Floods, Quakes in Jan, Feb, Mar 2011

3 Great Natural Disasters in 3 months
In just three months in the start of 2011, 3 incredible natural disasters happened on such as scale that the whole world is watching. Each of these three disasters are record-breaking in terms of their magnitude in the region in which they occurred. The Queensland flood was called a 1 in 100 years flood. The Christchurch earthquake destroyed a significant part of the city itself. The Japan earthquake was the most devastating since recorded history of Japanese earthquakes.

Can these events that happened in succession in the first 3 months of 2011 be a coincidence? Disasters happened anytime, but consider again the fact that each of the great disasters mentioned here are at the extreme end of the scale and they happened in monthly succession.


December 2010 - January 2011  
Queensland Floods
Queensland flood crisis reaches new heights
"Brisbane and nearby Ipswich are bracing for unprecedented flooding as the death toll from southern Queensland's flash flooding reaches 10, with 90 people still missing.
Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes at Ipswich, west of the capital, last night, with about one-third of the city expected to go under water today as the Bremer River reaches 22 metres.
Brisbane is also bracing for major flood levels of around 4.5 metres about 2:30pm (AEST), with tomorrow's peak predicted to be above historic 1974 levels.
About 30,000 people will be affected in the capital and 9,000 homes are expected to sustain flood damage.
"

February 2011
Christchurch, New Zealand  Earthquake

Christchurch quake toll predicted to rise
Hundreds of Christchurch residents spent the night in the city's parks as rescuers continued to scrabble through the ruins of collapsed buildings in search of survivors from Tuesday's massive earthquake.

Prime minister John Key is warning the death toll of 65 is likely to rise after the 6.3-magnitude quake struck New Zealand's second largest city about 12:50pm local time.



March 2011 
Japan Earthquake

Powerful quake, tsunami kills hundreds in Japan
The entire Pacific had been put on alert — including coastal areas of South America, Canada and Alaska — but waves were not as bad as expected.
The magnitude-8.9 offshore quake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time and was the biggest to hit Japan since record-keeping began in the late 1800s. It ranked as the fifth-largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and was nearly 8,000 times stronger than one that devastated Christchurch, New Zealand, last month, scientists said.
The quake shook dozens of cities and villages along a 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) stretch of coast and tall buildings swayed in Tokyo, hundreds of miles from the epicenter. Prime Minister Naoto Kan was attending a parliamentary session at the time.


Here are some prophecies where earthquakes was involved:


Isaiah 29:6
You will be punished by the LORD of hosts With thunder and earthquake and great noise, With storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire.
Isaiah 29:5-7 (in Context) Isaiah 29 (Whole Chapter)

Ezekiel 38:19
For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken: ‘Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel,
Ezekiel 38:18-20 (in Context) Ezekiel 38 (Whole Chapter)

Amos 1:1
The words of Amos, who was among the sheepbreeders of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.
Amos 1:1-3 (in Context) Amos 1 (Whole Chapter)

Zechariah 14:5
Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, For the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee As you fled from the earthquake In the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come, And all the saints with You.
Zechariah 14:4-6 (in Context) Zechariah 14 (Whole Chapter)

Matthew 24:7
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
Matthew 24:6-8 (in Context) Matthew 24 (Whole Chapter)

Luke 21:11
And there will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilences; and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven.
Luke 21:10-12 (in Context) Luke 21 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 6:12
[ Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disturbances ] I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.
Revelation 6:11-13 (in Context) Revelation 6 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 11:19
Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.
Revelation 11:18-19 (in Context) Revelation 11 (Whole Chapter)

Revelation 16:18
And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.
Revelation 16:17-19 (in Context) Revelation 16 (Whole Chapter)

Middle East Falling like Dominos

Recent events have seen a string of unrest in a few middle eastern countries. Two long time government and leaders have fallen with unrest in other countries continuing. Remember the Domino Effect first used to describe the string of European countries post WWII falling to Communism and SE Asian countries in the 1950s. The same can be used to describe the Fall of Communism in Europe in the late 1980s.

The key question to ask is what will replace the fallen regimes in the Middle East. Would it be for the better or worse? This article collects the recent string of events as documented in the web.

Before the current change of events, the kingdoms are governed by monarchies or presidents who have a strong control over the land. They may not be doing enough to provide for their people but they have been a stabilizing force. They are the glue that has kept the very fragile region in peace up until now.

Since 1949 God's land has been reinstated and it has been surrounded by nations which are hostile to it on the surface. Internally these surrounding nations have been prospering because of oil and the kings and presidents have always preferred this kind of peace and prosperity. If they do fall after the current domino effect takes place, the new nations may not be driven by peace and prosperity with their neighbours any more.


Zechariah 14:2
² For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; 

Dec 18 2010 started
2010–2011 Tunisian revolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010%E2%80%932011_Tunisian_protests
President Ben Ali resigned Jan 14, 2011


Dec 28, 2010 started
2010–2011 Algerian protests
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Algerian_protests


Jan 7 2011 started
2011 Jordanian protests
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Jordanian_protests
Feb 1 2011 the Royal Palace announced that King Abdullah II has sacked the government.



Mid Jan 2011 started
2011 Yemeni protests
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Yemeni_protests



Jan 25 2011 started
Egyptian Revolution of 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Egyptian_revolution
President Mubarak stepped down Feb 11 2011



Feb 18 2011 started
Libyan protest turns lethal
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/libyan-protest-turns-lethal/story-e6frg6so-1226007796989
AT least four people were killed in clashes with Libyan security forces yesterday as the country faced a nationwide "Day of Anger" called by cyber-activists.

Unrest in Middle East, North Africa
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/recap-of-mid-east-n-africa-urest/story-fn6t2xg9-1226008000412
CLASHES across the Middle East and North Africa have killed six in Libya, four in Bahrain and two in Iraq.



Feb 18 2011 started
Crackdown in Bahrain was 'regrettable'
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/crackdown-in-bahrain-was-regrettable/story-fn3dxity-1226007997436
TROOPS and tanks locked down the capital of this tiny Gulf kingdom after riot police swinging clubs and firing tear gas smashed into demonstrators, many of them sleeping, in a pre-dawn assault today that uprooted their protest camp demanding political change. Medical officials said four people were killed.

Feb 18 2011 - Saudi Arabia watching carefully
Saudi prince Talal warns of uprising threat
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/saudi-prince-talal-warns-of-uprising-threat/story-e6frg6so-1226008023428
A SENIOR member of the Saudi royal family has warned that the oil-rich country could be harmed by the uprisings sweeping the Arab world unless it speeded up reforms.

Feb 20, 2011 -
Renewed unrest sweeps Arab world
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/renewed-unrest-sweeps-arab-world/story-e6frg6so-1226008876077
This article reports continuing protests and unrest across several nations: Libya, Yemen, Kuwait, Tunisia, Bahrain, Algeria, Djibouti

If the Egyptians are hungry, let them eat ethanol

If the Egyptians are hungry, let them eat ethanol

This is more evidence and recognition that the world hunger problem is deliberately turned into a crisis. The powers-that-be pushes the use of so-called renewable fuel  such as ethanol. The result is that land is used to grow crops for the production of fuel for the rich consumers, while the poorer population who do not have automobiles that uses fuel, cannot even afford to buy food due to increased food prices.

The article in the link above is written in a secular national newspaper showing that this is not just a narrow viewpoint. Its arguments show there is a genuine crisis developing in the world due to human inflated food prices.

A Quart of Wheat for a Denarius, Three Quarts of Barley for a Denarius

Food shortages due to a variety of factors have in recent weeks made strong headlines. This is no surprise as The Day comes closer (see Revelation 6:6) below.

Here are some current news articles on this topic.
Agflation fears as Russia halts all grain exports - Telegraph
China hungry for local food assets

Market tremors from Egypt

Revelation 6:6

(Third Seal: Scarcity on Earth )

⁵ When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart^[c] of wheat for a denarius,^[d] and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine.”

One World Currency Has a Name - Bancor

The concept of a one world currency is not only gaining momentum, but already has a blueprint as well as a name. The blueprint by the IMF can be found at:
http://www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2010/041310.pdf

No longer is it a question of if but a question of when it will be implemented. Already the conditions are ripe. The outward reason for this currency is of course secular looking. The conditions that make it ripe are:
- US debt is at crippling levels.
- To repay debt, US is printing more money out of thin air.
- The world commodities are in US dollars because it is the reserve currency.
- As US currency devalues due to Quantitative Easing II (QE2), the world economies are abandoning the US dollar, which would become worthless anyway, and are calling for a replacement.
- What better replacement than a one world currency.

More links to recent news can be found at:

Dethroning the US Dollar - Part II

End of the World? Why are the birds falling from the sky?

The article below tries to explain the recent mass deaths of birds and fish as something natural. It also attempts to debunk any references to apocalyptic prophecies.

One thing to note is that, whether these specific events are prophesied in the Bible, most of the prophecies in the Bible have a "Natural" or "Physical" causes. By definition, prophecies are revelations from God of the things that will happen in the future. By definition, prophecies or revelations does not mean that the events must occur without natural causes.



Article:  from Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/whats-going-belly-up-with-birds-and-fish-20110107-19hsn.html
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Five thousand dead blackbirds rained from the sky on the first day of the New Year in Arkansas. Then more dead birds fell in other states. Then huge fish kills were discovered in multiple US waterways.

And suddenly it became a worldwide phenomenon, with reports of mass die-offs of birds and fish in Sweden, Britain, Japan, Thailand, Brazil and beyond.

Doves, jellyfish, snapper, jackdaws... it seemed no species was immune.

Advertisement: Story continues below

Further south ... hundreds of birds scattered on a rural highway in Louisiana. Photo: AP

Conspiracy theorists, doomsdayers and religious extremists warned that the end was nigh.

Could it be astronauts testing a potent sound beam to ward off aliens? The US military experimenting with satellite-powered energy weapons?

What about chemical sprays, meteor showers, or earthquakes activating pollutants from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?

"Birds" surged to the most searched term on The New York Times website.

Religious bloggers loaded their sites with Bible verse, Hosea 4:1-3: "The land dries up, and all who live in it waste away; the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the fish in the sea are swept away."

But as speculation roiled the blogosphere, wildlife experts rolled their eyes.

"It is not that unusual," said Kristen Schuler, scientist at the US Geological Survey's National Wildlife Center.

"There is nothing apocalyptic or anything that is necessarily out of the ordinary for what we would see in any given week."

Regarding the bird deaths in Arkansas, where the local custom is to set off fireworks to mark New Year's Eve, officials determined it was likely that the noise set off a deadly bird panic.

"It appears unusually loud noises, reported shortly before the birds began to fall, caused the birds to flush from a roost," the USGS National Wildlife Health Center said in a statement posted on the Arkansas Fish and Game Commission website.

"Additional fireworks in the area may have forced the birds to fly at a lower altitude than normal and hit houses, vehicles, trees and other objects. Blackbirds have poor night vision and typically do not fly at night."

In Louisiana, Schuler said it looked like cold weather might have killed off about 500 birds.

Meanwhile in Maryland, locals were spooked by reports of some two million dead fish in the Chesapeake Bay.

But officials were quick to assuage those concerns, saying the deaths were a result of an unusual cold snap, combined with an overpopulation of a species known as spot fish.

"Natural causes appear to be the reason for the deaths of the fish," said a statement by the Maryland Department of the Environment.

"Spot may have difficulty surviving in colder temperatures, and the species? susceptibility to winter kills is well-documented," it said, noting that surface water temperatures last month were the coldest in 25 years.

As for the bird and fish deaths elsewhere in the world, many were still under investigation.

According to the National Wildlife Federation's Doug Inkley, the most frequent cause of mass death in birds is disease, though pollution and "just plain accidents" can also trigger large scale die-offs. Often, people just are not aware of them.

"Most of the time these areas are not near human habitation such as in forests or in the woods," he said on CNN.

But in today's Internet Age, when hardly anything remains secret, word of unusual bird deaths has spread with unparalleled speed.

"In 1960 if a bunch of birds started falling from the sky it may have been noticed by some people. It may have gotten reported in the local paper, but it may never have gotten any further than that," said Robert Thompson, professor of pop culture at Syracuse University.

"Now some of these kinds of stories, because they get out there on the internet, if they are compelling enough they can immediately make this jump to national news," he said.

"Let's face it, big quantities of birds falling from the sky or fish going belly up is a pretty compelling story."

AFP

Leviathan Whale Fossil Found

Sea Monster Whale Fossil Unearthed


By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News

Researchers have discovered the fossilised remains of an ancient whale with huge, fearsome teeth.

Writing in the journal Nature, the scientists have dubbed the 12 million-year-old creature "Leviathan".

It is thought to have been more than 17m long, and might have engaged in fierce battles with other giant sea creatures from the time.

Leviathan was much like the modern sperm whale in terms of size and appearance.

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Could this be the same Leviathan mentioned in the Bible (see article above)

Some reference from the Bible are:

1. Job 3:8
   May those curse it who curse the day,Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan.
   Job 3:7-9 (in Context) Job 3 (Whole Chapter)
2. Job 41:1
   “Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook,Or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?
   Job 41:1-3 (in Context) Job 41 (Whole Chapter)
3. Psalm 74:14
   You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces,And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness.
   Psalm 74:13-15 (in Context) Psalm 74 (Whole Chapter)
4. Psalm 104:26
   There the ships sail about;There is that Leviathan Which You have made to play there.
   Psalm 104:25-27 (in Context) Psalm 104 (Whole Chapter)
5. Isaiah 27:1
   In that day the LORD with His severe sword, great and strong,Will punish Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan that twisted serpent; And He will slay the reptile that is in the sea.
   Isaiah 27:1-3 (in Context) Isaiah 27 (Whole Chapter)

Grandkids to welcome 'uberveillance' - Mark of the Beast

Revelation 13

¹⁵ He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. ¹⁶ He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or^[f] the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 
¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.


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A recent article shows that not only do we have the technology but society is so ready to accept the Mark of the Beast even before anyone is imposing it on us. The article is at:


http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/349457/grandkids_welcome_uberveillance_/?fp=2&fpid=1&rid=1

Quote:
"You may reject the idea of a microchip implant, but your grandchildren could embrace them, according to an Australian professor.

Katrina Michael, associate professor of the University of Wollongong’s school of information systems and technology, and author of scientific paper Towards a State of Uberveillance, said subdermal chip implants in humans could be commonplace within two to three generations.

But at present, she regards the device as a threat to life and liberty because technologists and politicians largely do not know if silicon chips could harm the human body and have not determined the terms in which the devices can be used.

“You will have a new breed of tech-savvy individuals that are more adaptable to technologies. But you could forget about getting Australians to have chip implants now,” Michael said."

God is Left Handed

Back in my Physics lecture days, more than once I heard the physicists commenting that God is left-handed. This is not a random comment, although slightly cheeky. It came from observed fact that some molecules and particles which have left / right handedness, exist in nature abundantly as the left hand version. The following article explains more:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627601.300-did-exploding-stars-shatter-lifes-mirror.html?page=3

Did exploding stars shatter life's mirror?

• 19 May 2010 by Marcus Chown
• Magazine issue 2760. Subscribe and save
• For similar stories, visit the Astrobiology and Quantum World Topic Guides

"The property of handedness, known to chemists as chirality, is a feature of many molecules whose arrangement of atoms is not completely symmetrical. A chiral molecule comes in two forms that are rather like a pair of gloves. Right and left-handed gloves are essentially identical, with the same basic components, four fingers and a thumb, and the same function of keeping our hands snug and protected. They are not exactly the same, however: you cannot rotate or flip a glove of one type so that it will superimpose perfectly on the other. But look in a mirror, and a left-handed glove becomes right-handed.

Similar molecular mirror-image forms are called enantiomers. They are made from the same atoms and have the same chemical and physical properties. Most chemical reactions produce equal quantities of both.

That makes nature's predilection for one form - its "homochirality" - all the more strange. Only left-handed or "l" amino acids make up the proteins that provide our cells with structure and regulate their functions, and only right-handed or "d" sugars play an active part in biochemistry. It is like keeping a drawer full of only one sort of glove, while stubbornly refusing to wear the other."

Netanyahu turns to Bible in tussle over Jerusalem

"Beset by questions about Jerusalem's future in talks with the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached for the Bible on Wednesday to stake out the Jewish state's contested claim on the city."
Source:  http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64B2EY20100512

Daniel 8:25 (New King James Version)

²⁵ “ Through his cunning
      He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;^[a]
      And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
      He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
      He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
      But he shall be broken without human means.<sup>[b]




Isaiah 28


15 Because you have said, “We have made a covenant with death,
      And with Sheol we are in agreement.
      When the overflowing scourge passes through,
      It will not come to us,
      For we have made lies our refuge,
      And under falsehood we have hidden ourselves.”</sup>

A Cornerstone in Zion

¹⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:
      “ Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,
      A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
      Whoever believes will not act hastily.
       ¹⁷ Also I will make justice the measuring line,
      And righteousness the plummet;
      The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,
      And the waters will overflow the hiding place.
       ¹⁸ Your covenant with death will be annulled,
      And your agreement with Sheol will not stand;
      When the overflowing scourge passes through,
      Then you will be trampled down by it.

People asking for the Mark of the Beast

Anyone in their right mind would ask for the Mark of the Beast?

Revelation 13
16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or[f] the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

Well it appears many Germans are asking for it, or at least wouldn't mind having it, according to the article below.

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One in four Germans wants microchip under skin

AFP March 02, 2010 1:16AM

IT SOUNDS like something from a sci-fi film, but one in four Germans would be happy to have a microchip implanted in their body if they derived concrete benefits from it.

The survey, conducted by German IT industry lobby group BITKOM, was intended to show how the division between real life and the virtual world is increasingly coming down.

In all, 23 per cent of around 1000 respondents in the survey said they would be prepared to have a chip inserted under their skin "for certain benefits".

Around one in six (16 per cent) said they would wear an implant to allow emergency services to rescue them more quickly in the event of a fire or accident.

Five per cent of people said they would be prepared to have an implant to make their shopping go more smoothly.

.................

Where is the US in the End Times Prophecies

The is a glaring omission to any references to the US in the Bible prophecies. One reason is that the name of America has not been used since America was not yet created in Biblical Old Testament times. But this reason has not stopped prophecies such as in Daniel where Nebuchadnezzar's dream made references to the future Roman Empire without using the same name.

Another theory why the US is not mentioned is that at the End of Times, the US will become much less significant in terms of world power, politically, economically, morally, etc.

The article below tells of the recent US situation with its huge debt and indebtedness to China.

Deficits May Alter U.S. Politics and Global Power

By DAVID E. SANGER
Published: February 1, 2010

WASHINGTON — In a federal budget filled with mind-boggling statistics, two numbers stand out as particularly stunning, for the way they may change American politics and American power.

The first is the projected deficit in the coming year, nearly 11 percent of the country’s entire economic output. That is not unprecedented: During the Civil War, World War I and World War II, the United States ran soaring deficits, but usually with the expectation that they would come back down once peace was restored and war spending abated.

But the second number, buried deeper in the budget’s projections, is the one that really commands attention: By President Obama’s own optimistic projections, American deficits will not return to what are widely considered sustainable levels over the next 10 years. In fact, in 2019 and 2020 — years after Mr. Obama has left the political scene, even if he serves two terms — they start rising again sharply, to more than 5 percent of gross domestic product. His budget draws a picture of a nation that like many American homeowners simply cannot get above water.

For Mr. Obama and his successors, the effect of those projections is clear: Unless miraculous growth, or miraculous political compromises, creates some unforeseen change over the next decade, there is virtually no room for new domestic initiatives for Mr. Obama or his successors. Beyond that lies the possibility that the United States could begin to suffer the same disease that has afflicted Japan over the past decade. As debt grew more rapidly than income, that country’s influence around the world eroded.

(Read more from the link above)

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Climate Change and World Government

Climate change is one of the big things being in the news and in politics for some time, and is intensifying recently with the Copenhagen Conference.

I saw this very interesting presentation by Lord Monckton debunking the false evidence use to proof climate change. What is surprising is not only does he presents technical / scientific details to debunk climate change campaigners, in the last part of his speech of his speech he said the Copenhagen Treaty had plans for a one world government.

The draft treaty is: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change


A search in the internet will show many links to the discussion of world government and Copenhagen. Although most of these links may be just private opinions, an actual Wall Street Journal article also reported this claim. The same article also appeared in The Australian newspaper.

The excerpt is below:


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OCTOBER 28, 2009, 7:05 P.M. ET
Has Anyone Read the Copenhagen Agreement?
By JANET ALBRECHTSEN

We can only hope that world leaders will do nothing more than enjoy a pleasant bicycle ride around the charming streets of Copenhagen come December. For if they actually manage to wring out an agreement based on the current draft text of the Copenhagen climate-change treaty, the world is in for some nasty surprises. Draft text, you say? If you haven't heard about it, that's because none of our otherwise talkative political leaders have bothered to tell us what the drafters have already cobbled together for leaders to consider. And neither have the media.

Enter Lord Christopher Monckton. The former adviser to Margaret Thatcher gave an address at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month that made quite a splash. For the first time, the public heard about the 181 pages, dated Sept. 15, that comprise the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change—a rough draft of what could be signed come December.

So far there have been more than a million hits on the YouTube post of his address. It deserves millions more because Lord Monckton warns that the aim of the Copenhagen draft treaty is to set up a transnational "government" on a scale the world has never before seen.

The "scheme for the new institutional arrangement under the Convention" that starts on page 18 contains the provision for a "government." The aim is to give a new as yet unnamed U.N. body the power to directly intervene in the financial, economic, tax and environmental affairs of all the nations that sign the Copenhagen treaty.

Jerusalem: A Growing Powder Keg in Mideast

The article below shows the obvious tension surrounding the question on Jerusalem. The Word has this to say:

Jeremiah 30:3 'For behold, days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.' The LORD says, 'I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers and they shall possess it.'"


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Title: Jerusalem: A Growing Powder Keg in Mideast
By Andrew Lee Butters / Jerusalem Monday, Dec. 07, 2009

On the face of it, the project sounds innocent enough: Since the early 1990s, the Israeli organization Elad has been rehabilitating the City of David, a once neglected area nestled at the foot of the southern walls of Jerusalem's Old City. The site is believed to have been the seat of power of the kingdom of David, before King Solomon built his temple higher up on Mount Moriah. Until a few years ago, only a few thousand tourists a year visited the City of David, but Elad's efforts — digging tunnels, uncovering ruins and building a visitor's center — drew at least 460,000 people to the site last year. The organization hopes to make its project the flagship of a series of religious and historical theme parks in a loose ring around the Old City to boost its appeal as a tourist destination. But the enterprise also has a potentially explosive ideological purpose: to cement Israel's claim to all of Jerusalem — a claim that is hotly and often violently disputed by Palestinians and the wider Muslim world.



Read the complete story at:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1945962,00.html?xid=rss-world&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+time/world+(TIME:+Top+World+Stories)

It seems biology (not religion) equals morality

Below is an excerpt from an article that tries to show that(human) morality has got nothing to do with religion but is biological.

Well, OF COURSE IT IS BIOLOGICAL !!! Religion, which is man's creation, can never achieve what is truly GOOD, whether Buddhist, Muslims, Christians, Atheists. On the other hand we all know at least a few Atheists who have such good morality that it puts religious people in shame.

Followers of Yeshua (Jesus) should not be surprised - that Morality is biological, built into the DNA of our brains, whether we are religious or not. Guess who build / designed our brains? Who else but the Great I AM.

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It seems biology (not religion) equals morality

Ref: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/contributors/it-seems-biology-not-religion-equals-morality-20091202-k5x8.html

"Recent discoveries suggest that all humans, young and old, male and female, conservative and liberal, living in Sydney, San Francisco and Seoul, growing up as atheists, Buddhists, Catholics and Jews, with high school, university or professional degrees, are endowed with a gift from nature, a biological code for living a moral life."

Preparing for Messiah's coming

Some serious preparations have been taking place for the coming of Messiah. The article below shows just how serious some people take this, though the majority of people in this world may think it is fantasy.

Interesting that people in the know (see article below) can see evidence around us pointing to the prophecies in the Book.

For full article, see

http://www.smh.com.au/world/jews-raise-millions-to-be-ready-for-coming-of-the-messiah-20091113-ieqk.html

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Jews raise millions to be ready for coming of the Messiah
JASON KOUTSOUKIS HERALD CORRESPONDENT
November 14, 2009


JERUSALEM: Yehuda Glick is a 44-year-old American-born Jew who spends most of every day preparing for the arrival of the Messiah in Jerusalem.

Since he became the executive director of the Temple Institute, Mr Glick's main task has been to supervise the manufacture of the utensils the high priests will need when the day arrives.

Crowns and other instruments made of solid gold fill glass cases in the Temple Institute museum in Jerusalem's Old City.

Other artefacts include an array of copper urns, trumpets made of silver and garments to be worn by the High Priest, woven from golden thread.

Musical instruments, including hand-made harps and lyres, lie ready to be brought to life upon the Messiah's appearance.

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Crucifixes Go Out of Italian Classroom

Of all the countries in the world, this is happening in Italy - the origin of the Western Christian tradition. Whatever our views on Catholicism, it is no longer difficult to imagine future persecution of Christians in Christian countries.

The article below is from:
John Hooper in Rome
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 3 November 2009 19.11 GMT
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Human rights ruling against classroom crucifixes angers Italy
European court of human rights rules crucifixes that hang in classrooms violate religious and educational freedoms

There was uproar in Italy today over a ruling by the European court of human rights that the crucifixes that hang in most Italian classrooms are a violation of religious and educational freedoms.

The seven judges, whose decision could prompt a Europe-wide review of the use of religious symbols on public premises, said state schools had to "observe confessional neutrality".

Except on the far left, the ruling met with condemnation among Italian politicians and was denounced by the Vatican. Silvio Berlusconi's education minister, Maria Stella Gelmini, said: "No one, not even some ideologically motivated European court, will succeed in rubbing out our identity."

A Vatican spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said the crucifix was a fundamental sign of the importance of religious values in Italian history and culture, and was a symbol of unity and welcoming for all of humanity, not one of exclusion.

A European court had no right intervening in such a profoundly Italian matter, he said, adding: "It seems as if the court wanted to ignore the role of Christianity in forming Europe's identity, which was and remains essential."

The ruling marked the end of an eight-year battle by a Finnish-born mother, Soile Lautsi. She took her cause to court after failing to get crucifixes removed from the school at which her two children were being taught at a town in north-east Italy.

Lautsi appealed to Strasbourg three years ago when her case was thrown out by Italy's constitutional court.

Although more than 7% of Italy's population is now of immigrant origin, multiculturalism has made few inroads and most Italians argue passionately, as did their government's advocate in Strasbourg, that the crucifix is a symbol of national identity.

The court disagreed. "The presence of the crucifix could easily be interpreted by pupils of all ages as a religious sign, and they would feel that they were being educated in a school environment bearing the stamp of a given religion," it ruled, ordering the Italian state to pay Lautsi €5,000 (£4,476) in damages.

Classroom crucifixes were made compulsory by two laws in the 1920s when Italy was a fascist state.

They have been applied less rigorously since 1984, when Catholicism ceased to be the state religion.

One government minister, Roberto Calderoli, of the Northern League, said yesterday: "The European court has trodden on our rights, our culture, our history, our traditions and our values."

Claudio Scajola, a member of Berlusconi's Freedom People party, said: "The crucifix is a universal symbol of love, meekness and peace. Preventing it from being displayed is an act of violence against the deep-seated feelings of the Italian people and all persons of goodwill."

The mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, said he was flabbergasted. And the new, ex-communist leader of Italy's biggest opposition group, the Democratic party, Pierluigi Bersani, protested: "An ancient tradition like the crucifix cannot be offensive to anyone."

On the Facebook website, 23,000 people signed up to two pages opposed to the court's decision within hours of the news breaking.

The government's lawyer said he would seek leave to appeal to the Strasbourg court's 17-member Grand Chamber. If his petition is rejected, or if an appeal is subsequently thrown out, then Italy would be obliged to comply.