Wednesday, 23 July 2014
CEASEFIRE FAILS AND ROCKET BARRAGE INTENSIFIES AS THE ISRAELI-GAZA CONFLICT SHOWS NO SIGNS OF ENDING!
July 21-25, 2014
Ceasefire Fails, Rocket Barrage Intensifies
The Toll in Gaza and Israel
Sources: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Palestinian deaths);
Israel Defense Forces (Palestinian rocket attacks, Israeli airstrikes, Israeli deaths)
The brief ceasefire proposed by Egypt was accepted by Israel, but rejected by Hamas. In the six hours Israel ceased firing on Gaza, Hamas launched at least 50 rockets. After the six hours the rocket
barrage continued with Hamas launching at least 140 rockets from the Gaza Strip. This in turn drew dozens of Israeli air strikes. In the new barrage, Hamas hammered Tel Aviv with the heaviest bombardment yet (Debkafile July 16). Perhaps Hamas leaders saw themselves losing (with Egypt also against them), and opened up with new vigor. In the new bombardment, one Israeli was killed. Israel bombed 60 targets, most of them in northern Gaza, after warning 100,000 residents to evacuate their homes by 8 a.m. via leaflets, text messages, and automated telephone calls. Thousands in Israel have been subjected to trauma as sirens wailed again and again, sending people to their bomb shelters. I personally know the trauma, remembering the First Gulf War and how we had to run for our sealed rooms multiple times.
Much has been made of the suffering of the Palestinians. Now and then an Arab musters his courage and tells the truth about what is really happening. In a recent interview Dr. Tawfik Hamid, an Egyptian freethinker who opposes Islamic extremism, explained the real source of Palestinian suffering:
“You asked me what I think about the Palestinians and their situation now. I have no doubt, and I don’t disagree, that the Palestinians are suffering, but what is the cause of their suffering? It is not Israel—it is Hamas. If Hamas tomorrow said ‘We accept the existence of the State of Israel, we will not allow terrorist attacks against them, we accept our previous agreements and commitments’ - the suffering of the Palestinians [would] stop. So who is to blame here?
“You have one million Israeli Arabs living in Israel with the Jews, and they are not suffering like the Arabs who are actually controlled by Arabs. So now you deal with the situation where there is suffering—you can’t deny there is suffering, but to be honest, you have to say that the suffering of the Palestinians is because of the leadership and the wrong decisions of leaders like Hamas—not because of Israel.
“The moment the Palestinian leadership stops its arrogance and its barbaric attitude toward the Jews, then things will change, and you will see no Palestinian will be suffering there. So I think the solution is in the hands of the Palestinians now. They have to take the decision to stop the suffering of their own people, by giving a handful [sic] of peace to the Israelis. You remember President Sadat? President Sadat wanted Sinai back. He gave a handful of peace and love to the Israelis and he got Sinai back.
“But the Palestinians didn’t do this. Hamas just wants to kill every Jew—they promote this—I’m asking them to stop this and give a handful of peace to the Israelis, and try it for once and be sincere about it, and they will see the results.
“I have been to Israel twice, and I’m telling you—the Jews do not hate the Arabs. It’s us—we’re causing the problem and we have to change.”
That pretty much sums it up. “Palestine” at one time was a part of Islam. That being the case, as I have noted before, Islamic doctrine is adamant that the whole of it must be regained for Islam; it must again come into the Dar Islam—or House of Islam. That keeps the fighting going. But Dr. Hamid believes Islam must undergo a reformation based upon modern, peaceful interpretations of classical Islamic core texts. If it does, it will have to include a re-thinking of the classical Islamic doctrine of world dominance by military force, and they will also have to come to the realization that God has given Israel this land, and they are here to stay.
BREAKING NEWS:
IDF Ground Invasion of Gaza has begun. IDF Spokesperson Moti Almoz said that the IDF has entered the second phase of the operation, which will last for however long is necessary. “Large ground forces, assisted by massive backing from the air force and the navy, are currently taking over areas in the Gaza Strip and acting against tunnels and other targets,” he said. Almoz addressed Gaza Strip residents and called on them to evacuate the areas where the IDF is operating. (Reported by Gili Cohen, Amos Harel, Live Updates, July 17, 2014)
“I have heard the insults of Moab and the taunts of the Ammonites, who insulted my people and made threats against their land. Therefore, as surely as I live, declares the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel…the remnant of my people will…inherit their land” Zephaniah 2:8-9
Reporting for CFI Jerusalem,
Lonnie C. Mings
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HERE ARE MY UPCOMING ENGAGEMENTS FOR THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. WOULD LOVE TO SEE MANY OF YOU AGAIN AT SOME OF THESE
Dear Friends,
My itinerary has not been on the Blog for a few months as its content had been abused to cause a little trouble for me but, as I think that such activity is over, I'm now publishing my schedule once again.
Friday 25th July Travellers Church, PELSALL, West Midlands. Details to follow 01904 470751
Sunday 27th July, Morning and Evening Services SALTBURN Evangelical Church....01287 624221
Sept 5th (Friday). Start of long weekend mini tour of South Wales commencing at NEWPORT on the Friday evening at 8pm at The Upper Room Fellowship (TURF) at Cross Keys near Newport.
Sept 6th (Saturday). All day conference at the excellent location of Nancy's Farm in BASSALEG near Newport. Please contact my good friend Neville Stephens on 07808 251502 for details of the whole weekend.
Sept 7th (Sunday). I will be speaking at the morning service of the City Of Refuge Church also in BASSALEG near Newport. Details from Nancy Willimas on 01633 893210.
There might also be a meeting in BRISTOL at the home of my good friend Keith Cline either on the Thursday or the Monday of this long weekend. Please phone me for details.
November 3rd to the 7th November, another Conference Retreat at the BEECHWOOD COURT Hotel, Conway, NORTH WALES, when the subject matter will be "VITAL TRUTHS FOR THE LAST DAYS". Please phone 01492 593405 for more details. If you need any clarification on any of the above meetings, you can always phone me on 01904 470751.
My itinerary has not been on the Blog for a few months as its content had been abused to cause a little trouble for me but, as I think that such activity is over, I'm now publishing my schedule once again.
Friday 25th July Travellers Church, PELSALL, West Midlands. Details to follow 01904 470751
Sunday 27th July, Morning and Evening Services SALTBURN Evangelical Church....01287 624221
Sept 5th (Friday). Start of long weekend mini tour of South Wales commencing at NEWPORT on the Friday evening at 8pm at The Upper Room Fellowship (TURF) at Cross Keys near Newport.
Sept 6th (Saturday). All day conference at the excellent location of Nancy's Farm in BASSALEG near Newport. Please contact my good friend Neville Stephens on 07808 251502 for details of the whole weekend.
Sept 7th (Sunday). I will be speaking at the morning service of the City Of Refuge Church also in BASSALEG near Newport. Details from Nancy Willimas on 01633 893210.
There might also be a meeting in BRISTOL at the home of my good friend Keith Cline either on the Thursday or the Monday of this long weekend. Please phone me for details.
DO NOT FORGET OUR NEW VENTURE OF A HOLIDAY AND TEACHING CONFERENCE IN CROATIA from October 12th-19th this year. Daily teaching sessions where the title for the holiday will be "KNOWING REST AND PEACE IN THE LORD JESUS". Please phone me on 01904 470751 for more information and fuller details.
November 3rd to the 7th November, another Conference Retreat at the BEECHWOOD COURT Hotel, Conway, NORTH WALES, when the subject matter will be "VITAL TRUTHS FOR THE LAST DAYS". Please phone 01492 593405 for more details. If you need any clarification on any of the above meetings, you can always phone me on 01904 470751.
November 24th-28th a new conference centre for me when we will gather in THE ST GEORGE HOTEL IN RIPON ROAD HARROGATE in this lovely and popular North Yorkshire town (see above for more details). The subject for the week will be "A DEEPER WALK WITH JESUS IN THE LAST DAYS".
There is quite a bit of choice this year for the various conferences and venues, and even a foreign holiday to Croatia. So please try to come to one or more or the above, and I will be delighted to see you.
MARANATHA BLESSINGS,
BRIAN.
Saturday, 12 July 2014
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR SIGNS HOMOSEXUAL BILL ELIMINATING TERMS SUCH AS HUSBAND AND WIFE!! QUITE UNBELIEVABLE!!
California Governor Signs Homosexual Bill Eliminating Terms ‘Husband’ and ‘Wife’
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The governor of California has signed a bill into law that redefines marriage and replaces the terms ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ with the generic term ‘spouse.’
Governor Jerry Brown signed SB 1306 on Monday, which will take effect on January 1, 2015.
“Under existing law, a reference to ‘husband’ and ‘wife,’ ‘spouses,’ or ‘married persons,’ or a comparable term, includes persons who are lawfully married to each other and persons who were previously lawfully married to each other, as is appropriate under the circumstances of the particular case,” it reads. “The bill would delete references to ‘husband’ or ‘wife’ in the Family Code and would instead refer to a ‘spouse,’ and would make other related changes.”
The legislation had been presented by Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to overturn the 9th Circuit ruling that declared California’s Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The matter hails back to 2008 when voters in California were presented with a ballot initiative asking if residents wished to enshrine marriage in the state as being between a man and woman. The measure, which sought to add an amendment to the state Constitution to protect the Biblical definition of marriage from infringement, passed by five percentage points.
However, with the courts ruling against Proposition 8, Leno sought to likewise change California law to alter the definition of marriage and reflect same-sex nuptials.
“I am pleased Governor Brown has recognized the importance of this bill, which makes it explicitly clear in state law that every loving couple has the right to marry in California,” Leno commented in a statement this week. “This legislation removes outdated and biased language from state codes and recognizes all married spouses equally, regardless of their gender.”
But Christians in the state have expressed disappointment over the matter, opining that the government has been wrong to override the will of the people.
“This bill continues the pattern we’ve been seeing the last few years of politicians ignoring the people to advance the agenda of marriage redefinition,” Matthew McReynolds, attorney with the Pacific Justice Institute in California, toldChristian News Network. “What these politicians don’t want people to know is that their actions are illegitimate. Contary to media myths, Prop. 8 has not been invalidated on a statewide basis. Instead, these politicians are exercising raw power, ignoring the Constitution and counting on the people and the courts not to hold them accountable.”
Gov. Brown also generated outrage last fall when he signed a bill that mandated insurance companies in the state to provide coverage for infertility treatments for homosexuals.
“The way the law works, gay and lesbian couples would simply have to testify that they have been having sex for a year without producing a child to be considered ‘infertile,’ which is [100% of the time], since baby-making requires necessary components missing in homosexual activity,” commented writer Ben Shapiro.
“It doesn’t mean situations in which two gay men are both infertile and incapable of impregnating a surrogate mother,” he continued. “It means situations in which gay or lesbian couples can’t make a baby by having sex with each other. In other words, every single gay and lesbian couple on the planet.”
THE IRAQ AND SYRIA INVADERS OF "ISIS" THREATEN A NUKE ATTACK ON ISRAEL!
Iraq Invaders Threaten Nuke Attack On Israel
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The well-organized army of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, claims it has access to nuclear weapons and a will to use them to “liberate” Palestine from Israel as part of its “Islamic Spring,” according to a WND source in the region.
Franklin Lamb, an international lawyer based in Beirut and Damascus, said the move is part of the ISIS aim of creating a caliphate under strict Islamic law, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to Iraq.
Lamb, who has access to ISIS fighters and sympathizers, said ISIS has been working with a “new specialized” unit organized at the beginning of 2013 to focus “exclusively on destroying the Zionist regime occupying Palestine.”
Lamb added that the ISIS “Al-Quds Unit” is working to broaden its influence in more than 60 Palestinian camps and gatherings from Gaza, across “Occupied Palestine,” or Israel, to Jordan and from Lebanon up to the north of Syria “seeking to enlist support as it prepares to liberate Palestine.”
ISIS is also know as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham. “Sham,” or “Greater Syria,” refers to Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and southern Turkey.
The Sunni militant group, which has taken over much of the Sunni region of Iraq, could leave the Shiite-dominated region of the country and head toward Jordan and Turkey.
Lamb said that in Iraq alone, some 6 million Iraqi Sunnis recently have become supportive of the ISIS lightning strikes in the Sunni portion of the country.
Some of the Sunni supporters are secular, such as the Naqshbandia Army of former top officials of executed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. As WND reported, the Sunni group may have given ISIS access to its ongoing sarin production facility in northwestern Iraq.
WND also reported ISIS already has captured towns bordering Iraq and Turkey.
The militant group also has steamrolled through the Iraqi desert in the west and taken over the major al-Walid crossing with Syria and the Turaibil crossing into Jordan.
Lamb said ISIS has established a capital for its caliphate in the Syrian city of Raqqa.
“The Islamist organization believes it currently has massive regional support for its rapidly expanding ‘revolution of the oppressed,’” Lamb said.
ISIS estimates it will take 72 months to “liberate” “Occupied Palestine,” or Israel, according to Lamb.
Lamb quoted an ISIS member as saying: “Zionists call us masked, sociopathic murderers, but we are much more complicated and representative of those seeking justice than they portray us.
“Are we more barbaric than the Zionist terrorists who massacred at Dier Yassin, Shatila, twice at Qana, and committed dozens of other massacres? History will judge us after we free Palestine.”
Lamb said ISIS can do what no other Arab, Muslim or Western backers of resistance have been able to accomplish.
He quoted the ISIS member as saying: “All countries in this region are playing the sectarian card just as they have long played the Palestinian card, but the difference with ISIS is that we are serious about Palestine and they are not. Tel Aviv will fall as fast as Mosul when the time is right.”
The WND source said ISIS appears “eager” to fight Israeli armed forces “in the near future despite expectation that the regime will use nuclear weapons.”
“Do you think that we do not have access to nuclear devices?” Lamb quoted the ISIS member as saying. “The Zionists know that we do, and if we ever believe they are about to use theirs, we will not hesitate. After the Zionists are gone, Palestine will have to be decontaminated and rebuilt just like areas where there has been radiation released.”
ISIS access to nuclear weapons could come from Sunni Pakistan, which is home to more than 30 terrorist groups. Pakistan possibly has transferred nuclear weapons to the chief bankroller of its nuclear development program, Sunni Saudi Arabia, as WND previously has reported.
The Saudis, who also have provided billions of dollars to ISIS, have threatened to acquire nuclear weapons if Iran were to develop its own.
The WND source said ISIS denies any interest in training and directing foreign fighters to attack Europe, claiming its goals are to establish the al-Sham caliphate and “liberate Palestine.”
The source said the West, and especially the Israelis, may already be aware of ISIS plans and tactics to take over “Palestine.” He said Western intelligence sources were in possession of an “encyclopedia of information” obtained by Iraqi intelligence less than 48 hours before Mosul fell two weeks ago.
He said an ISIS messenger who was captured and “under Iraqi torture” turned over more than 160 computer flash sticks with the detailed information.
“The U.S. intelligence community is still decrypting and analyzing the flash sticks,” Lamb said.
He indicated that the information already has been handed over to members of Congress, some of whom are sharing it with the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
“The current sense on Capitol Hill is reported to be that the Obama administration is not in the mood to share anything with Israel these days and certainly not with the Netanyahu regime which it loathes,” he said.
Lamb said only time will tell whether or not ISIS reaches both of its objectives. He added that if the “Zionist regime” can be ejected from Palestine, it will set in motion “historic currents” that will be “rather different from the Ehud Olmert-Condoleezza Rice fantasy of ‘a New Middle East.’
Franklin Lamb, an international lawyer based in Beirut and Damascus, said the move is part of the ISIS aim of creating a caliphate under strict Islamic law, stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to Iraq.
Lamb, who has access to ISIS fighters and sympathizers, said ISIS has been working with a “new specialized” unit organized at the beginning of 2013 to focus “exclusively on destroying the Zionist regime occupying Palestine.”
Lamb added that the ISIS “Al-Quds Unit” is working to broaden its influence in more than 60 Palestinian camps and gatherings from Gaza, across “Occupied Palestine,” or Israel, to Jordan and from Lebanon up to the north of Syria “seeking to enlist support as it prepares to liberate Palestine.”
ISIS is also know as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham. “Sham,” or “Greater Syria,” refers to Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and southern Turkey.
The Sunni militant group, which has taken over much of the Sunni region of Iraq, could leave the Shiite-dominated region of the country and head toward Jordan and Turkey.
Lamb said that in Iraq alone, some 6 million Iraqi Sunnis recently have become supportive of the ISIS lightning strikes in the Sunni portion of the country.
Some of the Sunni supporters are secular, such as the Naqshbandia Army of former top officials of executed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. As WND reported, the Sunni group may have given ISIS access to its ongoing sarin production facility in northwestern Iraq.
WND also reported ISIS already has captured towns bordering Iraq and Turkey.
The militant group also has steamrolled through the Iraqi desert in the west and taken over the major al-Walid crossing with Syria and the Turaibil crossing into Jordan.
Lamb said ISIS has established a capital for its caliphate in the Syrian city of Raqqa.
“The Islamist organization believes it currently has massive regional support for its rapidly expanding ‘revolution of the oppressed,’” Lamb said.
ISIS estimates it will take 72 months to “liberate” “Occupied Palestine,” or Israel, according to Lamb.
Lamb quoted an ISIS member as saying: “Zionists call us masked, sociopathic murderers, but we are much more complicated and representative of those seeking justice than they portray us.
“Are we more barbaric than the Zionist terrorists who massacred at Dier Yassin, Shatila, twice at Qana, and committed dozens of other massacres? History will judge us after we free Palestine.”
Lamb said ISIS can do what no other Arab, Muslim or Western backers of resistance have been able to accomplish.
He quoted the ISIS member as saying: “All countries in this region are playing the sectarian card just as they have long played the Palestinian card, but the difference with ISIS is that we are serious about Palestine and they are not. Tel Aviv will fall as fast as Mosul when the time is right.”
The WND source said ISIS appears “eager” to fight Israeli armed forces “in the near future despite expectation that the regime will use nuclear weapons.”
“Do you think that we do not have access to nuclear devices?” Lamb quoted the ISIS member as saying. “The Zionists know that we do, and if we ever believe they are about to use theirs, we will not hesitate. After the Zionists are gone, Palestine will have to be decontaminated and rebuilt just like areas where there has been radiation released.”
ISIS access to nuclear weapons could come from Sunni Pakistan, which is home to more than 30 terrorist groups. Pakistan possibly has transferred nuclear weapons to the chief bankroller of its nuclear development program, Sunni Saudi Arabia, as WND previously has reported.
The Saudis, who also have provided billions of dollars to ISIS, have threatened to acquire nuclear weapons if Iran were to develop its own.
The WND source said ISIS denies any interest in training and directing foreign fighters to attack Europe, claiming its goals are to establish the al-Sham caliphate and “liberate Palestine.”
The source said the West, and especially the Israelis, may already be aware of ISIS plans and tactics to take over “Palestine.” He said Western intelligence sources were in possession of an “encyclopedia of information” obtained by Iraqi intelligence less than 48 hours before Mosul fell two weeks ago.
He said an ISIS messenger who was captured and “under Iraqi torture” turned over more than 160 computer flash sticks with the detailed information.
“The U.S. intelligence community is still decrypting and analyzing the flash sticks,” Lamb said.
He indicated that the information already has been handed over to members of Congress, some of whom are sharing it with the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
“The current sense on Capitol Hill is reported to be that the Obama administration is not in the mood to share anything with Israel these days and certainly not with the Netanyahu regime which it loathes,” he said.
Lamb said only time will tell whether or not ISIS reaches both of its objectives. He added that if the “Zionist regime” can be ejected from Palestine, it will set in motion “historic currents” that will be “rather different from the Ehud Olmert-Condoleezza Rice fantasy of ‘a New Middle East.’
Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2014/July04/041.html#vmC0QIfZym6xyiUx.99
Friday, 11 July 2014
"WHAT DOES THIS ANNOUNCED CALIPHATE MEAN?" BY THE ALWAYS READABLE DR MICHAEL YOUSSEF.
What Does This Announced Caliphate Mean?
POSTED ON THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2014 AT 08:14AM
The ISIS, which has conquered vast portions of Syria and Iraq, has now declared itself to be the new Islamic caliphate. There has been no caliphate (an Islamic state led by a “successor” to Muhammad) since 1916, after the end of more than 400 years of Turk-enforced rule over a resentful but helpless Arab world.
Since then, most Sunni Muslims have informally recognized the legitimate successor of the prophet Muhammad to be the king of Saudi Arabia, whom they call the “Guardian of the Two Holy Places.”
But in recent years, many rival factions have risen across the Islamic world, each claiming to be the one to bring about the legitimate succession.
The Muslim Brotherhood, supported by Turkey and Qatar, is one faction.
Al-Qaeda, and particularly Osama bin Laden at one time, had also hoped to be recognized as such.
But now, a far more blood-thirsty group has upstaged those and many other Islamic factions. What was first known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), but lately just calls itself the Islamic State, has declared itself to be the rightful caliphate and is now commanding the allegiance of all other smaller factions.
Although the West, and America in particular, have every reason to fear that declaration, other Arab Sunni countries have much more at stake. That’s to say nothing of the Shiites in Iran, Iraq, and Bahrain, who believe they are the legitimate successors through the prophet’s lineage of Ali and Hussein.
Those in the West might be inclined to believe that such Islamic division is good for the West. However, those divisions can only spell deep pain for Christians in the Arab world, and ultimately for Israel, the U.S., and Europe.
The way each faction proves its superiority over each other is by demonstrating how much blood it can spill against “soft” targets. Therefore, they behead docile Christians, and when they find the opportunity, they go for the bigger targets, like Muslims whom they consider to be apostates or rivals.
As Al-Qaeda demonstrated on September 11, 2001, they will pick on an easy target - like the lax U.S. airport security- to kill thousands of unsuspecting Americans.
In Egypt, when the Muslim Brotherhood felt threatened by the powerful military, they went after Christian churches, schools, stores, and homes—burning hundreds and otherwise destroying hundreds more. The strategy worked for them, as they received wide support from the Islamic world (thankfully, today, the Brotherhood is growing weaker due to rejection from the Egyptian public).
And today, the capitulation of the U.S. administration by withdrawing all its troops from Iraq has resulted in the current mayhem against Christians and other Muslims.
Now some ask, “What would American troops have accomplished?”
A great deal. Put a weak boy in an empty classroom with a bully and the weak boy will be in deep trouble. But put a teacher in that classroom to observe the interaction and suddenly the bully will find a way to behave himself.
That being said, I am in no way advocating military intervention in Iraq; it is entirely too late for that. So what is the answer?
For starters, President Obama needs to seek out someone like President al-Sisi of Egypt, who has successfully stood up to Islamist bullies in the region. Mr. Obama needs to eat some humble pie and apologize to al-Sisi for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and objecting to his legitimacy.
President al-Sisi has proved that he’s a match for Islamist bullies. And as a former Field Marshal and head of military intelligence, he can steer the U.S. and the West to the right strategy in dealing with this disastrous situation.
Thursday, 10 July 2014
THE SLOW MARCH TOWARDS A UNITED STATES OF EUROPE - MEET THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION.
The Slow March Towards A United States Of Europe - Meet the Next President of the European Commission
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European leaders in Brussels have nominated Jean-Claude Juncker, the former prime minister of Luxembourg, to be the next president of the European Commission, the powerful bureaucratic arm of the European Union.
Juncker, a European federalist, is well known for his commitment to further expanding the power of the European Union. His nomination—expected to be easily approved by the European Parliament on July 16—sends a clear signal that the European establishment has no intention of slowing the relentless march towards a United States of Europe, despite the surge of anti-EU sentiment across Europe.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban were the only two leaders of the 28-member bloc to vote against Juncker during a special meeting held in Brussels on June 27.
Cameron said he was opposed not only to Juncker as a candidate, but also to the way in which his candidacy was put forward.
Previously, the president of the European Commission was selected by European leaders on the basis of consensus.
But in what many see as a power grab aimed at downgrading the influence of national governments within the EU, new rules—based on an expansive interpretation of the Lisbon Treaty (aka the European Constitution)—state that the party winning the most votes in elections for European Parliament puts forth its preferred candidate. National governments are then obliged to "nominate" the candidate, after which the individual is formally approved by the European Parliament.
Juncker was the "lead candidate" (Spitzenkandidat) of the center-right European People's Party (EPP), which won the European Parliament elections that ended on May 25. He therefore has a "popular mandate" to lead the European Commission, according to Juncker and his supporters.
Proponents of the new Spitzenkandidat system say it enhances the democratic legitimacy of the unelected European Commission. Rather than EU governments picking a candidate behind closed doors, the individual is appointed by the European Parliament, which supposedly speaks for the people.
Critics rebut that the new system amounts to an "institutional coup" because it severs any remaining direct connection with the democratic process at the national level. At least under the old system, they say, the leaders who chose the Commission president were in some way accountable to their national electorates.
Juncker's so-called popular mandate is also undermined by an analysis carried out by Open Europe, a think tank campaigning for EU reform. The analysis notes that out of a total electorate of approximately 395 million people, 40.3 million (10.2%) voted for EPP affiliated parties during the most recent election. However, this number falls to 38.4 million (9.7%) when excluding Hungary and Sweden, two countries that refused to endorse the new system.
"In reality," writes Open Europe, "far less than 9.7% can be said to have genuinely voted 'for Juncker' given that the majority (outside of his native Luxembourg) did not know that he was standing—or even who he was."
In any event, German Chancellor Angela Merkel successfully pushed for Juncker, presumably out of fear that choosing an alternative candidate—after paying lip service to the need for democratic legitimacy within the EU—would provoke even more resentment of the European project.
Cameron said the selection of Juncker was "a bad day for Europe" because it deliberately ignored the "pro-reform message" sent by European voters in May. Cameron added that "this whole process has simply reinforced my conviction that Europe needs to change."
That sentiment was almost certainly reinforced on July 1, when Members of the European Parliament elected Martin Schulz, a German Socialist, for a second term as president of the European Parliament.
As part of a backroom deal to ensure that Schulz—who has long been suspected of political cronyism—would support Juncker as Commission president, Schulz was offered a pay and perks package worth over €265,000 ($365,000), more than half of which will be exempt from income tax.
"The re-election of Schulz via a secret ballot following a backroom stitch-up between the main center-right and center-left blocks epitomizes the EU's democratic flaws and exposes the hollow nature of the arguments in favor of spitzenkandidaten," Pawel Swidlicki, a research analyst at Open Europe, said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.
"Schulz is an aggressive proponent of increasing the power of the European Parliament and so will be a big obstacle to EU reform."
Indeed, Schulz can be expected to join forces with Juncker to prevent anti-EU parties from achieving any meaningful reforms to the European Union.
Juncker, a 59-year-old veteran of EU deal-making, has been an unabashed advocate for expanding the powers of the EU. Like Schulz, he will be unlikely to favor transferring any powers from Brussels back to EU member states. Nor has Juncker ever been an advocate for more democratic accountability within the EU.
Commenting on the introduction of the European single currency in 1999, Juncker said: "We decide on something, leave it lying around and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don't understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back."
Referring to the European Constitution in 2003, Juncker said: "The Convention has been touted as the great democracy-show. I have not seen a darker darkroom than the Convention."
Commenting on the 2005 French referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, Juncker said: "If it's a Yes, we will say 'on we go,' and if it's a No we will say 'we continue.'" He also said: "Those countries that vote No must vote again... to obtain the right answer."
Referring to the popular opposition to the Lisbon Treaty in 2007, Juncker said: "I am astonished at those who are afraid of the people: one can always explain that what is in the interest of Europe is in the interests of our countries." He added: "Britain is different. Of course there will be transfers of sovereignty. But would I be intelligent to draw the attention of public opinion to this fact?"
Commenting on EU monetary policy in 2011, Juncker said: "Monetary policy is a serious issue. We should discuss this in secret, in the Eurogroup [the main forum for managing the European single currency] ... I'm ready to be insulted as being insufficiently democratic, but I want to be serious ... I am for secret, dark debates."
Referring to the economic meltdown in Greece in 2011, Juncker said: "When it becomes serious, you have to lie."
Juncker's appointment as the supreme Eurocrat makes it all but certain that the European Union will seek to centralize even more power in the hands of an unaccountable elite.
Juncker, a European federalist, is well known for his commitment to further expanding the power of the European Union. His nomination—expected to be easily approved by the European Parliament on July 16—sends a clear signal that the European establishment has no intention of slowing the relentless march towards a United States of Europe, despite the surge of anti-EU sentiment across Europe.
British Prime Minister David Cameron and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban were the only two leaders of the 28-member bloc to vote against Juncker during a special meeting held in Brussels on June 27.
Cameron said he was opposed not only to Juncker as a candidate, but also to the way in which his candidacy was put forward.
Previously, the president of the European Commission was selected by European leaders on the basis of consensus.
But in what many see as a power grab aimed at downgrading the influence of national governments within the EU, new rules—based on an expansive interpretation of the Lisbon Treaty (aka the European Constitution)—state that the party winning the most votes in elections for European Parliament puts forth its preferred candidate. National governments are then obliged to "nominate" the candidate, after which the individual is formally approved by the European Parliament.
Juncker was the "lead candidate" (Spitzenkandidat) of the center-right European People's Party (EPP), which won the European Parliament elections that ended on May 25. He therefore has a "popular mandate" to lead the European Commission, according to Juncker and his supporters.
Proponents of the new Spitzenkandidat system say it enhances the democratic legitimacy of the unelected European Commission. Rather than EU governments picking a candidate behind closed doors, the individual is appointed by the European Parliament, which supposedly speaks for the people.
Critics rebut that the new system amounts to an "institutional coup" because it severs any remaining direct connection with the democratic process at the national level. At least under the old system, they say, the leaders who chose the Commission president were in some way accountable to their national electorates.
Juncker's so-called popular mandate is also undermined by an analysis carried out by Open Europe, a think tank campaigning for EU reform. The analysis notes that out of a total electorate of approximately 395 million people, 40.3 million (10.2%) voted for EPP affiliated parties during the most recent election. However, this number falls to 38.4 million (9.7%) when excluding Hungary and Sweden, two countries that refused to endorse the new system.
"In reality," writes Open Europe, "far less than 9.7% can be said to have genuinely voted 'for Juncker' given that the majority (outside of his native Luxembourg) did not know that he was standing—or even who he was."
In any event, German Chancellor Angela Merkel successfully pushed for Juncker, presumably out of fear that choosing an alternative candidate—after paying lip service to the need for democratic legitimacy within the EU—would provoke even more resentment of the European project.
Cameron said the selection of Juncker was "a bad day for Europe" because it deliberately ignored the "pro-reform message" sent by European voters in May. Cameron added that "this whole process has simply reinforced my conviction that Europe needs to change."
That sentiment was almost certainly reinforced on July 1, when Members of the European Parliament elected Martin Schulz, a German Socialist, for a second term as president of the European Parliament.
As part of a backroom deal to ensure that Schulz—who has long been suspected of political cronyism—would support Juncker as Commission president, Schulz was offered a pay and perks package worth over €265,000 ($365,000), more than half of which will be exempt from income tax.
"The re-election of Schulz via a secret ballot following a backroom stitch-up between the main center-right and center-left blocks epitomizes the EU's democratic flaws and exposes the hollow nature of the arguments in favor of spitzenkandidaten," Pawel Swidlicki, a research analyst at Open Europe, said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph.
"Schulz is an aggressive proponent of increasing the power of the European Parliament and so will be a big obstacle to EU reform."
Indeed, Schulz can be expected to join forces with Juncker to prevent anti-EU parties from achieving any meaningful reforms to the European Union.
Juncker, a 59-year-old veteran of EU deal-making, has been an unabashed advocate for expanding the powers of the EU. Like Schulz, he will be unlikely to favor transferring any powers from Brussels back to EU member states. Nor has Juncker ever been an advocate for more democratic accountability within the EU.
Commenting on the introduction of the European single currency in 1999, Juncker said: "We decide on something, leave it lying around and wait and see what happens. If no one kicks up a fuss, because most people don't understand what has been decided, we continue step by step until there is no turning back."
Referring to the European Constitution in 2003, Juncker said: "The Convention has been touted as the great democracy-show. I have not seen a darker darkroom than the Convention."
Commenting on the 2005 French referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, Juncker said: "If it's a Yes, we will say 'on we go,' and if it's a No we will say 'we continue.'" He also said: "Those countries that vote No must vote again... to obtain the right answer."
Referring to the popular opposition to the Lisbon Treaty in 2007, Juncker said: "I am astonished at those who are afraid of the people: one can always explain that what is in the interest of Europe is in the interests of our countries." He added: "Britain is different. Of course there will be transfers of sovereignty. But would I be intelligent to draw the attention of public opinion to this fact?"
Commenting on EU monetary policy in 2011, Juncker said: "Monetary policy is a serious issue. We should discuss this in secret, in the Eurogroup [the main forum for managing the European single currency] ... I'm ready to be insulted as being insufficiently democratic, but I want to be serious ... I am for secret, dark debates."
Referring to the economic meltdown in Greece in 2011, Juncker said: "When it becomes serious, you have to lie."
Juncker's appointment as the supreme Eurocrat makes it all but certain that the European Union will seek to centralize even more power in the hands of an unaccountable elite.
Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2014/July10/103.html#iZcrbFfL16ZW68Xz.99
AN UPDATE FROM CANADA BY HANNAH FROM "VOICE FOR ISRAEL".
Let us continue in prayer for Israel particularly remembering our brothers and sisters in the Messianic communities throughout the Land.
Shalom Chaverim (friends),
Shalom from Canada,
Wanted to let you know that we made it to Canada safe and sound but were shocked to find out that the next day, a missile struck our moshav (village), Ramat Raziel - on the very street where my daughter Courtney and her family live!
I spoke with Courtney by phone the next morning and she sounded shaken but ok. The air raid siren went off around 10:30 Tuesday evening. Emanuel grabbed the kids and they ran for the bomb shelter, reaching it just in time to hear what Courtney said was a blast so loud she thought the whole house was exploding!
In fact, it was the terrible sound of all the huge picture window in their upstairs living room shattering into a million pieces from the force of the blast.
Incredibly, the 2 foot long missile hit about 4 houses down from Courtney's, but miraculously missed every house and landed in a garden between the houses. It left a huge hole in the ground and shattered glass everywhere but other than that there was no real damage or injuries. Praise Adonai!
The emergency crews that came afterwards said they had never seen anything like it before - how the missile missed every house and landed in such a narrow gap between them. It's as if an unseen hand guided a thread through a needle. They actually said, "someone must be praying on this moshav."
Courtney told me later that when she walked my dog, Pepper in the morning before the attack, she felt led to pray for the safety of their neighbors and God's protection over the moshav.
I thank and praise Adonai for keeping Courtney and her family as well as our friends and neighbors in Ramat Raziel safe. May He continue to keep Israel under the shelter of His wings.
Tuesday, 8 July 2014
TEMPLE INSTITUTE IN JERUSALEM ANNOUNCES THE DISCOVERY OF A RED HEIFER!
Temple Institute Announces Discovery Of Red Heifer In Anticipation Of Third Temple
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The rebuilding of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem is a key prophetic event with tremendous significance. In addition to the actual building that is required, a tremendous amount of detail will need to be re-enacted, based on the specific requirements given by God in the Old Testament regarding both the numerous items, laws and rituals required to properly conduct the Temple worship, sacrifices and rites. One such key requirement is the slaughtering of a red heifer for its ashes, which would then be used in an ash water mix as a purification-for-worship prerequisite as recorded in the biblical book of Numbers Chapter 19.
A recent report by by Michael Snyder in End of the American Dream, explains why this is no mean feat: “A qualified red heifer has not been seen in the land of Israel for nearly two thousand years, and without one it would not be possible to resume Temple worship. But now a candidate has been found that could change everything. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem (dedicated to making preparations for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple) has released stunning video footage of a red heifer that they believe meets the Biblical requirements.
A recent report by by Michael Snyder in End of the American Dream, explains why this is no mean feat: “A qualified red heifer has not been seen in the land of Israel for nearly two thousand years, and without one it would not be possible to resume Temple worship. But now a candidate has been found that could change everything. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem (dedicated to making preparations for the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple) has released stunning video footage of a red heifer that they believe meets the Biblical requirements.
This red heifer was born in the United States, and the owners of the red heifer contacted the Temple Institute in order to receive instructions about how to care for it. It is hoped that this red heifer will eventually be transported to the land of Israel and be used for the purification of the priests and the vessels that will be used in a rebuilt Jewish Temple”.
The Temple Institute has already successfully assembled other key requirements including: priestly garments made to Biblical specifications, musical instruments played by the Levitical choir, the golden crown of the High Priest, gold and silver vessels used in the incense and sacrificial services, a seven-branched Menorah made of pure gold, a golden Incense Altar and a golden Table of Showbread. They are currently on exhibit in Jerusalem’s Old City Jewish Quarter.
Michael Snyder explains that without the ashes of a red heifer, all of those preparations are in vain: before the Temple can be rebuilt and Temple worship can be resumed, a perfect red heifer must be found. This heifer is expected to also meet the following standards:
• It must never be yoked to work;
The Temple Institute has already successfully assembled other key requirements including: priestly garments made to Biblical specifications, musical instruments played by the Levitical choir, the golden crown of the High Priest, gold and silver vessels used in the incense and sacrificial services, a seven-branched Menorah made of pure gold, a golden Incense Altar and a golden Table of Showbread. They are currently on exhibit in Jerusalem’s Old City Jewish Quarter.
Michael Snyder explains that without the ashes of a red heifer, all of those preparations are in vain: before the Temple can be rebuilt and Temple worship can be resumed, a perfect red heifer must be found. This heifer is expected to also meet the following standards:
• It must never be yoked to work;
• It must never mate;
• It must be completely red—even two black hairs would render it invalid.
The heifer would historically be slaughtered and burned on a pyre, along with a cedar branch, hyssop sprig, and crimson wool. The ceremony took place on the Mount of Olives, opposite the Temple Mount.
A related story published in WND.com quotes Institute spokesman Rabbi Chaim Richman saying that the heifer is being raised according to the laws of the Torah at an undisclosed U.S. location. The heifer is said to be an Angus mix was in January and is not being tagged, branded or “used for any activity.” According to Richman, the reason the color of the heifer was to be red was “not for humankind to know…the knowledge the red heifer represents is way, way beyond our spiritual capacities.”
Perhaps not entirely: One revealed significance in the Bible about the color red is that it represents sin. Isaiah 18:1 says: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. “ Wikipedia.com lists scarlet and crimson as being shades of red, hence red is the primary or parent color.
There are other Biblical comparisons that suggest that the Old Testament red heifer was also in many ways a type or shadow of the blood atonement for our sins in the New Testament or covenant, paid for by Jesus Christ in his sufferings and death before He rose again. Gospel Herald.com for instance, draws out parallels, some of which are as follows:
• The red heifer was to be "without spot" and without a yoke typifying Christ's voluntary coming to redeem us and His sinless character even though He took our sins as His own (Hebrews 4:15).
The heifer would historically be slaughtered and burned on a pyre, along with a cedar branch, hyssop sprig, and crimson wool. The ceremony took place on the Mount of Olives, opposite the Temple Mount.
A related story published in WND.com quotes Institute spokesman Rabbi Chaim Richman saying that the heifer is being raised according to the laws of the Torah at an undisclosed U.S. location. The heifer is said to be an Angus mix was in January and is not being tagged, branded or “used for any activity.” According to Richman, the reason the color of the heifer was to be red was “not for humankind to know…the knowledge the red heifer represents is way, way beyond our spiritual capacities.”
Perhaps not entirely: One revealed significance in the Bible about the color red is that it represents sin. Isaiah 18:1 says: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. “ Wikipedia.com lists scarlet and crimson as being shades of red, hence red is the primary or parent color.
There are other Biblical comparisons that suggest that the Old Testament red heifer was also in many ways a type or shadow of the blood atonement for our sins in the New Testament or covenant, paid for by Jesus Christ in his sufferings and death before He rose again. Gospel Herald.com for instance, draws out parallels, some of which are as follows:
• The red heifer was to be "without spot" and without a yoke typifying Christ's voluntary coming to redeem us and His sinless character even though He took our sins as His own (Hebrews 4:15).
• The red heifer was similar to, yet different from, the other offerings for sin. Nevertheless, the purpose was the same. It was a sin offering (just as Jesus who was “made sin”: For He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
• The red heifer was a congregational, or corporate, offering (Numbers. 19:1). It was to be offered outside the camp as an impure thing, typifying Christ who was made to be sin and a curse for us. He suffered outside the established order of things (Hebrews 13:12).
• The heifer was to be "totally consumed with nothing remaining but ashes… the burning to ashes represents the total consumption and destruction of sin and sinners (Malachi. 4:1, 3)…He became sin itself in order that He might destroy him who had the power of sin and death (Hebrews. 2:14, 15)."
• The ashes were sufficient for all the people. When a person or a family needed purification, a fresh heifer was not required to be sacrificed. One was sufficient for all, including the sojourning stranger (Numbers 19:10). So the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient for everyone. It is everlastingly efficacious.
• The ashes were stored for all future needs. So the sacrifice of Christ is laid up for us as an inexhaustible fountain of merit to which we have daily access for the purging of our consciences (Hebrews. 9:13, 14; Zechariah. 13:1).
• The red heifer was offered alone. Christ was all alone. There is but one sin-bearer and He trod the winepress alone. He endured the contradiction (hostility) of sinners (those he came to save) against himself, alone (Hebrews. 12:3).
The significance to the salvation of mankind from sin during the Old Testament times when red heifers were sacrificed therefore becomes clear when compared and contrasted to the New Testament.
However despite the significance of the recent red heifer find, from the Bible prophecies yet to be fulfilled, other hindrances to the rebuilding of the Temple still remain. The primary one seems to be the strong Islamic resistance to Jewish buildings around the Temple mount; however the Temple Institute and the many Orthodox Jews working towards this goal remain undeterred.
The significance to the salvation of mankind from sin during the Old Testament times when red heifers were sacrificed therefore becomes clear when compared and contrasted to the New Testament.
However despite the significance of the recent red heifer find, from the Bible prophecies yet to be fulfilled, other hindrances to the rebuilding of the Temple still remain. The primary one seems to be the strong Islamic resistance to Jewish buildings around the Temple mount; however the Temple Institute and the many Orthodox Jews working towards this goal remain undeterred.
Ultimately the prophecies will come true and God will undoubtedly take care of any seemingly insurmountable obstacles at the human level. We can count on it for “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19).
So how should we react to the news of the red heifer findings? Perhaps Jesus would answer that question by reminding us of His words to us when on earth:
“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near (Luke 21:28).”
So how should we react to the news of the red heifer findings? Perhaps Jesus would answer that question by reminding us of His words to us when on earth:
“Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near (Luke 21:28).”
Read more at http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2014/July08/081.html#B6FC1KA2ZYijm8Zs.99
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