysicists searching for black holes thus have to rely on indirect observations. A black hole’s existence can sometimes be inferred by observing its gravitational interactions with its surroundings. A project run by MIT’s Haystack Observatory is attempting to observe the event horizon of a black hole directly. Initial results are encouraging. (Wikipedia, viewed 01/26/14)

Why bother to report about any of this?

Basically, to help demonstrate that various scientists, despite claiming to be somewhat certain about many things in the universe, simply do not know as much as they act like they do.  And, they are often changing parts of their explanations.

I listened to a radio interview from New Zealand recently where the scientist being interviewed admitted that just as much  antimatter should have come to being when matter did, that this is a puzzle to him and other scientists about the origin of the universe.  Those of us who believe in the Bible and the use of truthful logic realize that since God created the universe, He simply could have chosen to produce much less antimatter than regular matter.

Instead of accepting this, many so-called scientists (they are so-called when they accept beliefs that they know contradict various laws of the universes) claim that they need more time to develop alternative explanations.  And many have been claiming this for well over a century.  Whether or not there are ‘black holes’ or ‘grey holes,’ the Bible properly teaches:

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Romans 1:20-23).

The most recently uploaded sermon for the Continuing Church of God was Is it logical to believe in God?

Years ago, I wrote a little bit about Stephen Hawking which is in the article Stephen Hawking vs. God: God Wins.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true? Here is a link to a YouTube sermon titled Is it logical to believe in God?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Where the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long?
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?
How is God Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient? Here is a biblical article which answers what many really wonder about it.
Has time been lost? It Saturday the seventh day of the week?
Why Were You Born? Why did God make you? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject. You may also wish to read the article What is Your Destiny? or watch the video, also titled What is Your Destiny?
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?
Bible: Superstition or Authority? Should you rely on the Bible? Is it reliable? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.

Hillary Rodham Clinton (Kai Moerk 2012)

COGwriter

More seem to be supporting a bid for a possible run by Hillary Clinton for US president in 2016:

26 January 2014

DES MOINES, Iowa — Hillary Rodham Clinton hasn’t announced whether she will run for president in 2016. But her supporters in early voting Iowa are organizing anyway.

Top Iowa Democrats gathered Saturday in Des Moines to build support for a potential Clinton White House bid. Craig Smith, a senior adviser to the Ready for Hillary super PAC, says he wants to ensure Iowa support is in place should Clinton run…

Ready for Hillary is building a national network in preparation for a Clinton candidacy. Priorities USA announced Thursday it would back Clinton if she runs, a sign that senior members of Obama’s campaign team are lining up behind the former first lady and secretary of state.  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iowa-supporters-encourage-hillary-clinton-to-run-in-2016/

(CNN) – Political observers are trying to read the tea leaves after the largest super PAC that backed President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign is now raising money for a potential Hillary Clinton bid.

The group, Priorities USA Action, also added Obama’s top re-election campaign official, Jim Messina, to its roster as co-chairman…

Messina isn’t the first former Obama campaign aide to jump into the Hillary Clinton orbit.

Ready for Hillary, a group that raises money and pushes for Clinton to run, said last summer they had partnered with 270 Strategies, a consulting firm run by Mitch Stewart, the director of battleground state strategy for Obama’s 2012 campaign, and Jeremy Bird, who was Obama’s national field director in last year’s contest.  http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/24/does-obama-secretly-support-hillary-clinton-for-2016/

Sexism for the win! Could prejudice bring it home for Hillary Clinton in 2016?America’s first female president, brought to you by . . . sexism!…

If the misogyny flows as freely in 2016 as it did during Clinton’s first presidential run, the Republicans are doomed. They’re already in trouble with female voters, and it wouldn’t take much to erode that standing further…

The world of gender politics has changed in the past six years. The sexist swipes that were normal then won’t fly in a post-“war on women” culture. Feminism has hit a tipping point…

This month, Time featured a story on Clinton’s possible 2016 run, with Clinton represented on the magazine’s cover as a giant high heel trampling a tiny man. “Can Anyone Stop Hillary?” the headline asked. The image, which played on old stereotypes reducing women to shoes and clothes, elicited some outrage but also much collective eye-rolling, because it felt like a throwback to another era. Slate’s Amanda Hess called it “sexist and hacky”; the Huffington Post and Marie Claire also denounced it. Mommy blogs got mad, too. “Why, when we’re talking about a professional, powerful woman,” Maria Guidoasked on Mommyish.com, “do we oftentimes default to an image of her trampling over men to get to the top? . . . Women read your magazine, you realize this, right?”

Perhaps the biggest change surrounding women’s responses to political misogyny comes from the explosion of social media. Women on Twitter and Facebook shared their ire over the Time cover minutes after its release — much as they do every time something truly offensive happens, whether it’s objectionable news media coverage, a politician’s blunder or a new anti-woman law. But, unlike most Internet outrage, feminist Internet outrage gets results. And it will give the Clinton campaign — and Hillary supporters — a weapon they did not have last time around…

No doubt, there will be a tremendous amount of sexism lobbed at Clinton if she runs for president. It just won’t be as explicit or gleeful as in years past. At least, that’s what Republicans are hoping. The GOP is so worried about further alienating female voters that it is sending its candidates to classes on how to talk to women — or, more accurately, how not to talk to them. http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/sexism-for-the-win-could-prejudice-bring-it-home-for-hillary-clinton-in-2016/2014/01/24/ee61eb00-8450-11e3-bbe5-6a2a3141e3a9_story.html

Many in the Democratic party of the USA are moving to support Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton.  Some have long suggested that many possibly voted for Barack Obama for US President to demonstrate that they were not racist against blacks.  And, so now at least one author seems to think concerns about ‘sexism’ may assist Hillary Clinton.

Will she run? Might she win?

Back in September 2013, her husband, Former US President Bill Clinton stated that if she did run in 2016 her next campaign “will be better” (see Bill Clinton: Hillary’s next campaign ‘will be better’).

As far back as 2006 (News of The Churches of God) and 2007 (News of The Churches of God) I also commented about a possible Hillary Clinton presidency, and feel that it remains a strong possibility–though not a certainty.

Ever since Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of the United Kingdom, I have felt that it is likely that the USA would end up with a female president or at least a highly influential woman in a top level federal government job. And Hillary Clinton has been fulfilling the latter for many years herself as a US senator then Secretary of State (as have various female Supreme Court justices, senators, etc.).

A female presidency can partially fulfill a prophecy in Isaiah 3:12:

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.

Of course, women are influential in the English-speaking nations and it is not absolutely required that the USA itself have a woman president (the USA is soon to end up with a woman as chairman of the Federal Reserve, and there already have been women on the US Supreme Court), but I do feel that if we do get one, that this would be a partial, but significant, fulfillment of that prophecy. And whether she runs or not, she is causing people to err by her positions on homosexual marriage and abortion.

When Barack Obama was re-elected I posted that I did not believe that the Great Tribulation would begin until after his second term ended (see Obama Re-Elected, So What is Ahead?). However, presuming she actually gets elected to become US President, the Great Tribulation could be during a Hillary Clinton term.

We will see first if she if fact does decide to run. But if she does, no one should expect her to reverse herself and take a lot of biblically-supportable moral positions that disagree with the politics of the day.

Today, I also put together a new article titled Hillary Clinton in Prophecy which has more information about her, her background, and steps she has taken consistent with certain biblical prophecies as well as in violation of various biblical admonitions.

Several items of possibly related interest may include:

Hillary Clinton in Prophecy  Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill?  Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic?  Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist?
Can you see the ‘Handwriting on the Wall’? Thousands of years ago, King Belshazzar saw a hand appear at a big party he was hosting. The hand wrote Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. Shortly after the Prophet Daniel explained it, his empire was taken over and King Belshazzar died. Is this applicable today? Are there signs right before our eyes that show that the end is coming to the United States and its Anglo-descended allies. Do abortions, sexual immorality, celebrity pornography, and increased debt mean anything? What does the Bible show?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2014, 2015, or 2016? 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.
Should a Christian Vote? This article gives some of the Biblical rationale on this subject.
Women and the New Testament Church Were women important in the New Testament Church? Which women and how were they involved?
Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may also, or instead, wish to view the YouTube video Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt.
Cross-dressing and other assaults against your children.  What should you do? Is there an agenda to turn your children and/or grandchildren away from biblical morality and towards practices promoted by homosexuals? What does the Bible teach about cross-dressing? What should parents do? If there is an agenda, what has been going on?  There is also a YouTube video on this, titled Cross dressing and Other Assaults Against Your Children.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?  Can homosexuals change?
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.