As We See the Day Approaching

Reblogged from omegaletter.com
via servehiminthewaiting.com
Prophecy - Signs
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Wendy Wippel 

The Prophet Ezekiel arrived in Babylon in Nebuchadnezzar’s last wave of captives, about 597 B.C, along with Israel’s deposed King, Jehoachin (also known as Jeconiah). Not coincidence. The nation of Israel, for the moment, was official history. And Ezekiel was there to make sure God’s people had “the rest of the story”.

Ezekiel is visited by God as he and the rest of the captives are on the banks of the River Chebar, and Ezekiel sees, in a whirlwind, a vision of the Lord’s glory.
He also gets this message:

“Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’  Ezekiel 2:3-4

Not a real enticing job description. If they didn’t listen to God, are they going to listen to Ezekiel? 
And then it gets worse: 

Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; …When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, … his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Ezekiel 3:17-20

If it was me, I think I would have followed in Jonah’s footsteps and got out of town.
But Ezekiel bowed to God’s will.  And what follows is revelation after revelation (in both words and in odious allegories that Ezekiel was required to act out) of the judgment that will befall God’s impudent and stubborn children before they finally repent. 

With God saying, finally and ominously, that this rebellious and stubborn people will come to know that He is the Lord only when He “sets His face against them.” (Ezekiel 15:8)
And that’s what Ezekiel was initially given to convey to God’s people prophesied. Judgment. Nothing but judgment for a full seven years ( and 24 chapters), during which time, ostensibly, God’s people had a chance to repent. Through Ezekiel, they had been warned. 
In 587-, however, the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar’s armies began. And with that, Ezekiel’s messages to the nation of Israel changed. Chapters 25-32 of Ezekiel (following the prediction in chapter 24 that the Temple would be destroyed), consist of Judgments on the surrounding nations.
A reminder, through Ezekiel, that Yahweh, despite his discipline, was still their God and their Avenger.
An Avenger that also promised to restore them:

The hand of the Lord … set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. … and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” … Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! … “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:1-6

Also He said to me, ‘ prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:9-10

Then He said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:11-14

God tells Ezekiel that at this point in time, with nation ruled by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar, their people enslaved, and their king blinded and also in bondage the people of Israel feel that hope is lost.  And Ezekiel is tasked to restore their hope:

“Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, … and I will make them one nation in the land, . . . and one king shall be king over them all;  I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God…. and  David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” Ezekiel 36:21-28

Curiously what follows those verses are these:

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia,^[b] and Libya^[c] are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops—many people are with you. Ezekiel 38:1-6

Doesn’t that seem weird?  Why the heck are we talking about Gog and Magog all of a sudden?
Let’s Review.  Israel’s people had been captured and taken to Babylon, and their king Jeconiah, had been deposed. Ezekiel’s job from that point on was to remind Israel of God’s faithfulness.  So Ezekiel relayed God’s assurance that the nation would be restored.
And Gog and Magog, apparently, is the methodology.
God tells Gog and Magog that,

“In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you.” Ezekiel 37:8-9

Note that  God describes the God and Magog coalition coming against Israel in the latter years, after the people had largely returned and are dwelling in safety. Which has to mean sometime between 1972 and now.  (And with the recent deal with Iran, they are safer now than they were a month ago.
At least that’s what Kerry and O would like us to believe. 

“On that day it shall come to pass that … you will make an evil plan: ou will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; … to take plunder and to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. Ezekiel 38:10-12

Airplanes made walls around cities superfluous in 1903. 

“Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? … You will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may know Me, “And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes against the land of Israel,” says the Lord God, “that My fury will show in My face…. I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains,” … And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the Lord. Ezkiel 38:14-19, 23

Note that Gog and Magog’s attack on Israel comes a long time after the prophecy was made, specifically after Israel’s people had returned and were living in (relative) safety, with the three wars of securing modern Israel behind them. It is at that point that Gog and Magog attack, and God miraculously saves them. And apparently, even their enemies recognize the divine nature of their rescue.
So said enemies embrace Israel as chosen of God, right? 

We all know better.  Their enemies hate Israel’s God as much as they hate Israel, an attitude that the Psalms record:

Do not hold Your peace,And do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies make a tumult;And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.” Psalm 83:1-4

That’s been the world’s mantra since God made the covenant with Abraham.
So what happens next? Remember, God, through Ezekiel, links Israel’s final redemption with Gog and Magog.  Think about it.  All the nations hate Israel, and are no doubt  incensed that Israel and their God escaped destruction at the hands of God and Magog. Their next step, logically, would be to join forces (at this point, diplomatically, as implicated in the first seal)  in order to together subjugate Israel to international rule.

That way they could divide Israel’s land and usurp their considerable resources,  possibly, in the process, forcing Israel to sign a treaty with a certain demonically inspired individual in exchange for permission to rebuild the temple.  If you are paying any attention at all it would appear that the stage is being set for these exact events to transpire. 
And being set quickly.

Iran and Russia, pretty much enemies for all of earth history, got all friendly when the Shah abdicated in 1979, and have signed numerous pacts of mutual support since.  In the recent deal with Iran, Russia and Iran acted as one voice. 
Putin’s right-hand man, Zhironovsky, has written a book describing Russia’s intention to rule Israel.

Iran’s leaders have said numerous times that their goal in life is to see Israel destroyed. As have many of Israel’s other neighbors.  And the two neighbors missing in the biblical description of the coalition that comes against Israel—Egypt and Iraq—currently kind of make sense. 
Egypt is virtually the only Muslim country that has signed a peace treaty with Israel: Iraq has enough problems of its own.
And Iran is almost certainly way closer to have atomic weapons than we even think.
But it’s OK.  God’s got Israel’s back. And as for us, anyone else hear trumpets?
About Wendy Wippel

Gary Stearman interview with Terry James - Antichrist Chronicles

The Bruised Reed and the Smoking Flax

Reblogged from servehiminthewaiting.com

By STLloyd July 30, 2015 Bible Study Scripture

Reading the scriptures this morning, as I am studying on the Holy Spirit, prayer, and the church, by doing an exhaustive survey on the topics through the Bible, I was struck with the phrase in Isaiah 42:3 “a bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall he not extinguish”.  I am a word-picture kind of person, so this intrigued me and I went looking for more commentary on it via e-Sword Bible Software. It was worth the effort!  It’s so good to meditate on the fact that God is sufficient and makes up the difference when we are not “enough”.  

Here are a few insights:

From Barnes Commentary via E-Sword

Isaiah 42:3

A bruised reed – The word ‘reed’ means the cane or calamus which grows up in marshy or wet places (Isa_36:6; see the note at Isa_43:24). The word, therefore, literally denotes that which is fragile, weak, easily waved by the wind, or broken down; and stands in contrast with a lofty and firm tree (compare Mat_11:7): ‘What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?’ The word here, therefore, may be applied to people who are conscious of feebleness and sin; that are moved and broken by calamity; that feel that they have no strength to bear up against the ills of life. 

The word ‘bruised’ (רצוּץ râtsûts) means that which is broken or crushed, but not entirely broken off. As used here, it may denote those who are in themselves naturally feeble, and who have been crushed or broken down by a sense of sin, by calamity, or by affliction. We speak familiarly of crushing or breaking down by trials; and the phrase here is intensive and emphatic, denoting those who are at best like a reed – feeble and fragile; and who, in addition to that, have been broken and oppressed by a sense of their sins, or by calamity.

Shall he not break – Shall he not break off. He will not carry on the work of destruction, and entirely crush or break it. And the idea is, that he will not make those already broken down with a sense of sin and with calamity, more wretched. He will not deepen their afflictions, or augment their trials, or multiply their sorrows. The sense is, that he will have an affectionate regard for the broken-hearted, the humble, the penitent, and the afflicted. 

Luther has well expressed this: ‘He does not cast away, nor crush, nor condemn the wounded in conscience, those who are terrified in view of their sins; the weak in faith and practice, but watches over and cherishes them, makes them whole, and affectionately embraces them.’ The expression is parallel to that which occurs in Isa_61:1, where it is said of the Messiah, ‘He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted;’ and to the declaration in Isa_50:4, where it is said, ‘that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.’

The smoking flax – The word used here denotes flax, and then a wick that is made of it. The word rendered ‘smoking’ (כהה kēhâh) means that which is weak, small, thin, feeble; then that which is just ready to go out, or to be extinguished; and the phrase refers literally to the expiring wick of a lamp, when the oil is almost consumed, and when it shines with a feeble and dying luster.

It may denote here the condition of one who is feeble and disheartened, and whose love to God seems almost ready to expire. And the promise that he will not extinguish or quench that, means that he would cherish, feed, and cultivate it; he would supply it with grace, as with oil to cherish the dying flame, and cause it to be enkindled, and to rise with a high and steady brilliancy. 

The whole passage is descriptive of the Redeemer, who nourishes the most feeble piety in the hearts of his people, and who will not suffer true religion in the soul ever to become wholly extinct. It may seem as if the slightest breath of misfortune or opposition would extinguish it forever; it may be like the dying flame that hangs on the point of the wick, but if there be true religion it will not be extinguished, but will be enkindled to a pure and glowing flame, and it will yet rise high, and burn brightly.

He shall bring forth judgment – (See Isa_42:1). The word ‘judgment’ here evidently denotes the true religion; the laws, institutions, and appointments of God.

Unto truth – Matthew Mat_12:29 renders this, ‘unto victory.’ The meaning in Isaiah is, that he shall establish his religion according to truth; he shall faithfully announce the true precepts of religion, and secure their ascendency among mankind. It shall overcome all falsehood, and all idolatry, and shall obtain a final triumph in all nations. Thus explained, it is clear that Matthew has retained the general idea of the passage, though he has not quoted it literally.

♥

Be thankful to God, therefore, that the bruised reed is not broken, that though you are faint, still you are pursuing, that though you are very weak in the limb and cannot run hard in this uphill race, your eyes are fixed in the right quarter; and the fixing and sparkling of your eye has a meaning which God’s heart knows well. (J. Parker, D. D.)

♥

Here may, however, be another class who have left off seeking God, from very different motives, not in petulance, but in despondency, who have not so much turned their back on search, as sat down, wearied and hopeless, in the midst of it. Let them consider that they have to do with One who will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax; that the heart of God is with them; that the darkness and death of Christ, now changed to the strength of intercession, are on their side, and all those heavenly promises which are yea and amen in Him, and which, as bright and as many as the stars in their courses, all fight for them. Let them think of Jacob’s wrestling, of David’s tears, of Paul’s threefold prayer, of the woman of Canaan, &c. (John Ker, D. D.)

What does it mean to be spiritually dead?

Reblogged from blogos.org
By Wendyl Leslie

Part One: What does it mean to be spiritually alive?


Last time we looked through the characteristics of someone who is spiritually alive. But what about those who are spiritually dead? The Bible describes them for us:

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
Ephesians 2:1-3

Paul described three marks of the spiritually dead. They are remarkably different from those who are spiritually alive:

1. They live "like the rest of the world." This refers to the world's accepted, but immoral, lifestyles and godless motives. Jesus warned His followers: 'If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you" (John 15:18-19). People who live like the rest of the world cannot at the same time follow Jesus (Romans 12:2; Galatians 1:4).

2. The spiritually dead follow "the ruler of the kingdom of the air." This ruler is Satan. The passage focuses on Satan's reality as an evil power with a certain amount of control in the world. The Bible pictures Satan as ruling an evil spiritual kingdom — the demons and those who are against Christ. "Satan" means "the accuser." Paul calls Satan the "devil" in Ephesians 4:27 and Ephesians 6:11. In Ephesians 6:16, he calls him the "evil one."

That Satan and his demons work within the hearts and minds of the spiritually dead makes his evil kingdom very real. Paul wanted the Ephesians to recognize Satan's work as a present threat. The evil powers at work rival the work of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:21). The spiritually dead are those who have not surrendered to God. They have decided not to obey Him. They are emboldened and energized by the power of evil. The force of the evil spirit is seen in those who actively disobey God both in faith and action (2 Thessalonians 1:8). These people live in constant rebellion and opposition to God.

3. The spiritually dead are enslaved to "gratifying the cravings of [the] sinful nature" (Ephesians 2:3). This is the third mark of unbelievers, described in the following verse: "All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts."

"All of us" refers to those who were once separated from God because of their disobedience. Romans 3:23 states, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (see also Romans 2:1-9; 3:9). Throughout the ages, human beings have lived in sin and disobedience, and Paul's audience (now believers) "lived among them," that is, among those people. Though believers, the Ephesians still lived among the sinful unbelievers, but they no longer participated in the sinful lifestyles. The spiritually dead cannot follow God because they do not know Him; instead, they live enslaved to "the cravings of [the] sinful nature...following its desires." The philosophy "if it feels good do it" is not just unique to the twenty-first century. "Gratifying" means that they did whatever felt natural to them. The "sinful nature" refers to people's natural state without God. That nature is self-centered, enslaved to its own desires. Such people are those who are described by John in 1 John. This is one of the most powerful passages of Scripture s describing the traits of the spiritually dead: "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 John 2:15-16).

The spiritually dead can't follow God because they don't know Him; they are slaves to sin.

Paul, in his letter to Timothy, succinctly outlines 17 distinctive characteristics of those who are spiritually dead: "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:2-5a). Then Paul adds this command: "Have nothing to do with them" (2 Timothy 3:5b).

As such, the spiritually dead are distinguishable from the spiritually alive in that they:

1. Live according to the world, not to Christ.

2. Live according to Satan, not to Christ.

3. Live according to the flesh, not to Christ.

As I mentioned at the outset, there's a vast difference between those who are spiritually alive and those who are spiritually dead. The Bible tells us that those who are spiritually alive "are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness" (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

To become spiritually alive means:

1. "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2).

2. "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15).

3. Do not be friends with the world: "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4).

4. "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).

5. Recognize that, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24).

Take care and may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

In His Service and Yours.

You will NOT BELIEVE who was best man at John Kerry’s daughter’s wedding

Reblogged from allenbwest.com

Written by Michele Hickford, Editor-in-Chief on July 28, 2015

You not might be aware that in 2009, the daughter of Secretary of State John Kerry, Dr. Vanessa Bradford Kerry, John Kerry’s younger daughter by his first wife, married an Iranian-American physician named Dr. Brian (Behrooz) Vala Nahed, an Iranian-American physician.

Of course you’re not aware of it.
Brian (Behrooz) Nahed is son of Nooshin and Reza Vala Nahid of Los Angeles. Brian’s Persian birth name is “Behrooz Vala Nahid” but it is now shortened and Americanized in the media to “Brian Nahed.” At the time his engagement to Bradford Kerry, there was rarely any mention of Nahed’s Persian/Iranian ancestry, and even the official wedding announcement in the October 2009 issue of New York Times carefully avoids any reference to Dr. Nahed (Nahid)’s birthplace (which is uncommon in wedding announcements) and starts his biography from his college years.
Gosh, I wonder why??

Gee, do you think Secretary Kerry should have recused himself from the negotiations with Iran at the very outset because of his long-standing relationship to his Iranian counter-part, Mohammad Javad Zarif? Let me explain.
Zarif is the current minister of foreign affairs in the Rouhani administration and has held various significant diplomatic and cabinet posts since the 1990s. He was Kerry’s chief counterpart in the nuclear deal negotiations.

Secretary Kerry and Zarif first met over a decade ago at a dinner party hosted by George Soros at his Manhattan penthouse. What a surprise. I have to say, connecting the dots gets more and more frightening.
But it gets even worse. Guess who was the best man at the 2009 wedding between Kerry’s daughter Vanessa and Behrouz Vala Nahed? Javad Zarif’s son.
Does this bother anyone at all?

Apparently Kerry only revealed his daughter’s marriage to an Iranian-American once he had taken over as Secretary of State. But the subject never came up in his Senate confirmation hearing, either because Kerry never disclosed it, or because his former colleagues were “too polite” to bring it up.
As Front Page Magazine pointed out several months ago, the nuclear talks with Iran were a tragic farce, choreographed and orchestrated by Iran.
And unfortunately, we’re going to have to live with the consequences. At least, I hope we live. 

[Note: This article was written by Michele Hickford, Editor-in-Chief]

The President Of France Wants Eurozone Members To Transfer Their Sovereignty To A United States Of Europe

Reblogged from theeconomiccollapseblog.com

By Michael Snyder, on July 19th, 2015

 
The President of France has come up with a very creative way of solving the European debt crisis.  On Sunday, a piece authored by French President Francois Hollande suggested that the ultimate solution to the problems currently plaguing Europe would be for every member of the eurozone to transfer all of their sovereignty to a newly created federal government.  In other words, it would essentially be a “United States of Europe”.  This federal government would have a prime minister, a parliament, a federal budget and a federal treasury.  

Presumably, the current national governments in Europe would continue to function much like state governments in the U.S. do.  In the end, there may be some benefits to such a union – particularly for the weaker members of the eurozone.  But at what cost would those benefits come?

When I first learned that French President Francois Hollande had proposed that the members of the eurozone should create their own version of a federal government, I was quite stunned.  But I shouldn’t have been surprised.  For the global elite, the answer to just about any problem is more centralization.  The following comes from a Bloomberg article that was posted on Sunday…

French President Francois Hollande said that the 19 countries using the euro need their own government complete with a budget and parliament to cooperate better and overcome the Greek crisis.
“Circumstances are leading us to accelerate,” Hollande said in an opinion piece published by the Journal du Dimanche on Sunday. “What threatens us is not too much Europe, but a lack of it.”

So precisely what would “more Europe” look like?
Hollande envisions a central government that has both a parliament and a federal budget…

“I have proposed taking up Jacques Delors’ idea about euro government, with the addition of a specific budget and a parliament to ensure democratic control,” Hollande said.
His remarks touched on what analysts have seen as a major flaw in the euro.

Under the 1992 Treaty of Maastricht, countries which share a common currency must obey rules on borrowing and deficit spending.
But the Greek crisis saw one of the 19 eurozone members notch up successive worsening deficits and amass a mountain of debt. The problems were only addressed by bailouts from the European institutions and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Critics say the problem stems from a lack of centralised control over national fiscal policies, which today are jealously guarded areas of sovereignty.

In addition, this eurozone government would have its own prime minister.  In essence, he would be the European version of the president of the United States.  The following comes from the Independent…

There would be a eurozone government with its own prime minister, the officials said. This government would have its own budget – separate from the EU budget – to aid and invest in more fragile countries, It would try to harmonise corporation and pay-roll taxes to ensure fair competition in the eurozone.

Of course Hollande is not the only one calling for more centralization.  Last month, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem proposed a plan that would create a shared European treasury…

Draghi called for the creation of a shared treasury within 10 years in a joint proposal with politicians including European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem last month.

I don’t anticipate that we will see any of these things implemented immediately.
However, what is important is the fact that this is where the European elite plan to take Europe.  And when the next great European financial crisis erupts, these proposals will be offered as the “solutions” necessary to end the crisis.
During times of emergency, the elite are often able to push things through that they would never be able to accomplish under normal circumstances.  At the moment, it would be extremely difficult to get everyone to agree to a full-blown “United States of Europe”.  But if things were to start spinning wildly out of control and people were suddenly desperately clamoring for solutions, the environment would be quite different.

What that time arrives, the key will be to get Germany and France to agree on what a “United States of Europe” should look like.  If Germany and France can agree, it is inevitable that most of the other members of the eurozone would ultimately fall in line.
One potential hurdle for the creation of this new government would be the euro.  The current treaty agreements concerning the euro are quite complicated and quite restrictive.  If Germany and France decided that they did want to create a “United States of Europe”, they might have to create an entirely new currency in order to accomplish that.

I know that sounds kind of crazy right now, but at one time the concept of “the euro” sounded really crazy too.
For the moment, the debt crisis in Europe just continues to get even worse.  Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Belgium and France are all drowning in debt.  Whether or not we see a “Grexit” in the short-term, I fully expect that European bond yields will continue to rise and European stocks will take quite a tumble in the months ahead.

I believe that we are right on the verge of a very significant European financial crisis.  In particular, keep on eye on the big banks.  Just like in the United States, the “too big to fail” banks in Europe are massively overleveraged and are tremendously exposed to derivatives.
In fact, the bank with the most exposure to derivatives on the entire planet is Deutsche Bank.  It has been reported that Deutsche Bank has a whopping 75 trillion dollars worth of exposure to derivatives, their co-CEOs were recently forced to resign, and there are all sorts of rumblings about troubles going on behind the scenes at the bank.

What do you think would happen if the biggest and most important bank in Germany suddenly became the next Lehman Brothers?
That is something to think about.

Meanwhile, the euro continues to fall.  For a long time, I have been repeating my prediction that the euro would fall to parity with the U.S. dollar.
One year ago, the EUR/USD was sitting at 1.35.
Today, it has come all the way down to 1.08.

There will be more ups and downs, but we are almost there.
A time of great chaos is coming to Europe, and the eurozone will be deeply shaken.
But whether or not there is a break up of the eurozone in the short-term, in the long-term the goal of the European elite is even more integration and even more centralization.
So even though there will be significant bumps in the road, I fully expect to see the “United States of Europe” that French President Francois Hollande has proposed.
Do you agree?
What do you think the future holds for Europe?
Please feel free to join the discussion by posting a comment below…

Pandora´s box. A personal reflection on current events

Written and published by Jean-Louis. 

This morning a friend of mine posted this on  FB:
“He opened Pandora's Box through his bumbling "negotiations" and guess who is going to suffer the consequences...”
Kerry Acknowledges Iran ‘May’ Use Weapons Obtained Through Agreement to Kill Americans, Israelis

Secretary of State John Kerry conceded on Tuesday...

m.cnsnews.com
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Here is my reply to her comment:

"Last week I woke up one morning with this thought in my mind:" Do not open a door that you cannot close".

Interesting, your image of Pandora´s box!

It could certainly apply to any of us on the spiritual level, but when it happens with  enough people in the nation, this is the result when at every level of society, men and women have tempered with the eternal laws of a just God and  reaped what they have sown for more than half a century".

Some grievous offenses:

·         In 1963, the Supreme Court ordered official prayer and Bible reading out of public school.

·         In 1969 In New York City, a door was opened during the riot at the StoneWall Inn, a homosexual bar, now the White House is lit with the rainbow flag.

·         In 1973, the Roe versus Wade door was opened, now we are eating the fruit of that tree, with the horrific display of the disgusting, repulsive display of the doctor discussing nonchalantly abortion procedures and filthy lucre during lunch without any sign of understanding of the gravity of the crimes committed against  God and the babies.

·         Later, the removal  of the 10 Commandments door was opened - some people might say it was shut - now a statue of Satan is erected in a public place.

At the same time, doors are opening in heaven from which the judgment of God has been and is coming. In Revelation 9:2 a door to the pit is opened and demonic creatures come out. Only the Lord Jesus can open doors that no one can shut and shut doors that no one can open.  I will entrust him with your authority, And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Then I will set the key of the house of David on his shoulder, When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open. Isaiah 22:21b-22.

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this”. Revelation 3:7

In the Old Testament, the LORD told us not to make alliances which are not his.

"Woe to the obstinate children," declares the LORD, "to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin" Isaiah 30:1
But is it not what the US and its allied European partners just did with the nuclear 'Treaty" they signed with Iran?
Connecting the Dots
In reference to the homosexual riots at the STONE WALL INN I find it interesting that Solomon had this to say about it in Ecclesiates 10:8: 
"He who digs a pit may fall into it, and a serpent may bite him who breaks through a wall". What a coincidence!
The LORD throughout history has given us limits for our protection and well being. In spite of these warnings and God´s patience and mercy, in less than a century almost all the boundaries stones have been removed.

Talking about “STONE WALLS”

Commentary  Ecclesiastes 10:8 from Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
"He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it,.... This and the three following clauses are proverbial expressions, teaching men to be wise and cautious, lest by their conduct they bring mischief upon themselves; as it often is, the one that digs a pit for another, falls into it himself, as the wise man's father before him had observed, Psalm 7:15; as kings that lay snares for their people, and subjects that plot against their sovereign; or courtiers that form schemes for the rain of those that are in their way; or any man that devises mischief against another, frequently so it is, that the same befalls them; as Haman, who prepared a gallows for Mordecai, was hanged on it himself;

and whoso breaketh an hedge a serpent shall bite him; which often lies hid in fences, in old walls, and rotten hedges (s), Amos 5:19; so he that breaks down the hedges and fences of kingdoms and commonwealths, and breaks through the fundamental laws of a civil constitution, and especially that transgresses the laws of God, moral or civil, may expect to smart for it."
Jarchi interprets this hedge of the sayings of their wise men, which those that transgress shall suffer death by the hand of heaven: but it would be much better to apply it to the doctrines contained in the word of God, which are a hedge and fence to the church of God, and whoever transgress them will suffer for it; see 2 John 1:8; The Targum, by the "serpent", understands an ungodly king, who bites like a serpent, into whose hands such transgressors shall be delivered: and some have thought of the old serpent the devil, as Alshech, who deceived Adam and Eve."
(s) Nicander apud Bochart. Hierozoic. par. 1. l. 1. c. 4. Colossians 26.
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Several thousands years of experience are not enough to remove the evil and the foolishness from the heart of man.

What´s to be done?

In the meantime, while waiting for the Lord to come and take us home with Him,  we can warn people from the soon coming tribulation judgments that are going to engulf the earth  and proclaim that the only solution to our problem is the salvation of the Lord Jesus, the door to the kingdom and the One who has the key and opens the door to let us in.

When time was right, Noah entered the ark and the Lord God shut the door.

Something to ponder.