August 24, 2010
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LIVING ON BORROWED TIME - DVD
A morally and spiritually bankrupt society …A worldwide economic meltdown…A planet racked with increasingly intense manmade and natural disasters…Are we the Final Generation?
Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:42-44
Reviews: The DVD should be seen by small groups and youth ministries far and wide. The clear quoting and referencing of bible verses is especially strong. The collage of dramatic imagery - both in photography and artwork, grabs the viewers' attention and weaves the conclusion that God is about to continue His plan in a major way. The video is so fresh - the oil explosion and spill in the Gulf of Mexico is shown as one example of how this old world is wearing out and is in flames
The video next defends the authorship and reliability of the bible before showing eight unmistakable developments in our world that point toward the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The number one sign given to our generation is the return of the Jewish people to form the nation of Israel. Jesus Christ is now standing at the door waiting to take his beloved bride- His true believers. Like the admonition from the Book of Jude, verse 23, I pray that this DVD will be used by the Holy Spirit to pluck dying people out of the fire before the borrowed time runs out. - John Wicklund - Chair- Olive Tree Ministries Board of Directors - Maple Grove, MN
Great Job! We have watched all your DVD’s and we think this is the best one so far. After someone watches this DVD there is no way they could argue that we are not living in the last days! – Don & Cindy K. – Bakersfield, CA
The DVD came and it was great. GOOD JOB ! ! – Julie A. – Whitefish, MT
God bless you, the new DVD is amazing! I know that if there is anyone out there who doesn't know what the bible holds or has no clue about what is really going on after seeing this DVD they will surely be enlightened about what is truly going on in the world today. - The Taylor's - Bakersfield, CA
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Ahmadinejad: Israel is too weak to attack Iran's nuclear facilities – www.haaretz.com
In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Iranian president says the U.S. is not interested in sparking an all-out military confrontation with Iran.
Israel is too weak to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, the French AFP news agency quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as telling the Al-Jazeera network on Sunday, adding that Iran would act decisively against anyone who dared attempt a military strike against it.
Ahmadinejad's comments came a day after Iranian and Russian engineers began the weeklong operation of loading uranium fuel into the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a major milestone as Tehran forges ahead with its atomic program, despite UN sanctions.
Speaking to the Qatari-based satellite network in an interview translated from Farsi, Ahmadinejad reiterated the warning against a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, saying he rejected the "possibility of an attack by Israel."
"Israel is too weak to face up to Iran militarily," the Iranian president said, adding that Jerusalem did not have "the courage to do it... and I do not think its threat is serious."
Referring to the possibility of a U.S.-led strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, Ahmadinejad claimed "America is not interested in sparking a military confrontation," but vowed "decisive response" if Washington indeed went ahead with its threats military action.
"There are no logical reasons for the United States to carry out such an act," Ahmadinejad told Al-Jazeera.
"Do you believe an army that has been defeated by a small army in Iraq can enter into a war with a large and well trained army like the Iranian army?" he asked, referring to the insurgents in Iraq.
"The friendship of Iran is much better than its hostility," he said.
The Al-Jazeera interview came hours after a high-ranking officer in Iran's Revolutionary Guards told the semi-official Fars news agency that Iran's reaction to a possible U.S. military strike against its nuclear facilities would target American interests beyond the Middle East.
Speculating on the possibility of a U.S. strike against Iran's developing nuclear program, Deputy Revolutionary Guards Commander for Political Affairs Brigadier General Yadollah Javani said earlier Sunday that "if Americans make a strategic mistake and choose the military option against the Islamic Republic and our nation's interests, Iran will not confine its defense to the region."
"In case of any illogical move, the Islamic Republic's hands and advocates will be powerfully activated against the interests of the hegemonic system and U.S. bases outside the region," Javani told Fars.
Earlier this month, Javani had commented on the possibility of a U.S. strike of its nuclear facilities, saying that Iran would "give a crushing response to its enemies."
Turning his attention to Israel, Javani had that Iran did not believe its enemy was capable of attacking. Nonetheless, he said, Iran would be prepared in case that equation should change. "Iran never ignores its enemies. Hence, we have been increasing our defense and deterrence capabilities."
Iran: If attacked our response will be wide-ranging and unpredictable – www.haaretz.com
Iran Revolutionary Guards unveil new high-speed missile-carrying vessels, latest in series of recent additions to country's military arsenal.
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi warned Monday that his country would show a wide-range of reactions in face of a possible attack, adding that the extent would be unpredictable, the Iranian news agency ISNA reported on Monday.
“We will show a very wide-range reaction in case of any military strike which would come due to foolishness and ignorance, our reaction cannot be predicted by the enemy,” he said during an unveiling ceremony of two domestic boats.
During the unveiling, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps inaugurated production lines for two high-speed vessels, the latest in a series of recent additions to the country's arsenal.
The Seraj and Zolfaqar vessels are to be armed with missiles and torpedoes, state media reported.
The production lines were launched in a ceremony attended by Vahidi and Revolutionary Guards navy commander Admiral Ali Fadavi.
Fadavi said that the Zolfaqar vessel would be the best in its class worldwide. The craft is to be capable of traveling at a speed of up to 70 knots (130 kilometers per hour), and would be suitable for both patrol and offensive missions, the admiral said.
The Seraj vessel is to be equipped with state-of-the-art technology, reports said.
Iran's defense ministry has in recent weeks displayed several new military projects, including submarines, surface-to-surface missiles and drones.
On Sunday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad unveiled the country's first domestically made drone, the Karar, which has range of 1,000 kilometers and is armed.
Ahmadinejad said that the drone could be "an ambassador of death for the enemies of humanity, but at the same time a messenger of salvation, peace and friendship in the avoidance of conflicts and aggression."
Iran last week also test fired the new generation of the surface-to-surface Qiam-1 missile, described as a huge step in missile development by the defense ministry.
The armed forces have increased their maneuvers in the wake of renewed speculation about possible Israeli airstrikes against the country's nuclear sites.
Tehran says its army is not trained to attack another country, but the West fears Iran could launch a missile strike against Israel, especially with its Shahab missiles, which reportedly have a range of 2,000 kilometers, making them capable of reaching any part of the Jewish state.
Israeli official declares: 'We're preparing for war' – www.wnd.com
Warns if world doesn't stop Iran, Jewish nation may be forced to act
While Israel is hoping for a peaceful resolution to Iran's nuclear ambitions, the Jewish state is also preparing for "a time of war," declared a Knesset member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud party.
"We are prepared for all risks," said Likud Knesset Member Danny Danon. "And I think our enemies should know that even though we are speaking of peace, we are getting ready for a time of war, as well."
Danon, the deputy speaker of Israel's parliament, was speaking in a radio interview with WND senior reporter Aaron Klein, who hosts an investigative program on New York's WABC 770 AM Radio.
Danon hinted that Israel may take action if the world does not stop the Iranian nuclear threat, recalling Israel's lone strike on Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981.
Stated Danon: "We are ready for all scenarios, and we are able to defend our civilian population. I cannot tell you how long we can wait more. But we prefer to wait and see if the international bodies are acting, or [whether] it will be only the burden of Israel, like it was in the early '80s, when the great leader, Menachem Begin, [made] the great decision to bomb the nuclear reactor in Iraq."
Despite his assertion that Jerusalem is preparing to act alone, Danon stressed that Iran is an international concern. He called on the Western world to "take action" against Iran's suspected illicit nuclear program.
"I think we have to take action," he said. "It's about time to take action. It should be the international world and not only Israel. And I expect the administration in the White House to wake up as soon as possible."
Danon said he is concerned the international community has not been forceful enough in its policies toward Iran.
"What we see today is that the Russians, the Americans, the Europeans all say they are worried about Iran becoming nuclear, but in fact Iran is working full ahead, and it's only a matter of months or a year before they will be reaching the point of no return," he said.
Danon stated that any future military confrontation against Iran "should be an international effort."
"We don't want this to be a war of Jews against Muslims. It should be a war of Western civilization [against] Iran," he said.
"The threat of Iran becoming nuclear is a threat for the people who live in the U.S., Europe and Israel." he said. "No one can guarantee that Iran will use its power only against Israel."
Iran says it will mass produce assault boats – www.news.yahoo.com
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's military has opened production lines for two new types of assault boats, state television reported Monday.
The announcement came a day after Iran said it had developed an unmanned bomber aircraft that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the "ambassador of death" to Iran's enemies.
Both announcements drew a U.S. warning that Iran's weapons advancements were being met by increased military cooperation between Washington and its Arab allies in the region.
One of the vessels unveiled Monday, known as the Zolfaghar, is armed with missiles, state TV reported. The second is called the Seraj, or Light, and is a high-speed patrol boat with a fiberglass body.
Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi said the new vessels "will add remarkable powers to Iran's navy."
Iran frequently announces advances in military technology, boasting of self-sufficiency in the face of international sanctions and efforts by the U.S. and other nations to isolate the country over its nuclear program.
U.S. State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley warned the new weapons could reduce Iran's security as Washington partners with allies in the region to counter a potential Iranian threat.
"This is one of the reasons why we believe that if Iran continues on the path that it's on, that it actually might find itself less secure," he told reporters in Washington.
Iran launched an arms development program during its 1980-88 war with Iraq to compensate for a U.S. weapons embargo and now produces its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and even a fighter plane.
On Sunday, Ahmadinejad inaugurated the country's first domestically built unmanned bomber aircraft.
The 13-foot-long (4-meter-long) drone can carry up to four missiles and has a range of 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) — not far enough to reach archenemy Israel.
Last week, Tehran test-fired a new liquid fuel surface-to-surface missile, the Qiam-1, with advanced guidance systems.
'Israel will react to Iran accordingly' – www.jpost.com
Danny Ayalon calls on Iranian people to protest "aggressive regime."
Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said that regional war initiated by Iran was a distinct possibility, adding that "Israel is committed to defending its citizens and if attacked will act accordingly." The comments, released Tuesday, came in a Farsi language broadcast on Israel Radio in which Ayalon addressed the people of Iran, taking calls and answering questions . The broadcast was originally aired on Monday.
"A fear exists that Iran – as it becomes more pressured by sanctions – will goad those under its patronage in Hizbullah and Hamas to initiate military action against Israel. There’s also a possibility that Iran will make a military move against the Arab Gulf states and harm the flow of oil to the world, in which case the entire situation will degrade into widespread confrontations. Remember that the sanctions are aimed against Iran’s efforts to arm itself with nuclear weapons, and if they don’t elicit results, the United States and other nations might consider other options."
Ayalon emphasized the fact that Israel's problems with Iran were not with the country's people, but rather with the Islamic Republic's regime.
"Israel bears no animosity towards the Iranian people. We have deep respect and aspire to cooperate with them to bring about a better reality in the region. The problem is intrinsic to the Iranian regime and its conduct, particularly regarding the nuclear issue. This is a regime that calls for 'Death to the United States, Great Britain and Israel'. The Iranian regime spreads instability, supports terror, and oppresses its own people. It is impossible to accept atomic weapons in the hands of such a regime.
"The Iranian reactor constitutes a tremendous danger to the stability of the entire region and to world peace in general because, besides nuclear armaments, Iran is also developing a missile system that threatens countries beyond the Middle East, such as Europe. Nuclear weapons in Iran’s hands will enable it to threaten all the Arab governments with its present means (subversive elements in various countries, agents, and so forth). Even now it controls bodies that function as a state within a state, in Lebanon, Yemen, the Palestinian Authority, and other places."
Ayalon called on the "oppressed" Iranian people to protest the dictatorial regime's repeated violations of its citizen's civil rights.
"This is an aggressive dictatorial regime, and all progressive elements throughout the world should take action against it, if only for that reason. Israel congratulates the Iranian people for their efforts to liberate themselves from the burden of the oppressive regime. At international forums, Israel has raised the issue of the suffering of the Iranian people and the cruelty of the regime ruling them. That is the main thing we can do for such an illustrious nation suffering from oppression. But in the end, it is the Iranian people themselves who must take their fate in their own hands and act to achieve their rights. The more the citizens of Iran increase their protest activities, the higher the international support will be."
U.S.: We are troubled by Iran's nuclear intentions, not its military growth - By Natasha Mozgovaya – www.haaretz.com
U.S. State Department spokesman: Recent unveiling of advanced Iran weapons systems do not avert Washington's attention from its controversial nuclear program.
The United States is concerned about Iran's nuclear intentions, not the weapons systems it develops, a senior U.S. official said on Monday, referring to several recent unveilings by the Islamic Republic of self-made advanced military equipment.
Earlier Monday, Iranian state media reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps inaugurated production lines for two high-speed vessels, the Seraj and Zolfaqar, which are to be armed with missiles and torpedoes.
The unveiling came only a day after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad personally announced the development of the country's first domestically made drone, the Karar, which has range of 1,000 kilometers and is armed.
Speaking on Monday to MSNBC, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley said that, while Iran's developing military capabilities were of concern to the United States, its sights were set on "Iran's intentions."
"I don't think that any one weapon system is going to tip a balance one way or the other, but certainly Iran sees itself as a regional power," Crowley said.
"And as they acquire more capability, that will be of concern to the United States and other states in the Gulf, and we will respond appropriately. But obviously, of greatest concern to us are Iran's nuclear ambitions."
Crowley said that Washington continually assesses "Iran's nuclear capability," saying the Islamic Republic was experiencing "some trouble with the technology, but this trajectory that they're currently on is of concern to us."
"We've made clear that Iran having a nuclear capability would set off an arms race within the region," Crowley said, adding that such a turn of events would not be "helpful to us; that's not helpful to the region."
"We want to do everything we can to forestall that. We also think that one step to help stabilize the region is to end the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. These things are connected," the State Department spokesman said.
When asked whether or not he believed Israel would strike Iran in response to its recent weapons' unveiling, the State Department spokesman said that "every country, including Israel, will act in its own self-interest and to defend itself."
"We're trying to put pressure on Iran to clarify its nuclear programs and to be a more constructive player in the region," Crowley said, adding that the United States had attempted to ward off Iran's military threat by working "closely with Israel and other countries in the region - build up their defensive capabilities to offset Iran's growing influence."
"We're prepared to engage this regime. We hope to have conversations with Iran perhaps next month to try to clarify its nuclear ambitions," he said, adding that dialogue with Iran would take place within the context of what we call the P5 plus 1."
"We also want to see Iran more constructively engage the IAEA so that we understand more fully what its nuclear plans are," Crowley said.
Palestinians: Israel's Choice Is Settlements or Peace – www.newsmax.com
RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories – Israel must chose between "settlements or peace," Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat said on Monday ahead of the September 2 restart of negotiations in Washington.
"The choice of the Israeli government is settlement or peace, they cannot have both," he said at a news conference in Ramallah, the political capital of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
But he also said he believed agreement could be reached within one year.
"We think it is doable."
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, in a letter to EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton dated August 21 and seen by AFP on Monday, also warned that the talks would be cut short if Israel resumes settlement activities.
Both sides agreed to relaunch direct negotiations after a 20-month hiatus, even though the Palestinians had initially insisted they would not hold face-to-face talks unless the Israelis freeze settlement activity in the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
But Erakat made it clear on Monday that settlements remain a major issue, and that it now remains to be seen whether Israel will renew a 10-month moratorium on settlement construction it imposed in November last year.
"If Mr Netanyahu decides to renew settlement tenders come September 26, he will have decided to stop negotiations," he said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated in the past the moratorium would conclude on that date.
And Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom reiterated on Monday that the moratorium was unlikely to be renewed.
"I don't think the freeze will be extended," he told public radio.
"The Palestinians cannot use this as a pretext to suspend negotiations," he warned.
The international community has pressed Israel to halt settlement activity while Netanyahu is under pressure at home to allow construction to resume.
The Palestinians have urged the US administration to demand guarantees from Israel on the issue, which has been a major hurdle in past peace efforts.
"We heard from the Americans that if we entered into direct negotiations we will be in a better position to have the moratorium extended, whether you call that an assurance or not," Erakat said.
"We hope Mr Netanyahu will choose reconciliation and not further confrontation and that's up to him," he said.
In his letter to Ashton, Abbas said: "I fear that ongoing settlement activity, especially in east Jerusalem, along with other Israeli violations of international law and the roadmap will further undermine the credibility of negotiations in the eyes of my people."
He also told Ashton he had warned US Middle East envoy George Mitchell that the talks could be scuttled by a resumption of settlement activities.
"It should be noted that I have stated to Senator Mitchell that if Israel resumes settlement activities, including in east Jerusalem, we cannot continue with negotiations," he said.
Both sides have traded accusations of holding up the peace process and each has said it is now up to the other to make it work.
"We are seeking to surprise the critics and the skeptics, but in order to do this we need a real partner on the Palestinian side. It is possible to succeed with a hand extended in peace, but only if someone on the other side likewise extends one," Netanyahu said on Sunday.
A string of interim agreements have been reached since the 1993 Oslo accords gave the Palestinians limited autonomy pending a "final-status" settlement on an independent state but they have failed to bear fruit.
A relaunch of negotiations amid much fanfare at Annapolis in Maryland in November 2007 had produced no visible results by the time the talks collapsed when Israel launched its devastating military 22-day offensive on the Gaza Strip just over a year later.
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Iran Guards chief secretly oversees war plans - in Damascus – www.debka.com
Iranian Revolutionary Guards chief Gen. Mohamed Ali Jafari, who rarely leaves his country, paid a secret visit to Damascus a few hours before Tehran launched its first nuclear reactor at Bushehr Saturday, Aug. 21. With him were top Al Qods Brigades commanders in Lebanon, Iraq and the Palestinian territories. The group stayed only long enough to confer with Syrian president Bashar Assad and his military and intelligence chiefs on three topics:
1. The roles Syria and Hizballah will play in a potential Iranian military reprisal to a possible American or Israeli strike on its nuclear sites.
2. The probable repercussions of an Iranian decision to use Hizballah or pro-Iranian terrorists as proxies for a pre-emptive strike - or strikes - against Israel.
3. How Syria can help discourage the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia from their willingness to support a US or Israel attack on Iran with bases, intelligence assets and other means.
The importance and urgency of this discussion is attested to by the IRGC's supreme commander having made his trip outside Iran for many years. It was one of the red lights abounding of late that instilled in Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak a sense of urgency for a strategic response to the Bushehr startup. He accordingly cut short the furious contest raging in the IDF's General Staff over the contest for the next chief of staff by an abrupt announcement of Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant's appointment to the post when the incumbent ends his tour of duty in February. This quelled the scandals surrounding forged documents and intrigue, but above all it sent a message to Tehran: Israel's defensive posture and self-restraint, as practiced by Lt. Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi, was about to change. Iran may run into a different response if it makes good on its threats of aggression and the flurry of war preparations they are orchestrating around Israel's borders.
The incoming IDF Chief of Staff Gen. Galant, who commanded the 2009 Cast lead operation against Hamas in Gaza, subscribes to an offensive, proactive military approach in contrast to the dovish Ashkenazi. Although he formally takes the reins next February, Ashkenazi may well will step down before his term is up and make way for his hawkish successor. With Galant at his side, the defense minister has begun reshaping the General Staff to match the new approach and the requirements of the incoming C-of-S.
debkafile's military sources add that Israel is taking very seriously the presence in Gen. Jafari's secret delegation to Damascus of two high-ranking IRGC Al Qods officers. They have been identified as Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, commander of Iran's terrorist and spy networks in Iraq, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and Hassan Mahdavi, formally designated IRGC envoy to the Lebanese Hizballah, who was recently elevated to overall command of the Lebanese terrorist organization.
This promotion effectively changes the status of Hizballah, which is represented as a political force in Lebanon's parliament and government, from Tehran's surrogate to external arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps under the direct command of an al Qods officer - an ominous pointer to the goals Iran has set itself in a country bordering on northern Israel.
As for Al Muhandis, the US Treasury targeted him for personal sanctions in July 2009 as "adviser to Qasem Soleimani, the commander of Iran's Qod's Force, the arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps responsible for providing material support to Lebanon-based Hizballah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command" - all of them notorious terrorist groups.
Clinton upholds deal with Israel - Obama reneges re Bushehr, Palestinian issues – www.debka.com
Separate scriptsdebkafile's Washington sources reports Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is misleading his ministers by presenting the direct talks opening with the Palestinians on Sept. 2 as a diplomatic victory. He has omitted to disclose that the Obama administration has reneged on the secret deals for paving the way to the talks it concluded with Netanyahu's senior aides Yitzhak Molcho and Uzi Arad.
Part of the deal was for Israel to line up with the Obama administration's non-reaction to Iran's activation of its Russian-built nuclear reactor at Bushehr last Saturday, Aug. 21. The United States promised, for its part, to deliver the Palestinians to the negotiating table for face -to-face talks after dropping their pre-conditions (determination of the 1967 lines as the final borders of a Palestinian state and a moratorium on Jewish construction on the West Bank and Jerusalem).
But most of all, the secret deal obliged Obama to refrain from twisting Israel's arm on behalf of the Palestinians should the dialogue founder - as it is widely expected to do.
With this deal in the bag, Netanyahu was able to showcase the Obama administration's endorsement of his diplomatic strategy and is rejection of Palestinian demands.
However, the deal was shown to have sprung a leak in the formal announcements in Washington of Friday, Aug. 20, debkafile discloses.
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton kept faith with Israel and turned down a last minute White House demand to insert this phrase in her announcement: "The United States could offer bridging proposals if necessary," into her announcement, the euphemistic phrase turned up in special presidential envoy George Mitchell's remarks elaborating on the Clinton statement.
The US sources consulted by debkafile Monday, Aug. 23, made no bones about White House intentions. Those "bridging proposals" referred to Obama's views on the most intractable disputes at issue between Israel and the Palestinians, i.e. final borders, Jerusalem and Israel's security demands. They would be put forward as friendly gestures to lift the talks out of a ditch, but Israeli would be left in not doubt that it must bow to the US president's take - or else.
In Ramallah, debkafile's sources report, Mahmoud Abbas, Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, was accused of failing to stand up to US pressure when he agreed to meet Netanyahu face-to-face on Sept, 2 after 20 months of ducking direct talks. Abbas assured them that the Palestinians had no cause for concern because the White House had promised him that the "bridging proposals" would be tilted in the Palestinians' favor and Netanyahu would be hustled into backing down on every important issue.
Our sources add that Washington also reneged in the first half of its commitment to Israel too. Instead of staying mum on the Bushehr plant when it was started up on Saturday, Aug. 22, as did the Netanyahu government, the state department spokesman responded a few hours later by saying that Washington sees no "proliferation risk" from the launch of Iran's first nuclear power plant.
This went down badly in Jerusalem as a form of US approval for the reactor, a surprising deviation from their accord and another ill omen that the Obama administration may seek to grind Israel down in the way it manages the talks with the Palestinians.
Obama is already under fire from several groups of Israel's defenders for what is regarded as his unfair and unbalanced treatment of Israel and favoritism for the Arab and Muslim side of the Middle East rift. The drift of Jewish and pro-Israeli voters away from the Democrats ahead of November's midterm congressional elections is reflected in more than one poll. According to the latest Pew Research Center report earlier this month, whereas in 2008 the Democrats enjoyed three times as many Jewish supporters as the Republicans. The ratio has now sunk to less than two to one.
In Israel, the US president's ratings, exceptionally high after his election, have plunged - unaffected by the effort Obama made to give Netanyahu a warm White House welcome in July.
The Israeli prime minister may be counting on the November midterm elections to hold Obama's hand from weighing too heavily in favor of the Palestinians - if the talks manage to stagger on that long.
The ‘two-state’ delusion - By George Will
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | JERUSALEM --'Twas a famous victory for diplomacy when, in 1991 in Madrid, Israelis and Palestinians, orchestrated by the United States, at last engaged in direct negotiations. Almost a generation later, U.S. policy has succeeded in prodding the Palestinians away from their recent insistence on "proximity talks" -- in which they have talked to the Israelis through American intermediaries -- and to direct negotiations. But negotiations about what?
Idle talk about a "binational state" has long since died. Even disregarding the recent fates of multinational states -- e.g., the former Soviet Union, the former Yugoslavia, the former Czechoslovakia -- binationalism is impossible if Israel is to be a Jewish state for the Jewish people. No significant Israeli constituency disagrees with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu: "The Palestinian refugee problem will be resolved outside Israel's borders."
Rhetoric about a "two-state solution" is de rigueur. It also is delusional, given two recent, searing experiences.
The only place for a Palestinian state is the West Bank, which Israel has occupied -- legally under international law -- since repelling the 1967 aggression launched from there. The West Bank remains an unallocated portion of the Palestine Mandate, the disposition of which is to be settled by negotiations. Michael Oren, now Israel's ambassador to the United States, said several years before becoming ambassador:
"There is no Israeli leadership that appears either willing or capable of removing 100,000 Israelis from their West Bank homes. . . . The evacuation of a mere 8,100 Israelis from Gaza in 2005 required 55,000 IDF [Israel Defense Forces] troops -- the largest Israeli military operation since the 1973 Yom Kippur War -- and was profoundly traumatic."
Twenty-one Israeli settlements were dismantled; even the bodies of Israelis buried in Gaza were removed. After a deeply flawed 2006 election encouraged by the United States, there was in 2007 essentially a coup in Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas. So now Israel has on its western border, 44 miles from Tel Aviv, an entity dedicated to Israel's destruction, collaborative with Iran and possessing a huge arsenal of rockets.
Rocket attacks from Gaza increased dramatically after Israel withdrew. The number of U.N. resolutions deploring this? Zero.
The closest precedent for that bombardment was the Nazi rocket attacks on London, which were answered by the destruction of Hamburg, Dresden and other German cities. When Israel struck back at Hamas, the "international community" was theatrically appalled.
A senior cabinet member -- Moshe Yaalon, strategic affairs minister and possible future prime minister -- says "our withdrawals strengthened jihadist Islam," adding, "We have the second Islamic republic in the Middle East -- the first in Iran, the second in Gaza: Hamastan."
Israel's withdrawals include the one that strengthened the Iranian client on Israel's northern border, in southern Lebanon. Since the 2006 war provoked by Hezbollah's incessant rocketing of northern Israel, Hezbollah has rearmed and possesses as many as 60,000 rockets. Today, Netanyahu says, Israel's problem is less the Israel-Lebanon border than it is the Lebanon-Syria border: Hezbollah has received from Syria -- which gets them from Iran -- Scud missiles capable of striking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. A leader of Hezbollah says, "If all the Jews gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide."
Because upward of a million immigrants have come from the former Soviet Union, today one-sixth of Israelis speak Russian. Israel has Russian-language newspapers and television. Russian Israelis are largely responsible for Avigdor Lieberman being foreign minister. Yoram Peri, professor of Israel studies at the University of Maryland, says these immigrants "don't understand how a state that can be crossed in half an hour by car would be willing to even talk about relinquishing territories to its seemingly perpetual enemies." These immigrants know that Russia's strategic depth -- space -- defeated Napoleon and Hitler.
Netanyahu, who is not the most conservative member of the coalition government he heads, endorses a two-state solution but says that any West Bank Palestinian state must be demilitarized and prevented from making agreements with the likes of Hezbollah and Iran. To prevent the importation of missiles and other arms, Israel would need, Netanyahu says, a military presence on the West Bank's eastern border with Jordan. Otherwise, there will be a third Islamic republic, and a second one contiguous to Israel.
So, again: Negotiations about what?
Abomination in the false balance of the government – Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com
Every year, the Americans for Tax Reform and the Center for Fiscal Accountability determine the day that the average American has earned enough income to pay his or her share of spending by federal, state, and local governments. This year "Cost of Government Day" fell on Friday, August 19. The man who occupies the Oval Office has added more than a month to this figure since he took office. Now working Americans are slaves to their government for a full 231 days of the year. Every living person in the United States now owes about $44,000 of the national debt. According to columnist Thomas D. Segal, however, that figure is closer to $120,000 because 40% of the population does not pay taxes.
Fox News reported that the man who occupies the Oval Office announced August 18th in Ohio that Social Security "is not in crisis." Fox noted that he "has long promised that his health care plan will not add "one dime" to the deficit. Yet, a new report from the International Monetary Fund concludes that, long term, our government is in worse financial shape than Greece, and that this problem is driven in large part by both programs, particularly the new health care plan." Fidelity investments reports that hardship withdrawals from 401(k) retirement plans are at the highest levels in a decade, and those having an outstanding loan on their 401(k) plans were at all time highs of 22%. Home foreclosures are up 38% over last year.
This news is not good. First, it demonstrates the out of control spending by the federal government. These statistics indicated that government in general is draining the wealth from the entire population of America. It shows that wealth redistribution is not working because fewer people are able to keep their jobs, their homes, their retirements. They are unable to plan for the future because their debt to the government costs more than a luxury car, or combined for a family of four, the debt to the government costs more than a home. At one time, part of the American dream was to own a home, now the government has taken away that dream for most Americans.
What have we to show for this tremendous tax burden? Would it not be better to put that $120,000 back into the hands of taxpayers and allow them to stimulate the economy with it? Has it not been proven over and over again that government is not the answer to personal prosperity, happiness, and salvation? Government's proper role is to provide the security for the nation and to protect its citizens with justice based on the tenets of God's word in the Bible. Proverbs 11:1 says, "A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight." The government is a false balance. In this nation, the people have a say in how they are ruled. We had better exercise it as this false balance is truly abomination.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
God's Way – Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org
Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well.
— Proverbs 5:15
Imagine how different our world would be today if we kept the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Imagine how many divorces would have been avoided if adultery was never committed. Imagine how many families would still be together. Imagine how many parents would still be at home to raise their children.
Remember, this commandment made God's Top Ten. There are a lot of things He could have identified as big issues to Him, but these are ten things that God wants us to know, things that matter to Him. And if we ignore these commands, it will be spiritually harmful and destructive in our lives.
So God spoke out on the subject of sexual purity and said, "You shall not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14). Committing adultery is having sex with someone besides your spouse. It is speaking of immorality in general, not merely unfaithfulness on the part of a marital partner. And God says it is sin.
I believe our secular culture has taken the topic of sex, poured their own meaning into what it is and what it isn't, and have redefined how we view it. And as a result, the church has lost control of the subject. So let's take it back again and, without embarrassment, acknowledge that sex is not sinful or evil in and of itself.
God created sex, and there needs to be no shame or embarrassment surrounding it, if it is done God's way. And what is God's way? In a marriage relationship. Within the safety and protection of a marriage, God can bless sex. Did you know that is possible? He can bless it. But it must be within the confines of marriage between a man and a woman—and no other variation of that.
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The Future Belongs to God - Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor – www.omegaletter.com
More than 2600 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah recorded a challenge hurled by God to all those who laid claim to Divinity, saying;
"Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.” (Isaiah 41:23)
While many have picked up the challenge, including Mohammed, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, Joseph Smith, Charles Taze Russell, William Miller, Harold Camping, etc., all have failed to meet God's exacting standard of 100% accuracy, 100% of the time.
Consider what it means for Ezekiel to describe, 2500 years in advance, the geopolitical alliances of the 21st century. It was only sixty years ago that the world was at war -- the alliances described by Ezekiel didn't exist until that war forced them into being.
The Scriptures say that the 'hairs on your head are numbered' -- multiply that times every single person who ever lived. Every single one of them had free will choices and the choices made by our ancestors, no matter how far back we go, shaped the world we live in today. The same one foretold by the prophets.
Hebrew prophets named alliances between nations that didn't exist in their world, and in some cases, didn't exist until this generation.
Let's take a look at ten prophecies in the process of fulfillment in this generation. A lot of this is covering old ground to long-time Omega Letter readers, but it is worth taking a second look.
1. 'Take heed that no man deceive you' "
And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you." (Matthew 24:3-4)
It's often been said that the 'devil's greatest trick is convincing people that he doesn't exist'. Deception has been raised in this generation to an art form. We expect to be deceived by our politicians, our entertainment, advertisers and the media.
2. An increase in disasters and wars.
"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. " (24:6)
World War One and World War Two were cataclysmic events that shaped the 20th century, but they were domestic disputes in comparison with what World War Three with the Soviet Union would have looked like. For fifty years, the two sides were locked in ideological combat in what history calls the Cold War. Every morning for fifty years, each side woke up wondering if the Cold War would turn hot -- the ultimate rumor of war -- that ended only a decade ago. But, as Jesus noted, see that ye not be troubled, for the is not yet. And it wasn't.
3. The great "Falling Away".
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition" (2 Thessalonians 2:3)
In this generation, being labeled a Christian 'fundamentalist' is almost a criminal charge. The very phrase "Christian fundamenalist" conjures up images of wild-eyed crazies stockpiling weapons against the end of the world while plotting the best way to blow up abortion clinics.
4. "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." (Daniel 12:4.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, very few commentaries existed on either Daniel or the Revelation. Both were considered to be filled with metaphors and symbolism. Even Calvin and Luther passed up the challenge. The words were 'sealed UNTIL THE TIME OF THE END'.
In this generation, the mysteries of Daniel and Revelation are largely unlocked.
Columbus sailed to the New World 1500 years after the Apostle Paul made his Meditterranean journey. Both sailed on wooden ships equipped with sails, as did ships until the end of the 19th century. One hundred years later, the same trip takes a few hours by air. 1900 years to get from Paul's ship to the 'unsinkable' Titanic. Sixty years after that, Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. We certainly can go 'to and fro'.
Moore's Law says that computer capacity doubles every 18 months. Knowledge is increasing at an exponential rate. There is technology being developed to make computers out of strands of DNA.
5. "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:12) -- Anybody else notice how many parents are murdering their children lately? Each of you can make as strong a case for the increasing tolerance of sin and the collapsing moral structure of society as eloquently as I can.
6. The emergence of the antichrist.
Daniel says that the antichrist's seminal act of power will be to make peace between Israel and her neighbors. Until this generation, there was no Israel to be at war. Today, the effort to bring peace is the single most important foreign policy goal of the US, EU, UN and Russia -- who together form the "Quartet" that developed the current 'road map'. The world is crying for a leader who can solve the global problems of the Middle East, terrorism and outlaw nations. Today. In this generation.
7. Earthquakes, Famines, Wars and Pestilences --
Matthew 24:7 speaks to all of these as being like labor pains -- growing in intensity and frequency as the time approaches. Earthquake activity is demonstrably on the increase, while ethnic wars rage across Africa and entire populations face starvation at a time when other countries are throwing leftovers in the garbage.
The entire sub-Saharan continent of Africa is facing extinction by the pestilence of AIDS -- while the technology exists to arrest it. We can make computers out of DNA strands, but the earthquakes, famines, wars and pestilences just keep getting more intense.
8. As it was in the days of Noah and Lot (Matthew 24:37, Luke 17:28-30)
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5) That wickedness is the hallmark of this age can be proved by picking up a newspaper.
The president refers to 'evil' and 'evildoers' in every speech. What could be more wicked than deliberately blowing up a bus filled with children to make a political statement?
Television could be described as 'imagination in a box'. We are entertained by vicariously participating in the story line. What entertains us the most? According to the box office receipts, murder, mayhem, war, destruction, occultic fantasy and sex.
Lot lived in Sodom, a place where homosexuality was rampant and widely accepted as an acceptable alternative lifestyle. Today, we have parades for homosexuals in drag, or in various stages of undress, flaunting their wickedness to the enthusiastic applause of the audience. (Romans 1:32)
9. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14)
Right now, some of you are reading these words in South Africa. Others in the UK. Still others in New Zealand, Australia, Mexico City, Vancouver, Nigeria and Bahrain. That's just the Omega Letter subscribers. There are literally thousands of Christian websites doing the same thing, with the same global reach. Soon, there will be no corner of the earth that the Gospel has not penetrated. Jesus said that once that happens, THEN shall the end come.
10. "For there shall arise false Christ’s, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Matthew 24:24) I could make a list. But so could you.
Bible prophecy is both the proof of God's existence and the assurance we have of our salvation. "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:" (2 Peter 1:19)
The same Voice that proclaimed, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11) also proclaimed, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:28)
Bible prophecy is not gloom and doom, but is instead hope and a blessed assurance. It is proof positive that God remains on His Throne and that He WILL do all that He has promised. Including the following:
"For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Wherefore, comfort one another with these words." (1st Thessalonians 4:16-18)
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Maranatha!
(Lord Come Quickly)
"On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand."
"Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!"
YBIC-Randy
