Church of God News

Marijuana, Cannibis sativa

COGwriter

With increased acceptance of marijuana in the USA, more states seem :

These could be the next states to legalize marijuana

August 31, 2015

The likely candidates are those states where medical marijuana is legal and possession of a small amount of marijuana does not carry a prison sentence. There are 11 states that currently meet that criteria: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

In most of those states, 24/7 Wall St.reports, polls have shown that more than half of the residents support a form of legalization. They also already use it: nine of these states over-index for marijuana users, with a rate that is higher than the national average, which is 12.3% of Americans aged 12 and older.

If those 11 states were to legalize, it would bring the total count to 15, plus our nation’s capital. For many Americans, that high total would sow the seeds of real momentum indeed.  http://fortune.com/2015/08/19/marijuana-legal-next-11-states/

Now, as it turns out, marijuana use is illegal in the entire USA.  However, the Obama Administration has chosen not to enforce federal law on this, thus allowing individual states to make marijuana use legal there.

Barack Obama, himself, was a moderate to heavy marijuana user in his  younger days. Depending upon how much he may have possessed back then and/or what he did with it, he could have been guilty of one or more felonies.  But he was not arrested for what he did, for if he had been, and was found guilty of a felony, he would not have become a US senator and then president.

Once the Obama Administration changed the rules to allow banks to handle money related to marijuana sales (see Obama Administration relaxes financial restrictions for marijuana sellers), I wrote “This move is a step in the direction of legalizing marijuana.”

As far as the wisdom of marijuana use goes, notice the following from last year related to California Governor Jerry Brown:

Gov. Jerry Brown said he wants to wait to see how experiments with marijuana legalization play out in Colorado and Washington before expanding access to pot in California.

“How many people can get stoned and still have a great state or a great nation?” Brown asked, expressing some skepticism about legalization. “The world’s pretty dangerous, very competitive. I think we need to stay alert, if not 24 hours a day, more than some of the potheads might be able to put together. ”

Brown made his comments during an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday morning. http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-jerry-brown-worries-about-potheads-on-meet-the-press-20140302,0,1470635.story#ixzz2upKCFKPB

And he is right to be concerned. But he still might be inclined to support legalization.

The Bible repeatedly condemns drunkenness and activities associated with it:

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18)

21 For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty (Proverbs 23:21)

11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner — not even to eat with such a person. (1 Corinthians 5:11)

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. (Romans 13:13-14)

Becoming intoxicated by marijuana is sinful and not something that Christians should do.

The Bible warns of disaster coming upon a nation that is in debt and a nation that is drunk. Marijuana essentially makes one drunk. Notice:

2 Then the Lord answered me and said:
“Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.
4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.
5 “Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man, And he does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire as hell, And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied, He gathers to himself all nations And heaps up for himself all peoples.
6 “Will not all these take up a proverb against him,And a taunting riddle against him, and say,’Woe to him who increases What is not his — how long? And to him who loads himself with many pledges’? 7 Will not your creditors rise up suddenly? Will they not awaken who oppress you? And you will become their booty. 8 Because you have plundered many nations, All the remnant of the people shall plunder you, Because of men’s blood And the violence of the land and the city, And of all who dwell in it. (Habakkuk 2:2-8)

15 “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor,
Pressing him to your bottle,
Even to make him drunk,
That you may look on his nakedness!
16 You are filled with shame instead of glory.
You also — drink!
And be exposed as uncircumcised!
The cup of the Lord’s right hand will be turned against you,
And utter shame will be on your glory. (Habakkuk 2:15-16)

The above will come to pass. A people that ‘party’ and increase debt will be eliminated. No nation in history has been as indebted as the USA. Expect increased partying and drunkenness as marijuana gets more legal and more public acceptance in the USA.

The USA needs repentance, not marijuana, to deal with its problems.

Getting high on marijuana is not good for Christians nor any nation. But its use is getting increasingly accepted. even though it is known to be harmful and addictive. This legalization movement is not good for the USA as it seems that it will encourage more to get high on marijuana more often.

Some items of possibly related interest include:

Marijuana: Should a Christian Get High? There is increasing acceptance of the use of marijuana. How should Christians view this? Here is a related video titled How Should a Christian View Marijuana?
Should Christians Smoke? Is smoking a sin? What does the Bible teach? What have COG leaders written? Can smokers change? What about marijuana?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
Living as a Christian: How and Why? In what ways do Christians live differently than others. What about praying, fasting, tithing, holy days, and the world? There is also a YouTube video related to that also called: Living as a Christian: How and Why?
Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains how he is and should be viewed today.
Overcoming Sin What is sin? How are Christians suppose to overcome it? Here is also a link to a video titled How to Overcome Sin.
How to Prevent Sin This is an article by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Just What Do You Mean Conversion? Many think that they are converted Christians. But are they? Would you like to know more about conversion. Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

COGwriter

A Jewish Rabbi is pointing to the blood moons as having Messianic prophetic significance:

Rabbi: Blood moons mean ‘messianic advancement’

The “blood moon phenomenon” has been the talk of the Christian world in 2014 and 2015, as four lunar eclipse tetrads all occurring on biblical holy days occur within 18 months, the last of which happens Sept. 28 on the Feast of Tabernacles.

But now a scholarly Orthodox rabbi from Brooklyn affirms this series of blood moons is serious spiritual business, because each one brings the world closer to the advent of the messiah.

“Each one of these is a messianic advancement,” says Rabbi Mendel Kessin. “There are incredible events that predate the messiah.”

Kessin says that normal lunar eclipses, that give the appearance of the moon turning blood red, signal bad news for Israel and the Jewish people. However, he says, those that occur on biblical holy days – such as Passover and Sukkot or Tabernacles – represent good news for them. …

If you think Kessin sounds like some Hebraic roots Christian teachers, like Pastor Mark Biltz, who discovered the blood moon phenomenon in 2008 and authored the bestselling book, “Blood Moons,” and wrote a documentary movie of the same name, and messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, the New York Times bestselling author of “The Harbinger” and “The Mystery of the Shemitah,” you’re not alone.

The Sabbath-observing Biltz highlighted Kessin’s teachings from his Tacoma, Washington, pulpit Saturday. …

Kessin, who holds has a Ph.D. in psychology from Fordham University and is a noted lecturer on Jewish philosophy in the U.S., Canada, South Africa and Israel, also sees significance in the recent U.S. deal with Iran over nuclear weapons.

There is an 800-year-old rabbinic commentary known as Yalkut Shimoni, which he translates: “Paras (Persia-Iran) will be the dread of humanity. The world’s leaders will be frustrated in their futile efforts to save what they can, but to no avail. The people of Israel will also be petrified by the impending danger. And HaShem (God) will say to us, ‘Why are you afraid? All of this I have done in order to bring you the awaited redemption. And this redemption will not be like the redemption from Egypt, which was followed by suffering. This redemption will be absolute, followed with peace.’” …

“We have now entered the countdown to the messiah, which is unbelievable,” Kessin said.

He cites the Book of Joel, which says: “The sun shall turn to darkness, and the moon to blood, prior to the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.” (Joel 3:4) “Based on [that verse], based on what’s happening, something awesome seems to be in the works. Fascinating!”

Biltz, meanwhile sees more evidence something big is in the works by the Dow plunges on successive days last week. (Rabbi: Blood moons mean ‘messianic advancement’. World News Daily, August 30, 2015. http://www.wnd.com/2015/08/rabbi-blood-moons-mean-messianic-advancement/#PvyBhDZJ5CBl3mwm.99)

So the fact that the US stock market went down, then back up last week is some type of ‘proof’ that ‘blood moons’ are prophetically significant according to Mark Biltz?  Not only is that illogical, there is no biblical basis for it.

What about the claims of the Jewish Rabbi? (I use the term ‘Jewish Rabbi’ in contrast to simply ‘Rabbi’ as Messianic Jews, like Jonathan Cahn also use the term rabbi.)

While it is true that there is a prophecy in Joel and it does tell of the moon appearing as blood and it is related to Messianic prophecies, the reality is that the blood moon spoken of by Joel DOES NOT OCCUR UNTIL YEARS AFTER THE START OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION.

In the Book of Revelation we read:

12 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. 13 And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14 Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. (Revelation 6:12-15)

The events involving the moon turning into blood are also tied into with the sun becoming black. I have not seen any of the blood moon proponents claim that the sun was to turn black related to this in either 2014 or 2015.

While some seem to believe the reference in Revelation and/or Joel is some type of normal eclipse, it would seem to be more than that. Notice that those occur after the sixth seal is opened, which is after the opening of the fifth seal (Revelation 6:9), which is the start of the Great Tribulation, which has not started yet and cannot start until at least 2018 (see also When Will the Great Tribulation Begin?).

Now, one interesting item from the Jewish Rabbi Dr. Kessin was that he is pointing to Jewish tradition that a time of peace will come, and he is tying this in with the deal with Iran.  I have speculated that a temporal peace deal, like the one related to Daniel 9:27 (see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27), could come after a regional war involving Iran, Israel, and possibly Syria and/or the USA.  The existence of the Jewish tradition may incline the Jews to accept a timed peace deal which will NOT turn out well for the tiny nation of Israel (cf. Daniel 9:27; 11:31).

As far as blood moons go, I remain of the view that the blood moons are not significant the way many promoters of them have claimed.  The blood moons of 2014 and 2015 are a natural, not supernatural, phenomena.  Yet, the Messianic Jew Jonathan Cahn has claimed that the September 28, 2015 blood moon signals ‘global collapse’ (see Blood Moons and Prophecy). While there likely will be items of prophetic interest next month and perhaps financial setbacks, that will not be the end (see also The ‘Harbinger’ and September 2015).

Territory in Green Covers the 28 Nations Currently Composing the European Union

COGwriter

Revelation 17:12-13 tells of two reorganizations that are to occur that will result in the rise of the final Beast power (a third happens later; cf. Revelation 17:15-17).

Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 currently existing nations getting together.  Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to?

Those that do not understand this may find that they will not understand when the Beast power is about to start the Great Tribulation.  This will prove disastrous for those who insist on a non-biblical position.

This article will examine the Bible, the position of the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG), the position of the improperly named Philadelphia Church of God (PCG), the position of the Living Church of God (LCG), and the position of the Continuing Church of God (CCOG). (A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.)

Let’s start by looking at what Revelation 17:12-13 states:

12 “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.  (Revelation 17:12-13, NKJV throughout unless otherwise specified)

These ten kings have no kingdom, but are to attain one.  Thus, this is a type of reorganization in verse 12.  Since they give their power to the Beast in verse 13, this is a second reorganization.  The “beast” is not shown to have much power prior to Revelation 17:12-13.

Notice that Revelation 17:12-13 does NOT say that ten existing nations will give their power to the Beast, but that ten kings who had not had a kingdom will get power and transfer it.  This, as I have written before (see Herman von Rompuy, the Greek Debt Crisis, and Where May this Lead?), means that a political/structural shift is expected to happen in Europe.

Hence while nations will be involved, this is more likely groups of nations, combinations of nations, and/or redrawn territorial borders.

The term translated in English from the Greek in Revelation 17:12, basileís (Greek characters βασιλεïς), as “kings,” essentially means “possessor of the highest office of a political realm” (Bauer’s A Greek Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Church Literature, 3rd edition. FW Danker editor. 2000, University of Chicago Press, pp. 169-170).

Also the biblical fact that these ‘kings’ had no kingdom prior to becoming kings also helps prove that this is not a reference to ten currently existing nations.. Furthermore, the term translated in English as “kingdoms” from the Greek in Revelation 17:12, basileín (Greek characters βασιλεíαν), means “royal administrations” (Ibid, pp. 168-169) is not specifically referring to existing nations.

It also should be noted that the Greek terms normally translated as “nation” or “nations” (Strong’s word 1484) is not used in Revelation 17:12.  Although the term for nations is in that chapter (verse 15), it is not part of what is happening in Revelation 17:12 or 17:13. If God wanted to specify ten existing nations, He could have inspired Revelation 17:12 to be worded differently.

Yet, some have oddly concluded that Revelation 17:12 specifies that ten currently existing nations, and only ten currently existing nations, will turn their power over to ten new leaders (who will then give it to the final Beast).  But that limitations on ten existing nations is not consistent with what the Greek states.  And while one does not need to be an expert in Greek to understand the Bible, one should not insist that the Greek states something it does not if one truly wants to understand the Bible.

Here are some teachings of the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God on its understanding of the verse:

These ten nations or groups of nations, comprising the modern revived Beast…

One of these was the formation of “Benelux” — a joint customs union formed by the three nations of Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg — which actually began operation on January 1, 1948. The purpose of Benelux was to gradually reduce duties and tariffs on commerce between the three member nations to promote increased trade among themselves.

In 1951, the European Coal and Steel Community was set up which comprised six nations — the “Benelux” nations with the addition of West Germany, France, and Italy. In four years, combined steel production soared 36%, and next to the United States, they became the largest steel producer in the world!

Then, finally in 1957, these six nations signed “The Treaty of Rome,” setting up the European “Common Market.” OFFICIALLY IT IS CALLED EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY, or EEC. It went INTO FORCE on January 1, 1958.

The “Common Market” BINDS THESE NATIONS TOGETHER ECONOMICALLY. The ultimate aim of the plan is to create one solid economy between the present member nations.

But it has been made plain that the plan is NOT LIMITED only to the PRESENT SIX NATIONS. Now other nations want to join the European Economic Community. (Remember that there must be TEN NATIONS or groups of nations to comprise the final resurrection of the modern “Holy Roman Empire”!) (AMBASSADOR COLLEGE, BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSE. LESSON 32 (1963, 1965, 1967, 1969)

No one knows yet just which nations will make up the final 10. The possibility always exists some nations could be considered one, such as Benelux (Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg), or two or more Balkan ‘ or Iberian states could be grouped together. After all, the modern borders of European nations greatly differ from the many different borders in historic times. (Kelly R. A United Europe Nearer Than You Think! Plain Truith, November-December 1985)

“And in the days of these kings…” it is here speaking of the ten toes, part of iron and part of brittle clay. This, by connecting the prophecy with Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 and 17, is referring to the new UNITED STATES OF EUROPE which is now forming, out of the European Common Market, before your very eyes! Revelation 17:12 makes plain the detail that it shall be a union of TEN KINGS OR KINGDOMS which (Rev. 17:8) shall resurrect the old ROMAN EMPIRE.

So, mark carefully the time element! “In the days of these kings” — in the days of these ten nations or groups of nations that shall, IN OUR TIME, resurrect briefly the Roman Empire — notice what shall happen:

“… shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed… but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever”! (Armstrong HW.  Just What Do You Mean… The KINGDOM OF GOD?  Tomorrow’s World, June 1969)

“And in the days of these kings …” it is here speaking of the ten toes, part of iron and part of brittle clay. This, by connecting the prophecy with Daniel 7, and Revelation 13 and 17, is referring to the new UNITED STATES OF EUROPE which is now forming, out of the European Common Market, before your very eyes! Revelation 17:12 makes plain the detail that it shall be a union of TEN KINGS OR KINGDOMS which (Rev. 17:8) shall resurrect the medieval “holy” ROMAN EMPIRE.

   So, mark carefully the time element! “In the days of these kings” — in the days of these ten nations or groups of nations that shall, IN OUR TIME, resurrect briefly the Roman Empire — notice what shall happen:

   “… shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed … but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever”! (Armstrong HW.  Incredible Human Potential, book, 1978)

“In the days of these kings”—in the days of these ten nations or groups of nations that shall, in our time, resurrect briefly the Roman Empire—notice what shall happen: “… shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed … but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever”!  (Armstronng HW.  7 PROOFS OF GOD’S TRUE CHURCH: Part Four.  Plain Truth, May 1979).

Prophecy says there will be TEN NATIONS (or groups of nations such as Benelux) but it does not say WHICH nations. The WHICH nations is speculation, but current rapid-fire news happenings do give us significant clues. (Armstrong HW.  Brethren & Co-Worker Letter, February 18, 1980)

That final resurrection of the Roman empire is going to be made up of ten nations or groups of nations united together in one final attempt of man to maintain human government. That union of nations will be very short lived, as we read in verse 12, and in Daniel 2:44. (Kelly R. You Can Understand Prophecy.  Plain Truth, May 1983)

The Bible shows that 10 nations or groups of nations in Europe will be goaded by circumstances to unite. They will be unlikely allies, “iron mixed with miry clay” is how the Bible describes them (Dan. 2). But a common cause — or a common fear — forces them into a fragile union. (Halford J. Old Barracks and the New Europe. Plain Truth, May 1985)

This power is referred to in the Bible as the “beast” — a powerful union of 10 European nations or groups of nations to arise in the closing days of this world’s civilizations (Rev. 17:12-14). This European power — led by a military superdictator also referred to in prophecy as the “beast” — will be the final, end — time revival of the medieval Holy Roman Empire.  (Stump K. Just What Do You Mean – ARMAGEDDON?  Plain Truth, June 1985)

These prophecies depict detailed ADVANCE NEWS of one more, last revival of this empire, yet to occur, by a union of 10 nations, or groups of nations, in Europe. (Armstrong HW.  What Is Now Prophesied! Plain Truth, June 1985)

Bible prophecy reveals that an end-time revival of the ancient Roman Empire will once more arise in Europe. This confederated Europe will rapidly become an immense economic, political and military power — a Third Force in world affairs, a superpower in its own right. This powerful union, prophecy tells us, will be composed of “ten horns” — meaning 10 nations or groups of nations (Rev. 17:3).

Notice further that the ancient prophecies of Daniel picture this system as a human image standing on two legs. The original Roman Empire was broken into two “legs” — the Eastern Empire at Byzantium (Constantinople) and the Empire of the West centered at Rome. Thus it is probable that the coming reconstituted Roman Empire will also be composed of two distinct yet cooperative parts: one comprising nations of Western Europe, the other incorporating nations released from Soviet dominance in Eastern Europe.

Moreover, the 10 toes of the image of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 2:41-43) correspond to the 10 end-time national units described as “horns” in Revelation 17. These 10 entities constitute a political system that will dominate the Western world and will exist at the return of Jesus Christ, when he will establish the kingdom of God on this earth and bring us peace at last (Dan. 2:44, 45).

Given the fact of five toes on each foot, it is possible that five entities will come from Western Europe. and five from the East. That the toes are described as being composed of “iron mixed with miry clay” indicates an imperfect adhesion. (Stump K.  Soviet Economic Crisis: Prelude to United Europe?  Plain Truth, January 1986)

One group that has claimed to teach what the old WCG taught is the improper named Philadelphia Church of God.

The PCG is the only Church that holds onto ALL of what Christ established through Mr. Armstrong (Flurry, Gerald and Leap, Dennis. Ezra and Nehemiah: Building God’s Temple. Booklet. 1997. p.29).

Yet, its position on Revelation 17:12-13 is NOT consistent with what the old WCG taught:

The EU is now comprised of 27 nations. But your Bible says it will have 10 kings. That means this political-religious union is about to be radically reduced. (Flurry G. The Holy Roman Empire Is Back! Philadelphia Trumpet. February 2010, p. 1)

The Trumpet has long forecast, based on Bible prophecy, that Europe would be dominated by a combination of 10 nations. Currently the eurozone is made up of 16.

Could this crisis be what whittles Europe down to 10 core nations? Perhaps. But as one EU senior negotiator said, “The eurozone debt crisis has a long way to run. No one knows where it is going to end up. Only one thing is sure, the eurozone will change.”

The Bible tells us that Europe will become a more unified group of 10 nations. This is where the trend is leading. Keep watching the euro crisis.  (Germany and France Discussing New European Currency.  June 24, 2010 | From theTrumpet.com)

“Ten kings” are going to arise—and the 28 nations currently comprising the European Union are going to be pared down to 10. (Flurry G. The Crimean Crisis Is Reshaping Europe! Philadelphia Trumpet. May-June 2014)

While there have been and likely will be more “Euro” crises and it is possible that it could be replaced as my book 2012 and the Rise of the Secret Sect states, this insistence on a 10 existing nation EU is not biblically correct (for some other comments, see also PCG Gerald Flurry: EU to be Smaller).

As far as the current size of the Eurzone, in August 2014, the “Eurozone consisted of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Other EU states (except for the United Kingdom and Denmark) are obliged to join once they meet the criteria to do so. No state has left and there are no provisions to do so or to be expelled. Monaco, San Marino, the Vatican City and Andorra have formal agreements with the EU to use the euro as their official currency and issue their own coins. Other states, like Kosovo and Montenegro, have adopted the euro unilaterally, but these countries do not formally form part of the Eurozone and do not have representation in the ECB or the Eurogroup.” (Eurozone, Wikipedia, viewed 08/13/14). If the four small ‘city-states’ are included, there are 24 currently using the Euro in Europe as their official currencies.

The Living Church of God is teaching something similar to PCG, but with a slightly different twist.

LCG teaches that it is ten nations in Revelation 17:12, plus one more in Revelation 17:13, making a total of 11.   Notice what LCG is teaching:

In recent years, as the EU grew to 27 members, skeptics criticized the biblical idea that ten nations would form the nucleus of a final Beast power in Europe (Daniel 2:41-43). However, the Bible clearly states that at the time of the end, “ten kings… will give their power and authority to the beast” (Revelation 17:12-13). If this Beast is led by a particular nation (e.g., Germany), then the total number involved could well be 11! While it is not yet clear which nations will make up the final Beast power prophesied by Daniel and the Apostle John, world events indicate that a group of 10 or 11 nations coalescing to form the final Beast power is not far-fetched, fictional, or even a far-off idea-it is a soon-coming reality! (TW News & Prophecy, May 16, 2014)

Bible prophecy reveals that the final leader of the end-time European Beast power will be an influential person who is both self-confident and arrogant (Daniel 11:36-39). This charismatic leader will lead ten nations who give their “power and authority” over to him (Revelation 17:12-13). (A Young Face Among Old European Leaders. TW News & Prophecy, July 11, 2014)

The idea of ten currently existing nations is NOT a biblical idea. Neither Daniel 2:41-43 nor Revelation 17:12 use the Herbew or Greek terms for ‘nations’ in conjunction with the words for ten. Although LCG is referring to Daniel, the number of toes in Daniel 2 is ten, not eleven. The European Union, itself, currently has 28 member nations.

To teach that Revelation 17:12-13 means that there must be 10 nations as they currently exist is in error.  The Greek word normally translated as nation/nations is not in those passages.

The Bible in Revelation 17:12-13 does NOT teach that this is a reference to ten currently existing nations.

The Bible in Daniel 2:41-43 teaches that the ten will be an unnatural/artificial confederation of “toes,” thus demonstrating that not all the “toes” are ten naturally existing nations.

The old Worldwide Church of God realized that Revelation 17:12-13 was not restricted to ten existing nations.

The Continuing Church of God realizes that Revelation 17:12-13 was not restricted to ten existing nations.

Yet, both PCG and LCG are insisting on positions that were also not consistent with what the old Worldwide Church of God taught.

Both PCG and LCG are insisting on positions that are not consistent with what the Bible itself actually teaches. This is not good (Jeremiah 48:10; Psalm 33:4).

By insisting on 10 or 11 currently existing nations are all that could be in the Beast, various groups will not know when the King of the North is about to attack the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies (Daniel 11:39). They are not “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) on this matter.

(Furthermore, since both PCG and LCG have the wrong end-time prophetic sequence involving the battle between the King of the North and the King of the South, unless they change, this will be yet another reason that they will not know what is happening at the end; see PCG and LCG do not understand the end-time King of the South sequence–do you?)

Unless they change their positions, NEITHER PCG NOR LCG WILL REALIZE WHEN THE FINAL KING OF THE NORTH WILL BE FORMED NOR WHEN THE GREAT TRIBULATION WILL BEGIN.  SINCE THEY WILL NOT KNOW, NEITHER WILL THEIR SUPPORTERS REALIZE WHEN IT WILL BE TIME TO FLEE TO BE PROTECTED IN A PLACE OF SAFETY IN THE WILDERNESS (Revelation 12:14-16).

We in the Continuing Church of God strive to always rely on the Bible: ” We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV).

Will you truly rely on the more sure word of prophecy?

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. Here is a link to a related sermon: Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies for the Great Monarch point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States? In the Spanish language check out ¿Quién es el Rey del Norte? Here is a link to a video titled: The Future King of the North.
Germany’s Assyrian Roots Throughout History Are the Germanic peoples descended from Asshur of the Bible? Have there been real Christians in Germanic history? What about the “Holy Roman Empire”? There is also a You-Tube video sermon on this titled Germany’s Biblical Origins.
Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy Does Assyria in the Bible equate to an end time power inhabiting the area of the old Roman Empire? What does prophecy say Germany will do and what does it say will happen to most of the German people? Here is a link to a video Is the USA Pushing Germany to Start WWIII?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
British are the Covenant People What do ‘British’ and ‘Britain’ mean in Hebrew? Are the descendants of the Anglo-Saxons people of the covenant? Does the British royal family connect to the throne of David? What does the Bible teach? What does history show us? Is there any DNA evidence related to British-Israelism? When did Christianity make it to the British Isles? Could Jeremiah have made it to the British Isles? What type of Christians made it to the British Isles? Did the last King of England believe in British Israelism?
How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God There are many false prophets. How can Christians determine who is a true prophet? There is also a sermon-length video titled How to determine if someone is a true prophet of God. Here is a related link in Spanish/español: ¿Cómo determinar si alguien es un verdadero profeta de Dios?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
ContinuingCOG channel. Dr. Thiel has produced scores of YouTube video sermons for this channel. Note: Since these are sermon-length, they can take a little longer to load than other YouTube videos.
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory. There is also a video on the subject: Might Petra be the Place of Safety?  Here is something related in the Spanish language: Hay un lugar de seguridad para los Filadelfinos. ¿Puede ser Petra?

COGwriter

Turkey, after pressure from the USA and others, has been bombing some Islamic State targets:

ISTANBUL—Turkish jets bombed Islamic State targets in Syria under the umbrella of the U.S.-led international coalition for the first time, the country’s government said Saturday, as Turkey expands its fight against the extremist group.

The strikes started Friday evening and come after Turkish and U.S. armed forces completed an agreement on Monday, nailing down the technical aspects for Turkey’s warplanes to participate in joint operations against Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh.

Turkey is ramping up its fight against Islamic State, while also battling Kurdish insurgents and grappling with political instability, as mounting challenges from security to the economy threaten to destabilize a key North Atlantic Treaty Organization member.

With early elections in November—after voters delivered Turkey’s first hung parliament since 2002 in June polls—Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s interim government has undertaken a massive military and security operation, detaining thousands of suspected Islamist, Kurdish and leftist militants while also starting military operations.

“Our warplanes, along with coalition fighter jets, have started joint air operations as of last night against Daesh targets that pose a threat to our country’s security,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Ankara said in an emailed statement Saturday. http://www.wsj.com/articles/turkey-bombs-islamic-state-targets-in-syria-as-part-of-u-s-led-coalition-1440853745

But the Islamic State was not the only reason for Turkey’s bombing:

August 30, 2015

The disastrous miscalculation made by the United States in signing a military agreement with Turkey at the expense of the Kurds becomes daily more apparent. In return for the use of Incirlik Air Base just north of the Syrian border, the US betrayed the Syrian Kurds who have so far been its most effective ally against Islamic State (Isis, also known as Daesh). In return for this deal signed on 22 July, the US got greater military cooperation from Turkey, but it swiftly emerged that Ankara’s real target was the Kurds in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. Action against Isis was almost an afterthought, and it was hit by only three Turkish airstrikes, compared to 300 against the bases of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

President Barack Obama has assembled a grand coalition of 60 states, supposedly committed to combating Isis, but the only forces on the ground to win successive victories against the jihadis over the past year are the ruling Syrian-Kurdish Party (PYD) and its People’s Protection Units (YPG). Supported by US air power, the YPG heroically defeated the Isis attempt to capture the border city of Kobani during a four-and-a-half month siege that ended in January, and seized the Isis crossing point into Turkey at Tal Abyad in June.

The advance of the Syrian Kurds, who now hold half of the 550-mile Syrian-Kurdish border, was the main external reason why Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offered the US closer cooperation, including the use of Incirlik, which had previously been denied. The domestic impulse for an offensive by the Turkish state against the Kurds also took place in June when the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) won 13 per cent of the vote in the Turkish general election, denying Mr Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) a majority for the first time since 2002. By strongly playing the Turkish nationalist and anti-Kurdish card, Mr Erdogan hopes to win back that majority in a second election on 1 November.

There are signs of a growing understanding in Washington that the US was duped by the Turks, or at best its negotiators deceived themselves when they agreed their bargain with Ankara. http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/turkey-duped-the-us-and-isis-reaps-rewards-10478720.html

August 29, 2015

WASHINGTON – Turkey could become engulfed in a civil war if its military doesn’t stop aerial bombing and artillery shelling of Kurdish fighters battling ISIS in Syria, contends a high-level Kurdish official in a report in Joseph Farah’s G2 Bulletin.

The official, who spoke to G2Bulletin on condition of anonymity, also criticized the United States for not getting Turkey to halt its attacks on the Kurds, even though the minority group has sided with the U.S. against ISIS.

The Turks had agreed to fight ISIS and give the U.S. access to its Incirlik Air Base. However, Turkish F-16s began to bomb Kurdish positions of the PKK, the Kurdish Workers’ Party, as well as fighters for its Syrian counterpart, the Yekineyen Parastina Gel, or the People’s Protection Units.

Asked if the Turkish attacks against ISIS are a cover to attack the PKK in northern Syria, Defense Department spokeswoman Laura Seal recently told G2Bulletin: “I’d refer you to the Turks to discuss their motivation.”

Like Turkey, the U.S. regards the PKK as a terrorist group. However, the Yekineyen Parastina Gel, or YPG, is not on the U.S. terrorist list.

“The U.S. is doing virtually nothing about stopping the Turks from bombing the Kurds, even though [the Kurds] are fighting the same enemy,” the Kurdish official said.

“This development,” the source said, “is leading to a possible civil war in Turkey due to targeting (Kurdish) activists and doing raids” on various Turkish towns to “capture these young kids just because they’re Kurdish and want to have a voice.” http://www.wnd.com/2015/08/turkeys-bombing-of-kurds-could-unleash-civil-war/#oBCJO1EzjBGGkPZ4.99

Perhaps the main reason that the USA has not supplied more arms or support to the Kurds in Iraq fighting the Islamic State is because both the governments of Turkey and Iraq do not want to see the Kurds form their own nation.  And while the Kurds have tended to be a more loyal ally to the USA than the USA has been to the Kurds, the USA has often tended to differ to the governments of Turkey and Iraq–despite the fact that the government of the USA considers that the Islamic State is terrorist threat and that the Kurds are not, as far as the USA is concerned.

While I am not taking a position on whether the USA should supply the Kurds or anyone else with military arms, I will state that the Bible warns that destruction is coming to “an hypocritical nation” which it will end up being destroyed (Isaiah 10:5-11, KJV). While there are serious problems and conflicts in ISIS, those who think that the USA will not reap what it is sowing by often betraying allies (cf. Galatians 6:7-8; Lamentations 1:1-2), are in error (Daniel 11:39).

Despite how the USA seemingly defers to Turkey and Iraq on the Kurds, eventually they and others in the Middle East and North Africa will plot to eliminate the USA based upon the 83rd Psalm.

Notice the following rendering of that Psalm with the modern national identities shown in [ ] which mainly come from an article titled The Arab World in Prophecy from the Plain Truth magazine dated December 1979:

4 They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation,
That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”

5 For they have consulted together with one consent;
They form a confederacy against You:
6 The tents of Edom [Esau or modern-day Turkey, a non-Arab but Islamic nation] and the Ishmaelites [Saudi Arabia];
Moab [part of Jordan] and the Hagrites [anciently these peoples dwelt in the area known as Syria today];
7 Gebal [Lebanon], Ammon [modern Jordan], and Amalek [part of the Turks];
Philistia [the modern Palestinians] with the inhabitants of Tyre [Lebanon];
8 Assyria [whose descendants, the Assyrians, migrated to Germany] also has joined with them;
They have helped the children of Lot [Jordan and Western Iraq]. (Psalms 83:4-8, NKJV)

The above shows a coalition of North African and Middle Eastern peoples, like those that will initially support the coming King of the South in Daniel 11:40-43.  They will want to eliminate the USA, its Anglo-Saxon descended allies, and the tiny nation of Israel.  They will then make a deal with end time Assyria, the main power in Europe.  And this will be successful (Daniel 11:39), but not completely (Jeremiah 30:7).

Regarding Iraq, it probably should also be mentioned that some others consider that the Iraqis are better identified as Ishmaelites or being Hagarenes. Some consider that the Hagarenes are better identified with Iraq–yet since Ishmael’s mother was Hagar–Genesis 16:15–they would all tend to be related. Whether they are identified better as Hagarenes or Ishmaelites or descendants of Lot, Iraqis and other Arabic peoples are prophesied (along with others) to be part of a confederation that will decide to eliminate Israel (and not just the area in the Middle East).  Turkey is represented in Psalm 83 as Edom–other prophecies show that it will ultimately break its alliance with the Arabic peoples and primarily support the European power (Daniel 11:40-43; cf. Daniel 11:26-27).

Notice a little bit more about a coming confederation involving the Arabs in Ezekiel:

1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy and say: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says:

“‘Wail and say, “Alas for that day!” 3 For the day is near, the day of the LORD is near- a day of clouds, a time of doom for the nations. 4 A sword will come against Egypt, and anguish will come upon Cush. When the slain fall in Egypt, her wealth will be carried away and her foundations torn down.

5 Cush and Put, Lydia and all Arabia, Libya and the people of the covenant land will fall by the sword along with Egypt.  (Ezekiel 30:1-5, NIV).

5 “Ethiopia, Libya, Lydia, all the mingled people, Chub, and the men of the lands who are allied, shall fall with them by the sword.”  (Ezekiel 30:5, NKJV)

So a confederation will form, Iraq will be part of it, and many of the nations that enter into a confederation with Egypt will suffer. This includes Iraqi peoples, and possibly the Kurds (the Turks escape this per Daniel 11:42; but have other problems later; cf. Obadiah 8-11).

Why might the Kurds be referred to in Ezekiel 30? The word translated in the NIV as Libya, Puwt, may be referring to some of the peoples of Iran as Puwt was a Persian tribe and the Kurds are an Iranian people with mixed heritage.  There are estimated to be at least 30 million Kurds, most of which are in the Middle East (with the largest populations in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria).  The Kurds could be part of the ‘mingled people’ as the NKJV translates a portion of Ezekiel 30:5.

Although the Kurds themselves have long wanted independence, they have a history of making many alliances. Like the Turks, the majority of Kurds are Sunni Muslims. Despite the fact that the governments in Turkey, Iraq, and Iran have caused problems for the Kurds, they may well support a future Arabic-Turkish alliance (Daniel 11:40-43), especially if they get some protection of autonomy to do so.  It is also possible that they could be among those that escape the wrath of the King of the North (Daniel 11:42).  But that power also will end (cf. Revelation 11:15; 18).

The time will come when God will call all people in the world, including the Turks and the Kurds. That will be a time of peace (Isaiah 2:3-4; Revelation 21), but until then war and destruction appear to be part of the expected fate of that region of the world for some time (though a temporal peace will come per Daniel 9:27; see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27).

Some items of possibly-related interest may include:

What Should You Know About Turkey in Prophecy Do you know the Turkish people descended from? Did the Ottoman Empire possibly fulfill a promise in Genesis? Will Turkey support the European King of the North or Arabic King of the South? Will it betray one of them? Will Turkey be involved in the encouraging the destruction of Israel? Is Turkey going to become Catholic? Is Turkey mentioned in Psalm 83, Daniel 11, and elsewhere in the Bible? This video provides answers.
Iraq, the King of the South, Armageddon, and Prophecy What will happen to Iraq? Is it the prophesied Mystery Babylon? What is Armageddon and how does that have to do with Iraq? Here is a related video Iraq, Armageddon, & Prophecy.
Is the Future King of the South Rising Up? Some no longer believe there needs to be a future King of the South. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? Might this King be called the Mahdi or Caliph? What does the Bible say? A YouTube video of related interest may be: The Future King of the South is Rising.
The Bible and the Arab World In History and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria. This is a YouTube video.
Is There an Islamic Antichrist? Is Joel Richardson correct that the final Antichrist will be Islamic and not European? Find out.
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2023 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up? Here is a link to the article in Spanish: ¿Tiene Dios un plan de 6,000 años?
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? You can also see a YouTube video sermon The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Just What Do You Mean the Kingdom of God? A booklet that was written by Herbert Armstrong answers questions about the Kingdom.
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account? Related sermon videos include Universal Offer of Salvation I: God is love and Universal Offer of Salvation II: The Age to Come and the ‘Little Flock’ and Universal Offer of Salvation III: All Are to Know Jesus, But When? and Universal Offer of Salvation IV: Will the Guilty be Pardoned? and Universal Offer of Salvation V: All Israel Will be Saved?
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

New York Financial District

COGwriter

Some are wondering if the worst is yet to come to the stock markets in the USA:

Volatile week on Wall Street worries investors — is the worst yet to come?

August 30, 2015

A chaotic week on Wall Street is finally over, in finishing with a flat close on Friday, but there is plenty to wonder about next week — and whether more bad news might be on the horizon.

For one thing, Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said in an interview with CNBC that the Fed had not decided yet whether it would raise interest rates in September, but investors seem to believe it’s more likely than it was before, a move that could roil markets, according to a Reuters report.

The market was so volatile this week that the S&P 500 dipped to its lowest level since last October. And yet, the big three U.S. indices all somehow ended the week with gains.

It was a roller coaster ride for investors, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeting hundreds of points one day and then rocketing up by similarly huge margins the next.

A lot of that has to do with global market turbulence that will continue into next week and beyond, especially when it comes to China’s faltering economy and then, of course, when the Fed would raise interest rates.  http://www.morningticker.com/2015/08/investors-are-scrambling-after-insane-week-on-wall-street/

Of course, stock prices rise and fall. Many countries are affected by the latest market volatility. Some wonder if volatility is going on because some want to implement more financial controls internationally (which will happen, cf. Revelation 13:16-18).

But is the worst yet to come for Wall Street?

Absolutely yes!

In theory, interest rates should be set by the market, but the USA does not care for that.  So, in order to control rates and keep them low, the Federal Reserve (which is not federal nor does it have any real reserves) pumped 4.5 trillion counterfeit dollars in the market through a program called “quantitative easing’ (the program officially ended on October 29, 2014; but some wonder if it may start again: Is More Quantitative Easing (QE) On The Way For The U.S.?).  The federal government of the USA has been adding to the federal deficits by spending and borrowing more than it takes in via taxes–and this practice has not stopped.  These steps, along with manipulating what interest rates it pays banks, has sometimes propped up the USA stock market and impacted interest rates, but eventually reality and truth matters.

Over in Wall Street, practices related to hedge funds and derivatives also manipulate the market and seem to be contributing to the time of total collapse of the markets in the USA.  Notice the following:

The world’s scariest story: trading in derivatives

Bad as these scandals are and vast as the money involved in them is by any normal standard, they are mere blips on the screen, compared to the risk that is still staring us in the face: the lack of transparency in derivative trading that now totals in notional amount more than $700 trillion. That is more than ten times the size of the entire world economy. Yet incredibly, we have little information about it or its implications for the financial strength of any of the big banks.

Moreover the derivatives market is steadily growing. “The total notional value, or face value, of the global derivatives market when the housing bubble popped in 2007 stood at around $500 trillion… The Over-The-Counter derivatives market alone had grown to a notional value of at least $648 trillion as of the end of 2011… the market is likely worth closer to $707 trillion and perhaps more,” writes analyst Jenny Walsh in The Paper Boat.

“The market has grown so unfathomably vast, the global economy is at risk of massive damage should even a small percentage of contracts go sour.  Its size and potential influence are difficult just to comprehend, let alone assess.”

The bulk of this derivative trading is conducted by the big banks. Bankers generally assume that the likely risk of gain or loss on derivatives is much smaller than their “notional amount.” Wells Fargo for instance says the concept “is not, when viewed in isolation, a meaningful measure of the risk profile of the instruments” and “many of its derivatives offset each other”.

However as we learned in 2008, it is possible to lose a large portion of the “notional amount” of a derivatives trade if the bet goes terribly wrong, particularly if the bet is linked to other bets, resulting in losses by other organizations occurring at the same time. The ripple effects can be massive and unpredictable.

Banks don’t tell investors how much of the “notional amount” that they could lose in a worst-case scenario, nor are they required to. http://www.forbes.com/sites/stevedenning/2013/01/08/five-years-after-the-financial-meltdown-the-water-is-still-full-of-big-sharks/

There are many types of financial transactions that have little, if any, true value and are putting the markets and the US dollar at risk.

Because the US dollar is not truly backed by anything tangible (other than a semi-agreement with Saudi Arabia to price oil in dollars), the excess production of them via debt/quantitative easing dilutes the value it.  This is a modern form of ‘dross’ (a coin that is worth less than it appears because it is not pure silver or gold despite its outward appearance).

Governments have devalued their currencies by making their coins ‘dross’ and this has led to various problems throughout history.

This diluting of the value of coinage/currency is condemned in the Bible.

4 Take away the dross from silver (Proverbs 25:4a).

22 Your silver has become dross, Your wine mixed with water.  (Isaiah 1:22)

25 I will turn My hand against you,  And thoroughly purge away your dross, And take away all your alloy.  (Isaiah 1:25)

18 “Son of man, the house of Israel has become dross to Me; they are all bronze, tin, iron, and lead, in the midst of a furnace; they have become dross from silver. 19 Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Because you have all become dross, therefore behold, I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem. 20 As men gather silver, bronze, iron, lead, and tin into the midst of a furnace, to blow fire on it, to melt it; so I will gather you in My anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you. 21 Yes, I will gather you and blow on you with the fire of My wrath, and you shall be melted in its midst. 22 As silver is melted in the midst of a furnace, so shall you be melted in its midst; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have poured out My fury on you.’”  (Ezekiel 22:18-22)

Although the Bible warns against using dross and diluting the money supply, modern ‘experts’ have a different view.  The wrong views on economics will lead to economic problems and ultimately the total crash of the dollar of the USA.  Economic problems in Europe may well propel the rise of the Beast power that the Bible warns about.

Various ones have indicated that either late last year (watch Market Collapse then New World Order in 2015?) or sometime in 2015 (watch Project Prophecy: Economic Collapse Starting in 2015?) a major collapse will take place. A true collapse, however, will not occur until later.  But one will come.  Get your spiritual life in order so that you will be in a better position to face what will be coming.

Because many do not wish to believe the truth, the economy of the USA looks better that it really is. Yet it is because of mistrust and issues with other governments, that the USA and its dollar will continue to enjoy dominance internationally for longer.

But the time will come when that will end.

The Bible teaches the following:

13 “Behold, therefore, I beat My fists at the dishonest profit which you have made, and at the bloodshed which has been in your midst. 14 Can your heart endure, or can your hands remain strong, in the days when I shall deal with you? I, the Lord, have spoken, and will do it. 15 I will scatter you among the nations, disperse you throughout the countries, and remove your filthiness completely from you. 16 You shall defile yourself in the sight of the nations; then you shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 22:13-16)

The dishonest profits that the USA has generated for years have to do with how it is pumping more and more un-backed currency into the international markets and living off of this. Increasing federal deficits with no real intent to repay, programs like quantitative easing, and market derivatives are ‘dishonest profits.’ As far as filthiness goes, abortion, selling baby parts, pornography, and increased acceptance of the homosexual agenda would seem to qualify. The prophecies in Ezekiel 22 will have some fulfillment related to the USA.

The worst is yet to come, but for the USA it will not be for at least a few more years (see When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017?).

As far as 2015 goes, as I mentioned before, consider watching the videos Project Prophecy: Economic Collapse Starting in 2015?, Market Collapse then New World Order in 2015?, Alternative to the US Dollar in the Fall of 2015?, and The ‘Harbinger’ and September 2015.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
When Will the Great Tribulation Begin? 2015, 2016, or 2017? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? Is this the time of the Gentiles? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord? Who are the 144,000? Here is a version of the article in the Spanish language: ¿Puede comenzar la Gran Tribulación en 2014 o 2015? ¿Es el Tiempo de los Gentiles? You can also see the English language sermon video: The Great Tribulation from the Mount of Olives.
Two Horned Beast of Revelation and 666 Who is 666? This article explains how the COG views this, and compares this to Ellen White. Here is a link to a prophetic video Six Financial Steps Leading to 666?
The Mark of Antichrist What is the mark of Antichrist? What have various ones claimed? Here is a link to a related sermon What is the ‘Mark of Antichrist’?
Mark of the Beast What is the mark of the Beast? Who is the Beast? What have various ones claimed the mark is? What is the ‘Mark of the Beast’?
Must the Ten Kings of Revelation 17:12 Rule over Ten Currently Existing Nations? Some claim that these passages refer to a gathering of 10 currently existing nations together, while one group teaches that this is referring to 11 nations getting together. Is that what Revelation 17:12-13 refers to? The ramifications of misunderstanding this are enormous. A related sermon is titled Ten Kings of Revelation and the Great Tribulation.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
European Technology and the Beast of Revelation Will the coming European Beast power would use and develop technology that will result in the taking over of the USA and its Anglo-Saxon allies? Is this possible? What does the Bible teach? Here is a related YouTube video: Military Technology and the Beast of Revelation.
World War III: Steps in Progress Are there surprising actions going on now that are leading to WWIII? Might a nuclear attack be expected? What about WWIV? Does the Bible promise protection to all or only some Christians? How can you be part of those that will be protected? A related video would be Is World War III About to Begin? Can You Escape?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters Where did the Chinese people come from? This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel. Here is a link to a version of this article in Spanish: ¿Prueban los caracteres chinos la exactitud de la Biblia?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China When did Christianity first come to China? And is there early evidence that they observed the seventh day sabbath?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for Asia? Who are the “Kings of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon? A YouTube video of interest may be Is China THE Threat to the United States of America?
Does God Have a 6,000 Year Plan? What Year Does the 6,000 Years End? Was a 6000 year time allowed for humans to rule followed by a literal thousand year reign of Christ on Earth taught by the early Christians? Does God have 7,000 year plan? What year may the six thousand years of human rule end? When will Jesus return? 2021 or 20xx? There is also a video titled The 6000 Year Plan: Is the end of humanity’s reign almost up?
The Snowden Leaks are Leading to the Destruction of the USA Can what happened with the leaks of what the NSA has done help the USA to be taken over? What does the Bible teach that seems to be related to this? Here is a related YouTube video titled Are the Snowden NSA leaks leading to the destruction of the USA?
Project Prophecy: Economic Collapse Starting in 2015? Jim Rickards once worked for the CIA and also was once part of a a USA government program called called ‘Project Prophecy.’ He has a video were he claims that starting in 2015, the USA may have economic collapse resulting in a 25-Year Great Depression. He mainly cites debt figures and claims advises alternatives to the USA dollar which he says will collapse? What did Rand Paul state? Can the USA dollar collapse?
Market Collapse then New World Order in 2015? A long-time financial adviser named Harvey Organ claims that claims that because of insufficient gold in the central banks of USA and UK, that Shanghai would bring about exposing this and that this would lead to a massive, overnight, rise in the price of gold and silver, diminished value of their currencies. He states a market collapse will occur before the end of 2014, that the petroyuan will replace the petrodollar, and that a Chinese led New World Order will be in place for 2015. Is this possible? Where does the leader of the ‘New World Order’ come from? What does the Bible teach?
The Plain Truth About Gold in Prophecy. How Should a Christian View Gold? What do economists and the Bible teach about gold? Gold and silver may drop in value. Inflation/deflation? What do Christians need to know about gold?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting. A related sermon is Confess to God and truly repent.
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Did The Early Church Teach Millenarianism? Was the millennium (sometimes called chiliasm) taught by early Christians? Who condemned it? Will Jesus literally reign for 1000 years on the earth? Is this time near? A related sermon is titled The Millennium.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Edition for Second Obama Term This is a 160 page book for people truly interested in prophecies related to Barack Obama and the United States, including learning about many that have already been fulfilled (which the book documents in detail) and those that will be fulfilled in the future. It also has a chapter about a Republican choice. This book is available to order at www.barackobamaprophecy.com. The physical book can also be purchased at Amazon from the following link: Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States: Is Barack Obama Fulfilling Biblical, Islamic Catholic, Kenyan, and other America-Related Prophecies? What About Republican Leaders? Second Edition for Second Obama Term.
Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition. This electronic version is available for only US$2.99. And you do not need an actual Kindle device to read it. Why? Amazon will allow you to download it to almost any device: Please click HERE to download one of Amazon s Free Reader Apps. After you go to for your free Kindle reader and then go to Barack Obama, Prophecy, and the Destruction of the United States-Second Term-Amazon Kindle edition.

COGwriter

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce the following video on our Bible New ProphecyYouTube channel:

19:18

Hassan Rouhani 

COGwriter

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani explained at a press conference that the nuclear deal is voluntary and Iran should not make it obligatory:

August 29, 2015

TEHRAN, Iran — President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday he opposes a parliamentary vote on the landmark nuclear deal reached with world powers because terms of the agreement would turn into legal obligations if passed by lawmakers.

Rouhani told a news conference that the deal was a political understanding reached with the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany, not a pact requiring parliamentary approval. The deal also says Iran would implement the terms voluntarily, he said.

The historic deal calls for limiting Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting economic sanctions.

“If the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is sent to (and passed by) parliament, it will create an obligation for the government . it will mean the president, who has not signed it so far, will have to sign it,” Rouhani said. “Why should we place an unnecessary legal restriction on the Iranian people?”

Of course, Iran’s leader believes that the West unfreezing financial assets must be obligatory for Iran to even consider voluntarily cooperating on this deal.

Iran gambled that the West wanted a deal so badly that it would make a deal closer to what Iran wanted–and it has. The deal agreed to last month will give Iran access to about 90-150 billion dollars of frozen assets that Iran can use again. Some of those assets will likely be used for its economy and to partially deal with the Islamic State, but other funds will likely go to terrorist groups and other groups that oppose the USA and/or Israel.

Iran is still involved in international terrorism.

Of course, the deal still is before the Congress of the USA and its President Obama (and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton) has pushed for the deal. Many in the US Congress oppose the proposed deal. However, if they vote it down, they would apparently need a two-third’s majority to override a likely presidential veto. If the US Congress does get a 2/3rds majority and goes against UN approval for the deal (which already has happened, see UN approves Iran deal, US tells Israel it may need to agree to disagree), this will make the USA look bad on the world scene.

So, what will happen with Iran? What does it really want?

Iran wants to takeover Jerusalem and lead the Islamic world. It then wants to takeover the world. It would prefer to knock out the USA whenever it can and it believes that mystical powers will allow it to do that.

Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani has already said that his own election was because of the intervention of a mystical Imam Madhi, who Shi’ite Muslims (the type that predominate in Iran) believe has been alive for over 1300 years and who will become publicly manifested in the end times to bring victory to Iran over non-Muslims (see Iran’s President-elect wants to negotiate with the USA and credits the ‘Islamic messiah’ for his election).

Why is any of this ‘Imam Mahdi’ rhetoric of any value. Well, among other reasons, because there is old Shiite prophecy involving him that seems to tie him in with someone like Barack Hussein Obama personally. Notice what Forbes’ writer Amir Taheri reported:

Is Barack Obama the “promised warrior” coming to help the Hidden Imam of Shiite Muslims conquer the world?

…a pro-government Web site published a Hadith (or tradition) from a Shiite text of the 17th century. The tradition comes from Bahar al-Anvar (meaning Oceans of Light) by Mullah Majlisi, a magnum opus in 132 volumes and the basis of modern Shiite Islam.

According to the tradition, Imam Ali Ibn Abi-Talib (the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law) prophesied that at the End of Times and just before the return of the Mahdi, the Ultimate Saviour, a “tall black man will assume the reins of government in the West.” Commanding “the strongest army on earth,” the new ruler in the West will carry “a clear sign” from the third imam, whose name was Hussein Ibn Ali. The tradition concludes: “Shiites should have no doubt that he is with us.”

In a curious coincidence Obama’s first and second names–Barack Hussein–mean “the blessing of Hussein” in Arabic and Persian. His family name, Obama, written in the Persian alphabet, reads O Ba Ma, which means “he is with us,” the magic formula in Majlisi’s tradition.

Since we are near the end of times and Barack Hussein Obama is considered to be black and he is basically the “ruler in the West” and he now leads the” strongest army on earth,” it makes sense that a lot of Shiite Muslims could  believe that he may fit that Islamic prophecy.

Information on this prophecy was also in another article in Arabic that was translated into English:

According to the text that is the foundation of modern Shiite Islam, a prophecy that a tall black man would rule the West portends the coming of the Islamic redeemer.

Ali Ibn Abi-Talib—the prophet’s cousin and son-in-law and the most revered figure in Shiite Islam—prophesied that before the return of the Mahdi, the ultimate redeemer in Islam, a tall black man will rule the West and will carry a “clear sign” from the Third Imam,Hussein Ibn Ali, according to the report by Iranian-born, London-based journalist Amir Taheri…

The Mahdi (Arabic for “the guided one”), is supposed to return before Judgment Day to eliminate injustice and tyranny. The appearance of the Mahdi is not mentioned in the Quran or the Sunnah (Prophet’s teachings), and many Sunni scholars view it as a Shiite invention…in the 132-volume work by Shiite scholar Mullah Majlisi (Nayouf, Hayyan. Translated from Arabic by Sonia Farid. Shiite scholar denies Obama link to Muslim savior. Dubai. November 4, 2008. http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2008/11/04/59490.html viewed 05/19/09).

The fact that his name also seems to closely fit that prophecy suggests that he may. And while in I do not believe that Barack Hussein Obama himself believes that “he is with us” (as “o bama” apparently means in Persian) refers to him in that prophecy, the fact is that no other USA president has ever been as close to Muslims as President Obama.  And no US President has ever supported a deal remotely like this with Iran.

At this moment, the Obama Administration keeps trying to tell everyone what a great deal it made with Iran while Iran keeps making statements that it plans to do what it wants and that it will not have to comply with the deal.  Barack Obama IS with Iran by pushing for the deal, which Barack Obama claims will lead to peace.

As I have written before, a temporary peace will come to the Middle East (cf. Daniel 9:27, see also The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27), but this Iranian deal is not that one.

Notice also the following:

August 29, 2015

Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz Cheney launched a broad attack against President Barack Obama’s foreign policy in an excerpt of a forthcoming book that was published in The Wall Street Journal on Friday.

Both Cheneys accused Obama of lying about the Iran nuclear deal and said that the agreement would lead to the first use of a nuclear weapon since 1945.

“Nearly everything the president has told us about his Iranian agreement is false. He has said it will prevent the Iranians from acquiring nuclear weapons, but it will actually facilitate and legitimize an Iranian nuclear arsenal,” they wrote. “The Obama agreement will lead to a nuclear-armed Iran, a nuclear-arms race in the Middle East and, more than likely, the first use of a nuclear weapon since Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”

The Obama administration has aggressively defended the deal, saying that it cuts off all pathways to a nuclear bomb. Secretary of State John Kerry has said that a better deal simply does not exist.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dick-cheney-iran-deal_55e20a7de4b0c818f618224c

Iran wants a nuclear bomb and the proposed deal will not prevent it from acquiring one.

The reality is that Iran hopes to takeover the Islamic world, then the rest of the world.  It may well feel emboldened to do so once it gets most of its financial assets back like the proposed deal  provides for.  Bible prophecy, however, does not show that Iran will lead the Arab world (Daniel 11:40-43; Ezekiel 30:2-9), thus the deal that President Obama is pushing will likely cause Iran to do something that will result in its power/influence ultimately being reduced.

Iran is dangerous, and it is subject to being hurt by its own actions and statements (cf. Jeremiah 49:34-38).

Iran has no real interest in world peace and no one in the West should believe otherwise.  Today’s statements by its President Rouhani are additional confirmation of that.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Iran in Prophecy Is Iran in Bible prophecy? If so, what does the Bible teach? What names, other than Persia, may be used to describe Iran? There is also a YouTube video titled Iran In Prophecy.
Damascus and Syria in Prophecy Will Bashar Assad hold power as he has it? Does the Bible show that Damascus, the capital of Syria, will be destroyed? What will happen to Syria? Will the Syrians support the final King of the South that the Bible tells will rise up? Which scriptures discuss the rise and fall of an Arabic confederation? Does Islamic prophecy predict the destruction of Syria.
The ‘Peace Deal’ of Daniel 9:27 This prophecy could give up to 3 1/2 years advance notice of the coming Great Tribulation. Will most ignore or misunderstand its fulfillment? Here is a link to a related sermon video Daniel 9:27 and the Start of the Great Tribulation.
How Will Middle East Peace be Brought About? Can humans bring peace to the Middle East? Here is a link to a related video: Middle East Peace? When?
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
United Nations: Humankind’s Last Hope or New World Order? Is the UN the last hope for humanity? Or might its goals end up with sinister results? A related video would be United Nations and Vatican Are Planning the New World Order.
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist?  Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests?  Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies. Watch also the YouTube Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Barack Obama in Islamic Prophecy? There is actually a 17th century Shiite prophecy that some believe that Barack Obama will fulfill that will lead to a rising up of Islam.
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy  Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill?  Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill?  Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic?  Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist? A video of related interest is titled Hillary Clinton and Bible Prophecy.

Unborn baby

COGwriter

Planned Parenthood continues to try to defend the indefensible:

August 28, 2015

BALTIMORE—

Planned Parenthood, a U.S. government-funded women’s health care organization, has been making headlines after an anti-abortion group released several undercover videos that show some of its employees discussing the availability of aborted fetal tissue for medical research.

The heavily edited videos were secretly recorded and released by members of the Center for Medical Progress, an anti-abortion group.

The group claims the videos show employees of Planned Parenthood, which primarily provides women with basic health care services but also abortions, discussed the selling of fetal tissue with them.Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards vehemently denied the charge.

“I want to be really clear,” she said in a recent video statement. “The allegation that Planned Parenthood profits in any way from tissue donation is not true.”

“Our donation programs, like any other quality health care providers, follow all laws and ethical guidelines,” she added.

It is illegal to profit from fetal tissue donations in the U.S., but organizations like Planned Parenthood may provide fetal tissue for medical research if the mother gives her consent. http://www.voanews.com/content/controversial-fetal-tissue-essential-medical-research/2937309.html

Planned Parenthood is not a ‘quality health care provider.’  Of course Planned Parenthood profits by selling human tissues from aborted babies.  Planned Parenthood is receiving money for tissues that it would otherwise have to pay to dispose of.

Let me also state here that the original Hippocratic oath had a statement that doctors WOULD NOT perform abortions.  Here is part of an English translation of the original Hippocratic oath:

I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgment and never do harm to anyone.

I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and similarly I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion.  (Hippocratic oath. Wikipedia, viewed 12/13/13)

Now, Wikipedia now has that last statement re-translated as follows:

Moreover, I will give no sort of medicine to any pregnant woman, with a view to destroy the child. (Hippocratic oath. Wikipedia, viewed 08/29/15)

But the oath still means that doctors were not to perform abortions.

Even thousands of years ago, that was considered to be immoral. Reportedly, though there is currently no legal obligation for medical students to swear an oath upon graduating, 98% of American medical students ‘swear to some form of oath.’  The version that most doctors ‘swear to’ no longer mentions abortion, but if they understood their history better, they would realize that their profession is supposed to be against abortion.  Irrespective of that, the Bible teaches that one is not to murder (Exodus 20:13).

The “Church of God, a Worldwide Association” (COGWA) posted the following comments by Jeremy Lallier:

Personally, I don’t care so much about whether Planned Parenthood isn’t jumping through the right legal hoops for the things they’re doing behind closed doors. And I don’t care so much whether the CMP has cut and spliced their video footage in an unfair way (even though they’ve released the full and unedited versions of each video).

What I care about are the dishes. In at least two of the videos, we’re given an uncomfortably close view of glass dishes filled with bits and pieces of aborted fetuses. What I care about is how a rational human being can look at dishes filled with the dismembered remains of a human being and still have the audacity to call a fetus nothing more than a clump of cells or a blob of tissue.

The real issue

Because that’s the crux of this whole thing, isn’t it? Are fetuses human beings, or are they not? According to most pro-choice advocates, a fetus cannot be considered a human being because it can’t survive outside the womb. It’s just a nonviable blob of tissue.

Oh?

Biologically, we’re all just clumps of cells and blobs of tissue—and under certain conditions, we’re all nonviable. If I ripped you away from your food sources and thrust you into a totally inhospitable environment (say, the surface of Mars), you wouldn’t be too viable either. But would that make you any less human?

But that isn’t what I want to be focusing on right now—because, as I watched these videos, I didn’t see featureless blobs of tissue. My stomach churned as technicians rooted through piles of livers and kidneys and eyes on behalf of prospective clients. My fists clenched as one employee hunted for a pair of legs while his coworker exclaimed, “And another boy!”

And my heart sunk as a pair of tweezers picked up a perfectly formed arm, complete with perfect little fingers. It may as well have been waving to the camera—that is, if it weren’t for the technician who had ripped it off the shoulder of the fetus it belonged to.

Blobs of tissue, indeed.

We have shed innocent blood

Did you know that roughly three weeks after conception a baby’s heart is pumping blood through a closed circulatory system? I think that’s fascinating. Did you also know that, since 1980, there have been more than a billion abortions worldwide?

After the very first murder, God asked Cain, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground” (Genesis 4:10, emphasis added). If the blood of one man was enough to symbolically cry out to God for justice, how much louder is the blood of more than a billion unborn children?

Don’t think for a second that God isn’t listening. Don’t think for a second that He doesn’t hate the way the human race has opted to sacrifice its own offspring at the altar of convenience.

In a list of seven things God hates and calls abominations, No. 3 is “hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17). Tell me, is there any blood being shed today more innocent than the blood of unborn children? Other items on God’s list of abominations include “a heart that devises wicked plans” and “feet that are swift in running to evil” (Proverbs 6:18). If that’s not an apt description of abortion clinics around the world, I don’t know what is.

The Bible repeatedly warns against shedding innocent blood:

19 So you shall put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when you do what is right in the sight of the LORD (Deuteronomy 21:9).

16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:  17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren (Proverbs 6:16-19).

7 Their feet run to evil, And they make haste to shed innocent blood; Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; Wasting and destruction are in their paths. 8 The way of peace they have not known, And there is no justice in their ways; They have made themselves crooked paths; Whoever takes that way shall not know peace (Isaiah 59:7-8).

3 Thus says the LORD: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place (Jeremiah 22:3).

17 “Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence” (Jeremiah 22:17).

Babies are innocent.  Killing them is the shedding of innocent blood.

Notice the following:

172 My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness (Psalm 119:172).

34 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people (Proverbs 14:34).

Killing babies through abortion is not righteous. It is a reproach to nations that allow and encourage it.

Those that consent to abortions are often proud, are normally lying to themselves that they are not doing violence to a human being, and often have abortions because of their own lusts and covetousness.  Adding the sin of abortion to their other sins is simply not the answer.

They also place themselves in the same category as Judas Iscariot, for he admitted that when he betrayed Jesus Christ, he (Judas) betrayed “innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4). Jesus was betrayed by someone He considered to be a friend–no baby should be betrayed by the mother that is supposed to love them.

Notice some other comments about the situation with Planned Parenthood from a news/commentary post by Matt Walsh:

Despite the claim, reported as fact, that the videos are “totally manipulated” and “altered,” making them essentially worthless as evidence, the truth remains exactly the same. Planned Parenthood sells dead baby parts. This is a fact, and it has not been even remotely debunked. …

Now, stop and think about this for a second: abortion enthusiasts are tripping over themselves to paint these videos as “false,” because they can’t bring themselves to accept that their beloved Planned Parenthood would sell human limbs and organs. Yet, these same brainwashed sycophants eagerly accept, and in fact applaud, the fact that Planned Parenthood kills children to begin with. …

I want everyone reading this right now to please remember one thing for as long as you live: Planned Parenthood can never be trusted. Ever. Under any circumstance. They are liars to their core. Filthy, murderous liars. They lie about everything. Of course they do. Again, they kill human beings, what do you expect? Planned Parenthood lies when it says “3 percent of its business is abortion.” It lies when it says it does mammograms. It lies to women. It lies to everyone. It lies all the time, in every situation. When raped teenage girls come in for abortions, it lies by not reporting the abuse to authorities. It keeps women in the dark. It lives in the dark. It thrives on lies. And lies. And lies. And lies.

This is a relevant point because the “independent analysts” who inspected the videos were hired by Planned Parenthood. They were not, in fact, independent at all. They were working for, and being paid by, the very organization being investigated. On top of it all, the report comes to us courtesy of a company called Fusion GPS, which is a deeply partisan opposition research firm tied to the Democrat Party. …

In one of the videos, a Planned Parenthood staff member refers to a murdered unborn child as a “baby,” and in another part, a lab tech looks down at the mangled corpse of a dead baby, laughs, and remarks, “another boy!”

Here is Planned Parenthood’s smoking gun. Out of 10 pages, the analysis spends the most time here, which should tell you something. They can’t defend themselves against the substance of the accusations — that they sell organs and limbs for profit and alter their procedures to preserve specimens — so they dedicate paragraph upon paragraph to refuting the most trivial aspects.  http://www.theblaze.com/contributions/no-the-planned-parenthood-videos-have-not-been-deceptively-edited/

Planned Parenthood is in the baby killing business.  And to recoup more funds, its employees have shown a willingness to sell baby parts.  Jesus tied murdering and lying in with Satan when He condemned certain leaders in His day:

44 You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. (John 8:44)

Satan wants to obscure the truth.  The truth is that Planned Parenthood kills and dismembers babies and some of its employees want to sell the parts for the most they can get.  That is a fact, and the willingness to sell baby parts is clearly shown in the videos that Planned Parenthood is complaining about.

Notice also something that came out yesterday:

August 28, 2015

Today, the Center for Medical Progress released the full, uncut video of the conversation between undercover investigators form CMP and top officials with StemExpress, which buys aborted babies and their body parts from Planned Parenthood. The full footage is of a shorter video that summarized the meetings earlier this week. The release of the full, unedited video also comes one day after Planned Parenthood released a new report claiming the eight videos released exposing it were “altered.”…

In the video, Cate Dyer, the CEO of StemExpress, is shown in a lunch meeting with undercover operatives posing as representatives of a biotech firm. Dyer is laughing about how StemExpress purchases fully intact aborted babies from Planned Parenthood. She laughs about how shippers of the aborted babies would give a warning to lab workers to expect such a baby.

“Oh yeah, if you have intact cases — which we’ve done a lot — we sometimes ship those back to our lab in its entirety,” she says.

“Tell the lab its coming,” she laughs about the intact unborn babies. “You know, open the box and go ‘Oh my God,’” Dyer adds.

The eighth video in the ongoing controversy over Planned Parenthood’s sale of aborted fetal body parts shows the CEO of StemExpress, a major buyer of fetal tissue from Planned Parenthood, admitting the company gets “a lot” of intact fetuses, suggesting “another 50 livers a week” would not be enough, and agreeing abortion clinics should profit from the sale.  http://www.lifenews.com/2015/08/28/full-unedited-8th-video-confirms-planned-parenthood-sells-fully-intact-aborted-babies/

What Planned Parenthood does is outrageous. But what can we expect from a group that kills the most unborn babies in the USA.

Yet, many US politicians have come to the defense of Planned Parenthood. This does not bode well for the United States.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Abortion, the Bible, and a Woman’s Right to Choose Do you know what the Bible teaches on this? Has the Roman Catholic Church allowed abortions? What about the real Church of God? Some may also, or instead, wish to view the YouTube video Abortion, the Bible, and US Debt.
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Just What Do You Mean — Repentance? Do you know what repentance is? Have you truly repented? Repented of what? Herbert W. Armstrong wrote this as a booklet on this important subject.
When You Sin: Do You Really Repent? This is an article by Charles F. Hunting.
Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, English, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Saxon (non-Dutch) Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? What will happen to Jerusalem and the Jews in Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo-Saxon nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first? Here is a link to the Spanish version of this article: Anglo-América & las Tribus Perdidas de Israel. Information is also in the YouTube sermons titled Where are the Ten Lost Tribes? Why does it matter? and British are the Covenant People. A short YouTube of prophetic interest may be Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.
Will the Anglo-Saxon Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What about Jerusalem? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Here is a link to a video titled Will the USA and other Anglo-nations be Divided and Their People Made Slaves? Here is a related item in the Spanish language ¿Serán divididas las naciones anglosajonas?
Hillary Clinton in Prophecy Prophecy, Hillary Clinton? Are there prophecies that Hillary Clinton may fulfill? Are there any prophecies that she has already helped fulfill? Could Hillary Clinton be apocalyptic? Could Hillary Clinton be the final Antichrist?
Prophecies of Barack Obama? Reasons why Barack Obama is apocalyptic and reasons why Barack Obama is not the Antichrist. This article includes many biblical and non-biblical prophecies, from around the world, that seem to discuss Barack Obama. Did Nostradamus predict Barack Obama dealing with the Antichrist? Might Barack Obama set the stage for the kings of the North and South as at least one Shiite prophecy suggests? Read it and decide for yourself if President Obama seems to be fulfilling various prophecies. Watch also the YouTube Barack Obama and the State of the Apocalypse.

“Elijah in the wilderness“

COGwriter

COGwriter

How reliable are the conclusions of experts who perform psychological studies?  According to a new report, the vast majority are unreliable:

August 28, 2015

In an unprecedented analysis, a team of 270 researchers redid 100 studies published in three top psychology journals. The team was interested in duplicating them as closely as possible to see whether they held up. Only 35 did so, according to the most frequently used statistical test.  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/08/28/science/psychology-studies-redid.html?_r=0

How ‘scientific’ is the rest of the modern science community? Well, not as much as many hope.  Notice the following:

August 28, 2015

The leaders of the new study picked psychology to scrutinize because they are themselves psychologists. Their concerns — and the concerns of other reformers such as John Ioannidis, author of the famous paper “Why most published research findings are false” — go to the incentive systems and professional pressures that affect all scientists. It’s not just psychologists who are under pressure to find significant results that can be published in prestigious journals. It’s not just psychologists who engage in data dredging.

And by the way: If you made a list of major science retractions, controversies and embarrassing episodes in recent years, you’d see a full range of disciplines in the mix. From our earlier story:

Consider “cold fusion”: In 1989, two scientists claimed to have achieved nuclear fusion at room temperature, previously considered impossible. It was a bombshell announcement — but no one else could replicate their work. Cold fusion didn’t take off because mainstream scientists realized it wasn’t real.

A more recent case involved “arsenic life.” In 2010 a paper in Science suggested that a bacterium in Mono Lake, Calif., used arsenic instead of phosphorus in its genetic code and represented a new form of life. Rosemary Redfield, a scientist, cast doubt on the conclusion, and other researchers couldn’t replicate the finding. The consensus is that it was a misinterpretation.

In early 2014, the scientific world was rocked by a tragic case in Japan. A young scientist, Haruko Obokata, claimed to have found evidence for a phenomenon called “STAP,” stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency — a way to manipulate ordinary cells to turn them into stem cells capable of growing into a variety of tissues.

Last year we ran a ton of stories about the BICEP2 experiment. That was physics at its heroic best: They found, apparently, gravitational waves from the dawn of time. It made such a huge splash that people were talking about Nobel Prizes in the offing. But the “discovery” got walked back in a big way. It may yet hold up on further observation, but that was a case of scientists getting ahead of their facts and holding a premature triumphant press conference.

Earlier this year, I reported about problems with ‘scientists’ and many of their conclusions (see ‘Science’ concludes that perhaps half of what is called science is probably false).

As a scientist, I have seen first-hand how biases, money, ‘political correctness,’ and corruption have affected the scientific community. Researchers who do not promote the product/service/position that they are funded to research have a tendency to lose future funding.

This is part of why we see certain information about ‘homosexual genes,’ ‘climate change,’ vaccines, medications, GMOs, child rearing, religion, church history, evolution, economics, and a host of other topics.

The nonsense about evolution being ‘scientific’ has long been a joke. Some claims about the science related to that are so bizarre (see New Times: ‘There is no other side to evolution’) that no right thinking real scientist could accept them (see also Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical?).

Much of the research that is published is bought and paid for by those interested in promoting certain results–including those wanted by employees in various governments.

Even in the days of the Apostle Paul, certain ‘knowledge’ was falsely called ‘science.’ Here are two translations:

20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge — 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith.
Grace be with you. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:20-21, NKJV)

20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:20-21, KJV).

Problems of contradictions of what is called ‘knowledge/science’ exist to this day.

While Jesus taught that “scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35), He also warned “beware of men” (Matthew 10:17.

If there ever is an apparent contradiction between the Bible and ‘science’ remember that the Bible teaches:

4 Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. (Romans 3:4)

The Bible is scientific and reliable. Not all ‘scientists are.

Many who claim to be scientists or ‘experts’ simply are not and are relying on information that is false.  When it comes to issues of morality, “let God be true but every man a liar.”

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is God’s Existence Logical? Some say it is not logical to believe in God. Is that true? Here is a link to a YouTube sermon titled Is it logical to believe in God?
Is Evolution Probable or Impossible or Is God’s Existence Logical? Part II This short article clearly answers what ‘pseudo-scientists’ refuse to acknowledge. Here is a link to a YouTube video titled Quickly Disprove Evolution as the Origin of Life.
How Old is the Earth and How Long Were the Days of Creation? Does the Bible allow for the creation of the universe and earth billions of years ago? Why do some believe they are no older than 6,000 years old? What is the gap theory? Where the days of creation in Genesis 1:3 through 2:3 24 hours long? Here is a link to a sermon: Genesis, ‘Prehistoric man,’ and the Gap theory. Here is a link to a related article in Spanish: ¿Cuán vieja es la Tierra? ¿Cuán largos fueron los Días de la Creación? ¿Teoría de la brecha?
Questions and Answers from Genesis Many wonder about certain early events that this article discusses.
The Bible Condemns Homosexuality “Same-sex marriage” for “gays” and lesbians is becoming more acceptable to many. What does the Bible teach about homosexuality?  Can homosexuals change? A related video sermon is titled What Does the Bible Really Teach about Homosexuality?
Making Your Marriage Work Marriage is not always easy, but it pictures a divine relationship. How can you make your marriage work? Here is a link to the video sermon: You Can Make YOUR Marriage Work.
Five Rules for Effective Parenting Do you know that there are five simple rules that can make you a more effective parent? Here is a link to a version in Mandarin Chinese 五条简单有效的子女养育规则. There is also a 12 1/2 minute English language YouTube video on this, also titled Five Rules for Effective Parenting.
What Psychologists do not Know About Child Rearing This is an article by Herbert Armstrong that was used as the introduction to the pdf booklet The Plain Truth About Child Rearing.
GMOs and Bible Prophecy What are GMOs? Since they were not in the food supply until 1994, how could they possibly relate to Bible prophecy? Do GMOs put the USA and others at risk? Here is a related YouTube video GMO Risks and the Bible.
Chimeras: Has Science Crossed the Line? What are chimeras?  Has science crossed the line? Does the Bible give any clues?
The Bible, Christians, and the Environment How should Christians view the environment? Does the Bible give any clues? What are some of the effects of air, water, and land pollution? Is environmental pollution a factor in autism and death? Do pollutants seem to double the autism risk? What will Jesus do? A YouTube video is available titled Air Pollution, Autism, and Prophecy.
Where Did God Come From? Any ideas? And how has God been able to exist? Who is God?
Building Character: Going on to Perfection Once you have accepted Jesus, do you need to strive for perfection and build character? A related video sermon is available: Going on to perfection and building character.
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught? For a more detailed discussion of the first four commandments, please see the video The Ten Commandments: Loving God. For a more detailed discussion of the last six commandments, please see: The Ten Commandments: Loving Your Neighbor. Here is a link to a related article in Mandarin Chinese 十条诫命显示爱，违反诫命的就是邪恶的
Where is the True Christian Church Today? This free online pdf booklet answers that question and includes 18 proofs, clues, and signs to identify the true vs. false Christian church. Plus 7 proofs, clues, and signs to help identify Laodicean churches. A related sermon is also available: Where is the True Christian Church? Here is a link to the booklet in the Spanish language: ¿Dónde está la verdadera Iglesia cristiana de hoy? Here is a link in the German language: WO IST DIE WAHRE CHRISTLICHE KIRCHE HEUTE? Here is a link in the French language: Où est la vraie Église Chrétienne aujourd’hui?
Continuing History of the Church of God This pdf booklet is a historical overview of the true Church of God and some of its main opponents from Acts 2 to the 21st century. Related sermon links include Continuing History of the Church of God: c. 31 to c. 300 A.D. and Continuing History of the Church of God: 4th-16th Centuries. The booklet is available in Spanish: Continuación de la Historia de la Iglesia de Dios, German: Kontinuierliche Geschichte der Kirche Gottes, and Ekegusii Omogano Bw’ekanisa Ya Nyasae Egendererete.
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally? There is also a video titled What is the meaning of your life?