September 08, 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) Hawking: God Did Not Create Universe
- 2) Fears of Global Food Shortage
- 3) 5 Doomsday Scenarios for the U.S. Economy
- 4) Other Headlines
- 5) New Articles
"For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus." Revelation 19:10 (NLT)
Hawking: God Did Not Create Universe
Stephen Hawking, world famous physicist and author of the bestselling book A Brief History of Time (1988), now discounts the necessity of God in the creation of the universe.
In his new book, The Grand Design (2010), Hawking seems to backtrack on his earlier assertion that human discoveries can allow us to "know the mind of God." He now believes "spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."
While the world celebrates Stephen Hawking as a modern day genius, comparing him to past world renown intellectuals such as Isaac Newton, God discounts his line of thinking as worthless.
"For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, 'He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness.' And again, 'The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless.'" 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (NLT)
Isaac Newton was a true genius who, in his wisdom, acknowledged God's role as Creator. According to the Bible, Stephen Hawking is a fool.
Why?
Because:
"Only fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God.'" Psalm 14:1 (NLT)
Unfortunately, most of the people of this world are deceived into believing the wisdom of this world. They hold up the work of men like Stephen Hawking as the stuff of genius beyond the comprehension of all those outside of a small self-proclaimed intellectual elite.
Yet, God's way is not to make wisdom the exclusive domain of a small minority of humanity. His message is simple and easy to understand for all those who seek Him.
"So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world's brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe." 1 Corinthians 1:20-21 (NLT)
Fears of Global Food Shortage
Recently, Russia announced a year long extension of a self-imposed grain export ban, raising global fears of a possible food shortage and international unrest.
Russia's accouncement occurred in tandem with a United Nations Food and Agriculature Organization emergency meeting to discuss how to deal with a current wheat shortage.
The Book of Revelation reveals that a shortage of food will take place in the end times:
"When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, 'Come!' And I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. And a voice from among the four living beings said, 'A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley for a day's pay. And don't waste the olive oil and wine.'" Revelation 6:5-6 (NLT)
Three loaves of barley are equal to approximately one pint. This is generally regarded as a minimum sustenance diet. Therefore, this verse foreshadows a time when an entire day's wage will barely yield enough food to survive.
While the current food shortage is NOT the famine cited in Revelation 6:5-6 (because that famine occurs during the Tribulation), it does illustrate the tenuous nature of the world's food supply.
A signficant portion of the world's population depends solely on imported wheat, rice, corn, and soy for food. If something disrupts those imports, it will not take long for a catastrophic famine to set in.
Jesus Himself told His followers to look for famines as a sign of His near return:
"The nations and kingdoms will proclaim war against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world." Matthew 24:7 (NLT)
5 Doomsday Scenarios for the U.S. Economy
This Yahoo news article courtesy of The Atlantic poses five doomsday scenarios for the U.S. economy:
- 1) Housing's Mini-Bubble Pops
- 2) Consumers Break the Economy
- 3) Toxic Assets Return
- 4) Europe Falls Apart
- 5) Debt Finally Catches Up
All five of these scenarios are in play as a result of the current deflationary spiral.
Why is the United States and most of the world in such a precarious financial position?
Because most of the world chose to ignore God's wisdom, choosing instead to grow drunk on a debt-induced spending binge.
The Bible warns over and over of the dangers of debt:
"Don't agree to guarantee another person's debt or put up security for someone else. If you can't pay it, even your bed will be snatched from under you." Proverbs 22:26-27 (NLT)
"Owe nothing to anyone - except for your obligation to love one another." Romans 13:8 (NLT)
"Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender." Proverbs 22:7 (NLT)
The current debt-based world economy is a house of cards ready to collapse.
When everyone in the world lives beyond his means, it won't be long before everyone in the world will be forced to live below his means.
It's not too late for the world to follow God's financial principles. Unfortunately, as noted in the Stephen Hawking story above, many people will most likely continue to follow the wisdom of this world.
Other Headlines
Iran's President Says Israel to be Removed from the World
Once again, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called for the removal of Israel from the world scene while a raucous crowd of supporters chanted "Death to America! Death to Israel!"
While the Iranian President zealously follows his false god, he remains unaware that he's sticking his finger in the eye of the real Lord, God Almighty - the God of Israel.
As God promised Abraham:
"I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt." Genesis 12:3 (NLT)
History is littered with fallen nations and conquered leaders who dared to curse Israel. The same will soon ring true for Mr. Ahmadinejad.
Immigrating Out of Fear
In the past 6 months, an increasing number of Turkish Jews have fled Turkey in favor of Israel due to a rising wave of anti-Semitism.
This story underscores the recent radical change in the Turkish government and culture, a change from pro-Western Muslim ally to one of anti-Western Muslim fundamentalism.
For years, world observers have wondered why Turkey is included in the Gog / Magog alliance in the Book of Ezekiel, given its status as one of Israel's most dependable friends in the region.
Now we're starting to see a strain in diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel which foreshadows the last days Gog and Magog war.
Israel Plans to Strike Syria
According to a Kuwaiti newspaper, Israel is planning to strike Hezbollah weapons storage and production facilities in Syria. This report goes hand-in-hand with another report of increasing diplomatic and military cooperation between Syria, Hezbollah, and Lebanon in preparation for war with Israel.
Could these news events possibly foreshadow the destruction of Damascus as outlined in Isaiah 17?
"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 the longest continuously inhabited city on the face of the earth, so this prophecy definitely points to a future event. Given the weapons of mass destruction available in today's world, could we be on the cusp of seeing this prophecy fulfilled?
PA Minister Threatens War Over Jerusalem
The Palestinian Authority religious affairs minster, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, a week before peace talks in Washington, warned of war if Jerusalem is not "returned."
"And we are its owners," he said.
He then went on to state that "Jerusalem can ignite a thousand and one wars" and unless Jerusalem "becomes the capital of the Palestinian people, there is no peace."
As Jerusalem continues to remain a point of contention, breaking the backs of the world's diplomatic leaders, Christians should see this as yet further evidence of the soon return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Book of Zechariah reveals that in the last days, just prior to Christ's return, Jerusalem will be a heavy stone, a burden for the whole world:
"I will make Jerusalem and Judah like an intoxicating drink to all the nearby nations that send their armies to besiege Jerusalem. On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone, a burden for the world. None of the nations who try to lift it will escape unscathed." Zechariah 12:2-3 (NLT)
New Articles
Make sure to check out End Times Bible Prophecy's newest articles "Bible Code Predictions" and "7 Signs of the End Times."
Thanks for joining us, and may the Lord bless you in the coming month.
Your friend in Christ,
Britt
This Newsletter Powered by Site Build It!