August 06, 2010
Hello,
What a joy it is to study bible prophecy and gain insight into the Lord's Word. Thanks for joining us!
Below are the headline topics of this month's newsletter:
- 1) The Headline You Won't See
- 2) Love of Parents Grows Cold
- 3) Israel Fears Turkey Could Share Intelligence
- 4) Other Headlines
- 5) New Articles
"For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus." Revelation 19:10 (NLT)
The Headline You Won't See
On July 7th, Jen and I watched the ABC Special "Family Secrets." This particular episode was about a man named Marcus Wesson, a cult leader who killed 9 family members, 7 of whom were children (three under the age of 2).
The story itself was a tragic tale of decades of abuse at the hands of an evil man, but something happened in the middle of the episode which was quite disturbing in-and-of itself.
Near the end of the episode when the narrator described the gruesome scene of the crime, ABC actually showed still photos of dead children, their lifeless bodies piled on the floor.
This isn't the first time we've seen this.
Several years ago, we noticed several of the "true crime" shows on cable TV such as "City Confidential" and "American Justice" ratcheted up the shock value of their documentaries by showing actual police crime scene photos of bloody bodies.
There's absolutely no reason to show these images in order to tell a story. They exist solely for shock value in a voyeuristic effort to drive up the ratings.
Yet the end result is the creation of a callous public, desensitized to the horrors illustrated on the screen.
Twenty years ago, such a stunt would have been front page news in every newspaper in America. The television executives behind ABC's "Family Secrets" would have been publicly lambasted and fired for their actions.
Today?
Not a single news article.
No outcry from the public.
To my knowledge, Jen and I are the only ones who witnessed this show and found the portrayal of actual dead babies on television offensive.
When the disciples asked Jesus to explain the signs of His coming and the end of the age, he responded in part by saying "the love of many will grow cold."
I'm sad to say that as you read this, the love of many has already grown cold.
The Love of Parents Grows Cold
Here's another headline you won't see...
Last week, the local temperature topped 100 degrees in our area, so of course, this was the lead story on the local news.
Like they do every summer, the newscasters reminded listeners of how the temperature inside a vehicle can dramatically increase under such conditions. As a result, you shouldn't leave pets or children alone in your car.
Then comes the kicker.
According to our local news (as well as other news outlets throughout the country), a great tip to make sure you don't forget your baby is to leave your cell phone in the back seat with your child.
Why?
Because no one in their right mind would forget their cell phone!
But your own baby?
Your baby's easy to forget!
Is this what we've come to in our world today?
The truth is most people are addicted to their electronic devices - cell phones, Blackberries, iPhones, even Facebook and MySpace.
For some, the addiction is so bad they go through withdrawal if they don't have access to texting, email, or whatever form of communication they're addicted to. As a result, it's inconceivable they'd forget their cell phone or other beloved electronic device.
But their own child? Well, that's another story.
This shouldn’t come as any surprise.
Jesus Himself told His disciples that prior to His return "the love of many will grow cold":
"And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold." Matthew 24:10-12 (NLT)
We saw this in the earlier story about ABC using images of dead babies in order to drive up their ratings, and we see it in this story where parents rank any number of selfish desires as more important than their own children.
Paul also warned of this time:
"You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that." 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NLT)
The hour is late, and Christ is knocking at the door...
Israel Fears Turkey Could Share Intelligence
In yet another development which is becoming an almost everyday news event, Turkey continues to drive a diplomatic wedge between itself Israel. In the latest news headline, Israel fears that Turkey could share valuable intelligence with Iran.
Once close allies, Turkey and Israel seem to be drifting further apart with each passing day. Worse yet, Turkey is moving into the radical Islamist camp.
For years, bible prophecy scholars have looked for a breakdown in Turkish-Israeli relations due to Turkey's prominence in the Gog / Magog military coalition of Ezekiel 38-39 which attacks Israel.
With Turkey's government snubbing Israel, while attempting to curry favor with its radical Islamist enemies, the whole world can witness the stage being set for this epic battle.
Other Headlines...
Psalm 83 War In The Near Future?
Iran is itching for a war with Israel, and they know they can use the Western media to their advantage.
For years, Iran has provided intelligence, training, weapons, and funding for international terrorists. Hezbollah in particular is all but a proxy arm of the Iranian military.
If the current tensions between Iran and Israel eventually erupt into war, it's unlikely that Iran will directly attack the nation of Israel. Instead, they'll most likely retaliate through their allies on Israel's border - Hezbollah, Hamas, and Syria.
Iran could then blame Israel for being the aggressor, and a compliant Western media will gladly condemn Israel for its "unprovoked attack."
"They devise crafty schemes against your people, laying plans against your precious ones. 'Come,' they say, 'let us wipe out Israel as a nation. We will destroy the very memory of its existence.' This was their unanimous decision." Psalm 83:3-5 (NLT)
The "they" in this passage encompasses the modern day people of Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and Southern Jordan.
Could it be that the Psalm 83 war is our near future?
[Read "If Hezbollah Strikes, We Hit Lebanon"...]
Isaiah 17 In The Near Future?
For decades since the rebirth of Israel in 1948, Syria has opposed the Jewish state through its own military efforts as well as through the training and funding of international terrorist organizations.
In fact, Syria's capital, Damascus, is probably ground zero for Islamic sponsored terrorist activity.
With tensions in the Middle East reaching a boiling point, Syrian leaders would be well advised to review the following message from the prophet Isaiah:
"This message came to me concerning Damascus: 'Look, Damascus will disappear! It will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted. Sheep will graze in the streets and lie down unafraid. There will be no one to chase them away. The fortified cities of Israel will also be destroyed, and the power of Damascus will end. The few left in Aram will share the fate of Israel's departed glory,' says the Lord Almighty." Isaiah 17:1-3 (NLT)
Damascus is widely considered to be the longest continuously inhabited city in the world. So the above verses clearly point to a future time when Damascus will become "a heap of ruins."
Given today's powerful weapons of mass destruction, and Israel's steadfast assertion to retaliate if faced with a second Holocaust, it's not out of the realm of possibility that we'll see the prophecies of Isaiah 17 fulfilled in the near future.
[Read "The Sins of Damascus"...]
Stocks Reach Highest Correlation Since 1987 Crash
According to a measure of correlation that calculates the percentage of stocks moving in the same direction as the S&P 500, in early July the index hit an extreme last seen in October 1987, when the stock market had one its worst crashes.
Since 1980, the average correlation of stocks is 44%.
But in early July, the average hit 81% - its highest level since it touched 83% for a day back in October 1987.
Given the overwhelming amount of public and private debt, boomer demographics, new consumer attitudes, and a host of other negative global economic fundamentals, the market has been surprisingly resilient this year.
If we're in the midst of a prolonged Depression, as I believe we are, then the stock market is extremely overvalued right now. As a result, the odds of a major stock market crash (a 40% to 50% decline) in the near future are much higher than most people think.
New Articles
Make sure to check out End Times Bible Prophecy's newest articles "End of the World in 2012?" and "The Millennial Kingdom."
Thanks for joining us, and may the Lord bless you in the coming month.
Your friend in Christ,
Britt
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