As we pray for the peace of
Jerusalem
Prophetic News and
Commentary
Reporting on Monday, January 08, 2007
Jeremiah 6:17 Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet….
Isaiah 62:6 I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O
Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make
mention of the LORD, keep not silence,
V:7 And give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise
in the earth.
Psalms
122:6 Pray for the peace of
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The following articles are compiled
by:
Leo Wong
Former Israeli PM Ehud Barak makes a comeback
Source: Associated Press
January 8, 2007 -- Former prime minister Ehud Barak announced on Sunday his much-anticipated return to politics, saying he will seek the leadership of the Labour party in the first step toward a possible bid for the country's highest office.
Barak spent nearly six years in political exile after he was crushed by Ariel Sharon in a 2001 election. The defeat followed a short and stormy tenure as prime minister that abruptly ended after failed efforts at making peace with Syria and the Palestinians.
Barak spent months laying the groundwork for a comeback, gaining the support of key members of the party and establishing himself as the early favorite.
Barak made his announcement in a brief letter to his party.
"The state of Israel, the army and the security establishment are experiencing a major shakeup," he wrote. "I believe that I possess the capabilities and talents necessary to serve as Israel's next defence minister."
Barak served in wars and daring commando raids, becoming Israel's most-decorated soldier.
Comments: The retread Barak is the Comeback Kid of 2007. Once having tasted power of the prime minister’s office, he’s returning for second helpings. He’s got the military and political experience, a powerful 1-2 knockout punch which will place him in good standing against all opponents running against him. At a time in history when one (Ariel Sharon) of Israel’s greatest generals still lies in a comatose state and the current PM Ehud Olmert being an indecisive leader, Barak has positioned himself well to run in the next elections and win it all.
Israelis tend to have short memories though. Here’s a man who almost handed Yasser Arafat Palestinian statehood in the Summer of 2000 after having former U.S. President apply an Arm Lock on him (Barak). Arafat foolishly rejected Barak’s most generous deal and Barak breathed a sigh of relief. The fact of the matter still was: Barak could take on Arab soldiers with daring and cunning aplomb, but he couldn’t stand up to Clinton who was hardly a poster boy candidate for the Viet Nam War.
Will Barak fare better the next time he’s prime minister? Perhaps he has learned a few lessons since his exile to the sidelines. Like a starting quarterback, he needs to be benched sometimes in order for him to get a different perspective of the action on the field. Israel needs a strong ex-general hawk of a leader in the coming months ahead. America has its Barack Obama and Israel has her Ehud Barak. They’re both Leftists, the B&B boys.
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Christian leaders are unknown to most ‘Christians’
Source: AgapePress
January 8, 2007 -- According to a recent study from The Barna Group, major Christian leaders are widely unknown -- even among fellow Christians.
The study also reports that 72 percent of adults and 63 percent of born-again Christians have never heard of Rick Warren, megachurch pastor and author of the bestselling book The Purpose Driven Life.
Approximately 57 percent adults had never heard of Dr. James Dobson, Christian founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, and nearly half of all born-again Christians did not know who he was.
There were similar findings for T.D. Jakes, African-American clergyman; Tim LaHaye, author of the Left Behind book series; and Joel Osteen, featured television speaker and pastor of one of the largest churches in the nation.
Despite being widely unknown, all five Christian leaders received a favorable impression from those who actually knew of them. However, George Barna, director of the study, said the low visibility of Christian leaders coincides with other studies that indicate Christianity is losing its hold on American culture.
"The survey statistics suggest that perhaps Christian individuals are more attuned to matters of culture and entertainment than to matters of faith," Barna said.
"People pay attention to what they deem important," the researcher continued. "These figures may be another indicator that millions of Christians invest more of their mental energy in cultural literacy than in biblical literacy."
Comments: From the perspective of some modern day Christians, the sad part is not that the unsaved have never heard of Warren, Dobson, Jakes, LaHaye and Osteen, but that 6 out of 10 so called ‘Christians’ don’t even know who these people are. I have certain issues with Warren, Jakes and Osteen that readers of this newsletter already are aware of. That being said, perhaps it is a blessing in disguise that 60% of Christians haven’t purchased any of these trio’s books, CDs or DVDs because their materials are spiritual junk food about self-esteem and getting the most out of one’s life. The gospel message isn’t getting out to their readers and TV viewers.
The saved have their Robert Schuller and Rick Warren and the unsaved have their Anthony Robbins and Stephen Covey to help them cultivate and grow their self‑esteems. Young Christians especially need to divest themselves of Britney Spears, Hillary Duff, Brad Pitt and other worldly stars and delve into the Word of God and men of God who have studied and applied the Bible Scriptures to their own lives. It’s only then that America will continue to be blessed of the Lord. But, sadly, the U.S. and much of the Western world are making God less relevant in their societal neighborhoods. It’s the sign of the times that people are spurning God for the pleasures of this world for a season.
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French president calls for Middle East peace conference
Source: Reuters
January 8, 2007 -- French President Jacques Chirac on Friday renewed a call for an international conference to help restore Middle East stability, saying that, "At the gates of Europe, the Middle East has become the epicenter of international tensions."
"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict crystallises all these resentments," he said.
He said the international community had to act to restore the peace process and backed proposals to revive the so-called "Quartet" of Middle East mediators: the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.
"Let us propose within the Quartet an international conference of a new type which, without presuming to dictate the terms of a settlement to the parties, would bring the guarantees to which they aspire," he said, according to the text of his speech.
"I firmly believe there can be a real impetus for negotiation."
Comments: The cries for “peace, peace!” resonate around the world. One well heeled politician after another gets on top of his soap box and parrots the message of the person before him. The Israeli‑Palestinian conflict must find a speedy resolution or the Middle East will be set ablaze in 2007. There’s a looming war in the Hezbollah-Syrian horizon that will test Israel’s mettle to its fullest. The consensus was that Israel lost the last skirmish in July 2006 and the next round will also go to the terrorists. With Israel’s leadership still smarting from its failed military campaign to flush out and wipe out all of Hezbollah, the Arabs are emboldened to launch an even greater offensive at Northern and Western Israel.
EU leaders see doom and gloom in the days and months ahead. They seek peace in the Middle East so trade and commerce will increase by leaps and bounds. They are cognizant that many Arabs and Jews want to put down their guns and live securely in peace and harmony, but neither side knows how to go about it. They require a mediator in the worst way possible. France’s president sounds the call for such a miracle man to offer guarantees to both sides. The EU is certainly wealthy enough to offer financial aid, but whose military will ensure that the peace will be honored once a comprehensive peace agreement is in place? An international peace conference with the stipulation that no party to the talks can leave without a peace deal may just work.
The following articles are compiled
by:
Lisa
LA Archdiocese Uses Christian Fish Symbol for Homosexual Solidarity
Source: Earnedmedia.org
January 8, 2007 -- The Christian fish symbol is an ancient and sacred symbol for the persecuted Christians in the 1st century, as well as contemporary believers in Christ. But that symbol which showed that Christians identified with each other in their obedience to follow Christ is taking on a whole new meaning. The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as one of their ministries, ‘Ministry with Lesbians and Gay Catholics’ decided to make the sacred fish symbol into a rainbow fish symbol pin.
Comment: I pray that the Lord does not tarry much longer as who will be left to be taken up as the bride? Many in the church have even moved to “Jesus is not the only way to salvation” belief. Today’s young people are being “subtlety” indoctrinated into believing that homosexuality and the changing “family” dynamics are normal, now we have a “church” using symbols of Christianity to promote sinful lifestyles! The Catholic Church’s, Los Angeles Archdiocese is a large organization; this is not some “fringe” group. If we are not at the latter end of the Laodicean church age, I am not sure what else is left? Just the other day I noticed a commercial on TV that was talking about how everyone likes change. The type of change was furniture decorating. The commercial showed “families” sitting and smiling, surrounded by their new décor. The final scene was a homosexual couple and “their child”. You and I as adults and believers understand what this commercial is promoting, but children who grow up seeing this are being “groomed” to believe it is “normal. The rainbow, Noah’s arc and now the fish symbol have all been hijacked by the homosexual community, is nothing sacred anymore?
Isaiah 5:20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.
The following articles are compiled by:
Rick Allinson
Russia oil row hits Europe supply
Source: BBC
08 January 2006 – Russia has cut oil supplies to Poland, Germany and Ukraine amid a trade row with its neighbour Belarus.
The Russian state pipeline operator, Transneft, said it cut supplies on the Druzhba pipeline to prevent Belarus illegally siphoning off oil.
The European Commission said the cuts posed no immediate risk to European supplies but it was seeking an urgent explanation from Belarus and Russia.
Belarus has been in dispute with Russia over the price of Russian oil and gas.
Minsk says Russia has not been paying a transit tax for moving oil through Belarus, imposed after Russia doubled the price it charges Belarus for gas supplies.
Exports were halted after Belarus began legal action against Russia for failure to pay the new oil shipment tax.
Transneft later said it had been forced to cut off supplies through the Druzhba pipeline after Belarus began siphoning off oil as payment in kind for the duties.
The Russian firm has so far refused to pay the oil export taxes as it claims the charges are illegal.
Separately, Azerbaijan has suspended oil exports to Russia following a pricing dispute with Russian state-backed oil giant Gazprom.
Supply issues
Neither Germany nor Poland is in any immediate danger of experiencing oil shortages, as both maintain substantial reserves.
But BBC economics
correspondent Andrew Walker says the suspension is an uncomfortable
reminder to Europe of the large and growing role that Russia has in
meeting its energy needs.
Comments: Russia is one of the leading suppliers of oil to European countries and turning off the taps to Germany and Poland brings back memories from last year’s dispute. Last year it was Russia and Ukraine locking horns over the transit of Natural gas after Russia raised the price fourfold on Ukraine and accused Ukraine of stealing gas. This new dispute has all the same characteristics and shows how vulnerable European countries are when Russia shuts the taps off. Germany and Poland who receive about 1/3rd of their oil from Russia have now found themselves caught up in this dispute and they may not be feeling the pinch now but they will later if the pumps stop pumping. Oil is not as high a price as it was in the summer but this incident shows us how easy it would be for one country to cause havoc with the oil supply. Taking Iran as an example they; Iran threatens to block strategic oil strait - Given Iran’s authority over the Strait of Hormuz, the passageway to more than 40 percent of the world’s energy, we have become so strong that the world’s economic and energy security are in the hands of Iran,”
If Iran were to block the Strait of Hormuz for a long period of time it would cripple the world’s supply of oil and it would have disastrous consequences. We take our energy for granted in the west but what would we do if the supply was cut off? Running out of oil would be like running out of food. Russia and Iran are using oil to intimidate the west and it’s a very powerful weapon to be reckoned with. Sooner or later both of these countries will make a dash for the oil reserves in the Middle East and panic will set in for the rest of the world. It’s only a matter of time before the U.S. makes a hasty withdrawal from Iraq.
Eze 38:13 Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
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Mega-Mosque Plans Could Make London "Muslim Capital of Europe"
Source: CWN
08 January 2006 – Today, a neglected piece of real estate on London's east end sees little more than commuter trains rumbling past it. But it's the future location of what some say will be the biggest Islamic in-road into Christendom in 400 years – a gigantic mosque complex, the likes of which the West has never seen. This is the site for the proposed mega mosque. Currently, a small building is the present makeshift mosque on an undeveloped piece of land. Imagine a huge modern Islamic complex – in effect, an Islamic village for worshippers.
Video from the website of the mosque architect Ali Mangera shows what will be called the London Markaz, a 17-acre Islamic worship center for as many as 70,000 Muslims. Planned to be the hub of an Islamic quarter for the 2012 London Olympics, it will dwarf many of Britain's Christian cathedrals. “It's going to be very large,” said Alan Craig of the Christian Peoples' Alliance. “It's going to be a mosque, it's going to be an Islamic garden, there's going to be a library, there's going to be residential accommodation.”
Craig, who is a councilman for the London borough of
Newham where the mosque would be built, is fighting its
construction. "I'm not anti-Muslim,” he said. “I'm a Democrat – I
believe Muslims have the right to build mosques. But there's a
difference between your average mosque down the road and this
monster mosque, this mega mosque, which they want to build." But
it's not just the size of the mosque that's a concern. It is also
about who is behind it – a shadowy group called Tablighi Jamaat. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation states that Tablighi Jamaat has ties
to al-Qaeda. Shoe bomber Richard Reid was associated with this
group, as were two of the bombers who struck London's public
transportation system in 2005. The money for the project comes from
sources in the Middle East.
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