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"Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book:
for the time is at hand." - Rev 22:10 

Updated
09/03/06

Quote: "“Not even the issue of the referendum for the status of Montenegro or the issue of solving Kosovo’s status can stand in the way of our European priorities; those issues need to be solved through European measures. Never before have I received such strong assurances, as I have today from Solana, that the EU will do everything it can to implement reforms in Serbia-Montenegro and speed up our process of entering the European structure. Serbia-Montenegro will also do everything in its ability to see that the agreement for stability and association is effectively implemented and to have nothing stand in the way of these discussions,” Federal President Marovic added.

It definitely seems that Europe, and in particular, Javier Solana, are strengthening their grip on the Balkans. In the mean time, Europe is undergoing a miniature crisis regarding the application of Turkey for EU membership. Austria, which is to take the EU Presidency next year refuses to accept Turkey's bid as a full member, and will only allow a privileged EU status for the Islamic nation.

Source B92

Quote: ""The Palestinians are receiving more aid per capita than any other people on the face of the earth, and we want to see some proper response," Howells said, hinting at a decrease of economic aid if the Palestinians don't fight terror. "I thought the retaliation this week was proportionate," said Howells about the IDF operations. "The [Palestinian] attack was a very serious one, it could have killed a lot of people. It's a miracle really there weren't more casualties." 

The EU is already pledging around $380 million dollars per year to fund various Palestinian projects, and individual EU countries are giving a similar amount. But with corruption in the Palestinian Authority rife, and like Arafat before who siphoned off millions of dollars from foreign aid, it would be a wonder if the money being given is actually getting to the people who need it.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "Grabar Kitarovic said Croatia was successfully conducting preparations for full membership of NATO, the statement said. Commenting on the situation in the region, the minister said that stability in Southeast Europe was in Croatia's interest and added she was confident that the start of Croatia's EU entry talks would have a positive effect on the entire region, the statement said. 

Many saw the break up Yugoslavia by the NATO alliance as a calculated move to weaken the Balkans before being brought under the control of Western nations. The Vatican was apparently involved in arming the Croats to fight the Serbs, and Islamic influences wanted to create an Islamic state in Kosovo. NATO - under the command of Javier Solana - bombed Serbia, painting them as the aggressors, and in the process destroyed hundreds of schools, hospitals and livelihoods causing a refugee crisis numbering in the millions. If Croatia achieves EU membership, Javier Solana will be getting what he really always wanted, political control of the Balkans.

Source Seeeurope

Quote: "A third goal of the creation of the High Council and the Sanhedrin's efforts in regard to the Noahide community, is to "transform the Noahide movement from a religious phenomenon - a curiosity many have not heard of - into a powerful international movement that can successfully compete with, and with G-d's help bring about the fall of, any religious movement but the pure authentic faith that was given to humanity through Noach, the father of us all," said emissary Bar-Ron.

Although I don't know enough about the Noahide laws to speak for myself, there are some Christians who fear that these Noahide laws will outlaw Christianity. A Christian cannot observe these laws according to their Jewish interpretation...

Quote: "...against entertaining the thought that there exists a deity except the Lord" 

Of course as Christians, we believe the Torah teaches that there is one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But most Orthodox Jews would see that view as blasphemous, and a violation of the laws of Noah.

Source Israel National News, True Grace Ministries

Quote: "Though there are significant variations across the region, on average the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, according to a major report released last year. The Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, a four-year study involving hundreds of scientists, projected an additional temperature rise of 4-7C by 2100.

Considering a rise of a couple of degrees is enough to cause serious climate issues - and we have already seen a rise of a few degrees this century, four to seven degrees would create catastrophic weather conditions, and as polar glaciers melt, major cities and coastal areas would find themselves below sea level.

Revelation 16:8-9 
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Source BBC

Quote: "According to the report, Assad told the Palestinian terror groups at the meeting that they had absolute freedom of action in attacking Israel. Assad was quoted as saying, "Syria is under siege. We are under international pressure. They're hounding us because of what's happening in Iraq and the investigation of the assassination of [former prime minister] Rafik Hariri in Lebanon. Do what you must in the territories. Draw fire away from us."

Both Syria and Iran are coming under increasing international pressure, over their efforts to destabilize Iraq and their desire to possess nuclear weapons. Groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad operate with impunity in Damascus, with the aid of Syrian and Iranian financial backing. If there is ever to be peace in Iraq, the US will need to stop the insurgency at its source.

Isaiah 17:1 
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from [being] a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "Adnan Husseini, the head of the Islamic Trust that oversees the two mosques at the site, condemned the diggings and Israel's intention to open it to the public, calling it a "confiscation" of Muslim property.

Another artefact was uncovered yesterday by Bar-Ilan University archaeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkay amidst the rubble that the Islamic Wakf have discarded in the building of their underground mosque on the Temple Mount. It is a small seal dating from Solomon's Temple.

Quote: "The small - less than 1 cm - seal impression, or bulla, discovered Tuesday by Bar-Ilan University archaeologist Dr. Gabriel Barkay amidst piles of rubble from the Temple Mount would mark the first time that an written artefact was found from the Temple Mount dating back to the First Temple period. The 2,600 year old artefact, with three lines in ancient Hebrew, was discovered amidst piles of rubble discarded by the Islamic Wakf that Barkay and a team of young archaeologists and volunteers are sifting through on the grounds of a Jerusalem national park.

Source Haaretz Daily, Jerusalem Post

VeriChip have confirmed they have already started tagging corpses recovered from the Katrina disaster.

Quote: "Florida-based VeriChip said it has already implanted radio frequency identification (RFID) tags into 100 corpses in the state for the Mississippi State Department of Health. The company, which is a subsidiary of publicly traded Applied Digital Solutions, said it is also in talks with Louisiana health authorities, though no agreement has been reached. “These bodies are in an advanced stage of decomposition,” said John Procter, VeriChip’s director of communications. “Many of them have no identification marks, no wallets, no IDs. In some cases a toe tag is not even viable.” Mr. Procter said the procedure costs $200 to tag each corpse, though the company is providing the service for free.

That's generous. Or perhaps it's just a sly way of getting cheap publicity, using the suffering of others to make money. The Bible states that during the tribulation period, microchip implants will become compulsory, following a possible declaration of Martial Law.

Revelation 13:16-17
And he (Antichrist) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark (incision) in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Source Red Herring, Red Herring

Quote: "According to Xinhua, the typhoon packed winds up to 198 km/h (125mph), making it comparable with the 193km/h (120mph) gusts recorded when Hurricane Rita hit the Texas-Louisiana coastline over the weekend.

Source BBC

Quote: "After almost a decade long investigation, which included DNA tests of the people, Israeli authorities became convinced that the Indian Jews of north-eastern India are one of the 10 lost tribes from Israel. In Mizoram, about 1,000 Bnei Menashes applied for conversion this month, and more than 800 were rejected. In Manipur, 2000 young men and women have submitted application with 500 selected for conversion.

Source Washington Times

Quote: "The quake knocked out power in the northern coastal city of Chiclayo, 410 miles northwest of Lima. Airline Lan Peru reported that a passenger jet aborted its landing at the Chiclayo airport because there were no lights on the runway. The plane flew directly to Lima.

Source Fox News

Quote: "But when the EU met other powers at UN headquarters, many meetings were once again conducted by its so-called “troika”. This actually involves four officials representing the government that holds the bloc’s 6-month revolving presidency, in this case British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw; the incoming president Austria; the executive European Commission; and Solana as the EU’s foreign policy “high representative.” No wonder interlocutors are bewildered. A former US envoy to Brussels quoted US President George W Bush as having asked staff before his first meeting with the EU “troika” in 2001: “Which one of these guys speaks for Europe?”

The Bible predicts that during the rise of the Antichrist, he will subdue three of the ten kings (possibly the ten nations of the WEU). The E3 just happen to be taking more of the role of creating Europe's foreign policy, and without these three nations "subdued", Javier Solana will not get a clear shot at becoming the "one voice" of Europe, a position the Antichrist himself will eventually fill. 

Daniel 7:8 
I considered the horns (the ten kings), and, behold, there came up among them another little horn (Antichrist), before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Source Daily Times

Quote: "Petra, citing a source at the Royal Court, said the visit comes within the context of efforts to continue the peace process and shore up support for the Palestinian National Authority. Petra reported that Abdullah, during his talks with Bush, stressed that the withdrawal from Gaza should be followed by another Israeli pullout from the West Bank. According to the Petra announcement, the king also will underscore the importance of assisting the Palestinian economy and building strong Palestinian institutions to perform their duties. 

Jordan has favourable relations with Israel, and even offered to officially recognise the state of Israel as a gesture of peace before any final peace agreement was in place. Unfortunately the Jordanian proposal was shouted down by other Arab nations, to whom the idea of recognition of the state of Israel is anathema. It is interesting that Jordan seems to be spared the wrath of the Antichrist's armies in his deployment of forces into the Middle Eastern theatre.

Source Jerusalem Post 

Quote: "Declaring an all out war on Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist infrastructure, Mofaz ordered Air Force operations to continue its offensive in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. Mofaz also ordered the army to concentrate forces opposite the northern Gaza security fence, to be prepared to launch ground operations in the event that the situation further deteriorates. At the same time, the defense minister demanded that the Palestinian Authority deploy its security forces in the northern Gaza area to prevent terror cells from perpetrating attacks against Israel.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "The election commission fears electoral fraud by people impersonating the dead, so the cards will be specially marked to show the voter is believed dead. Those that have survived will have to prove their identity. More than 30,000 died in the tsunami in Sri Lanka. Another 500,000 were made homeless.

Identifying the dead from the Asian tsunami is a mammoth task some believe may take as much as seven years to complete. Just weeks after the tsunami struck, one website was offering its opinion, that a personal identification chip such as the VeriChip - implanted in the right hand or forehead, could have helped locate people and identify corpses quickly. It is widely believed, and I said this myself years ago, that it would take a world wide crisis to bring in mandatory identification chips. But you can be sure it will happen.

Revelation 13:16-17
And he (Antichrist) causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark (incision) in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

Source BBC, StarTech Central

Quote: "The small strip of land, which is currently not inhabited, was taken from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war, and it is now claimed by Lebanon with Damascus' consent. It remains the scene of clashes between Israeli forces and Lebanese resistance group Hizbullah. Many observers believe that a possible Israeli withdrawal from the Farms would serve as a powerful way to generate domestic pressure on Hizbullah to disarm, as it would take away the party's "resistance" tag.

Interestingly, the BBC claimed Shebaa farms was inhabited by Ethiopian Jews, although they refused to name the sources of their information. I emailed them asking where they got that information from, but what are the chances of getting a reply?

Source Daily Star, BBC

Quote: ""What we propose, to have a stable presidency - it is just good sense. When you have a rotating presidency every six months, nothing happens," he said in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Valery Giscard d'Estaing was responsible for the draft of the European Constitution. He is a secular-humanist and freemason, and personally oversaw the removal of any mention of God from the treaty. Ironically, it was his own country, France, that torpedoed the Constitution, some say over fears that it paved the way for Turkish membership, and others as a rebuff to a poorly performing French Prime Minister. Perhaps it was divine retribution for a country that forcibly drove out any last influence of Christianity in the 1500's (some of them my own ancestors - the Huguenots), and now seeks to establish an unholy alliance that is slated for destruction.

Source BBC, BBC

Quote: "Hatem Abdel Kader, a legislator representing the ruling Fatah faction, condemned the Quartet demand as a "flagrant intervention" in Palestinian affairs. "The Quartet is not authorized to make such a demand," he said. "We were hoping that the Quartet would call on Israel to disarm armed groups that participated in the elections for the Knesset. Why are they asking us to dismantle the armed groups while the settlements are full of armed people?"

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "City Manager Steve LeBlanc said the storm surge could reach 50 feet. Galveston is protected by a seawall that is only 17 feet tall. Rita approached as the death toll from Katrina passed the 1,000 mark - to 1,036 - in five Gulf Coast states. The body count in Louisiana alone was put at 799, most found in the receding floodwaters of New Orleans.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "The protestors are among the more than 20,000 Ethiopians of Jewish origin remaining in the country. In November 1984 Israel airlifted 6,300 Ethiopian Jews from refugee camps in Sudan in a move code-named Operation Moses. Another massive airlift - Operation Solomon - followed in 1991, bringing the number of Ethiopian Jews living today in Israel close to 80,000.

Many Jews are still returning to the land of Israel, even after 2000 years of separation from their native country. The very fact this is happening should speak volumes to unbelievers. It is unprecedented in world history. No other people have ever returned to their original homeland, and picked up their original language after nearly twenty centuries of separation. God promised it would happen, and we see His promise being fulfilled before our eyes.

Ezekiel 37:21 
And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

Isaiah 43:5-6 
Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;

Source BBC

Quote: "Nearly 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) from Key West, officials of Galveston were already calling for voluntary evacuations, with mandatory evacuations to begin Wednesday. Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco urged everyone in the southwest part of the state to prepare to evacuate. Rita is the 17th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, making this the fourth-busiest season since record keeping started in 1851. The record is 21 tropical storms in 1933. Six hurricanes have hit Florida in the last 13 months.

Source Jerusalem Post

It is believed that Iran may have acquired enough enriched Uranium to build a bomb by 2007, and Iran's nuclear reactors are scheduled to be completed by 2009. Iran has stated it plans to share its nuclear knowledge with other Arab states.

Quote: ""The question is not if they are going to hold that bomb in 2009 or 2010 or 2011, the question is when they will have the full knowledge," Shalom told a meeting of U.S. Jewish community leaders in New York. "According to our people, security and intelligence, they are very, very close. It may be only six months before they will have that full knowledge."

In positive news, it seems the US have managed to secure a deal with North Korea over their nuclear programme. The North Koreans have promised to halt their nuclear programme if the US provides them with light water reactors. But whether the North Koreans can be held to their word or not is another question, for they broke their previous promise to the US over nuclear development. But whatever happens, it seems the Bible predicts there will be some sort of nuclear exchange in the future, resulting in many deaths. 

Joel 2:30-31 
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Source BreitBart, BBC

Quote: "Simon Wiesenthal was one of the lucky few who survived the Nazi death camps of World War II. Unlike many other survivors however, Mr. Wiesenthal did not return to his pre-War profession as an architect, but instead became the world famous Nazi hunter, the conscience and voice for not only the Holocaust's 6,000,000 Jewish victims but for the millions of others who were murdered by the Nazis as well. When asked why he chose his unique course, Wiesenthal explains, "When history looks back I want people to know the Nazis weren't able to kill millions of people and get away with it." His work stands as a reminder and a warning for future generations.

Source BBC, Simon Wiesenthal Center

Quote: ""Our substantial assistance package will make an important contribution to achieving" these objectives, Ferrer-Waldner said. "Having led the way in support for reform efforts in the Palestinian Authority, we are now helping to lay the foundations for a viable Palestinian economy."

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "The EU states say Turkey must formally recognise the Cypriot government - but can do so at any time in the accession process, which could last 10 years. The accord, agreed by ambassadors in Brussels after talks, is expected to be approved by EU ministers on Tuesday.

The fact that Turkey has been given many years to recognize Cyprus is very interesting. The book of Daniel states that half-way through the tribulation period, the ships of Chittim, which many interpret as being modern-day Cyprus, would come against European forces in the Middle East. The seeming international spat causes the Antichrist, the head of the EU, to turn against his covenant with many nations, which includes Israel, and sends a rapid response force into the Middle East. He stops the Jewish temple sacrifices, which had been restarted after the peace treaty, and places some sort of image inside the temple, which triggers the Great Tribulation period, which lasts 3.5 years.

Daniel 11:30-31 
For the ships of Chittim (Cyprus?) shall come against him (Antichrist): therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. 
And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength (Jewish Temple), and shall take away the daily [sacrifice], and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. 

Source BBC

Quote: "Although Israel has in the past opposed the involvement of third parties in policing frontier crossings, sources in Jerusalem have confirmed that the option is being discussed and that talks have included details of a possible EU role.

This development is extremely significant, as the EU increases its involvement in the Middle East peace process. According to the book of Daniel, the European Union - not the United States, headed by the Antichrist, will eventually be the broker of a new peace deal between Arabs and Israelis. The peace deal is prophesied to fail catastrophically, half way through the seven year agreement. 

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "President Musharraf's historic address in New York began with bread being broken and prayers from the Koran being recited. He was given a standing ovation as he arrived for the meeting at which he called for the establishment of a Palestinian state to end violence in the Middle East and bring security to Israel.

Source BBC

Quote: "The report said errors in the West's handling of Iraq included support of Saddam Hussein over many years as a strategic ally against Iran, a willingness to sell him weapons and the suffering caused to the Iraqi people by sanctions. It also says the war appeared to be "as much for reasons of American national interest as it was for the well-being of the Iraqi people". The report said religious institutions had apologised for past injustices, including the Vatican's remorse over Christians' responsibility for the persecution of Jews.

I think this is really a poor attempt at a Public Relations by a "church" that has lost its way spiritually, and is increasingly losing its relevance in the world. As a result the Church of England feels the need to redefine its role in world affairs. Any statement will just be hollow and empty words, for it will not solve the current situation in Iraq, and could offend thousands of people who have lost loved ones serving their country. It will also be a one-sided apology, making no mention of the horrific crimes that Saddam Hussein committed on his own people during his reign.

Source BBC

The guest list for the "Alliance of Civilizations" reads like a "Who's who" of the New World Order. The Gorbachev Foundation is responsible for organizing the meeting. Since the fall of Communism in Russia, Gorbachev has been quietly working in the US in his own New World Order organization called the "State of the World Forum". Other guests are Javier Solana - the EU High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Boutros Boutros-Ghali - former UN Secretary General, former Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, along with several prominent philosophers and authors and bankers.

Quote: "Gorbachev Foundation, an international foundation for socio-economic and political studies, was launched March 1992 in Russia with the supervision of Michaeal Gorbachev. Its mission is based on the belief that Russia, and the world, needs new thinking, new understanding and a new interpretation of the notions of progress, humanism and justice. Some of the most important issues of the Mediterranean region countries will be considered during this conference.

It will be interesting to see what comes out of this "Alliance of Civilizations". Will it just be another layer of bureaucracy, or will Gorbachev and his henchmen really come up with a "new way of thinking"? And if they do, what will happen to those people who refuse to adopt Gorbachev's master-plan?

Source Iran Mania

Quote: "The demonstrators gave the Nazi salute beneath the red, white and black flag modelled on the swastika. The BBC's Malcolm Brabant in Athens says these images are anathema to a nation which fiercely resisted the Germans during World War II.

But the neo-Nazi's of today did not originate in Germany. Nazism is not a German problem. It is fast becoming a global pandemic, with Russia, Germany and even the UK boasting large numbers of fascist and Nazi groups with ultra-nationalist ideologies. It looks like it may even be a problem in the Middle East, with the Palestinian Authority recently adopting a "Hitler salute" as their official police force salute. It doesn't look like it will be too long before the nations of the world will regret Hitler's failure, and try to finish off what he started, i.e. Armageddon.

Source BBC

Quote: "Those readers prone to dismiss out of hand the proposition that Israel’s Sovereign Lord might have been signalling unhappiness over the US role in the forced Jewish uprootings should consider a few chilling facts: Both events began with security personnel knocking on residential homes in a portion of the coastal south in order to warn residents to immediately evacuate their homes, although for clearly different reasons. In both cases, thousands of residents were reluctant to leave, fearing they would never return to their beloved homes. Indeed, several thousand homes were levelled in Gaza and northern Samaria, while hundreds of thousands were destroyed or badly damaged along America’s Gulf coast. 

In both instances, people suddenly became effective refugees in their own lands; many forced to move to temporary shelter. Security personnel faced personal danger from angry, sometimes violent, residents. Looting then followed by some of those remaining behind. Both affected regions played a significant role in foreign exports, especially of agricultural products, resulting in substantial economic loss to the countries involved. Approximately the same overall percentage of citizens in both cases lost their homes and/or businesses. Coincidence?

We here's my two cents, which I had emailed to a few friends after they asked my opinion on these cataclysmic events...

I personally thought the "Katrina retribution for Gaza" idea was interesting, but nothing more than that. While I do believe Israel is the apple of God's eye, and God will judge whoever touches it, I fear that this idea has possibly been put forward by "religious" Jews who worship Eretz Yisrael more than the Lord Himself. Some also saw the evacuation from Gaza as divine punishment for Israel for handing back the Temple Mount to Jordan after it was "given" to them by God. Interestingly the Gaza evacuation took place a similar amount of time as when Herod's temple was destroyed after the Lord Jesus was crucified, around 38 years. 

Was it wrong to evacuate from Gaza? Scripturally it was wrong. Joel 3:2 makes that clear, that it's God's land - not man's, and dividing it is wrong. Morally it was unwise, for Hamas believes it has succeeded in its terror campaign. 

Joel 3:2 
I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. 

We also know the land is the Lord's, and Israel is a sojourner in it. It is not their land to "possess" or to "dispossess". 

Leviticus 25:23 
The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. 

We also know Israel was told never to seek the peace of their enemies (Deuteronomy 23:6). They did this over and over again to their own expense, even in Joshua's day when they entered the land. They are repeating the same mistake again, trading land for "peace", which is prophesied to fail (Daniel 11:39, Zechariah 14:2), instead of trusting in their God to defend them from their enemies. 

But Israel was never promised they would inherit all the land God promised to them, not until Christ reigns "from the river (Euphrates) to the end of the earth", Psalm 72:8. The reason for this was Israel's sin. I fear some religious Jews feel they have a "right" to this land, come what may.

2 Kings 10:31-32 
But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel; 

Deuteronomy 19:8 -9 
And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers; If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three: 

And lastly, God promised that in the Millennial Reign of Christ, that a poor and despised people would live right in the middle of Israel, which I believe is the Palestinians. Not in their own state, but as true believers in Christ, in God's land. God will be the one who will finally solve the Palestinian problem. 

Zephaniah 3:12 
I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. 

All in all, I believe God knows what He is doing. He has let the Gaza disengagement proceed for a purpose, possibly using men to fulfil His own will. I have to leave it in God's hands, knowing that the judge of all the earth shall do right. 

As for Katrina, I cannot say whether this is divine punishment for the US backing the Roadmap to Peace. I personally would not attach too much importance to this idea though, for although the Roadmap to Peace is backed by the US, it will be the Antichrist that will "divide the land for gain" Daniel 11:39, and he will be European. If you are going to apportion blame, I believe Europe will end up taking most of it. There is no doubt nations rise and fall depending on what they do with Israel, just look at the British empire for that. But I personally would have to go along with what Christ said in Luke 13:4-5. 

Luke 13:4-5
Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. 

If God should mark iniquity, who shall stand? These end times events will continue to get worse and worse, and I don't believe you can single out nations and say, this is why that happened, etc. Yes, the Lord knows why this has happened, but I don't and am not promised to know either. All the Lord has promised us, is that "when we see these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up our heads, for our redemption draws nigh", Luke 21:28. 

Maybe that sounds like a bit of a cop out answer, but that's all I can say. 

I'm afraid I wouldn't attach too much importance to the terrorism viewpoint either. Yes, leaders should take stock of what has happened here, but I wouldn't say the Lord let it happen to make people sit up and take notice. If President Bush really trusts in God along with all Americans, and they stand up for what is right, I do believe God would defend them Himself. Why would God send a storm to wake people up so they can trust in the arm of flesh which will fail? If anything, I would be more quick to say that He "allowed the storm" to cause people to turn to Him for safety and salvation.

Source David Dolan

Quote: "In a push brokered by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and the foreign ministers of the EU3 - Britain, France and Germany - made a joint appeal to Mr Ahmadinejad following tough talks with his foreign minister and national security adviser at UN headquarters in New York.  

In the meantime, Iran has stated its willingness to share nuclear know-how with other Arab nations. So even if Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear programme for civilian use is genuine, there is no guarantee that other nations such as Syria, or even Islamic terrorists, would not use the knowledge to build the bomb.

Source News.com

Quote: ”This declaration I find fitting to issue for all of the Jews of the world to hear. It is incumbent upon them to return to the Land of Israel due to terrible natural disasters which threaten the world. In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will bring about great disasters in the countries of the world to sweeten the judgements of the Land of Israel. I am ordering the publication of this declaration as a warning, so that Jews in the countries of the world will be aware of the impending danger and will come to the Land of Israel for the building of the Temple and revelation of our righteous Mashiach (Messiah).”

Just to make clear, Judaic Kabbalism is not the Judaism of the Old Testament. Kabbalism is a mystic form of Judaism, a mix of Judaism and new-age beliefs that focuses on the worship of angels. But what this does show is that the Jewish nation is looking for, and expecting the soon (first) coming of their messiah. And they believe that he is alive today (seeing Jews deny the Deity of the Messiah). 

But sadly this self-proclaimed messiah will most likely be the false prophet, if not the Antichrist himself, spoken of in the book of Revelation. And when the Jews see the abomination of desolation (some sort of idol) standing in the newly built temple (Mark 13:14), then many will realize the one they have been following is a satanic deceiver.

Source Israel National News

Quote: "In his emotional speech, Mr Sharon also said Palestinian leaders should now fulfil their pledge to end "terror" activities by militant groups. He added that the Palestinians were entitled to freedom and to a national sovereign existence in a state of their own. However, he described Jerusalem as "the undivided and eternal capital" of Israel. 

It is this Jewish desire to hold onto east Jerusalem no matter what, that will eventually engulf the world in global conflict, as the Antichrist and his armies seek to take the city by force.

Zechariah 14:2-3 
For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

Source BBC

Quote: "Here is one comment from Ratzinger that has been distributed widely. "The roots that have formed Europe, that have permitted the formation of this continent, are those of Christianity. Turkey has always represented another continent, in permanent contrast with Europe. "There were the old Ottoman Empire wars against the Byzantine Empire, the fall of Constantinople, the Balkan wars, and the threat against Vienna and Austria. It would be an error to equate the two continents...Turkey is founded upon Islam ... Thus the entry of Turkey into the EU would be anti-historical."

Pope Ratzinger has expressed his distain for Turkish membership, stating that Turkey was founded on Islam, and Europe was founded on Christianity. An Islamic European nation would not fit well with the Pope's view of being head of a "Holy Roman Empire".

In actual fact, the reverse is true. Turkey was once a Christian nation, previously called Asia in Biblical texts. Many of the churches Paul, and the Apostle John wrote to were situated in Turkey, including Smyrna, Thyatira, Pergamos, Ephesus, etc. At that time, the Roman Empire was pagan, and worshipped a plethora of gods, and only later adopted some Christian "gods" in place of their own. The Madonna and Child became Mary and Christ, Zeus became God the Father, Tamuz's birthday became Christmas, etc. Turkey actually has more Christian heritage than Rome ever will have. 

Source CNN

Quote: "The federal court's ruling on that occasion proved to be highly controversial and was overturned by the US Supreme Court last year - but on procedural, not substantive, grounds. There is a good chance that this latest ruling, by Judge Lawrence Karlton, will also end up before America's highest court.

Yesterday an American court was forced to remove the 23rd Psalm from public display, for this constituted the promotion of one religion above others. The judge concerned was against the ruling, but said he had no option because he believed he would most likely lose the case to the ACLU. Sadly this shows just how much of a hatred some Americans have towards God, that they will stop at nothing until they have removed God from every last sphere of public life.

Romans 1:28 
And even as they did not like to retain God in [their] knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

Source BBC

Quote: "Chairman of the Knesset's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, MK Yuval Steinitz (Likud), on Wednesday harshly criticized the Egyptian force. "The ink that signed the terrible Philadelphi agreement has yet to dry up and it has already become evident that in return for damaging the demilitarization of Sinai we got an open border for arms smugglers," he said. Just hours after the IDF pullout from the Gaza Strip on Monday morning, thousands of Palestinians forced their way through the border crossing and rushed into Egypt. The crossing has since turned into an open passage, with thousands streaming across.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "The new names announced by the Information Ministry are: 
Netzarim – Liberated Lands South of Gaza City
Netzarim Junction – Junction of the Martyrs and Military Police
Nissanit, Dugit and Elai Sinai – Liberated Lands North of the Gaza Strip
Erez Checkpoint – Beit Hanoun Border Crossing
Morag – Liberated Lands South of Gaza City
Karni Border Crossing – Al-Mintar Border Crossing.
Gush Katif – Liberated Lands of Western Rafah, Liberated Lands of Western Khan Yunis, Liberated Lands South of Deir al-Balah, Al-Mawassi, Batn al-Samin (The Fat Man's Stomach) and Tel Zu'rub.

Yesterday, Palestinians burned the Jewish synagogues to the ground as the PA police force watched on. The BBC justified the burning and looting, claiming Israel had "stolen" 38 years of their Palestinian lives, and called the synagogues "symbols of hatred", and saying in effect that mob rule was only to be expected under such circumstances. In the mean time, Palestinian Prime Minister Qureia has stated that Israel is still occupying the Gaza strip as long as it controls the air space and border crossings.

Quote: "Qurei hailed Hamas and Islamic Jihad for their role in driving Israel out of the Gaza Strip. "The Israeli withdrawal and the dismantlement of the settlements is the result of our people's sacrifices and heroic resistance," he said. "No one can underestimate the role played by martyrs Yasser Arafat, Ahmed Yassin, Abdel Aziz Rantisi and [slain Islamic Jihad leader] Fathi Shikaki, as well as all the martyrs."

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: ""In Germany we have between 3,000 and 5,000 of these Islamists who are prepared to use violence and do not shrink from suicide attacks," Beckstein was quoted as saying. He said they included individuals who are ready to fight in Iraq and Chechnya.

John 16:2 
They shall put you (Jewish believers) out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

Revelation 20:4 
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

Source CNN

Quote: "Final document is almost ready now. Foresees usage of US tactical nuclear weapons against dangerous countries: Iran, Ethiopia, Korea, Libya - you name it. Article also quotes very strange sentence - something like: "terrorist or regional countries having nuclear weapons in their possession WILL try to check how far America is going to proceed to fulfil her obligations and treaties". And: "America needs to have appropriate means to convince her allies and enemies how firm she is". 

Up till now usage of nuclear weapons was considered and allowed by law only in case of self-defence situation. Since past dozen of years the term self-defence was already diluted and its meaning has become much "broader" and "flexible": e.g. preventive strikes abroad etc. Perhaps America's new policy needs to be established to take part in last days prophecies. How and when - impossible to say. 

Perhaps America's preventive strike will ignite bigger part of final war even if first one comes from one of "bandit" countries. All we can do is to observe this front.

Source Onet.pl

Quote: "The EU and its member-states have long been by far the largest donors to the Palestinians, giving the equivalent of over $600 million annually in emergency support and medium-term assistance to institution-building projects. The European Commission has set aside $74 million, especially for the disengagement process. Moreover, the EU backs and supports the efforts of the Quartet envoy, James Wolfensohn, making sure that our efforts are coordinated carefully with other donors and spent to the greatest effect. In addition, the EU is ready, if asked by the parties, to play the role of third party in the area of customs management and border control. This would help to facilitate a free flow of goods and people between Gaza and the rest of the world, in a manner that addresses Israel's security concerns. We are also helping the Palestinians to consolidate the various security organizations under a clear political chain of control. Through training, equipment and financial support, the EU and the member-states are helping Palestinian police forces to increase their operational capacity and transform their organizational setup. A core unit of EU advisers is already deployed in Ramallah and Gaza city. Provided that benchmarks for performance and accountability are met, we are ready to expand our commitments in the area of security.

Source Palestine Chronicle

Quote: "In Belfast a 22-month-old infant sustained a fractured skull when rioters stoned the car the toddler was in in the Fortwilliam area... Two men hijacked a bus in Bangor, County Down, robbed the passengers then ordered them off the bus before setting it alight on a housing estate... In Bangor, a woman in her 70s was injured when she was attacked by a mob throwing stones at her car on Newtownards Road, just 500 metres from her home... Officers in east Belfast recovered a digger abandoned by rioters who drove it along a road knocking down street lights and causing extensive damage... An automatic cash machine was also believed to have been removed from nearby premises by the driver of the digger... In north Belfast, automatic gunfire was aimed at Tennent Street police station. There were no reported injuries... In Newtownabbey just north of Belfast, a bank, video shop, fast food outlet and offices occupied by the Probation Board and DUP were burnt out at the Cloughfern Corner on the Doagh Road... At nearby Fernagh Avenue, a pregnant woman and a man were dragged from their car by four men during an attempted hijacking. 

I am sure about 99% of the people living in Northern Ireland are sick to death of this wanton violence. After the Good Friday agreement, "paramilitaries" - if you could even call them that, turned from violence against each other, to controlling the drugs, prostitution and money-laundering rings of Northern Ireland. The biggest mistake the British government made was ordering the release of all these thugs from jail. They're nothing but criminals who use politics to excuse murder and criminality.

Source BBC

Quote: ""This flare, the fourth largest in the last 15 years, erupted just as the Region 808 sunspot cluster was rotating onto the visible disk of the Sun," said Larry Combs, solar forecaster at the NOAA Space Environment Center. It still had a significant impact. "This event created a complete blackout of high frequency communications on the daylit side of Earth, which included the entire U.S. and basically anywhere the sun was shinning at this time," Combs said. "Communications used by emergency services along the Gulf Coast may have experienced problems due to this flare. Low frequency navigation systems may also have experienced a period of significant degradation.”

Apparently the Sun is currently at the low point of its 11 year cycle. The Bible does mention things will get worse, and increased solar activity in combination with a depleted Ozone layer will have a significant impact on life on earth.

Revelation 16:8-9
And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

Source Space

Quote: "Senior IDF officers said Israel's strategy towards Palestinian terror would change as quickly as an hour after the pullout ends, and warned that terror emanating from the Gaza Strip will draw a harsh response. Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz was quoted as saying that in the event of such attacks, Israel would no longer attempt to determine who the responsible party was when responding to them. Senior officers said that while Israel would respond with restraint, in the event of major attacks that cause large numbers of Israeli casualties it may have no alternative but to return to the Gaza Strip.

Source Jerusalem Post

If Tony Blair agrees, it will not be the first time his government has bent the knee to the Islamic element of this country. A Labour MP wrote a letter to the Muslim community a number of months ago, apologizing for the Conservative and Lib-Dem parties "holding up progress" on the new controversial Religious Hatred bill, which is now due to be implemented in December. 

Quote: "The committee's proposal suggested that the memorial day's name be changed to "Genocide Memorial Day," thereby commemorating the mass killings of Muslims in Israel, Chechnya, and Bosnia. It would encompass genocides of other peoples as well. The proposals will be transmitted to the British cabinet ministers within 10 days.

Source BBC

Quote: Dr Mahathir said, ""The British and American bomber pilots came, unopposed, safe and cosy in their state of the art aircraft, pressing buttons to drop bombs, to kill and maim". "And these murderers, for that is what they are, would go back to celebrate 'mission accomplished'. "Who are the terrorists? The people below who were bombed or the bombers? Whose rights have been snatched away?"

Malaysia is one of the world's worst persecutors of Christians. The same Malaysian Prime Minister also holds strong anti-Semitic views, and has stated that "Jews rule the world by proxy", and called for an international campaign against "Israeli aggression".

Source BBC, BBC, Haaretz

Quote: ""Iran needs to get a message from the international community that is a unified message," Rice said at a news conference Friday. The message, she said, is that it is not acceptable for Iran to enter into negotiations with the Europeans on living up to its international obligations, and then to back out.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "While the quake was extremely powerful, there was little danger of tsunami because its epicentre was very deep, said Shinjiro Tari, an official at the seismological department at Japan's Meteorological Agency, which runs a tsunami warning system in the Pacific. In 1998, a tsunami sparked by an earthquake killed at least 2,000 people when it struck the north coast of Papua New Guinea's main island.

Source BBC

Quote: "* Close to 10,000 Jews were expelled from their homes in the Gaza Strip and parts of northern Samaria. Katrina's death toll is now expected to reach at least 10,000. 

* America's population ratio to Israel is about 50:1. Ten thousand Jews who lost their Gaza homes is the equivalent of about 500,000 Americans who are now reported to be displaced as result of Katrina. 

* Gaza's Jewish communities were located in Israel's southern coastal region; America's southern coastal region now lies in ruins. 

* The U.S. government called on Louisiana residents to evacuate their homes ahead of the storm. The Israeli government, backed by statements from U.S. officials, demanded Gaza residents evacuate their homes. 

* Katrina, written in Hebrew, has a numerical equivalent of 374, according to a biblical numbering system upheld by all traditional Jewish authorities. Two relevant passages in the Torah share the exact numerical equivalent: "They have done you evil" (Gen. 50:17) and "The sea upon land" (Exodus 14:15). 

* Bush, from Texas, and Rice, from Alabama, were the most vocal U.S. backers of the Gaza evacuation. Hurricane Katrina hit the states in between Texas and Alabama – Louisiana and Mississippi. 

* Similarity in scenes: Many residents of Jewish Gaza climbed to their rooftops to escape the threat of expulsion, while residents of the Gulf Coast climbed on their own rooftops to protect themselves from the rising waters. Jewish Gaza homes described as beautiful and charming were demolished this week by Israel's military. Once beautiful homes in New Orleans now lie in ruins. 

* The day Katrina hit, Israel began carrying out what was termed the most controversial aspect of the Gaza withdrawal – the uprooting of bodies from the area's Jewish cemetery. There have been media reports of corpses floating around in flooded New Orleans regions. 

* Citizens of Israel were barred from entering Gush Katif; people were only allowed to leave Jewish Gaza. As Katrina was making landfall U.S. authorities barred citizens from entering the affected areas. People were only allowed out. 

* Gush Katif was an important agricultural area for Israel, providing the Jewish state with 70 percent of its produce. A New Orleans port that exported much of the Midwest's agricultural production was destroyed by Katrina.

I do think God still judges the nations, but I personally don't believe we have the right to say why God allows these events to happen. When it comes to Israel, the Lord did say, "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed", Genesis 12:3. But we have to also remember what Jesus Christ said of these type of tragedies, that none of us are innocent in God's eyes - unless we are covered by the blood of Christ.

Luke 13:1-3 
There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Source WorldNetDaily

Quote: "Exactly 50 years after reestablishment of diplomatic relationships, Germany and Russia signed a contract which will guarantee the building of a gas transportation line - on the bottom of Baltic sea. Why there, and not normally on the ground, even though such investment is 5 times more expensive and doubtful from technological point of view (no re-pump stations foreseen - efficiency will be low -> operations costly)? 

Because unfortunately Poland crosses the way. How do you solve the problem: by diplomatic talks, business negotiations, political pressure? No, you do not need to do that - it is better to do all of it behind the back of your neighbour. Exactly like over 60 years ago you attacked him by surprise to divide into two parts. 

It all shows that mentality of "people never change", that old mistakes can always be repeated. Moreover they seem to repeat themselves very, very easily. Now imagine crisis situation and another type of agreement - why not to solve "polish" for good, this time once and for all? 

Can't imagine worst location for my country than in between Russia and Germany. In the last days, I'm afraid this place will once again witness barbaric events like during second world war. Messages like the one about Jamal gas line only assure me in this. Marcin

Ezekiel 38:10-12 
Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

Source Onet.pl (Polish)

Quote: "An earthquake was felt in the Jordan Valley and near Tel Aviv Wednesday around noon. The earthquake measured 3.7 on the Richter scale. No injuries or damage were reported.

Earthquakes relating to Israel are extremely significant, for throughout the Bible, earthquakes seem to occupy a special place in prophecy, marking important events. We remember that at Christ's death, and resurrection, there were two earthquakes.

Matthew 27:54 
Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God. 
Matthew 28:2 
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

There are several significant earthquakes that will soon occur in the coming tribulation period. Two witnesses, to whom God will give special power to work many miracles will be killed in the middle of the tribulation period. Many believe these to be Enoch and Elijah, for both men were translated into heaven, without dying. Some believe the two witnesses to be Moses and Elijah, for these two appeared with Christ on the mount of transfiguration (Mark 9:4). We are certain that one is Elijah (Malachi 4:5). These witnesses will be killed and the world will rejoice, but three and a half days later God will raise them up in the sight of the world media as a testament to the truth of the Gospel.

Revelation 11:13 
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell (Jerusalem), and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Another earthquake is scheduled to occur at the moment the Lord Jesus Christ returns to earth to set up His Kingdom. This earthquake will provide a haven for the Jews fleeing the wrath of the Antichrist and his armies. Seismologists have discovered a fault line does indeed run across the mount of Olives. Seeing this "valley" is not in existence today, these Scriptures must refer to a future date and not to 70AD, during which many Preterists wrongly believe Christ came and set up His Kingdom.

Zechariah 14:4-5
And his feet (Jesus Christ) shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which [is] before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, [and there shall be] a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee [to] the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, [and] all the saints with thee.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "Gay and lesbian advocates welcomed the assembly's decision, and urged Mr Schwarzenegger to sign it into law. The office of Mr Schwarzenegger, who has previously opposed gay marriage, issued a statement saying the governor believes the issue is best decided in the courts. 

Source BBC

Quote: "The attack on the village of 1,500 was triggered by the murder of a Muslim woman from the nearby village of Deir Jarir earlier this week. The 30-year-old woman, according to PA security sources, was apparently murdered by members of her family for having had a romance with a Christian man from Taiba. "When her family discovered that she had been involved in a forbidden relationship with a Christian, they apparently forced her to drink poison," said one source. "Then they buried her without reporting her death to the relevant authorities."

Source Jerusalem Post, Honest Reporting

Quote: President of American Atheist Ellen Johnson said, ""We're getting reports of how some religion-based 'aid' groups are trying to fly evangelists into the stricken areas and how U.S. Army Chaplains are carrying Bibles – not food or water – to 'comfort' people at the New Orleans Superdome," she said. "People need material aid, medical care and economic support – not prayers and preaching."

Dave Silverman, the Communications Director for American Atheist, went even further, blaming God for taking thousands of lives in both the Tsunami last year, and the New Orleans tragedy. But if atheism is not a religion - which many atheists claim, why should they attack the faith of those who do believe in God?

Quote: ""It appears that despite all of the outbursts of public religiosity and prayer, 'God' was once again asleep at the wheel," he said. "Only human beings can deal with the calamities of the natural world. God doesn't seem to be much help when it comes to rushing food, water, or antibiotics when people are suffering."

I agree that any spiritual help should always be given along with sustenance for physical needs. But these comments show just how far some are prepared to go to remove God from the public conscience, that they would even deny the spiritual needs of tens of thousands of people - many facing starvation and death, and attack those who are trying to help others in order to promote their own selfish agenda.

Revelation 9:20-21
And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

Source WorldNetDaily

Quote: "The 6.1-magnitude quake was centered under the ocean 63 kilometers off the coasts of Hualien, the weather bureau said. Hualien is 180 kilometers southeast of the capital, Taipei.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "The EU pursues the one-China policy and the two sides have conducted fruitful cooperation in trade, education and environmental protection, and still enjoy broad prospects, said Blair. Barroso said EU looks upon China's development from a global point of view. China's development brings opportunity to the EU, and is conducive to both itself and the world. He hopes the two sides will promote the smooth development of economic and trade cooperation in a "friendly, flexible and mutual understanding" attitude. Solana said the EU and China have made "fruitful cooperation" in international affairs. The EU hopes to maintain close contacts with China and enhance bilateral cooperation on important international and regional issues such as anti-terrorism and non-proliferation.

Sadly it looks like the days of Western economic pressure on China over its severe human rights abuses are long gone. Chinese Christians must meet in complete secrecy, and those who are discovered by the Secret Police often face beatings and jail (Brother Yun, author of the Heavenly Man, is in jail in China again) for holding illegal house meetings not recognized by the state. Chinese House Church leaders are often executed as warnings for those who would follow in their footsteps. But the Chinese economy is booming, and the EU and US have too much to lose by not trading with China.

Source People's Daily, Nation Master

Quote: "The 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck at about 8 a.m. local time and was centered under the Manado Sea to the northwest off Sulawesi Island, the US Geological Survey and Hong Kong Observatory said.

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: ""The only way to confront the Zionist enemy is the continuation and fortification of resistance and Jihad," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted as saying Saturday in a meeting with the militant group Islamic Jihad's secretary general Ramazan Abdullah.

With statements like this, giving moral and logistical backing for terrorists across the Middle East, and Iran continuing development of its nuclear programme - estimated to possess enough Uranium to build at least one bomb by 2007, can the world afford to get this wrong?

Source Iran Press News

Quote: "More than 100,000 people had been evacuated from their homes in Anhui, with 400,000 people in the province affected by the storm. Up to a million people were moved from low-lying coastal flood plains in Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, Xinhua said.

Meanwhile, Japan is bracing itself for the arrival of typhoon Nabi, with winds of up to 160kph. 

Quote: "Japan was struck by a record 10 typhoons and tropical storms last year, leaving nearly 220 people dead or missing - the largest casualty toll since 1983. Typhoon Tokage, which hit in October, was Japan's deadliest storm in more than a decade, killing 83 people.

Source BBC, Jerusalem Post

Quote: ""I don't think there's any doubt," George Noory said this morning on his "Coast to Coast AM" program. "I think we're in it. I really do."...
"In this particular case, eventually it's going to affect everybody in the United States in some form or fashion. And as you see the price of oil going up, as you see shortages, as you see the price at the grocery store going up, you're going to realize just how serious a tragedy this really is. "It's time to rethink the priorities of this country first and foremost and I always have in this strange mind I have, I always wonder, why did this have to happen now? Think about that for a moment. If you believe that there are no coincidences, why would this happen? I mean why would divine Providence want this to happen to us now?"

Possibly as wake up call for all those who haven't yet made the decision to accept Christ as their Saviour. These things are real, and they will get worse. The Bible tells us this, and meteorologists are backing it. What if we were in the "end times"? What are you going to do? Doing nothing is not an option, for Jesus said, "He that is not with me is against me", Matthew 12:30.

Luke 21:28 
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Source WorldNetDaily

Amid all this chaos, Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Union, and interestingly head of the EU's crisis management machinery, has offered America oil reserves. Thousands of lives hang in the balance, while Javier Solana offers the US a prop for the American economy.

Quote: ""We are in contact with them and whatever they ask for they will be given, from reserves of oil that different countries have provided, to any other thing that they may need," Solana told reporters on arriving for the second day of an EU foreign ministers' meeting, which discussed aid after the disaster.
His comment appeared to contradict British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who told reporters that was not what the EU ministers had in mind. Straw said they were considering disaster relief and humanitarian aid rather than oil, for which there was an international market.

Source Yahoo

Quote: "Timothy Kirkhope, the leader of the Conservatives in the European Parliament, and former immigration minister, said: “I am amazed. You can laugh, but it worryingly shows the views of people who should know better. I swore an oath of allegiance to the Queen. I am not going to take kindly to an Italian gentleman telling me to swear allegiance to unelected people, or to swear allegiance to something I don’t agree with — a unified European state.”

Source Times Online

A ten year old boy was arrested on Good Friday, after trespassing in order to get a drink of water to Terry Schiavo. She died several days later from dehydration. Terry's husband won a legal battle against her family to put her to death after a terrible accident left her brain damaged. Little Joshua received 25 hours community service for trespassing, and was ordered to write an apology for his actions.

Quote: "The boy whose arrest photo was splashed on front pages of newspapers across the nation wrote in his apology letter, "I was arrested on Good Friday for trespassing on the hospice centre's property . . . Not giving Mrs. Schiavo (sic) food or water was wrong. The reason I had to go on your property was because Jesus would do the same thing. It made me sad that she was so thirsty and it made Jesus sad too. I knew she would die without water and I am called by Jesus to be a defender of the defenceless. So I had to go on your property to try to bring her a drink." Joshua added, "I am sorry that you didn't like that and wouldn't allow me to help save her life and one day you will have to tell God why. I won't be able to help you then like I tried to help her. I will pray for you every day . . ."

What sort of world have we become, where we arrest a child for giving cup of water in Christ's name, to help a woman condemned to die by an unfaithful husband and an unjust legal system?

Isaiah 5:20 
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Source Life Site

Quote: "Now Cyprus, backed by France, wants the EU to issue a counter-declaration, stressing the importance of normalising ties and asking Ankara to grant Cypriot ships access to Turkish ports under the Customs Union, if talks are to progress beyond 3 October.

Looking at Daniel concerning the short reign of the Antichrist, it seems some sort of Cypriot dispute becomes a catalyst for war in the Middle East, resulting in the Antichrist turning against his seven year "covenant with many", and deploying a Rapid Reaction Force in Middle East.

Daniel 11:30-31 
For the ships of Chittim (many believe this is modern Cyprus) shall come against him (Antichrist): therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant (seven year treaty): so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part (Rapid Reaction Force), and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength (Jewish temple), and shall take away the daily [sacrifice], and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. 

Source BBC

Quote: "Kasuri called the meeting "a gesture to underscore the importance that we in Pakistan attach to Israel ending its occupation of Gaza." "It is important that Israel is encouraged to continue to pursue the course of peace" and end its occupation, he said. "The meeting today does not mean recognition," Kasuri (Pakistani Foreign Minister) added. "That stage will come following progress toward the solution of the Palestinian problem."

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "Addressing a meeting of the Russian-Arab Business Council in Moscow, Lavrov said increased business ties between Russia and Arab countries would help development in the Middle East. "This issue may be discussed at a high-level meeting on the Middle East problem to be held in Moscow at the end of this year," the top Russian diplomat was quoted as saying by news agencies.

Some see Russia as fulfilling the passage in Ezekiel 38 & 39, where the nation of Gog, along with a confederacy of Arab nations, come against Israel, the main motivation seemingly being to take away "great spoil". The fact that Russia is getting involved in the Middle East peace process is significant.

Ezekiel 38:10-12 
Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, [that] at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places [that are now] inhabited, and upon the people [that are] gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

Something I have just noticed. The people "that dwell in the midst of the land". Could this be reference to Israelis living in the West Bank?

Source Jerusalem Post

Quote: "US citizen Yaron Ungar and his Israeli wife were returning from a wedding near the West Bank, when their car was sprayed with bullets. Three Hamas militants were jailed for the killings.

Source BBC