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EARTHQUAKE on 21/07/2007 at 22:44 (UTC)

TAJIKISTAN 22 km NE Garm

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As in the days of Noah...

Is America in Bible Prophecy?-Part 1

Most scholars point to Europe and the Middle East as places referred to by Bible prophecies. So, where does America, the one remaining superpower in the world, fit in?
The silence of Scripture on America
Prophecy expert Mark Hitchcock has written a book Is America in Bible Prophecy? (Multnomah, 2002). He believes that America is not found in the Bible, illustrating this by discussing the three most common ways it is suggested:
Is America Babylon the Great? (Revelation 17-18)
In this chapter, Hitchcock presents a number of examples:
One preacher argued that September 11 showed that New York City or America is the Babylon of Revelation.
S. Franklin Logsdon finds it inconceivable that God would not mention America in Scripture.
Jan Van Impe points to Jeremiah 50-51 as well as Revelation 18 as describing America in the last days.
Hitchcock then lays out in detail the case made by R.A. Coombes in his book America, the Babylon: America's Destiny Foretold in Biblical Prophecy.
After analyzing the case for America as Babylon, Hitchcock presents seven arguments against such a position, arguing instead that Babylon is a literal city, concluding, "I believe that the ancient city of Babylon will be rebuilt in Iraq in the last days to serve as the religious and commercial capital for the Antichrist's empire."
Is America the Unnamed Nation in Isaiah 18?
Isaiah 18 "refers to a great nation (not specifically identified by name) whose people are fierce and enterprising."
Jack Van Impe suggests this is a reference to America. But, Hitchcock says the "overwhelming evidence comes against identifying America with the nation mentioned in Isaiah 18." He then describes the context of the Isaiah passage fitting into a larger context of chapters 18-20, which refer to the ancient nations of Cush and Egypt, which were one country at the time.
Is America de "Young Lions of Tarshish"?
Ezekiel 38:13 is another passage used by those who see America in prophecy. Again, the wider context of Ezekiel 38-39, "predict a last-days invasion of the land of Israel by a massive attack force" led by a man called "Gog," the final ruler of Russia ("Rosh"). Hitchcock says the list of nations in Ezekiel 38:1-6, shows that "several key nations will come against Israel in the end times: Russia, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Turkey, and at least some if not all of the nations of Central Asia. … all of these nations (except Russia) are Muslim nations. And many of these hate the nation of Israel and would jump at the opportunity to wipe her off the face of the earth."
While not believing that the young lions of Tarshish is a reference to the United States, Hitchcock concedes "that of all the passages in the Bible that could refer to the United States, this is by far the best one."
To be continued....
http://www.leftbehind.com/
As in the days of Noah....

When Are the "Last Days"?

However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.Only the Father knows.When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah's day.In those days before the Flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings up to the time Noah entered his boat.People didn't realize what was going to happen until the Flood came and swept them all away.That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.Two men will be working together in the field;one will be taken, the other left.Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.So be prepared,because you don't know what day your Lord is coming.Know this: A homeowner who knew exactly when a burglar was coming would stay alert and not permit the house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time. For the Son of Man will come when least expected.
Matthew 24:36-44
As in the days of Noah

La Nina pattern likely to play havoc with world's weather: UN

GENEVA-The UN's weather agency on Friday said a disruptive La Nina climate pattern was taking shape in the Pacific,raising the prospect of an active Atlantic hurricane season and strong monsoons in Asia.The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said in a statement that the development of La Nina in the second half of 2007 was now "more likely than not"after an initial hesitation in the past two months.The combination of tropical wind patterns over the Pacific Ocean and cooler than normal sea temperatures off the Pacific seaboard of Latin America generally has an impact"of planetary scale,"WMO scientist Rupa Kumar Kolli said."La Nina conditions are frequently associated with stronger monsoon rainfall and
flooding in Asia and higher frequency of hurricanes in the Atlantic," he told journalists."Now things seem to be on track for the development of La Nina,but it is likely to be a weak La Nina event rather than a strong one."However,the WMO highlighted other unusual climatic conditions in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean which could reinforce the disruption to local weather in the coming months.They included warmer than usual sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic, an unusually warm sea current off the Atlantic coast of southern Africa,and similar warm conditions in the western Indian Ocean.The nine to 12 month La Nina traditionally causes heavy rainfall in Indonesia,Malaysia and Australia,droughts in parts of South America,an increased number of storms in the tropical Atlantic,cold snaps in North America and wetter conditions in southeastern Africa.The Atlantic hurricane season is at its most active in August and September.US experts have predicted that a total of about nine to 10 Atlantic hurricanes could form in the course of 2007 after a relative lull last year.In 2005, record hurricanes struck the US city of New Orleans and the southern US seaboard,on top of the Caribbean,killing about 1,500 people in the United States alone and causing massive flooding and economic disruption.Monsoon rains generally sweep south Asia until September,causing flooding and hundreds of deaths every year in some of the world's most densely populated areas. Southwestern Pakistan has suffered harsh monsoons so far this season.However,they also bring most of the annual rainfall to some areas and are vital for local farming.La Nina brings the reverse pattern of extremes to the equally disruptive El Nino phenomenon,which was blamed for the worst droughts in a century in Australia, a record warm winter in South Korea, and floods in Bolivia and East Africa in 2006 and early 2007.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070720/sc_afp/unweatherclimateninawmo;_ylt=AiUHwbf7ilxcWlFvhzX6egPQOrgF
As in the days of Noah...

Death toll in China flooding rises as nation braces for more

BEIJING-The death toll from fierce rain storms and flooding in China continued to rise Saturday as the government scrambled to step up relief and prevention efforts,state press reportedIn eastern Shandong province,the toll rose to 40 dead and nine missing as of Friday night, following a week of record rains that deluged the provincial capital of Jinan and surrounding areas, Xinhua news agency said.A record 180 millimetres (7.2 inches) of rain pummelled the city on Wednesday,snarling traffic and cutting off electricity and water supplies in the fiercest storms to hit the capital since 1916, meteorologists said.The latest toll was up from 32 dead as of early Friday.By Saturday more than 559,000 people had been affected by flooding in Shandong and 112,600 evacuated as water-levels on the nearby Yellow River and in surrounding
reservoirs remained above warning lines,the report said.The state flood headquarters issued warnings to shore up dykes and levies on major rivers and reservoirs and dispatch relief and medical supplies to hard hit regions in both east and southwest China.Meanwhile,the death toll in Chongqing municipal in China's southwest rose to 42 people and 12 missing from torrential downpours that have affected up to 6.8 million people since Monday.More than 292,000 people have been evacuated in the mountainous region along the Yangtze river,with over 100,000 homes damaged and crops on about 175,000 hectares(432,000 acres)of farmland destroyed, Xinhua said in a separate report.In neighboring Yunnan province, south of Chongqing, rescuers Saturday continued to search for two migrant workers that went missing when a giant landslide engulfed their work camp on Thursday killing 27 other labourers,other press reports said.
China's death toll from natural disasters this year reached 715 by July 16 with about half of the fatalities coming this month and 129 people still missing, Xinhua said Friday, citing the civil affairs ministry.
To read more go to:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070721/sc_afp/chinaweatherflood;_ylt=AuJ5QK8aI.gzOXHQgbQVzCTQOrgF
As in the days of Noah...

BIG BROTHER WATCH:Plan for identity checks to buy SIM card

BUYING a mobile phone Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card could soon require the same identity checks as opening a bank account.
One hundred points of identification,including a passport or birth certificate,would be required for a SIM card under the police plan,to counter terrorism and crack down on organised crime.The proposal was widely endorsed by state and territory police commissioners during discussions at the federal inquiry into the future impact of serious and organised crime on Australian society.
NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said it was feared Cronulla-style riots and violence could occur during APEC via mass text messaging and use of rent-a-crowds.He said changes to regulate the purchase and distribution of SIM cards were needed to fight terrorism."I think it (100-point ID check) would help us identify those who are responsible for crime and it also assists in our focus on terrorism,"Mr Moroney said."As far as the NSW Police are concerned,we are seeking greater regulation in terms of the acquisition of explosives within a terrorism context and it would seem sensible that there be similar thinking in terms of how we regulate the issue of SIM cards."Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission committee member,Liberal MP Jason Wood,said criminals often registered SIM cards under fake names such as Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck.He said the new 100-point ID check would make buying a SIM card similar to opening a bank account."The police were very uniform in their call in the committee hearing,"Mr Wood said."They were unanimous saying they support the 100 point ID check and how it will have a major impact on crime in Australia."As an anti-terrorism measure, it would be effective in the awful event an attack does happen."It gives investigators a first point of call to find out addresses and it can be useful in preventing secondary attacks."The proposal arose partly out of police frustration at catching drug traffickers and other criminals who change SIM cards up to six times a day."It will make it more difficult for villains to go out and get SIM cards in false names and therefore they are going to have to use their own identification,"Mr Wood said.The Sunday Telegraph reports that Premier Morris Iemma has written to Prime Minister John Howard to warn him about violence during APEC unless police are given powers to search SMS content when the mobile phone user is unknown.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22110543-2,00.html
As in the days of Noah....

END TIMES WEATHER:9 die as Europe heat wave scorches

BUCHAREST,Romania-Temperatures across central and southwest Europe threatened to top 42 degrees Celsius -107 F-on Saturday in a heat wave that has killed nine people in Romania and caused havoc from Hungary to Greece.While the region sizzled,parts of northern Europe shivered in unseasonably fresh weather and flash flooding forced Britain to call out its Royal Air Force to rescue hundreds of people stranded in central England.Poland was hit by a tornado,which is rare in Europe.News channel tvn24 showed roofs ripped off farmhouses and barns and cars destroyed near the southern Polish city of Czestochowa on Friday night.At least 7 people were injured and hundreds left without power."Suddenly I saw the trees outside swaying violently and looked out to see a brown funnel approaching.We all took cover just in time,"one middle-aged man told tvn24.In Romania,Health Minister Eugen Nicolaescu said two people had died in the last 24 hours as temperatures reached 40 degrees C,raising the death toll this week to nine.
Meteorologists said temperatures could get even higher in Romania's southern regions on the Danube river border with Bulgaria,where forest fires have ravaged thousands of hectares-acres-of land.Bulgarian government officials said Russia was sending an airplane that can carry up to 40 tonnes of water to join the operations to stop one huge fire in the southeast from spreading further.The fire sent huge clouds of smoke and dust over a nearby city of Stara Zagora with authorities warning thousands of residents to keep their windows shut and only go out wearing masks or wet towels.Dozens of children were forced to flee their summer camp near the Greek city of Corinth this week when a huge brush fire threatened to engulf theircompound.
Greece has been badly hit by forest fires over the past month as it swelters in its hottest summer in more than a century.Three fire-fighters were killed in a blaze on the island of Crete.
In Britain,hundreds of motorists were stranded in their cars on a major highway on Friday after one of the biggest downpours of an already wet summer."We've seen a month's rainfall for July fall in day,"said a Meteorological Office spokesman.In central England,thousands of people were taken to emergency centers."We've rescued in excess of 100 people by air,"a Royal Air Force spokeswoman said."We've picked people out of rivers or who were stranded on bits of land cut off by water as well as rescuing people from caravan rooftops."
To read more go to:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/07/21/europe.heatwave.reut/index.html
As in the days of Noah...

GLOBAL JIHAD WATCH:Haneef a victim of circumstance, says relative

DETAINED Gold Coast-based doctor Mohamed Haneef was a "victim of circumstances",a relative in Australia to offer his support said today.Imran Siddiqui,a cousin of Haneef's wife,Firdous Arshiya,today spoke to a community forum discussing the Gold Coast-based doctor's highly publicised plight.Mr Siddiqui arrived in Brisbane from India late last night to provide moral support for his relative."Back home,we are all saying that Haneef is the victim of
circumstances,"Mr Siddiqui told the packed forum at Griffith University's Nathan Campus in Brisbane."After all this hard work,after being a model citizen,after losing his father at a very early age,going through all this,maintaining his family and then right when he's relishing the hard work which he's been doing over the years someone has to face... that."Mr Siddiqui urged authorities to ensure that "the truth comes out" and that Haneef is given a fair trial."I think authorities should definitely,all over the world,think about this and see that,you know,innocent people are not being targeted,"he said."We want him to come home with a clear charge,"he said.Labor was being cautious today about reports that Haneef may have been helping plan an attack on an Australian target.The Sunday Herald Sun today printed a source's claim that AFP officers had downloaded images of a building and its foundations from Haneef's computer.But opposition finance spokesman Lindsay Tanner today said the "source" could be anyone."Government sources could mean anything-who knows who that is,who knows how much information they've genuinely got access to?"Mr Tanner told ABC TV."It could be Atty Gral Philip Ruddock or it could be a junior official in immigration,who
knows?"I've learned over the years to be very careful about assuming that things that are in newspapers attributed to anonymous sources have any credence whatsoever,"he said.Mr Tanner said people must wait until the legal process is complete before casting judgment."All we've got is partial information.We have to be very careful about casting judgment on all of these things before all of the facts are known,before the legal processes are completed...
To read more go to:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22111084-2,00.html
As in the days of Noah....

Terror suspects caught with Boeing flying manual

POLICE in central Italy have arrested three Moroccans after finding films and Internet downloads at a mosque they believe was used for training militants for"terrorist
acts".Police in Perugia said they believed the men, one an imam, had used a mosque at Ponte Felcino,on the outskirts of the town,as a training camp for international
terrorism.Materials seized included instructions on how to fly a Boeing 747."The investigations documented how the suspects were undertaking a laborious and in-depth operation of instruction and training in the use of weapons and combat techniques suitable for terrorist acts,"the police said.Police said they were seeking a fourth Moroccan.Among the Internet files were instructions on handling poisons, explosives and sending encrypted messages via computer. Police said there were also "instructions aimed at aspiring mujahideen to get safely to conflict zones".Interior Minister Giuliano Amato congratulated the police and said the possible use of a mosque by militants was a serious concern. "This shows the necessity to pay close attention to a place which should only be used for religious activity," he said.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22113527-401,00.html
As in the days of Noah....

THE ALL SEEING EYE:Google Earth uncovers tax fraud

TAX authorities are taking investigation to new levels by using satellite images from Google Earth to track down homeowners who do not pay the right amount of property tax.According to Argentina's Buenos Aires province tax official Santiago Montoya, images of properties from the sky can help square the actual size of properties with that declared by taxpayers to make sure the proper amount of taxes is being paid,the reports said.The online Google Earth service, which assembles detailed satellite pictures together with maps so that users can view specific locations and buildings,is also used by the Buenos Aires authorities to check if taxpayers may have expanded their homes in ways that would increase their value for taxation.Montoya said he is waging "a real war'' on fiscal deficits, and has already taken several steps to reduce the widespread tax fraud in Argentina.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22109804-401,00.html
As in the days of Noah....

END TIMES WEATHER:Hail storm buries Mexican town just over the border

These are pictures of a fierce hail storm that pounded the town of Cananea Sonora,Mexico,last night."I was talking with my mother this morning," writes international viewer Ing.Hector Manuel Germn Gardner,"and she says that in her whole life she didn't remember something like yesterday ever happening in Cananea,and she's almost 80 years old!!!"You can see,hail the size of golf balls and bigger fell upon the town,along wth flooding rain.
"There was a lot of damage caused by the
hailstorm,"writes Ing.Gardner."It lasted more than one hour and it was really scary.Lots of cars got their windshields broken and many houses were flooded."Ing. Gardner provided these pictures....
http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?s=6819837
As in the days of Noah....

Jihad on Canadian Television

Canada has allowed the enemy to gain a foothold in their mass media: VisionTV defends airing ‘jihad’ lecture.
And if Al-Jazeera is broadcast in America, the same thing will happen here....
TORONTO-VisionTV says it will monitor one of its shows more closely after it broadcast a lecture by an Islamic preacher who said scripture requires Muslims to either fight jihad or finance it.
The multi-faith channel, available in 7.8 million Canadian homes, said it took the precaution following a complaint about last Saturday’s broadcast of a lecture by the Pakistani fundamentalist.
In the hour-long talk, Israr Ahmad said,“Jihad in the way of Allah, for the cause of Allah, can be pursued either with your financial resources or your bodily strength when you go to fight the enemy in the battlefield.Mr. Ahmad runs a seminary and bookstore in Lahore,Pakistan,and his writings foresee the ”global domination of Islam,“compare Jews to”parasites,“describe the Holocaust as”divine punishment“ and predict the”total extermination"of Jews.His followers in Canada include terror suspect Qayyum Abdul Jamal,who was arrested last summer for his alleged role in a plot to detonate truck bombs in downtown Toronto.According to Mr. Jamal’s wife,Mr. Ahmad was her husband’s teacher and mentor.The television program left some wondering how the Pakistani preacher,
who claims that Jews control the world through a secret conspiracy involving financial institutions,made it on to Canada’s government-regulated airwaves....
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=26338&only&rss
As in the days of Noah...

BIG BROTHER WATCH:Microchip Implants Raise Privacy Concern-PART 1

CityWatcher.com, a provider of surveillance equipment,attracted little notice itself-until a year ago,when two of its employees had glass-encapsulated microchips with miniature antennas embedded in their forearms.The "chipping" of two workers with RFIDs-radio frequency identification tags as long as two grains of rice,as thick as a toothpick-was merely a way of restricting access to vaults that held sensitive data and images for police departments,a layer of security beyond key cards and clearance codes,the company said."To protect high-end secure data,you use more sophisticated techniques,"Sean Darks,chief executive of the Cincinnati-based company, aid.He compared chip implants to retina scans or fingerprinting.
"There's a reader outside the door;you walk up to the reader,put your arm under it,and it opens the door."Innocuous?Maybe.But the news that Americans had,for the first time,been injected with electronic identifiers to perform their jobs fired up a debate over the proliferation of ever-more-precise tracking technologies and their ability to erode privacy in the digital age.To some, the microchip was a wondrous invention-a high-tech helper that could increase security at nuclear plants and military bases,help authorities identify wandering Alzheimer's patients,allow consumers to buy their groceries,literally,with the wave of a chipped hand.To others,the notion of tagging people was Orwellian,a departure from centuries of history and tradition in which people had the right to go and do as they pleased, without being tracked, unless they were harming someone else.Chipping, these critics said, might start with Alzheimer's patients or Army Rangers,but would eventually be suggested for convicts,then parolees,then sex offenders, then illegal aliens-until one day,a majority of Americans,falling into one category or another, would find themselves electronically tagged.
To be continued...
http://www.cbs13.com
As in the days of Noah....

Worst Wildfires Might Be Yet To Come

NEPHI,Utah-High temperatures and low humidity hampered more than 20,000 firefighters battling blazes covering an estimated 1,950 square miles in 11 states said Henri Bosson,the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's deputy director for operations.The nation's firefighting preparedness has moved to its highest level this week,and officials worry that the worst is to come with forecasts of more lightning and extremely dry conditions.Nearly one-fourth of that land area-about 450 square miles-was burning in Nevada."We are seeing continued drying.We're seeing heavy fuels in the higher country-a lot of grass and dry brush in the lower country,"Bosson said."And we expect that we are going to be seeing a lot more lightning over the next few weeks so we are very,very concerned about the situation.We are just now entering what would now be considered the traditional fire season."The fires are so bad in northern Nevada that volunteer firefighters from the south of the state left for northern regions this morning to provide some much needed support to firefighters who have been battling wildfires for more than a week,reports CBS News affiliate KLAS-TV in Las Vegas.
To read more go to:
http://cbs13.com/topstories/topstories_story_202164949.html
As in the days of Noah...

Final 'Harry Potter' Hits Shelves … as a Christian Tale?

Whether Christians may agree with it or not,the newest and final volume of the “Harry Potter” series has come full force into bookstores.The tension had especially been built up over the past few weeks for the release of the “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,”and that anticipation came to an end on Saturday at midnight for many.“Speculation has been mounting for weeks,if not years in fan circles, as to how the final book will conclude the best loved story of the modern day,”explained Christian author Nancy Carpentier Brown in a statement.“Will Harry die?Is Snape really a good guy or bad guy?Will the dead Dumbledore play a part in the last book?Will Harry conquer the evil Lord Voldemort?”While many Christians have criticized the boy wizard of occult magic,others have been quite impressed with the youth novels. And with all the press going towards the seventh book in the “Potter” series,Christian groups have been jumping in as well to promote Christian values that they feel are inherent in the fantasy tale.The Church of England just recently came out with a study guide that goes along with“Harry Potter,”using the popularity of the literature to tie in with Christian themes.Other Christians have gone even further,however.Some say that the books are indeed Christian-centered novels and always have been."In the midst of all this political correctness,this tolerant,non-judgmental,relativistic world, enters a story about a school where right and wrong are defined,rules are enforced,misbehavior comes with detention,evil is evil and must be fought and goodness is rewarded,"said Brown,
author of The Mystery of Harry Potter:A Catholic Family Guide and a former mother completely against the novels.“Rowling has packaged a Christian story with a wrapping of witchcraft and magic,and through this disguise had drawn millions of children-millions of adults to read a redemptive moral story that perhaps can teach more than a religion class ever could."
Looking at the symbolism in the J.K. Rowling creations,other people have gone so far as to claim that Harry Potter is even a symbol to represent the Son of God-Jesus."As we approach the release of the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series,Potter friends and foes alike are in for the surprise of their lives," wrote Abigail BeauSeigneur in an article on the most-visited Harry Potter fan site, Mugglenet.com."The story of Harry Potter is,and always was,a Christian allegory-a fictionalized modern day adaptation of the life of Christ,intended to introduce his character to a new generation."To back up her claims, she cites examples such as their prophetic births,personality traits,life events,opposition to authority,battles against evil,unfair trials,as well as similarities between Lord Voldemort and the devil.So the question that remains is whether or not J.K. Rowling is a Christian in disguise."Rowling is a genius to tell a Christian story in the unexpected disguise of a witchcraft tale-people who would never pick up an overtly Christian story are reading Potter by the millions,attracted to it by its modern themed packaging,"concluded Brown in a statement."Christianity has always produced great writers.
Tolkien,Lewis,Percy,Chesterton to name just a few.I believe J.K. Rowling is a Christian writer."
But then again, there are many Christians who would disagree.
“The movie version of ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ is liable to still do great business at the box office,”stated Dr. Ted Baehr,founder of MovieGuide.org, as the fifth installment of the ”Harry Potter” film series was released last week.“Regrettably,however,this means that even more children will be lured away from God and His Infallible Word,which says that witchcraft is evil and abhorrent.Instead of dreaming about the joys that God gives us through Jesus Christ,they will be dreaming of casting spells,using magic spells,riding brooms, and rebelling against their parents.”According to the Associated Press,"Deathly Hallows" has a print run of 12 million in the United States alone,and Internet retailer Amazon says it has taken 2.2 million pre-orders for the book.Britain's Royal Mail says it will deliver 600,000 copies on Saturday;the U.S. Postal Service says it will ship 1.8 million.Over 20,000 requests were received at Amazon.com on July 17 alone.
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070721/28547_Final_%5C%27Harry_Potter%5C%27_Hits_Shelves_%85_as_a_Christian_Tale%3F.htm
PS:It's very disturbing to see how some people like this confused"catholic"lady are misguiding thousands with their thoughts.It is most disturbing to see that christians consider Harry Potter as a figure of JESUS.That is blasphemous to say the least.This proves once more that there is no discernment and that there is no discernment because there is no true relationship with Jesus,and there is no relationship with Jesus,because many-even tought they believe they are-they are not saved.
As in the days of Noah...

Christians Urged to Unite with Moderate Muslims against Mega-Mosque

Christians gathered for this year’s annual convention in Keswick,England,have been urged to unite with the“fair-minded”Muslim community of East London in opposing plans to build a mega-mosque there.This was the call of Steve Bell of Urban Vision, one of the main speakers at the three-week Keswick Convention that got underway in Northwest England’s Lake District last Saturday.“I would stand with the Muslim community in the East End who have protested,”he said.“Three thousand Muslims,at the last count,have actually signed a petition against the mosque.The sentiment seems to be, If we have such a huge mosque in our locality,we want it to be for the whole of ourcommunity.’
The proposed mosque,which could accommodate up to 70,000 Muslim worshippers,would stand as the largest mosque outside the Middle East. t has been linked to the fundamentalist Tablighi Jamaat movement,which Bell said “are struggling to prove they are not directly linked to terrorism” as the FBI and MI5 continue to monitor its members and activities.The group's theology is rooted in a branch of Saudi Arabian Islam known as Wahhabism,which is not widely supported in the Muslim communities of the United Kingdom.A petition to oppose the mega-mosque on the Downing Street website has accumulated more than 45,000 signatures,and most recently,an email campaign encouraging people to vote against the mega-mosque in an online poll by the Evening Standard newspaper sparked controversy for citing what London Mayor Ken Livingstone called “false claims.”These included the claim that the mayor’s office would spend £100 million($205 million)of public money on the mega-mosque.Partly in response to the email campaign,Bell challenged his audience to relate to the Muslims in their communities with grace.“Grace is responding to others the way God responds to me-with patience, kindness and without rudeness ... Jesus touched our lives by his grace-we must extend the same courtesy to Muslims,”he said.“Some prominent Christians are sounding more like the BNP.I believe it is possible to respond to Muslims in a Christ-like way without being politically naïve or theologically liberal,and I haven't found a better way than the way of grace,”Bell added.The Keswick Convention,which began in 1875 as a catalyst and focal point for an emerging Christian movement in the United Kingdom,runs until Aug. 3 and is expected to attract around 12,000 people of all ages over the course of three weeks.
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070721/28508.htm

As in the days of Noah...

BIG BROTHER WATCH:DHS warns states not to reject Real ID

Despite several state and federal efforts to force noncompliance with the new federal identification law,or Real ID Act,the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has continued work on the law's guidelines and warned states that they face consequences for failing to comply.The Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, mandates national standards for all state driver's licenses and other official documents.The DHS hasn't released a final version of the law, but the agency has said that it will require the documents to include a digital photograph and a bar code that can be scanned by electronic readers.The initial compliance deadline is next year, with full compliance required by 2013.The Real ID Act led to an outcry from privacy advocates and to the passage of laws in some states,including New Hampshire, that prohibit compliance with the law.Despite the criticism, the DHS continues to insist that the law be implemented on schedule."I think residents of states that choose not to comply are going to be displeased with their leadership's decision when we get closer to full implementation," a DHS spokesman said."They'll no longer be able do certain things that carriers of state-issued drivers licenses take for granted today."He noted that residents of states whose identification cards don't comply with the law will be prohibited from entry to airports and federal buildings. It could also block access to "certain critical infrastructure sites" such as a power plants or dams, he said.Critics won a small victory against the law last month when Montana's two Democratic senators,Max Baucus and Jon Tester,successfully called on colleagues to cut language from a now-stalled immigration bill that would have required all employers to check the eligibility of any potential employee by using Real ID documents."My boss and Sen.Tester don't support the Real ID program,as do a majority of Montana citizens," said a Baucus spokesman."It amounts to a national ID system, and there are privacy concerns."Tim Sparapani, legislative council at the Washington office of the ACLU,said that the deleted language would have led to a "massive expansion"of Real ID-compliant documents.In effect,it would have made a driver's license an employment document,he said.Sparapani predicted the final regulations will come from DHS around Labor Day, and individual states not now opposing Real ID will have to decide if they want to reject it or implement it.The DHS spokesman declined to offer a specific date for when the final regulations would be issued.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9027283&intsrc=hm_list

As in the days of Noah...

NWO WATCH:Kissinger's Secret Meeting With Putin

"RAF fighter jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian strategic bombers heading for British airspace yesterday,as the spirit of the Cold War returned to the North Atlantic once again.The incident,described as rare by the RAF,served as a telling metaphor for the stand-off between London and Moscow over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko.”(Times Online, Richard Beeston;“RAF scrambles to intercept Russian bombers,7-18-07)
"Men are always wicked at bottom unless they are made good by some compulsion.”Niccoló
Macchiavelli .When a political heavyweight,like Henry Kissinger,jets-off on a secret mission to Moscow;it usually shows up in the news.Not this time.This time the media completely ignored,or should we say censored,Kissinger's trip to Russia and his meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.In fact,apart from a few short blurps in the Moscow Times and one measly article in the UK Guardian,no major news organization even covered the story.There hasn't been as much as a peep out of anyone in the American media.Nothing.That means the meetings were probably arranged by Dick Cheney.The secretive Veep doesn't like anyone knowing what he's up to.
Kissinger was accompanied on his junket by a delegation of high-powered political and corporate big-wigs including former Secretary of State George Schultz,former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin,former Special Representative for Arms Control,Nonproliferation and Disarmament Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr.,former Senator Sam Nunn and Chevron Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David O'Reilly.Wow.Now,there's an impressive line up.The group was (presumably) sent to carry out official government business as discreetly as possible.The media obviously complied with White House requests and kept their mouths shut.Isn't the First amendment great?The array of talent in Kissinger's delegation suggests that the US and Russia are engaged in sensitive,high-level talks on issues ranging from nonproliferation and Missile Defense,to energy exploration and development,to the Iranian “enrichment” program and partitioning of Serbia(Kosovo),to the falling dollar and the massive US current account deficit.
The US and Russia are at loggerheads on many of these issues and relations between the two countries has steadily deteriorated.No one really knows what took place at the meetings,but judging by Kissinger's parting remarks;things did not go smoothly.He said to one reporter,"We appreciate the time that President Putin gave us and the frank manner in which he explained his point of view.”In diplomatic phraseology,“frank” usually means that there were many areas of strong disagreement.Presumably,the main “bone of contention” is Putin's insistence on a “multi-polar”world in which the sovereign rights of other nations is safeguarded under international law.Putin is ferociously nationalistic and he will not compromise Russia's independence to be integrated into Kissinger and Co.'s wacky the new world order...
To read more go to:
http://www.infowars.com/articles/nwo/kissinger_secret_meeting_with_putin.htm
As in the days of Noah...

BIG BROTHER WATCH:iPhone a Trojan Horse For Government Surveillance?

An alarming white paper concludes that the Apple iPhone contains a backdoor spyware module that allows hackers or the government to conduct secret surveillance of the user, part of an established trend of corporations and the state working hand in hand to eavesdrop on citizens via widely-used software and hardware products.Earlier this week,a technology group in Russia released the results of their attempts to reverse engineer the iPhone, concluding that the product has "A built-in function which sends all data from an iPhone to a specified web-server.Contacts from a phonebook, SMS,recent calls,history of Safari browser-all your personal information can be stolen."The module could act as a backdoor for trojan developers or AT & T,said the report,adding that "government structures" would have access to the information.Since AT & T displayed no hesitation in handing over information about their subscribers to the U.S. government as part of the controversial and illegal NSA wiretapping scandal ,it would be no surprise to learn that included in the trendy new must-have gadget is a spyware module that allows the government to listen in to your conversations.AT & T were chosen by Apple as the exclusive service provider for the iPhone, at present all other cellphone companies are blocked from offering any kind of service compatible with the iPhone.The revelation is also not without precedent,a plethora of companies now include backdoor access in both software and hardware products that allow the state to step in and conduct warrantless covert surveillance,a blanket violation of the 4th Amendment.Digital cable TV boxes,such as Scientific Atlanta,have had secret in-built microphones inside them since their inception in the 1990's and these originally dormant devices were planned to be activated when the invasive advertising revolution arrived-2006 marked that date.
To read more go to:
http://www.infowars.com/articles/bb/iphone_trojan_horse_for_gov_surveillance.htm
As in the days of Noah...

Jewish groups praise Vatican on Mass

The Anti-Defamation League welcomed on Friday the comments of a senior Vatican official that the Good Friday Latin prayer to convert Jews could be removed from the re-introduced Latin liturgy.Holy See Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, who ranks second to Pope Benedict XVI,told reporters that the Vatican could study the possibility of substituting the prayer."This could be decided and this would resolve all the problems,"he said."We are pleased that the Vatican is listening to our concerns,"said ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman in a statement."We hope that Cardinal Bertone's public conjectures will shortly result in putting Catholic-Jewish relations back to the positive mode we were in before all this."Foxman said that the ADL had no position on the Latin Mass itself,and that its main concern was the Good Friday Latin prayer calling for Jews' conversion.The prayer,Foxman argued,"contradicted 40 years of evolving Catholic teachings about the eternal covenant between God and the Jewish people, and the end of efforts to baptize Jews."The American Jewish Committee also welcomed Bertone's remarks."We appreciate (Bertone's) statement... making it clear that efforts will be made to replace the disturbing Good Friday prayer for Jewish conversion,"said Rabbi David Rosen, who is in charge of interfaith relations at the US group.Rosen said in a statement that, contrary to the criticism that painted the pope's decision "as a retreat from advances in Catholic-Jewish relations,this clarification in effect confirms those strides and even advances them."
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1184766023829&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
As in the days of Noah...

END TIMES WEATHER:Rains kill many in north Pakistan

At least 30 people have been killed in storms in northern Pakistan.Officials say several homes were destroyed as heavy rains and landslides hit the Dir district,120 miles (200km) north-west of Islamabad.The villages affected are remote and mountainous, and officials say the death toll could rise further. Rescuers have been sent to the region.Storms in Pakistan are often deadly, as rain and snow swell mountain streams and flood villages.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6909482.stm
As in the days of Noah...

Tanzanians flee in volcano fear

Hundreds of villagers have fled their homes on the slopes of Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai,in northern Tanzania,fearing an imminent volcanic eruption.A BBC correspondent says lava is flowing from one side of the mountain, causing panic among the villagers.Tremors measuring six on the Richter scale have shaken the area over recent days with aftershocks reaching Kenya.Some 3,000 villagers were displaced last year after a volcanic eruption from the mountain.Several mud-walled houses belonging to the Maasai herdsmen collapsed following tremors triggered by volcanic activity.The BBC's Josphat Makori, at the slopes of Mount Ol Doinyo Lengai, says many villagers have been spending nights in the cold and are terrified."They have started moving their animals in fear that the situation may get worse,"our correspondent says.The local district commissioner,Jolka Wilson Kasunga,has told the BBC News website that plans are under way to evacuate some 5,000 villagers."Ol Doinyo Lengai is a live, volcanic mountain.It erupts almost annually but we are surprised that this time it has been accompanied by an earthquake and this is worrying us,"Mr Kasunga said.East Africa's Great Rift Valley runs along a geological fault-line, but has largely escaped major quakes in recent years.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6906945.stm
As in the days of Noah...

India elects first woman president

NEW DELHI,India-India has elected its first female president,official results show,in what supporters are calling a boost for the rights of millions of
downtrodden women,despite a bitter campaign marked by scandal.Pratibha Patil,the ruling coalition's 72-year-old nominee for the mainly ceremonial post,easily beat opposition-backed challenger and vice president,Bhairon Singh Shekhawat,in a vote by the national parliament and state politicians."This a victory of the people,"Patil told reporters after official results were announced Saturday."I am grateful to the people of India and the men and women of India and this is a victory for the principles which our Indian people uphold."Patil won about two thirds of the electoral college votes.There had never been any doubt she would win,given support from the ruling coalition.
The governor of the northwestern desert state of Rajasthan,she emerged on the national stage when the Congress-led coalition and its communist allies failed to agree on a joint candidate.
"This is a very special moment for us women,and men of course,in our country because for the first time we have a woman being elected president of India,"Congress party leader Sonia Gandhi,India's most powerful politician, said.Supporters hoped Patil's candidacy would help bring issues that plague women in India,like dowry-related violence,into the public spotlight.A woman is murdered,raped or abused every three minutes on average in India.Her presidency also reflects the growing power of some women in India,where an increasing number are taking part in the workforce and in schools and hold senior positions in corporations.After the results, Patil supporters took to the streets,singing and dancing as others lit fire crackers and beat large brass drums.India has had a number of female icons in the past-most famously Sonia Gandhi's mother-in-law,Indira,who was one of the world's first female prime ministers in 1966.But hope Patil's presidency would spark only positive talk about women's influence in India evaporated when it emerged the bank for women she helped established was closed in 2003 because of bad debts and amid accusations of financial irregularities.The employees' union has taken Patil and others to court claiming loans meant for poor women were instead given to her brother and other relatives and not returned.She was also accused of trying to shield her brother in a murder inquiry.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,who has dismissed accusations against her as "mud-slinging",said on Saturday her victory was "a vote against the politics of divisiveness"."All the allegations against me are motivated and have already been answered,"Patil said in a statement last week.Her campaign was marked by other mishaps as well.She managed to offend many minority Muslims,and anger some historians,by saying Indian women first veiled their heads as protection against 16th century Muslim invaders.Then she dismayed modern India by claiming she had experienced a "divine premonition" that she was destined for higher office from a long dead spiritual guru.Critics also dug up a comment she was said to have made as Maharashtra's health minister in 1975, saying people with hereditary diseases should be sterilized.
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/21/india.elections.reut/index.html
As in the days of Noah...

ENVIRO WATCH:Peru to 're-grow forests'

Lima-Peru has launched an ambitious drive to re-grow millions of hectares of jungle and forests laid bare by illegal logging,pollution and slash-and-burn farming,officials said on Thursday.
The immediate goal is to reforest more than 100 000 square kilometres(the size of South Korea)of forest that have been devastated these past 40 years,said National Institute of Natural Resources(Inrena)president Roberto Angeles.
Inrena has begun a massive planting program in Peru's Amazon jungle basin,along the Pacific coastline and in the Andes highlands with a variety of trees including eucalyptus, pine, cypress,walnut,cedar,alder,ash and poplar.In mahogany saplings alone,the institute plans to plant one million in the next two years."The importance of managed forests is that they are fully exploitable,compared to natural forests which, when completely uprooted,would cause the destruction of the ecosystem,"said Angeles.
To read more go to:
http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_2150501,00.html
As in the days of Noah...

CULTURE of DEATH:Kansas AG Files to Protect Planned Parenthood

TOPEKA,Kans.-Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison filed a motion with the Kansas Supreme Court yesterday in an attempt to intervene in an investigation by the Johnson County District Attorney into possible criminal activity by a Kansas City Planned Parenthood office.
"Although the records are sealed, there are numerous indications that this interference from Morrison's office is an attempt to side with Planned Parenthood in their efforts to reclaim possibly incriminating records from the District Attorney,"said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.Planned Parenthood and George Tiller were under investigation for the concealment of child rape and illegal abortions by former Attorney General Phill Kline.In an unusual job swap,Morrison took over as A.G. in January while Kline replaced Morrison as Johnson County District Attorney.During his time in the D.A.'s office, Morrison did not investigate Planned Parenthood even though evidence had surfaced that the abortion office was coaching 13-year old girls what to say when they came in for abortions so their sexual abusers would not be reported to authorities.Morrison issued a letter to Planned Parenthood in June saying that no criminal charges would be filed against them by his office and revealing that the local District Attorney had possession of copies of abortion records subpoenaed by the Kline administration.
Morrison's recent decision to file a motion to intervene in the Planned Parenthood case appears to contradict an earlier decision of his not to interfere in a similar case due to the limits on the Attorney General's authority.In December,Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston successfully had charges dismissed against Tiller on the argument that attorneys general have no authority in a county unless invited by the local D.A. In January, Morrison apparently expressed his agreement with Foulston and withdrew a motion with the Kansas Supreme Court to reinstate the Tiller charges that had been filed by a special prosecutor appointed to the case, who he also fired."By withdrawing that motion,Morrison was telling everyone that he agreed with Foulston about the limitations of attorneys general in county cases,"said Newman."Only now he has made the unprecedented move to interfere in an ongoing county criminal investigation for the benefit of the target of the investigation.He shouldn't have it both ways. Morrison's hypocrisy is showing.""Morrison benefitted from an estimated total of $1 million in abortion money during his campaign," said Newman."This move to protect Planned Parenthood from further investigation just reeks of corruption."
http://www.lifesitenews.com
PS:Mr.Morrison's hands are full of innocent blood.I pray that he'll someday repent...Sad day for Kansas LIFE....
As in the days of Noah...

Japanese Team May Have Found Stem Cell "Holy Grail"

MANCHESTER-Since its publication in the journals Nature and Stem Cell on June 7, a report that Japanese researchers have produced embryo-like stem cells from the somatic cells of mice, have made headlines around the world and prompted speculation that the scientific community's brief obsession with cloning experiments for stem cell research is about to end.Although the paper's author,Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University,urged researchers not to stop using embryos for research,he told the London Times in an interview,"Neither eggs nor embryos are necessary.I've never worked with either."Yamanaka is in Britain presenting his findings this week to a conference on stem cell research at the University of Manchester.Yamanaka's experiments involved a mouse skin cell into which was introduced four proteins which "reprogram" the cell's nuclear DNA making it pluripotent-having the same qualities as a stem cell taken from a very early-stage embryo.Stem cells are those the body produces to replace and renew tissues.As such,they are sought by researchers for medical applications in curing diseases and injuries.Adult stem cells are now commonly used in some forms of cancer treatment and have seen success in experimental treatments of Parkinson's disease and diabetes, among others.Most researchers in stem cells agree that stem cells found in various parts of the body are,to greater or lesser degrees,limited in the different types of tissue they can produce.The pressure to obtain embryonic stem cells derives from their so-called "pluripotency,"the characteristic of the mass of cells found inside the embryo in the first week of its life that make them able to form every type of tissue in the body.If the Japanese team's claims are accurate,the discovery of a method of creating pluripotent stem cells exactly matched to the patient without killing an embryonic human being,could prove to be the "holy grail" of stem cell research, the equivalent of "transforming lead into gold".Another claim to have found this stem cell "holy grail" was that of Dr. William Hurlbut a professor at Stanford University, who, in 2004, proposed the creation of "quasi-embryos" that would yield such pluripotent cells. Hurlbut claimed in a paper that these quasi-embryos, while being created from human materials, did not qualify as "morally" human."Even if they're human-without that principle of life, are not moral entities,"he said.This suggestion,while it gained support among some pro-life advocates,was roundly condemned by others.Dr. Clem Persaud,a retired Professor of Microbiology and Biotechnology,called the proposal "deeply flawed."He said that the process would not create an unknown 'new entity,' but a severely disabled,cloned human being...
http://www.lifesitenews.com
As in the days of Noah...

Turkey prepares for key election

Political campaigning has ended in Turkey ahead of Sunday's general election, seen as one of the most important in the nation's history.The early poll was called after MPs from secular parties and the ruling AK Party reached deadlock, after failing to agree on a candidate for president.The government has been focusing its campaign on its economic record.The opposition accuses the Islamic-based AK Party of threatening Turkey's secular system. The rival camps have been blaring out their songs and messages in Istanbul,Turkey's biggest city, says the BBC's Jonny Dymond.
One party alone,he says,has more than 400 loud-speaker vans criss-crossing the city,which is now festooned with party banners and flags.The election has been called in an effort to break a stalemate over a package of constitutional reforms proposed by the current government of Prime Minister Recip Tayyip Erdogan.Those reforms include a proposal for the country's president to be elected directly by the people, rather than by parliament.
To read more go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6909667.stm
As in the days of Noah...

PERSECUTION WATCH:S Korea urges release of hostages

South Korea's president has urged the release of 18 citizens held captive in Afghanistan,saying he will make "sincere efforts" to win their freedom.Roh Moo-hyun made his appeal after Taleban insurgents threatened to kill the captives unless South Korea's 200 troops left the country.South Korea already plans to withdraw its troops by the end of the year.Foreign Minister Song Min-soon had earlier said that Seoul would stick to its schedule.
"We have only several months to go... You cannot withdraw 200 people overnight," he said.The Taleban said on Saturday they had killed two Germans taken hostage in a separate abduction.The Koreans were taken at gunpoint while travelling in a bus from Kandahar city to the capital, Kabul, on Thursday.They were reportedly Christians on an evangelical and aid mission. At least 15 are said to be women.The seizure was the largest-scale abduction of foreigners since the fall of the Taleban regime in 2001, according to the Associated Press.
To read more go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6909684.stm
As in the days of Noah...

END TIMES WEATHER:Rescue teams tackle flood chaos

Rescue teams are dealing with the aftermath of severe flooding which has wreaked havoc across England and Wales.Families were forced to spend the night on the M5 while about 20 special needs children remain trapped in a school.Thousands slept in emergency centres.Sixteen severe flood warnings are still in place with more rain expected in the Midlands and north of England.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown is having telephone calls with Cabinet colleagues to assess the government's response.
Emergency services are taking the strain.The West Midlands Ambulance Service has made a plea for people not to call unless it is an emergency.And Hereford and Worcester Fire Service said it had received more than 2,000 calls in 27 hours.It has so far rescued more than 750 people who were stranded in cars, caravans, houses and boats.
To read more go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6909633.stm
As in the days of Noah....

ARE YOU SAVED???

If you are not saved,you have to :
-Acknowledge that you need a Saviour
-Repent from your sins
-Ask God for forgiveness
-Believe in you heart
-Ask Him to come to your life and be your Lord
-Confess it with your mouth
-Turn away from sin...
He is waiting for you friend...
What will you decide?
Tomorrow may be too late...Don't postpone the most important decision in your life.You may not have a tomorrow....
God bless you
As in the days of Noah....

Iranian TV series explains signs of the "last days"

The New Year may not be so happy if Iranian leaders have their way.The Islamic Messiah known as the "Twelfth Imam" or the "Mahdi" may come to earth in 2007 and could be revealed to the world as early as the Spring Equinox, reports an official Iranian government news website.The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting(IRIB)website says the world is now in its "last days." It claims that the Mahdi will first appear in Mecca,and then Medina. He will conquer all of Arabia,Syria,Iraq,destroy Israel,and then set up a "global government" based in Iraq,interestingly enough,not Iran.Such Islamic eschatology(end times theology)is driving the Iranian regime and helps explain why Iran has no interest in helping the U.S. and E.U. create peace in Iraq or the region,much less in ending its bid for nuclear weapons, the Iraq Study Group Report notwithstanding.Anticipation of the imminent arrival or "illumination" of the Islamic Messiah has been steadily intensifying inside Iran since Mahmoud Ahmadinejad emerged as president of the country in June of 2005.A television series on IRIB called The World Towards Illumination has been running since last November to help answer the many questions Iranians have about the end of the world as we know it.The series explains the signs of the last days and what to expect when the Islamic Messiah arrives.The program also says that Jesus is coming back to earth soon as a Shiite Muslim leader,and it denounces "born again Christians" for supporting "the illegal Zionist state of Israel."An Israeli news site was the first to pick up the story and its significance to Israeli national security,noting that the Mahdi will soon "form an army to defeat Islam's enemies in a series of apocalyptic battles" and "will overcome his archvillain in Jerusalem."
To read more go to:
http://www.leftbehind.com/channelfree.asp?pageid=1323&channelID=175
As in the days of Noah...

What Are the "Last Days"?

What does the Bible mean by its many expressions for the last days? At first glance there are several terms that seem interchangeable, but in reality they may not always be so used.Some terms for the "end times" include "the latter days," "the last times," "the latter years," or Daniel the prophet's favorite term, "the time of the end."
Dr. Thomas Ice makes this interesting analogy:
Sometimes Christians read in the Bible about the "last days," "end times," etc., and tend to think that all of these phrases all of the time refer to the same thing. This is not the case. Just as in our own lives, there are many endings. There is the end of the work-day, the end of the day according to the clock, the end of the week, the end of the month, and the end of the year. Just because the word "end" is used does not mean that it always refers to the same time. The word "end" is restricted and precisely defined when it is modified by "day," "week," "year," etc. So it is in the Bible, that "end times" may refer to the end of the current church age or it may refer to other times.
In most cases the terms for the "last days" or "end times" refer to a period that may encompass no more that seven to ten or so years. We cannot pinpoint it more accurately because we are not certain how much time will elapse between the Rapture, which ends the church age, and the beginning of the Tribulation, begun by the signing of the covenant between the Antichrist and Israel (Daniel 9:27).
In short, the "last days," "end times," the "latter days," or even "afterward," usually refer to trends during the church age, most of them point to the seven to ten or more years, a period that pinpoints the end of "the times of the Gentiles" to the end of the "Great Tribulation".
http://www.leftbehind.com/channelendtimes.asp?pageid=519&channelID=71
As in the days of Noah....

PA Chairman:We will continue to seek the release of all prisoners

RAMALLAH-Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said Friday that the PA would continue to seek the release of all Palestinian prisoner held in Israeli jails, during a festive ceremony in Ramallah welcoming the 255 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel several hours earlier."Our work must continue until every prisoner returns to the his home,"he said at a welcoming ceremony for the prisoners in Ramallah."You cannot imagine how happy we are that you came back to us,"Abbas told a crowd of about 3,000 at the presidential compound."But our happiness is missing something because we want all 11,000 prisoners to return to their families."Israel released the prisoners Friday morning as a goodwill gesture meant to bolster Abbas in his power struggle with Hamas.For Palestinians, the prisoners are heroes in the struggle for statehood, and large-scale prisoner releases are seen as an effective way for Abbas to win popularity and support.However, Israel refuses to free inmates serving time for wounding or killing Israelis.None of the prisoners being freed Friday were directly involved in attacks on Israelis, according to Israeli officials.

To read more go to:

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/884353.html

As in the days of Noah...

TERROR WATCH:Iran pledges $1 billion in military aid to Syria

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reportedly pledged $1 billion in military aid to Syria during a visit to Damascus earlier this week, on condition that Syria refuse to engage in peace talks with Israel.Israel Radio quoted the London-based Arabic-language newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday as saying that the funds would be used to finance arms purchases from Russia and South Korea.According to the report, Syria will purchase 400 Russian tanks, 18 MIG-31 fighter jets, and additional up-to-date military equipment.Ahmadinejad also promised to train Syrian air force and naval officers in Iran.In exchange, the Syrians agreed to continue supporting Iran's position on affairs concerning Lebanon.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/884445.html
As in the days of Noah....

An Evangelical Call on Torture and the U.S.

Four months have passed since a group of 17 prominent evangelical leaders and scholars issued “An Evangelical Declaration Against Torture: Protecting Human Rights in an Age of Terror.”Writing “as Christians and U.S. citizens,” the authors declared:“We renounce the resort to torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees,call for the extension of procedural protections and human rights to all detainees,seek clear government-wide embrace of the Geneva Conventions,including those articles banning torture and cruel treatment of prisoners, and urge the reversal of any U.S. government law,policy or practice that violates the moral standards outlined in this declaration.” Will everyone who has read this document,or even heard of it,please raise his hand?Well,you’re forgiven.There are reasons,unfortunate perhaps but understandable,that the declaration hasn’t received the attention it deserves.Not that it went entirely unnoticed,particularly back in March,when the board of the National Association of Evangelicals all but unanimously endorsed it.This endorsement,by a body claiming to represent 45,000 evangelical Protestant churches with 30 million members,was quickly reported as another sign of an important shift in evangelicalism’s political stance.For several years, eading evangelicals have been pressing the movement to widen its public agenda to embrace issues like poverty and global warming
alongside standing concerns about abortion,religious symbols in public spaces and sexual norms.
But in March, the declaration also drew immediate fire from other religious conservatives.Daniel R. Heimbach,a Southern Baptist professor of ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary,called the evangelical declaration a “diatribe” that was “confused and dangerous,” mainly because it failed to pinpoint exactly where coercive interrogation crossed into torture.
To read more go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/21/us/21beliefs.html?ex=1185681600&en=d55a38d8f1915281&ei=5123&partner=BREITBART
As in the days of Noah...

Indonesian Town Begins Preparation for the Next Tsunami

PADANG,Indonesia-The young disaster workers flinched as the simulated tsunami waves crashed into their city,wavy red and green lines on a computer screen that represented vast destruction.“Ch-ch-ch-dom! Oooh! Oh, look at it hit!”exclaimed a young man as the screen pulsed and darkened.The waves followed one another relentlessly,much as they had in Banda Aceh in December 2004,where they took 130,000 lives. Padang is next,scientists say,and in the fairly near future,as the geological rupture that triggered the 2004 destruction travels south,bringing with it the danger of earthquakes and tsunamis.This is how Padang will be destroyed,said Kerry Sieh,55,a professor of geology at the California Institute of Technology,who has studied the fault off the shore of western Sumatra for 16 years.He said historical records,seismic monitoring by global-positioning sensors and a careful study of the growth patterns of corals converged in a remarkably precise prediction of a major earthquake and tsunami here within the next 30 years.“There are very few things in solid earth science that you can forecast as well as what the data we have suggests here,”said Mr. Sieh.“If the data here are not enough, then there is no forecastability in solid earth science.”Many other places around the world are similarly at risk, he said,but much less is known about them...
To read more go to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/21/world/asia/21indonesia.html?ex=1185681600&en=49666fbf20038be5&ei=5123&partner=BREITBART
As in the days of Noah...

The Death of Iraq's Christians

Christian America may soon be the death of Iraqi Christians. Although Islam long has been in the ascendancy in Iraq, the so-called Assyrians,who speak a neo-Aramaic language,predate the rise of Islam.Today,however,the Iraqi Christian community faces possible extermination.The irony is
extraordinary:America,a nation with deep Christian roots,has inadvertently loosed the vicious forces bent on destroying Iraqi Christians.Persecuted by Islamic extremists and targeted for their frequent cooperation with occupation authorities,
Christians have ever less hope in a nation that has fallen into violent chaos.The Assyrian International News Agency has released a new report titled, "Incipient Genocide: The Ethnic Cleansing of the Assyrians of Iraq," written by Peter BetBasoo.It makes for dreadful reading.Since the American invasion,several hundred Assyrians have been murdered.Even more have been kidnapped.Dozens of churches have been bombed or otherwise attacked.Hundreds of Christian businesses have been torched because of the faith of their owners, wrecked for being non-Islamic (such as liquor stores) or ruined by criminal attacks and kidnappings.Christian women are being threatened and attacked for failing to follow Islamic law.As sectarian violence has risen and the insurgency has surged,Christians have been targeted for retaliation.They long were despised by jihadists for their faith.Then many Christians,who disproportionately spoke English,signed up to serve the U.S. military and occupation authorities.For them,the U.S. connection is a potential death sentence.Yet Washington has done essentially nothing.In hopes of demonstrating impartiality,Washington has refused to help Christians,even when they have been literally placed under siege in their homes and neighborhoods...
To read more go to:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=29191
As in the days of Noah...

‘Modesty Movement’ Gains Momentum

Despite the devastating influence of today's culture,some are trying to teach girls they don’t have to dress immodestly in order to be true women.The word modesty strikes fear in the heart of every girl who likes to wear the latest fashions,but doesn’t want to compromise her beliefs in the process.And while some in the modesty movement are more about frump than style, others believe you can wear cute clothes and still maintain your dignity.“It’s fine to follow some of the fashions just as long as we realize that you don’t want anything too tight,nothing too clingy,nothing too sheer and just make sure that ‘from the shoulder to the knees,nobody touches, nobody sees,’”author Colleen Hammond told Family News in Focus.She said girls need to understand that their choices can influence others.“We’ve learned from history that as the morality of women declines,the culture follows with it,”Hammond said.Pure Fashion attempts to help girls with modest choices and has hosted 13 modest fashion shows around the country this year.“We’re not necessarily afraid of the body. God created the body, and it is good and it is holy, and it is sacred,”said Brenda Sharman, national director of Pure Fashion.“It’s just that we want to have a reverence and a respect for the human body.”
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000005095.cfm
As in the days of Noah...

Global warming in 1907

It is widely agreed that the global mean temperature has increased .07 degree C. over the last century. It is also widely agreed that carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from about 280 parts per million,or ppm,to nearly 380.And there is general agreement that at least some, if not most, of the increase in atmospheric carbon is the result of humans burning fossil fuels.Here's where the agreement ends.One side-Al Gore and the global warming doomsayers-contend the warming is the result of the increase in carbon dioxide.The other side contends the warming is consistent with past natural climate variations and that the human-caused increase in atmospheric carbon has little or nothing to do with the increase in global temperature.Now suppose Al Gore lived a hundred years ago,with Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in control of Congress,and any one of the current Democrat candidates in the White House.Had all this collected genius lived in 1907,they would have,no doubt,convinced the nation that growth in atmospheric carbon dioxide had to be stopped to prevent Florida and half of New York from being flooded by a 20-foot sea-level rise. Suppose they had succeeded in enacting legislation to virtually stop the growth in CO2 in the atmosphere.Consider carefully what this means: no increase in human-caused carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.This means no new automobile could be put into use unless an existing
automobile was junked.No new airplanes at all."In 1907, only 8 percent of all dwellings were using electricity,"and to keep the atmospheric carbon dioxide at 280 ppm,there could be no new coal or petroleum-burning electricity generating facilities.Public transportation could not expand.Nashville's transportation system suggests how difficult public transportation was in 1907. No Greyhound buses,ever.No new trains,unless an existing train was taken out of service. No air travel at all.In 1907, the Ford Motor Company had been in business for four years and had sold fewer than 10,000 cars to the 87 million people in the U.S.The revolutionary Model T was not introduced until 1908,but remember,no new cars could be put into service unless an existing car was taken out of service: no increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere...
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http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56770
As in the days of Noah...