Monday, March 30, 2015

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Iran nuclear talks near deadline; differences remain
My Way News reports: "With Tuesday's target date for a framework accord just hours away, the top diplomats from the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and Germany were meeting with Iran to try to bridge remaining gaps and hammer out an understanding that would serve as the basis for a final accord to be reached by the end of June. [...] Officials in Lausanne said the sides were advancing on limits to aspects of Iran's program to enrich uranium, which can be used to make the core of a nuclear warhead."

False Christs

LA Times - Review: HBO's 'Going Clear' a remarkable glimpse into Scientology
The LA Times reports: "It's well-known that Hubbard started out as a writer of pulp fiction, including science fiction; but, notwithstanding his oft-repeated assertion that (as given here in the words of his unacknowledged second wife Sara Northrup) 'the only way to make any real money was to have a religion, a religion where he could have an income and the government wouldn't take it away from him in the form of taxes,' he seems to have truly believed that he had discovered a force for world-changing good. [..] from the outside, the rites and rituals of the church can seem a little absurd, including the "e-meter' that supposedly measures 'the mass of thoughts'; the 'billion-year' contract signed by members of the inner-circle Sea Organization; the unquestioning reverence for Hubbard as the sole source of these revelations."

Friday, March 27, 2015

Rumors of War - Jerusalem Surrounded

My Way News - Arabs inch closer to old dream of joint Arab force
My Way News reports: "Arab leaders meeting this weekend in this Egyptian Red Sea resort are moving closer than ever to creating a joint Arab military force, a sign of a new determination among Saudi Arabia, Egypt and their allies to intervene aggressively in regional hotspots, whether against Islamic militants or spreading Iranian power."

Comment: Stopping the spread of Iranian power is a good thing, but what happens when they turn their attention to Israel? 

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Wickedness Increases - Love Grows Cold

My Way News - Co-pilot deliberately slams plane in Alps; families ask why
My Way News reports: "Passengers with moments to live screamed in terror and the pilot frantically pounded on the locked cockpit door as a 27-year-old German co-pilot deliberately and wordlessly smashed an Airbus carrying 150 people into an Alpine mountainside."

My Way News - Filing: Teen says mom killed her siblings found in freezer:
My Way News reports: "A teenager told authorities that her mother killed two siblings and forced her to put one of the bodies in the freezer of their Detroit home where both were found by an eviction crew. [...] In a court filing, the state said the teen described a house of horror, where she and her surviving brother were beaten with an extension cord and piece of wood, hit with a hot curling iron and burned with a clothing iron."

CNN - No murder charge in Craigslist case baby cut from womb
CNN reports: "A former nurse's aide will not face murder charges for allegedly cutting and removing an unborn baby from the mother's womb, Boulder County, Colorado, prosecutor Stanley Garnett said Thursday. "

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Wars - Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - President of Yemen flees by sea; Saudis begin airstrikes
My Way News reports: "President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi fled Yemen by sea Wednesday as Shiite rebels and their allies moved on his last refuge in the south, captured its airport and put a bounty on his head, officials said. Hours later, Saudi Arabia announced it had begun airstrikes against the Houthi rebels. [...] The White House said in a statement late Wednesday that the U.S. was coordinating military and intelligence support with the Saudis but not taking part directly in the strikes. [...] Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies believe the Shiite rebels, known as Houthis, are tools for Iran to seize control of Yemen and say they intend to stop the takeover. The Houthis deny they are backed by Iran."

My Way News - US conducting airstrikes to help Iraq retake Tikrit
My Way News reports: "At Iraq's request, the U.S. began airstrikes in Tikrit on Wednesday in support of a stalled Iraqi ground offensive to retake the city from Islamic State fighters. The bombing marked a significant expansion of the U.S. military role in Iraq. [...] U.S. airstrikes in Tikrit raise highly sensitive questions about participating in an Iraqi campaign that has been spearheaded by Iraqi Shiite militias trained and equipped by Iran, a U.S. adversary."

Monday, March 23, 2015

Rumors of War - King of the North

France 24 - Putin stages military drills in game of 'brinkmanship' with West 
AFP reports: "Since the start of the Ukraine crisis more than a year ago, Russia has flexed its muscles with a series of war games but the scale of the latest military exercises -- including sending nuclear bombers to Crimea and ballistic missiles to Kaliningrad in central Europe -- has triggered a series of new questions. Experts say whatever the purpose of the latest manoeuvres involving tens of thousands of troops, the intent is clear: to show Putin's Russia will stop at nothing to protect its interests."

Friday, March 20, 2015

Signs in the Sun - Signs in the Heavens

My Way News - Ring of light: Total eclipse over Svalbard islands in Arctic
My Way News reports: "Sky-gazers looked up in awe Friday as the moon blocked the sun in a total solar eclipse that momentarily darkened a slice of northern Europe. The most spectacular viewing came on Norway's Svalbard islands near the North Pole, where a bright clear day and blindingly white snow highlighted the cosmic wonder that used to bring ancient civilizations to a trembling halt. Visitors to the Arctic islands were treated to a full view of the sun's corona — a faint ring of rays surrounding the moon — that is only visible during a total eclipse."

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Signs in the Sun

Yahoo News Digest — Friday's solar eclipse is like nothing we'll see for another 19 years
Yahoo News reports: "This Friday, a rare total solar eclipse will be visible across parts of Greenland, Europe, and North Africa. Not only is this the only total solar eclipse in 2015, it’s the last of its kind for another 19 years. Total solar eclipses are pretty rare in themselves, but it’s also the first total solar eclipse of the 21st century that occurs on the same day as the first day of spring. To have the moon block out the sun on the same day as the vernal equinox, the first day of spring, is even more rare. It won’t happen again until the year 2034."

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Netanyahu victory leaves damage in wake
My Way News reports: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's strong showing in national elections this week has come with a price: He has managed to antagonize friends and foes alike with hard-line rhetoric on the campaign trail. [...] He vowed to increase settlement construction in east Jerusalem, the Palestinians' would-be capital, and rejected the idea of a Palestinian state in current conditions — putting him at odds with U.S. and European positions and reversing his own policy of the past six years."

War

My Way News - Museum attack in Tunisian capital kills 19; 2 gunmen slain
My Way News reports: "Foreign tourists scrambled in panic Wednesday after militants stormed a museum in Tunisia's capital and killed 19 people, 'shooting at anything that moved,' a witness said. [...] Tunisia has been more stable than other countries in the region, but has struggled with violence by Islamic extremists who have sworn allegiance to both al-Qaida and the Islamic State group."

Future Fear

My Way News - Winter sets global heat record despite US East's big chill
My Way News reports: "Federal records show that this winter and the first two months of 2015 were the hottest on record globally, with a chilly U.S. East sticking out like a cold thumb in a toastier world. At nearly 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit above 20th century average, last month was the second warmest February on record globally, slightly behind 1998."

Comment: Although there is a healthy debate going about whether climate change is a result of a natural cycle or due to human activity, or to some combination of the two, there is now little doubt that change is happening. Only the most extreme (and well paid) of the climate deniers dispute that. 

Pestilence

My Way News - Sierra Leone plans another shutdown to stop Ebola's spread
My Way News reports: "Sierra Leone is planning another three-day, countrywide shutdown later this month to ferret out Ebola cases, remind people how to protect themselves from the disease and control its transmission. The West Africa Ebola outbreak that has killed more than 10,000 people is declining but the disease has remained stubbornly entrenched in parts of Guinea and Sierra Leone. Liberia, the third country severely affected, currently has no Ebola cases."

Comment: Although the media moved on to the next sensational story, Ebola is still a thing. 

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Signs in the Sun

St. Patrick's Day Solar Storm Sets Off Green Northern Lights - NBC News.com
NBC News reports: "A massive solar storm is bombarding Earth now, and it could supercharge the northern lights to offer a better chance of seeing dancing green auroras just in time for St. Patrick's Day, weather permitting. The surprisingly strong solar storm — ranked as a G4 geomagnetic storm by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center — could trigger brilliant auroras for people in dark areas as far south as Tennessee on Tuesday night if the space storm continues."

My Way News - Major solar storm hits Earth, may pull northern lights south
My Way News reports: A severe solar storm smacked Earth with a surprisingly big geomagnetic jolt Tuesday, potentially affecting power grids and GPS tracking while pushing the colorful northern lights farther south, federal forecasters said. So far no damage has been reported."

Monday, March 16, 2015

Covenant With Many

My Way News - Netanyahu promises no Palestinian state if he is re-elected
My Way News reports: "In a frenzied last day of campaigning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday ruled out the establishment of a Palestinian state and vowed to keep building east Jerusalem settlements as he appealed to hard-line voters on the eve of Israel's closely contested general election. [...] The international community overwhelmingly supports the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, areas captured by Israel in 1967, and opposes settlement construction. Netanyahu's tough new position is likely to worsen his already strained ties with his western allies if he is re-elected."

Comment: Is it any wonder they are out to get him? 

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Persecution

My Way News - Suicide bombers kill 15 people outside Pakistani churches
My Way News reports: "A pair of suicide bombers attacked two churches in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday as worshippers prayed inside — killing 15 people in the latest assault against religious minorities in this increasingly fractured country, officials said. [...] Life in Pakistan is increasingly dangerous for religious minorities, especially Christians. They have been targeted by extremist Sunni Muslim militants and are also discriminated against in the wider society, where they are often limited to menial jobs like garbage collection."

Comment: Please join me in praying for believers in Pakistan, that the Holy Spirit will comfort them in their grief and strengthen their faith in the midst of persecution, giving them a forgiving heart and not one bent on revenge.  

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Fearsome Events - Roaring Seas & Waves

My Way News - Vanuatu struggles to account for cyclone damage, deaths
My Way News reports: "Officials struggled on Sunday to determine the scale of the devastation wrought by a monstrous cyclone that tore through the tiny South Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, with death counts varying in the single digits but expected to rise once communications are restored with outlying islands. Packing winds of 270 kilometers (168 miles) per hour, Cyclone Pam tore through Vanuatu early Saturday, leaving a trail of destruction and unconfirmed reports of dozens of deaths."

Friday, March 13, 2015

Rumors of War - War - Persia

My Way News - Iraq militia leader hails Iran's 'unconditional' support
My Way News reports: "The U.S. has failed to live up to its promises to help Iraq fight Islamic State extremists, unlike the 'unconditional' assistance being given by Iran, the commander of Iraq's powerful Shiite militias alleged Friday. [...] The Iranian-backed Shiite militias have played a crucial role in regaining territory from the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State group, supporting Iraq's embattled military and police forces."

Comment: This has done nothing except strengthen Iran, it does not bode well for the future of the region. 

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Earthquakes

My Way News - Report: Chance of mega-quake hitting California increases
My Way News reports: "Scientists are virtually certain that California will be rocked by a strong earthquake in the next 30 years. Now they say the risk of a mega-quake is more likely than previously thought. The chance of a magnitude-8 quake striking the state in the next three decades jumped to 7 percent from 4.7 percent, mainly because scientists took into account the possibility that several faults can shake at once, releasing seismic energy that results in greater destruction."

Friday, March 06, 2015

Temple Mount - Jerusalem Security

My Way News - Palestinian assailant wounds 5 Israelis in car attack
My Way News reports: "A Palestinian rammed his car into a group of Israeli pedestrians near a border police station in east Jerusalem on Friday, injuring four officers and a bystander, police said. [...] Friday's attack mirrored a spate of similar assaults on Israelis involving cars late last year, in the same part of Jerusalem. The attacks were linked to tensions over the city's most sensitive holy site, revered by Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and by Jews as the Temple Mount."

Kings of the East

My Way News - China defense spending to grow 10.1 percent in 2015
My Way News reports: "China said Thursday it will boost defense spending by 10.1 percent, a smaller rise than last year but in line with large annual increases that have drawn concern among the country's neighbors over Beijing's military and territorial ambitions. Beijing says the higher spending is needed to modernize equipment and improve conditions for the 2.3 million-member People's Liberation Army, the world's largest standing military."

Thursday, March 05, 2015

Pestilence

My Way News - WHO to begin large-scale testing of Ebola vaccine in Guinea
My Way News reports: "The World Health Organization will start large-scale testing of an experimental Ebola vaccine in Guinea on Saturday to see how effective it might be in preventing future outbreaks of the deadly virus."

Rumors of War - Jerusalem Security

My Way News - PLO calls for ending security coordination with Israel
My Way News reports: "A top body in the Palestine Liberation Organization has called for ending security coordination with Israel — a step that could lead to an escalation of tensions. It is not clear if Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will implement Thursday's resolution by the PLO's Central Council."

Tuesday, March 03, 2015

Global Community

My Way News - Google, Facebook update contrasting plans to connect world
My Way News reports: "Google and Facebook want more people online, searching around and clicking on ads. And they are finding new ways to make it happen — from selling smartphone data plans, to using solar-powered drone aircraft as floating cell towers to partnering with telecom providers in the developing world to get people hooked on apps. [...] they are taking very different approaches to getting the world connected."

Rumors of War - Persia

My Way News - Netanyahu warns US 'bad deal' would put Iran on nuclear path
My Way News reports: "In a direct challenge to the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood before Congress on Tuesday and bluntly warned the U.S. that an emerging nuclear agreement with Iran 'paves Iran's path to the bomb.' President Barack Obama pushed back sternly, saying the U.S. would never sign such a deal and Netanyahu was offering no useful alternative."

Monday, March 02, 2015

Roaring Waves

My Way News - The big melt: Antarctica's retreating ice may re-shape Earth
My Way News reports: "Water is eating away at the Antarctic ice, melting it where it hits the oceans. As the ice sheets slowly thaw, water pours into the sea — 130 billion tons of ice (118 billion metric tons) per year for the past decade, according to NASA satellite calculations. That's the weight of more than 356,000 Empire State Buildings, enough ice melt to fill more than 1.3 million Olympic swimming pools. And the melting is accelerating. In the worst case scenario, Antarctica's melt could push sea levels up 10 feet (3 meters) worldwide in a century or two, recurving heavily populated coastlines."

Jerusalem Peace and Security

My Way News - Netanyahu assails Iran deal, touts US-Israel ties
My Way News reports: "Seeking to lower tensions, Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. officials cast their dispute over Iran as a family squabble on Monday, even as the Israeli leader claimed President Barack Obama did not — and could not — fully understand his nation's vital security concerns."

Comment: I received a prayer request today from For Zion's Sake Ministries. They are asking for prayer on the eve of Netanyahu's speech tomorrow.  Here is what they wrote:
In light of the enormous political pressure that is currently placed upon Israel and especially Benyamin Netanyahu in this critical hour, I would like to request a global call to prayer for a powerful anointing upon Netanyahu as he delivers his speech before congress on March 3rd. Please also pray for his protection and the many closed door meetings he will have. Pray that many deaf ears would be opened to the truth and the warning will be heeded by many. Perhaps also you can join with the Jewish people in the traditional “Esther Fast” from dawn until dusk on Purim eve if you are able? Thank you for standing with Israel and the Jewish people in their time of need! 
Would you join me in praying for Netanyahu and for the peace of Jerusalem?