Authoritarian axis rising, land temperatures, the dumb church, Bethlehem in danger

The Diplomat has a good article out this week. It explores the new axis of power and the reasons for its emergence. Any student of prophecy who understands the prophesied main aggressors and players in the run-up to and through the Tribulation will immediately understand the implications analyzed in this article.

Russia is a major player as well as the Kings of the East, the Asia-Pacific nations of the Orient. (Ezekiel 38:2-3; Daniel 11:44; 9:13-21; 16:12-16). Though throughout all of history the East has never formally allied with the Middle East, the Euphrates being a divider as well as a border. Russia has always been an aggressive force through history. We are seeing these important prophetic pieces coming together as this article outlines. The reasons for the authoritarian emphasis are also prophetic. The group rising to power certainly isn't democracy-friendly and we see that fact in the Tribulation with first the formation of the ten kings (Rev 17:12; Daniel 7:7-8) oppressing the world and then the final king of the antichrist as the ultimate expression of authoritarian power.

An Authoritarian Axis Rising?
"It isn’t the “axis of evil.” But a number of authoritarian states are showing a troubling tendency to look out for each other. It takes time for societies and policymakers to understand that a major shift in global affairs is afoot. But what we see clearly, in recent months, is the emergence of a new constellation of powers.By coordinating their policies, this grouping of powers is beginning to profoundly reshape global affairs, especially in the Asia-Pacific, Indo-Pacific, and Eurasian regions. Who are the members of this group? Today, it includes China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and Venezuela. Such a concert of nations can only inject turmoil into the international system. It is a relatively new phenomenon that represents a radical shift in international politics, perhaps as momentous as the Soviet Union’s collapse two decades ago."

Why are the youth leaving the church in droves? Robin Schumacher explores the answer to this question in the Christian Post:

The Tragedy of the Dumb Church
"In short, it happens because much of the Church today is dumb. Don’t misunderstand me, I mean no disrespect when I use the term ‘dumb’. What I mean is that the Church is dumb in that they aren’t well educated in what they believe, fail miserably in fulfilling 1 Peter 3:15 that says all Christians should be prepared to give a reason for why they believe, and are woefully unable to handle any challenge to Christianity that comes from unbelievers or the cults."

This interesting article below talks not about the air temperatures, but the land temps and how these sparked and supported the many wildfires going on now in the American Midwest.

NASA's sizzling map of U.S. heatwave displays the burning temperatures that in just eight days broke the last 11 years' average
"While blazing wildfires throughout the central United States consume hundreds of homes and force thousands to flee into this weekend, a sizzling map captured by a NASA satellite only days before helps reveal why. ... Painting the central U.S. in red, the same area currently battling unrelenting wildfires, the map taken by NASA's Terra satellite brandishes a depiction of what they politely call: 'unusually hot weather.'

Below is a different map showing broken heat records, and the one I clicked on is where I live. It was 109 degrees yesterday.

One of only two borders in the Middle East under a peace treaty (Jordan is the other) Israel now looks to the ominous events in Egypt with the election of Mursi the Islamic Brother, and gulps. Israel Behind the News has an analysis-

Morsi Is Israel's Nightmare, But The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow"We have reached the moment feared by generations of Israeli Intelligence and GSS chiefs. The ultimate nightmare scenario is playing out in front of our very eyes -the same narrative that played a major role in the terror scenarios that starred in the secret war games of the IDF and the Israeli defense system for an entire generation. The moment when Egypt fell - into the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood. The inconceivable is materializing in front of our eyes. The “cliff” - Shimon Peres,[the Israeli President]‘s, nickname for Hosni Mubarak - has been washed to sea, and is being replaced by the Muslim flood. All this transpires in the largest Arab country, Israel’s major strategic peace partner, the regional anchor, the neighborhood balance factor. It’s over."

All is not well over at the other border, that is, Jordan and Syria. Turkey borders Syria too and Turkey hasn't been happy with the spillover for a while. Now it's Jordan's turn to ratchet up their concern. The Jordan Times has the news-

Jordan ‘tightening borders’ amid Syria spillover fears
"Jordan has tightened entry restrictions along its northern borders, security officials say, amid concerns that the ongoing influx of Syrian refugees may become a threat to the Kingdom’s national security. According to a security source, authorities have imposed a new policy barring the illegal entry of unaccompanied Syrian males between the ages of 18 and 40, turning away “dozens” from the border in the last two weeks. The new policy comes amid growing concerns in Amman of attempts by opposition activists and regime agents to infiltrate the growing refugee community — whose numbers officials place at over 140,000 — to carry out political or military activities on Jordanian soil. “There are fears that as the number of rebels and regime loyalists increases, Jordan may become a new battleground for their conflict,” said the security source, who preferred to remain unnamed."

Earthquake Shakes Baja, California
"News 11 has reports of a 4.9 magnitude rolling earthquake that shook Yuma and Imperial Counties around 8:30 P.M Saturday evening. It was centered near Guadalupe Victoria, Baja, California with the nearest larger cities being Yuma and El Centro. News 11 also recieved calls from viewers as far as Welton and the Foothills who also felt the rattle.There have not been reports of any damages or injuries but News 11 will continue to track down the details."

There actually have been 14 quakes at Baja, near Mexicali, where the large 7.2 quake occurred 2 years ago.

Bethlehem was in the news earlier this week too. When Russia's Putin visited  there Palestinian Authority's Abbas held a ceremony honoring Putin with a street in Bethlehem named after the Russian Czar.

Birthplace of Jesus added to UN's World Heritage in Danger list
"The United Nations (UN) Scientific, Cultural, and Educational Organization (UNESCO) has listed the Church of the Nativity, which sits on the site identified by Christian tradition as the birthplace of Jesus, on its list of sites in danger, officials said on Friday."

Aren't you glad Jesus was born to seek and save the lost? I am. So those were some headlines for today. Enjoy your Lord's Day of worship, prayer, study, and family.

Gaza truce immediately broken, 4 rockets fired, also, Bethlehem street named after Putin

June 17-22: More than 150 rockets fired from Gaza have struck southern Israel since the cross-border attacks began.

June 22:Hamas seeks truce with Israel

June 24: Netanyahu: Ready to Hit Gaza If Truce Broken

June 26: Rockets fired from Gaza hit Israel despite truce

Will Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu make good his threat to hit Gaza if the truce is broken?

News is breaking fast and furious. Syria declares it is in a state of war. Turkey is incensed and warns Syria to beware its wrath in return of downing their jet plane, and moves its tanks to Syrian border, Muslim Brotherhood representative won't speak to Israeli journalist, Putin is in Jordan with King Abdullah while a ceremony is held in Israel to name a street in Bethlehem after Putin...

"Beware the Turkish wrath" and the pride of the rainbow cookie

Random headlines that stuck me today:

CULTURE

It isn't a coincidence that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and Transgender movement (LGBT) is that they chose "Pride" as their motto, clarion call, and founding principle. Wasn't that satan's main problem, too? (Isaiah 14:12-15)

OREO unveils rainbow-stuffed 'pride cookie'.

Image credit: facebook.com/oreo

"America’s favorite cookie is stirring up more than milk today after Kraft Foods posted a gay pride Oreo on the cookie’s Facebook page. Oreo posted the photoshopped picture of an Oreo cookie stuffed with rainbow-colored layers of frosting Monday evening with the caption “Proudly support love!” Over the past 17 hours more than 157,000 people have “liked” the image, 40,000 people have shared it and 20,000 have commented on it."

What struck me about this story is that the man refused to move! Man vs. Bison. BISON ALWAYS WINS!

Bison Gores Man In Yellowstone Park, Throws Him 10 Feet In Air 
"Officials in Yellowstone National Park say a Massachusetts man was gored by a bull bison that threw him 10 feet in the air and then pinned him to the ground. The man, who is in his mid-50s, suffered a broken collarbone, shoulder blade, several ribs and a groin injury in Saturday’s encounter near the Norris campground. He was airlifted to an Idaho Falls, Idaho hospital and is expected to recover. His name was not released. Park officials say the man was not taunting the animal, but let the bull approach within a few feet of where he was sitting and refused to move away.'

Is man just getting stupider? He certainly is not "evolving" ever higher. As a matter of fact, there's big news on the evolution front.

"Peer-Reviewed Paper Concludes that Darwinism "Has Pretty Much Reached the End of Its Rope"
"An interesting paper was recently published by David Depew and Bruce Weber in the journal Biological Theory. The paper bears the title "The Fate of Darwinism: Evolution After the Modern Synthesis." ... The second point of interest is the paper's claim that "Darwinism in its current scientific incarnation has pretty much reached the end of its rope."

CYBER

It isn't your grandfather's war any more. It's invisible, it's real, and it's devastating

Cyber criminals may have siphoned off 2 bn euros from 60 banks
"Cyber criminals may have attempted to siphon off anywhere between 60 million euros and 2 billion euros in fraudulent transfers from at least 60 banks globally, a McAfee and Guardian Analytics study today said. The study highlighted a highly sophisticated, multi- tiered, global financial fraud ring that is comprised of at least a dozen groups use active and passive automated transfer systems to steal high value amounts from high balance accounts."

World faces an ‘astonishing’ level of cyber threats:
"The West faces an "astonishing" threat of cyberattack and cyberespionage, the British spy chief said Monday. Thousands of hackers in underground, organized cybercrime networks are targeting businesses, universities and government data. And the threat isn't only from criminals. Government-sponsored cyber-spying is widespread is certain countries - China chief among them, ABC News reported. "The extent of what is going on is astonishing," said Jonathan Evans, director general of Britain's MI5, in a speech to financial executives in London Monday. It was his first public address in two years."

Al-Qaeda Trains Norway Islam Convert To Carry Out Terror Plots
"A Norwegian man has received terrorist training from al-Qaida's offshoot in Yemen and is awaiting orders to carry out an attack on the West, officials from three European security agencies told The Associated Press on Monday. Western intelligence officials have long feared such a scenario – a convert to Islam who is trained in terrorist methods and can blend in easily in Europe and the United States, traveling without visa restrictions."

MIDDLE EAST

Syria to get more arms from Russia soon-think-tank 
"Russia is expected to deliver air defence systems, reconditioned helicopters and fighter jets to Syria this year worth nearly half a billion dollars despite international pressure to halt arms sales to Damascus."

Russia's modern-day Czar, Vladimir Putin, is making the rounds in the Middle East. Russia is prophesied to be a major end times player in the war of Gog and Magog, holding an alliance with Iran, Turkey, Armenia, and other Arab nations to attack Israel in the last days. Putin also visited Israel on this trip.

Putin due in Kingdom today
Amman, Jordan: "Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to begin a working visit to Jordan on Tuesday, during which he will hold talks with His Majesty King Abdullah, according to a Royal Court statement. The talks will focus on bilateral relations and ways to develop them in various fields, the statement said. Discussions will also focus on political developments and changes in the Middle East, in addition to efforts to revive peace talks. Meanwhile, a Jordanian-Russian Business Forum convened in Amman on Monday to “strengthen investment and commercial relations between Jordan and Russia” . During his one-day visit, the Russian president will also attend the official opening of the Russian Pilgrimage House at the Baptism Site, where, according to Christian beliefs, Jesus Christ was baptised by John the Baptist."

We should pray that Vladimir Putin will be over come by the leading of the Spirit into repentance and submit to Jesus Christ as His sovereign!

Turkey sends letter to UN on jet downed by Syria
"Turkey sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council on June 24 over Syria’s downing of a Turkish warplane in the eastern Mediterranean two days previously. The letter, published by the New York Times, calls the shooting incident a "serious threat to peace and security in the region" and gives information on the coordinates of the location where the plane was struck and where it crashed."

"When people say, "There is peace and security," destruction will strike them as suddenly as labor pains come to a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape." (1 Thess 5:3 ISV).

NATO Backs Turkey Against Syria
"NATO on Tuesday firmly backed Turkey saying Syria’s shooting down of a Turkish jet was “unacceptable," NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen condemned the incident saying, "We consider this act to be unacceptable and condemn it in the strongest terms…It is another example of the Syrian authorities' disregard for international norms, peace and security, and human life."

Erdogan tells Syria beware Turkish wrath
"Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told Syria to beware the wrath of Turkey after the shooting down of a warplane and said he had ordered the armed forces to react to any military threat from Syria near the two countries' border. Erdogan's warning to Syria reflected increased tensions not only on the Mediterranean coast, where the aircraft was shot down last Friday, but on a long common land border criss-crossed by rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad."

Beware the wrath of He who wrote the words and promised His own wrath in the ancient prophecises, which will come to pass and may even be coming to pass today!

"Then the kings of the earth, the important people, the generals, the rich, the powerful, and all the slaves and free people concealed themselves in caves and among the rocks in the mountains. They said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the one who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to endure it?" (Revelation 6:15-17).

Putin promises to protect Christianity worldwide

From Russia Today: "Presidential candidate Vladimir Putin has promised to make the protection of repressed Christians in foreign countries one of his foreign policy priorities if he becomes president again. When Putin met with the representatives of Russia’s traditional confessions in Moscow’s main cathedral on Wednesday, the representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church told him that Christians are facing repressions all over the world. The head of External Church Relations, Metropolitan Illarion, said that every five minutes one Christian was dying for his or her faith in some part of the world, specifying that he was talking about such countries as Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan and India. The cleric asked Putin to make the protection of Christians one of the foreign policy directions in future. “This is how it will be, have no doubt,” Putin answered."

I am reminded of another who is prophesied to come, boasting in flatteries and promises:

"And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries." (Daniel 11:21)

Not that Putin is the antichrist but perhaps a pale imitation of one. A forerunner. Seven months ago, Joel C. Rosenberg wrote "Putin Rising: but is he Gog?" regarding the March 4th election in Russia (which Putin won) and in that essay Rosenberg said,

"But should Putin come back, it will not bode well for Israel, the U.S., or Europe. Putin is a power-hungry, greedy, authoritarian, Czar wannabe. He is determined to expand Russian wealth, power and control over her neighbors. He has worked especially hard to build strategic alliances with Radical Islamic leaders and states in the Middle East. Over the years, people have asked me if Putin might be the Russian dictator referred to as “Gog” in the Biblical prophecies of “Gog and Magog” in Ezekiel 38-39. I suspect as Putin continues to re-emerge, those questions will begin to be asked again. Here’s my quick answer: It’s too soon to draw such a conclusion. There’s much more that would have to happen to indicate that Putin was the “Gog” of Bible prophecy. But there’s no question in my mind that Putin is Gog-esque."

Putin is back and I think he is looking more 'Gog-esque' by the minute.

And a few days ago it was reported that Putin will visit Israel in June, shortly after he is installed as President of Russia. Why? Rosenberg asked the same thing, as many are. We're all scratching our heads.

"Now comes a curious new development: Vladimir Putin will make a high-profile visit to Israel in June, not long after he is sworn in as Russia’s new president on May 7th. News reports indicate Mr. Putin’s first foreign trip upon reclaiming his power will be to the U.S. for the G8 summit on May 20. That makes sense. The U.S.-Russian relationship has widely been considered the most important bilateral geopolitical relationship on the planet since the end of World War II. But with all the other important countries and leaders in the world Mr. Putin could visit, why is he choosing to make meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu his first objective after his meeting with President Obama? What is the Russian leader’s motive? What does he want to accomplish, and why? Will Putin seek to pressure Israel not to launch a preemptive strike on Iran? Will he visit other countries in the epicenter on the same trip? Will he, for example, visit Iran, Syria, and Lebanon, as well? What about other countries mentioned in the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39? It’s too early to say, but a development well worth watching closely."

You betcha we'll be watching.

This time we are living in now is a time of severe deception. We are told that we will all be clamoring for peace, peace, looking for one who will flatter and solve the world's problems and accepting him when he arrives. But it is all a massive deception. Hitler was a deceptively gentle man who was well regarded by those with whom he met. And they believed him. Here are some of the reactions:

"William Manchester's biography of Sir Winston Churchill confronts us with the unpleasant and haunting reminders of Hitler, a man who came extremely close to being the Antichrist, yet deceived the world with his promises of peace. Listen to what Manchester wrote, "Thomas Jones who had been in and out of Whitehall for a quarter century wrote in his diary, `All sorts of people who have met Hitler are convinced that he's a factor for peace. He doesn't seek war but friendship. Meeting the press after he had been closeted with Hitler for an hour, Lloyd George said he regarded him as the greatest living German. A year later he wrote, "I only wish we had a man of his supreme quality at the head of affairs in our country today."" He's talking about Hitler. Nazi goals were even applauded by Anglican clergymen, a group of whom expressed, quote: "Boundless admiration for the moral and ethical side of the Nazi program, its clear stand for religion and Christianity and its ethical principles," end quote.

(source: The Coming of World Peace)

And Putin will make protection of Christians in the world a priority. Peace! Peace! It is right around the corner!