Another "Birth Pang"?

It seem a though Earth is in the middle of another "birth pang" that should be recognized as an indication that we are near the end. Jesus said, " MT 24:4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, `I am the Christ, ' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.

He went on to add much more including verse 9 which says," Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.


I felt that during the time of "The Tsunami" in the Indian Ocean, several earthquakes and other natural disasters that stuck in a short time period, we were witnessing a "birth pang". Another seems to have come about the time the stock market began its recent crash.

July 1, 2008 I published, "What in the World is Going on" it included the following paragraph:
In the last 45 days we have had leading the news stories of rice shortage, a devastating storm in Myanmar, earthquakes in (China, Reno Nv., Japan, Greece) a volcano in Chile, A years worth of acreage burned up in the U.S. before summer, Oil and Gas out of control, a pitiful primary election, the U.S. economy going south fast, and the islamofascists rattling constantly. If this is not a "birth pang" (Matt 24:4-8) then I don't know what is. People in general are full of tension, they can feel it. Everywhere everything is about to explode

On Oct 10, 2008 I published "WOW, is a Famine Next?", it was in relation to the banking/mortgage/global economic crises.

Now we seem to be in another "Birth Pang". It began with Hamas taunting Israel, with rocket fire, from the Gaza Stripe, and Israel retaliating. There were also a few large Earthquakes, including the one near Japan and Russia, floods in the western U.S. and a cold snap. Then George Bush made a comment about separate sovereign states for Israel and the Palestinians. The result was a reversal of the January rise in the stock market to a 5.5% loss. It is too early to tell if the Inauguration of Barak Obama is part of the "Birth pang' of judgement.
"Birth Pangs" of judgement are directly related to support, or lack of, for Israel. There is an excellent book on this subject detailing judgements on America for not supporting Israel by Bill Koenig. his website is Http://www.watch.org/index.html?mcat=1
One thing for certain, the "birth pangs" are getting closer together!

Since I posted this we can add: 1 Kentucky ice storm, a super cold January, 3 volcanoes (Hawaii, Japan, Alaska), a deeping faster falling Global ecomony (so says Prime Minister Brown and President Obama) and a double wammy snowstorm in southern England, where the people don't own snowshovels or plows. Even the Tube can't run. They are crippled there!

Heart

This is going to be a little different post for me because it is going to be a little personal. We give away a little of ourselves in everything we do, right, and say, but this is straight out. maybe someone else is in the same place>
About the beginning of December. I began to sense the Lord saying, "press in". Each time I did there was an immediate response - very unusual! Then it seemed for the next two weeks that he wasn't there at all. It was like living the passage in Song of Solomon where she is standing on the wall looking, but not seeing her beloved.
SS 5:6 I opened for my lover,
but my lover had left; he was gone.
My heart sank at his departure.
I looked for him but did not find him.
I called him but he did not answer.

SS 5:7 The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city.
They beat me, they bruised me;
they took away my cloak,
those watchmen of the walls!

And, yes, during that time I seemed to be hypersensitive to the attacks of the World and enemies of Christ around me. The experience brought up anger in me that I thought was long gone. Call it dross driven to the surface by the refiners fire so that it can be removed. When it was flicked away I saw a heart revealed in the surface of the shiny new gold.
My walk had become too heady of late. I had a 12 inch problem I needed to get God out of my head and back into my heart where he belonged. Suddenly I began to notice heart and love in every word, sermon, and song.


SS 8:6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.

SS 8:7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of his house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.

I have never been a student of Psalms, but now is apparently the time. If David had a "heart after God's own heart" then there must be some nuggets waiting there for me. New testament reading will be John and John's Epistles.
I finish with the lyrics of a Bryan Duncan song:

A Heart Like Mine

Of all the hearts in the world
I've only one to give
So insecure, a desperate pulse
Racing to Your embrace
That You could want me and seek me
Is more than words could ever say
That You would love me and see in me
A pearl of price, thrown away

Chorus
A heart like mine
How could it be worthy that You'd find
A way to redeem this hardened clay
Twisted and broken
Oh Father God above
The wonder that You'd love a heart like mine

Your holy hands hold me still
Shaping my heart anew
Once vacant shell now reclaimed
Offers its praise to You
The one who searched till You found me
A wounded lamb whose gone astray
You stopped the world to recover me
Oh Lamb of God, the price You've paid

Repeat Chorus

I make my promise to
Do the one thing I can do with abandon
I can give every heartbeat to You

Genexit

Lately our local newspaper, which is a puppet of the New York Times, has been running articles on the aging of the Baby Boomer generation. They have been calling the series "Genexit". I can't help but see prophetic truth in it. Given the present world status laid against God's timeline, it would be perfect to lump Boomers, Gen-X, Y, and Z into one new category. Since they'll all be leaving at the same time, Genexit is the perfect name.
Scene for the Final Act
Aria plays loudly. Humanity moves stage left, some looking dumbfounded, some terrified as the curtain begins to close, others fight the curtain. Martyrs stand in front of the curtain with joyous smiles, bright bright lights come up! Music changes to trumpets flourish

Quote of note from Nov.2008

"When confronted by the stories of those who live their faith among people who hate them for it, I am inspired, saddened, thankful, and convicted all at once. The death and murder of Gayle Williams startles those at ease to reflection. The pervasive opposition in the lives of believing university students awakens even seasoned believers to their own apathy. How courageous is the believer who follows Christ among those who hurl insults and hostility? How treasured is the Bible that must be buried in the backyard for protection? How sacred is the faith of one who is willing to die for it?"
Jill Carattini
from the RZIM emails 'A Slice of Infinity' 10/22/08 titled "Surprised by Suffering"

Put the Christ back in CHRISTmas

republished from Dec 2005:

Put CHRIST back in CHRISTmas

Santa lives at the North Pole ...JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh ...JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year...JESUS is an ever present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies...JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited...JESUS stands at your door and knocks, and then enters your heart when invited.
You have to wait in line to see Santa...JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap...JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Santa doesn’t know your name, all he can say is “Hi little boy or girl, what’s your name?”...JESUS knew our name before we did.Not only does He know our name,He knows our address too.He knows our history and future andHe even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
Santa has a belly like a bowl full of jelly...JESUS has a heart full of love.
All Santa can offer is HO HO HO...JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says “You better not cry”...JESUS says “Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.”
Santa’s little helpers make toys...JESUS makes! new life, mends wounded hearts, repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but...JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree...JESUS became our gift and died on a tree.
Yes, Jesus is better, he is even better than Santa Claus.
It’s obvious there is really no comparison. We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about. We need to put Christ back in CHRISTmas, Jesus is still the reason for the season.!!!!

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation

I received this in a Email, and thought it was worth sharing.

Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation
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: THIS GUY SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THIS COUNTRY!
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:
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: 'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to
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: seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who
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: call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our
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: spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and
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: called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We
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: have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and
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: called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called
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: it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it p olitics.
: We have coveted our neighbor's possessions
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: and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and
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: pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the
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: time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us,
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: Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free.
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: Amen!'
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:
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: Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of
: the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he
: has ever aired.

A Days Wages for a Loaf of Bread

I've worked in a grocery store for, going on, 18 years now. Since 1996-97 I have noticed that price increases have been running about 25% a year. This year however, has been 35%-50%, depending on the primary ingredients (wheat, tomato, and dairy are among the highest).
It is true that the profit margins for grocery companies were very low in the 1990's most were between .5% and 1.5%. It was a dangerous time for the industry. Any negative impact that came their way put them in the red. Times have changed the industry average is more like 3%-6% now. Its a fairly recession proof industry. People have to eat! That means that in the present economic downturn the grocery companies are among the healthiest.
This years' price increases began with the usual January increases. Very shortly we added the specter of rice shortages and shortages/famines in India, Africa, and many third world countries. India took the step of banning exports of rice. The next step was the rise in fuel/transportation costs. By summer we had already hit our yearly 25% increase and were headed for more. The next step in the price increase pressure was the fall of the dollar and the demand from the United Nations for our food surplus.
Surpluses are an interesting price factor. Some of you may remember in the summer of 2007, the Bush administration talked the Saudis into increasing production of oil to relieve some of oil's price pressure. Almost instantly oil prices shot up and remained high for most of the 2007 summer. The reason was that with the Saudis pumping at capacity there was no more surplus to counter act any potential geopolitical upheaval. When the reduced production at the end of summer prices for oil actually fell. Its all a fear factor.
During the same time period, of 1996 to present, personal wages have risen an average of 1.5% - 3%! This means that a larger and larger portion of your personal budget is going to feed your family.
Here is my point in all of this: at the current rate of increase, with no MAJOR famine, the prophecy of Revelation 6:6 will be fulfilled in 4 years time!!!!

REV 6:5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

This passage is often quoted as "a days wages for a loaf of bread", because it takes about a quart of barley to make a loaf of bread. Most of the end times writers, that I have read, interpret this to mean that all of your take home pay will be used just to feed your family. If, the average family of 4 spends $250 per week on all food (groceries, take out pizza, and restaurants) then, in four years it will be $610.35!!!! If that family now makes $50,000 a year in four years it will make about $53,068 four years from now. Take home pay should be about $622.52, if the tax rate remains at 39% for all governments, and no increase in health deductions!!