Archive for ‘Global’

Prayers For Mercy While Haiti Deals With Crippling Earthquake

By LaVrai, 14 January, 2010, 2 Comments

As the whole world knows by now, the Caribbean island of Haiti has been struck by a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake… Haiti was already struggling with extreme poverty, political instability, HIV/AIDs, etc. Imagine how the already stricken populace is suffering even more now.

The next time you fall on your knees before the LORD our GOD, ask HIM to have mercy on the people whose lives HE spared in Haiti. That the people would take refuge in HIS Only Begotten SON Christ Jesus.

If you feel so inclined, a monetary contribution to a relief organization would also help provide food, clothing, shelter, medical aid, etc. to the survivors. Here’s a good place to start that also features cautionary info on avoiding the scammers who will be using this tragedy for personal gain.

I’m torn over Pat Robertson’s decision to make remarks to the affect that Haiti is suffering because they made a deal w/ the Devil during a national broadcast on his program. Mr. Robertson even went so far as to quote the Devil’s response to the people. Is that in the Bible?

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End Time Alert: Gerald Celente Predicts Obamageddon In 2012

By LaVrai, 21 August, 2009, 1 Comment

Gerald Celente, a self-styled trends forecaster, discussed recently about what he sees happening to the United States’ economy based on the programs being implemented by the government. Mr. Celente doesn’t color his predictions with religious tones, just with numbers and what he sees as straight facts. People simply paying attention can also see what appears to be the deliberate dismantling of America (and perhaps the world’s) economy. Based on what I read in the Holy Bible, the world will be brought to its knees when the Anti-Christ’s religious and economic agent, the Anti-Christ implements a mark for everyone on the planet to do any kind of business. When will this be? Who knows, but as the LORD has spoken it, surely it will come to pass.

Vee at Living Journey has a related posted you can check out here.

Also, you can test some “forecasting” from the religious end here.

Revelation 13:11Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, 14and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

15And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. 16Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666. (ESV)

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Global Persecution Of Christians – All Nations Will Hate You Because Of Me

By LaVrai, 14 August, 2009, 4 Comments

Christianity has been a threat to the world since Jesus Christ walked the earth (or perhaps since GOD gave Moses the Torah). After Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension back to Heaven, Christians became public enemy number one. The LORD even told the disciples (and all who have ears to hear) that the day would come that those persecuting HIS Church would actually believe they were doing GOD’s work. Most astoundingly, Jesus says HIS people will be hated “by all nations” because of our allegiance and faithfulness to HIM (Matthew 24:9Matthew 24:9
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.  

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). What a word!

Yes, Jesus was speaking of the time of the end, and the world has steadily been speeding towards that end since Christ Jesus accomplished the FATHER’s purpose on the Cross. The church fathers and the early Christians experienced this hatred and many confessing Salvation in Jesus Christ and HE alone today are experiencing it.

But Jesus said “all nations” would hate Christians. Do all nations truly despise Christianity today? Not yet, but there is a time promised when Satan will be granted power by GOD over the whole world and the power to persecute Christians (Daniel 11 & Revelation 13). And why would the LORD give HIS people over to persecution? – “To refine them, purify them, and make them white… (Daniel 11:35Daniel 11:35
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV

35 And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. try them: or, try by them  

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)” And also for HIS own glory, as HE explains in regard to HIS future saving of Israel – “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. 11 For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another. (Isaiah 48:10-11Isaiah 48:10-11
English: King James Version (1611) - KJV

10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. with...: or, for silver 11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.  

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).”

There are many brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus being refined and purified today. For example, in Pakistan Christians are being murdered and their homes and churches destroyed by radical Islamists (BBC). In Nigeria, Christians are being murdered by those who want to impose Islam on them. And the death toll is well in the hundreds due to deaths on every side (BP). And most recently here in the U.S., a young Muslim girl fled from her Ohio family after converting to Christianity because she’s convinced her father will kill her for her apparent apostasy (OS). Two women are among dozens of Christians recently rounded up in Iran and imprisoned (CT). Four Christians were beheaded in Somalia for refusing to convert back to Islam (CP). These, of course, are just some very recent examples of Christian persecution going on today — there are dozens of other places and thousands of other situations where Satan is working hard to stomp out the faithful.

And the Devil is slowly working his way West, looking forward to the day when he has convinced the whole world that Jesus’ followers are somehow a global enemy.

So let us remember, when we’re praying to GOD in Jesus’ name for strength and mercy for our persecuted brothers and sisters, that we’re also in a way praying for ourselves. Their present trouble is our future promise. But thank the LORD we all share one very certain hope.

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End Times Alert: Pope Benedict XVI Calls For ‘World Political Authority’

By LaVrai, 9 July, 2009, 5 Comments
Pope Benedict XVI listens during the holy mass of Pentecost Sunday in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican May 31, 2009. (Giampiero Sposito/Reuters)

Pope Benedict XVI listens during the holy mass of Pentecost Sunday in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican May 31, 2009. (Giampiero Sposito/Reuters)

It has so many names nowadays — one world government, new global economic order and now “world political authority.” This last phrasing is from Pope Benedict XVI who just recently issued his encyclical, which if you have the patience, can be read here. He, too, says the world “urgently” needs a singular global authority, with a moral code… which I suppose he supposes the Holy See should provide.

In chapter five (#67) of his “Charity in Truth” statement, Pope Benedict writes:

In the face of the unrelenting growth of global interdependence, there is a strongly felt need, even in the midst of a global recession, for a reform of the United Nations Organization, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth.

One also senses the urgent need to find innovative ways of implementing the principle of the responsibility to protect[146] and of giving poorer nations an effective voice in shared decision-making. This seems necessary in order to arrive at a political, juridical and economic order which can increase and give direction to international cooperation for the development of all peoples in solidarity. To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago.

Such an authority would need to be regulated by law, to observe consistently the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity, to seek to establish the common good[147], and to make a commitment to securing authentic integral human development inspired by the values of charity in truth. Furthermore, such an authority would need to be universally recognized and to be vested with the effective power to ensure security for all, regard for justice, and respect for rights[148]. Obviously it would have to have the authority to ensure compliance with its decisions from all parties, and also with the coordinated measures adopted in various international forums. Without this, despite the great progress accomplished in various sectors, international law would risk being conditioned by the balance of power among the strongest nations. The integral development of peoples and international cooperation require the establishment of a greater degree of international ordering, marked by subsidiarity, for the management of globalization[149]. They also require the construction of a social order that at last conforms to the moral order, to the interconnection between moral and social spheres, and to the link between politics and the economic and civil spheres, as envisaged by the Charter of the United Nations.

I fully recommend reading Pope Endorses “World Political Authority” at Accuracy in Media to understand this “radical document” the pope has penned.

It is rather interesting that not only do we have politicians harping openly for a united world government, we know have the man who thinks he’s some kind of prince or king, the pope, also singing the same tune — openly. It wasn’t long ago that this kind of talk was considered the stuff of conspiracy theorists, now we have governments actively working to facilitate this movement — openly, all thanks to this totally unexpected global economic meltdown. If this is what’s spoken openly, what do they say in secret? Does the pope think the one world government will keep the Roman Catholic Church around for long? Yes, the RCC will be quite helpful in keeping the world deceived by idolatry and false religion, but from what I read in the Book of Revelation, the Holy Roman See, or the harlot that sits upon many waters, will be done away with when the Beast government has tired of her. When the Anti-Christ elevates himself to god-status, the other prince (the pope who sits on the throne who is worshiped adored by a billion people from every nation and tongue) won’t be needed any more .

Holy See:

  • The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and speaks for the whole Catholic Church. It is also recognized by other subjects of international law as a sovereign entity, headed by the Pope, with which diplomatic relations can be maintained. – Wikipedia
  • Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the environment, the Middle East, China, the decline of religion in Europe, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About one billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.

Landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world’s smallest state; beyond the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the Lateran Treaty of 1929 grants the Holy See extraterritorial authority over 23 sites in Rome and five outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo (the Pope’s summer residence) – CIA Factbook

It amazes me that the Holy See positions itself as the only independent state founded on and ruled by ecclesiastical standards. The thing is, though, it is governed by man-made rules cloaked in religion and positions the pope as king, or god. This seems almost a mockery of the Kingdom Jesus the Christ will establish on the new earth.

Revelation 17:

1And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

… 15And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Revelation 18 and Jeremiah 51 should also be considered.

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Photos: Jewish Parents Let Kids Smoke Cigarettes On Purim

By LaVrai, 27 June, 2009, No Comment

I was surprised to just learn that this is a common way to celebrate Purim in this Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Israel.

These little boys sure look like they’re having a good time… I wonder if they sneak a smoke when it’s not Purim. Notice the little one on the left with several cigarettes in his hand.

Purim is a celebration of the Jews’ salvation from genocide in ancient Persia, as recounted in the Book of Esther.

Photos: Day Life

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