Recent Developments I Believe That Point Toward The Lord's Soon Coming!

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December 26, 2006

King Abdullah: Israel not as strong as we thought
Jordan’s King Abdullah said during an interview with Tokyo-based newspaper The Daily Yomiuri that “The (Lebanon ) war last summer showed that Israel is not as strong as we had previously thought, and, justifiably or not, the perception in the Middle East is that Israel lost.” 

Abdullah, who is currently visiting Japan, added that “More and more countries in the region will now believe that the only way to get Israel to listen is through force and not negotiations. Israel will have to take a significant step in the right direction that will lead to calm in the region.” 

DEBKAfile Exclusive: King Abdullah of Jordan denies audience to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, invites Hamas PM Ismail Haniya
Abbas was due to report to the king in Amman Monday, Dec. 25, on his Saturday night talks with Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and the steps offered to ease life in the Palestinian territories. When told that he had arrived in Amman without the Hamas PM, Abdullah called the meeting off.

Bush the state-maker: Palestinian state in two years
According to the Bush administration, the US will implement a new Mideast policy within two years -- the end of his term in office.

Report: Iran oil profits could dry up by 2015
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Iran is suffering a staggering decline in revenue from its oil exports, and if the trend continues income could disappear by 2015, a National Academy of Sciences analysis found.

Iran's economic woes could make the country unstable and vulnerable, with its oil industry crippled, Roger Stern, an economic geographer at Johns Hopkins University, wrote in the report published Monday.

Nuclear traffic doubles since '90s
Annual incidents of trafficking and mishandling of nuclear and other radioactive material reported to U.S. intelligence officials have more than doubled since the early 1990s, says the director of domestic nuclear detection at the Department of Homeland Security.

Also up: scams in which fake or non-existent nuclear or radioactive material is offered for sale, often online, says Vayl Oxford, nuclear detection director at the department.

"We sense that people have recognized the value of nuclear material as a useful way of making money," Oxford said. "Nuclear material is becoming a marketable commodity."

PM's Office: There will be no negotiations with Syria
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni reject the possibility of negotiations with Syria , in spite of the impression that in recent days there was a change in their stance regarding the Syrian issue.

Fears of tsunami ease after Taiwan quake
TAIPEI, Taiwan - A powerful earthquake struck off southwestern Taiwan on Tuesday, briefly prompting fears of a tsunami on the second anniversary of the quake and deadly waves that killed thousands in south Asia.

Court: Saddam's hanging to be carried out 'within 30 days'
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's highest appeals court on Tuesday upheld the death sentence for Saddam Hussein in his first trial and said it must be carried out within 30 days.

Olmert Ordered: IDF May Not Fire at Kassam Rocket Terrorists
The current IDF policy is not to open fire at terrorist rocket-launching teams. Ashkelon, Sderot and other Negev areas were again targets of Palestinian Authority rocket attacks Tuesday.

Israel Approves New West Bank Settlement
Israel has approved a new settlement in the West Bank to house former Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, officials said Tuesday, breaking a promise to the U.S. to halt home construction in the Palestinian territories.

Archbishop warns of a future full of dread for the Middle East...
The Archbishop of Canterbury used his Christmas message to issue a veiled attack on the policies of Tony Blair and George Bush in the Middle East.

In a frank speech, Dr Rowan Williams said it was "chilling" to find in the troubled region an "almost total absence" of any belief in a political solution to the crisis.

1.5 mn arrive in Saudi for the Hajj
More than 1.5 million Muslims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca which begins Thursday, Saudi authorities said.

Comments
I believe time is running out due to some very disturbing outward signs coming out of Israel and around the world.  Below, are listed a number of reasons I believe the end of this age is closer than we think.

Israel's Perceived Weakness: I'm not sure what Israeli Prime Minister Olmert is thinking giving an order for the IDF to restrain from firing at terrorist rocket-launching teams.  That's possibly the most irresponsible dereliction of duty I have ever heard come off the wire.  That's got a lot to do with why Israel's enemies perceive them as weak.  Certainly, this summers war against Hezbullah went along way to embolden the Islamic world but they're not helping themselves by standing by idly and watching terrorists lob bombs into their country.  That doesn't send a very positive message.

Jordan’s King Abdullah said today while visiting Japan that Israel may not be as strong as they had thought they were.  But he did say that the Arab world was very interested in a peaceful solution.

“The Arab countries are very interested in moving the peace process along, and this conveys a message to the Israelis: If we advance the peace process and implement a two-state solution, all the Arab and Muslim countries will agree to establish (diplomatic) relations with Israel,” he said. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3344642,00.html

Of course, that's an Islamic smoke screen to try and put world pressure on Israel to compromise on issues that would be detrimental to their existence.  Eventually, their tactics will work, but in the end, the Lord will miraculously destroy the invaders.

There was something else King Abdullah said that I found interesting.  Speaking on the rise of extremist groups he said we must act fast and change our peace polices if peace was to be achieved at all.

"We must change the policy in the Middle East, or else people will only here extremist views,” he said. “In the past, there were 8 to 10 year intervals between conflicts, but now this has dropped to 10 to 12 months, and may I remind you that we are expecting three civil wars in 2007 (in the Palestinian Authority, Iraq and Lebanon)."  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3344642,00.html

I expect all of these wars to materialize in 2007, but the main conflict will be in Israel.  Given the perception of Israel's military weakness I believe there is a very high probability that they will be at war by May/June of next year.  That's not a prediction but information based on Israeli military intelligence.

The Deterioration Of Iran's Economic Infrastructure:  A new study on Iran by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences said that if current economic trends continue Iran could be broke by 2015.  

"Iran is neglecting to reinvest in its oil production... Iran earns about $50 billion a year in oil exports. The decline is estimated at 10 to 12 percent annually. In less than five years exports could be halved, Stern predicted.

Iran produces about 3.7 million barrels a day, about 300,000 barrels below the quota set for Iran by the oil cartel, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

The shortfall represents a loss of about $5.5 billion a year, Stern said. In 2004, Iran's oil profits were 65 percent of the government's revenues.

"If we look at that shortfall, and failure to rectify leaks in their refineries, that adds up to a loss of about $10 billion to $11 billion a year," he said. "That is a picture of an industry in collapse."

"If the United States can 'hold its breath' for a few years it may find Iran a much more conciliatory country, he said." http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/25/iran.oil.ap/index.html

Iran desperately needs to change its policies to bring in much needed foreign investment and lift long-term sanctions.  The status-quo can't go on much longer according this report.  Look for them to agree to a peace deal with the intention of breaking it soon after.  Actually, the possibility of war with Israel before a peace agreement is signed is not out of the question.

Killer Tsunami's And Earthquakes:  We dodged another bullet today off the Taiwanese coast.  Only one death was reported from the tsunami type earthquake that registered 7.1 and was followed up by an aftershock that registered 7.0.  

"The expected waves did not materialize ... the danger has passed," said Hiroshi Koide of the agency's earthquake section. "We predicted a tsunami based on the depth and magnitude of the earthquake. But ultimately, it appears no large tsunami was triggered."  http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/12/26/asia.quake.ap/index.html

Non-believers (including unbelieving Christians), make no mistake...they're coming!  And when they do, there will be no mistaking from whence they came.

Nuclear Traffic Has Double Since The 90's:  The sale of illegal nuclear material has double in ten plus years especially from former Soviet bloc nations. 

"The incidents tracked by the department, based on its reporting and information from foreign diplomatic and intelligence sources, average about twice the number made public each year by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Oxford said reports of nuclear and radioactive materials trafficking have ranged from 200 to 250 a year since 2000, up from about 100 a year in the 1990s.

"We're only seeing the dysfunctional part of the market — the supplier who's dumb enough to try to sell it to the police," said Jeffrey Lewis, director of the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs." http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-25-nuclear-traffic_x.htm

I can only imagine what's going on behind closed doors by those whom the police were unable to catch.  Look for this market to again double in size in the coming few years eventually reaching the terrorists of the world.

Palestinian State In Two Years:  I've always believed this world event would play a major part in Bible prophecy.  In Fact, coming from the mouth of Jordan’s King Abdullah he said,"The Arab countries are very interested in moving the peace process along, and this conveys a message to the Israelis: If we advance the peace process and implement a two-state solution, all the Arab and Muslim countries will agree to establish (diplomatic) relations with Israel,” he said. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3344642,00.html

Although the peace plan with the antichrist does not have to incorporate any Arab nation...ultimately, I believe that it will.  

Over the years, many have attempted to bring peace to the region and found it to be impossible.  It is this burdensome stone (Israel/Jerusalem; Zechariah 12:3) that has captivated the political leaders of the world and they won't sleep until this mystery has been solved or destroyed.  One day soon a man will step forward who will.

Are you ready to meet the Lord?  If not, your time is running out!

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Pastor Malone