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John Kerry meeting in Saudi Arabia, Sunday. (photo credit: US State Department)
US Secretary of State returning to Jerusalem with key support in pocket after meetings in Amman and Riyadh
Kerry spent Sunday jetting around the Middle East and attempting to shore up support for a US framework plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace, calling the endeavor a challenge that could still fall apart
Kerry, meeting in Saudi Arabia with King Abdullah, said Riyadh would back American efforts to reach a deal between the sides.
“I am grateful that the Arab League as a whole and Saudi Arabia individually will be significantly involved in helping build support for this effort,” Kerry said at the Riyadh airport prior to his departure. “Today his majesty was not just encouraging, but supported our efforts in the hopes that we can be successful in the days ahead.”
Kerry said after his meeting with the Saudi leader that Abdullah’s 2002 initiative “has been part of the framework that we’ve been piecing together — both in inspiration and substance.”
US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives at Ben Gurion airport on
Thursday, January 2, 2014. (AP Photo/Brendan Smialowski, Pool)
With Abbas saying he can’t accept Israel as a Jewish state ‘as a Palestinian, as a people, as the PLO,’ Erekat eyes ICC lawsuit as path to statehood
US Secretary of State John Kerry met on Friday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah for a talk that lasted several hours. On Saturday, Kerry was heading back for another round of talks with Abbas and his negotiating team, including chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat
On Friday, the London-based A-Sharq Al-Awsat paper published an interview with Erekat that made waves due to Erekat’s claim that Israel murdered Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and could do the same to Abbas. ”This is the conduct of the Israelis,” said Erekat. “Before they killed [Yasser] Arafat by poisoning there were also voices from the [Ariel] Sharon government saying that Arafat is an obstacle and that he must be gotten rid of.” Independent French, and later Russian forensic experts have ruled out the possibility that the late Palestinian leader was poisoned.
As a dangerous blast of arctic air engulfs cities from the northern Plains to the East Coast into Monday, snow will develop and rapidly pile up in the snow belts downwind of the Great Lakes.
A major lake-effect snow event will unfold through Tuesday as bitterly cold northwest winds move over the only partially frozen Great Lakes. According to NOAA, ice coverage throughout the Great Lakes is limited to mostly coastal locations and this lack of ice will lead to the development of blinding snow downwind of the lakes.
AccuWeather.com meteorologists are expecting that many locations to the east and southeast of the Great Lakes will end up with 1 to 2 feet of snow through Tuesday afternoon. It is possible that a few spots, especially in the Tug Hill Plateau in New York, could end up with as much as 3 feet of snow.
USA Today:
Bitter cold, big snow, slippery runways;
3000 flights cancelled, more than 5,300 had been delayed
Bitter cold, big snow, slippery runways;
3000 flights cancelled, more than 5,300 had been delayed
The National Weather Service said "dangerously cold temperatures" will slam the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest through the weekend, driving wind chill temperatures in some areas to below -60 degrees F.
The latest blast of bitter cold weather began sweeping across the nation Sunday, ushering in plunging temperatures and snow on the heels of another weather event that forced closure of New York's Kennedy International Airport after a jet slid off a runway.
Heavy snow was falling in Indianapolis, Detroit and St. Louis, which could see a foot or more, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines told USA TODAY. Chicago, where a Las Vegas-bound Spirit Airlines Airbus A319 with 141 passengers on board slid off a taxiway Saturday, also was being pounded.
Across the nation Sunday, almost 3,000 flights were canceled and more than 5,300 had been delayed, the website flightstats.com reported at 2 p.m. ET.
Zeev Rotstein, the director of Tel Hashomer hospital (AP)
The director of the Israeli hospital treating former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Sunday that the 85-year-old is fighting for his life and doctors are pessimistic about his prognosis.
Dr. Zeev Rotstein of the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, told reporters that doctors had managed to stabilize Sharon's circulatory system over the weekend. But Rotstein said there is no improvement in Sharon's kidney function or with other vital organs that have been slowly declining since last week.
After saying that Sharon was fighting like "a true lion," Rotstein said "Our general assessment is there is no way to overcome this crisis ... I am perhaps more pessimistic than I was before,'' according to Reuters.
The doctor called Sharon's condition critical and life-threatening and added that Sharon's two sons were at their father's bedside.
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Featured News  | ||
| Monday, Jan 06, 2014 01:47:28 AM EST Biblical Archaeology's Top Ten Discoveries of 2013 | Monday, Jan 06, 2014 01:21:22 AM EST Steinitz: Israel Rejects US Plans for the Jordan Valley | Monday, Jan 06, 2014 01:02:46 AM EST Pope announces planned May visit to Israel, West Bank, and Jordan |
| Monday, Jan 06, 2014 12:50:02 AM EST Liberman: Kerry proposals are the best Israel could hope for | Sunday, Jan 05, 2014 03:21:23 AM EST 'If We Withdraw from the Jordan Valley, Hamas Will Take Over' | Saturday, Jan 04, 2014 03:03:50 PM EST Abbas said to reject Kerry call to recognize Israel as Jewish state |
| Saturday, Jan 04, 2014 12:48:48 AM EST At halftime in peace talks, US mulls moving the goal posts | Friday, Jan 03, 2014 01:28:59 AM EST Sticking Point in Peace Talks: Recognition of a Jewish State | Friday, Jan 03, 2014 01:15:14 AM EST Hezbollah Moving Long Range Missiles From Syria to Lebanon |
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White House News | ||
| Monday, Jan 06, 2014 01:55:17 AM EST White House offers 'grand bargain' on tax cuts and infrastructure | Monday, Jan 06, 2014 12:57:26 AM EST Obama's deception on health care 'hurting the economy,' Romney says | Monday, Jan 06, 2014 12:54:11 AM EST Can Obama raise his job-approval ratings enough for a political recovery? |
| Monday, Jan 06, 2014 12:52:35 AM EST Obama returns to Washington from Hawaii | Sunday, Jan 05, 2014 02:38:13 AM EST Obama's birthday gift to wife: time alone in Hawaii | Saturday, Jan 04, 2014 01:17:04 AM EST Administration Rebuts Nuns in Obamacare Case |
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Inspired by God 
"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day." - E. M. Bounds
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| Friday, Aug 16, 2013 01:44:04 AM EDT January 6: Step-By-Step Grace - Streams in the Desert | Tuesday, Mar 05, 2013 02:57:42 AM EST January 6: Worship - Oswald Chambers | Tuesday, Mar 05, 2013 02:56:46 AM EST January 6: Getting Your Life Back on Course - Charles Stanley |
| Thursday, Mar 12, 2009 10:36:42 AM EDT A.W. Tozer's Daily Devotional | Thursday, Mar 12, 2009 10:35:45 AM EDT Charles Spurgeon's 'Morning and Evening' Daily Devotional | Thursday, Mar 12, 2009 10:34:26 AM EDT Daily Light 'Morning and Evening' Devotional - Jonathan Bagster |
| Friday, Aug 08, 2008 08:36:37 AM EDT Charles Stanley's Audio Messages | Sunday, Dec 09, 2007 08:35:44 AM EST McLean Bible's Internet Services - Pastor Lon Solomon: Services are "live" Sunday' at 9 am, 10:45 am, & 12:30 pm (Eastern-US), rebroadcast Monday at 2 pm (Eastern-US) | Wednesday, Jan 31, 2007 04:14:46 PM EST Pastor Lon Solomon, McLean Bible Church, McLean, Virginia - Sermons by Date, Series and Podcasts |
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RAPTURE READY NEWS PERSPECTIVE
6 Jan 14
06 Jan 14
Mysterious Flashes of Electricity Likely to Occur near Rifts: Study
As per the view of researchers, the rapid increase of tension at these almost vertical faults may cause electrical current to flow to the surface. This may also cause the strange lights to show up. The findings were published on January 2 in the current issue of the journal Seismological Research Letters. The outcomes were drawn by examining 65 documented cases of earthquake lights over the last 400 years.
As per the view of researchers, the rapid increase of tension at these almost vertical faults may cause electrical current to flow to the surface. This may also cause the strange lights to show up. The findings were published on January 2 in the current issue of the journal Seismological Research Letters. The outcomes were drawn by examining 65 documented cases of earthquake lights over the last 400 years.
Prophetic twist to Sharon's imminent death
With the death of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expected imminently, the chronicler of the life of Israel’s venerated Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri’s prophecies is much in demand by the media. Why? Because Kaduri, announced to his followers the long-awaited Messiah would not come until after the death of Sharon. He made the prediction two months before Sharon, still acting as prime minister, had a major stroke in 2006 that has left him in a coma ever since. The Kaduri prophecy did not name a specific time or date in which Messiah would be revealed — only that it would not happen until after Sharon had died.
With the death of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expected imminently, the chronicler of the life of Israel’s venerated Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri’s prophecies is much in demand by the media. Why? Because Kaduri, announced to his followers the long-awaited Messiah would not come until after the death of Sharon. He made the prediction two months before Sharon, still acting as prime minister, had a major stroke in 2006 that has left him in a coma ever since. The Kaduri prophecy did not name a specific time or date in which Messiah would be revealed — only that it would not happen until after Sharon had died.
FLARES LIKELY TODAY
NOAA forecasters estimate a 75% chance of M-class flares and a 30% chance of X-flares on Jan. 6th. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is heading for Earth. The cloud raced away from the sun during the late hours of Jan 4th following a long-duration M4-class solar flare from big sunspot AR1944. The assymetric CME is expected to deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 7th.
NOAA forecasters estimate a 75% chance of M-class flares and a 30% chance of X-flares on Jan. 6th. A coronal mass ejection (CME) is heading for Earth. The cloud raced away from the sun during the late hours of Jan 4th following a long-duration M4-class solar flare from big sunspot AR1944. The assymetric CME is expected to deliver a glancing blow to Earth's magnetic field on Jan. 7th.
Afghanistan girl, 8, wearing suicide vest detained
An eight-year-old Afghan girl wearing a suicide vest has been detained by police in southern Afghanistan. She was held on Sunday night in Helmand province, as she tried to carry out an attack against border police wearing a suicide jacket, a spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry told the BBC. The girl, thought to be the sister of a prominent Taliban commander, is said to be in a state of shock and confusion.
An eight-year-old Afghan girl wearing a suicide vest has been detained by police in southern Afghanistan. She was held on Sunday night in Helmand province, as she tried to carry out an attack against border police wearing a suicide jacket, a spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry told the BBC. The girl, thought to be the sister of a prominent Taliban commander, is said to be in a state of shock and confusion.
UK storms: Giant waves hit amid fresh flooding fears
Huge waves are beginning to batter the southern coast of the UK, as forecasters warn exposed areas could see a fresh round of flooding. Waves of up to 27ft (8m) have been recorded off Land's End, Cornwall. In Aberystwyth, seafront student flats have been evacuated, and across the UK dozens of flood warnings - including one severe - remain in place.
Huge waves are beginning to batter the southern coast of the UK, as forecasters warn exposed areas could see a fresh round of flooding. Waves of up to 27ft (8m) have been recorded off Land's End, Cornwall. In Aberystwyth, seafront student flats have been evacuated, and across the UK dozens of flood warnings - including one severe - remain in place.
N America weather: Polar vortex brings record temperatures
Parts of the US are braced for potentially record-breaking low temperatures as a "polar vortex" brings more freezing weather. A winter storm has already blanketed areas of Canada and the north-eastern US with up to 2ft (60 cm) of snow. It has been blamed for 16 deaths in recent days and the cancellation of some 3,700 flights over the weekend.
Parts of the US are braced for potentially record-breaking low temperatures as a "polar vortex" brings more freezing weather. A winter storm has already blanketed areas of Canada and the north-eastern US with up to 2ft (60 cm) of snow. It has been blamed for 16 deaths in recent days and the cancellation of some 3,700 flights over the weekend.
Kerry seeks support for peace process from Saudi, Arab League
Saudi Arabia and the Arab League will be involved in building support for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, US Secretary of State John Kerry said before leaving Riyadh and returning to Jerusalem Sunday night. ...Al-Ahmed revealed that Kerry proposed to the Palestinians the idea of a “greater Jerusalem” as a capital for two states.
Saudi Arabia and the Arab League will be involved in building support for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, US Secretary of State John Kerry said before leaving Riyadh and returning to Jerusalem Sunday night. ...Al-Ahmed revealed that Kerry proposed to the Palestinians the idea of a “greater Jerusalem” as a capital for two states.
New York State Is Set to Loosen Marijuana Laws
Joining a growing group of states that have loosened restrictions on marijuana, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York plans this week to announce an executive action that would allow limited use of the drug by those with serious illnesses, state officials say.
Joining a growing group of states that have loosened restrictions on marijuana, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York plans this week to announce an executive action that would allow limited use of the drug by those with serious illnesses, state officials say.
Risk of supervolcano eruption big enough to 'affect the world' far greater than thought, say scientists
The eruption of a “supervolcano” hundreds of times more powerful than conventional volcanoes – with the potential to wipe out civilisation as we know it – is more likely than previously thought, a study has found. An analysis of the molten rock within the dormant supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park in the United States has revealed that an eruption is possible without any external trigger, scientists said.
The eruption of a “supervolcano” hundreds of times more powerful than conventional volcanoes – with the potential to wipe out civilisation as we know it – is more likely than previously thought, a study has found. An analysis of the molten rock within the dormant supervolcano beneath Yellowstone National Park in the United States has revealed that an eruption is possible without any external trigger, scientists said.
India judge says pre-marital sex 'against religion'
Judge Virender Bhat made the remarks after ruling that sex between two adults on the promise of marriage did not amount to rape. Pre-marital sex remains a cultural taboo in India. Last year, a court in Delhi said live-in relationships were immoral and an "infamous product of Western culture".
Judge Virender Bhat made the remarks after ruling that sex between two adults on the promise of marriage did not amount to rape. Pre-marital sex remains a cultural taboo in India. Last year, a court in Delhi said live-in relationships were immoral and an "infamous product of Western culture".
Automotive Black Box Mandatory by September 1, 2014
You’ve probably heard about the forthcoming automotive black boxes. These “automotive data recorders” are able to let government and insurance personnel determine the conditions leading up to an accident. Whether you like this idea or not, pretty soon, it’s going to be mandatory in all cars. As of September 1, 2014, 100 percent of new cars and trucks will be required to be equipped with this feature.
You’ve probably heard about the forthcoming automotive black boxes. These “automotive data recorders” are able to let government and insurance personnel determine the conditions leading up to an accident. Whether you like this idea or not, pretty soon, it’s going to be mandatory in all cars. As of September 1, 2014, 100 percent of new cars and trucks will be required to be equipped with this feature.
RAPTURE READY Nearing midnight PERSPECTIVE
Jan 6, 2013
Trouble Brewing in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 60 miles west of the border between Morocco and Western Sahara. There are 7 main islands in the chain with tall volcanoes and steep canyons. The Canary Islands have long been a major tourist destination with over 12 million visitors per year.Trouble Brewing in the Canary Islands
Geological properties that make the Canary Islands popular with tourists also make them some of the most dangerous islands on the planet. Because these islands are made out of brittle basaltic lava and subject to collapse, they have the potential to generate very large landslides. Geologists have found evidence of at least 14 large landslides, which have occurred on the banks of the Canary Islands. Two of the islands are particularly prone to this type of event.
El Hierro is the smallest and most volcanically active island of the Canary Islands. It is where the most recent landslide occurred—the El Golfo. It involved the collapse of the northern flank of the island. The landslide formed the El Golfo valley and created a debris avalanche with a volume of 111 cubic miles.
La Palma doesn’t see as many earthquakes as El Hierro, but it has a feature that warrants watching. Following a volcanic eruption in 1949 nearly half of the island’s southern flank, moved westward by several feet. It now has a crack that runs 2.5 miles in the volcanic basalt. This sword of Damocles is waiting for the next seismic event to send it crashing into the sea.
Energy released by such a large-volume landslide would create a mega-tsunami. Within minutes the coast of Africa would be hit by a deluge of water over 330 feet high. The city of Casablanca, Morocco would be wiped off the map, and almost the entire population of Western Sahara would be swallowed up by the Atlantic Ocean.
Europe would be impacted within a couple of hours. Cities in Spain and Portugal would see wave heights reaching 120 feet. After four hours it would reach Britain sending water up the Thames River and flooding London with 20 feet of water. The low lying countries of the Netherlands and Belgium would see vast tracks of land swallowed up by the seismic waves.
The tsunami would lose much of its energy as it crossed the Atlantic ocean, but it would still generate a tsunami 80 feet high as it hit the U.S. coast. Only the tallest and sturdiest buildings in cities like New York, Washington and Boston would offer protection from the surge of water. To give you an idea of the power that the people on the American coast would have to deal with, during a previous mega-tsunami, boulders the size of houses were ripped from the shore and carried several hundred feet inland.
South America would also be devastated. The northern shore of Brazil sticks out directly facing the Canary Islands, and it would experience wave heights of 140 feet.
There is no historic disaster to compare to a Canary Island tsunami. The most deadly tsunami was the one that struck the coast of Indonesia in 2004, killing 240,000 people. A repeat of El Golfo would be 30 times bigger, resulting in a death toll of tens of millions.
Any one sounding the alarm bell over the chance of a mega tsunami needs to contend with the fact these events take place over large time scales—but recent events make the warning necessary. In the past few weeks, there have been a string of earthquakes around the island of El Hierro. On December 27th, El Hierro saw its largest earthquake ever—a 5.4 magnitude trembler that struck off the coast at a depth of about ten miles. In the week that followed, over 500 earthquakes rattled the island.
There has been little coverage of the earthquake activity by the mainstream media. I’m sure it’s because the consequences are so horrible that ignorance is bliss. For someone living in Florida, which has an elevation of 14 feet above sea level, there is not much a southern resident of that state could do if they knew an 80 foot wall of water was headed their way at 500 mph.
There is a positive side to the fact the world faces mega tsunamis and other disasters of equal intensity. Jesus said He would come back to save his church from what will be the darkest hour for mankind. The tremors in El Hierro may be one more warning sign to: Get Ready.
“And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:8-11, 25-28).
--Todd
Global Warming Guffaws
In thinking on former Vice President Al Gore’s travels in his carbon footprint-spreading private jet while he preaches the globalist gospel that has at its center "global warming," it is impossible not to enjoy a good guffaw at his and the climate-change Charlies as the temperatures invariably fall, as does freezing precipitation wherever and whenever they hold their meetings.I’m sorry to invoke schadenfreude here, but when one writes on topics as serious as ours usually are in these commentaries, one must take one’s laughs when one can--especially when they are handed to one on a silver platter…well…a white platter, perhaps is more to the point. Such a time of enjoyment over the misfortune of a group of Mr. Gore’s fellow ideological travelers presented itself in recent days.
A shipload of "researchers" has made its way into the summertime of the Antarctic. Strangely, mainstream news sources as of this writing have not explained the purpose or mission of these mateys as they neared their destination. I suppose it is cynical to hazard a guess as to why the mainstream media hasn’t reported the purpose of the mission, but the reason for the laxity of forthcoming journalistic honesty becomes obvious as the global warming hunters became landlocked–well—ice-locked, to be exact.
It seems that, like Mr. Gore, his ideological kinsmen–and kinswomen—don’t have a lot of luck in finding the elusive global warming they seek.
Could it be a curse cast by Mother Earth for their attempting to become too familiar with her intimate weather cycle doings? Mr. Gore certainly seems to have stirred some sort of irate behavior by the goddess he and his fellow environmental elitists so doggedly revere. Or, could it just be that global warming is a phony-baloney pursuit to extract from the rest of us confiscatory carbon emissions taxes to fund the one-world order they seek to build and rule over?
Hmmm...ya think?
At any rate, the following excerpted story is a hoot, in my estimation. You might have heard about it a number of times, but it is simply too delicious to not repeat here.
Somewhere far, far to the south where it is summer, a group of global warming scientists are trapped in the Antarctic ice. If you missed the irony of that situation, it is because much of the mainstream media has glossed over that rather inconvenient bit of hilarity. As an example here is an Associated Press story that avoids mentioning the real mission of the scientists aboard the icebound Russian ship:
The Snow Dragon icebreaker came within 7 miles (11 kilometers) of the Russian ship MV Akademik Shokalskiy, which has been stuck since Christmas Eve, but had to retreat after the ice became too thick, said expedition spokesman Alvin Stone. The Akademik Shokalskiy, which has been on a research expedition to Antarctica, got stuck Tuesday after a blizzard's whipping winds pushed the sea ice around the ship, freezing it in place. The ship wasn't in danger of sinking, and there are weeks' worth of supplies for the 74 scientists, tourists and crew on board, but the vessel cannot move… The scientific team on board the research ship — which left New Zealand on Nov. 28 — had been recreating Australian explorer Douglas Mawson's century-old voyage to Antarctica when it became trapped…
Um, there is a bit more to the expedition than merely following in the footsteps of a century-old voyage. But what that mission really is, AP won't say. If AP is vague about the mission's purpose, Reuters provides even less information… The expedition is being led by Chris Turney, “climate scientist”, who has “set up a carbon refining company called Carbonscape which has developed technology to fix carbon from the atmosphere and make a host of green bi-products, helping reduce greenhouse gas levels.” The purpose of the expedition is “to discover and communicate the environmental changes taking place in the south.” It seems they found out what the “environmental changes taking place in the south are.” ("MSM Glosses Over Irony of Global Warming Scientists Trapped in Antarctic Ice," NewsBusters, 12/30/13)
Ah, so now we see the mainstream media's reluctance to flat out state why the scientists are in the Antarctic. Anything to avoid an inconvenient (but accurate) headline like this:
GLOBAL WARMING SCIENTISTS TRAPPED IN ANTARCTIC ICE
They are reported to have plenty of heat, food, and lots of snow from which to make water, and the ship isn't in any danger of being squashed, apparently. Plus, a Russian icebreaker, which is also stuck as of this writing, and yet another icebreaker are on the way to free the global warming research vessel from the fifteen-foot-thick ice pack. In an update on Friday, January 3, I see the global warmists have been rescued by several carbon emission-gushing helicopters and icebreakers (yet another of one which also got stuck in the growing ice). The global warming "scientists" seem happily on their way to less hostile environs. So no harm done with the schadenfreude.-- Terry
Prophecy UPDATE PERSPECTIVE
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Palestinian red lines make chances of US-mediated settlement slim - By Avi Issacharoff - http://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-red-lines-make-chances-of-us-mediated-settlement-slim/
With Abbas saying he can't accept Israel as a Jewish state 'as a Palestinian, as a people, as the PLO,' Erekat eyes ICC lawsuit as path to statehood
US Secretary of State John Kerry met on Friday with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah for a talk that lasted several hours. On Saturday, Kerry was heading back for another round of talks with Abbas and his negotiating team, including chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.
On Friday, the London-based A-Sharq Al-Awsat paper published an interview with Erekat that made waves due to Erekat's claim that Israel murdered Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and could do the same to Abbas. "This is the conduct of the Israelis," said Erekat. "Before they killed [Yasser] Arafat by poisoning there were also voices from the [Ariel] Sharon government saying that Arafat is an obstacle and that he must be gotten rid of." Independent French, and later Russian forensic experts have ruled out the possibility that the late Palestinian leader was poisoned.
The other comments made by Erekat in his interview - the ones about the ongoing negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians - were downplayed. But they are actually very important: Erekat's statements demonstrate just how wide the gulf between the two sides is, and suggest that Washington's chances of reaching a framework agreement are slim, perhaps even very slim.
First of all, Erekat stressed in the interview that the Palestinians will not agree to have talks extended beyond the allotted nine months, set to end in April. "Even a one-minute extension is impossible," he was quoted as saying.
"Unlike what others say, the negotiations will be nine months long. The objective is to reach an agreement on all issues pertaining to a final-status deal. And according to the wording of the agreement with Kerry, there will be no transitional or interim agreements," Erekat said.
Kerry made his way back to the region Thursday for another series of talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. This time, he was expected to present both sides with a framework deal touching on all core issues. But with April approaching fast and time running out, Erekat's words reflect a growing impatience within the Palestinian Authority with what they see as Israeli attempts to prolong negotiations.
"The US administration understands that the talks can't go on for nine months, and so it is trying to cut them short in order to safeguard the peace process and preempt the extension of negotiations," Erekat said.
He added, however, that Israel was trying to thwart the peace process - and US efforts - in "every way," with the latest example being an Israeli bill to annex the Jordan Valley, which passed a key ministerial committee last week.
Claiming that the last face-to-face talks with Israel's negotiating team took place way back on November 5, Erekat presented a list of Israeli moves and "crimes" that he said undermined the peace process and led him to resign from the position of chief negotiator - a resignation that seems not to have taken effect.
Erekat said that since then, there have been no direct talks, only separate meetings between US officials and their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts. Even these efforts did not bear fruit, he said, as Washington has yet to present the two sides with an official offer.
The top negotiator then revealed the contents of a letter Abbas had sent US President Barack Obama following a particularly fraught Abbas-Kerry meeting on December 8.
"In that letter, the president made clear what he would not be able to accept as a Palestinian, as a people, as the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). Firstly, we will not be able to accept Israel as a Jewish state," Abbas wrote, according to Erekat.
"Secondly, we will not be able to accept a Palestinian state with 1967 borders without Jerusalem. Thirdly, we will not be able to accept any Israeli on Palestinian land, sea, air and border crossings following the completion of the gradual withdrawal."
A fourth precondition reportedly set by Abbas was the instatement of the so-called "right of return" for potentially millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants to Israel.
"I will not be able to accept any solution that does not grant the refugees their right to the possibility to return and be compensated as per UN Resolution 194, as well as one that does not allow for the release of prisoners," Abbas reportedly wrote.
Erekat said Abbas presented these preconditions to the Arab League, which transferred them to UN Security Council member states. This is in keeping with Erekat's preferred strategy for achieving Palestinian statehood - appealing to the European Union to recognize the Palestinian state while appealing to various international bodies to sign treaties and protocols that would enable the Palestinian Authority to file a suit against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
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'Hezbollah smuggles advanced missile systems piece by piece' - http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=14503
According to a Wall Street Journal report, some components of a powerful anti-ship missile system have already been moved into Lebanon * Hezbollah's smuggling techniques are "pretty damn good," senior U.S. official says, "and they are patient."
U.S. officials believe that Hezbollah is smuggling advanced guided-missile systems into Lebanon from Syria piece by piece to evade detection and interception by Israel and its air force, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Some components of the powerful Russian-made anti-ship missile system have already been moved to Lebanon, according to previously undisclosed intelligence, while other systems that could target Israeli aircraft, ships and bases are being stored in expanded weapons depots under Hezbollah control in Syria, current and former U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.
Such guided weapons would be a major step up from the "dumb" rockets and missiles Hezbollah currently has at its disposal, and could sharply increase the group's ability to deter Israel in any potential new battle, officials said.
Hezbollah's smuggling activities appear to serve two purposes.
First, Iran wants to upgrade Hezbollah's arsenal to deter future Israeli strikes against either Lebanon or Iran's nuclear program, U.S. and Israeli officials told The Wall Street Journal. These officials also said they believed the transfers were meant to force Hezbollah to commit to protecting Syrian President Bashar Assad.
According to the Wall Street Journal report, U.S. and Israeli officials say previous air strikes, which according to foreign reports were attributed to Israel, have stopped shipments of Russian-made ground-to-air SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles and ground-to-ground Fateh-110 rockets to Hezbollah sites inside Lebanon. However, as many as 12 anti-ship systems may now be in Hezbollah's possession inside Syria, according to U.S. officials briefed on the intelligence. Israel reportedly targeted those Russian-made systems in July and again in October with mixed results, according to U.S. damage assessments.
The U.S., The Wall Street Journal reported, believes Hezbollah has smuggled at least some components from those systems into Lebanon within the past year, including supersonic Yakhont rockets, but that it doesn't yet have all the required parts. "To make it lethal, a system needs to be complete," a senior defense official told The Wall Street Journal.
Current and former U.S. officials have told The Wall Street Journal that Iran's elite Quds Force has been directly overseeing the shipments to Hezbollah warehouses in Syria. These officials say some of the guided missiles would allow Hezbollah to defend its strongholds in Lebanon, including Beirut, and attack Israeli jets and targets on the ground from territory in Syria controlled by Assad.
Since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, Israel has reportedly ramped up an surveillance network tracking Hezbollah, Iranian and Syrian regime figures to detect arms shipments, officials told The Wall Street Journal.
Israeli officials said that in late 2012 Iran upgraded Hezbollah's arsenal with advanced guided-missile systems. From Tehran's perspective, Hezbollah's rockets are their first line of defense against an Israeli strike.
Current and former U.S. officials said the Assad regime also saw the weapons transfers as a way to solidify its relationship with Hezbollah, whose fighters it relies on to stay in power.
Senior Israeli Air Force generals, according to The Wall Street Journal, pushed for action to block the transfers, Israelis familiar with the security deliberations said.
To take out these systems without crossing into Syrian airspace, commanders directed Israeli pilots to perform what is known as a "lofting" maneuver designed to extend how far their bombs can travel, U.S. officials briefed on the operations told The Wall Street Journal.
The pilots, with a burst of speed and altitude, reportedly fling their GPS-guided bombs from ejector racks in a sweeping arc into Syria. In each case, the targets would have to be stationary, the officials said.
The first alleged strike, on Jan. 30, targeted a shipment of Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles, U.S. officials said.
In early May, Israel reportedly tracked a plane they believed was carrying advanced Fateh-110 rockets from Iran to the Damascus International Airport, according to the U.S. officials briefed on the operations. Israel hit the shipment on May 2 from Lebanese air space, the U.S. officials said.
According to The Wall Street Journal, that same month Israeli and U.S. intelligence agencies began to track the anti-ship systems, whose Yakhont missiles can target warships with precision over the horizon.
On July 5, Israel allegedly targeted some of the Yakhonts at a Syrian base near the coastal city of Latakia. Afterward, The Wall Street Journal reports, Israeli and U.S. spy satellites saw something unexpected: Syrian ground forces destroyed military equipment at the bombing site to try to trick Israel into believing it had successfully taken out the launchers, officials briefed on the intelligence say.
A U.S. damage assessment concluded that the Yakhont missiles and launchers appeared to have been moved out of the line of fire. On Oct. 30 Israel targeted them again, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal.
Israeli officials have reportedly told U.S. counterparts that the strikes damaged some Yakhont components, while others remained in warehouses in Syria.
"We don't think they have all the components in Lebanon to have a complete system," a senior U.S. defense official told The Wall Street Journal.
U.S. officials, however, said they don't know the fate of all of the systems and are concerned Hezbollah will smuggle more components into Lebanon. U.S. defense officials also said they believe Hezbollah has tried to throw off Israel's high-tech hunt by switching on and off communications and power networks along the border.
"Hezbollah is pretty damn good," a senior U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal. "And they are patient."
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Why Hezbollah's New Missiles Are a Problem for Israel - J. Dana Stuster - http://blog.foreignpolicy.com
Range of anti-ship cruise weapon would extend across most of Jewish state
Israeli defense officials have eyed the nearly three-year Syrian civil war warily, concerned that a faltering Assad regime may try to offload some of its advanced weaponry to its Hezbollah allies in Lebanon rather than let it fall into the hands of rebel forces. Today, the Wall Street Journal reported that, despite Israeli efforts to prevent Syrian weapons transfers to Lebanon, U.S. officials believe that Syrian forces have managed to smuggle advanced guided missiles to its Lebanese allies.
The new weapon in Hezbollah's arsenal keeping Israeli officials up at night, according to the Wall Street Journal, is a set of Russian Yakhont anti-ship cruise missiles. Russia delivered 72 Yakhont missiles to Syria in December 2011, along with 18 mobile launch vehicles designed to be stationed along the coast, and Syrian state news televised the Syrian Navy test-firing the missiles. Moscow then followed up in May 2013 with an additional shipment of even more advanced, more accurate, radar-equipped Yakhont missiles. They have a range of about 180 miles, fly close to the sea at Mach 2 to evade radar, and are usually armed with an armor-piercing or high-explosive warhead.
Syria's arsenal of Yakhont missiles has raised anxieties in the Israeli Navy since the purchase from Russia. Israeli warships actually began testing the Barak 8 missile defense system in 2011, prior to Russia's delivery of the weapons, specifically to defend against advanced anti-ship missiles like the Yakhont. Israel has been acutely concerned about the Yakhont missiles falling into the hands of Hezbollah, which has an established history of firing rockets across the border into Israel. Mostly these have been unguided rockets, like the short-range Katyushas and Iranian-made Fajr rockets that Hezbollah used in its 2006 conflict with Israel. The Yakhont missiles, though more suited to firing on vessels at sea than land-bound targets, would be a marked upgrade in the range and accuracy of Hezbollah's arsenal. Placed near the Israeli northern border with Lebanon, the missiles' range would extend nearly all the way across the country, past Gaza to the Sinai Peninsula. But beyond range, it's the radar guidance that has IDF planners worried.
Which is why Israel has gone to great lengths to avoid them falling into the wrong hands. In 2013, Israel is believed to have conducted at least five airstrikes against Syrian weapons stockpiles that intelligence officials believed might be transferred to Hezbollah. Reports at the time suggested some of these attacks were targeting chemical weapons supplies, but the Wall Stree Journal reported today that the strikes targeted Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles, Iranian-made rockets, and in July and October, Syria's Yakhont missile arsenal.
According to U.S. officials, that didn't do the job, and Syrian smugglers have passed the Yakhont missiles to their Hezbollah allies, component by component -- as many as 12 missiles may now be in Lebanon. But they're not operational, yet; the report suggests that Hezbollah does not have the means to launch the missiles.
The United States has warned Russia from time to time about its delivery of new weapons to Syria as the civil war has dragged on. Russia has consistently replied that they are fulfilling deals inked years ago -- the arrangement for Syria to purchase the Yakhont missiles, as part of the larger Bastion coastal missile system, was signed in 2007. But, as U.S. officials have warned for months, the transfer of those missiles to Hezbollah constitutes a violation of the deal's "end user agreement," which stipulated that the weapons could not be given to any other country or group. If the intelligence that Syria has managed to smuggle 12 guided missiles into Lebanon is accurate, the Assad regime is now pretty flagrantly in violation of that agreement -- but it's unclear if there will be any immediate consequences for that.
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Prophetic twist to Sharon's imminent death -http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/prophetic-twist-to-sharons-imminent-death/
Israel's venerated Rabbi Kaduri predicted Messiah to come after his passing
With the death of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expected imminently, the chronicler of the life of Israel's venerated Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri's prophecies is much in demand by the media.
Why?
Because Kaduri, subject of a new book and movie, both titled "The Rabbi Who Found Messiah," announced to his followers the long-awaited Messiah would not come until after the death of Sharon. He made the prediction two months before Sharon, still acting as prime minister, had a major stroke in 2006 that has left him in a coma ever since.
Sharon's family is at his bedside, and he may be pulled from life-support systems at any time. His medical condition has deteriorated following kidney surgery that backfired.
Dr. Zeev Rotstein, director of the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv, said Sunday Sharon's condition is critical and life-threatening, according to an Associated Press report.
Sharon's condition has been on the decline since being hospitalized for renal failure.
Sharon, 85, served as Israel's prime minister from 2001 to 2006 when he became incapacitated. During his tenure, he initiated a disengagement plan, during which thousands of Jews were deported from Gaza and northern Samaria - turning the once-fertile region over to Hamas-control.
Sharon suffered a serious stroke on January 4, 2006, and has been comatose since.
In January 2013, Israeli specialists reported Sharon had showed "significant brain activity" in an MRI scan, responding to pictures of his family seven years after the stroke.
Sharon's death is of interest to mystics in Israel as well as prophecy buffs around the world because of the prediction byKaduri. Carl Gallups authored the book "The Rabbi Who Found Messiah" and inspired a movie on the subject of the same name in late 2013.
In 2007, Kaduri, the most famous rabbi in Israel's modern history, at 108 years old, left a cryptic death note revealing the name of the long-awaited Messiah. Within a year after the rabbi's death, the note was reported to have been verified as authentic by some of Kaduri's closest followers and then placed on Kaduri's own website.
The purported Kaduri message proclaimed that Messiah's name was Yehoshua, or Jesus.
It shocked the religious world.
Shortly thereafter the furor began. The note immediately disappeared from Kaduri's website. The media refused to report further on the matter.
The Kaduri family, and several others close to the Kaduri ministry, began to claim that the note was a forgery or a mere fabrication - a cruel joke.
Gallups, an American pastor and former police officer, used his detective skills to piece the mystery together in "The Rabbi Who Found Messiah: The Story of Yitzhak Kaduri and His Prophecies of the Endtime," a book and movie combination that has reignited the controversy surrounding his prediction about the Messiah and Sharon.
Chuck Missler, founder of Koinonia House ministry, says that in the book, Gallups "explodes one of the biggest bombshells of our lifetime. The implications of these astonishing declarations from the most venerated ultra-orthodox rabbi in Israel impacts every one of us - not just those of the traditional Jewish faith. This is a must-read for anyone who takes God seriously."
"The only prophetic utterance of Kaduri concerning Ariel Sharon was that Messiah, would not appear until Ariel Sharon had died," said Gallups. "Within a little over two months after speaking these prophetic words Sharon was in a coma and Kaduri himself died."
The Kaduri prophecy did not name a specific time or date in which Messiah would be revealed - only that it would not happen until after Sharon had died.
"Many who have examined Kaduri's prophecy have interpreted the urgent feel of it to mean that Messiah might appear very shortly after Sharon's death," said Gallups. "This sense of urgency was strengthened by the fact that for several years prior to his death, Kaduri made several pronouncements of Messiah's imminent return."
Both the book and the movie look at Kaduri's many prophecies objectively - neither affirming nor denying their accuracy or authenticity. The book and the movie simply examine his remarkable story about the popular rabbi and his shocking messianic prophecy from a journalistic and biblical point of view.
Since Sharon's condition took a turn for the worse around the New Year, Gallups has been in huge demand by the media - particularly the Christian media.
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On Junky Cars & Middle East Peace - Alf Cengia -http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=7744
I recall some two years or so ago writing an end of year column and noting the almost universal expectations for a Palestinian state, and subsequent peace in the Middle East in the coming year. That all went well, didn't it?
And here am I again at the beginning of a New Year saying I told you so, cynic that I am!
There are those who insinuate there will be peace in the Middle East when Israel returns Palestinian land it stole, or after Israel allows a Palestinian State (as if it ever stood in the way), or after it brings down the checkpoint walls around Bethlehem. This mantra has been repeated so often by "presumably" reliable sources, that it has embedded itself in the minds of many.
They remind me of one or two Used Car Salesmen I met in Australia many years ago. They didn't wear those infamous check suits and loud ties (not that there's anything wrong with that) as they're often portrayed doing. But they probably should have. They were selling junks on wheels, yet they could spin a rusted car into a highly sought after classic.
They'd inform you that you were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. It often worked. I fell for it, as did some of my friends. When you want something desperately enough, you sometimes close your eyes to the cold truth that the object of your admiration is a dud.
It was only after one ignored the sales shtick and took a cold objective look at the car that one noted rust had nearly eaten clear through some of the panels that weren't actually bogged up. If the car looked too clean underneath, it likely meant there had been an excessive oil leak. Of course, the remarkably low mileage on the speedometer should have been a dead giveaway to the less gullible; while another trick was to put sawdust in the transmission.
Likewise, don't believe the anti-Israel gossip mongers. They're also selling junk, and people keep swallowing the same lines.
In the lead up to Christmas 2013, the English St James Church decided to put Matthew 5:9 into practice by conducting a publicity campaign on the "wall around Bethlehem", consequently demonizing Israel. In fact it took them eight months to plan that Christmas event. That's dedication for you! This is an early peek into the anti-Israel antics of the upcoming Christ at the Checkpoint Conference in early 2014.
Yet, as Melanie Phillips points out, the wall doesn't surround Bethlehem. Its erection had nothing to do with racism, nor was it designed to incur any hardship on Palestinians. It was simply for protection. Phillips correctly notes:
"It [the wall] has been constructed not to oppress Palestinians but solely to prevent Israelis from being murdered by Arabs."
Left wing Ha'aretz journalist Ari Shavit (unsurprisingly) is another purveyor of Israeli culpability. His book My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel is a New York Times best seller. One of Shavit's grievances is that Israel keeps committing sins like stealing West Bank land. People read Shavit's book and his Jewish identity lends credibility to the myth that Israel is justly suffering because of its own "sins."
In a soberly critical review of Shavit's book, Ruth Wisse observes:
"...according to Shavit himself, his fears arise less from what Arab and Muslim leaders intend to do to Israel than from what Israel has done to them." (Emphasis mine)
I wonder what history Shavit has been sourcing. Would you buy a used car from him?
Even if we had a unified Palestinian State, Arab leaders have made it clear from the outset that they refuse to recognize a Jewish State. Didn't they move quickly to eradicate Israel even before it could even accumulate that multitude of sins? And didn't Arafat reject the Camp David offer?
In another look at Shavit's book, David Hornik writes:
"And there is the fact that, amid the horrific bloodletting in Syria and Iraq, the strife and brutality in Egypt, Lebanon, and Yemen, the savage persecution of Christians throughout the region, the poverty and corruption, one can fairly ask whether Israel-or anyone-has a moral obligation to create another Arab state; one, as Shavit acknowledges, capable of "endangering Israel's security" to put it mildly."
The Middle East is somewhat like a slowly sinking ship devastated by an increasing number of holes in its hull. These problems are symptomatic of Islamism and complex conflicts within those nations. They cannot be attributed to Israel and cannot be fixed by Israel's extinction. Yet the only thing Israel's neighbors unanimously agree on is Israel's extinction.
Speaking of holes, Morsi conquered Egypt and abruptly fell. Likewise, the Muslim Brotherhood has fallen into hard times, and yet Egypt's problems continue. Turkey was once seen as a possible unifying leader. Yet Erdogan is now facing a failing economy, while his government is in danger of imploding. As David Goldman notes, "Turkey is falling apart."
The person to keep a close watch on in 2014 is Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin is a man of action with a vision for Russia's re-emergence as a world power. The realization of that vision is dependant on Russia's economic relationship with countries in that region. Don't rely on him to compromise Russia's advantage in the region by overly pressuring Syria or Iran. He is now also courting Egypt. This comes at a time when the United States has threatened to cut funding to Egypt!
Joel Rosenberg puts it succinctly:
"Vladimir Putin sees himself not so much as Russia's president but as an old-time Czar for the modern age. All knowing. All powerful. Unchecked power. Determined to expand his territory and grow his power and personal wealth. This is what makes him so dangerous."
Watch closely any developments in Israel's gas explorations. How might Putin and Israel's neighbors engage a future energy independent Israel? Also, keep a watchful eye on Temple Mount news. There appears to be an ever growing interest by Jews in that site.
Arutz Sheva noted in October 2012:
"Bayit Yehudi advances monumental new bill to ensure regular prayer hours for Jews on the Temple Mount; first since 1967."
Yet any successful bill will be met with strong resistance by all Muslims. They regard Jewish presence as defiling their holy site. How might this all play out if (and when) the interest in the Temple Mount gains momentum?
We will not see peace in the Middle East in 2014. There will be more of the same and perhaps even some more unpleasant surprises.
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Onward Christian Soldiers - By Dale V. Nobbman -http://www.raptureready.com/soap/nobbman27.html
As we begin yet another new year, it is a great time for every Christian to once again report for active duty in God's service as "a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 2:3). However, the length of active service needs to be, at the very minimum, a year-long commitment and not just another one of those New Year resolutions, which fall by the wayside after just a few days.
The year 2014 will be another year when Christianity and American liberties will be relentlessly and increasingly attacked by Satan's earthly and demonic forces. This New Year will also be a very important election year when Americans, especially Christian Americans, will have the opportunity to positively affect the governmental leadership and course of our country over the next two years.
At this critical point in the direction and life of our nation, Christians cannot afford to remain silent societal bystanders, and church members cannot remain inactive benchwarmers. God does not need reservist in our escalating battle against evil. All Christians need to become active this year, not only at the voting booths in May and November, but in every aspect of daily life in America.
The Bible tells us that people cannot serve two masters, because we will either take a stand with and for Jesus Christ, or else we will have chosen directly or indirectly to serve the cause of Satan. There is no middle ground! The Word of God as found in the Bible draws a line in the sand, so to speak, between the only two possible masters in your life. So, which side of the line are you on? If you are on the side of Jesus Christ, then you should want to be "a good soldier of Jesus Christ."
Sabine Baring-Gould wrote the words to his hymn titled, "Onward, Christian Soldiers" toward the end of the American Civil War. The first verse and refrain are as follows:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus, going on before. Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe: forward into battle, see His banners go! Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus, going on before.
Baring-Gould was not calling for Christians to grab their guns and physically confront the enemy on a battlefield. On the contrary, he had spiritual warfare in mind, as described in Ephesians 6 of the New Testament, and in the biblical second letter of Paul to Timothy.
The famous hymn writer, Charles Wesley, also had Ephesians 6 in mind when he wrote the following words to his hymn, "Soldiers of Christ, Arise":
Soldiers of Christ, arise, and put your armor on.
Strong in the strength which God supplies through His eternal Son.
Strong in the Lord of hosts, and in His mighty power.
Ephesians 6 speaks of Christians putting on the full armor of God, enabling us to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness.
The full armor as described in Ephesians 6 consists of:
1.Girding your loins with truth.
2. Putting on the breastplate of righteousness.
3.Shoeing your feet with the preparation of the gospel.
4.Taking up the shield of faith.
5.Putting on the helmet of salvation.
6. Grasping the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God).
7. Prayer at all times.
In the book of Timothy, the apostle Paul speaks about the call, character, caution, charge, and comfort of Christ's soldiers.
The first is a call to have courage:
"Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord...who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, and now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel" (2 Timothy 1: 8-10).
The second is a call to faithfulness:
Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:13).
The character of a soldier of Christ is to be strong, single-minded, strict, secure, sound in faith, sanctified, and servant like (2 Timothy 2:1-26).
The caution for a soldier of Christ is the peril of, and protection from, apostasy (2 Timothy 3:117).
The charge to a soldier of Christ is to preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction (2 Timothy 4:1-2).
The comfort of a soldier of Christ is being able to say at the end of this life that we have fought the good fight, finished the course, and have kept the faith, and therefore can find comfort in knowing we have a good future after this life, with eternal rewards in heaven (2 Timothy 4:6-8).
So, onward Christian soldiers. Fight the good fight and be good soldiers of Christ Jesus this year!
"For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-our faith. And who is the one who overcomes the world, [anyone] who believes that Jesus is the Son of God" (1 John 5:4-5, emphasis added).
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Advice from history's wisest man - Greg Laurie -http://www.wnd.com/2014/01/advice-from-historys-wisest-man/
Pastor Greg Laurie encourages readers to learn from genius' mistakes
Boredom seems to be an issue in our culture today. A kid with a smartphone will text his friends while he plays a game on his iPad, as he's watching television, and then declare that he is bored.
Boredom and depression are nothing new. A man who lived centuries ago wrote, "There is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). This man was an architectural genius, masterminding the building of incredible structures. His name was Solomon.
You might say that Solomon tried it all. In fact, he was what you might describe as a hedonist extraordinaire. Solomon was highly educated, yet he would go on unbelievable drinking binges. He chased after women like there was no tomorrow. He committed himself to researching the roots of human behavior to discover why people did what they do. Meanwhile, as a king, he ignored the affairs of state. He neglected his family. He set aside all spiritual truths and principle, and whether it was passion, pleasure, philosophy, sex or money, he determined to find out everything he could about the topic. He was going to explore it from every side. He was going to personally do it.
You might say, "That sounds like fun." But we will see that it wasn't so much fun as we come to the conclusion of his story. Solomon ended up squandering amazing opportunities and effectively throwing away most of his life.
One of the things I appreciate about the Bible is that it's a thoroughly honest book. If someone does well, it tells us that. If someone does well and has a fall, it tells us that, too. If someone does horribly, it tells us that. There is no whitewashing. There is no spin to the biblical stories. The Bible is direct and honest. It gives us its heroes, warts and all.
Some people we read about in the Bible seemed to get it right from the beginning to end, like Joseph and Daniel. Others got it right sometimes, like Samson and Saul. Others mostly got it right, like King David. And some got it mostly wrong, like Solomon.
Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba and became the ruler over Israel after his father's death. He had the potential to be a great king because, as it turns out, God gave him supernatural wisdom on a scale that was not known up to that point. He was renowned as the wisest man on the face of the earth. Not only that, but he had a godly heritage. We know his father slipped up, but let's not forget that David was uniquely described as the man after God's own heart (see 1 Samuel 13:14). David got a lot of things right and passed those things on to Solomon. Solomon followed them for a while and then went his own way on his search for the meaning of life.
His conclusion after his vain search was as follows: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What profit has a man from all his labor in which he toils under the sun?" (Ecclesiastes 1:2-3 NKJV).
The word "vanity" as Solomon used it doesn't mean the same thing as it means to us today. When we think of vanity, we think of a vain person - the kind of person who never saw a mirror he didn't like, someone who loves to look at his own reflection and talk about himself and focus on himself. That is not actually what the word means that Solomon used. And as a matter of a fact, this word is used 38 times in the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes. It could be translated from the original Hebrew as "emptiness" or "nothingness." Solomon was saying there is nothing on this earth that will satisfy us completely - no thing, no pleasure, no relationship. He had tried everything that could be tried.
It is not unlike getting on one of those stationary bicycles that has a little video screen. On the screen you are going up a hill, so it gets a little harder to ride. Then you are going down a hill, and it is a little bit easier. You are riding through all of these places, but the reality is that you haven't moved an inch. You are spinning your wheels. You aren't going anywhere. That is the idea that Solomon was conveying.
Have you ever wondered why high-profile people who are super rich or famous often have substance-abuse or alcohol-abuse issues or other problems? I think it is because they get to do what others only dream about. They do what they have dreamed about, and then they move on to the next level. They do that, and then they move to the next level. They do that. But eventually they can't hit the high note any longer. So they turn to other things.
Solomon knew what that was like. He was saying, in effect, "I have done it all. Learn from my mistakes. Don't do what I did. Here's what I have learned: 'Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all'" (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NKJV).
Solomon was a seasoned pro. He knew what he was talking about. He was saying that if you take God out of the picture, your life will be empty and meaningless and futile. However, if you want a full life, if you want life as it was meant to be lived, then fear God.
What does it mean to fear God? Does it mean to walk around, cowering in fear that God is going to smack you around a little bit? No. The word "fear" in the original language could be translated "reverence." Have a reverence for God. Have a respect for God. Be in awe of God.
I know people like to think of God as their buddy and best friend. But God is the creator of the universe. He is holy and righteous. He is not just their companion; he is their creator. He is their Lord. To fear God means to have reverence for him. It is a healthy respect. That is what Solomon was saying: Have reverence for God. Keep His commandments. God has given us his commandments as guardrails in life to keep us on the road so we don't get ourselves into trouble. Live by God's standards. Have reverence for the Lord.
By saying "this is man's all," Solomon was saying, "This is what will make a whole man" (or a whole woman). If you want to be a whole person, then this is what you need to do. You need to fear God.
We don't decide the date of our birth or the date of our death. But we have everything to say about that little dash in the middle. Let's live that well.
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FEATURED ARTICLE
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A Covenant With Death - A Bible Study by Jack Kelley -http://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/a-covenant-with-death/
Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place."
So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.
I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. (Isaiah 28:14-18)
I first wrote about this passage from Isaiah in 2005. At the time Israel was in the process of giving up the Gaza Strip in the hopes of moving closer to peace with the Palestinians. Of course it didn't work and since then things have only gotten worse for the Jewish people. Every effort they've made to accommodate world opinion has left them weakened, while their enemies have become stronger.
As I read the ongoing accounts of Israel's current situation, Isaiah's words still come to mind. Some believe that in his prophecies Isaiah was sending the Southern Kingdom three messages simultaneously. The first had to do with the near term and warned them of a coming judgment at the hands of the Babylonians. It would be similar to the one the Northern Kingdom was about to receive from the Assyrians. The second message concerned the times surrounding the first coming of the Messiah, and the third described events at the End of the Age. Scholars who hold this view claim that in some places Isaiah refers to all three time frames at once. If so Isaiah 28:14-18 is one of them.
What's He Talking About?
The meaning of the passage is clear. By making treaties with countries committed to their demise, the Israelites were fooling themselves into believing that they'd be exempt from those countries' plans for expansion and conquest. In truth Israel's policies of appeasement would generate agreements based on wishful thinking that would be quickly broken whenever the enemy found it convenient to do so. It proved to be true with the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Syrians of Greek times, the Romans, and lately the "Palestinians." This policy will finally culminate in the ultimate self-deception. Having rejected the One who came in His Father's name they will accept the one who comes in his own name (John 5:43). The coming treaty with the anti-Christ will just about bring them to ruin.
The Lord had Isaiah warn His people that there was only one man in the world they could trust, and that was their Messiah. Only He would deal justly and righteously with them. All others, even their supposed friends, would lie to suit their own purposes, which would always run contrary to Israel's.
Those of us with Biblical background and prophetic understanding watch closely as Israel's current leaders are being pressured from all sides to once again evict their own people from God-given land, explaining that by doing so they're achieving peace with their neighbors. (In Israel, the West Bank is known by the Biblical names of Judea and Samaria, both of which were part of the original Promised Land.)
As you read this, US Secretary of State John Kerry is in Israel discussing the latest US "framework" for peace. It calls for Israel to hand over 92.8% of the "West Bank" to the Palestinians. Eighty percent of all Jewish settlers on the West Bank would be confined to four major settlement blocs, which Israel would annex. The remaining 20% (about 80,000 people) will have to either be absorbed into these settlements or be moved to other locations inside Israel.
Jerusalem would be divided to create a capitol city for "Palestine" but sovereignty over the heart of the Holy City, with its unique and historic concentration of Jewish, Christian and Muslim shrines, would pass to an international commission comprised of the US, Israel, the Palestinians, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Personally, I don't think Bible prophecy favors a successful conclusion to this current round of negotiations, at least not in any long term sense, because I think the goal is to leave Israel permanently weakened to the point where they can never again be a threat to Middle East Peace. Our leaders never seem to learn that a weakened Israel has always made war more likely, not less so.
Who You Gonna Call?
But there is an ultimate fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy coming, and when it does it will signal the commencement of Daniel's 70th Week. Before their eyes are finally opened to the fact that Jesus is and has always been their Messiah, Israel will pin its hopes for protection on a man made covenant one final time. A Muslim coalition led by Iran and armed by Russia will take advantage of Israel's careless assumption that peace has come and will mount a mammoth sneak attack, intending to destroy the Jewish nation once and for all.
Ezekiel 38-39 tells us this coalition will be soundly defeated by God Himself. Following that battle, the one we know as the anti-Christ will rise to enforce a seven-year treaty that includes provisions for building a temple in Israel (Daniel 9:27). Israel will realize that the One who put the attacking forces to flight was God Himself, and will renew their Old Covenant, dormant for so long, for its final seven years. Old Covenant worship requires a temple and for reasons of his own the anti-Christ will help them get one.
In the middle of the seven years their supposed benefactor will pull the ultimate betrayal, proclaiming himself to be their God (2 Thes. 2:4). Then he will set about to destroy every last one of them. He'll do this from the very temple he helped them build, and then he'll bring the military resources of every nation on Earth to bear against them. Betrayed by friends and beset by enemies, they'll have no one to turn to and with Jerusalem surrounded it will look like the end is upon them at last. In desperation they'll call upon the Lord once again.
"Come, let us return to the LORD," they'll cry. "He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence."
"Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth." (Hosea 6:1-3)
And their Messiah Jesus, Who has been waiting for 2000 years for them to say this, will respond. "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zech 12:10)
On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. (Zech 13:1)
Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. (Zech.14:3-4)
The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. (Zech 14:9) The One Who is faithful and true will have fulfilled His every commitment to them, and as King of the whole Earth He'll have the power to make it stick.
If you're like me, you grieve over the current plight of God's people. Know that the Lord grieves as well. Know also that even as conditions steadily worsen for them, their victory and ours is is coming steadily closer. For the One Who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps, and is ever alert for any sign that His people are ready to return to Him.
In the meantime Psalm 122:6-7 instructs us on the proper response to the events of our time. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels." If you listen closely, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.
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