Apocalypse 2010: The year of earthquakes, oil spills...Part 3

Apocalypse 2010: The year of earthquakes, oil spills, floods, heat waves and other ecological catastrophes Part 3

Part 1

Part 2

Audio interview on Think or be Eaten Radio   Part 1   Part 2

Audio Interview on The Byte Show

As this series concludes in part 3, I will begin by quoting a Guardian UK news article in some detail to summarise what even the MSM is beginning to report as unusual problems. And I will ask the readers and listeners this question, are the events being reported by the media some of the signs that God promised He would give us as we watched and prayed? Are these fulfillments of Biblical prophecies? And if they are, what is that we need to do to prepare? I am not a survivalist, in that I know there is nothing I can do to save this body, for ultimately it must die. But I don’t want to see its demise because I was ignorant of the times. It is my belief we have now crossed midfield in the world’s march to the end, and the end zone is now visible, though it may have been hidden in the past. It’s time to batten down the hatches and make a stand; we use our God given wisdom to prepare, to store up food, water and other necessities so that we are not caught unawares when the storms hit with a ferocity none of us have experienced in our lives. The following article was printed in the Guardian UK newspaper on August 9, 2010. I have highlighted the terminology that reveals the extent and severity of the problems faced by the world, my comments on certain portions of this report may be found in parentheses, in italics, following the report.

• Floods and mudslides on three continents, as drought hits Africa / How victims of extreme weather conditions and natural disaster are faring around the world / guardian.co.uk, Monday 9 August 2010

Regions across the world have been buffeted by extremes of weather, drought and floods. Sometimes an area is hit by one extreme, followed soon after by another, Niger being a case in point. In the case of floods in Pakistan, the Met Office says high pressure over Russia has forced the jet stream much further south than usual this year and this pattern has remained almost stationary over recent weeks. Therefore low pressure has been sitting over Pakistan longer than normal, intensifying the monsoon rains. "The extremes of rainfall are getting heavier and are entirely consistent with climate change predictions," said Helen Chivers, a spokeswoman with the Met Office. (The forcing of the jet stream much further south than usual makes my conspiracy antennas go way up; are we witnessing HAARP type weather manipulation in action?)

Asia / In China rescuers used shovels and bare hands as they struggled today to save survivors of a major mudslide in the north-west, where blocked roads hindered vehicles trying to reach the disaster scene. At least 337 people were killed and 90 injured when landslides and flood waters engulfed Zhouqu county in Gansu province late on Saturday night. But with more than 1,100 people still missing, the death toll is likely to grow. Flooding across many provinces has killed more than 1,450 people this year and forced 12 million to flee their homes, but the Zhouqu landslide is the worst single incident. Experts had warned of the dangers of soil erosion in the area, known to be prone to mudslides. In spring south-western China was hit by drought, described as the worst in a century. In June south-east China, which had also endured drought, was hit by devastating floods. Southern China experiences flooding almost every summer, but the Beijing climate centre says extreme weather events have increased in recent years, with longer droughts and rain falling in more intense and damaging bursts. (Once again what is the real cause of these extreme weather events; is it all just a natural cycle or has man’s games of playing God with the weather finally beginning to catch up with him? The Chinese themselves have been actively engaged in weather manipulation for at least two decades; if it really worked, why do we not have perfect weather year round, at least in China?)

Pakistan's floods were caused by monsoon rains, described as the worst since 1929. The Pakistan meteorological department said that at one point 12 inches (300mm) of rain fell over a 36-hour period. Water levels in the river Indus, which cuts down the middle of Pakistan and has most of the population huddled around it, are said to be the highest in 110 years. The torrents, having ravaged the north-west, are now gushing deeper into Pakistan. The authorities have evacuated people living alongside expanding rivers as forecasts predicted further heavy rain that could worsen the country's flood crisis. The UN has raised its forecast of the number of people affected to six million and said the scale of the crisis was similar to the 2005 earthquake that hit northern Pakistan. About 1,600 people have died in the floods.

Africa / A severe drought is causing increasing hunger across the Eastern Sahel in west Africa, affecting 10 million people in four countries. In Niger, the worst-affected country, 7.1 million are hungry, with nearly half considered highly food insecure because of the loss of livestock and crops coupled with a surge in prices. Last year exceptionally heavy rainfall destroyed crops and devastated this year's harvest in the region. The resulting fall in production in staples like maize, millet and sorghum has affected much of West Africa's Sahel – fragile in the best of times – including neighbouring Chad and northern Nigeria. (The verbiage in this report is a good example of Orwellian double speak. We are told that this severe drought in Africa will leave people ‘FOOD INSECURE’, when in reality it means that 7.1 million people are in danger of starvation, and governments worldwide should be qualitatively easing their plight rather than quantitatively easing the billion dollar bonus requirements of their Wall Street banker buddies.)

Latin America / In April floods and mudslides struck the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after the heaviest downpours in four decades, leaving at least 212 people dead. The favelas, the shanty towns built on the hillsides of the city of Rio de Janeiro, were badly hit. Floods struck again in June, this time in the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco, over 1,200 miles north-east of Rio de Janeiro. At least 1,000 people were unaccounted for.

Europe / Southern Poland suffered its worst flooding in decades in May after heavy rains engorged rivers sending torrents of water through Bogatynia in south-west Poland and Görlitz in eastern Germany. The UK experienced the driest first six months of the year since 1929, which led to the imposition of a hosepipe ban covering 6.5 million people in north-west England. Russia experienced generally dry and hot weather starting around late May. Temperatures of 35C (95F) first occurred after 12 June, which alone was abnormal for the country, as average mid-June temperatures seldom rise above 30C ). Moscow and St Petersburg both recorded temperatures as high as 42C on 3, 4 and 5 July. Average temperatures in the region increased to over 35C. In early August, President Dmitry Medvedev declared a state of emergency in seven regions as firefighters struggled to contain about 600 blazes covering an estimated 309,000 acres (125,000 hectares). (This story has much more to it than we are being told, of this I am certain. Before this problem became as extensive as it has, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev fired senior navy officers for “criminal negligence” in the destruction of a base near Moscow by wildfires. This story is suspicious because it is not every day that senior military brass are accused of ‘criminal negligence’ and fired. Just the fact that there are 600 major fires burning, some near Chernobyl is a cause for major concern, not just for Russians but also for Europeans, and Central Asians. The intense heat in Russia and other places reminds me of the following scripture, and I believe we are seeing its partial fulfillment in these events.

•  Revelation 16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.)

Video update to Mumbai oil spill

In conclusion to this series the above quoted news reports reveal (partially) the extent of the devastating problems in the areas of climate and ecology that the planet has already experienced this year. Obama had promised ‘change’ in his election campaign, and change has indeed come since his election but not the type of change that was the hope of billions around the world. We are beginning to hear terminology such as ‘The New Normal’, and sadly for many in formerly wealthy nations, the new normal means ‘impoverishment’.  Economic and ecological impoverishment is always a result of spiritual impoverishment. And it is spiritual impoverishment that brings judgment upon a nation or the world. Throughout history man has witnessed God’s judgment, having ignored His warnings, on a regional basis. Since the days of Noah, there has been no global judgment on this planet. Despite superficial differences, the world of today has become rather homogenized from a cultural and economic perspective. Globalization has resulted in the whole world becoming worshipers of Mammon, and therefore the whole world has become subject to God’s judgment. Yet our God is a MERCIFUL GOD, who is ever ready to forgive, even sins and crimes that no man would forgive, if people only turn to Him in repentance. Biblically speaking, ‘Repentance’ means to change one’s ways, it is not penance.

• A definition of "Repentance":  Greek  / metanoia, metanoeo
   a. from meta=with; nous=mind               b. meaning - "change of mind"

Repentance means changing one’s mind, literally having a new mind or a new viewpoint on any given subject. It results from evaluating any subject or behaviour and if need be to view the subject differently, or change one’s behaviour accordingly. If man takes stock of his ways, and sees the wickedness in his own heart, and turns to God, God is able to change Him completely, make a ‘New Creature’ out of him. Like an alcoholic who has to come to the conclusion on his own that he has a problem, man has to realize that the Godless life that he is taught to live from birth is devoid of life and peace, wrought with sin. Only then is there hope of salvation for the individual, the nation or the world.

• 2 Chronicles 7 v 14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Even at this eleventh hour, as the world is staring into the abyss, God is willing and desiring to withhold judgment if a nation or a people will humble themselves before Him and turn to Him with all their heart. I am of the opinion that if judgment has not overtaken on our world in full force, it is because of God’s mercy upon mankind. We may not fully comprehend the immense pain and destruction that will accompany judgment but God certainly does. The prophesied events are inevitable but not desirable, so God holds His hand hoping against hope that mankind will turn from their wicked ways. But there will come a day when judgment will no longer be withheld. About a fifth of the Bible gives us signs to look for that would indisputably prove that ‘The Day of the LORD’, the time of the judgment of the world is at hand. According to the Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, by J. Barton Payne, there are 1,239 prophecies in the Old Testament, and 578 prophecies in the New Testament, the majority of which have yet to be fulfilled and reference a short period of time towards the very end of this age, which time period I believe we are living in now. Forget Nostradamus, forget the Mayan calendar, the most prophetic book in this world is The Bible, and it has a 100% record of fulfillment. Jesus promised that “Heaven and Earth shall pass away but His words shall not pass away”. Powerful words indeed! Take heed that the ocean of deceptions and lies that permeates our world not sweep you away when the world literally falls apart all around you, as evidence, such as that presented in this series would suggest.

 I believe we are beginning to see more and more of such signs, and the troubles of man on this earth are being magnified rather than being mitigated. Obama may talk about change, about green shoots, and economic recovery, of the good old times being just around the corner, but those of us who trust God rather than man, feel otherwise. We feel that the days when “people shall be much pained” are not just around the corner, they are already here for many people in the world. These problems will not be limited to the third world only but first world can soon expect to experience the pain that has been felt by much of the rest of the world for a long time already.

• Joel 2:6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. v 12. Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: v 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

I have said many time before, and will continue to say it as long as I have breath in my body, that we place no hope in this life; it is temporary, and expires sooner than we planned. The life that has been promised to us is ETERNAL, EVERLASTING, NEVER ENDING LIFE. Just stop and think of those words – Eternal, Everlasting, Never Ending, just the mention of these promises should be enough to give us all a sense of overwhelming awe. If God extends our life through all the trouble that is coming upon the planet, we thank Him for it. If He decides to take us where He is, we thank Him even more. For those who truly believe in Him, it is a Win – Win situation, and therefore we guide our life accordingly. We ‘Watch and Pray’.

• Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.