“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
Things Which God Hath Prepared
The Resurrection of Life
“The hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voiceand come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life.”—John 5:28–291
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”—1 John 3:22
When Jesus comes, a wonderful miracle takes place—the Resurrection. All of those who belong to Him, all the saved, will then have a glorious resurrection—either from the dead or instantly changed and raised from the very face of the earth, from the living. Then we will all go to be with the Lord to have the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb, while the Wrath of God is being poured out upon those who remain on the earth.
His return and our consequent resurrection are spoken of many times throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Many times we’re told in various ways of this great, apocalyptic event. Although the word “rapture” itself is not found in the Scriptures, it is a handy little word because it sums up the coming of the Lord in the clouds, the sounding of the trumpet, the dead being raised, the living saved being translated, and all of us being gathered together to be with the Lord.
The apostle Paul gives a very revelatory insight into this marvelous event in 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4: “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.”3 He says, “I don’t want you to be so ignorant that you don’t know what’s going to happen when Jesus comes. I don’t want you to sorrow over death, not realizing there’s going to be a resurrection.”
“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.”4 Those who are asleep in Jesus is an oft-used expression and it means “the dead in Christ,” as explained in verse 16 of this same chapter—those who have died in the Lord, born-again Christians who have already gone on to be with Jesus. All of our dear loved ones who have departed from this life are already with the Lord. Their bodies, you might say, are asleep and have gone back to dust if they’ve been there long enough. But they themselves, their spirits, are not sleeping in the grave. They’re with Jesus. “For to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”5 They’ve “departed to be with Christ, which is far better.”6
Jesus will come back with the spirits of all these departed saints so that they can pick up their new resurrected bodies. God wants to prove that He can raise the dead, so He’s going to raise them from the dead, literally, but in a new body—a new resurrected body like the one He had when He rose. That’s going to be beautiful! Their new, glorified, supernatural, resurrection bodies are going to rise and are going to get together with their spirits at the moment of Christ’s coming.
So the dead in Christ are going to come back with the Lord, and He says that “we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord”—those of us who are still living when Jesus comes—“shall not prevent them which are asleep.”7 The literal meaning here is that they which are alive will not precede or go before them which are asleep. The Lord says He’s going to let them be resurrected and rise first. Those who have died in the Lord and have gone on to be with Him go first.
“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”8 With one sudden, supernatural, miraculous, mighty stroke of God, He waves His wand of power, and presto! We who are alive will be changed, translated, and raised incorruptible, to meet the Lord in the air. People talk about the thrill of skydiving! Your body will be changed right on the spot, from a body that’s merely alive to a body that’s going to live forever!
“Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep”—we’re not all going to die in the Lord; some of us are still going to be alive when the Lord comes—“but we shall all be changed.”9 He says it’s a mystery, since it’s pretty hard to understand and explain, because how can you explain that an old corrupt rotten body that’s been in the grave for hundreds or even thousands of years is going to come to life and be perfectly whole and even better than it was before?
“We shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump”—as quick as you can bat your eye, as quick as you can wink or blink your eye. “For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”10
“For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”11 Somehow, through a miracle, God is going to do for our bodies even as He did for Jesus. Of course, Jesus wasn’t dead for nearly as long as many people have been.
“He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.”12 You’re going to be like Jesus was after His resurrection! He walked with His followers and talked with them. He even ate with them and drank with them. He cooked for them once.13 In your new resurrection body you’ll be able to eat, sleep, drink, and do whatever you can do now. But you’ll also be able to do some things you’ve never been able to do in your natural body.
Jesus was not only able to do these natural things, but when they were in a locked room with all the doors barred, all of a sudden He came walking right through the locked door.14 You’ll be able to walk through walls, doors, fly up through ceilings and appear and disappear, just like Jesus did. You’ll be able to travel not just with the slow speed of sound or light, but with the speed of thought from one place to another!
When Jesus suddenly appeared from nowhere to His disciples in that locked-up room, it says, “They were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.”15 They were almost scared to death, as they thought they were seeing a ghost! But Jesus said to them, “Touch Me, feel Me, see that it is I Myself; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have.”16 He didn’t say flesh and blood, “for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,” because “the life of the flesh is in the blood.”17
His resurrection body was made of flesh and bones. But of course it was quite a bit different from the bodies we now have. And when He told doubting Thomas, “Put your fingers into the nail prints in My hand and thrust your hand into the wound in My side, and be not faithless but believing,”18 it showed that it must have been like the same body He died with if the wounds were still there.
When Jesus comes and that great trumpet sounds, you’re going to trade in your present, old, worn-out, fleshly, earthly model for an entirely new heavenly model like the body He had after His resurrection. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.”19 When Jesus comes, we shall see Him as He is, face to face, and be like Him.
The supernatural, miraculous, resurrected, transformed bodies of the future are going to be like the angels of God. “Neither can they die anymore: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”20
But just because you’ve received your new resurrection body, remember, it’s still going to be you. You’re even going to look a lot the same, only better, much better. But it’s going to be you, the same body; otherwise it wouldn’t be a resurrection. And if someone’s natural, fleshly body has completely returned to the dust, or if they were cremated and their ashes sprinkled over a vast area, if God has to take every single proton, electron and neutron and make up the atoms again and bring them back together from the dirt or from the ashes or from the smoke or from whatever and wherever it is, He will bring it back together.
“For if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. For God, who hath raised up the Lord, will also raise us up by His own power. And when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”21
By David Brandt Berg
Originally published May 1983. Adapted and republished September 2014.
1 NKJV.
2 Unless otherwise indicated, all Bible verses are from the King James Version.
3 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
4 1 Thessalonians 4:14.
5 2 Corinthians 5:8.
6 Philippians 1:23.
7 1 Thessalonians 4:15.
8 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17.
9 1 Corinthians 15:51.
10 1Corinthians 15:52.
11 1 Corinthians 15:53.
12 Philippians 3:21.
13 See Luke 24:43; John 21:9–14.
14 See John 20:26.
15 Luke 24:37.
16 Luke 24:39.
17 1 Corinthians 15:50; Leviticus 17:11.
18 John 20:27.
19 1 John 3:2.
20 Luke 20:36.
21 Romans 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:54–55, 57.
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WND
WHY CHRISTIANS NEED NOT DREAD GETTING OLDER
Exclusive: Greg Laurie emphasizes deeper, sweeter nature of life when one follows Christ
Published: September 21, 2014
GREG LAURIE
I think we would all agree that we live in a youth-obsessed culture today. We are absolutely focused on what youth are thinking and what youth are doing. Even some of those who have been around for a while, like my generation, still think they are young. The anthem of my generation, the baby boomers, was “Forever Young.” But we can’t sing that anymore.
It’s funny how we look at age as we get older. When you ask a child how old she is, the answer usually will be along the lines of “3 and a half.” That half is very important to a child. Kids in their preteen years will tell you, “I am going to be 16,” even though they may be 13 or 14 at the time. Then adulthood arrives, and it is very official. You become 21. Then you turn 30. Next, you are pushing 40. Then you reach 50, and you make it to 60. You hit 70 and then your 80s, when it becomes a day-by-day thing. You hit Wednesday. When you are in your 90s, you hit lunch. If you make it to 100 and someone asks how old you are, you might say, “Well, I’m 100 and a half.” You start over again.
When Billy Graham was asked what had been the greatest surprise of his life, his answer was, “The brevity of it.” I think that as you get older, you really start seeing the truth of this. When you are young, time seems to move so slowly. But as you get older, the years fly by. What? It’s Christmas again?
Christians do not have to dread the passing of time, however. We do not have to dread getting older, because if we have made the right choices and have walked with God, then we can know that no matter what we are facing, the best is yet to come.
That is what we see in the first miracle of Jesus, which took place at a wedding. His first miracle showed us something of great significance. It showed that he had amazing power. Jesus had, at his immediate disposal, unlimited power to do anything He chose. He could supply the deficiencies of earthly resources. At a moment’s notice, Christ could meet the needs of man.
Isn’t that good to know? When things come our way and we wonder, What am I going to do? How am I going to resolve this?, when the boss calls you into his office and tells you that your job has been downsized, when that unexpected bill comes, when your spouse wants out of the marriage, when that loved one unexpectedly dies, when the doctor says you have cancer, it is good to remember that we face an awesome God who has unlimited power. He can change our circumstances. He can do whatever he needs to do.
Jesus was a guest at a wedding, where they ran out of wine (which would have been an embarrassment). Mary was there, so she spoke to her son. But Jesus gave an unexpected response: “What does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4 NLT). Why did he say that? Why did he take this posture with Mary? He was effectively saying, “With all due respect, I am on a timetable here. I am doing the work of my Father.”
What was this hour that Jesus was talking about? It was the hour of his death, resurrection and ascension. It was the hour when his earthly ministry would be completed. It was the hour when he would take upon himself the sins of the world and would be tortured, humiliated and murdered by way of the barbaric act of crucifixion.
He was saying, “Mary, it is not time. When my hour has come, I will do what needs to be done.”
Sometimes we come to God and say, “Lord, do this thing for me now. When are You going to act?” Maybe we see a corrupt person succeeding. Maybe we see things happening that are not right. Or maybe someone is saying things that are unkind or untrue or even vicious about us. We say, “God, when are You going to do something?”
Essentially, God says, “I am going to do what I am going to do when the time is right. Your problem will be solved. The provision will be made. But the hour has not yet come.”
Notice the response of Mary, which were her last recorded words in the Scriptures. She said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5 NKJV). So Jesus instructed the servants to fill six stone pots, which held 20 or 30 gallons apiece, with water. When the master of ceremonies tasted what had been drawn out of the pots, he said to the groom, “A host always serves the best wine first. Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” (verse 10 NLT). God always saves the best for last.
On the other hand, sin can appear so appealing at first. Remember Eve in the Garden of Eden? Genesis 3:6 says that “she saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it.” There is an initial attractiveness to sin. But then it kicks you to the curb. That is how sin works. And generation after generation lines up and goes down this same primrose path.
I’ve been a Christian for more than 40 years now. Did I miss anything by becoming a believer at such a young age? Yes, I missed some parties. I missed some experiences. But as I look at the toll those things have taken on people of my age group over the years, I realize that I didn’t really miss anything. For me, life has only gotten better – not easier, less complicated, or more trouble free, but definitely better, sweeter, richer, deeper and more satisfying. Every day, every month, every year of walking with Jesus gets better and better.
For the Christian, the best is yet to come.
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EPOCH TIMES (Edited from longer article.)
Did Ancient People Really Have Lifespans Longer Than 200 Years?
By Tara MacIsaac, Epoch Times | September 20, 2014
Last Updated: September 20, 2014 2:38 pm
Top left: A carving on a Taoist temple; Taoist masters throughout history are said to have lived hundreds of years. (Shutterstock) Bottom left: An illustration from “Shahnama,” a 10th century Persian poem listing lifespans for kings of hundreds of years and even over 1,000. (Wikimedia Commons) Right: A painting of the biblical figure, Abraham, by Rembrandt; Abraham is said to have far outlived the lifespan expected in modern humans. (Wikimedia Commons) Background: (L-R) An ancient Sumerian tablet (Wikimedia Commons), an ancient Chinese medical text (Defun/iStock/Thinkstock), and Hebrew writing (Shutterstock)
The universe is full of mysteries that challenge our current knowledge. In "Beyond Science" Epoch Times collects stories about these strange phenomena to stimulate the imagination and open up previously undreamed of possibilities. Are they true? You decide.
It isn’t only biblical figures who lived to well-seasoned ages of 900 years or more. Ancient texts from many cultures have listed life spans most modern people find simply and literally unbelievable. Some say it’s due to misunderstandings in the translation process, or that the numbers have symbolic meaning—but against the many explanations are also counterarguments that leave the historian wondering whether the human lifespan has actually decreased so significantly over thousands of years.
For example, one explanation is that the ancient Near East understanding of a year could be different than our concept of a year today. Perhaps a year meant an orbit of the moon (a month) instead of an orbit of the sun (12 months).
But if we make the changes accordingly, while it brings the age of the biblical figure Adam down from 930 to a more reasonable 77 at the time of his death, it also means he would have fathered his son Enoch at the age of 11. And Enoch would have only been 5 years old when he fathered Methuselah.
Similar inconsistencies arise when we adjust the year figures to represent seasons instead of solar orbits, noted Carol A. Hill in her article “Making Sense of the Numbers of Genesis,” published in the journal “Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith” in December 2003.
Similar problems have arisen when adjusting ages in ancient texts with the assumption that authors used a certain pattern for skewing the actual ages (such as multiplying them by a given number).
“Numbers [in Genesis] could have both real (numerical) and sacred (numerological or symbolic) meaning,” Hill wrote.
Mathematical Patterns?
Much like the Bible, the Sumerian King List shows a steady decline in lifespans. The list differentiates between pre-flood and post-flood reigns. The pre-flood reigns are significantly longer than the post-flood, though even post-flood lifespans are shown to be several hundred years or more than 1,000 years. In the Bible, we see a progressive decline over the generations from Adam’s 930-year life, to Noah’s 500 years, to Abraham’s 175.
On the other hand, looking at patterns, co-founder of the Church of God in South Texas Arthur Mendez thinks the rate of decline in longevity from pre-flood times as recorded in ancient texts to today matches the rate of decay observed in organisms when they are exposed to radiation or toxins.
Accounts in Many Cultures, Including Chinese and Persian
In ancient China, super-centenarians were also commonplace, according to many texts. Joseph P. Hou, Ph.D., acupuncturist, wrote in his book “Healthy Longevity Techniques”: “According to Chinese medical records, a doctor named Cuie Wenze of the Qin dynasty lived to be 300 years old. Gee Yule of the later Han dynasty lived to be 280 years old. A high ranking Taoist master monk, Hui Zhao, lived to be 290 years old and Lo Zichange lived to be 180 years old. As recorded in the The Chinese Encyclopedia of Materia Medica, He Nengci of the Tang dynasty lived to be 168 years old. A Taoist master, Li Qingyuan, lived to be 250 years old. In modern times, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, Lo Mingshan of Sichuan province, lived to be 124 years old.”
Dr. Hou said the Eastern key to longevity is “nourishing life,” including not only physical nourishment, but also mental and spiritual nourishment.
Modern Claims of Longevity
Even today, people report lifespans of some 150 or more years. These reports often come from rural areas, however, where documentation is scant. Documentation was probably even less valued in rural communities more than a century ago, making it harder to prove such claims.
One example is that of Bir Narayan Chaudhary in Nepal.
In 1996, Vijay Jung Thapa visited Chaudhary in Tharu village of Aamjhoki in the Tarai region. Chaudhary told him he was 141 years old, Thapa wrote in an article for India Today. If this claim was true, Chaudhary trumped the Guinness World Record holder for the longest life ever recorded by almost 20 years.
But Chaudhary didn’t have the papers to prove it. He did, however, have collective village memory.
“Almost all the elders around remember their youth when Chaudhary (already an elder) would talk about working in the first Nepal survey of 1888,” Thapa wrote. “Village logic goes that he must have been more than 21 then, since the survey was a responsible job. Chaudhary claims to have been 33 and still a stubborn bachelor.”
Many people in the Caucasus region of Russia similarly claim ages reaching even over 170 years without the documentation to back their claims.
Dr. Hou wrote: “These exceptionally long-lived people have invariably lived humble lives, doing hard physical work or exercise, often outdoors, from youth well into old age. Their diet is simple, as is their social life involving families. One example is Shisali Mislinlow who lived to be 170 years old and gardened in the Azerbaijan region in Russia. Mislinlow’s life was never hurried. He said, ‘I am never in a hurry, so don’t be in a hurry to live, this is the main idea. I have been doing physical labor for 150 years.’”
A Matter of Faith?
The issue of longevity in ancient times has long been connected to Taoist practices of internal alchemy, or mind-body cultivation, in China. Here, longevity was connected with virtue. Likewise it is intertwined with Western spiritual beliefs as part of the Bible.
Mendez quoted first century Roman-Jewish historian Titus Flavius Josephus: “Now when Noah had lived three hundred and fifty years after the Flood…But let no one, upon comparing the lives of the ancients with our lives, and with the few years which we now live, think that what we have said of them is false; or make the shortness of our lives at present an argument, that neither did they attain to so long a duration of life, for those ancients were beloved of God, and [lately] made by God himself; and because their food was then fitter for the prolongation of life, might well live so great a number of years: and besides, God afforded them a longer time of life on account of their virtue, and the good use they made of it.”
For now, modern scientists are left either to believe what ancient records and village memory have to say about seemingly unbelievable lifespans, or to consider the accounts exaggerations, symbolism, or misunderstandings. For many, it’s simply a matter of faith.
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Medical Daily
Belief In Guardian Angels Makes People More Cautious: Survey
By Shweta Iyer | Sep 23, 2014 10:51 AM EDT
The belief that an angel is watching over makes a person more cautious, according to a survey. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
Cinderella had her fairy godmother and George Bailey from It’s A Wonderful Life had Clarence. And both the guardian angels gave these characters hope when they had none. But these are just stories. Do real people have guardian angels? The Washington Times states that most Americans do believe in guardian angels who keep them safe in a dangerous world. And according to a new study, it's this belief that keeps them from taking risks, which non-believers would be more inclined to take.
A guardian angel is a spiritual being assigned to protect and guide a particular person or group, or even an entire nation. This belief in guardian angels has existed throughout the history of humankind and there have been many biblical writings that depict angels as an intermediary between God and man, protecting man in his hour of need. The belief in angels is also universal, with them being mentioned in the sacred texts of almost all faiths, from Judaism to Hinduism. While there is no evidence that they exist, teachings and stories have long ingrained the concept of their existence into our psyche.
But one would assume that a person who believes in divine protection would be more reckless in dealing with certain life situations? But that’s not the case, according to this study titled “Risk Perception and Belief in Guardian Spirits,” published in the open access journal SAGE OPEN. This study finds that believers are actually less inclined to take risks.
Researchers David Etkin, Jelena Ivanova, Susan MacGregor, and Alalia Spektor surveyed 198 individuals, to investigate the importance of belief in guardian angels with respect to taking risks. Many of those surveyed were believers in guardian angles. Of these believers, 68 percent said that this belief affects how they take risks.
While there were also some who were more game to taking risks because of the faith they had in their guardian angels, the majority are more averse to taking risks than their non-believing counterparts. For example, the participants were asked to provide their opinion about risky driving and rate the risk on a scale of one to five. The majority of those who do not believe in guardian angels felt that driving 20 km/h over the speed limit was a risk level of two, while the majority of those who do believe in guardian angels believed that it was a risk level of three.
"It may be that people who have a tendency to view the world as being risky or potentially dangerous are more inclined to have a belief in personal guardian spirits," the researchers said in a statement.
Source: Etkin D, Ivanova J, MacGregor S, Spektor A. Risk Perception and Belief in Guardian Spirit. SAGE Open. 2014.
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Mirror
Caught on camera: Is this a ghost floating across entrance to Dover Castle?
Sep 15, 2014 14:28
By Chris Richards
The chilling scene was caught on a CCTV camera at the historic landmark in Kent
This is the extraordinary moment a 'GHOST' floats across the entrance to an historic castle.
In the incredible clip, a dark, wispy figure can be seen slowly walking across the entrance at Dover Castle in Kent before disappearing.
A bemused security guard can then be seen searching in vain for the mysterious spectre.
The one minute, 11 second clip was uploaded to YouTube by a user known only as spyder1spanner2.
A message accompanying the post read: “I promise you this is not a fake.
"It’s filmed on CCTV at Dover Castle on to a mobile.
Extraordinary: The 'ghost' at Dover Castle
“I wouldn't even know how to start making this a fake, to be honest.”
One viewer, Louise Hampton, was impressed with the footage.
She wrote: "This is great footage!!
"Looks like it tried to manifest.
"One can see how the legs were actually walking!!!!"
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Survival Backpack
Egyptian Text Describes Jesus Changing His Shape
Posted on September 21, 2014
(New York) A recently translated, 1,200-year-old religious text written in the Coptic language tells the story of Jesus’ crucifixation in a way that departs significantly from Biblical accounts.
The text was orginally from an Egyptian monastery that seems to have ceased operating in the tenth century. The manuscript resurfaced in 1910, and was purchased by New York financier J.P. Morgan. According to Utrecht University historian Roelof van den Broek, who translated the text, it is written in the name of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a fourth-century saint.
Among other apochrypal claims, the text says that Jesus had dinner with Pontius Pilate before the crucifixation, and that Judas used a kiss to identify Jesus for those who came to arrest him because he was constantly changing his shape. Van de Broek says that while the Bible was canonized by the fifth century, apocryphal stories remained popular among Egyptian Christians long after that.
The manuscript is on display at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City.
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WND
FIRES OF SALVATION SWEEP THROUGH ISRAEL
'I have never seen such a supernatural revival as is happening right now'
Published: September 20, 2014
Jerusalem, Israel
By Seth Johnson
Jacob had been living in fear for years of the persecution that would follow if he accepted Jesus as Messiah of the Jews.
A student of the Torah who studied under a respected Israeli teacher, the late Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri, Jacob resisted salvation in Christ until he saw a movie about the revered rabbi’s discovery of Jesus.
Jacob explains he just couldn’t shake what was happening in his spirit while watching the documuntary “The Rabbi Who Found Messiah: The Story of Yitzhak Kaduri and His Prophecies of the Endtime.”
“I heard the Shofar blowing while I was watching the DVD and reading the Word,” Jacob testifies. “The Holy Spirit hit me like lightning.”
Zev Porat, who shared the documentary – based on a book of the same name by American Pastor Carl Gallups – with Jacob and Jews all across Israel, describes what he calls the “Kaduri Revival.”
“This amazing book is leading people to the written word of God. The Holy Spirit is opening their eyes to the truth of salvation available only through Messiah Yeshua,” he says.
Porat, founder of Messiah of Israel Ministries, was captivated by Gallups’ story of Israel’s most venerated spiritual leader, Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri, who died at the age of 108 in 2006 and left behind a letter with instructions to open it one year after his death.
That letter has been the catalyst for the “Kaduri Revival” in Israel, but it has also been the catalyst for increased persecution of those who place their faith in Christ.
But instead of retaliating against those who persecute his Christian brethren, Porat says, “I blessed them in the name of Yeshua, and I will not stop preaching the gospel no matter what. What then shall we say to these? If God is for us, who is against us?”
“I have been preaching the gospel of Yeshua the Messiah for many years and have seen many salvations and miracles,” Porat says, “However, I have never seen such a supernatural revival as is happening right now in Israel.”
Pastor Gallups, author of “The Rabbi Who Found Messiah,” has heard from Porat about many Jews coming to Jesus through the book and film.
“When Zev told me of Jacob being born again, there was fire in his voice and in his writing. He was overwhelmed by the power of God finally falling upon this man, whom he had been witnessing to for year,” Gallups said. “Zev said that Jacob asked a multitude of questions and continually asked for Scripture to read that proves Jesus is Messiah.”
Gallups believes that just as Jacob received salvation during the Feast of Trumpets, God is sounding the trumpet of revelation in Israel. He plans to release a book in 2015 covering this topic.
“I am still amazed and overwhelmed that the Lord is using this book and movie in such a powerful way – all over the world, but I am especially excited that Jews in Israel are coming to Jesus as Messiah as a result of using this material in evangelistic outreach,” Gallups said. “This was a prayer that I voiced to the Lord even as I finished writing it.”
In 2007, two Israeli news publications, Israel Today and News First Class, reported that the most famous rabbi in Israel’s modern history, 108-year-old Yitzhak Kaduri, had left a cryptic death note revealing the name of the long-awaited Messiah.
A year after the rabbi’s death, the note was reported to have been verified as authentic by some of Kaduri’s closest followers and then placed on Kaduri’s own website.
The purported Kaduri message proclaimed that Messiah’s name was Yehoshua, or Jesus.
It shocked the religious world. Shortly thereafter the furor began. The note immediately disappeared from Kaduri’s website. The media refused to report further on the matter. The Kaduri family, and several others close to the Kaduri ministry, began to claim that the note was a forgery or a mere fabrication – a cruel joke.
Gallups, an author, senior pastor, radio talk show host and former law enforcement officer, used his biblical knowledge and journalistic and investigative skills to explore the matter inside and out. His thorough reporting of the facts of the case leaves people astounded.
Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn, author of “The Harbinger,” several renowned biblical experts, as well as former students of Kaduri’s rabbinical training school, have weighed in on the case.
“The feedback from people who have read the book and/or seen the movie has been overwhelmingly positive,” Gallups said.
“The only negative feedback is from people who falsely assume the conclusions they believe the book may draw,” he said. “But, they haven’t read it yet. I think most people will be pleasantly and greatly surprised when they read through the book. There are some, however, who would prefer this story not get out to the world.”
Chuck Missler, founder of Koinonia House ministry, says that in the book, Gallups “explodes one of the biggest bombshells of our lifetime.”
“The implications of these astonishing declarations from the most venerated ultra-orthodox rabbi in Israel impacts every one of us – not just those of the traditional Jewish faith. This is a must-read for anyone who takes God seriously,” he said.
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WND
ISRAEL ALLOWS ITS CHRISTIANS TO SHED ARAB IDENTITY
Government establishes Aramaean ethnicity
Published: September 20, 2014
After recognizing its Christians as an independent minority earlier this year, Israel is now allowing them to register as an ethnicity, distinguishing them from the Muslim-dominant Arab population.
Israel Today points out in a report that while they have been regarded for centuries as Arab, most of the region’s Christians are Aramaean.
Aramaic is a Semitic language that was spoken by Jews and early Christians for centuries. Jesus himself spoke primarily in Aramaic, according to many scholars. The language is still used the liturgies and prayer services of some Christian communities in the Middle East.
Interior Minister Gideon Saar issued a directive Wednesday to Israel’s Population, Immigration and Border Authority affirming local Aramean Christians have a distinct “historical heritage, religion, culture, descent and language,” which makes them eligible to be recognized as a national or ethnic group.
Father Gabriel Naddaf, writing on his Facebook page, said the decision “corrects a historic injustice that wrongly defined Israel’s citizens of eastern-Christian descent as ‘Christian Arabs,’ although other than their spoken language, they have absolutely no connection to the Arab nationality.”
As WND reported earlier this month when Sen. Ted Cruz was booed by a gathering of Middle East Christian leaders, some Islam analysts believe the historical identification the region’s Christians have with Muslims as fellow Arabs and the subjugation to Islamic strictures under which many of them live is behind the public animosity of many church leaders toward Israel.
Naddaf, Israel Today reported, is the spiritual leader of the Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, which encourages integration into Israeli Jewish society.
Anyone born into a Christian family or clan who can speak Aramaic and comes from the Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Syriac Catholic or Orthodox Aramaic traditions can be granted the new ethnic status.
About 10 percent of Israel’s 1.5 million Arab citizens are Christians. Some 130,000 of the Christians are regarded as Aramaean.
Shadi Khalloul, spokesman for the Israel Christian Recruitment Forum, explained the Armaeans history to Israel’s Ynetnews website.
After accepting Christianity in the 1st century AD, he said, the Armaeans had Arabic forced upon them during the Arab conquest but were able to preserve their language in churches and other cultural settings.
He described the lack of proper ethnic recognition as a gaping hole in their lives.
“I refused to officially register my 2-year-old son after his birth because the Interior Ministry wanted to register him as an Arab,” he told Ynetnews. “Now I can happily register him as an Aramean.”
Khalloul noted Arameans share a deep connection historically with Jews, including through the influence of the Aramaic language on Hebrew and on Jewish prayers.
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SHOEBAT.com
Pope Francis Declares In Private Meeting: WW3 Is Already Here, Major Holocaust Of Christians Is On The Way
by Ted on September 22, 2014 in Featured, General
By Theodore Shoebat
Pope Francis, in a private meeting with a congregation of Jewish leaders headed by Ronald S. Lauder, said on Sept 17 that WW3 and that a major holocaust of Christians is on the way. Lauder recounted the Pope’s words:
He said first it was your turn and now it is our turn. In other words, first Jews suffered savage attacks that were met with the world’s silence and now it is Christians who are being annihilated and the world is silent
Within the same meeting he spoke of WWIII, and how it is already here, though it is growing in increments, as one report says:
The Pope believes that World War Three had already begun. But unlike WWI and WWII that happened all at once, the current war is happening in stages
Its quite amazing how true these words are becoming, with the rise of antichrist dawning upon us, and the impending holocaust of Christians being so conspicuously foreshadowed.
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Catholic Online
DARPA developing new implants for 'healing superpowers'' - Mark of the Beast? Probably, but it doesn't matter because you're already marked
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
9/19/2014 September 20, 2014
U.S. government, working through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), says it plans to develop tiny implants that will help soldiers and possibly ordinary citizens heal after injuries. The implants would be small enough to place at the ends of nerves with a needle.
Most people already carry the Mark of the Beast in some form.
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - The government will say anything to convince people to accept implants as the norm. In this case, the claim is they can modulate electrical nerve impulses to stimulate healing and prevent further damage to injured organs. This is the stated goal of the program and although similar devices already exist to perform the same function, but they are large, several inches in size, and very invasive.
The new devices would be much smaller, could be implanted on the battlefield, or even before, and could theoretically speed the healing of battlefield injuries. They could also be used in civilian healthcare.
Naturally, this has many people wondering about the "Mark of the Beast" and other concerns. There is considerable public fear over implants especially because tracking citizens and lying have become staples of the government.
There is no indication that these implants are intended to use used for evil, but the broader discussion of implants is one worth having because we're already accepting implants on and in our bodies as routine. Pacemakers, for example, have now been routine for decades. And today, we all carry a device that serves the same function as an implant-our smartphone.
The next natural step is just to implant devices that provide identity, tracking and a variety of other conveniences, under our skin. Americans will be wooed by convenience and both government and private entities will be able to monitor and track your every move.
Just two decades ago, few people had any concept of a "smartphone."
Today, these devices are ubiquitous. Now just imagine what is coming in the next two decades. Of course, there will be those that resist, but it will not matter because eventually people will come to feel the same about implants as they do their smartphones.
Imagine, people lining up and camping out in front of stores to get the latest implants.
Welcome to the future, where it looks a lot like the past.
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WHITEHOUSEWHISPERS.COM
45% Of Russians Believe Shadowy Group Controls Humanity
September 19, 2014
(Moscow) “The world is run by some sort of overarching entity that pulls the strings in governments around the globe” is a statement nearly half of Russians would agree with, a state-run pollster revealed Wednesday.
The Russian Public Opinion Research Center found that 45 percent of Russians believe in the existence of an omnipotent force that lords over state governments, controlling the affairs of humanity. Only one-third of the population expressly rejects this hypothesis, while another 23 percent of Russians remain undecided, according to the survey.
The research center also revealed that individuals with higher levels of education and enviable salaries were more likely to embrace such theories than their less-educated, lower-earning counterparts.
Among those who believe in the existence of such an impalpable entity, 22 percent think it is composed of oligarchs and prominent business leaders from around the globe. Another 6 percent believe it is run by the United States.
Yet more than half of those who believe in the entity’s existence are unable to identify who — or what — it is comprised of. Respondents to the survey listed “Jews,” “masons” and “Great Britain,” as among the groups that may be secretly running the show.
The survey also showed that 48 percent of those who believe in the existence of this global force are uncertain about its primary motive, or the reason for its existence.
Another 32 percent of those who believe in its existence think that its goal lies in world domination, while 10 percent said its aim is to enrich a select number of people.
The survey was conducted in late August among 1,600 adults from across 42 Russian regions. The statistical margin of error did not exceed 3.4 percent.
JUST IN CASE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MIDDLE EAST
This should help….
Are you confused by what is going on in the Middle East?
Let me explain.
The US supported the Iraqi government in the fight against ISIS.
The US doesn’t like ISIS, but ISIS is supported by Saudi Arabia who the US does like.
The US doesn’t like Assad in Syria. The US support the fight against him, but ISIS is also fighting against him.
The US doesn’t like Iran, but Iran supports the Iraqi government in its fight against ISIS.
So some of our friend’s support our enemies, some enemies are now our friends, and some of our enemies are fighting against our other enemies, who the US want to lose.
But the US doesn’t want our enemies who are fighting our enemies to win.
If the US defeated the people the US wants defeated, they could be replaced by people the US like even less.
And all this was started by the US invading a country to drive out terrorists
who were not actually there until the US went in to drive them out.
***
WND
SYRIANS SEE U.S. BOMBING AS AS COVER FOR ASSAD OVERTHROW
Concerns mount over Obama pressing FSA 'moderates'
Published: September 24, 2012
F. MICHAEL MALOOF
Tomahawk cruise missiles from aboard the USS Arleigh Burke
WASHINGTON – An increasing number of Syrians believe U.S. and coalition bombing of ISIS locations inside Syria is primarily an attempt to overthrow the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Russia also has suggested the bombings are an effort to topple Assad under the guise of fighting terrorism.
“Another night of heavy shelling in Sham (Syria),” one source in Damascus, Syria, told WND. “Friends say the government does not report most of them, but many think the Raqqa operation by the USA is aimed equally at the regime.”
Raqqa, the ISIS provisional capital in Syria, was heavily bombed in recent days by coalition aircraft, led by the U.S., with the varying participation of aircraft from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
Moscow has complained that the issue of the bombing should have gone before the United Nations Security Council.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed to the precedent of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1970 of Feb. 26, 2011, which imposed a “no-fly” zone over Libya.
What was first designed to be a humanitarian effort in Libya resulted in the U.S. and participating countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization using that resolution as a basis to carry out airstrikes that led to the fall of the 40-year-old regime of Muammar Gadhafi.
Lavrov said that what followed was “unlimited” chaos.
“Moscow has clearly learned its lesson from this Libyan scenario and will not accept its recurrence,” said Lebanon-based Middle East expert Jean Aziz.
Long-term goal?
While the declared immediate purpose of the U.S.-led bombing campaign is to go after ISIS strongholds in Syria and Iraq, concerns are being raised over the long-term goals of the bombing and what comes later. ISIS has shifted its own tactics since the bombing began to meld more into the local population.
Concerns among Syrians on the ground and in Moscow appear to revolve around comments President Obama has made offering to train and equip more “moderate” jihadist fighters.
Specifically, Obama has referred to the Sunni Free Syrian Army, which recently announced it had signed a non-aggression pact with ISIS, since its first priority is to topple the Shiite-Alawite Assad regime.
FSA fighters would be among some 5,000 “vetted” Islamic fighters who would undergo training for a year in Saudi Arabia, which offered a base for that purpose.
The approach was approved by Congress before it adjourned for the upcoming November elections, and Obama signed it into law.
FSA is the “moderate” group that turned over to ISIS two U.S. embedded journalists – James Foley and Steven Sotloff – after they had written stories critical of FSA. Sources say FSA sold each journalist for up to $50,000.
Collateral damage
Sources tell WND the recent bombings of ISIS positions has caused “collateral damage” to local civilians, making the tactic increasingly unpopular, which could work to the advantage of ISIS.
ISIS also is winning favor by bringing some degree of order, opening businesses and delivering much-needed social services to the local population, including electricity and running water.
ISIS, the sources say, will not tolerate corruption. They cite examples of episodes in which corruption, including theft, was uncovered, resulting in the summary execution of the alleged perpetrators.
Middle East expert Edward Dark has pointed out that the Syrians had waited for similar benefits from the Syrian opposition, but they never delivered.
“The failure of these groups to make substantial gains against the regime or the jihadists despite a large investment in arms, funds and training begs the question of what has now changed,” Dark said. “If they were unreliable then, what makes them a viable option now?
“Not only were some of them merely unreliable, but they also openly collaborated and allied with al-Qaida-linked groups such as Jabhat al-Nusra, or through sheer incompetence and corruption allowed Western-supplied weapons and equipment to fall into the hands of extremists,” Dark said.
“Indeed, the stigma of corruption and ineptitude permeates most of the Syrian rebel factions designated as ‘moderates,’ and some have even been involved outright in serious war crimes,” he said. “This makes them not only an unreliable ally on the ground, but also a potentially very dangerous one.”
Dark said that the rise and popularity of ISIS stems more from the failings of the Syrian opposition and the fractious rebel factions than from ISIS.
“For almost three years,” Dark said, “the opposition and the local rebels had failed to provide any semblance of civil administration or public services to the vast areas they controlled. This lawless chaos added to the people’s misery, already exacerbated by the horrors of war.
“In the end,” he said, “they rallied around the only group that managed to give them what they wanted – the Islamic State. But now, it seems a new fear is rising among the people, the specter of war against ISIS, a war they feel threatens not only their lives but also their livelihoods and the tenuous normality they’ve grown accustomed to.”
Regional spillover
The Syrians on the ground and the Russians aren’t the only ones concerned about where the U.S.-led airstrikes against ISIS in Syria are leading.
Lebanese officials in recent days similarly have expressed concerns about the long-term impact of the bombing.
Just as ISIS is a threat to Syria and Iraq, it also is threatening Lebanon, where ISIS cells in recent days in the northern city of Arsal have had firefights with the Lebanese army. A number of soldiers have been taken captive, and in at least two instances, captives have been beheaded.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil had told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry at the Sep. 15-16 Paris Conference on ISIS among U.S. allies of concerns of a spillover effect should the Syrian regime be toppled. He reportedly said the Syrian crisis then would affect the entire region.
Sources say it was the Lebanese delegation that had passed a message from Iran to the U.S. delegation led by Kerry regarding airstrikes on ISIS and “the potential margins of this action that would facilitate certain understandings on the ground between Washington and Tehran.”
There has been criticism that U.S. officials are in contact with Iran. The concern is that in exchange for Iran’s cooperation to defeat ISIS, the U.S. would concede to more demands by Iran over its nuclear development program.
Washington, however, appears concerned with the optics of being seen collaborating or cooperating with either the governments of Syria or Iran
***
ZERO HEDGE (Edited from longer article.)
THE PETROYUAN COMETH: CHINA DOCKS NAVY DESTROYER IN IRAN’S STRAIT OF HORMUZ PORT
There has been an increasing groundswell of de-dollarization across the world's energy trade
SEPTEMBER 22, 2014
Since China fired its first ‘official’ shot across the Petrodollar bow a year ago, there has been an increasing groundswell of de-dollarization across the world’s energy trade (despite Washington’s exclamations of ‘isolated’ non-dollar transactors). The rise of the PetroYuan has not been far from our headlines in the last year, with China increasingly leveraging its rise as an economic power and as the most important incremental market for hydrocarbon exporters, in the Persian Gulf and the former Soviet Union, to circumscribe dollar dominance in global energy – with potentially profound ramifications for America’s strategic position. And now, as AP reports, for the first time in history, China has docked a Navy Destroyer in the Southern Iranian port of Bandar-Abbas – right across the Straits of Hormuz from ‘US stronghold-for-now’ Bahrain and UAE.
Adm. Hossein Azad, naval base chief in the southern port of Bandar Abbas, said the four-day visit that began Saturday saw the two navies sharing expertise in the field of marine rescue.
“On the last day of their visit while leaving Iran, the Chinese warships will stage a joint drill in line with mutual collaboration, and exchange of marine and technical information particularly in the field of aid and rescue,” said Azad.
The report said the destroyer was accompanied by a logistics ship, and that both were on their way to the Gulf of Aden as a part of an international mission to combat piracy.
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THE INDEPENDENT
John Kerry’s rhetoric on Isis insults our intelligence and conceals the reality of the situation in Syria
Anyone who has studied Syria knows the moderate opposition doesn’t exist
ROBERT FISK
Sunday 21 September 2014
John Kerry is becoming more and more like William McGonagall, the “worst poet in the world” whose horror at the 1879 Tay Bridge railway disaster yielded the imperishable observation that it “will be remember’d for a very long time”.
Like McGonagall’s verse, Kerry’s attempts to explain America’s crusade against its latest evil enemy are so awful, they are addictive. Just when you think that Kerry’s lame explanation to American politicians of Obama’s Iraqi crusade – “[Isis] has to be defeated, plain and simple, end of story” – can’t get any more childish, it does.
For sheer infantilisme – the French word captures it best – I dare readers to wade through the following claptrap without a snort of disbelief. “I want to make sure that by the time we’re done here today, I’ve heard from you, I know what you’re thinking,” quoth Kerry to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last week, “and you’ve heard from me and you know what we’re thinking, what the [Obama] administration is thinking, and that you have a clear understanding of what it is that we have done so far, of how we see this and how, hopefully, we can come to see it together, what we’re doing now and of where we go next.” It was all very complex, he said – and will also, no doubt, “be remembered for a very long time”.
Most immediately shocking was the Obama fantasy world which Kerry, in his clod-hopping, schoolboy way, represented. Anyone who has studied Syria from afar, let alone those who go there, know that the fictional “moderate opposition” – supposedly deserters from the Syrian government army – does not exist. Corrupted, disillusioned, murdered or simply re-defected towards Isis or some other al-Qaeda outfit, the old “Free Syrian Army” is now a myth as ridiculous – and as potent for the Kerrys of this world – as Mussolini’s boast that the Italian army could defeat the British in North Africa. Any Syrian soldier will tell you that they are happy to fight the FSA because these warriors of the “moderate opposition” always run away. It is the al-Qaeda-Nusra-Isis “terrorists” who fight to the death.
But Kerry, like the generals of the First World War, is in an ornate chateau of his own imagination. “In Syria, the on-the-ground combat will be done by the moderate opposition, which is Syria’s [sic] best counterweight to extremists like [Isis],” he told the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “And we can talk more about that moderate opposition – what it looks like, who it is, what they’re capable of today, what they could be doing – as we go forward.” Like Generals Haig and French, Kerry dreamed on.
The FSA, he said, had been fighting Isis for two years – in Idlib, Aleppo, around Damascus and Deir Ezzor – while the Syrian government, Kerry insisted, is not fighting or will not fight Isis. This is nonsense. Most of the Syrian army’s 35,000 dead were killed in action against al-Qaeda and Isis. And the only other boots-on-the-ground forces confronting Isis are the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards alongside the Kurds.
To exalt the “moderate opposition” two days before Isis’s latest victories bring them to the very border of Turkey is preposterous. And what statesman illustrates his contention that Sunnis and Shias are in alliance with America by brandishing the front page of The Wall Street Journal upon which a Kurdish leader, an Iraqi Shia minister and the Sunni foreign minister of Saudi Arabia are pictured together? Kerry praised Saudi clerics for condemning Sunni Isis without mentioning that many prominent Saudi imams spend far more time decrying America. Nor could he refer to the Pakistani clerics who have also declared Isis a heretical force – because, of course, they spend as much time accusing the Saudis of funding it.
Like Cameron, Kerry uses the words of false self-confidence. The US “rightfully, absolutely” had to support the Iraqi government’s efforts, and there is “absolute clarity” that America has blunted Isis. As for the “Islamic State” itself, it was an “insulting distortion of Islam”, “an enemy of Islam”, a “militant cult masquerading as a religious movement” of “cold-blooded killers” whose philosophy “comes out of the Stone Age”. What is this? Once we claimed that Isis came from the Middle Ages, then the eighth century. Now it seems it came from 2,000BC.
Thank heavens we have General John Allen – who not long ago was proposing “security” guarantees for the Jordan Valley which both Palestinians and Israelis turned down – to sort things out in Iraq. He’s the former deputy commander of Iraq’s Anbar province, a man – according to Kerry – with “great respect” in the region, with “knowledge of the Sunni tribes” and – a real McGonagall moment, this – “of all the folks there that are part of the mix to be able to mobilise action”. No wonder Kerry also told the world that, of America’s 50 international anti-Isis allies, some would engage in “kinetic activities”. I bet they will. Though I’ll also wager you won’t be seeing an Arab air force joining the Franco-American air bombardment.
What we can’t be told by Kerry is as simple as he claims the struggle against Isis to be: that there will have to be a Western alliance – of some sort – with Iran to defeat Isis, that this will inevitably have to include an unspoken understanding with Bashar al-Assad’s Syria, even with the ghastly, unthinkable, “super-terrorist” Hezbollah guerrillas who – unlike Kerry’s description of Isis – do not go around “killing and raping and mutilating women” or selling off girls “to be sex slaves to jihadis”.
But for a man who thought he could stitch up a Palestinian-Israeli peace in 12 months, what else can you expect? Yes, Isis is the latest monster to taunt us. But isn’t there another one, not that far away, which is a threat to us all and which really has “to be defeated, plain and simple”. It is threatening to kill infinitely more people than Isis. It’s named after an obscure African river. So where are the calls for a 50-nation alliance to destroy Ebola?
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***
THE INDEPENDENT
Kremlin to consider plans which could remove Russia from global Internet 'in an emergency'
The proposals come as Russia has been attempting to stop using US technology
KASHMIRA GANDER
Friday 19 September 2014
Russia may remove itself from the global Internet to protect itself against perceived threats from the West, a Kremlin spokesman suggested on Friday.
The Krelmin dismissed accusations it aims to isolate the Russian Internet, and insists it is merely concerned with protecting its national security – particularly as relations with the West have reached their lowest since the Cold War.
However, the country has recently passed several laws targeting Internet use, which include making popular bloggers register as media outlets, and forcing websites to store the personal data of Russian users.
Earlier on Friday, influential business daily Vedomosti reported that global Internet logistics would be the core subject of Putin's Security Council meeting next week.
At Monday’s meeting, Putin is expected to discuss a contingency plans to disconnect Russian citizens from the web in the event of “an emergency” Vedomosti reported, according to the Guardian.
Potential proposals could also see the state bring the .ru domain under state control.
If implemented, the proposals would give the government control over ordinary Russian internet users and expose their habits online.
According to the Russian newspaper, the laws could be introduced in early 2015.
The moves come as Russia attempts to reduce its use of American technology, fearing that its communications are vulnerable to US spying. Earlier this year, President Vladimir Putin called the web a “CIA special project”.
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THE INDEPENDENT
Ebola virus outbreak: Collapse of three African states possible
Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone's very existence under threat, says Liberian minister
CHARLIE COOPER
Sunday 21 September 2014
West Africa’s Ebola epidemic threatens the “collapse” of three entire states, a Liberian minister has warned. Speaking exclusively to The Independent on Sunday, information minister Lewis Brown said that the international media had failed to “appreciate” the scale of an epidemic that has gone beyond a health crisis to threaten “every aspect of [Liberia’s] national existence”.
“People need to understand, what we are dealing with has the potential to collapse our three countries,” he said, referring to Liberia and neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone. “Liberia was in its 11th year of peace. We experienced, because of our war, a 90 per cent collapse in the productive sector of our economy, we were rebuilding and our health infrastructure was not what it should have been. We were just bringing back hope and life when we were struck by Ebola. It is having terrible consequences for every aspect of our national existence.”
Only around 40 per cent of the country’s healthcare facilities were functioning, he said, all schools are closed, and an entire farming season has been wasted in the agricultural regions in the country’s north-east, which were the first to record cases of Ebola.
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GlobalResearch
Obama Approves Raising Permissible Levels of Nuclear Radiation in Drinking Water. Civilian Cancer Deaths Expected to Skyrocket
Rollback in Nuclear Radiation Cleanup
By Global Research News
Global Research, September 19, 2014
Peer.org 14 April 2013
by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
The White House has given final approval for dramatically raising permissible radioactive levels in drinking water and soil following “radiological incidents,” such as nuclear power-plant accidents and dirty bombs. The final version, slated for Federal Register publication as soon as today, is a win for the nuclear industry which seeks what its proponents call a “new normal” for radiation exposure among the U.S population, according Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
Issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, the radiation guides (called Protective Action Guides or PAGs) allow cleanup many times more lax than anything EPA has ever before accepted. These guides govern evacuations, shelter-in-place orders, food restrictions and other actions following a wide range of “radiological emergencies.” The Obama administration blocked a version of these PAGs from going into effect during its first days in office. The version given approval late last Friday is substantially similar to those proposed under Bush but duck some of the most controversial aspects:
In soil, the PAGs allow long-term public exposure to radiation in amounts as high as 2,000 millirems. This would, in effect, increase a longstanding 1 in 10,000 person cancer rate to a rate of 1 in 23 persons exposed over a 30-year period;
In water, the PAGs punt on an exact new standard and EPA “continues to seek input on this.” But the thrust of the PAGs is to give on-site authorities much greater “flexibility” in setting aside established limits; and
Resolves an internal fight inside EPA between nuclear versus public health specialists in favor of the former. The PAGs are the product of Gina McCarthy, the assistant administrator for air and radiation whose nomination to serve as EPA Administrator is taken up this week by the Senate.
Despite the years-long internal fight, this is the first public official display of these guides. This takes place as Japan grapples with these same issues in the two years following its Fukushima nuclear disaster.
“This is a public health policy only Dr. Strangelove could embrace. If this typifies the environmental leadership we can expect from Ms. McCarthy, then EPA is in for a long, dirty slog,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, noting that the EPA package lacks a cogent rationale, is largely impenetrable and hinges on a series of euphemistic “weasel words.”
“No compelling justification is offered for increasing the cancer deaths of Americans innocently exposed to corporate miscalculations several hundred-fold.”
Reportedly, the PAGs had been approved last fall but their publication was held until after the presidential election. The rationale for timing their release right before McCarthy’s confirmation hearing is unclear.
Since the PAGs guide agency decision-making and do not formally set standards or repeal statutory requirements, such as the Safe Drinking Water Act and Superfund, they will go into full effect following a short public comment period. Nonetheless, the PAGs will likely determine what actions take place on the ground in the days, weeks, months and, in some cases, years following a radiological emergency.
Copyright Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) 2014
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lifehacker
The Reasons People Don’t Follow Their Passions, and What You Can Do
Patrick Allan
Pursuing your passion can mean different things to different people, but no matter your definition, it seems people always have a reason why they can't do it. If you're someone who has always wanted to follow your dream but never gained any traction, here are some answers.
"I Don't Know What My Passion Is"
It's pretty hard to pursue something you aren't sure about. If you can't seem to find something you'd love doing, you're not alone. Many of us struggle with what our own ideas of what a "dream job" would be. If you feel a little like you're just floating along the river of life, it might be a good idea to grab a paddle and start exploring uncharted waters. Take a step out of your comfort zone and experience new things. When you're stuck in your bubble, you're afraid of being uncomfortable. Branch out and see what's out there. Eventually you'll encounter something that gets you excited.
Where should you look? You must have some idea of what interests you a little bit. Once you've narrowed down the categories, Erika Anderson at Forbes recommends putting yourself out there however you can:
The advice I've given, over and over, is simple: get curious and explore. Thennotice your own reaction. Curiosity (which I talk about fairly often) is a wonderful thing. It's that feeling of "I really want to find out more about this." It's like a mental and emotional itch to understand that you just have to scratch. If our hypothetical man and woman allowed themselves to get curious about their areas of possible passion, they'd have three main avenues of exploration to satisfy that curiosity: information, people and situations.
Do research, talk to others who share the passion you're curious about, and put yourself in situations that force yourself to ask "is this something I like?" You can also ask yourself the simple question of "what do I find myself doing?" Everyone has hobbies, of course, but try to look deeper at the things that motivate you in life. Dropbox founder Drew Houston gave a great example of this type of question:
"The most successful people are obsessed with solving an important problem, something that matters to them. They remind me of a dog chasing a tennis ball… find your tennis ball—the thing that pulls you."
A big factor in finding your passion is also recognizing what you're good at. You are good at something, guaranteed. Maybe you have a way with numbers, or maybe you have an eye for design. One way or another, you have an ability that's probably untapped. Leo Babauta at Zenhabits suggests asking yourself what you can do, giving yourself enough time to really think about it:
Take at least 30 minutes, going over this question — often we forget about things we've done well. Think back, as far as you can, to jobs, projects, hobbies. This could be your passion. Or you may have several things. Start a list of potential candidates.
So, what's your tennis ball? Maybe you still don't know for sure, but there are probably a few balls bouncing around your head. That's still progress. Think of all the ideas you have for what you're passionate about as flowers that need to be pruned. For your ideas to grow they have to be trimmed down into something that can flourish. Spend enough time thinking, observing, and pruning, and you'll be able to narrow down something that makes your heart skip a beat. A passion should thrill you to the core and—when you break it all down—a passion is what makes you want to live on.
"I'm Already Too Busy with Work and My Passion Doesn't Pay the Bills"
This is the most common excuse of them all. You know exactly what you want to do, but there's just too much stuff going on, right? The truth is, you are busy—everybody is—but by always thinking and saying that you're busy, you're convincing yourself that there is no possible way to find a few minutes each day to do what you want to do. There are some job exceptions out there, but you absolutely have to stop pretending like there is no time left on earth when your shift ends.
It's great to have a job while you pursue your passion—in fact it's ideal—but it's definitely not an excuse to never pursue it. There is an almost endless list of great people that worked toward their goals while holding a run-of-the-mill day job. You're tired? So were they. They had 24 hours in a day just like you.
If your job allows it, find time at work to do what you love. Every little bit counts. Obviously you don't want your normal work to suffer, but there are plenty of ways to sneak in a little time without announcing to the world that you're blowing off your job. You don't have to write your novel in a week or perfect your chicken soup recipe during one lunch hour. Michela Aramini at weblog Levo League notes something important to keep in mind—your passion is always a work in progress:
Once you accept that you and your passion project are a beautiful work in progress, you will be able to fully enjoy working on your passion project each day and eliminate the poisonous feeling of "not enough." Set attainable monthly, weekly, and daily goals for yourself and reward yourself.
Move toward your goal step by step. Not only will you see your progress over time, but you'll be more excited about your work day. You'll be excited for that 10 minute block of time in the afternoon you get to write, or for that first half of your lunch hour that you set aside to learn how to code.
Keep in mind that pursuing your passion doesn't necessarily mean working your dream job. There are plenty of arguments that say that "doing what you love" for a job isn't possible for everyone. In fact—depending on what your passion is—trying to make your passion your job could be a really bad idea. It could lead you to financial ruin or even push you to despise what was once your passion. Fortunately, work isn't the only aspect of your life (or at least it shouldn't be). There are plenty of other avenues for you to go after that special something in your life. Work a job that's good enough for you and go after your dream on the side. There's no rule that says you can't do both, and it's more common than you think. Mike the janitor does improv comedy three nights a week, Marge in accounting is a sidewalk chalk artist, and Billy the IT guy plays the standup bass in a jazz band. If work is something that has to be its own thing in your life, find your duality and do what you love with the rest of your time.
"I Don't Want to Sacrifice My Free Time"
Hopefully what you want to pursue is something you already seek in your free time. If not, this one's all on you. If you don't want to use your free time to pursue what you love, maybe you're not as passionate about it as you thought you were. It's important to avoid burnout, but your free time is the best time to work your way toward something.
This really is the test for how passionate you are and how much you want something. Are you willing to sacrifice your weekend freelancing? Are you willing to take night classes after a long day of work? The time is there, but will you use it? It's entirely up to you. If you have no free time, find a way to make it. Get a babysitter, take online classes from home, or get a friend involved. One way or another, you have the power to find time for what you love. You just have to find the right balance for you.
"I'm Afraid That I'll Fail"
Let's get it out of the way right now: you will fail. No one gets it right the first time. Failure is how we learn, adapt, and toughen up so we can get to the point where we can succeed. Get over it and move forward. In our world, failure is everywhere, but fortunately, it's also what keeps us all going.
Professor Larry Smith explains in the TED talk video above how just having a "good career" is an impossibility. This day and age you'll work yourself to the bone doing something you don't love in the hopes you'll have a good career, but you'll never be truly satisfied. People get there because they're afraid to fail doing something else, something uncomfortable. Failure isn't something you need to be afraid of, but it gets to all of us. Ask yourself "what if" questions so you can see the consequences for yourself. What harm is it if you want to start painting or play in a band? So what if the first play you act in is a disaster? With each failure, you get better and you get closer to doing the thing you love.
"I Don't Know Where to Start"
Maybe you know exactly what you want to do, but it all seems a little overwhelming. Rome wasn't built in a day, and you won't achieve your huge, passionate goals in a day either. Break that big, scary goal down into a lot of little goals. Make each goal a step in the right direction. On her Linkedin blog, Dr. Julie Connor suggests creating SMART goals:
A SMART goal is SPECIFIC. What do I want to accomplish? Why do I want to accomplish it? What are the benefits? Who is involved? Where will it be located?
A SMART goal is MEASURABLE. How much is needed? What tools do I need to measure progress? What targets will I establish as I progress towards my goal? How will I know when it is accomplished?A SMART goal is ATTAINABLE. How can my goal be accomplished? How is my goal action-oriented? How much will it cost to launch and support my goal? What knowledge and skills are needed to reach this goal?
A SMART goal is REALISTIC. Why is my goal meaningful? Why is there a need for this goal? Why is this the right time to pursue this goal? Is this goal aligned with my core values?
A SMART goal is TIME-BOUND. Is there a time frame for implementation of this goal? When will this plan be implemented? What will I do within the next six months to reach my goal? What will I do within the next six weeks to reach my goal? What will I do this week to reach my goal?
Know exactly what you're doing every step of the way and make sure it's quantifiable. When you can see what you've accomplished so far, it motivates you to keep going. If routine is important for you, make yourself a schedule so you always know when you're making time for your passion projects. Don't make it overwhelming, but try and challenge yourself. Promise yourself that you'll work on your project for 90 minutes every day, or that you'll draw one new picture every evening. Whatever you set for yourself, the challenge will help keep you interested.
It's difficult to make time for passion projects in your busy life. The trick is to turn that…
Lastly, just get started. Taking that initial leap is the most important part of any path. If you don't know what to write, just start typing. If you don't know what to paint, just start making brush strokes. If you don't know what to cook, just start pulling things out of the fridge. Force yourself to make a move and you'll jump start your motivation.
"I Can't Do It Alone"
No doubt, there's many obstacles in your life that get in the way. Maybe you have children, or maybe you have to keep two jobs to stay afloat. It's not easy. If things are bogging you down too much, remember that it's okay to ask for help. Career Counselor Markell R. Steele at Futures In Motion recommends being honest with the people in your life if you need some support:
When things aren't going well, we all have the tendency to hide the truth. If you hide behind a façade people will assume everything is good and won't extend opportunities or suggestions. Countless times I've had people tell me about great opportunities, then discount my interest assuming I was too busy to participate… If you're honest with people, you'd be surprised at how sympathetic and even helpful they can be. I'm not talking about whining and complaining. I'm talking about admitting that things are not going as well as you'd like, but you're working on improving them. It's even better if you have some clarity about your aspirations. It's been my experience that pursuing passion is often a balancing act rather than an either/or proposition.
Without support it's twice as hard to take on the weight of a new project. Passions are things that you have to give a lot of yourself to, and there's only so much of you to give. Sometimes you may need more than a helping hand, and Mark McNeilly at Fast Company explains that it's okay to open up about it all:
On the emotional side, it will be a lot easier to overcome your fears and insecurities if you have people close to you cheering you on and encouraging you. And on the financial side, you need their help to trim expenses and/or provide additional sources of income.
Talk with friends and family, significant others, or even close coworkers. Let people in on what you're doing and how it's affecting you. Chances are they'll cheer you on and do whatever they can, and someday down the road you can return the favor. There is nothing weak about asking for help. It takes a lot of strength and courage to realize you need it and ask for it.
"I'll Get to It Later"
No, you won't. You'll just keep telling yourself that until it's too late. You have the time to do it right now. If you can't see it, find it or make it, because eventually you really won't have any time. Eventually there won't be a tomorrow that you can use as a starting point. The funny thing with time is if you don't use it, you lose it. It will be difficult and it may take a long time, but you shouldn't give up on a dream just because of how long it will take.
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Until next week...keep on believing.
Almondtree Productions
“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.”
(Ecclesiastes 9:10)