Church of God News

Claimed ‘Lady of Guadalupe,’ Mexico City (Photo by Jan Zatko)

COGwriter

December 12th is designated by the Church of Rome as the memorial day for “Our Lady of Guadalupe.” Here is some additional information about it from a Catholic source:

Guadalupe is, strictly speaking, the name of a picture, but the name was extended to the church containing the picture and to the town that grew up around the church. It makes the shrine, it occasions the devotion, it illustrates Our Lady…

The word is Spanish Arabic, but in Mexico it may represent certain Aztec sounds.

Its tradition is long-standing and constant, and in sources both oral and written, Indian and Spanish, the account is unwavering. The Blessed Virgin appeared on Saturday 9 December 1531 to a 55 year old neophyte named Juan Diego, who was hurrying down Tepeyac hill to hear Mass in Mexico City. She sent him to Bishop Zumárraga to have a temple built where she stood. She was at the same place that evening and Sunday evening to get the bishop‘s answer. The bishop did not immediately believed the messenger, had him cross-examined and watched, and he finally told him to ask the lady who said she was the mother of the true God for a sign. The neophyte agreed readily to ask for sign desired, and the bishop released him.

Juan was occupied all Monday with Bernardino, an uncle, who was dying of fever. Indian medicine had failed, and Bernardino seemed at death‘s door. At daybreak on Tuesday 12 December 1531, Juan ran to nearby the Saint James convent for a priest. To avoid the apparition and the untimely message to the bishop, he slipped round where the well chapel now stands. But the Blessed Virgin crossed down to meet him…

Gathering many into the lap of his tilma, a long cloak or wrapper used by Mexican Indians, he came back. The Holy Mother rearranged the roses, and told him to keep them untouched and unseen until he reached the bishop. When he met with Zumárraga, Juan offered the sign to the bishop. As he unfolded his cloak the roses, fresh and wet with dew, fell out. Juan was startled to see the bishop and his attendants kneeling before him. The life size figure of the Virgin Mother, just as Juan had described her, was glowing on the tilma. The picture was venerated, guarded in the bishop‘s chapel, and soon after carried in procession to the preliminary shrine. (Our Lady of Guadalupe. http://saints.sqpn.com/our-lady-of-guadalupe/ viewed 11/30/13)

The above is one fancified account and somewhat inaccurate report about it. While it is true that the bishop did not believe it at first, he also correctly at first understood that this was some pagan apparition. Mary, the mother of Jesus, never appeared there, and even the Catholic priest in the region initially realized that.

But reports of this apparition did affect civilization.

Here are more details, this time from my book Fatima Shock!:

The Lady of Guadalupe: Aztec Connections

One of the most important claimed Marian apparitions is the appearance of one in Mexico known today as Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Antonio Socci reported:

The apparition of Guadalupe—according to the general acknowledgement of historians—was what attracted the Indians to Christianity. Therefore, it was precisely Guadalupe that gave birth to Latin American Christianity. (Socci A. The Fourth Secret of Fatima. Loreto Publications, English Translation 2009, p. 143)

Some, like Ted and Maureen Flynn, have gone so far as to state:

Our Lady of Guadalupe means, “She Who Crushes the Serpent.” (Flynn T, Flynn M. The Thunder of Justice. MaxKol Communications, Inc. Sterling (VA), 1993, p. 27)

But that seems to be a misunderstanding on their part. Dr. Jeanette Rodríguez, a Catholic scholar, wrote:

Juan Diego…said, “She calls herself ‘Tlecuauhtlacupeuh.’ ” To the Spaniards this sounded like “Guadalupe”…But the Nahuatl language does not contain the letters d and g; therefore our Lady’s name could not have been “Guadalupe”… The Nahuatl understanding of “Tlecuauhtlacupeuh” is La que viene volando de la luz como el áquila de fuego (she who comes flying like a region of light like an eagle of fire, Echeagaray 1981:21). The region of light was the dwelling place of the Aztec gods, and the eagle was a sign from the gods. (Rodriguez J. Our Lady of Guadalupe: faith and empowerment among Mexican-American women. University of Texas Press, 1994, pp. 45-46)

So, the Lady sounded a lot like an Aztec goddess.

Here are three online Catholic reports:

The appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Aztec Indian Juan Diego …generated the conversion of Mexico, Central and South America to Catholicism. (Our Lady of Guadalupe. http://www.maryourmother.net/ Guadalupe.html viewed 03/21/2011)

Our Lady of Guadalupe…appeared to an Aztec Indian…on Tepayac Hill, near Mexico City on December 9, 1531. (A PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE. http://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/our-lady-of-guadalupe.html viewed 03/21/2011)

The Virgin of Guadalupe appeared in what is now Mexico City on the holy hill of Tepeyac, dedicated to Tonantzin, the Mother Earth goddess of the Aztecs. That is one reason why the bishop didn’t believe Juan Diego. He must have thought: “We know who appears on that mountain and it’s not the Virgin Mary but some pagan goddess!” Actually, the native Mexicans thought the same thing: “We know who appears on that hill: Tonantzin!” And so they referred to what we call ‘Virgin of Guadalupe’ as ‘Tonantzin’ for more than a century. To this day Mexicans know the Virgin if {sic} Guadalupe not as just another form of Mother Mary, but as a particularly Mexican Queen of Heaven. (Rozett E. Mother Mary and the Goddess. http://www.interfaithmary.com/pages/mary_goddess.html viewed 04/07/2011)

It has been claimed that “Tonantzin, the mother goddess of the Aztecs, then took the form of the Virgin Mary. Therefore Tonantzin was substituted…because of the necessity to convert to the Catholic religion under a new political regime.” (Breaux JJ. Intransigence & Indifference: Essays Concerning Religion and Spirituality. Lulu.com, 2008, p. 85)

Bernandino Sahagún, a Catholic missionary, wrote, “Now that the church of Our Lady of Guadalupe has been built the Indians call her Tonantzin…This is an abuse that should be stopped…The Indians today as, in the old days, come from afar to see this Tonantzin.”(Bernandino Sahagún, 1958 as cited in Smith JB. The image of Guadalupe, 2nd revised ed. Mercer University Press, 1994, p. 111) Though Tonantzin could have been more of a title than a name, she is sometimes known as Coatlique, the serpent skirt goddess. (Espinosa G, Garcia MT. Mexican American religions: spirituality, activism, and culture. Duke University Press, 2008, p. 161)

Over one hundred years ago, the following was written:

The Legend of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Over three hundred years ago, it is said, an Indian was walking near the hill of Guadalupe, when there appeared to him a dark-skinned maiden. She ordered him to go to the Bishop and tell him she desired to have a church built in her honor on that spot… The Mexicans believe that the Virgin is their only protector, and they pray, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, save us from the wrath of Christ. Holy Mary, Mother of God, save us from the wrath of Christ.” (Woman’s missionary friend, Volumes 41-42. Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1909. Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized Dec 10, 2008, p. 57)

Notice that the Lady wanted something built for her honor and many believed that it was through the Lady that they could be spared from Christ! The Bible shows it is Jesus who spares from the wrath to come (1 Thessalonians 1:10), not Mary. Thus, it could not have been a visit from Mary of the Bible. Furthermore, the Bible repeatedly mentions that God is merciful (e.g. James 5:11), but sacred scripture never specifically mentions that that any should go to Mary for mercy. The fact that at least one account states that the Lady had dark-skin (she has also been called the “mestiza Virgin”: Anderson C, Chávez E. Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love. Random House Digital, Inc., 2009, p. 79) and “Indian Virgin”: Rodriguez, p. 45) suggests that she did not look the same as certain other apparitions many later claimed to be Mary.

Why report any of this?

Because just like the Lady of Guadalupe (who could not have been Mary) was used to convert much of Latin America to a form of Catholicism, it is likely that a future apparition will be used to convert people in the end times to an ecumenical form of “Catholicism.” People need to be warned about this.

So, just one ‘Marian apparition’ has been claimed to have been effective in turning Latin America predominantly Roman Catholic–this profoundly affected those cultures and the world. What will happen if some type of ‘Marian apparition’ is seen and even shown on media like television and/or the internet?

It has been my contention for several years, after searching the scriptures and studying history, that one or more apparitions believed to be Jesus’ mother ‘Mary” will be seen by the general public. Will not many be deceived by this? The Bible is clear that massive deception is coming (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Pope Francis has been encouraging Marian devotion through his words and actions. Even Russia’s President Putin has joined in (Russia’s Putin and Pope Francis both kiss Marian icon). Increased acceptance of non-biblical views of Mary are affecting people.

Here is some of what Pope Francis has said:

MESSAGE TO THE AMERICAS for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe…the Patroness of the Americas. I would like to greet all my brothers and sisters on that continent, and I do so thinking of the Virgin of Tepeyac…

When the image of the Virgin appeared on the tilma of Juan Diego, it was the prophecy of an embrace: Mary’s embrace of all the peoples of the vast expanses of America – the peoples who already lived there, and those who were yet to come…I ask all the people of the Americas to open wide their arms, like the Virgin, with love and tenderness. http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/12/11/pope_francis_sends_message_to_the_americas/en1-754682

So, Pope Francis is calling for all to turn to his version of Mary and hopes others will in the future.

Even in New York City, the Guadalupe adoration is being promoted:

STATEN ISLAND, N. Y. — A mass celebrated in Spanish by Bishop Gerald Walsh, vicar general of the Archdiocese of New York, will be the highlight of a celebration on Thursday in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and the Mexican people, at Holy Rosary Parish in South Beach.

The day will begin with the traditional Mananitas, which is the early morning serenading of the statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe, at 6:30 am in the parish mission church on Sand Lane. A procession with the statue of Our Lady will begin in the mission church at 6:45 p.m. and proceed to the main church at 80 Jerome Avenue. http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/12/post_642.html

Notice that people serenade an idol, and that this is encouraged by Roman Bishops. People are somewhat getting prepared for more Marian veneration. Perhaps I should mention here that the “rosary” alleged entered the Church of Rome from someone who claimed that he got it from a claimed Marian apparition. ‘Marion apparitions’ have affected humanity and may have even greater impact in the not-so-distance future.

Partially, to see how modern people view apparitions (as part of my book research) my wife and I went to Fatima, Portugal. While at Fatima I was surprised by the size of its entire sanctuary complex, but not the vast amount of visitors which came. My wife Joyce and I saw thousands of visitors in Fatima on May 29, 2011. And that is much less than the amount who tend to show up there on May 13 and October 13 (the anniversary days of the first and last appearance of the apparition) each year. Millions visit Fatima, Portugal each year, with the vast majority of them believing that Mary actually appeared there (though the apparition in Fatima never actually identified herself as Mary, nor based upon its appearance could it possibly have been).

It is remains my position that it is very likely that apparitions that people will claim will be Mary, the mother of Jesus, will be part of the signs and lying wonders that are mentioned in 2 Thessalonians 2:9 and Matthew 24:24 (cf. Isaiah 47; Nahum 3:4-5).

The current Marian focused Pope Francis, as well as somewhat like-minded bishops, will likely be a factor in this. The ‘success’ of the ‘Lady of Guadalupe’ should serve as a warning to all that the world can be highly affected by apparitions that some will falsely believe are Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Apparitions Do you know much about Mary? Are the apparitions real? What happened at Fatima? What might they mean for the rise of the ecumenical religion of Antichrist? Are Protestants moving towards Mary? How do the Eastern/Greek Orthodox view Mary? How might Mary view her adorers? Here is a link to a YouTube video Marian Apparitions May Fulfill Prophecy.
Satan’s Plan Does Satan have a plan? What is it? Has it already been successful? Will it be successful in the future?
Mystery of Civilization Why is civilization like it is? How will it end? What will replace it?Here is a link to a related sermon titled: Mystery of Civilization and How it Will End.
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Feast of the Immaculate Conception? Did early Christians teach Mary had an immaculate conception and led a sinless life?
Origin of the Marian Dogmas: Where Do Catholic Scholars Say The Four Dogmas of Mary Came From?
Assumption of Mary Did Mary die? Was she taken to heaven on August 15th? What is known? What does the Bible show?
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? Did Catholic and Orthodox “saints” endorse or condemn idols and icons for Christians?
Fatima Shock! What the Vatican Does Not Want You to Know About Fatima, Dogmas of Mary, and Future Apparitions. Whether or not you believe anything happened at Fatima, if you live long enough, you will be affected by its ramifications (cf. Isaiah 47; Revelation 17). Fatima Shock! provides concerned Christians with enough Catholic-documented facts to effectively counter every false Marian argument. In addition to the print version, there is a Kindle version of Fatima Shock! which you can acquire in seconds.

Ukrainian poster (Борис У.)

COGwriter

A U.S. Congressman is exposing another law by the government to eliminate the true expectation of privacy:

December 11, 2014

According to Congressman Justin Amash, Congress just passed a bill which grants the government and law enforcement “unlimited access to the communications of every American”.

When the Michigan lawmaker discovered that the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2015 had been amended with a provision that authorizes “the acquisition, retention, and dissemination” of all communications data from U.S. citizens, he desperately attempted to organize a roll call vote on the bill.

However, the legislation was passed yesterday 325-100 via a voice vote, a green light for what Amash describes as “one of the most egregious sections of law I’ve encountered during my time as a representative”.

The bill allows the private communications of Americans to be scooped up without a court order and then transferred to law enforcement for criminal investigations.

The legislation effectively codifies and legalizes mass warrantless NSA surveillance on the American people, with barely a whimper of debate.

http://www.infowars.com/congress-passes-bill-which-grants-unlimited-access-to-communications-of-every-american/

The government of the United States simply does not believe that anyone has privacy rights, especially on the Internet.  The expectation of getting warrants for protection (supposedly part of the Sixth amendment to the US Constitution) is pretty much gone (although it has been for some time, since the improperly named Patriot Act).

Notice the right that Americans supposedly have:

Sixth Article:
The right of the People to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Governments have repeatedly shown that they should not have unlimited access to all the information some within it want.  The USA has apparently decided it wants to continue in this direction.

However, this is causing a reaction against the USA and is increasing the amount of data many want to store in Europe to keep away for the USA (see WSJ: Data centers increasing in Europe in response to USA espionage).  This Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2015 will likely increase the trend for Europe to get more data that will be kept away from the USA–the USA will later learn how harmful this will be to it (Daniel 11:39).

Furthermore, as more and more governments get involved with Internet monitoring, it will become more and more accepted throughout the world, so when the Beast power does more of it (cf. Revelation 13:15-17), it will likely point to the precedents of the U.S.A. and other nations as proof that this is something that reasonably needs to be done.

Each year, more and more governments want more control over the Internet and what their citizens do on it. At some point in time, a famine of the word of God will happen (Amos 8:11), and governmental Internet controls/interference will almost certainly have to be used to do that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Sarajevo, Bosnia (Smooth-O)

COGwriter

Russia has objected to some of the West’s support for the European Union’s expansion plans related to Bosnia:

December 10, 2014

SARAJEVO—Russia broke with the West on Wednesday on an initiative to encourage reform in Bosnia with the carrot of European Union membership, saying that integration with the West was not the Balkan country’s only option.Britain and Germany have proposed unlocking EU cash and putting economic measures before political reforms in a bid to raise Bosnia out of a period of deep stagnation and move it along the path to EU accession.

The initiative won the general support on Wednesday of the Peace Implementation Council, a supervisory body of foreign powers including the United States, EU, Russia and Japan set up after Bosnia’s ethnic war in 1992-95.

Only Russia objected, peace envoy Valentin Inzko told a news conference after a meeting of the Council’s Steering Board.

“The Russian Federation is of the opinion that Euro-Atlantic integration is not the sole perspective for Bosnia…,” Inzko, an Austrian diplomat, said after a two-day meeting of political directors of the Steering Board, quoting from a Russian footnote appended to the Board’s statement. …

The objection reflected what Western diplomats say is a recent hardening of Russian policy towards the Balkans.

Moscow is nurturing ties with fellow Orthodox Christian Serbs in Bosnia who reject deeper post-war integration with Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats, and are generally more hostile to membership of the EU and NATO.

Power in Bosnia since its 1995 peace treaty has been split along ethnic lines, stifling reform and economic development.

Russia also raised eyebrows in November when, for the first time in 14 years, it declined to support the extension of a Western peacekeeping force in Bosnia, first led by NATO, but now by the EU. Russia abstained in the U.N. Security Council vote.

“They had a different opinion and I respect that,” Inzko said. “You are aware of what is happening on the global scene … that European politics has its direction and that Russians, who are not there … They thought they should not support it”.

On a visit to Sarajevo last week, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged Russia not to drag the Western Balkans into its deepening rift with the West over Ukraine.  http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-russia-says-western-integration-not-bosnia-only-option/2554435.html

Many may remember that Sarajevo was the site of the Winter Olympics in 1984.

Vladimir Putin wants all the nations that were once part of the old Soviet Union to be part of Russia or at least his upcoming Eurasian Union. He also wants Eastern Europe, China, India, Brazil, and as much of the world he can get to form an alliance against the USA.

The West wants to expand the European Union and wants it to include territories that were either part of the old Soviet Union as well as the Eastern European nations that were dominated by the old Soviet Union.

The USA itself keeps encouraging EU expansion, and this will not turn out well for the USA (cf. Daniel 11:39).

It is possible that Russia may try to use Bosnia as a type of bargaining chip with the West.  The West absolutely does not want Russia to end up with Bosnia, for if it does, then there are other eastern European nations that it potentially could lose that it does not want to lose.

However, some in the West are concerned about the level of corruption in Bosnia and realize that the EU may incur massive financial costs if it were to get further into the EU integration process.  Here is one view of the situation between the EU and the state of Bosnia:

Opinion: Bosnia is still Europe’s black-hole of corruption

Either the representatives of the European Union have the patience of saints, or they’re politically and strategically blind. Or they actually don’t have a choice. …

Over the past ten years, the EU’s representatives have consistently been made a fool of by the governing politicians of Bosnia-Herzegovina. And they have backed the wrong horse in the race – the more nationalist politicians with their feigned will to reform. They have repeatedly bought the hollow assurances about making the crisis-ridden Balkan country follow a European path from a corrupt political elite. But slowly it ought to be clear to every last representative of the Brussels bureaucracy that these politicians aren’t capable of leading Bosnia into the EU. And don’t actually want to.

Bosnia-Herzegovina has been a potential membership candidate of the EU since 2010. In order to move closer to the bloc, the country is obliged to introduce reforms – but that would mean an end to client politics.  …

It is right and important that the German and British foreign ministers want to help the small Balkan country move closer to the EU through economic and political reforms. But this is at least the fourth such initiative, and there must be some kind of criminal investigation inside Bosnia-Herzegovina before any further diplomatic attempt can be undertaken. The EU must support the judiciary in pursuing corrupt politicians.  http://www.dw.de/opinion-bosnia-is-still-europes-black-hole-of-corruption/a-18114406

All is not well in all parts of Europe.  Yet, Europe is in the process of expanding–and may well end up with Bosnia.

The Bible teaches that despite problems (cf. Daniel 2:41-43) and reorganizations (cf. Revelation 17:12-13) the European Beast power will have, it is prophesied to be the major power on the world scene for a time (cf. Revelation 13, 17, 18).

However, it should be understood that the Bible also prophesies that a Russian led confederation will later cause that end time ‘daughter of Babylon’ to fear as it will come to its end (Jeremiah 50:41-46; 50:28-33; Daniel 11:44-45).

One large power that may well align with Russia is India.  Notice something reported from there today:

December 11, 2014

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Prime Minister Narendra Modi told President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that Russia will remain India’s top defence supplier, even though New Delhi’s options had improved since the end of the Cold War.  http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/12/11/india-russia-idINKBN0JO2CA20141211

Russia’s ties to India and China will likely be factors in the 200 million man army that will form and be staged at Armageddon.  Russia is working to build its alliances and Europe its as well.

Events in Europe and Asia are moving towards the fulfillment of biblical prophecies.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? 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?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European? The Book of Revelation tells of a beast power that will rise up. Some think that this must be Russia or could be Islamic, while others say that this power is European. The Book of Daniel tells of the rise of an end time King of the North that some think must be referring to a Russian leader, while others say that this power is European. How can you be sure? This YouTube video has all the scriptural proofs that you should need to prove that this power must be a European one.
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here is a link to a video Is the USA Pushing Germany to Start WWIII?
Russia and Ukraine: Their Origins and Prophesied Future Russia in prophecy. Where do the Russians come from? What about those in the Ukraine? What is prophesied for Russia and its allies? What will they do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end? There is also a video sermon available: Russia in the Bible and in Prophecy and a video sermonette available: Ukraine in Prophecy?
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?
Ezekiel 38: For Russia & Iran in Our Day? Is Ezekiel 38 about to be fulfilled? A related video is available titled Ezekiel 38: For Russia, Ukraine, & Iran Now?
India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage.  This article quotes the Bible and also discusses some of the witness to India throughout history and what is happening in the 21st century (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
India and the Beast of Revelation 13 Do biblical, Catholic, and even Hindu prophecies suggest that many in India will follow, for a while, the Beast and False Prophet/Antichrist? Here is link to a related YouTube video Will People in India Worship the Beast of Revelation 13?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel. Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
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?
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.
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. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
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?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? 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 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Protestant and Church of God views of the United States in Bible Prophecy Is the USA mentioned in Bible prophecy? Some Protestants say yes, while others say no. What does the Bible really teach? Learn the truth about this. There is also a video available: Is The United States Mentioned In Bible Prophecy?
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.

Hong Kong Had Many Protesters (Pasu Au Yeung)

COGwriter

Massive protests have basically been stopped in Hong Kong:

December 11, 2014

BEIJING— Authorities in Hong Kong have begun a final push to clear barricades and encampments from streets outside government offices in the port city, drawing more than two months of pro-democracy protests to a close.

As they moved to clear tents and barricades from the city’s streets and end the biggest protests the Chinese government has seen in more than two decades, authorities had voiced concerns about possible violence. That did not happen. Police arrested those who did stay.

Authorities moved quickly as they snipped through entangled barricades and took down art installations. As they felled a large bamboo scaffolding, the message on a banner strung across the monstrosity was telling: “Its just the beginning” it read.

Ethan Chun, a leader of the Hong Kong Federation of Students says protesters will be out again if authorities continue to ignore their demands.

“We’ve already awakened a society. I think that even though the police and government can clear the street, but they cannot clear and get away with a whole population who are awakened,” Chun said.

Another student named June agreed.

“I believe one thing is that the history will prove that we are right,” she said.

Public disapproval

Hong Kong residents have grown increasingly tired of the street protests, which have blocked up major thruways in the busy city and impacted businesses.  However, public disapproval of the methods protesters have used does not necessarily equal opposition to what they are fighting for – the right to select and elect their top leader without any interference from Beijing.

Despite weeks of protests, China has shown no signs that it is willing to make any compromises.  And while most Chinese state media commentaries have written the movement off as temporary, arguing that student protesters are being manipulated by foreign powers, It is clear Chinese authorities are concerned.  http://www.voanews.com/content/authorities-clear-main-protest-site-in-hong-kong/2554599.html

China wants Hong Kong to realize that it eventually will be a more regular part of China and not as independent.

Hong Kong is officially part of China, but also enjoys a special separative status a treaty guarantees until 2047:

Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy, as its political and judicial systems operate independently from those of mainland China. In accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and the underlying principle of one country, two systems, Hong Kong has a “high degree of autonomy as a special administrative region in all areas except defence and foreign affairs.” The declaration stipulates that the region maintain its capitalist economic system and guarantees the rights and freedoms of its people for at least 50 years after the 1997 handover.The guarantees over the territory’s autonomy and the individual rights and freedoms are enshrined in the Hong Kong Basic Law, the territory’s constitutional document, which outlines the system of governance of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, but which is subject to the interpretation of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPCSC). (Hong Kong, Wikipedia, viewed 09/30/14)

The protesters have asked for more separation of systems than the Chinese government currently prefers. I bolded part of the above, because of prophetic implications which would be expected to take place BEFORE the treaty time of 2047 (consider also Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End?).

Now, there still are several advantages to the Chinese government to keep Hong Kong separate, including its relations with Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its territory, but Taiwan disagrees. China has hoped that Taiwan would decide to align more closely with it, similar to Hong Kong. This still is a hope of the Chinese government–despite the recent election results in Taiwan (see Taiwan moves for more distance from China, but…).

That being said, the Bible does tell of a coming military alliance between the powers in Asia which would include China and almost assuredly Taiwan and Hong Kong (Revelation 9:13-18; 16:12-16):

12 Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. 13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. 15 Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” 16 And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16).

The literal translation of the expression ‘the kings of the east’ in Revelation 16:12 is “the kings of the sunrise” and thus this would seem to have to include places like Taiwan, which is east of mainland China as well as a place where the sunrise happens first.

Hong Kong, because of its treaty, as well as its apparent prophetic place, will closer align with China militarily later, despite what dispersed protesters may prefer.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel. Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
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? 2015, 2016, or 2017? 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 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2015?  When will the Great Tribulation begin? Can it begin in 2015 as some have indicated? What are the biblical requirements that precede the Great Tribulation? What did Jesus teach would happen prior to the Great Tribulation. Are there definite clues in the Book of Daniel that Christians should look out for? Is there a King of the North or a King of the South yet? Where does the ‘prince’ of Daniel 9:26-27 come from? What about ‘blood moons’? Dr. Thiel videoed this on the Mount of Olives where Jesus specifically discussed events leading up to the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24.
CCOG.ASIA We in the Continuing Church of God also have the url www.ccog.asia which has a focus on Asia and has various articles in Mandarin Chinese as well as some in English, plus some items in other Asian languages. 我们在继续神的教会也提供此网址 www.ccog.asia, 关注于亚洲并且有各种各样的中英文文章，其中一些用菲律宾语翻译的文章也正在进行中，准备添加到这个网站中。 HHere is a link to our Statement of Beliefs in Mandarin Chinese 继续神的教会的信仰声明.

COGwriter

What does the Bible teach about using trees in worship? Have Catholic writers made warnings against Christmas trees?

First, notice that the Bible has a lot of warnings about trees:

2″Do not learn the ways of the nations
or be terrified by signs in the sky,
though the nations are terrified by them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel.
4 They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter.
5 Like a scarecrow in a melon patch,
their idols cannot speak;
they must be carried
because they cannot walk.
Do not fear them;
they can do no harm
nor can they do any good.” (Jeremiah 10:2-5, NIV).

2 Thus saith our Lord: According to the ways of the Gentiles learn not: and (a) of the signs of heaven, which the heathen fear, be not afraid:
3 Because the laws of the people are vain: because the work of the hand of the artificer hath cut a tree out of the forest with an axe.
4 with silver and gold he hath decked it: with nails and hammers he hath compacted it, that it fall not asunder.. .(Jerermie/Jeremiah 10:2-4, The Original And True Douay Old Testament Of Anno Domini 1609. Prepared and Edited by Dr. William von Peters, Ph.D. Copyright © 2005, Dr. William G. von Peters. Ph.D. 2005 copyright assigned to VSC Corp.).

29 When the Lord thy God shall have destroyed before thy face the nations, that thou enterest in to possess, and thou shalt possess them, and dwell in their land:
30 beware left thou imitate them, after they be subverted at thy entering in, and thou require their ceremonies, saying: As these nations have worshipped their Gods, so will I also worship.
31 Thou shalt not do in like manner to the Lord thy God. For all the abominations, that our Lord doeth abhor, have they done to their Gods, offering their sons and daughters, and burning them with fire (Deuteronomy 12:29-31, DOT).

While the trees themselves cannot harm us, God says that they cannot do any good.

And nowhere in the Bible is there any hint that trees should be associated with the birth of Jesus Christ.

Catholics used to warn that because of Martin Luther’s promotion of Christmas trees, that this form of idolatry made Protestantism the “Tannenbaum religion” (tannenbaum literally means “fir tree” and is the German term for Christmas tree.

The “Venerable” Cesare Baronius, a Catholic of the 16th century, wrote about a practice of using lights (which are commonly used on Christmas trees):

If the candles which were formerly distributed at the Saturnalia are now identified with the feast of the Purification of our Lady? What, I ask, is there so surprising if holy bishops have allowed certain customs firmly rooted among pagan peoples, and so tenaciously adhered to by them that even after their conversion to Christianity they could not be induced to surrender them, to be transferred to the worship of the true God?” (Baronius, “Annales”, ad ann. 58, n. 77). (as cited in Thurston, Herbert. “Lights.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 9. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, Censor. Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 21 Dec. 2009 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09244b.htm>)

Thus, Baronius seems to be saying that Saturnalia lights are a pagan practice, yet using them is acceptable. The period of Saturnalia coincides with the Christmas-New Year’s period in modern times.

But even the Rheims‘ version of the New Testament (a Catholic approved translation) states the following about pagan practices:

15. And what agreement with Christ and Belial? or what part hath the faithful with the infidel? 16. And what agreement hath the temple of God with Idols? For you are the temple of the living God. as God saith, Then I will dwell, and walk in them, and will be their God: and they shall be my people. 17. For the which cause, Go out of the midst of them, and separate yourselves. saith our Lord, and touch not the unclean: and I will receive you (2 Corinthians 6:15-17, The Original And True Rheims New Testament Of Anno Domini 1582. Prepared and Edited by Dr. William von Peters, Ph.D. Copyright © 1998, Dr. William G. von Peters. Ph.D. 2004, copyright assigned to VSC Corp.).

So unclean practices associated with idols are prohibited by God. Does not that include celebrating as the idolaters celebrate, like using evergreen trees?

Even the the old Roman Saturnalia and Persian Mithraism (which have been somewhat combined in the Greco-Roman religions) were an adaption of an even earlier mystery religion – the Babylonian mystery cult. The ancient Babylonians celebrated the rebirth of Nimrod as the newborn Tammuz by worshipping an evergreen tree (like the ‘modern’ Christmas tree). The Babylonians also celebrated this rebirth during the time of the winter solstice. Despite biblical admonitions against the use of green trees (Jeremiah 3:12-13), many seem to think that this is fine.

Notice, however, that using green trees as part of worship was condemned by God thousands of years ago:

2 ‘You must completely destroy all the places where the nations you dispossess have served their gods, on high mountains, on hills, under any spreading tree; 3 you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, burn their sacred poles, hack to bits the statues of their gods and obliterate their name from that place. (Deuteronomy 12:2-3, New Jerusalem Bible, NJB, a Catholic translation)

2 Destroy all the places in which the nations, that you shall possess, worshipped their gods upon high mountains, and hills, and under every shady tree: 3 Overthrow their altars, and break down their statues, burn their groves with fire, and break their idols in pieces: destroy their names out of those places. 4 You shall not do so to the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 12:2-4, DOT, a Catholic translation).

16 Beware lest perhaps your heart be deceived, and you depart from our Lord, and serve strange Gods, and adore them (Deuteronomy 11:16, DOT).

¹² So go and shout words towards the north, and say: “Come back, disloyal Israel, Yahweh declares, I shall frown on you no more, since I am merciful, Yahweh declares. I shall not keep my anger for ever.

¹³ Only acknowledge your guilt: how you have rebelled against Yahweh your God, how you have prostituted yourself with the Strangers under every green tree and have not listened to my voice, Yahweh declares. (Jeremiah 3:12-13, NJB)

24 God is spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and truth. (John 4:24, NJB)

Catholic translations of the Bible show that spreading shady trees, like evergreens, were not to be part of the worship of the true God–and that people should not be deceived and serve such strange practices. The truth is that Christmas reminds us that people are often unwilling to worship God as He intended, but instead often prefer pagan substitutes that they rationalize as somehow acceptable if they pretend the holiday is about Jesus.

Those who truly believe Jesus’ words, “Human beings live not on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, NJB) will not celebrate a compromised pagan holiday such as Christmas because it contains practices and symbols (see also What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons?) warned against in the Bible and was never enjoined upon true believers to practice.

And although many Catholics now have Christmas trees, notice something from the Vatican:

Rome, Dec. 22: Sant Claus, and Christmas trees, have been condemned in an editorial in the Vatican weekly newspaper, “L’Osservatore della Domenica.” The editorial describes Santa Claus as a “monstrous substitute” for the Christ Child, and says that the idea of Santa “is offensive to the faith” and “will not and must not be accepted or tolerated by Christians.” The use of Christmas trees — which have only recently become a part of the Italian Christmas — is condemned as “an attempt to substitute the Crib ….. with a certain feeling of naturalism and paganism.” (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/dc50/vatican-paper-disfavours-santa-claus-684)

No one should be using Christmas trees, Santa Claus, etc. And even some in the Vatican are telling people that.

The Catholics once considered that having a decorated fir tree in one’s house, which of course is not a symbol associated with the birth of Jesus in the Bible, during the Christmas season was a form of idolatry.

However, over time, as the use of trees gained more universal acceptance, those of the Catholic faith decided to no longer decry their use.

The Bible, Church of God sources, and Catholic sources have warned about the use of objects like Christmas trees. Since the use of them most certainly does not come from the Bible, no Christian should wish to have one.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Hope of Salvation: How the Continuing Church of God differ from most Protestants How the real Church of God differs from mainstream/traditional Protestants, is perhaps the question I am asked most by those without a Church of God background.
The Similarities and Dissimilarities between Martin Luther and Herbert W. Armstrong This article clearly shows some of the doctrinal differences between in the two. At this time of doctrinal variety and a tendency by many to accept certain aspects of Protestantism, the article should help clarify why the genuine Church of God is NOT Protestant. Do you really know what the Protestant Reformer Martin Luther taught and should you follow his doctrinal example? Here is a related sermon video: Martin Luther and Herbert Armstrong: Reformers with Differences.
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity?
What Did the Early Church Teach About Idols and Icons? What about the use of the cross, by the early Church?
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity?
Was Jesus Born in the Grotto of the Nativity? Was Jesus born in a below ground cave? Was Jesus born below the “Church of the Nativity”? Were the wise men there?
How did December 25th become Christmas? Was Jesus born then? If not, why December 25? Here is the article translated into Mandarin Chinese 12月25日最后是怎么被许多基督的信仰者采纳的.
Is Keeping Christmas a Sin? Is keeping Christmas acceptable for true Christians? What are some scriptures to consider?
What Does the Catholic Church Teach About Christmas and the Holy Days? Do you know what the Catholic Church says were the original Christian holy days? Was Christmas among them? Is December 25th Jesus’ birthday or that of the sun god?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from c. 31 A.D. to 2014. A related sermon link would be Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

COGwriter

The US Senate released a report yesterday on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques (otherwise known as torture) has sparked international outrage and calls for action against the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA):

December 10, 2014

Human rights activists are calling for the prosecution of officials involved in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s use of extreme interrogation methods on suspected terrorists.

Ben Emmerson, the United Nations special envoy on human rights and counter-terrorism, said a U.S. Senate report on the CIA’s actions after the September 11, 2001 attacks “reinforces the need for criminal accountability.”

Kenneth Roth, the executive director of U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, said that torture “will remain a ‘policy option’ for future presidents” unless officials are prosecuted

Senate Intelligence Committee report

The Senate Intelligence Committee released a summary of a much longer report Tuesday, saying the CIA mistreated prisoners during questioning. It accuses the CIA of misleading Congress and the American people about the effectiveness of those methods, which included confinement in small places, sleep deprivation, and simulated drowning. …

Brutal techniques

The report detailed numerous instances of CIA abuses against suspects that were “far more brutal” than had previously been disclosed. They included “ice baths,” as well as “rectal rehydration” – a form of feeding through the rectum – and threats that their relatives would be harmed. One suspected extremist froze to death while in captivity.

The current CIA Director John Brennan acknowledges that the agency “did not always live up to the high standards” it set for itself.  But he disputed the Senate’s conclusion that the harsh interrogations were ineffective, saying they actually helped stop plots, capture terrorists, and save lives.

CIA prison in Poland

Former Polish President Kwasniewski says Poland let the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency run a secret prison on its territory, but he says Polish officials did not authorize harsh treatment or torture of the suspected terrorists at the site.

In an interview Wednesday with a Warsaw radio station (TOK FM), Kwasniewski said he urged then U.S. president George W. Bush to end all U.S. intelligence efforts at the prison more than 10 years ago.

Kwasniewski said the efforts were halted at some point.

This is the first time the former Polish president has publicly acknowledged the existence of the prison, after denying it for years.

It is believed the CIA ran the facility in Poland in 2002 and 2003.  http://www.voanews.com/content/rights-advocates-urge-punishment-after-report-on-cia-terror-interrogations/2552912.html

December 10, 2014

GENEVA (AP) — All senior U.S. officials and CIA agents who authorized or carried out torture like waterboarding as part of former President George W. Bush’s national security policy must be prosecuted, top U.N. officials said Wednesday.

It’s not clear, however, how human rights officials think these prosecutions will take place, since the Justice Department has declined to prosecute and the U.S. is not a member of the International Criminal Court.

Zeid Raad al-Hussein, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said it’s “crystal clear” under international law that the United States, which ratified the U.N. Convention Against Torture in 1994, now has an obligation to ensure accountability.

“In all countries, if someone commits murder, they are prosecuted and jailed. If they commit rape or armed robbery, they are prosecuted and jailed. If they order, enable or commit torture — recognized as a serious international crime — they cannot simply be granted impunity because of political expediency,” he said.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon hopes the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee report on the CIA’s harsh interrogation techniques at secret overseas facilities is the “start of a process” toward prosecutions, because the “prohibition against torture is absolute,” Ban’s spokesman said.

Ben Emmerson, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, said the report released Tuesday shows “there was a clear policy orchestrated at a high level within the Bush administration, which allowed (it) to commit systematic crimes and gross violations of international human rights law.”  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/10/un-us-torture_n_6300864.html

The USA continues to lose much of what it hopes is its ‘moral high ground.’  I saw someone on the news last night who once worked for the CIA basically defending what was done.

Look at what John the Baptist taught the soldiers who were, in essence, the occupying ‘police’ of Judea:

2…the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins… 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. (Luke 3:2-3, KJV)

Most, however, do not trust the Bible and believe that they know better.  Jesus warned “for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (Matthew 26:52, KJV), at least partially showing that violence tends to lead to more violence.

Between the Snowden leaks about USA espionage and now this disclosure on torture, this is giving even certain allies of the USA concerns about the USA and its practices.

Many consider that the USA is hypocritical.  Notice the headlines of a couple of news reports today about nations that are not really allies of the USA:

China Blasts U.S. Hypocrisy as CIA Torture Condemned

CIA Torture Report: China, North Korea Slam US ‘Hypocrisy‘, Call for UN Action

Notice also the following:

December 10, 2014

‘A gentleman’s club for psychopaths’: The world reacts to report on CIA

“A gentleman’s club for psychopaths, sociopaths, lunatics, misfits” was Pravda’s verdict on the CIA following Tuesday’s release detailing years of torture conducted by U.S. agents.

And the Russian newspaper wasn’t alone in the strength of its condemnation. State media and regimes around the world — some accused of the egregious crimes against humanity themselves — lined up to take a swipe at America, following the Senate committee’s release.

To many, it undermined U.S. efforts to prevent rights abuses conducted overseas.

“America is facing a turning point and now needs to reflect on its own human rights abuses,” according to a Chinese-language article in state-owned national broadsheet Huan Qiu Bao.

The 499-page executive summary of a still-classified CIA report on torture provides Beijing with further ammunition in its ongoing spat with Washington over its own record on civil liberties. …

The stated motive behind Beijing’s report, according to Chinese officials, is to observe the hypocrisy of Washington’s taking of China’s one-party leaders to task for quelling dissent and censoring the flow of information. …

In Iran, the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei jumped at the opportunity to point out American hypocrisy, tweeting scorn at American human rights rhetoric. http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/12/10/world-cia-torture.html

The time will come when allies of the USA will turn into enemies and take over ‘an hypocritical nation’ as the following shows:

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.

7 Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

8 For he saith, Are not my princes altogether kings?

9 Is not Calno as Carchemish? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Damascus?

10 As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and whose graven images did excel them of Jerusalem and of Samaria;

11 Shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? (Isaiah 10:5-11, KJV)

Various end time prophecies for ‘Samaria’ specifically are pointing to the USA (see Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel and also Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New).

The hypocrisy of the USA on many matters (such as it accumulating debt when it tells other nations not to do the same) is not going to remain little noticed.

During the time of ‘Jacob’s trouble’ (Jeremiah 30:7), Great Tribulation (Matthew 24;21; watch also the short video, the USA will not fare well (see also Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel).

World War III is getting closer (see World War III: Steps in Progress), and the USA keeps taking steps that will turn enough of the world against it that it will lose (cf. Daniel 11:39).

But it will not be in 2015 (watch the short video: Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2015?).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-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. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
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?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
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?
Spiritual Samaritans: Old and New Who were the Samaritans? Do the represent true Christianity or something else?
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.

Official logo of the World Council of Churches from its website

COGwriter

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has, with United Nations’ (UN) support, announced that it is launching a global peace network:

December 9, 2014

The World Council of Churches says it has launched an Ecumenical Peace Advocacy Network to build a just and sustainable peace, engaging churches, ecumenical organizations and civil society.

The WCC announced EPAN at its conference held from December 1 to 5 in Sigtuna, Sweden it said in a statement on December 9. …

“This consultation intended to create program synergies and develop collaboration methods, sharing best practices and lessons learned in peace-building, conflict prevention and advocacy for peace,” said Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, WCC representative to the United Nations in New York.

The WCC meeting on Peace-building and Advocacy for Just Peace was hosted by the (Lutheran) Church Sweden, the Uniting Church in Sweden, and the Christian Council of Sweden.

More than 80 ecumenical advocacy experts, church leaders, as well as civil society and United Nations partners from 37 different countries, took part in the event. …

The event will follow-up in 2015 in Africa and the Middle East meeting aimed at preparing advocacy strategies and plans to promote just peace, reconciliation and conflict prevention.

“The new Ecumenical Peace Advocacy Network is a great opportunity for churches to act collectively to address issues related to peace on a global level,” Bueno de Faria said.

“Churches and ecumenical organization have the responsibility to mobilize themselves on specific peace issues and influence processes that brings about lasting and just peace.” http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/wold-council-of-churches-launches-global-just-peace-advocacy-network-27478#ixzz3LVJ7x5mM

The ecumenical and inter-faith movements are moving ahead, yet they WILL NOT RESULT IN REAL AND LASTING PEACE.  It is interesting that they plan to have a 2015 meeting in Africa and the Middle East.  The time will come when a temporary peace will come to that region (see The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27), yet it will end in destruction for many in the Middle East and North Africa (see also The Future King of the South is Rising).

Here is some information about the WCC itself from its website:

The World Council of Churches (WCC) is the broadest and most inclusive among the many organized expressions of the modern ecumenical movement, a movement whose goal is Christian unity.

The WCC brings together churches, denominations and church fellowships in more than 110 countries and territories throughout the world, representing over 500 million Christians and including most of the world’s Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches. At the end of 2013, there were 345 member churches. While the bulk of the WCC’s founding churches were European and North American, today most member churches are in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific. http://www.oikoumene.org/en/about-us viewed 12/10/2014

Even though the Church of Rome is not officially a member of the WCC, it sends ‘accredited observers’ to WCC meetings.

The Vatican has similar goals as the WCC.  The Church of Rome already has ecumenical agreements/understandings with many churches that are part of the WCC, including the Eastern Orthodox (see Pope Francis speaks on his plans to re-establish full communion with the Eastern Orthodox), certain Pentecostals (see Pope Francis visits Pentecostal church–a first, but part of a Babylonian plan and Pope Francis speaks of ecumenism to 52,000 Pentecostals and others and also watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!), certain Lutherans (see Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction!), and certain other Protestant churches (see In Vatican City: New Babylon more openly forming! and Is Rick Warren a closet Catholic?).

Actually, when Pope Francis recently was asked about ‘the end of the world’ last month, he basically put forth a view that it would be peaceful, presumably based upon the ecumenical and inter-faith agendas that he is promoting (see Pope Francis, the Blue Mosque, and end of the world).

The Bible is clear that a group of churches, led by one from the city of seven hills, is to be avoided and will end in disaster:

1 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and talked with me, saying to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, 2 with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

3 So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. 5 And on her forehead a name was written:

MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.

7 But the angel said to me, “Why did you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and the ten horns. 8 The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

9 “Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. …

18 And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:1-10)

Many are falling for this and the United Nations itself has stated that it supports the idea of trying to pursue peace through ecumenical and inter-faith means with religious leaders, and that it supports the Vatican’s agenda (see United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order?, here is a link to a related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order).

The Bible does not teach that Christians will have the type of unity that the WCC, UN, and Vatican claim to want UNTIL AFTER THE FALL OF BABYLON.  Notice that in Zechariah (a Catholic translation is shown below), the Bible warns against a coming ‘daughter of Babylon’ and shows that proper unity will not happen until after Jesus returns:

10 Look out! Look out! Flee from the land of the north — Yahweh declares- for I have scattered you to the four winds of heaven — Yahweh declares. 11 Look out! Make your escape, Zion, now living with the daughter of Babylon!

12 For Yahweh Sabaoth says this, since the Glory commissioned me, about the nations who plundered you, ‘Whoever touches you touches the apple of my eye. 13 Now look, I shall wave my hand over them and they will be plundered by those whom they have enslaved.’ Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me! 14 Sing, rejoice, daughter of Zion, for now I am coming to live among you -Yahweh declares! 15 And on that day many nations will be converted to Yahweh. Yes, they will become his people, and they will live among you. Then you will know that Yahweh Sabaoth has sent me to you! 16 Yahweh will take possession of Judah, his portion in the Holy Land, and again make Jerusalem his choice. (Zechariah 2:12-16, New Jerusalem Bible-NJB)

(UPDATE 12/20/14: NOTE: The NJB verses for Zechariah 2:10-16 are shown as Zechariah 2:6-13 in the NKJV/KJV.  Also, there is now a video on this available titled: World Council of Churches Peace Plan)

The Bible tells that the ecumenical/inter-faith movement will also end in destruction (Revelation 18 & 19). This is not something that Catholics or the Eastern Orthodox should want (see also Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox?). The ecumenical and inter-faith plans that the Vatican, WCC, and the UN are promoting are clearly condemned by the Bible and should not be encouraged.

The Apostle Paul also taught that true unity of faith would not happen until after Jesus returns:

13 until we all reach unity in faith and knowledge of the Son of God and form the perfect Man, fully mature with the fullness of Christ himself. (Ephesians 4:13, NJB)

Those who believe this unity comes prior to Jesus’ return are in error. Actually, when Jesus returns, He will destroy the unity of nations that are against Him:

11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and voices could be heard shouting in heaven, calling, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ 16 The twenty-four elders, enthroned in the presence of God, prostrated themselves and touched the ground with their foreheads worshipping God 17 with these words, ‘We give thanks to you, Almighty Lord God, He who is, He who was, for assuming your great power and beginning your reign. 18 The nations were in uproar and now the time has come for your retribution, and for the dead to be judged, and for your servants the prophets, for the saints and for those who fear your name, small and great alike, to be rewarded. The time has come to destroy those who are destroying the earth.’ (Revelation 11:15-18, NJB)

19:6 And I heard what seemed to be the voices of a huge crowd, like the sound of the ocean or the great roar of thunder, answering, ‘Alleluia! The reign of the Lord our God Almighty has begun;… 19 Then I saw the beast, with all the kings of the earth and their armies, gathered together to fight the Rider and his army. 20 But the beast was taken prisoner, together with the false prophet who had worked miracles on the beast’s behalf and by them had deceived those who had accepted branding with the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his statue. These two were hurled alive into the fiery lake of burning sulphur. 21 All the rest were killed by the sword of the Rider, which came out of his mouth, and all the birds glutted themselves with their flesh… 20:4 Then I saw thrones, where they took their seats, and on them was conferred the power to give judgement. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God’s word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not accept the brandmark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (Revelation 19:6,19-21; 20:4, NJB)

Notice that Jesus will have to destroy world of armies unified against Him. Then He and the saints will reign. That is when there will be proper unity of the faith. Even the NJB, a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible, concurs.

Although Jesus taught that true peacemakers were blessed (Matthew 5:9), notice that the Bible shows that many do not know the way of peace:

8 The way of peace they have not known,
And there is no justice in their ways;
They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.  (Isaiah 59:8)

13 “Their throat is an open tomb;
With their tongues they have practiced deceit”;
“The poison of asps is under their lips”;
14 “Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways;
17 And the way of peace they have not known.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Romans 3:13-18)

5 Destruction comes;
They will seek peace, but there shall be none.
26 Disaster will come upon disaster,
And rumor will be upon rumor.
Then they will seek a vision from a prophet;
But the law will perish from the priest,
And counsel from the elders. (Ezekiel 7:25-26)

Notice that the Bible also warnings about some who improperly proclaim peace:

13 “Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them,
Everyone is given to covetousness;
And from the prophet even to the priest,
Everyone deals falsely.
14 They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly,
Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’
When there is no peace.
15 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination?
No! They were not at all ashamed;
Nor did they know how to blush.
Therefore they shall fall among those who fall;
At the time I punish them,
They shall be cast down,” says the Lord.  (Jeremiah 6:13-15)

10 “Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, ‘Peace!’ when there is no peace — and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar —  11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. 12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?'”

13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it.  14 So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.

15 “Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, ‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, 16 that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,'” says the Lord God.

17 “Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them, (Ezekiel 13:10-17)

2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6)

Real Christians need to watch what is going on and understand.  All, Christians and non-Christians, should be concerned about the type of ‘peace’ and unity that the WCC, Vatican, and UN are really trying to push.  It is NOT the type of arrangement that the Bible teaches will result in peace, but in war.

As mentioned above, the time will come when there is a type of ‘peace deal’ in the Middle East (Daniel 9:27; see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27), but that deal will NOT last.  Do not be fooled by the appeal to peace by those who truly cannot bring it.

Only the return of Jesus Christ and the millennial kingdom can do that. Disaster and destruction will come to the Middle East and other areas before Jesus returns (Daniel 11:39-45; Ezekiel 30:2-8; see also Is the Future King of the South Rising Up?, Who is the King of the North?, and How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About?).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Why Should American Catholics Fear Unity with the Orthodox? Are the current ecumenical meetings a good thing or will they result in disaster? Is doctrinal compromise good? Here is a link to a related video Should you be concerned about the ecumenical movement?
Which Is Faithful: The Roman Catholic Church or the Continuing Church of God? Do you know that both groups shared a lot of the earliest teachings? Do you know which church changed? Do you know which group is most faithful to the teachings of the apostolic church? Which group best represents true Christianity? This documented article answers those questions.
Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction! What is going on in the Protestant world? Are Protestants turning back to their ‘mother church’ in Rome? Does the Bible warn about this? What are Catholic plans and prophecies related to this? Is Protestantism doomed? watch the video Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!
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?
Orthodox Must Reject Unity with the Roman Catholics Unity between these groups will put them in position to be part of the final end time Babylon that the Bible warns against as well as require improper compromise.
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? 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 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
Could Pope Francis be the Last Pope and Antichrist? Former Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio is now Pope Francis. According to some interpretations of the prophecies of the popes by the Catholic saint and Bishop Malachy, Pope Francis is in the position of “Peter the Roman,” the pontiff who reigns during tribulations until around the time of the destruction of Rome. Do biblical prophecies warn of someone that sounds like Peter the Roman? Could Francis be the heretical antipope of Catholic private prophecies and the final Antichrist of Bible prophecy? Could a Jesuit be “the black pope”?
Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy? Pope Francis has taken many steps to turn people more towards his version of ‘Mary.’ Could this be consistent with biblical and Catholic prophecies? This article documents what has been happening. There is also a video version titled Pope Francis: Could this Marian Focused Pontiff be Fulfilling Prophecy?
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from c. 31 A.D. to 2014. A related sermon link would be Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. Marque aquí para ver el pdf folleto: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios.

European Central Bank, Frankfurt (Eric Chan)

COGwriter

A reader sent me the following a few hours ago:

December 9, 2014

Do you want to worry about something real, now that everyone is in such a good mood? I suggest worrying about the breakup of the euro zone again.

Yeah, yeah, I know — that was the big fear two years ago during the first round of the sovereign debt crisis. Then European Central Bank President Mario Draghi gave his famous “bumblebee” speech, and said he would “do whatever it takes” to save the euro, and flash forward, here we are, knocking on 2015, and Europe is still standing.

But here’s the thing: Draghi is having a really hard time persuading his colleagues to launch full-blown quantitative easing, and the longer it takes, the more his authority erodes. He talked about a 1 trillion euro attack on deflation about six months ago, and nothing has happened; actually conditions are worse.

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, the London Telegraph economics columnist, observed late last week that the ECB is thus facing a “full-blown leadership crisis,” which has the potential to rock financial markets if not halted or contained.

Media reports say that half the ECB’s six-person executive board — representatives of Germany, France and Luxembourg — refused to sign off on Draghi’s post-meeting statement last week, a rare mutiny.

The problem is that the dissenters refuse to allow full-blown QE until they are ready, and they never plan to be ready. …

Euro-zone divisiveness over a monetary and fiscal union could well turn out to be the financial story of 2015.  http://www.moneyandmarkets.com/last-days-euro-zone-68716#.VIdRASsadW8

The Germans do not want a full blown version of ‘quantitative easing’ for at least four reasons:

1. The Germans feel that certain nations are not properly disciplined financially and a program like quantitative easing will mean that they will fail to correct certain practices that the Germans feel they need to.
2. The Germans feel that they will have to bail out nations that are not properly disciplined financially, hence they do not want to encourage this.
3. The Germans fear the type of hyperinflation that happened prior to WWII and realize that quantitative easing type programs but them and all of Europe at risk of repeat–which also means that the Germans do not wish to risk losing their wealth if the Euro is dragged down because of hyperinflation or other currency issues.
4. The Germans would like to have a currency that is the real reserve currency for the world and do not wish to make the mistakes that they see the USA doing with its dollar.

But then again, the Germans would prefer that the Euro-zone continue, so there could be some compromise.  The Europeans do not have to have a perfect currency, only one that is perceived to be in better shape than the USA dollar.

Could the Euro-zone break up?  Is it possible that the Euro will not survive?

Notice something I had published in 2009:

It would seem that once the U.S. dollar totally collapses people all around the world will consider that even if the Euro is strong, having a more gold-backed currency would be safer.  Having the European power acquiring a lot more gold to back the Euro (even if the backing is only implied) or possibly other future European currency (that might potentially replace the Euro) may greatly increase European credibility, prosperity, and influence around the globe. (Thiel B. 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect. Nazarene Books, 2009, p. 333)

Which is similar to something I had published in 2013:

When the U.S. dollar totally collapses people all around the world will consider that even if the Euro (or something similar) is strong, having a more gold-backed currency would be safer.  The collapse of the U.S.A. dollar will shake a lot of the world’s confidence in non-gold backed currencies.

Having the European power acquiring a lot more gold to back the Euro (even if the backing is only implied) or possibly other future European currency (that might potentially replace the Euro or even a basket of currencies) may greatly increase European credibility, prosperity, and influence around the globe (and will happen, to a degree, before that King arises). (Thiel B. Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term. Nazarene Books, 2013, p. 133)

Notice that both books also mentioned gold when discussing the currency of Europe.  The Europeans have talked a lot about gold lately, with the Netherlands repatriating some and Belgium discussing doing likewise:

December 5, 2014

Just after I reported on the repatriation of 122.5 tonnes of gold by The Netherlands from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) and about the Eurosystem allocating as much of its gold reserves as possible – a global run on gold which can only be seen in advance of a reform of the international monetary system, the next Eurosystem member has come forward, Belgium.

In Europe so far; Germany has been repatriating gold since 2012 from the US and France, The Netherlands has repatriated 122.5 tonnes a few weeks ago from the US, soon after Marine Le Pen, leader of the Front National party of France, penned an open letter to Christian Noyer, governor of the Bank of France, requesting that the country’s gold holdings be repatriated back to France, and now Belgium is making a move. https://www.bullionstar.com/blog/koos-jansen/belgium-investigating-to-repatriate-all-gold-reserves/

Whether or not the Euro-zone breaks up or the Euro possibly could be replaced, the Bible teaches that a European power will control much of the world’s economy and for a time:

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Revelation 13:15-18)

A more accepted single currency will help that–especially one that has gold backing (cf. Daniel 11:42-33; Revelation 18).

The Bible teaches that the final ‘ten toes’ of the European power will have difficulties (Daniel 2:41-43) and will reorganize (Revelation 17:12-13).  We will see how many ‘reorganizations’ Europe may have to go through before then.

The ultimately exit of the UK, which UKIP wants (see ), will affect Europe.  But as the UK is NOT in the Euro-zone (the UK still uses the pound), that will not necessarily cause a collapse of the Euro.  A Euro collapse is NOT biblically-required as far as I can tell, but it is also not biblically-impossible either.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? 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?
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous.
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Might German Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg become the King of the North? Is the former German Defense Minister (who is also the former German Minister for Economics and Technology) one to watch? What do Catholic, Byzantine, and biblical prophecies suggest?
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people?
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? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? 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 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Project Prophecy: Economic Collapse Starting in 2015? Jim Rickards once worked for the CIA and also was once part of a a USA government program called called ‘Project Prophecy.’ He has a video were he claims that starting in 2015, the USA may have economic collapse resulting in a 25-Year Great Depression. He mainly cites debt figures and claims advises alternatives to the USA dollar which he says will collapse? What did Rand Paul state? Can the USA dollar collapse?
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.
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. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
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?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
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

The US Senate released a report today on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, otherwise known as torture:

December 9, 2014

The United States has released a long-awaited report detailing how the Central Intelligence Agency employed extreme interrogation methods on suspected terrorists following the September 11, 2001, attacks.

The Senate Intelligence Committee disclosed a lengthy summary Tuesday of the CIA’s interrogation techniques, including confinement in small places, sleep deprivation and waterboarding, which simulates drowning.

All are methods that critics of the CIA and human rights organizations consider torture.

The report says the interrogations were “more brutal” than the CIA had said and it “misled” Congress and the White House about its activities.

Banned use of techniques

When he took office in 2009, President Barack Obama banned use of the so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques,” which had been authorized by his predecessor, George W. Bush, in the aftermath of the 2001 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

The Senate report is the first public documentation of the CIA’s alleged use of torture on al-Qaida suspects during what the Bush administration called a Global War on Terror.

On Tuesday Obama vowed that harsh U.S. interrogation methods will not take place on his watch, saying the techniques did significant damage to American interests abroad without serving broad counterterrorism efforts.

Obama issued a written statement in response to a Senate report that detailed interrogation procedures carried out on terrorism suspects in the years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“Rather than another reason to refight old arguments, I hope that today’s report can help us leave these techniques where they belong, in the past,” Obama said.

“It reinforces my long-held view that these harsh methods were not only inconsistent with our values as a nation, they did not serve our broader counterterrorism efforts or our national security interests,” he added.

U.S. diplomatic facilities and military installations overseas were under increased security Tuesday leading up to the release of the report.

In announcing the release of the report, Diane Feinstein, a Democratic senator and the committee chair, said, “Under any common meaning of the term, CIA detainees were tortured.”

CIA reaction

CIA Director John Brennan, in responding to the study’s release, said, “We acknowledge that the detention and interrogation program had shortcomings and that the agency made mistakes.

“The most serious problems occurred early on and stemmed from the fact that the agency was unprepared and lacked the core competencies required to carry out an unprecedented, worldwide program of detaining and interrogating suspected al-Qaida and affiliated terrorists,” Brennan said.

“Our review indicates that interrogations of detainees on whom EITs (enhanced interrogation techniques) were used did produce intelligence that helped thwart attack plans, capture terrorists, and save lives,” he added.

“The intelligence gained from the program was critical to our understanding of al-Qaida and continues to inform our counterterrorism efforts to this day,” he said.

“We also disagree with the study’s characterization of how CIA briefed the program to the Congress, various entities within the Executive Branch, and the public,” Brennan added. …

When asked about the report’s findings, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said that Ban has previously stated his position against torture and the need for accountability.

Cheney backs CIA

On Sunday, former Vice President Dick Cheney defended the agency’s actions in a interview with The New York Times.

Cheney, one of the program’s strongest supporters, said he never believed the CIA withheld information from the Bush administration, and that the program had been authorized by the Justice Department.

He said the CIA officers who ran the program should be “decorated, not criticized.”

Former CIA officials disputed the report’s findings, as did Senate Republicans, whose written dissent accused Democrats of inaccuracies, sloppy analysis and cherry-picking evidence to reach a predetermined conclusion.

George Tenet, CIA director when the 2001 attacks occurred, said in defending the agency, “We know that the program led to the capture of al-Qaida leaders and took them off the battlefield, that it prevented mass casualty attacks and that it saved thousands of American lives.”

Former CIA director Michael Hayden denied the CIA lied about its program.  He said releasing the report will make it less likely that countries that cooperated in the past with Washington in the fight against terrorists will do so in the future.

The former CIA veteran in charge of the interrogation, Jose Rodriguez, wrote in The Washington Post last week the claim the interrogation “brought no intelligence value is an egregious falsehood. It is a dishonest attempt to rewrite history.” http://www.voanews.com/content/cia-torture-report-to-be-released-tuesday/2551373.html

December 9, 2014

President Obama said Tuesday that a long-awaited Senate report on CIA torture of terrorism suspects details “a troubling program” that harmed America’s reputation, reasons that he ended the practices soon after taking office.

In a statement before Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California released the report, Mr. Obama said the probe “reinforces my long-held view that these harsh methods were not only inconsistent with our values as nation, they did not serve our broader counterterrorism efforts or our national security interests.”

“Moreover, these techniques did significant damage to America’s standing in the world and made it harder to pursue our interests with allies and partners,” Mr. Obama said. “That is why I will continue to use my authority as president to make sure we never resort to those methods again.” http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/9/obama-cia-torture-tactics-harmed-america/#ixzz3LQWFp1ap

While condemnation of torture is normally a good thing to do, the report released today will worsen the USA’s reputation throughout much of the world.  It also will probably generate more sympathy for terrorists and some of their means.  This does not bode well for the USA.

Here are some comments from the UK related to some of this:

December 9, 2014

Analysis: Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent

This report makes deeply uncomfortable reading but it shines a much-needed torch into some dark places.

The fact that “Enhanced Interrogation Techniques” (EIT), or torture by any other name, was stopped years ago or that some people at the top of the US administration may not have known its full extent, does not excuse the fact it took place at all.

After going through six million pages of documents, the authors concluded that in none of the cases they looked at did these brutal methods stop a terrorist attack. Meaning that America’s reputation, and by extension that of the wider West, has been sullied for no tangible gain.

This will lay the US open to charges of hypocrisy, making it far harder for the West to criticise brutal and dictatorial regimes. It may also encourage terrorists to justify their atrocities by pointing to this past abuse.  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30401100

Theorists of torture have long debated whether a higher good – “national security” – can justify the lesser evil. Torture is in the same category as the bombing of populated places from the air. The agony is certain, the gain speculative. That is why civilised states no longer execute, torture or mutilate their citizens, whatever the possible justification. They acknowledge that civilisation is a matter of means as well as ends. The UN outlawed torture in 1975.

Yet no area of government is so enveloped in secrecy and hypocrisy. The British government lectures the world on civil and human rights, but has yet to account for the use of torture – water-boarding and other methods – in Northern Ireland. Its blanket secrecy for “national security” extends to surveillance, rendition, hacking and drone targeting. Its use of “trusties” in parliament as a fig-leaf for accountability and its meek collaboration with Washington in all things must leave it vulnerable to suspicion of complicity with the CIA. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/dec/09/cia-torture-report-us-brave-step-uk-chilcot-report

USA hypocrisy on torture is an issue.  Some of its Anglo-Saxon descended allies will also, to a degree, be considered complicit with this as well.

But it perhaps should also be reported here that some documents were leaked to the press last year about the rationale that the Obama Administration has used for killing Americans that it believes are affiliated with al-Qaida:

5 February 2013

The United States government can legally kill one of its citizen overseas if it determines the person is a “senior, operational leader” of al-Qaeda or an associated group, and that person poses an imminent threat to the nation, according to a U.S. Justice Department memo obtained by NBC News.

The 16-page confidential “white paper” defines “imminent threat” broadly. The order to kill need not be based on intelligence about a specific attack because actions by the organization are continuously being planned by al-Qaeda, the memo says

According to the document, “imminence must incorporate considerations of the relevant window of opportunity” as well as possible collateral damage to civilians.”…According to The Washington Post, the American Civil Liberties Union on Monday called the document a “profoundly disturbing” summary of “a stunning overreach of executive authority http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/02/secret_government_memo_justifi.html

5 February 2013

Where is the outrage? For all the anger over Bush-era torture policies, where is the commensurate condemnation over President Obama’s justification for killing American citizens with no due process, no transparency, and no accountability?

An administration memo uncovered by NBC reporter Michael Isikoff strips the veil from the Obama’s oft-Orwellian justification for assassinating American citizens believed to be “senior operational leaders” of al-Qaida or an associated force–even if there is no evidence of an imminent attack against the U.S.

Strike that: Killing suspected terrorists who happen to be American “is not an assassination,” according to the president’s Justice Department. “In the Department’s view, a lethal operation conducted against a U.S. citizen whose conduct poses an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States would be a legitimate act of national self-defense that would not violate the assassination ban.”

Oh, and disregard that part about imminent threat: Although Attorney General Eric Holder told the public in March that killing Americans could be justified if government officials determine the target poses “an imminent threat of violent attack,” his memo creates a massive loophole. It coins a chilling little phrase–“broader concept of imminence”–to absolve the government of the responsibility to find a clear and present danger.

“The condition that an operational leader present an ‘imminent’ threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future,” the memo reads.http://www.nationaljournal.com/politics/secret-memos-expose-obama-s-double-standard-on-targeted-killings-20130205

5 February 2013

The detailed circumstances in which a US government may order the killing of an American citizen who is a high-ranking member of al-Qaida have been revealed in a leaked memo prepared by Obama administration lawyers.

The document, acquired by NBC and dating from 2011, lays out for the first time the precise rationale for carrying out targeted killings of senior al-Qaida members who are US citizens, and who are believed to pose an “imminent threat of violent attack” against the United States…

Although the paper does not specify the “minimum legal requirements” for launching such an operation, it insists that the killing would be constitutionally justified as the United States is engaged in an “armed conflict”, as defined by international law and authorised by Congress, with al-Qaida and its affiliates.

In a key passage in the document – which is unsigned – it argues that for a US citizen who has rights under the due process clause and the fourth amendment, “that individual’s citizenship would not immunize from a lethal operation”.

The paper concludes: “Where certain circumstances are met, a lethal operation against a US citizen who is a senior operational leader of al-Qaida … and who himself poses an imminent threat of violent attack against the United States, would not violate the constitution.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/05/obama-administration-us-al-qaida

US President Obama is right to condemn lying forms of enhanced interrogation techniques, but should also consider that perhaps he wants to go too far.

The Bible warns of terrors affecting the descendants of Israel, because of sin:

14 ‘But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments,
15 and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant,
16 I also will do this to you:
I will even appoint terror over you (Leviticus 26:14-16)

Those in the USA who feel that they are protected by a variety of ‘constitutional’ rights are learning that their government is narrowing those rights.

While the USA is condemning torture, eventually other enemies will use it against those of the USA as well as its Anglo-Saxon descended allies.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-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. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
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?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism? nglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic, Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

Downtown Berkeley with SF Bay (Introvert)

COGwriter

Since Ferguson, there have been many protests.  Over 150 protesters were arrested in California:

December 9, 2014

(Reuters) – More than 150 protesters were arrested in California overnight after shutting down a major freeway in another outbreak of nationwide demonstrations against police use of deadly force on minorities.

Across the other side of the country late on Monday, basketball stars in New York including Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James joined the protests by wearing shirts emblazoned with “I can’t breathe” — the last words of Eric Garner, a black man who died after a police chokehold.

Large crowds have demonstrated daily in several U.S. cities since a grand jury decided last week not to bring criminal charges against a white police officer over the death of Garner, an unarmed father of six, in July…

Several hundred people stormed onto Interstate 80 in the college town of Berkeley near San Francisco on Monday night snarling traffic in both directions.

Protesters threw rocks and other objects at officers, California Highway Patrol spokesman Daniel Hill said. More than 150 people were arrested, mostly for resisting or obstructing an officer, he added.

Earlier, dozens of protesters stopped an Amtrak train in the town by lying on the tracks or sitting on a sofa placed across the line.

Outside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, a group of about 300 protesters blocked streets and chanted, “I can’t breathe,” in memory of Garner, and “Hands up, don’t shoot,” a reference to Brown’s death.

In downtown Phoenix, about 200 protesters marched to police headquarters over the killing of another unarmed black man by a white officer in what authorities described as a struggle last week.  http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/09/us-usa-new-york-chokehold-idUSKCN0JH2BI20141209

December 9, 2014Hundreds of protesters converged on the Barclays Center in New York Monday getting in the wy of ticketholders who came to see a basketball game and possibly get a glimpse of Price William and the Duchess of Cambridge.

Protesters staged a die-in outside the arena as well as spilling into the Atlantic Terminal Mall as demonstrators continue to protest the decision by a Staten Island grand jury not to indict a white police officer in the chokehold death of an unarmed black male, Eric Garner.

Protesters caused no problem to the Royal visitors, while protesters continued to chant as the game was over and the crowds started to file out.

In Berkeley, Calif., protesters marches through the streets for the third night in a row, blocking major roadways and even causing an Amtrak train and BART service to stall.  http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/09/protesters-block-traffic-stop-train-in-california/

December 9, 2014

More than 150 protesters were arrested in California overnight after shutting down a major freeway and stopping an Amtrak train as nationwide demonstrations against police use of deadly force on minorities continued for a third night.

Hundreds of people marched through the college town of Berkeley for a third night a row on Monday, local media reported.

California Highway Patrol spokesman Daniell Hill said several hundred people stormed onto Interstate 80 in the town near San Francisco late Monday, snarling traffic in both directions.

Protesters threw rocks and other objects at officers, Hill said. More than 150 people were arrested, mostly for resisting or obstructing an officer, he added.

Earlier, dozens of protesters stopped an Amtrak train in Berkeley by lying on the tracks or sitting on a sofa placed across the line.

No injuries were reported in either incident.

Nationwide protests

Marches were held in a number of cities across the United States, including Phoenix and Seattle, where demonstrations remained largely peaceful.

In downtown Phoenix, about 200 protesters marched to police headquarters over the killing of another unarmed black man by a white officer in what authorities described as a struggle last week.

About 300 protesters in New York City blocked streets outside the Barclays Center sports arena, where the National Basketball Association’s Cleveland Cavaliers were playing against the Brooklyn Nets.

The demonstrators chanted the now-famous phrase “I Can’t Breathe,” the last words spoken by Eric Garner, a 43-year-old man who died in July after being placed in a chokehold by police officer Daniel Pantaleo and forced to the ground in an incident captured on video.

Inside the arena, Cavaliers’ superstar LeBron James and other players wore T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase during pre-game warm ups.

Angry protests erupted last week over the deaths of Garner and Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri who was shot to death in August after a street confrontation with officer Darren Wilson.

Behind the protests

A grand jury’s decision Nov. 24 not to indict Wilson sparked angry and violent protests for several nights in Ferguson. A grand jury decision Dec. 3 in the New York case sparked another series of nationwide protests.

On Monday, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he was seeking the power to investigate all police killings of unarmed civilians in the state. It remained unclear whether New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would grant Schneiderman such powers.

In an interview with Black Entertainment Television Monday, President Barack Obama said that blacks do not exaggerate when they talk about such situations, and said racism is “deeply rooted” in U.S. society.  http://www.voanews.com/content/protests-continue-in-us-cities-against-police-killings-of-blacks/2551396.html

Many are upset that a Grand Jury concluded that no charges needed to be brought against the white police officer who shot the black Michael Brown or the white police officer whose arrestee Eric Garner died. Many believe that these incidents were racially motivated, which if they were (and I have my doubts that it was) would, of course, be wrong.  There are other concerns about police-involved incidents in Cleveland and elsewhere.

While there can be a place, at limited times, for peaceful protests, throwing rocks on police is wrong.  Some government officials, including from Washington, D.C., have fanned the flames of certain police incidents as have some ‘activists.’

Violence is not the answer to violence. Notice what Jesus said about one protesting what could be considered as an illegal police action:

52 Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. (Matthew 26:52, KJV)

Look at what John the Baptist taught the soldiers who were, in essence, the occupying ‘police’ of Judea:

2…the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. 3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins… 14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. (Luke 3:2-3, KJV)

Vengeance belongs to God:

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. (Romans 12:17-19, NKJV)

What is needed is peace:

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

As far as violence goes, the Bible also shows that God is against violence and that destruction will come because of it:

23 ‘Make a chain,
For the land is filled with crimes of blood,
And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles,
And they will possess their houses;
I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease,
And their holy places shall be defiled. (Ezekiel 7:23-24)

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…30…violent, proud, boasters,…31…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 1:28-32)

8…And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. (Habakkuk 2:8)

For years, based on prophecies like the above, I have written that civil unrest would come to the USA. I expect more civil unrest in the USA in the future.

In my view, some protesters and some in the government turn too quickly to violence. And that does not bode well for various ones in the USA.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

God’s Grace is For All Is being Jewish a hindrance to salvation? What about not being a descendant of Israel? What does the Bible really teach? Here is a link to a related sermon titled Race and Grace; Do you view race as God does?
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.
Christian Soldiers How are Christians to be like soldiers? How are they to be different?
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. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
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?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
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.