Our Anchor Holds

“We who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls.”—Hebrews 6:18–191

Change is one thing that really drives us closer to the Lord. You’ve heard it said, “All things change but Jesus never.” “Change and decay in all around I see, Oh, Thou who changest not, abide with me.”2 Everything changes except the Lord, so we learn to trust the Lord. He’s the only thing that remains constant.

One of the circumstances when this is most evident is when we move to a new place or especially a new country. We become accustomed to our homes, things, friends, or habits, and we tend to rely on or trust in those things. But then when we are suddenly in some place far away, it can cause significant culture shock. When businessmen, teachers, or students go to foreign countries to work or study, some of them also experience culture shock, because they’ve been used to having the same thing all their lives—the same language, the same friends, the same place to live. All of a sudden they can’t rely on those things anymore.

Some people don’t want to have to adapt; they want the same routine every day. It gives them a feeling of security that those things that they’re attached to will always be there and their life will always be the same. But then if a disruption comes along, they are shaken and feel insecure.

As Christians, we can take changes because we have an anchor that holds us steadfast and sure. We have a rock that is always solid that we can always trust. So in some ways our lives are much the same every day because we trust the Lord every day. We have that Rock, we have that anchor that keeps us safe and secure all the time, no matter what the waves are like, the constantly changing sea and life-changes we face.

We have someone in whom we can rest reassured, eternally secure, knowing that we don’t have to worry. He’s going to solve every problem and always meet the need, whatever it is, and keep us safely wherever we are, whatever we’re doing.

We have that anchor. We have that rock to hold on to. Our faith. The Lord. So no matter what happens around us on the constantly changing sea of life, it doesn’t have to move us. We can survive it and surmount it. We know we’ve lived through past changes and we can live through future changes, because the Lord is without change.

So hold on to the Lord! “I am the Lord, I change not. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.”3 Praise the Lord! He remains the same—always faithful, always trustworthy, always there, always bringing the solution to every problem and answering every need.

So we have that feeling of constant security that surmounts anything else in life. But for people who don’t have the Lord, it doesn’t matter how secure a life they appear to lead; nothing is secure, and it may all fall apart at some point. They have no foundation, nothing to hang on to, nothing for an anchor, nothing for a solid rock for a foundation.

For us, no matter what happens or where we go or where we live or what the conditions may be, the Lord’s still there and He’ll always keep us, no matter what. So we can have a wonderful feeling of security that unbelievers cannot, no matter how long they live in the same place and do the same things and go to the same school and have the same house and the same pets and the same friends. They’re in the most precarious position of all because their feeling of security is a false sense of security that can be interrupted at any moment and fall apart when even one of those things on which they rely changes.

We have constant complete security in the Lord all the time. “I’ve learned to be content in whatsoever state I’m in.”4 My mother used to remind us of that time and again when we kids would complain about having to leave school or get to school late in the year or moving and being on the road, all kinds of things. That was one of her favorite verses: “I’ve learned to be content in whatsoever state I’m in.” It’s a wonderful thing to learn to be content.

That’s the wonderful thing about trusting the Lord. When you don’t know what’s going to happen, you just know the Lord’s going to somehow work everything out for our ultimate good, no matter how difficult it seems at the time. He always does. He never fails! Praise the Lord!

Though the angry surges roll

O’er your tempest-driven soul,

You’ll be peaceful for you’ll know,

Wildly though the winds may blow.

You’ve an anchor safe and sure,

That shall evermore endure.

Oh, your anchor holds.

Blow your wildest, then, O gale.

On our bark so small and frail,

Praise God, we’ll never fail,

For our anchor holds, our anchor holds.

Mighty tides about me sweep,

Perils lurk within the deep,

Angry clouds o’er-shade the sky,

And the tempest rises high;

Still I stand the tempest’s shock

For I’m anchored to the rock.

And it holds, my anchor holds.

Blow your wildest, then, O gale.

Though my bark is small and frail,

Praise God, I shall not fail,

For my anchor holds, my anchor holds.

—William Martin, 1902

Jesus holds us. He’s our anchor! And He’s going to hold you no matter what. Jesus is going to hold you!

Even if you stumble and fall, the Lord will lift you up. So don’t worry, no matter how many times you stumble or how low you may fall. If you have Jesus and you love Jesus, you’re His child. You’d never desert your own children, you’d never cast them out, you’d never send them away, no matter how many times they stumble or fall or hurt themselves or do the wrong thing or disobey. You’re still their parent. You still love them. You’ll always forgive and always take them back because they’re your child, your son or daughter, your little one. They’re yours forever, just as you are His forever. So He’ll never leave you or forsake you, even unto the end of the world! He’ll hold you fast!

By David Brandt Berg

1 NLT.

2 From H. Lyte’s hymn “Abide in Me,” 1847.

3 Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8.

4 Philippians 4:11.

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Quantum Computing and Catastrophic Consequences are Closer than Realized

In a recent article in The Australian Business Review, it was reported that physicists in the field of quantum computing research have made a giant leap forward. The article states:

"University of NSW researchers say they have achieved the first calculation involving two quantum computer bits encased in silicon. The feat, outlined this morning in the journal Nature, is a “game changer” in an experimental field that dovetails into the federal government’s applied research focus."

The leader of the team, Andrew Dzurak, is quoted as saying “We’ve come up with a full design for how to wire up thousands or millions of these things. There are still big engineering challenges, but I believe all of those are solvable.”

Quantum computing is now a very real possibility; one that will likely be realized sooner rather than later. For years, CERN has even expressed a deep interest in utilizing quantum computing to analyze the massive amount of information the LHC produces. Back in February of 2006, CERN released a bulletin about an upcoming conference that would explore the potential of quantum computing.

Quantum computing uses the strange behavior of certain subatomic particles to achieve the impossible. This behavior is known as "quantum entanglement". As of now, quantum entanglement is a complete mystery. When two particles are entangled, they have the ability to communicate with one another at instantaneous speeds; even faster than the speed of light. This is thought to be physically impossible because of all the paradoxes FTL (faster than light) speed is supposed to cause. For example, the closer one accelerates to the speed of light, the slower time moves for the traveler. At the point the traveler reaches the speed of light, time literally stops. If somehow the traveler could accelerate even faster, time would begin running backwards. There is also the problem of mass: the closer an object comes to the speed of light, the more mass it gains. To reach the speed of light, an object would have infinite mass, which of course is physically impossible. Photons, the particles of light, are massless by nature which is how thy can travel at such in incredible speed.

One theory to explain quantum entanglement, and by far the most convincing, is that this phenomena is operating through higher dimensions. When more spatial dimensions are added, things that seem physically impossible can become possible. For example, think of a two-dimensional triangle. We know based on the rules of geometry that every angle of the triangle should add up to 180 degrees. Now imagine if we were to measure the angles of the triangle and discover to our astonishment the angles add up to a value great than 180 degrees. How could this be physically possible? It's simple when we add another spatial dimension. If the triangle was fixed on the surface of a sphere, for example, the angles would add up to higher that 180 degrees due to the curvature of the lines making up the triangle. Thus the impossible becomes possible.

If quantum entanglement is operating in higher spatial dimensions, then quantum computing would essentially possess extradimensional processing power. There would be virtually no limit to what could be achieved with such a machine. The elite in control of such technology would have access to god-like abilities and power. When considering how much control the elite have over the general population of the world from utilizing the technology of today, it is frightening to consider what will be done when quantum computing provides nearly infinite possibilities.

The other issue is the technology required of quantum computing is so vastly outside of our realm of understanding, we would be tapping into something we can't hope to comprehend. We have no idea what the consequences to opening the world up to higher dimensions would be. Biblical end-times prophecy speak of a time when the separation between the spiritual world and our own will be breached, allowing in eternal and extradimensional beings who will choose to wreak havoc on the earth. Utilizing quantum computing might very well be the first step to fulfilling those prophecies.

As I state in Quantum Creation and Cherubim Chariots, the terms "extradimensional" and "spiritual" are essentially the same thing. An extradimensional being is synonymous with a spiritual being. They are the same thing described with two different terms. Now, more than ever, we must take the time to learn and understand what the world is doing in scientific circles, especially in physics. The world is quickly speeding toward a quantum future and we must be prepared.

Thank you for reading, take care, and God bless!

Josh Peck

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AL ARABIYA NEWS

Hungarian church thanks God, government for fending off migrants

Migrants walk to the border between Hungary and Austria in Hegyeshalom, Hungary, Thursday October 1 2015

Reuters, Budapest

Friday, 2 October 2015

The church in a southern Hungarian diocese heavily affected by the arrival of migrants has thanked the right-wing government for regarding its effort to seal Hungary’s borders against further migration as “a task given by God”.

Hungary, a landlocked country whose government has been criticised by European Union peers for its anti-foreigner stance, has become a main transit route for hundreds of thousands of migrants arriving via the Balkans to the south.

More than 280,000 migrants fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa have passed through Hungary in central Europe this year so far, nearly all seeking sanctuary in the wealthier countries of the western EU.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban has split opinion across Europe by sealing Hungary’s borders with Serbia to stem the influx, while tough anti-immigration measures and his pledge not to let mainly Muslim migrants threaten Hungary’s Christian traditions have boosted his right-wing party’s popularity at home.

“We are thankful to God that our country has a government now which regards the protection of our country and people as a task given by God ... while it promotes and practices brotherly love towards those arriving in our homeland,” the Reformed Church of Csongrad diocese said in a statement this week.

Csongrad county lies on the border with Serbia.

Andras Juhasz, dean of the Protestant diocese, told Reuters that it felt compelled to raise its voice given “what was happening in this part of the country.”

“We felt that Christian people could not remain silent in this situation,” he said over the phone.

In the statement, the church thanked God for what it called the “professional, proportionate and humane” border protection work of Hungarian police.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed “shock” at clashes between Hungarian police and migrants at the Serbian border last month. Riot police used tear gas and water cannon against a group of migrants pelting them with rocks.

The church said any criticism of Hungary for protecting its borders was “unfounded and unacceptable.”

“We are aware that most migrants arrive from countries which are open enemies of Jesus Christ and Christianity and in which Christians are persecuted for their faith,” the statement said.

“Those who come here may not have participated in this actively, but it is enough if they agreed with the persecution or did not raise their voice against it, while coming here they demand their human rights to be observed.”

The church added that it was providing help for migrants in the name of brotherly love, and praised the work of the Hungarian Reformed charity and refugee mission.

Hungary is also now sealing its frontier with Croatia to cut off an alternative corridor for migrants trying to enter the EU’s Schengen passport-free travel zone.

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Zerohedge

Airstrikes Are Just the Appetizer - Get Ready for a Massive Ground Invasion from Iran

“This is nothing short of a Middle Eastern coup, as Iran looks to displace Saudi Arabia as the regional power broker and as Russia looks to supplant the US as the superpower puppet master”

October 4, 2015

On Thursday, in “Mid-East Coup: As Russia Pounds Militant Targets, Iran Readies Ground Invasions While Saudis Panic”, we attempted to cut through all of the Western and Russian media propaganda on the way to describing what Moscow’s involvement in Syria actually portends for the global balance of power. Here are a few excerpts that summarize what’s taking shape in the Middle East:

Putin looks to have viewed this as the ultimate geopolitical win-win. That is, Russia gets to i) expand its influence in the Middle East in defiance of Washington and its allies, a move that also helps to protect Russian energy interests and preserves the Mediterranean port at Tartus, and ii) support its allies in Tehran and Damascus thus preserving the counterbalance to the US-Saudi-Qatar alliance.

Meanwhile, Iran gets to enjoy the support of the Russian military juggernaut on the way to protecting the delicate regional nexus that is the source of Tehran’s Mid-East influence. It is absolutely critical for Iran to keep Assad in power, as the loss of Syria to the West would effectively cut the supply line between Iran and Hezbollah.

It would be difficult to overstate the significance of what appears to be going on here. This is nothing short of a Middle Eastern coup, as Iran looks to displace Saudi Arabia as the regional power broker and as Russia looks to supplant the US as the superpower puppet master.

In short, the Pentagon’s contention that Russia and Iran have formed a Mid-East “nexus” isn’t akin to the Bush administration’s hollow, largely bogus attempt to demonize America’s foreign policy critics in the eyes of the public by identifying an “axis of evil.” Rather, the Pentagon’s assessment was an attempt to come to grips with a very real effort on the part of Moscow and Tehran to tip the scales in the Mid-East away from Riyadh and Washington.

Solidifying the Assad regime in Syria serves to shore up Hezbollah and presents Tehran with an opportunity to assert itself in the name of combatting terror. The latter point there is critical. The West has long contended that Iran is the world’s foremost state sponsor of terror, and the Pentagon has variously accused the Quds Force of orchestrating attacks on US soldiers in Iraq after cooperation between Washington and Tehran broke down in the wake of Bush’s “axis of evil” comment.

Indeed, Iran was accused of masterminding a plot to kill the Saudi ambassador at a Washington DC restaurant in 2011.

Now, the tables have turned. It is the US, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar who stand accused of sponsoring Sunni extremists and it is Iran, and specifically the Revolutionary Guard, that gets to play hero.

Of course this would be largely impossible without Moscow’s stamp of superpower approval. The optics around the P5+1 nuclear deal were making it difficult for Tehran to be too public in its efforts to bolster Assad. That doesn’t mean Tehran’s support for the regime in Syria hasn’t been well documented for years, it simply means that Iran needed to observe some semblance of caution, lest its role in Syria should end up torpedoing the nuclear negotiations. Now that Moscow is officially involved, that caution is no longer obligatory and Iran is now moving to support Russian airstrikes with an outright ground incursion (just as we’ve been saying for weeks). Here’s WSJ:

Iran is expanding its already sizable role in Syria’s multisided war in the wake of Russia’s airstrikes, despite the risk of antagonizing the U.S. and its Persian Gulf allies who want to push aside President Bashar al-Assad.

Politicians in the region close to Tehran as well as analysts who have been closely following its role in Syria say a decision has been made, in close coordination with the Russians and the Assad regime, to increase the number of fighters on the ground through Iran’s network of local and foreign proxies.

The support also could involve more Iranian commanders, military advisers and expert fighters usually assigned to these units, these people said.

Wiam Wahhab, a former Lebanese minister allied to Iran and Mr. Assad, stressed that Iran wouldn’t be dispatching troops in the conventional sense. Instead, they were likely to be officers and advisers from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, he said.

“I know there is a major battle upon us and everything needed for this battle will be made available,” said Mr. Wahhab, who has some members from his own political party fighting in Syria alongside the regime. “There is a plan to carry out offensive operations in more than one spot.”

Experts believe Iran has some 7,000 IRGC members and Iranian paramilitary volunteers operating in Syria already.

Separate from the regular army, the IRGC was founded in the aftermath of the 1979 revolution as an ideological “people’s army” reporting directly to the supreme leader, Iran’s top decision maker.

The more than 100,000-strong force controls a vast military, economic and security power structure in Iran and is in charge of proxies across the region. Its paramilitary organization, the Basij, was the lead force in the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in 2009.

Since late 2012 Iran has played a lead role in organizing, training and funding local pro-regime militias in Syria, many of them members of Mr. Assad’s Alawite minority, a branch of Shiite Islam. Experts believe they number between 150,000 and 190,000—possibly more than what remains of Syria’s conventional army.

What’s more, some experts estimate 20,000 Shiite foreign fighters are on the ground, backed by both Shiite Iran and its main proxy in the region, the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

About 5,000 of them are new arrivals from Iraq in July and August alone, said Phillip Smyth, a researcher at the University of Maryland. He said this figure was compiled through his own contacts with some of these fighters, flight data between Baghdad and Damascus as well as social media postings. “It looks like it was timed out to coincide with the Russian move,” Mr. Smyth said.

Yes, it certainly does “look like” that, and it wasn't hard to see this coming. Here's another excerpt from our recent analysis:

Back in June, the commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Qasem Soleimaini, visited a town north of Latakia on the frontlines of Syria’s protracted civil war. Following that visit, he promised that Tehran and Damascus were set to unveil a new strategy that would “surprise the world.”

Just a little over a month later, Soleimani - in violation of a UN travel ban - visited Russia and held meetings with The Kremlin.

Make no mistake, this is shaping up to be the most spectacular US foreign policy debacle since Vietnam - and we don't think that's an exaggeration.

The US, in conjunction with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, attempted to train and support Sunni extremists to overthrow the Assad regime. Some of those Sunni extremists ended up going crazy and declaring a Medeival caliphate putting the Pentagon and Langley in the hilarious position of being forced to classify al-Qaeda as “moderate.” The situation spun out of control leading to hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths and when Washington finally decided to try and find real “moderates” to help contain the Frankenstein monster the CIA had created in ISIS (there were of course numerous other CIA efforts to arm and train anti-Assad fighters, see below for the fate of the most “successful” of those groups), the effort ended up being a complete embarrassment that culminated with the admission that only “four or five” remained and just days after that admission, those “four or five” were car jacked by al-Qaeda in what was perhaps the most under-reported piece of foreign policy comedy in history.

Meanwhile, Iran sensed an epic opportunity to capitalize on Washington's incompetence. Tehran then sent its most powerful general to Russia where a pitch was made to upend the Mid-East balance of power. The Kremlin loved the idea because after all, Moscow is stinging from Western economic sanctions and Vladimir Putin is keen on showing the West that, in the wake of the controversy surrounding the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine, Russia isn't set to back down. Thanks to the fact that the US chose extremists as its weapon of choice in Syria, Russia gets to frame its involvement as a “war on terror” and thanks to Russia's involvement, Iran gets to safely broadcast its military support for Assad just weeks after the nuclear deal was struck. Now, Russian airstrikes have debilitated the only group of CIA-backed fighters that had actually proven to be somewhat effective and Iran and Hezbollah are preparing a massive ground invasion under cover of Russian air support. Worse still, the entire on-the-ground effort is being coordinated by the Iranian general who is public enemy number one in Western intelligence circles and he's effectively operating at the behest of Putin, the man that Western media paints as the most dangerous person on the planet.

As incompetent as the US has proven to be throughout the entire debacle, it's still difficult to imagine that Washington, Riyadh, London, Doha, and Jerusalem are going to take this laying down and on that note, we close with our assessment from Thursday:

If Russia ends up bolstering Iran's position in Syria (by expanding Hezbollah's influence and capabilities) and if the Russian air force effectively takes control of Iraq thus allowing Iran to exert a greater influence over the government in Baghdad, the fragile balance of power that has existed in the region will be turned on its head and in the event this plays out, one should not expect Washington, Riyadh, Jerusalem, and London to simply go gentle into that good night.

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END OF THE AMERICAN DREAM

PREVIEW OF WORLD WAR III? RUSSIA IS PUTTING ON A DISPLAY OF FIREPOWER THAT IS SHOCKING THE WORLD

A state of panic has been created among ISIS militants that we have not seen previously

Image Credits: U.S. Air Force, Wikimedia Commons.

by MICHAEL SNYDER

OCTOBER 5, 2015

The Russians have unleashed their own version of “shock and awe” in Syria, and the brutal efficiency of their airstrikes against ISIS targets has stunned many observers around the globe.

For more than a year, the Obama administration has claimed that its bombing campaign in Syria has been a “success”, and yet ISIS has continued to grow stronger and gain more territory. But now just over a few days the tide of the conflict appears to have turned. The whole world has gotten a chance to see what a global superpower can truly do to a bunch of radical Islamic terrorists when it is focused and determined. The images that we have seen of hardened ISIS command centers being wiped off the face of the map by Russian bombs are truly impressive. But why did those targets still exist in the first place? Was the U.S. military unable to identify them previously? Or could it be possible that the Obama administration did not want to hit them?

What we do know is that a state of panic has been created among ISIS militants that we have not seen previously. There are reports of hundreds of terrorists abandoning their positions and trying to flee the country…

Russian air strikes Saturday targeting the Islamic State group in Syria have sown “panic”, forcing some 600 “militants” to abandon their positions and head to Europe, Moscow claimed.

Summing up the results of Russia’s first three days of strikes, a senior official with the General Staff said Russian jets had made more than 60 sorties over 50 IS targets and added that Russia would ramp up its aerial campaign.

“Our intelligence shows that militants are leaving areas under their control. Panic and desertion have started in their ranks,” Colonel General Andrei Kartapolov, a senior Russian General Staff official, said in a statement.

“Some 600 mercenaries have abandoned their positions and are trying to find their way into Europe,” Kartapolov said.

Of course the mainstream media in the United States is downplaying the effectiveness of these attacks. The Obama administration is very much against these Russian airstrikes, and it is quite an embarrassment to the U.S. that the Russians are doing what we were either unwilling or unable to do.

You can witness video footage from some of these bombings right here andright here. In recent years the Russian military has been rapidly modernized, and now they are displaying their might for all the world to see. The following is how one particular attack was described in the Daily Mail…

‘The sound of the rocket was extremely frightening. Then a huge explosion happened in front of my eyes. I’ve never seen anything like it before in Talbiseh. The scale was far worse than anything the Syrians have done. The destruction was huge and horrible. Buildings were destroyed completely. And streets just disappeared under clouds of dust and rubble as the walls fell.’

These Russian airstrikes are intended to pave the way for ground assaults by Syrian and Iranian troops. If ISIS begins to lose a lot of territory inside Syria in the coming weeks, a lot of people are going to have some very serious questions regarding why previous U.S. attempts were seemingly so unsuccessful. The following comes from Zero Hedge…

Now obviously one must consider the source here, but Kremlin spin tactics aside, one cannot help but be amazed with the pace at which this is apparently unfolding. If any of the above is even close to accurate, it means that Russia is on schedule to declare victory over ISIS (and everyone else it looks like) in a matter of weeks, which would not only be extremely embarrassing for Washington, but would also effectively prove that the US has never truly embarked on an honest effort to rid Syria of the extremist groups the Western media claims are the scourge of humanity.

Inside Russia, these airstrikes are proving to be extremely popular.

Unlike the war-weary U.S. public, Russian citizens are relishing the opportunity to be proud of their military, and Russian media outlets are loudly trumpeting the efficiency of these airstrikes…

Channel One’s evening news program on Saturday opened with dramatic cockpit videos of Russian jets making what were described as direct hits on terrorist training camps and weapons stores. The bombs were never off by more than five meters, a military spokesman said, because of the jets’ advanced targeting capabilities.

One popular Russian commentator even suggested that what is going on in Syria shows that in contrast to Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin is “a real man”…

Political commentator Yulia Latynina said Russia wants to see the destruction of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). “Only this will allow Putin to achieve the desired result, to show Obama how he, Putin, a real man, succeeded where Obama was disgraced,” she said in her program Saturday night on Ekho Moskvy radio.

I had to smile when I first read that. Without a doubt, this entire episode is making the Obama administration look rather pathetic.

For weeks, Obama seemed to have little idea what the Russians intended to do in Syria. And now that the Russians are bombing the living daylights out of ISIS, the best that Obama can do is whine loudly about it.

The Russians appear to be succeeding where Obama failed, and this has put the U.S. government in a very precarious position in the Middle East. After seeing the Russians have such success inside Syria, the president of Iraq is now considering asking the Russians to conduct a similar campaign inside his own nation…

One day after launching a campaign of airstrikes in Syria,Russia announced that it was considering going into Iraq.

A foreign ministry representative said Thursday that Russia would consider any request from Iraq to conduct anti-ISIS airstrikes in the country, and Iraqi President Haider al-Abadi told Western news outlets that Russian airstrikes were “a possibility” and that Iraq would “welcome it.”

Of course the truth is that the U.S. could have dealt a decisive blow to ISIS long ago if it truly wanted to.

The Obama administration was hoping that some combination of ISIS and other Islamic terror groups would ultimately topple Assad and bring about regime change in Syria.

Now that appears very unlikely to ever happen, and the Russians have greatly strengthened their hand in the Middle East.

So what will Obama’s next move be?

Nobody knows for sure, but it will almost certainly be the wrong one.

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21StCENTURYWIRE

ISIS ON THE RUN: Russian Airstrikes Totally Obliterate Terrorist Forces in Just 72 Hours

DESPERATE AFTER ANNIHILATION: ISIS Attacks Palmyra’s Stone Monuments

OCTOBER 5, 2015 BY STUART HOOPER
21st Century Wire says…

Russia has just achieved, in 72 hours, what the West failed to do in an entire year.

Numerous news outlets are now reporting that ISIS forces are in total disarray and even, in some cases, completely on the run following the start of Russian airstrikes last week.

Russian Lt. Gen. Andrei Kartapolov said that “intelligence has captured that militants are leaving the areas under their control“, and, most importantly, he added that “panic and desertion have begun in their ranks. About 600 mercenaries have left their positions and are trying to get to Europe“.

Due to this runaway success, Kartapolov said “we will not only continue conducting our airstrikes, but will also increase their intensity“, where the Russians will be targeting “command and control centers, ammunition and explosives warehouses, communication centers, mini-factories for the production of weapons of suicide bombings and militant training camps“.

A spokesperson from Russia’s Defence Ministry said “A bunker-busting BETAB-500 air bomb dropped from a Sukhoi Su-34 bomber near Raqqa has eliminated the command post of one of the terror groups, together with an underground storage facility for explosives and munitions“. He added that “All disclosed targets are promptly engaged, regardless of the weather or light conditions“.

The Su-34 – World’s best machinery for annihilating terrorists. (Photo Credit: Alex Beltyukov)

ISIS have no chance against the advanced Russian jet and bomb technology, and the spokesperson commented that “No operable air-defense systems have been spotted in the Russian Air Force zone of action in Syria“.

Terror analyst Dr Afzal Ashraf commented saying that ISIS “vastly exaggerated their military strength“. He said “this mythical state will disappear in a matter of hours once the international community decides to act. It won’t take very long at all to drive them, if not out of all of Iraq or Syria, then certainly the majority of their territories“.

This obviously now calls into question what the West was doing for an entire year, when they were supposedly trying to destroy ISIS. What is certain is that military industrial complex was making a boat load of cash – around $10 million per day – ‘fighting ISIS’, yet there were no results to speak of.

Adding to the embarrassment, NATO managed to drop a bomb through the roof of a hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, killing numerous innocents, in the same week that they were upstaged by Russia.

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SPUNIK

Russian Airstrikes Destroy 40% of ISIL's Infrastructure in a Week

16:03 07.10.2015(updated 16:24 07.10.2015)

Syria's Ambassador to Russia Riad Haddad said that around 40 percent of Islamic State infrastructure in Syria has been destroyed since Russia began its military operation in the country.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Around 40 percent of Islamic State infrastructure in Syria has been destroyed since Russia began its military operation in the country, Syria's Ambassador to Russia Riad Haddad told Sputnik on Wednesday.

"According to our data, about 40 percent [was destroyed]. In addition, a lot of terrorists have been killed. Now, they are retreating toward the Turkish border, as this country has traditionally provided them with protection," Haddad said.

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Chuck Baldwin

Bush And Obama Make Putin Look Good

Published: Thursday, September 10, 2015

Big Government toadies can pooh-pooh the existence of a conspiracy by elitists to create a global government (aka a New World Order) all they want to, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are. Over the last several decades, proponents of global government have been quite outspoken about their intention to create a New World Order. In fact, former President George H.W. Bush (NOT so-called “right wing conspiracy nuts”) was the one who popularized the term “New World Order” in modern times.

For those who haven’t taken the time to educate themselves on the reality of the elite’s intention to create a New World Order, please take a few minutes to review this documentation:

A Chronological History: The New World Order

That pastors and Christians would question the existence of a modern conspiracy to construct global government is somewhat surprising to me, as such a conspiracy can be traced all the way back to the story of the Tower of Babel as recorded in the Book of Genesis. Plus, the Biblical record is replete with examples of ancient empires that embarked on world domination.

In addition, students of Bible prophecy that interpret Scriptures to foretell a literal antichrist and Revived Roman Empire should readily observe that what they are talking about is nothing more than global government. Unfortunately, far too many Christians take an indifferent--even fatalistic--approach to this potential eventuality (“we can’t stop it”) or a convenient attitude of escapism (“the Rapture is going to bail me out of all this trouble”).

Regardless, what Christians should take note of is that no matter what approach one takes to Bible prophecy, the warnings regarding global government are concentrated upon the West. And while dispensationalists are quick to point to Russia as the future Gog and Magog of the Book of Ezekiel, this is purely conjecture. (Many Bible scholars believe the Gog and Magog prophecy, like most prophecies of the Old Testament, was fulfilled long ago.) The one constant is the global conspiracy of the West. And dare I say that whether what we are witnessing is a literal fulfillment of Bible prophecy or not, what we ARE seeing is a Western conspiracy to create global government.

In truth, we haven’t had a President to oppose the international bankers that largely comprise the movers and shakers of the New World Order since President Andrew Jackson. In my opinion, President Woodrow Wilson was the first President to ensconce the evil machinations of globalists into official U.S. public policy via the creation of the Federal Reserve, a graduated income tax, etc. And certainly President Harry Truman became a significant contributor to the globalist agenda when he led the United States into joining the United Nations. But it has been the combined administrations of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, G.W. Bush, and Barack Obama (truly nothing more than one continuous administration) that has taken the New World Order to the brink of reality.

And what most Americans (especially most Christians) fail to understand is that the Neocon wars in the Middle East form the tip of the spear for the globalists’ New World Order agenda. Though preparations for all of this began long ago, it was G.W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq that launched what can only be regarded as the final push to fulfill the utopian dreams of the elitists for global government. Of course, Barack Obama has only continued Bush’s global agenda. In fact Obama has ordered more drone attacks than did Bush. And, apart from a populist uprising against the establishment at the voting booth next year, whoever is elected President (Democrat or Republican) will only further oblige these wicked NWO architects.

Americans need to face it: the wars America is fighting in the Middle East have NOTHING to do with protecting the United States and EVERYTHING to do with satisfying the demands of global elitists in Washington, D.C., London, and elsewhere. Perpetual war is a tool of globalists to enslave us. Global hegemony--not liberty--is their goal.

The Western war machine in the Middle East has done more damage to the American conscience (not to mention the carnage and death inflicted upon innocent victims) than anything since the Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion-on-demand. As a result, most Americans have now come to accept preemptive invasion of foreign nations, perpetual war, a burgeoning Police State at home, and the construction of an American Empire.

But all of a sudden, Western globalists may have been dealt a setback.

In the September 4, 2015 edition of his World Affairs Brief, Joel Skousen writes: “Ever since the US began targeting Syria for regime change, Russia has only supplied Syria with replacement arms and ammunition--nothing new that would allow Assad to effectively combat the US backed rebels nor the Israeli Air Force which intervenes regularly against Assad’s air defenses. What I’ve consistently said over the years is that all the Russians have to do to stop US and Israeli intervention in Syria is to put a squadron of first line fighters in Syria and man them with Russian pilots, plus add some Russian Special Forces on the ground. The US isn’t going to risk WWIII by directly attacking the Russians (they want Russia to start it so the globalists look innocent). But this week, something dramatic may have changed--an Israeli news channel announced that a Russian fighter squadron will arrive in the next few days, followed by Special Forces to take on ISIS. I’ll have to see further evidence before I know it is real, but this could really put another wrench in globalist plans for both Syria and Iran if Russia shows some muscle.”

“Remember that Russia failed to back up Hussein in Iraq (another former Russian ally) militarily when the West invaded.”

“It always looked like Russia was going to similarly allow Syria to fall. For example, Russia never delivered the S-300 air defense missiles they had promised to Assad, nor any first line fighter aircraft. But now, if the Israeli report is true, all that may change. If Russia follows through and provides a Russian military shield for Assad, this could be a real game changer in the Middle East relative to globalist intentions.”

“This is clearly the tactic that Russia has known all along would stop US intervention—both through arming “moderate jihadist rebels” (a non sequitur) and the Islamic State which it created to have an excuse to intervene in Syria militarily. Why did Putin wait until now when Assad’s back is to the wall and most of the Syrian territory lost?

“Perhaps it is because the Russians have decided that two can play the phony anti-terrorist game. Knowing that the US formed ISIS to create a back door excuse to attack Syrian infrastructure, Putin decided he could also use the excuse of fighting the same ISIS to enter Syria and support Assad.”

“The reason this is a big game changer is that with Russia coming in to attack ISIS the Islamic State will actually start to receive some serious damage. As I have documented in past briefs the US has been faking its fight against ISIS by avoiding attacks on large concentrations of troops or equipment when vulnerable, denying pilots permission to attack until they run low on fuel, and hitting lots of empty buildings or infrastructure that only hurts Syria, not ISIS. Russia won’t be tying their pilot’s hands nor pulling any punches with ISIS.

“Bill Gertz had a story confirming how the US is fudging the fight against ISIS, including that the US is not targeting ISIS training camps. No surprise there--they aren’t targeting claimed ISIS training camps across the border with Mexico either, and it’s not because they actually intend to let those fake terrorists attack the US. It is only to keep up the media hype about the ISIS threat. If the US allowed a cross border attack it would only rile up the public about Obama’s refusal to fence the border.”

Pentagon Not Targeting Islamic State Training Camps

“There are also a series of videos on the internet about Muslim training camps in America, complete with weapons training with automatic rifles. You don’t think the US could track them down if they were real? You bet they could, but they don’t--because they serve the propaganda purpose of keeping Americans compliant with the anti-terror agenda.

“Keep in mind as you read his report that the US refused to target ISIS staging areas inside Iraq in the build up to the ISIS-Iraq invasion, even as PM al Maliki begged them to take them out. It is all for the same reason: ISIS is a tool of US and British intelligence to enhance the lagging and phony war on terror and to justify intervening in Syria.”

Still quoting Skousen: “So it is little wonder that the Obama administration has yet to announce a significant public reaction to the new level of Russian assistance in Syria, other than call it destabilizing. Yes, it is only destabilizing to them and ISIS and really puts a kink in their plans to take down Syria. To recap the globalist agenda for new readers--that differs from the official claims,

“1) The aim all along has been to take down Iran as a regional military power (the only Muslim country threatening to become self-sufficient in the full range of indigenous weapons, including nuclear). This is supremely hypocritical in that the US does nothing to stop North Korea which has nuclear weapons and the missiles to deliver those weapons to parts of the US.

“2) Israel has long been tasked to start the war with Iran, claiming the necessity of taking out its nuclear weapons program, but Israel has been waiting until the globalists take out Syria, whose retaliatory capacity to strike Israel with theater ballistic missiles heretofore was significant.

“3) The US was about to do a Libyan-style “No Fly Zone/Invasion” of Syria but was stymied when Syria and Russia accepted Secretary of State Kerry’s off-the-cuff remark about giving Syria an out if she gave up her chemical weapons (the same ones transferred out of Iraq by the Russians before the Iraq war).

“4) The US created the peace talks with Iran to set Iran up for a future violation of this agreement when the US is ready to go back into the attack mode on Iran, after Syria is taken down.

“5) The US and Britain created ISIS out of the larger portion of Syrian jihadist rebels they were funding in Iraq in order to have an excuse to get back into Syria. Rather than taking down ISIS, they continue to bomb only insignificant targets and are actively resupplying ISIS via surrogates in Qatar and formerly through Yemen.

“But if Russia seriously intervenes in Syria, it will hamper this entire agenda--or at least make them rethink the entire plan.”

World Affairs Brief

Think of it: G.W. Bush and Barack Obama make Vladimir Putin look GOOD.

In addition, while our federal government seems intent on eviscerating all vestiges of Christianity from America’s public life (the federal judge who threw the Kentucky clerk of court into jail was a G.W. Bush appointee; the Supreme Court justice who wrote for the majority in the recent same-sex decision, Anthony Kennedy, was appointed by Ronald Reagan), Putin is boldly calling on the Russian people to return to their Christian roots.

All of the reports I have received from missionaries in and around Russia tell me that the vast majority of pastors and Christians in Russia believe Putin is a wonderful Christian leader. Putin touts himself an Orthodox Christian. In 2012, he publicly promised to defend Christianity, especially persecuted Christians, around the world.

A Christianpost.com report stated, “And, as reported by Interfax, Putin replied, ‘You needn't have any doubt that that's the way it will be,’ assuring Hilarion that Russian foreign policy would defend Christians from persecution abroad.

“Putin's recent actions seem to confirm his promise. Last week, Putin vetoed a U.N. motion calling for Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to step down. Syrian Christians received this as good news. Assad is of the Alawite sect of Islam. Alawites and Christians are both religious minorities in Syria. Syrian Christians feel that sharing this minority status means Assad will provide them with protection. A Syrian Christian woman even told The Global Post, ‘Thank God for Russia. Without Russia we are doomed.’

“Putin has long been a supporter of Christianity and Christian values within Russia. He has called for the Church to play a larger role in citizens' social lives, better religion classes in schools, and television programs emphasizing religious values.”

Vladimir Putin Vows To Defend Christianity Worldwide

Perhaps this is another reason why Putin is coming to the defense of Assad. And perhaps this also helps explain why there seems to be more respect for Christian values in Russia than there is in the United States today.

Consider: the Bible is freely distributed in Russia’s public schools, and homosexual marriages are NOT legally recognized. In fact, Putin signed a law in 2013 prohibiting the distribution of materials promoting the LGBT relationship to minors. At one time, providing such materials to minors in the United States would also have been deemed a crime: the crime of “contributing to the delinquency of a minor.” Now, these-type materials are included in our public school curricula.

In addition, public gay pride demonstrations are prohibited in Russia. Compare this to the government of Israel, which just might be the biggest promoter of gay rights and gay-rights demonstrations of any civil government in the world--more so than even the government of the United States. (Note: I am NOT advocating a restriction of free speech here in the U.S. I am merely pointing out the manner in which Putin’s Russia attempts to protect its children from aberrant sexual behavior, while Obama’s America and Netanyahu’s Israel actively promote such behavior among its youth.)

Russia’s past history was dismal in terms of abortion. But the trend in Russia is changing under Putin. Abortion is available in Russia during the first trimester of pregnancy only; but a bill is currently working its way through the Duma (state parliament) that would remove all state funding for abortions and prohibit private organizations from doing abortions. Under the bill, women would have to personally pay for an abortion. Proponents of the bill believe legal abortion will be eliminated in Russia during the next two years. Putin has already signed a law prohibiting any advertising of abortion services. Definitely, Russia is trending toward a pro-life position.

My friend, Joel Skousen (quoted above), often opines that he believes Putin is still a communist at heart and, as a former head of Russia’s secret spy agency (the KGB), is still an avowed enemy of the United States. He might be right, of course.

But the bigger question is, who is the enemy of freedom? Any nation or national leader can become an enemy of freedom--regardless of label. Tyranny is tyranny, whether it be found in Red Square or the White House.

Don’t forget that George H.W. Bush was the head of the CIA before becoming President. And if there is a substantial moral distinction between the CIA and KGB, I, for one, don’t know what it is. Plus, our federal government (and especially our State Department) is littered with all kinds of socialists. Furthermore, when one looks at the way America’s foreign policy is more and more becoming a tool of the globalists, and the way agencies of the federal government are becoming increasingly dictatorial here at home, it is becoming increasingly difficult to tell the good guys from the bad guys.

All I know is right now Vladimir Putin seems to be the one man in the world who has the cojones to thwart the agenda of the globalists. I say again: Bush and Obama make Putin look GOOD.

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PRESSTV

Israel bans men under 50 from entering al-Aqsa Mosque

Thu Oct 8, 2015 8:57PM

Israeli forces prepare to fire rubber bullets towards Palestinian demonstrators during clashes in Beit El, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, on October 8, 2015. ©AFP


The Israeli regime has banned Palestinian men under the age of 50 from attending Friday prayers at al-Aqsa Mosque in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

“It has been decided to limit the age of worshippers allowed entry to the Temple Mount to men over 50,” a statement by the Israeli police said Thursday, using the holy site's Hebrew name.

“Entry of women of all ages will be allowed,” the statement added.

The al-Aqsa Mosque compound, located in the Israeli-occupied Old City of al-Quds, is a flashpoint holy Islamic site. The location of the compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, is the holiest site in Judaism. The mosque is Islam’s third holiest site after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia.

The restriction comes as tensions have been on the rise in the occupied West Bank and al-Quds in recent days.

Earlier in the day, clashes erupted between Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters in the Beit El settlement near the city of Ramallah when Israeli troops fired tear gas and used live ammunition to disperse the demonstrators, who were angry over provocations by Israeli forces and settlers in Muslims’ third holiest site. At least two Palestinians are reported to have been injured in the attacks by Israeli troops.

According to local sources, during similar clashes in the Shu'fat refugee camp in East al-Quds, at least one Palestinian was killed and six others injured. The Palestinian was shot in the chest, according to the Red Crescent and hospital sources.

Israeli police had imposed entry bans on the al-Aqsa Mosque compound on October 4, announcing that only Israelis, tourists, residents of the area, business owners and schoolchildren were allowed to enter the sacred site.

UN raps Israel over use of live ammunition

UN High Commissioner for Human Right Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein has expressed extreme concern over the escalation of the tensions in the occupied territories, urging an end to the violence.

“The security situation has deteriorated dramatically over the past week in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” he said.

The UN officials also slammed Israeli forces for using live ammunition against Palestinians.

“The use of .22 caliber rifles against protesters is of particular concern,” said Zeid.

He also described collective punishments, such as the demolition of Palestinian homes by Israeli forces in East al-Quds, as “both illegal and counterproductive,” adding, “Any response to the current situation must be strictly in accordance with norms and standards contained in international law.”

The confrontations in the occupied territories follow a wave of violence that has seen Israeli settlers and soldiers attacking Palestinian worshipers in al-Aqsa compound over the past weeks.

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CNN

Doctors Without Borders: Kunduz strike an 'attack on the Geneva conventions'

Jethro Mullen and Elizabeth Joseph

9:53 AM, Oct 7, 2015

Aftermath of the bombing that left 3 staff dead and many poeple wounded Three MSF staff were killed and more than 30 are currently unaccounted for when the trauma center they were working in was hit several times during sustained bombing around 2.10a local Saturday morning, according to an MSF statement.

(CNN) -- Doctors Without Borders, calling the U.S. airstrike on its hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, an "attack on the Geneva Conventions," is asking for an independent investigation by a never-before-used international commission.

The International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission has been in existence since 1991. It requires a request by one of the 76 nations that have signed on to it for it to begin its work. Its job is to investigate whether international humanitarian law has been violated.

Doctors Without Borders -- also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF -- has said it believes the bombing was a war crime.

"Governments up to now have been too polite or afraid to set a precedent," Dr. Joanne Liu, president of Doctors Without Borders, said Wednesday. "The tool exists, and it is time it is activated."

For charity, 'the biggest loss of life ... in an airstrike'

The attack in the embattled city Saturday killed 12 medical staff members and at least 10 patients, three of them children. It was "the biggest loss of life for our organization in an airstrike," Liu said.

Another 37 people were wounded, according to the global charity group, which works in conflict zones to help victims of war and other tragedies.

Gen. John Campbell, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, has said the hospital in Kunduz was struck accidentally during an American airstrike Saturday. The Pentagon is carrying out an investigation, as are NATO and Afghanistan.

"If errors were committed, we will acknowledge them," Campbell said. "We will hold those responsible accountable, and we will take steps to ensure mistakes are not repeated."

Doctors Without Borders wants a full and transparent investigation by an independent agency.

"Their description of the attack keeps changing -- from collateral damage, to a tragic incident, to now attempting to pass responsibility to the Afghanistan government," the group said.

The United States has changed its account of what brought on the airstrike.

'Today, we say, 'Enough' '

First it said, initial reports indicated the airstrike was called to protect U.S. forces. Then it said Afghan forces called for the air support because the Afghans were taking fire.

"Today, we say, 'Enough,' " Liu said.

"Today we are fighting back for the respect of the Geneva Conventions. As doctors, we are fighting back for the sake of our patients."

The United States is not one of the states that have recognized the commission.

A balance between humanity and military necessity

In general terms, a war crime may be committed when there is an attack on a civilian population during an armed conflict, said Steven Kay, a laywer who defended Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta against charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court,

There is an extensive body of law that regulates military action during conflict.

The aim, said Anthony Dworkin, a human rights expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, is to draw a balance between what armed forces are justified to do out of military necessity -- which includes causing collateral damage to civilians -- and the principles of humanity.

"Hospitals enjoy a special protected status under international humanitarian law. So, to attack a hospital or medical facility, whether it is a civilian or military installation, is a crime," Kay said.

CNN's Mairi Mackay and Don Melvin contributed to this report.

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WND

'SINGING CONTRACTORS' HIT SOCIAL MEDIA HIGH

Develop huge following with online, on-the-job, renditions

Published: October 4, 2015

BOB UNRUH

A couple of building contractors from Indiana are hitting a social-media high with their online, on-the-job renditions of favorite traditional church hymns and choruses.

A report from WISH-TV in Indianapolis credits Josh Arnett and Aaron Gray with inspiring millions with their music.

Responding to a special request, they recently posted their version of “How Great Thou Art,” bringing a pastor friend, Paul Bigger, onto their “stage,” which actually is a basement construction project on which they were working.

Hear their version:

They have an online presence with their YouTube channel.

In the WISH report, they said they are humbled by the interest shown.

Arnett told the station, "At the end of the day after our hard work we'll do a short video, and we posted to Facebook one time, and some people liked it."

They often just choose a song they like, the report said.

"We just felt like that particular day 'How Great Thou Art' just seemed like a good song, and that's what we did."

That video has more than 7 million total views, mostly on Facebook, the report said.

"Literally hundreds of messages that say these videos have encouraged people, and in this day and age that we live in, that’s what we want to do," Gray told the station.

Here's another from the duo:

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Until next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions

“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 3:10-11)