Don Stanton, Maranatha Revival Crusade. www.MaranathaMRC.com

The news is bleak, and what we are seeing today seems like a rehearsal for the Great Tribulation. In Revelation 6, we read of the four horsemen which represent major conditions on earth during the end times.

1. The rider on the White Horse, represents a global effort to bring PEACE.

2. The rider on the Red Horse represents WORLD WAR - he takes peace from the earth.

3. The rider on the Black Horse represents FAMINE, as a result of scarcity and exorbitant food prices.

4. The rider on the Pale, ashen Horse represents DEATH, as a result of war, famine and pestilence.

Today we witness a foretaste of all these conditions around the world. We see much that is quite alarming.

The reports in this issue are a sprinkling of what is actually happening around us. But in the midst of a deeply troubled world, there is Good News.

If you know Y’shua, Jesus the Messiah as your personal Saviour, there are the Master’s comforting words:

“Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s House are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you, for I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, so that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

THE RAPTURE IS SCHEDULED

“For the Master Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. Then the dead in Christ - those who died with faith in the Messiah - shall rise first. Then we, the living believers who remain, will simultaneously be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Master in the air. And so we will be with the Master for ever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)

My dear reader, if you do not know Y’shua (Jesus) as your personal Saviour, then the message for you is:

“The Good News which I preached to you - and on which you take your stand ... is that the Messiah died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). And ...

“if you confess with your mouth Y’shua as LORD (Master), and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved ... for WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF Y’SHUA the LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (Romans 10:9, 13)

May Yahweh, the LORD God, bless you, and keep you.

Your brother, Don Stanton

THE BLACK HORSE OF THE APOCALYPSE:

THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS

The rider on the black horse of Revelation 6 symbolizes the exorbitant food prices during the Great Tribulation – one measure of wheat will cost a whole day’s wage.

“And when He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, ‘Come and see.’ And I looked and saw a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius. And do not harm the oil and the wine.’ (A denarius was the equivalent of a day’s wage.)” (Revelation 6:5-6)

Exorbitant food pricing brings malnutrition and starvation, as well as social upheaval. This is represented by the pale, ashen horse that follows the black horse.

“And when He opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, ‘Come and see.’ I looked and saw a pale, ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name ‘Death’; and Hades (the realm of the dead) was following close behind him. And authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with famine, with plague and pestilence, and by the wild beasts of the earth.” (Revelation 6:7-8)

Today we see a new global tragedy as food prices soar worldwide. In many parts of the world the rising costs have already reached crisis levels. This is a sign of the endtimes, and a foretaste of the coming Great Tribulation conditions.

A “SILENT TSUNAMI” SWEEPS THE GLOBE

At a London summit on the food crisis on April 22, the World Food Program’s director warned that a “silent tsunami” of hunger is sweeping the world’s most desperate nations

“This is the new face of hunger,” said Josetta Sheeran, director of WFP, launching an appeal for an extra $500 million so it could continue supplying food aid to 73 million hungry people this year. “People are simply being priced out of food markets. ... We have never before had a situation where aggressive rises in food prices keep pricing our operations out of our reach.”

Some officials warn the current situation is a “perfect storm” leading to panic in many places.

Officials in Bangladesh refer to it as an emerging “silent famine” that threatens to ravage the region.

According to the U.N., global food prices rose 35% in the last year. Corn prices have hit a 12-year high and the price of wheat has jumped almost 90%. Within a few months, the cost of rice has gone from $580 to $760 a ton.

(APR 25 08. In Thailand, Rice has hit $1000 a ton, and 100% B-grade white rice could soon hit $1300.)

Rice is the staple food for three billion people around the world. Most of these live in poorer nations, and some spend 50-70% of their incomes on food.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, most people survive on less than $2 a day.

The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) says staple food prices in some parts of Africa have risen by 40% or more in six months.

As impoverished populations struggle with food costs, anger and violence have broken out across the globe. In Africa, from Mauritania to Mozambique, people have taken to the streets. There have been food riots in Mexico, Egypt, Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon and Haiti, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Italy, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, the Philippines, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Yemen. Villagers have also clashed with police in eastern India, and hundreds of Muslims have marched for lower food prices in Indonesia.

In Thailand, farmers are sleeping armed in their fields because thieves are stealing rice, now worth $600 a ton, right out of the paddies.

A law graduate in Cameroon says: “Some of us have become hawkers, others are truck pushers (barrow boys). Many girls who were my classmates in university have now become prostitutes just to have something to eat. Life is becoming unbearable.”

Major rice-importing nations such as Mauritania, Senegal, Haiti and Philippines have been among the worst affected.

In Senegal, which imports 80% of its rice, police suppressed violent demonstrations in Dakar in March, and later, police raided a TV station after it repeatedly transmitted images of police beating demonstrators with electrified batons and firing tear gas during the protest over high food prices.

Last year, this poor country on Africa’s west coast witnessed the worst rioting in more than a decade, as hundreds of youths smashed windows and burned tires in anger at high prices and government efforts to clear away street traders.

Haiti also imports 80% of their rice and recent riots led to the collapse of the government.

Unrest has spread to other rice-dependent nations in West Africa, notably Ivory Coast. And there is now a risk of a return to chronic inflation which could threat-en the relative economic stability achieved by many African states.

Across the globe governments are facing political troubles because of the spiralling prices, and many are introducing price controls and limiting exports, or cutting custom duties to appease their people.

Argentina, Kazakhstan, China, Vietnam and India have each imposed restrictions to limit grain exports and keep more of their food at home.

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has asked Vietnam to guarantee Manila up to 1.5 million tonnes of annual supply of rice because of fears that shortages later this year could spell political trouble for her.

Malnutrition and hunger are growing problems, and charitable organizations are having trouble keeping up with the growing demand.

WFP has forecast a “perfect storm” of woes for its operations: it is faced with a $500 million funding shortfall purely due to rising costs of buying and distributing food, even before taking into account greater need for aid now.

U.S. FACES FOOD RATIONING

A report from California says many parts of America, long considered the breadbasket of the world, are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing.

Major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of flour, rice, and cooking oil as demand outstrips supply. There are reports that consumers are hoarding grain stocks.

A high-tech professional said he recently bought ten 50-pound bags of rice at Costco. “I am concerned that when the news of rice shortage spreads, there will be panic buying and the shelves will be empty in no time.”

South Koreans are speculating on how many North Koreans will starve to death before the fall harvest. This year promises to be worse than usual. Severe crop failure in the North and surging global prices for food will mean millions of hungry Koreans. Roughly one third of the children and mothers are already malnourished, according to a recent UN study.

The Food Bank for New York City, which supplies food to 1,000 agencies and 1.3 million people, calls the crisis the worst problem since its founding 25 years ago. Last year, the Food Bank received 17 million lbs of food through the Emergency Food Assistance Program, less than half of the 35 million lbs it received in 2002. And donations from individuals and corporations are also down about 50%.

MANY CAUSES OF THE CRISIS

The cause of the exorbitant food is a combination of various factors:

* growing populations

* harsh weather conditions, including drought

* plagues

* record oil prices

* the use of grains to produce bio-fuels; and also

* speculators trading in local market places.

In Bangladesh, a cyclone last summer destroyed 600 million dollars worth of its rice crop.

In Australia, a prolonged drought has reduced wheat exports by half, and the rice crop this year will be the smallest in history.

In India, millions of people face starvation after a plague of rats overran a whole region. The rodent plague in India occurs about every half century following the heavy flowering of a local species of bamboo, providing the rodents with a feast of high-protein foliage. Once the rats have ravaged the bamboo, they turn on the crops, consuming hundreds of tons of rice and corn supplies. Survivors of the previous mautam, which heralded widespread famine in 1958, say they remember areas of paddy fields the size of four soccer fields being devastated overnight.

In Africa, rats are seen as part of the answer to the food shortage. According to Africa News, Karamojongs have resorted to hunting wild rats for survival as famine strikes the area.

Another contributing factor to the crisis is the demand for more meat in an increasingly prosperous Asia. Because of this demand more grain is used to feed livestock than is required to feed humans directly in a traditional grain-based diet.

Economic uncertainty has led producers to hoard rice, and speculators and investors even see this as a lucrative, or at least, a safe investment.

The Hong Kong government in April tried to put a stop to panic-buying of rice in the city of 6.9 million as fears mounted over escalating prices and a global rice shortage. Shop shelves were being cleared of rice stocks as Hong Kong people reacted to news that the price of rice, imported from Thailand, had shot up by almost a third in the past week, according to agency reports.

The problem with rice, (which is not used to make bio-fuel), is that more than 90% is consumed in the countries where it is grown, and less than 10% is actually exported. And in the last 25 years, rice consumption has outpaced production.

Oil prices affect not only the cost of transporting food, but also the cost of fertilizers which are made with oil-derivatives.

AUSTRALIAN DROUGHT CONTRIBUTES TO SHORTAGE

Australia’s Deniliquin Mill, the largest rice mill in the Southern Hemisphere, once processed enough grain to satisfy the daily needs of 20 million people. But six long years of drought have taken a toll, reducing Australia’s rice crop by 98% and leading to the mothballing of the mill last December.

Drought has already brought changes in Australia’s agricultural heartland. Some farmers are abandoning rice, which requires large amounts of water, to plant less water-intensive crops like wheat and wine grapes.

The collapse of Australia’s rice production is one of the factors contributing to the skyrocketing increase of rice prices in the last few months which have led the world’s largest exporters to restrict exports severely, spurred panicked hoarding in Hong Kong and the Philippines, and set off violent protests around the world.

The Australian drought’s effect on rice production has produced the greatest impact on the rest of the world’s food supply, so far.

Scientists and economists worry that the reallocation of scarce water resources - away from rice and other grains and toward more lucrative crops and livestock - threatens poor countries that import rice as a dietary staple.

BIO-FUELS

Australia’s drought is only one contributing cause. Worse than this is the misguided policies of the US and EU whose governments are mandating the production of bio-fuels – petrol made from grain. The US employs corn; Brazil turns sugar into fuel; and Indonesia uses palm oil trees.

In its April 21, 08 issue, TIME magazine ran a cover story entitled, THE CLEAN ENERGY MYTH. On the cover it stated, “Politicians and Big Business are pushing bio-fuels like corn-based ethanol as alternatives to oil. All they’re really doing is driving up food prices and making global warming worse - and you’re paying for it!”

The 6-page article paints a sorry account of the “The Clean Energy Scam.” It says worldwide investment in bio-fuels rose from $5 billion in 1995 to $38 billion in 2005, and is expected to reach $100 billion by 2010.

“Bio-fuels have become the trendy way for politicians and corporations to show they’re serious about finding alternative sources of energy and in the process slowing global warming.”

“Several new studies show the bio-fuel boom is doing exactly the opposite of what its proponents intended: it’s dramatically accelerating global warming, and imperiling the planet in the name of saving it.”

The demand for bio-fuels is leading to the destruction of forests in Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia. Forests, grasslands and wet lands actually store and contain enormous amounts of carbon. Destroying the forests, and burning off the trees account for 20% of all current carbon emissions.

When the deforestation effect is taken into account, corn ethanol and soy bio-diesel produce about twice the amount of emissions as gasoline does.

Government mandates and subsidies for bio-fuels are having a marked impact. It is estimated that almost 30% of the US’s grain harvest is being diverted to make ETHANOL. Likewise, the European Union plans to start producing enough bio-fuels to meet at least 10% of its transportation needs by 2010.

In spite of the recognition that the bio-fuels industry is adding to a global food crisis, the ethanol industry is popular in the US where farmers enjoy subsidies for the corn crops. And all the presidential contenders – McCain, Obama and Clinton – as well as President Bush - have tickets on the bio-fuel train!

A GRAIN WAR THREATENING

The global agricultural crisis is threatening to become a political one, lining up the US and other developed countries against the developing world over the need for affordable food versus the need for renewable energy.

As one journalist puts it: “A huge amount of the world’s farmland is being diverted to feed cars, not people.”

TIME says: “The forces that bio-fuels have unleashed - political, economic and social – may now be too powerful to constrain.” “Land is an incredibly precious commodity, and every acre used to generate fuel is an acre that can’t be used to generate the food needed to feed us or for the carbon storage needed to save us.”

AN ALTERNATIVE BIO-FUEL

It is possible to make bio-fuels from municipal trash, agricultural waste, algae and even carbon dioxide, but none of the technologies are yet economical on a large scale.

AMAZING OIL BREAKTHROUGH

www.worldnetdaily.com recently published a story that describes what could be the biggest energy breakthrough in history – genetically manipulating bacteria to quickly convert anything that grows out of the Earth, into oil.

The new technique employs altered bacteria to “rapidly digest” everything from grass clippings, wood chips and trash, turning them into hydrocarbons for fuels such as gasoline and diesel. If done on a large scale, it could provide billions of barrels of renewable oil every year.

The agricultural researcher pioneering the process is J. C. Bell, the Chief Executive Officer of Bell Bio-Energy, Inc.

Bell maintains that any hydrocarbon under pressure and temperature can turn into oil, and that with just 2 billion tons of biomass, his process can produce 5 billion barrels of oil each year naturally, with no negative impact on the environment. “That’s 5 billion barrels of oil that can be produced from just trash,” he said.

Bell gave an overview of his plans at the U.S. Defence Department’s Worldwide Energy Conference & Trade Show in Arlington, Va., where Air Force, Army, Navy and federal organizations were represented. He was very well-received.

His bacterial discovery has also been published in two Georgia newspapers, but the national media don’t seem to be the least interested, and have, thus far, not provided any coverage of this possible solution to skyrocketing gas prices and America’s long-term energy security.

WHY ARE THE POWERS NOT INTERESTED IN CLEAN SOLUTIONS?

Big business and politicians, like the pharmaceutical companies, are evidently not interested in solutions that don’t return mega-billions in cash!

While world powers are able to spend hundreds of billions in armaments annually, why do the nations need to starve? Or is the food crisis another attempt to eliminate excessive population? q

SAUDIS PLAN FOR MILE-HIGH ‘TOWER OF BABEL’

Plans for a 5,250 ft-high tower in the Saudi Arabian desert have been unveiled by 51-year-old Prince al-Walid bin Talal, the billionaire owner of London’s Savoy Hotel.

It is being planned for a new city near the Red Sea port of Jeddah. On a clear day, the view from the top will take in the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian Ocean.

The �5 billion project, masterminded by two British engineering consultancies, will be twice as high as its nearest rivals - skyscrapers under construction in Dubai and Kuwait. None of the other skyscrapers under construction, including New York’s Freedom Tower on the World Trade Centre site, will exceed 2,296ft.

Experts say the technical challenges are enormous. Much of the lifting will be done by helicopters, which will also be used as commuter transport for builders. The tower will have to be capable of withstanding a wide range of temperatures, with its top baking in the desert sun by day but dropping to well below freezing at night.

To resist the strong winds prevalent in the area and stop it swaying, giving its occupants a form of high-rise seasickness, it will be fitted with a giant computer-operated damper.

Until recently, the still-under-construction Dubai Tower was expected to be the world’s tallest building. Plans have changed several times to make it higher, but the final version is expected to be 2,300ft with 160 storeys.

THE WORLDWIDE FINANCIAL CRISIS

An informed reader in Australia has given this comment, and disturbing article:

Everyone should now be aware that there is a worldwide financial crisis as this topic has been covered by the media.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said recently in the US, that Australia has only a minor exposure to the ‘credit difficulties.’ It may be that he has been misled by his bureaucrats, but his comments are vastly different from the information given in an article written in The Australian last month which has been summarised as follows:

“Anyone who does not understand the fact that the world is facing the greatest ‘meltdown’ of financial markets in recorded history is living in ‘lulu land.’ Today the whole world’s financial markets are built and maintained on NOTHING sustainable, as individuals, corporations and governments have borrowed and created artificial wealth which is backed by nothing more than blips on a computer screen.

The recent crisis with the Centro group and the current crisis with ABC Learning is just the tip of the iceberg. People just cannot get their minds around the fact that there are literally thousands of companies that are in exactly the same position, only they manage to juggle their finances to avoid the dreadful day of accountability.

WHAT IS THE REAL SITUATION OF AUSTRALIAN BANKS?

Well may we ask that question!

In The Australian of February 18, 2008, there was a remarkable article on page 34 which was headed:

Bomb Ticking for Off Balance Banks

The article revealed that the ‘ticking bomb’ was the exposure of the Australian banks’ off-balance sheet activities, which at last count stood at

$12.9 TRILLION ...

meaning these banks have a huge exposure to the derivative market. In other words Australia’s major banks are effectively bankrupt!!!

Consider the fact that this calculated amount of exposure is 117 times as big as the bank’s shareholder value. If even 1% of these derivatives contracts were to default because of third parties getting into trouble, the whole shareholder wealth would be wiped out in a blink. And Australia’s banks would collapse.

When we further consider that the total bank assets in Australia are somewhere around $2.1 TRILLION the exposure figure is quite incredible.

Westpac, which came from the near total financial collapse of the Bank of NSW, had a face value of $1.4 TRILLION in derivatives as at 30th September 2007, compared to an equity base of $16 BILLION, which is a multiple of almost 100 times … This is just a small picture of the reality that the article reveals.

Banks are, of course, in a very favourable position because they can and do create wealth from nothing and gain interest on that created. As long as there are no catastrophic defaults to undermine confidence in the system, things will roll along as they always have.

Today, however, we are facing catastrophic conditions.

This report graphically illustrates the validity of the advice South East Christian Witness has issued for so many years! If you have a mortgage today, do everything you can to pay it off! When you have done so, go to your bank and demand that you be given the title to your property. Remember the fact that while the bank holds your title deeds, even if you own the property, it is listed on the bank’s assets. Pay the discharge fee, have the mortgage discharged, and take your deeds home with you.

If the scenario in the above occurs within this country, and there is no reason to believe it will not, the values of property in Australia cities will crash by anything up to 75% at some near future time. This will bring devastation to tens of thousands of Australian families who act like there is no tomorrow in the manner of their living. People are living in a fool’s paradise

Yes, the figure of $12.9 TRILLION is correct – 12,900 billion and the article can be seen at http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,23229288-7583,00.html

Warren Buffet is supposedly the world’s richest man, and he warns of the world’s total exposure ...

Buffett and Gross warn: $516 trillion bubble is a disaster waiting to happen.

- By Paul B. Farrell, MarketWatch. March 10, 2008

http://www.shares.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=5392

516 trillion means 516,000 billion !!!

I do not know what is going to happen, or when, but I do not intend to be one of those living in a fool’s paradise.”

THE “PEACE PROCESS” & THE BATTLE FOR JERUSALEM

The most contentious issue in the so-called “Peace Process” is the city of Jerusalem.

If the Ehud Olmert government admitted to negotiating with the Palestinians on this issue, the Shas Party would be obliged to pull out of the governing coalition, and bring down the Kadima-led government.

But if Olmert is able to continue his rule, and if he is able to achieve a deal that leads to the dividing of Jerusalem - as he evidently plans - his success will be his greatest disaster, for he will be setting the stage for the Battle for Jerusalem, and he will bring “coals of fire” upon his own head. For the God of Israel, the Almighty, who made Heaven and Earth says:

“And on that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem a very heavy rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will be severely injured.” (Zechariah 12:3)

As for the nations that take a stand against the LORD and against His Anointed (Psalm 2:2), there is a “Day of Slaughter,” “a Year of Recompense” scheduled:

“Draw near, you nations, to hear: and listen, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in the world, and all that comes from it. For the indignation of YHWH is against all the nations, and His fury against all their armies. He has appointed them for destruction; He has given them over to slaughter ... For My sword is saturated in the heavens. See, it descends in judgment on Edom, and upon the people whom I have handed over to judgment ... For YHWH has a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.” (Isaiah 34:1-2, 5, 8)

U S WANTS TO DIVIDE JERUSALEM

“I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the valley of Y’hoshaphat. There I will enter into judgment against them on behalf of My people and My inheritance, Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; and they have divided up My land.” (Joel 3:2)

According to WorldNetDaily.com, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice delivered a plan, which the US has proposed, to Israel and the Palestinians, during her recent visit (early April).

The plan, among other things, calls for Israel to eventually forfeit parts of the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site.

In the first stage of the plan, Israel would give the Palestinians some municipal and security sovereignty over key Arab neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem. The PA would be allowed to open some official institutions in Jerusalem, could elect a mayor for the Palestinian side of the city and would deploy their own police forces to maintain law and order.

After five years, if both sides keep their commitments, the PA would be given full sovereignty over the eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods and also over sections of the Temple Mount. The PA could then deploy official security forces in Jerusalem, separate from a police force, and could also open major governmental institutions, such as a president’s office, and offices for the finance and foreign ministries, in effect making Jerusalem the Palestinian “capital.”

The plan leaves Israel and the PA to negotiate which Jerusalem neighborhoods would become Palestinian. According to diplomatic sources, the plan is being discussed by Israel and the PA but it has not yet been accepted.

“For this YHWH has said to me: ‘As the lion or the young lion growls over his prey, (and even though a band of shepherds is called out against him, he will not be frightened by their voice nor cowered by their noise), so YHWH of Hosts will come down to wage war on Mount Zion and on its hill.’ Like birds hovering overhead, so YHWH of Hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; He will pass over and rescue it.” (Isaiah 31:4-5)

PLO AMBASSADOR: JERUSALEM IS A STEP

IN DESTROYING ALL ISRAEL

By Stan Goodenough / By permission / Jerusalem Newswire. http://www.jnewswire.com

APR 15, 08. Once the Palestinian Arabs have Jerusalem as their capital - and international efforts to bring this about are underway around the clock - they will be in a position to erase the rest of what will be left of Israel from the Middle East.

This candid confession was made last week by the PLO’s so-called Ambassador to Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, as disclosed by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) and published in The Jerusalem Post.

“The PLO is the sole legitimate representative [of the Palestinian people], and it has not changed its platform even one iota,” Zaki said.

That platform, adopted by the Palestine National Council in 1973 and known as the PLO’s “Phased Plan,” is as follows:

1. Through the “armed struggle” (i.e, terrorism), to establish an “independent combatant national authority” over any territory that is “liberated” from Israeli rule. (Article 2).

2. To continue the struggle against Israel, using the territory of the national authority as a base of operations. (Article 4)

3. To provoke an all-out war in which Israel’s Arab neighbors destroy it entirely (“liberate all Palestinian territory”). (Article 8)

Speaking in 1993, just after it became public that the Oslo Accords had been drawn up and were being readied for signing, then PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat announced that the agreement “will be a basis for an independent Palestinian state in accordance with the Palestine National Council resolution issued in 1974 ... The PNC resolution issued in 1974 calls for the establishment of a national authority on any part of Palestinian soil from which Israel withdraws or which is liberated.” (Radio Monte Carlo, 1 September 1993)

Said Zaki Monday: “In light of the weakness of the Arab nation and the lack of values, and in light of the American control over the world, the PLO proceeds through phases, without changing its strategy. Let me tell you, when the ideology of Israel collapses, and we take, at least, Jerusalem, the Israeli ideology will collapse in its entirety, and we will begin to progress with our own ideology, Allah willing, and drive them out of all of Palestine.”

Observers have noted, and Zaki understands, that by relinquishing their biblical heartland and the cradle of their nationhood - Samaria and Judea – including sole, sovereign control over its 3000-year-old capital, Jerusalem, the Jews will be self-severing themselves from their roots – something no nation can survive.

The birth of Palestine, Muslims know, will guarantee the death of Israel.

“Because the enemy has spoken against you, ‘Aha!’ and, ‘the ancient heights have become our possession’ … therefore YHWH, the Sovereign Master says, ‘I have lifted up My hand and sworn that surely the nations which are around you will themselves suffer their own insults’.” (Ezekiel 36:2, 7)

NETANYAHU:

“I WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THE DIVISION OF JERUSALEM”

APR 2, 08. During her latest visit to Israel, Likud Chairman and former

Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he informed Condoleezza Rice that he would not endorse a declaration of principles calling for a return to 1967 borders.

“Israel would be taking a great risk if it currently commits to territorial concessions. Security establishment estimates indicate that if we withdraw from the West Bank, Hamas will set up base there. I told the secretary that I do not plan on supporting the transfer of the responsibility for Israel’s security to subcontractors,” the Likud Chairman said.

“Time is not on our side because Hamas, under Iran’s leadership, is taking control of more and more territories. The situation is very similar to Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon. The lesson from Lebanon is that when we retreat, rocket attacks follow.

“It is not Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that defends Israel, but rather the IDF. I told the secretary of state that there is no alternative to Israeli rule, because Hamas will step in to fill the void. Israel would be taking a great risk if it currently commits to territorial concessions.”

“I brought her information from security officials and intelligence indicating that Hamas could take over the West Bank and create what is essentially an Iranian base there,” Netanyahu said. - Ynet News

“ANY ABBAS-OLMERT AGREEMENT WILL BE VOIDED”

Netanyahu says any agreement reached between PM Ehud Olmert and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is null and void.

Widely expected to be the next prime minister, Netanyahu said he would not honor an agreement reached between Fatah chief Abbas and Olmert – who are currently engaged in frantic negotiations on final status issues.

The nature of the hurried negotiations with the questionably-sovereign head of a fractured PA is to reach a US-imposed deadline of at least a theoretical deal for a Palestinian state by the end of 2008.

“Say to those with palpitating heart, ‘Be strong; take courage, fear not. Look! Your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God. He will come and save you’.” (Isaiah 35:4)

NEW CITY FOR PALESTINIANS

In late March, Defence Minister Ehud Barak presented to Condoleezza Rice and Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad, a list of Israel’s planned gestures toward the Palestinians. The list includes the establishment of a Palestinian city or several neighborhoods with a total of 5,000 to 8,000 housing units, near the West Bank city of Ramallah. The new city would be financed by a Jordanian businessman.

The Israeli concessions also include the following:

1. PA para-military police stations will open in some areas under joint Israeli and PA control.

2. 700 PA police personnel will be deployed in the Jenin area, after they return from training in Jordan. Ultimate security responsibility will remain in Israel’s hands.

3. Additional roadblocks and checkpoints in Judea and Samaria are to be removed by mid-May.

4. 25 APC’s (tanks) – out of 50 requested – and 125 additional vehicles and pieces of logistical equipment will be delivered to PA/Fatah hands.

5. Various restrictions on the movement of public figures will be eased.

6. Various restrictions on the movement of businessmen will be eased.

7. An additional 5,000 permits will be issued for Arab construction workers in Israel (the current quota is approximately 18,500).

8. The Sha’ar Ephraim Crossing will be opened for commercial activity on Fridays.

9. Israel will allow the passage of businessmen from Arab countries, the United Kingdom, Turkey, the PA and Israel on a VIP footing (without checks) through Ben-Gurion International Airport, for the Bethlehem Economic Conference for Investors in May. Israeli businessmen will be allowed to enter Bethlehem for the conference. Businessmen attending the conference will be allowed to move in organized groups in Judea and Samaria cities, and into Israel (including Jerusalem and Nazareth).

10. Industrial Zones will be established in Jericho, Hevron (Tarkumiyah) and Mukibla. The Tarkumiya Industrial Zone will receive Turkish financing. Another industrial zone will be established in Jericho for the processing and marketing abroad of PA agricultural produce. Japan and Jordan will be involved in this project.

A statement issued after the talks said that “the parties have completed connection of 27 Palestinian villages in [Judea and Samaria] to the Israeli power grid and, in an unprecedented action, have connected Jericho to the Jordan power grid.”

Rightist lawmakers in Israel claim that such gestures would jeopardize Israel’s security.

The agreements reached in the talks between Rice, Barak and Fayyad, include only one commitment by the PA.

“For its part, the Palestinian Authority will deploy security forces to provide law and order, and work to prevent terror.”

ISRAEL TO BUILD 1,400 NEW HOMES IN WEST BANK

MAR 3, 08. Just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ended a peacekeeping mission to the region, Israel announced plans for 1,400 new homes on land the Palestinians claim for a future state.

Jerusalem’s city hall announced it would build 600 new apartments in Pisgat Zeev, a Jewish neighborhood in the eastern sector of the city. Soon after, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party said PM Olmert promised to build 800 additional homes in one of Israel’s largest West Bank settlements, Betar Illit.

But Rice criticized Israel’s continued approval of new housing in contested territory. “Settlement activity should stop - expansion should stop,” she said.

At the Annapolis summit last November, Israel and the Palestinians agreed to re-launch long-stalled talks and base negotiations on the 2003 “road map” peace plan. The U.S.-backed proposal calls on Israel to freeze all settlement activity, including in existing settlements.

But Israel maintains the right to build in West Bank settlements to account for “natural growth” of the population there. – www.news.yahoo.com

ABBAS FAILS TO ACHIEVE ANY PROGRESS IN WASHINGTON

APR 25, 08. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says he failed to achieve any progress in Middle East peace talks with President George W. Bush, and he was returning home with little to show for his visit.

The Palestinian leader sounded pessimistic about the prospects of achieving any deal with Israel this year despite a big US push that began five months ago at a summit in Annapolis, Maryland.

“Frankly, so far nothing has been achieved. But we are still conducting direct work to have a solution,’’ Abbas said. “The biggest obstacle is Israel’s continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank,” he said. “We demanded that they talk about the ’67 borders, but none of them would talk about them.”

Asked whether US officials offered any new proposals, Abbas said, “No! They are exerting efforts. And we are still negotiating,’’ he said, “but no progress has been made on any of the core issues. ‘’All the files are still open. None of them are concluded. The situation is still as it was.”

The main unresolved 4 issues are, the final borders of a Palestinian state; sovereignty over Jerusalem; disputed Israeli settlements; and Palestinian refugees.

Bush is scheduled to visit Israel in May for the country’s 60th anniversary.

MAY 2008

ISRAEL CELEBRATES 60 YEARS AS A RESTORED NATION

“Then you will know that I am YHWH, when I have opened your graves, My people, and bring you out of your graves. And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, YHWH, have spoken, and have done it,’ declares YHWH.” (Ezekiel 37:13-14)

ISRAEL REJECTS HAMAS’ OFFER OF TRUCE

“They have said, ‘Come, and let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more.’ For they have conspired together with one mind; they make a pact against You … Philistia (Gaza) with the inhabitants of Tyre (South Lebanon).” (Psalm 83:4-5, 7)

APR 25, 08. Following talks with Egyptian mediators, Hamas called for a mutual cessation of hostilities in Gaza along with an end to the crippling Israeli-led blockade on the territory.

Israel dismissed the proposal by Hamas to call a conditional six-month truce in the Gaza Strip, calling it a ruse aimed at allowing the Palestinian Islamist group to recover from recent fighting.

“Hamas is biding time in order to rearm and regroup. There would be no need for Israel’s defensive actions if Hamas would cease and desist from committing terrorist attacks on Israelis,” an Israeli government spokesman said.

JIMMY CARTER’S MIDDLE EAST DEBACLE

Jimmy Carter’s latest ‘private citizen’s foreign policy’ tour to Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria was a debacle.

He must have had trouble finding competent language translators on his trip. Mr. Carter emerged from his meetings with Hamas saying one thing and Hamas emerged to say just the opposite.

Well, he did manage a certain degree of success. He significantly enhanced the international prestige of one of the world’s most notorious terrorist organizations. And that’s no small achievement. I sense another Nobel opportunity in his future. – Comment by Hal Lindsay

WAR CLOUDS GATHERING!

FULL WAR ON HAMAS?

By David Dolan, Jerusalem

Speaking to Kadima party activists several days after two Israeli fuel workers were slaughtered, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert revealed that his government is preparing to crush the Hamas movement:

“I promise that our response to Hamas attacks will be such that Hamas will no longer be able to continue to take any action against the citizens of Israel.”

The premier — who was the main Sharon government advocate for the controversial Israeli civilian and military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 — said he could not reveal specific details of the apparent major military operation being planned against the burgeoning Palestinian group, which violently seized control over the entire Gaza Strip from Fatah-linked Palestinian Authority security forces last June. However Olmert pledged that “What I am saying will obligate Israel to act, and I promise you that it will be properly implemented.” Political analysts said that remark was an apparent allusion to the poorly planned and executed 2006 assault on Hizbullah militia forces in Lebanon.

Speaking the same day to his Labor party activists, Defence Minister Ehud Barak echoed PM Olmert, saying “We will restore security to Sderot and other communities along the Gaza periphery.”

Many analysts predict that the government is preparing to launch a massive operation that will rival the scope of the 34-day Second Lebanon War. They say that unless circumstances spiral out of control, such a conflict will undoubtedly not be initiated until after May’s countrywide celebration of Israel’s sixtieth birthday, when American President George W. Bush and other world leaders are scheduled to visit Israel.

They anticipate that the planned operation to uproot Hamas gunmen from the Gaza Strip will feature more ground operations than the Lebanon conflict did, despite the likelihood the number of IDF casualties will match if not exceed the 119 soldiers killed by Hizbullah fighters.

ARMED TO THE TEETH

Just how difficult a full-scale IDF operation against Hamas would probably turn out to be was underlined by a report issued on April 10 by an Israeli think tank. Put together by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, and based on data gathered by Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, the report said the militant Muslim movement has managed to assemble a formidable Gaza Strip militia force of at least 20,000 armed men. Another 4,000 trained gunmen in the crowded coastal zone belong to other militant groups that would undoubtedly support Hamas fighters.

The ominous report said Hamas militiamen, many commanded by men trained in Iran and Syria, are divided into two main divisions. One of them, the Kassam Brigades, is made up of around 10,000 men. A brigade sub-division operates in the northern Gaza Strip just a few miles south of Ashkelon. Two others are stationed in Gaza City, where much of the fighting would be expected to take place given the Hamas inclination to use its own civilian population as human shields, as Hizbullah did in 2006. Another two sub-divisions are positioned in the south near the Sinai border towns of Rafah and Khan Yunis.

The other main armed division, also numbering some 10,000 men, is comprised of members of the Hamas Executive Force which replaced routed PA security personal on Gaza streets last June. The think tank report revealed that Hamas has even created a small coastal patrol made up of over 200 men equipped with several naval vessels.

The intelligence report said Hamas gets its weapons in three main ways—internal Gaza production, from Iran and Syria, and from international illicit arms dealers. It said the Islamic group has smuggled in from Egypt an unknown quantity of the same type of Iranian-built 122 millimetre Grad rockets fired upon Ashkelon in March, along with hundreds of mortar shells. Gaza factories constantly produce shorter range Kassam rockets, with a hundred ready to be fired at any given time.

The report said Hamas also has several anti-aircraft missiles and an estimated 30 or so anti-aircraft machine guns. The radical group has also acquired dozens of deadly anti-tank rockets, including some Sagger missiles, and has produced thousands of rocket propelled grenades. It has also smuggled in advanced listening devices from Egypt, along with night vision equipment.

Used by permission. DAVID DOLAN is a Jerusalem-based author and journalist who has lived and worked in Israel since 1980. For details of David’s books, HOLY WAR FOR THE PROMISED LAND and ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? , visit his web site at www.ddolan.com, or by phoning toll free 888-890-6938 in North America, or by email at:

resources@yourisraelconnection.org

SYRIA’S SECRET NUCLEAR PROGRAM EXPOSED

BASHAR ASSAD HUMILIATED

“Concerning Damascus: ‘Hamath and Arpad have been put to shame, for they have heard bad news. They have melted away with anxiety. There is distress on the sea which cannot be calmed. Damascus has become feeble; she has turned to flee, and panic has seized her. Anguish and pain have taken hold of her like a woman in labour.” (Jeremiah 49:23-24)

After months of secrecy, the Israeli attack last year, which destroyed a secret nuclear reactor built in a hidden canyon of eastern Syria by North Korea, is now out in the open.

In late April, America’s top intelligence officials began briefing congressional committees, laying out key data which had been hidden from the public in the eight months since the Israeli raid.

The US committees were shown photos from inside the reactor, which were evidently taken by an Israeli agent. The images showed a concrete floor with rows of holes ready for the nuclear fuel rods to power the plant, which seemed to be solid proof that the plant was for the production of plutonium for nuclear weapons.

A DEBKAfile report says: “The congressional briefing will have done more to mar the relations of trust between Tehran and Damascus than any diplomatic or military action. Cracks are inevitable in their strategic pact. It will be hard for Iran to continue to pose as the No. 1 Middle East power after Syria, its foremost ally and military mainstay, exposed its extreme vulnerability.

“Tehran’s precise role in the Syrian nuclear program is not known, but it was obvious to the American lawmakers listening to the intelligence briefing that Syria would not have built a nuclear reactor without Iran’s knowledge and consent, and that the Syrian plant was designed to be an integral part of Iran’s own nuclear program.” – www.debka.com

Israel is the only country in the world to have ever destroyed two nuclear reactors in successful independent intelligence-backed military operations.

The US committees agreed that it was incumbent on the United States to take further steps against Iran as well as Syria to avert any more developments which endanger the world.

MESHAAL’S CLOSEST AIDE DIES IN “ACCIDENT”

DEBKAfile has reported Khaled Meshaal’s closest aid, Hisham Faiz Abu Libda, was killed in Damascus by a hit-and-run car.

Abu Libda’s death occurred the day after the exposure in Washington of Syria’s nuclear reactor and its destruction by Israeli raiders.

This was the second mysterious death of a high-profile terrorist in the Syrian capital in recent weeks. The first was when Imad Mughniyeh, a Hizb’ullah’s military chief, was blown up in a high-security district in Feb.

(The Hizb’ullah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, declared his intention of taking revenge on Israel for Mughniyeh’s assassination, but so far he has not carried out his promise.)

The Debka report says that Syrian authorities have ordered a blackout on the Abu Libda’s incident, and also that Assad has decided not to publish the findings of the inquiry into Mughniyeh’s death.

These events – the exposure of his nuclear plans, and the assassination of the chief terrorists in Syria who were supposed to be protected by Syria - indicate a penetration of Assad’s secret police and agencies, and serve as a warning to him; and indeed, to Mashaal and other terror chiefs, as well as to Iran.

All of this raises the stakes and the prospects of a major conflict in the Middle East.

BASHAR ASSAD:

“ISRAEL OFFERS TO WITHDRAW FROM GOLAN”

“The oracle concerning Damascus. Look! Damascus is about to be removed from being a city, and it will become a heap of ruins.” (Isaiah 17:1)

Syrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly confirmed that PM Ehud Olmert offered an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights in return for full peace with its Arab neighbour.

The statement has shocked many in Israel. In response, the head of the Knesset House Committee, MK David Tal, said he hopes to quickly pass a bill requiring an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan to be dependent on a national referendum. Tal said an evacuation of the Golan would draw Hizb’ullah to the region.

The chairman of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee, Likud MK Yuval Steinitz, said, “Olmert’s willingness to come down from the Golan is an expression of unprecedented political and security anarchy.” He said Israel could not protect itself and its water sources without the Golan.

IRAN WARNS SYRIA AGAINST TIES WITH ISRAEL AND THE U.S.

In case there is any thaw between Syria and the Israel-US enemy, President Ahmadinejad warned Syria against getting closer to Israel and the US, and urged Islamic nations to stand up against Western ‘conspiracies and wars.’

Ahmadinejad warned that the US was planning to involve itself in Middle Eastern regional matters.

BIN LADEN: NUCLEAR BOMB IS MUSLIMS’ DUTY

Osama bin Laden has issued a document entitled “The Nuclear Bomb of Islam,” which insists it is “the duty” of Muslims to acquire a nuclear bomb, in order to use “as much force as possible to terrorize the enemies of God.”

A 10-kiloton nuclear bomb would be a relatively small one, by today’s standards, but a 10-kiloton explosion in a city would mean that, from the centre of the blast for a distance of one third of a mile, every structure above ground level would be obliterated and every person would be killed instantly.

For the next third of a mile, the city would look like the weird moonscape which Berlin had become by the end of World War Two, after almost a year of Allied bombing raids. And for the third of the mile beyond that circle of hell, buildings and people would burn, both with flames and the effects of radiation.

To realize such a disaster would occur, means that it must be prevented.

The question facing the nations’ leaders is: “Can terrorists make or get hold of nuclear bombs?”

Nuclear bombs are still beyond the capacity of terrorist groups to make for themselves. But the possibility is that they could obtain nukes from a government such as Iran, North Korea, or Pakistan. Terrorists are certainly seeking to obtain them.

A second question is, “What deterrence is there that can stop terrorists using a nuke?”

There is very little any nation can do to deter terrorists from using the bomb once they have it. Between nations, “mutually-assured destruction” policy has prevented the use of atomic weapons after World War 2.

Deterrence depends on the enemy having cities and a population that can be threatened with obliteration. If, for example, Iran used a nuclear weapon, it could itself expect to be largely wiped out.

As even Hillary Clinton said, “The US would ‘totally obliterate’ Iran if that country was responsible for a nuclear attack even on Israel, never mind America.”

But terrorist organizations do not have a country that can be wiped out. They are simply groups with no responsibility for, and no control over, a state or its population. So no threat will stop them.

The only way to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists is to keep them out of the hands of national governments who might give them to terrorists.

The only way the civilized world can protect itself against nuclear terrorism is to ensure that terrorist and renegade nations do not get hold of a nuclear bomb.

When governments such as Syria and Iran are trying to acquire the technology for making nuclear bombs, and when they are known to train and supply Islamist terrorist groups, the importance of preventing them obtaining the capacity to make such bombs is imperative.

That is why there was no international outcry against Israel for its destruction of the Syrian nuclear facility last September. And that is why the US continues to send signals to Iran that it will not oppose, indeed might even join in, any attempt by Israel to hit Iran’s developing nuclear facilities.

An attack on Iran is still an option on the US’s military table

Addressing a news conference in Washington, Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on April 25, 08, the Pentagon is planning for “potential military courses of action” against Iran. He spoke of the Tehran government’s “increasingly lethal and malign influence” in Iraq.

A conflict with Iran would be “extremely stressing” Mullen said, but not impossible and “it would be a mistake to think that we are out of combat capability.”

LIBYA - AN “EZEKIEL 38” COUNTRY

VLADIMIR PUTIN’S HISTORIC VISIT TO LIBYA

“The Sovereign Master, YHWH, says: ‘Listen! I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws and bring you out with your whole army - your horses and horsemen all fully armed, and a great horde with large and small shields, all of them brandishing swords. Persia (Iran), Cush (Ethiopia), and Put (Libya) will be with them, all with shields and helmets’.” (Ezekiel 38:3-5)

Libya is one of the countries listed in the Northern (Russian-led) Confederation that will invade Israel early in the Tribulation in this passage in Ezekiel. (Libya’s ancient name was Put).

It is significant then that Russian President Putin visited Libya in April - the first Russian leader ever to visit the North African country.

Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi hailed Putin’s official visit as ‘historic and strategic.’ “This, the first visit by a Russian president to Libya, is a historic, strategic and very important visit,” he said. “The trip will enable increased cooperation, given that we are both producers of gas and oil. We will work together to defend our interests.”

Putin created a strategic alliance, signed numerous agreements, and negotiated a $2.5 billion arms sale with this enormous and historic enemy of Israel. And he wrapped up his two-day visit with Gadhafi by writing off $4.5 billion in Libyan debts in exchange for multi-billion-dollar deals for Russian companies. Libya’s debt to Russia dates from the 1980s, when it was a major buyer of weapons from the Soviet Union.

Russian news agencies quoted Russian Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin as saying in Tripoli that the deals included a $3.4 billion contract to build a 310-mile railroad line in Libya. Kudrin said the contract would make Russia a key supplier of technical material in Libya’s drive to modernize its railway network.

Russia’s gas monopoly, Gazprom, announced it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Libya’s state oil producer and the Libyan African Investment Fund, to cooperate in gas and oil extraction, refining, liquefied natural gas, and gas-fired electricity plants.

The chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corp., said that Libya welcomes the presence of Russian companies. “Russia has invested heavily in oil projects in Libya.”

Gadhafi told reporters earlier that his nation was eager to work with Russia. “The world is now led by the sole power that is America, but Russia is coming back to seize its position and it will grow bigger,” he said.

PUTIN SHOWS RUSSIAN FLAG AND TALKS OIL

Putin’s visit to Libya is the latest of a series of visits to the Middle East, which the Russian leader has undertaken since he began re-energizing the Russian position in the region in 2005. In 2007 alone, he visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Iran.

Taking advantage of the weakened US position in the Middle East due to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the stalled Arab-Israeli peace process, Putin has adopted an anti-US stance in the region. He has tried to demonstrate that Russia, if not yet an alternative to the US in the Middle East, is a power whose interests must be taken into consideration, and which could prove a good friend to both the Arabs and Iran.

The visit to Libya fits into this pattern. Putin made sure to continue his anti-US posturing by visiting the so-called “Memorial to barbaric imperialistic aggression” -- the site where US planes bombed Libya in 1986 after Libyan agents had undertaken a terrorist attack against a discotheque frequented by US forces in Germany — and signing the memorial book.

PROPOSALS FOR THE NEW

“KING OF EUROPE”

“… a king will arise, insolent and skilled in intrigue. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will destroy to an extraordinary degree and prosper and perform his own will; He will destroy mighty men, and also the holy people.” (Daniel 8:23-24)

Daniel’s vision and prophecy is regarding the future Antichrist – the Beast of Revelation 13 and 17.

The stage is now being set for a federal, integrated EU, and for the new office of President – an office that could be taken over at the right time by the “King who will perform his own will.”

The first full-time President of Europe could live like a king, with a palatial official residence and a personal staff of up to 22, under plans being considered in Brussels.

EU member states have begun preliminary talks on some of the most political aspects of the bloc’s new treaty – the office set-up for the proposed new full-time president, the shape of the diplomatic service and the power-sharing arrangement for the regular ministerial meetings in Brussels.

The terms of the new president were discussed at a secret “working dinner” held in April between European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso and European Union ambassadors.

One attraction of the job will be its clout in terms of the “Cabinet” of advisers the new president will be able to assemble.

Proposals suggest an EU presiden�tial team of between 16 and 22 people. Such a number would be an important measure of the power of the position. In comparison, Mr Barroso presides over a Cabinet of 13.

Other EU member states, includ�ing federalist countries keen to give the post an aura of greatness — and even statehood — have urged that the new president be granted an official “White House” style resi�dence worthy of his status.

Because the new “President of the Council” will have a globe-trotting role, some diplomats have argued that he, or she, should have the use of a personal aircraft, leading to inevitable comparisons with the American presidential jet, Air Force One.

Under French plans, expected to take shape when Paris takes the rotat�ing EU presidency in July, the new figurehead would play a key role in forming a Euro-defence “vanguard group” of up to eight countries.

The British opposition Conser�vative Party attacked the talks which have been held before the EU treaty has been fully debated and ratified at Westminster.

Only nine of the 27 member states have so far ratified the EU’s new Lisbon treaty which is actually a modified constitution treaty. The Treaty needs approval by all EU countries for it to come into force.

Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: “This shows how deeply undemocratic this whole process is. Crucial questions about the EU are being decided, and our Parliament, let alone the British people, is being kept in the dark. Ministers must now come clean about what they’ve been up to, as the treaty is scrutinised in the House of Lords.”

Eurosceptic think tank Open Europe said the launch of informal negotiations about the role of the new president highlighted “contempt for the public.”

What the EU president will actually do remains unclear. The post may be purely administrative such as chairing EU leader meetings, or it could evolve into a much more high-profile and powerful role – a true face of the European Union.

There are speculations that Tony Blair could be the frontrunner for the new post that is planned to come into force on 1 January next year. – Brussels / Apr 12, 08

Some prophecy buffs believe that Tony Blair could be the Antichrist. I don’t! Blair is a front man; the Antichrist will remain behind the scenes, unrevealed, until the Rapture takes place.

“For that Day of the LORD will not come unless the apostasy, (the predicted falling away from the faith), comes first, and the Man of Lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above everything that is called God or that is worshipped, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming that he himself is God.

“... And you know what is restraining him now, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the mystery of iniquity and lawlessness is already at work; but He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the glory of His coming.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8)

“THE COLONEL’S WORD WILL STAND!”

A FRAIL BUGLE BOY GAVE HIS LIFE

TO SAVE HIS COMPANIONS

I REMEMBER reading, some time ago, the story of a slender bugle boy who had been born and brought up in a cert�ain regiment. Though the colonel considered him too delicate and fragile for army life, he decided to make the best of him.

The boy had been brought up by a God-fearing mother, and when his father was killed in action, his poor mother drooped under the blow and died six months later. The early training the boy received, had its influence upon him, and he shrank, after his mother’s death, from joining with others of the regiment in low and coarse pursuits. In consequence of this, he suffered many a taunt and mocking jibe, making his life almost a misery to him.

One morning it was reported to the colonel that during the night some serious mischief had been done to the targets, so much so, that the usual practice could not take place. That some in the regiment had been guilty of it there was no doubt, and on investigation it was traced to one or more of the men in the very tent where the little bugle boy was billeted, two of its occupants be�ing the worst characters in the regiment.

All in that tent were put under arrest to be tried by court-martial. Evidence was produced to prove that one or more of them were guilty of the crime. In vain were they advised to own up. And at last the colonel said, “If one of you will come forward and receive his punishment like a man, the rest will go free; but if not, all I can do is to punish you all.”

There was a dead silence for several minutes, then from among the prisoners the little bugle boy came for�ward. “Colonel”, said he, “you have passed your word that if one of us takes his punishment, the rest shall go free. I am ready, sir, and please, may I take it now?”

At first the colonel was struck speechless, then turn�ing to the others he said sternly, “Is there no man among you worthy of the name? Are you all cowards enough to let this lad suffer for your sins? You know he is guilt�less.” They all remained silent.

The poor boy looked into the colonel’s face and said, “‘I am ready, sir.”

Sick at heart the officer gave the order, and he was led away for punishment. The strokes descended upon his bared back; he bore them bravely. At the fourth stroke a faint moan escaped his white lips. Then there was heard a hoarse cry from among the prisoners, and one who was the black sheep of the regiment came for�ward with one bound, and cried. “Stop it, sir, and tie me up instead. He did not do it. I am guilty.”

Fainting and almost speechless the poor boy turned his face to the man, and smiling sweetly, said, “No, you are safe now; the colonel’s word will stand.” But the shock was too much for his feeble strength. He was carried to his bed, never to rise from it again. The man whose punishment he had borne came to see him, and in broken accents said, “Oh, boy why did you do it?”

“Because,” said the dying boy, “I thought it might help you to understand a little why Christ had died for you.”

“Why Christ died for me?” said he.

“Yes, He died for you because He loved you, as I do, only He loved you so much more. I only suffered for one sin, but Jesus took the punishment of all the sins you have ever committed. The punishment of your sins was death, but Christ died for you.”

The poor dying boy’s voice failed him, and in a few moments he was gone.

Dear reader, need I add anything to this little story? Do you not see in it a wonderful illustration of what Christ has done?

‘He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities ... with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turn�ed every one to his own away, and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5, 6)

When the awful stroke of judgment descended upon Him no-one came forward to plead His cause. He was there alone upon the cross, and all the powers of earth and hell were arrayed against Him and the wrath of God too. The hatred of man, whose sins He was bearing, was fully vented upon Him, yet He died to prove His love to man, and the love of the Heavenly Father also. (see John 3:16, 17). He once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. (See 1 Peter 3:18.)

Oh, dear unsaved reader, is it nothing to you that He has suffered and died in your stead ? Is it nothing to you that He laid down His life and shed His precious blood? If you believe on Him who offered Himself by the Eternal Spirit without spot to God (Heb. 9:14), you will be for ever freed from the judgment due to your sins, and you will pass from death unto life (John 5:24). No charge can be brought against those who rest on the work He ac�complished at Calvary, where He so infinitely glorified God. All has been met by His precious blood which cleanses from all sin (I John 1:7.) As the officer’s word stood, so will God’s word stand”:

“When I see the blood I will pass over you.”

(Exodus 12: 13)

I leave you, dear reader, to ponder over this touching story and what it illustrates, and may it lead you to say, like the Apostle of old, “He loved me, and gave Him�self for me.” (Galatians 2: 20)

IT IS NO SECRET, WHAT GOD CAN DO!

WHAT HE’S DONE FOR OTHERS, HE CAN DO FOR YOU!

Countless needy souls have believed in Jesus, Y’shua the Messiah, and have experienced His Peace, Salvation, Forgiveness of sins, and Joy. Lives have been totally changed because of His grace working in them.

And what He has done for others, He’ll do for you too, my reader, if you will let Him.

He’ll take your sad, sorrowful heart, your depressed heart, your anxious heart, your dirty heart - whatever type of heart you have, and He will give you a new heart.

“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new Spirit within you.” (Ezekiel 36:26)

My dear reader, if you let Him come into your life, He’ll make you new. He’ll turn your mourning into joy. He’ll turn your night into day; your heaviness into happiness.

The Lord Jesus loves you, and He is tenderly calling you. He is knocking at the door of your life. He says:

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to Him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Whatever you do, don’t close your ears when the Saviour is calling you. His is the sweetest voice you could ever hear. Won’t you let Him into your life?

If you harden your heart, He may not call you again. He will not force His way into your life. But, my friend, if you don’t have the Saviour you will be lost — eternally lost.

Consider this Saviour. He is Y’shua, Jesus -- the Lord of Heaven -- the Great Creator, the Eternal God. Those who know Him say He is wonderful indeed.

He is the One, “who, al�though He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God high�ly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)

Yes, the Eternal Word is Jesus, and He and the Father are One. The Son came to this earth, and was born in a manger. He was named Y’shua (Jesus). He lived a lowly life for 33� years. He came to seek and to save the lost; and He lived to show us how to live. He died that we might truly live — and live for ever with Him in His eternal kingdom.

Men of His day rejected God’s gift to them. “Away with Him,” they cried, “We will not have this man to rule over us.” So they whipped Him, beat Him, spat upon Him, thrust a crown of thorns upon His head and a cross on His shoulder. They led him to the Hill of Calvary, and there they nailed Him to a cross, and left Him to die.

“If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross and we will believe you,” His enemies mocked. He could have come down. He could have destroyed His enemies with a single word. But He didn’t! Why? Because He had come to the world to save sinners. And to save them from the death penalty of their sin, He was willing to die in their place.

God had said, “The soul that sins shall die.” We each one should have died for our sins, but Jesus said, “I will die for you. I will take the penalty for the sins of the whole world. Let the wrath of Justice fall on Me.”

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” (1 Peter 3:18)

Thus the prophecies were fulfilled:

“But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities.

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

And by His scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray.

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But YHWH has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.” (Isaiah 53:5, 6)

Now because Jesus died for us, God can offer us a pardon. And He offers His most precious gift. His offer is for all who will receive Jesus as their Savi�our and Lord. His “gift packet” includes the forgiveness of sins, the cleansing of the mind, a new spirit�ual heart; it means salvation -- both now and for eter�nity; it means eternal life -- the life of God, implanted in you. It also includes a home in heaven for ever.

He promises also to keep you, to provide for you, to guard you, and guide you through this life.

Multitudes have found that the Lord Jesus is not a disappointment. They have found that He is the living and loving Saviour.

Of course, you may find some Christians who are not full of the joy of the Lord. Many have “fallen by the way�side” because they have let something capture the throne of their lives. Instead of crown�ing the Lord Jesus king of their lives, they have filled their lives with selfish ambitions. They have begun to love the things in the world that do not satisfy and thus, the disappointment stamped on their faces.

But my friend, if you want to know Jesus as Your Saviour, and experience His joy in your life, don’t be like them. Don’t be half-hearted. Don’t try to install the Messiah as a servant in your life. Rather, crown Him King, and Lord of all your life. Don’t try to have two Gods. Jesus is the Almighty God — the One true God.

Don’t listen to doubts and temptations. But make a step of faith. Come to the Lord, call upon Him, and let Him do a mir�acle in your life. Pray to the Lord now, wherever you are.

Come simply to the Heavenly Father in prayer -- talk to Him. He is right beside you. Kneel down before Him, and put your trust in Him. Ask Him to deliver you from your sins, and to come into your life as Saviour, Master and God.

Pray in simple words, like those in the following prayer. First read these words carefully, and then pray sincerely, with words from your heart.

DECISION PRAYER

Heavenly Father, I come to You just as I am, a sinner needing Your salvation, and Your cleansing of my mind and life. I believe that Jesus the Messiah died in my place and paid the full penalty of all my sins, and that He rose from the dead - that He is the living Saviour.

Lord Jesus, I receive You as my Saviour and Master, and by Your grace I will seek to follow You, and Your Word, all the days of my life. You only will be my God from this day on. Master, fill me with Your Holy Spirit, and teach me Your ways. Master thank You for what You have done for me at Calvary, and for Your Presence with me now, and for ever.

Thank You Father for Your gift of eternal life, and for the new life you have given me. Thank You Master. Thank You, thank You. Amen.

Signed ......................................... date ....................

If you have sincerely prayed to the Lord, He has heard your prayer. So right now, thank Him for His salvation. And I believe He will give you immediately, or very soon, the sense of His forgiveness, peace, joy and assurance of His work in you.

As soon as you can, testify to someone else of your Saviour. As you tell others of the Lord Jesus, your faith will be strengthened and encouraged.

Now go on and follow the Master day by day. Join a Bible-believing fellowship. Read the Bible daily and talk (pray) to your Heavenly Master regularly. Then be baptized as a public testimony for your Heavenly Master, and of your new life in the Messiah.

And would you kindly write to us at the Maranatha Revival Crusade, so that we might pray for you, and send literature to help you grow in your Master.

ISRAEL

NEW MUSEUM WITH TEMPLE REPLICA TO BE

ERECTED OPPOSITE WESTERN WALL

A grandiose museum featuring an elaborated massive replica of the Temple is currently being erected op-posite the Western Wall.

The three-storey museum, whose construction is valued at nearly $20 million, will be erected in the Aish HaTorah (“Fire of the Torah”) Yeshiva complex.

The museum will feature a journey through Jewish history, from the days of Abraham to the present, emphasizing the message and significance of the Jewish people’s presence in the Land of Israel and their degree of accomplishment in world improvement.

In addition to the great lavish interior, the museum’s crowning glory is no doubt the massive amphitheater, whose cost is being sponsored by veteran Hollywood star Kirk Douglas, and his no less famous son, Michael.

The amphitheater will feature a three-dimensional film depicting the history of the Jewish nation over a huge glass screen through which one can see the Western Wall.

The museum which is being sponsored by Canadian tycoon, Leslie Dan, a shareholder in Teva pharmaceutical Industries, will also include a learning center with a VIP wing to host movie stars, politicians and other celebrities from Israel and abroad.

Ephraim Shor, in charge of the museum curation on behalf of the Yeshiva, commented that “this will be an audio-visual experience incorporating scents, so that the act of entering the Temple will be done with awe of God.”

JEWISH GROUP SLAUGHTERS LAMB IN

PASSOVER SACRIFICE REHEARSAL

“And he (the endtime Roman Antichrist) will confirm a covenant - a treaty - with the many for one week (lit. ‘seven’), but in the middle of that week he will put an end to sacrifice and offering; and on the wing of abominations he will make desolation.” (Daniel 9:27)

Daniel’s “70 weeks” prophecy makes it very clear that Israel will have recommenced its sacrificial system in the Tribulation. We see already that the orthodox Jews today are anxious to rebuild the temple and reconstitute the Mosaic sacrificial system.

In mid-April, a Bible-adherent Jewish group ritually slaughtered a young lamb in what is called a “rehearsal” for the renewal of the Passover sacrifice once the Jerusalem temple is rebuilt.

The Temple Movement won approval to carry out the practice sacrifice from Israel’s High Court on Friday after animal rights groups asserted that the lamb would be put through inhumane suffering.

In its legal response, the Temple Movement explained that the slaughter would be carried out according to biblical standards, which is the same method used to slaughter lambs at kosher slaughterhouses.

The sacrifice and accompanying religious ceremonies were performed at a prominent yeshiva overlooking Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, which is still occupied by several Muslim shrines. - Source: Israel Today / April 2008

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=15644

GENETIC ENGINEERING

COW-HUMAN EMBRYOS CREATED

“This is only the beginning of what they will do; and now nothing that they propose to do will be impossible for them.” (Genesis 11:6)

According to an article in the Herald Sun, April 03, 2008, human-cow embryos have been created in a world first at Newcastle University in England. The success has been hailed by the scientific community, but labelled “monstrous” by opponents.

A team has grown hybrid embryos after injecting human DNA into eggs taken from cows’ ovaries, which had most of their genetic material removed.

The embryos survived for three days and are intended to provide a limitless supply of stem cells to develop therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and spinal cord injuries, overcoming a worldwide shortfall in human embryos.

Dr Teija Peura, director of human embryonic stem cell laboratories at the Australian Stem Cell Centre, said somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) had been done between animal species, but the “99 per cent human” embryos could boost research. Under the licence, embryos are not allowed to be developed beyond 14 days.

PESTILENCE: THE PALE, ASHEN HORSE

S. KOREA CULLS 3 MILLION BIRDS AS

BIRD FLU SPREADS FAST

“There will be, in various places, plagues.”

(Luke 21:11)

APR 17, 08. SEOUL - South Korea says it had culled 3 million farmed birds and confirmed three more outbreaks of bird flu, as the country grapples with its worst avian influenza outbreak in four years.

In just two weeks South Korea has confirmed 15 cases of the deadly H5N1 strain, raising alarm as the highly virulent virus is spreading at its fastest rate since the country reported its first case in 2003.

The country had seven bird flu outbreaks between November 2006 and March last year and 19 cases between December 2003 and March 2004, when it had to kill 5.3 million birds. No human deaths have been reported.

But some 240 human deaths have been reported globally from the H5N1 strain and 380 confirmed cases of infection since 2003, according to World Health Organisation data. – Reuters

Recent reports say there are signs of the H5N1 virus mutating. If the bird flu virus links with a human flu virus the danger of a horrific plague become very real.

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