I correspond by e-mail with a scientist friend in the States whose also a Christian. In reply to one of his letters explaining some question I'd asked, I wrote, "I am, as usual, swept off my feet at your understanding."
Here's Brother Jack's response: "If you're swept off your feet, can you imagine how I've been swept off my feet, on almost a daily basis since I was 10 years old!"
"No matter where I look in the universe, a few inches or a few light years, as a scientist, I find such incredible order every where, as I continue to discover the order He put in place."
"My greatest bewilderment is that my co-workers see the same thing and remain atheistic or agnostic. This can only be the work of the master Deceiver. How fortunate I am to have been chosen by Him because He knew that I wouldn't refuse his offer."
Then he comments on Psalm 19.
Verse 1. "The heavens declare (or shout) the glory of God. The firmament shows (or displays) His handiwork (or creation)."
Verse 2. "Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge." (In the daytime, when it's light, we're looking when we should be listening, and at night, when it's dark, we are listening when we should be looking).
Verse 6. "His going forth (the revelation of God and his handiwork) is from the end of heaven, and His circuit unto the ends of it." (How interesting. The circuit references a circle. Einstein said that the universe is circular and if you travel in a straight line long enough, you eventually come back to the point of origin).
Brother Branham said, "They're going to find out someday that they're not seeing a hundred and fifty million years of light space; they're going right round in a circle. You're going to find out one of these days, that when you go to heaven, you don't fly off somewhere else; you're still right here in another dimension faster then this. Right through this room's coming color. Every color: shirt, dress, whatever you've got on, is eternal, laying right on records, going around and around the world. Every time you bat your eyes, it's right on record. Watch, television will prove that." (Christ is Revealed in His Own Word, 14:63).
Praise the Lord for Christians who are scientists whose science is with God's Word and confirms the words of God's prophet.
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The future's a world distressed and perplexed beyond measure. The Bible says the nations, won't just be in trouble, they'll be distressed! Distressed "with perplexity", according to our Lord. "Perplexity", as used here means "unable to find a way out!"
Isaiah says it'll be a "vexation" just to hear reports of what's happening. How well this fits the impending Y2K computer problem.
In Revelation 11, we see universal anger will sweep the globe with an outpouring of blasphemy and hatred, as a result of those things that are coming upon earth after the end of our Age.
We think of the shutdown of the entire world by computer failure. There'll certainly be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth then. The remedy for every individual is for repentance, a seeking after and complete yielding to God's will: now, before the end of this Age of grace. One of the reasons that more people don't really and truly repent is that they've been lulled to complacency by hearing nothing but "God is love."
We find God's love through repentance, and a regenerated Christian life. That message of "God is love" is devastating to people who'd consume His love and grace on their lusts and interpret it to mean unconditional tolerance. Soon it'll be too late. Like Esau they'll come to a place of no more repentance (Revelation 9:21; 22:11).
In a recent letter from America, a minister told me he visited the New York Stock Exchange. He writes, "I thought of James 5:1 which says, "Weep and howl you rich men, for the miseries that'll come upon you." As we stood there rebuking the spirits of greed and avarice, the market dropped 173 points. Instead of frenzy in the money pit, there was a somber quietness as dealers stared silently at their computer screens.
With the Y2K computer problem approaching, the financial headlines read, "Stocks dive head-first toward bear market", (Staten Island Advance, p. A18 September 1, 1998); "Dow skids 237, ending worst quarter in 8 years." (New York Post, October 1, 1998); "A global recession possible says IMF" (Staten Island Advance, October 1, 1998) "Analysts See Gloomier US Economy Ahead" (Reuters, October 6, 1998, 3:42pm., EDT); "World Economic Picture Gets More Somber At IMF" (Ibid 6:22pm., EDT); "IMF Short Of Cash As World Financial Problems Mount" (Ibid September 13, 1998, 12:15pm., EDT).
Clearly, there's a huge problem. Even Merrill-Lynch announced it's cutting 3,400 jobs.
President Clinton addressed the CFR, proposing to "restart world growth" by unifying world economies more closely through the IMF who caused the problems he's trying to solve. It's leading to one-world government. The EU is introducing their common Euro-currency early next year. The Euro's generated the biggest computer project ever. European nations bidding high for programmers are siphoning-off experts needed to solve the Y2K problem.
In Washington DC, the minister visited President Clinton's White House. Some group had set up a computer-enhanced display called, "Clinton's Virtual Bedroom". Close by was a Monica Lewinksy look-alike contest, the prize being a reproduction of her infamous blue dress. What a corrupt nation!
The Pentagon announced at the beginning of October, that it will designate $50 million to provide US troops with Viagra, the sex drug and aphrodisiac (New York Daily News, October 3, 1998). Are they chasing recruits from the Darby and Joan? Pentagon spokesman Jim Turner simply said, "Viagra sort of burst on the scene."
At the Bureau of Engraving, the presses were rolling non-stop, and he learned that the Federal Reserve has just ordered an additional 50 billion dollars in paper money printed above replacement needs, to cover the demands of people withdrawing their money from banks as cash. Most people don't realize that the banks have very little cash. Money is almost entirely computer impulses. Cash to meet all transactions is non-existent. When the computers crash, and they will, people will lose their savings, retirement funds, and Social Security.
Where's the Church in this so-called "Christian" nation, he asked? The answer's found in Revelation chapter three. As Jesus foretold, it's naked of the Blood, blind, Spiritually bankrupt, miserable, wretched, and knows it not (Revelation 3:17-20).
The church that should represent the saving power and deliverance offered by our Lord and Savior, is too busy compromising with the world and its antichrist system. The result is a complete absence of discernment, and a brazen and shameless blasphemy.
One horrifying example of this was the campaign of the "Reverend" Gene Bolin, an Episcopal priest, promoting his church with posters showing Jesus hanging on the cross in agony with nails through his hands and feet, and a graffiti-like caption that says, "Of course people with pierced body parts are welcome in our church" (Houston Chronicle, p.E1, September 12,1998).)
Another example of the depths to which nominal Christianity has sunk was the "Jazz Communion Service", held at the First United Methodist Church (Ibid). Another example was the "Prayer Explosion Midnight Jam Session", held at the Power Center in Houston, and featuring the boxer Evander Holyfield as a guest (Ibid). While the Dominican nuns of South Wisconsin, have a retreat where "Visitors stay in dormitory-style accommodations, and participate on topics such as Dream Journeying, Christian-Buddhist Dialogue, and the Feminine Face of God" (Modern Maturity Magazine, p.28, September- October, 1998. by Lori Erickson).
The coming Y2K computer catastrophe is looming large!
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel published the following headline: "National Guard Ready To Act On The Eve Of 2000." The article says, "The Wisconsin National Guard is prepared to be mobilized on December 31, 1999, to deal with potential power failures, water system shutdowns and other problems that could occur as computers click over to the year 2000" (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, October 7th, 1998, p.13A, by Amy Rinard).
Representative Sheryl Albers (R-Loganville) introduced legislation to mobilize the guard to "evacuate hospitals and help with communities whose water systems have shut down." Mari Nahn, an attorney for Alliant Corporation-Wisconsin Power and Light, said, "Power failures are likely, embedded computer chips in everything from pacemakers to coffee-makers have the potential to fail, and in many cases people don't even know they're there. In the utility industry, embedded chips are used everywhere."
Another concern is the failure of security systems at prisons. The article has much more to say about military action, and Professor Leonard P. Levine of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, said, "Having troops on standby is not unreasonable." It's becoming more obvious that the government is planning nation-wide martial law, and a police state. I believe the Coming of the Lord is at the very doors.
In another article on the Millennium Bug, or Y2k computer problem, David Hall of the Cara Corporation in Chicago said, "Everything we have built in the last forty years probably will be affected" (Wisconsin State Journal, FP, October 9). Donald Kettl, public affairs director for the UW-Madison's La FoIlerte Institute said, "And the system is only as strong as its weakest link" (Ibid).
I have a question for any doubting-Thomas' who may be listening to this. If those in charge of fixing this situation and who watch it day by day are telling you to buy generators and to store food and water, how can you say there's no problem? You might say, "OK, there is a problem, but they will fix it." But the ones you refer to as "they" are the ones telling you to prepare for the worst. We have many examples in the Bible, where living in denial produced a lot of dead people. We must remember, that throughout next year, there'll be problems, and the big one hits the northern hemisphere in the dead of winter.
Have faith in God and do the best you can, but in the name of God, do something before it's too late. My words of warning won't do much good if you do nothing.
Like repentance, we must act now. "Today" is all we can give to the Lord. It's the only time we have under our control.
I'm sure you recall the Swissair plane that crashed off the coast of Nova Scotia. I'm quoting from a news story that describes some of the evidence regarding the cause of the crash. "In the cockpit six minutes before the crash, both pilot and co-pilot, scrambled for the radio to declare an emergency, and say they needed to land immediately. The data recorder then picked up problems with a flight control computer and other systems. Within 30 seconds, the co-pilot reported that he'd lost all of his main instruments. Six minutes later, the plane hit the water" (Reuters News Service, October 7, 1998, 11:21pm., EDT).
We must take note of those words, "problems with a flight control computer". On October 8, an identical plane took off from England and made an emergency landing in Ireland with the same problem (ABC News, October 8, 1998, 7:00am., WBEV Radio, Beaver Dam, WI).
Ironically, a computer glitch caused the computer that runs the national debt clock at Times Square to crash. The New York Post wrote, "The national debt clock near Times Square went dark after the computer that runs it crashed permanently" (October 1, 1998, by Paul Tharp).
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The headline of the "Globe and Mail" reads "ARMY FEARS CIVIL CHAOS FROM MILLENNIUM BUG" (October 27, 1998, Jeff Sallot in Ottawa, & John Saunders in Toronto).
"Huge deployment would deal with fallout from computer failures. The Canadian Armed Forces have been ordered to spend the next 14 months preparing for what could be their biggest peacetime deployment - tens of thousands of troops spread across the country and frigates standing-by in major ports - in case computer problems in 2000 bring civil chaos.
The army is studying everything from the number of flashlights and batteries it'll need if power's out for weeks, to whether military air-traffic-control field equipment should be set up at civilian airports.
Logistics officers are plotting where to position vehicles, fuel, tents, cots, ration packs and other supplies. Signals officers are trying to figure out, how to keep high government officials in communication if commercial systems fail.
Rules for the use of force are being drafted should soldiers have to make arrests, or back up police dealing with riots and looting.
As police, fire and other civilian emergency services make their own plans, military commanders have been told that meeting the threat of the Year 2000 bug is their highest priority, and will be the focus of all training from January on. Equipment purchases that do not contribute to the effort are to be postponed.
No one knows whether a common programming flaw - a seemingly small matter of dealing with dates beyond 1999 - will cause cascading failure in the world's computer systems, knocking out in the dead of a Canadian winter, machines that run everything from traffic lights to nuclear reactors. It may turn out to be one of history's great anticlimaxes, but the armed forces are taking no chances.
The effort is called Operation Abacus, after an ancient Chinese bead-and-string calculator that needs no power and is not susceptible to glitches. A 24-page "warning order" was sent to military commanders, regional headquarters and reserve units across the country nearly two months ago.
The order begins: "There is a potential for disruption of major infrastructure systems... that may require Canadian Forces support for civil authorities". The commanders have been given until mid-November to come up with first drafts of plans that'll be refined right up to January 1, 2000. The success of the operation depends on "public confidence in the government's ability to manage and provide leadership in dealing with the Year 2000 Problem," the order says.
Navy captains have been told their ships may have to be docked to serve as garrisons, power plants, field hospitals and soup kitchens.
On land, the official worst-case scenario would have 32,000 soldiers, including volunteer reservists, living and working in the field.
So far the army says it's sought no cabinet order pressing weekend warriors into service. Rumors in reserve circles suggest the field force could reach more than 60,000, including many non-volunteers, if such an order were issued.
Such talk was not diminished by an article this month on the Year 2000 effort in the "Maple Leaf", an official Army magazine. Lieutenant-General Ray Crabbe, a just-retired Deputy Chief of Defence staff, said, "soldiers need not worry about missing their 1999 Christmas holidays."
"As far as Christmas goes, I don't think you could deploy 60,000 troops away from their homes at Christmas, especially from a morale point of view," he was quoted as saying. "I'm not sure you can say the same thing for New Year's Eve." Almost everyone knows about the (Y2K) problem by now.
If the troops are out in the cold, they'll have plenty of company. Police forces have begun warning their staff not to plan vacations around the turn of the year.
The RCMP's 16,000 officers have been told to book no time off from December 27, 1999, to March 15, 2000, at least until the scope of the Y2K problem becomes clearer.
Toronto's 5,000 police officers have been given "no-go" dates of December 27, 1999, to January 9, 2000, and Vancouver's 1,150 officers have been given December 29, 1999, to January 14, 2000. Calgary police are considering the same dates as the RCMP, although no order has gone out.
Montreal's fire department says there will be a Y2K vacation ban but has announced no dates. The Toronto department has no special ban but says December and January have customarily been no-leave months because of extra fires associated with candles, fireplaces and space heaters, among other things.
This is one more concrete example of concern in official circles for the implications of Y2K. You've been warned. You should take responsibility and prepare for your family.
-oOo-
One of my favorite quotes from Noam Chomsky is: "People don't know what's happening, and they don't even know that they don't know." Nowhere is this more evident than in the attempt by corporations to make the rules by which we live.
With their host governments, corporations are trying to reorganize global economic structures and political power. Their primary tools are the trade accords, including the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT); the World Trade Organization (WTO), created to enforce GATT's rules; the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and now, the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI).
The same people who brought us GATT and NAFTA have been locked in secret negotiations, conspiring with our elected representatives for two years to push an agreement on the MAI. The press, consumer and democracy groups, environmentalists, small businesses, labor, and other NGOs were excluded.
This week in Paris, this "golem" (or created monster) was defeated - for the time being at least.
When WTO Director-General Renato Ruggiero called the MAI "the Constitution for a single global economy", he meant a world where the rules are not made by elected officials, labor unions, or the democratic process. The rules would be made by investors, speculators, and multinational corporations whose only interests are profit and acquisition. But most lawmakers had never heard of the Multilateral Agreement on Investment." Neither had the vast majority of Australians.
As the San Francisco-based International Forum on Globalization pointed out: "The rules of the MAI would have imposed restrictions on all levels of government: federal, state, and local. In every domain, foreign companies would have been awarded "national treatment" - that is, equal or better terms than local businesses.
Let's say your city now favors locally-owned businesses in contracts for municipal projects or perhaps your state has certain residency requirements, the MAI could have negated such rules. Under the MAI, corporations would gain a status equivalent to "most favored nations." This means that no level of government could "discriminate" against foreign investors based upon human rights, environmental or political practice.
Had the MAI been in force during South Africa's apartheid system, all governmental sanctions and boycotts against South African investment would have been illegal.
It would've exacerbated the brutal division between rich and poor around the world, and been an environmental nightmare due to its dependency on mass consumption and waste. And where else can uncontrolled consumption lead but to a resource-depleted and polluted planet? Moreover, it was sowing seeds of violence, due to the mass inequity it would proliferate. For these reasons, more than 600 NGOs from 70 countries formed the coalition that defeated the MAI.
Surprisingly, even Pope John Paul II, on his recent visit to Cuba, commented on the antidemocratic nature of deregulated freemarket policies that rule the world today. The Pope warned against the resurgence of capitalist neo-liberalism that subordinates man to blind market forces, and conditions the development of people on those forces. In much of Latin America, the name for this American model of freemarket economics is "savage capitalism." In the international community, the Pope said, "we see a small number of countries growing exceedingly rich at the cost of the increasing impoverishment of a great number of other countries; as a result, the wealthy grow ever wealthier; while the poor grow ever poorer."
According to the United Nations,
only 20 percent of the world's people own 83 percent of the
world's wealth. Moreover; this same rich 20 percent consume 80
percent of the world's resources. The 1996 UN human development
report showed that 358 billionaires had as much wealth as 45% of
humanity. The Economic Policy Institute in Washington, DC,
reports that, by 1997, the number of billionaires had risen to
477, and their combined wealth was equal to 52% of humankind.
This figure requires some reflection, for it means that less than
500 individuals have as much wealth as the poorest 3 billion
people on this planet. (Douglas Mattern, "Democracy or
Corporate Rule?" The Humanist, July/August 1998).
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