Dropbox is a great application aside from it being free, it has cross-platform functionality which mean it works on PC, Mac, Linux even on mobile. So what is Dropbox?

If you are looking for a way to have your files readily available on all your computers then this is the answer. It is a file hosting service that allow users to backup, sync their files across computers and share to other users.

There are 2 options available to users: free and paid with varying options. The free service starts at 2 GB while for the paid starts at 50GB. Space for the free service can be increase up to 8 GB after accomplishing some tasks.

Tip: Increase the 2 GB to 2.25 GB by accomplishing the first 5 steps on the Get Started tab once logged-in on the website. Get additional 250 MB for every friend that you invite and actually sign up for their own account.

There are other services similar to Dropbox but what set it apart is its availability to work acrosss different platforms.

ManyCam

Had you ever had the experience of needing to video chat to contacts on different instant messaging services like Yahoo! Messenger, Skype and AOL all at the same time? For those of you who did and for the rest who hadn’t, ManyCam may be the answer.

ManyCam lets you use a single video input such as a web-cam or video camera replicates the video stream to the different IM clients. What is cool is that you can add live CGI effects, text and backgrounds. You can even show that it is snowing inside your house or it is as hot as hell.

The application works on all Windows version and on Mac OS and it is absolutely free.

Features I like on ManyCam are the picture-in-picture option and being able to remove the ManyCam.com watermark by just turning it off by going to Effects>Text over video.

Get the apps here:

http://www.manycam.com

http://www.dropbox.com

What we learn from such passages is that war is necessary at times. When the Philistines took up arms against Israel in 1 Samuel 17:1, Israel had to either fight a necessary war or capitulate to the enemy. The same was true in 1938 when the Germans marched into Austria. While war is terrible, there is nothing inherently evil with it per se. In a fallen world, war is inevitable (Luke 21:9-10).

However, the Bible does not condone war indiscriminately. Most of the scriptures we’ve cited so far have dealt with Israel in the Old Testament. To establish Israel in the Promised Land, war was necessary. At the same time, God used Israel militarily to judge the idolatrous nations of Canaan (Deuteronomy 18:12).

We need to make a clear distinction between a holy war and a just war. A true holy war is one specifically commanded by God to Old Testament Israel. The commands to do battle in the Old Testament were for a particular group of people for a particular time, for a particular purpose. That purpose has been accomplished, and no one can claim a “holy war” today.

The Christian’s battle is spiritual (Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 10:4). This means, among other things, that God’s people do not use physical means to coerce people into God’s Kingdom. However, does the Christian emphasis on a spiritual war mean that physical warfare between nations is always avoidable? Do we allow aggression to go unchecked? Should we ignore hostility and injustice? No, there is a place today for a just war.

A just (or justified) war is one that is waged on behalf of justice. The goal of a just war is peace.Romans 13:1-5 gives us the God-ordained role of government in society:

1) to govern with authority from God (v1-2)
2) to praise the good in society (v4)
3) to punish the evildoer in society (v4)
4) to bear the sword and execute wrath against wrongdoers (v4)

Just like the shepherd’s job is to protect the sheep from wolves, it’s the government’s job to protect its citizens from aggression.

Again, we make no attempt to justify war in general. There is no way to mitigate the horror and tragedy that war brings. But we do recognize that, at times, war can be justified. We list the following six guidelines to bring war under the rule of justice:

1) There must be a just cause. Bringing aggression, injustice, and genocide to a stop would promote righteousness and therefore be a just cause.

2) There must be just intention. The goal is peace and safety for all involved. The desire for ideological supremacy, geographical expansion, or economic gain does not justify a war.

3) War must be the last resort after all other methods to resolve the conflict have failed.

4) There must be a formal declaration of war. This shows that it is the government taking action on behalf of its citizenry.

5) Proportionate means are used. Weaponry and use of force must be limited to what is necessary to repel the attack and prevent future aggression. Unlimited war is wrong.

6) Noncombatant immunity. Individuals not actively involved in the conflict, including POWs and casualties, should be immune from attack.

So, what about the war against the terrorists in Iraq? We believe that it is a just war insofar as the United States and its allies are protecting its citizens and following the six guidelines, above. May we be faithful to pray for our country’s leaders and for true wisdom in these dangerous times (1 Timothy 2:1-2). And may the Lord quickly fulfill His promise to bring to an end all war forever (Isaiah 2:1-4).

Latest on Iraq War: LA Times

Recommended Resource: War: Four Christian Views by Robert G. Clouse.

//gotquestions.org

The letter to the church at Laodicea is the harshest of the seven letters to the churches in Asia Minor. By His indictment against their “deeds,” Jesus makes it clear that this is a dead church. That is not to say that there were no true believers there, only that the church as a whole was spiritually uncommitted. Jesus frequently equates deeds, or works, with a person’s true spiritual state. He said, “By their fruit you will recognize them” and “Every good tree bears good fruit” (Matthew 7:16-17). Clearly, the deeds of the Laodiceans were not in keeping with true salvation because the deeds of the true believer will be “hot,” reflecting the spiritual passion of a life transformed. Such are easily recognizable by the world. The lukewarm deeds, however—those done without joy, without love and without the fire of the Spirit—do more harm to the watching world than the deeds done by those who are completely cold to the things of God. The lukewarm are those who claim to know God but live as though He doesn’t exist. They may go to church, but their religion is self-righteous complacency. They may claim to be Christians, but their hearts are unchanged, and their hypocrisy is sickening to God.

The Lord rebukes and disciplines the true believers in the church of Laodicea, commanding them to repent. He sees their lukewarm attitudes as “shameful nakedness” that needs to be clothed in the white garments of true righteousness. He urges them to be earnest, or zealous, and commit themselves totally to Him, for He will reject their lukewarmness by spitting them out of His mouth. But our Lord is gracious and long-suffering. He will always receive to Himself even the most lukewarm Christian who comes to Him in repentance.

The Laodiceans enjoyed material prosperity that led them to a false sense of security and independence. The expression “I am rich, and have become wealthy” is a literary device that inverts the natural sequence for emphasis. Here it stresses that the wealth attained came though self-exertion. Spiritually, they had great needs. This self-sufficient attitude is a constant danger when Christians live lives of ease and enjoy prosperity.

More about Laodicea: http://www.allaboutarchaeology.org/ancient-laodicea-faq.htm

This topic was briefly discussed in: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/busko_91_bible_group/

One of the nicest things about the American people is that they are generous and friendly people, and because of this they are sometimes naive and overly trusting. They want to be friendly, so they open up to people and then they’re surprised when they get stabbed in the back. Many brave young soldiers have died in Iraq for this reason, but I think this is also a big part of the problem with the State Department and others in government who fail to understand the true nature of this enemy. (Georges Sada – Air Force General under Saddam Hussein – An Assyrian Christian)

Is Islam Militant or Peaceful?

Fox news aired a special called “Radical Islam: Terror in Its Own Words,” which revealed “the evil aims of radical Islam.” You can “YOUTUBE” that using keywords “Fox News Terror in Its Own Words”.

Radical Islam: Terror in its Own Words (Part I)

The documentary included shocking clips from Islamic television, showing clerics and political leaders openly advocating attacks on the United States and Israel. The documentary also included programs shown on Islamic TV in which young children sing of their desire to participate in violent jihad or to become suicide bombers. The program went on to show never-before-aired footage from a radical Islamic rally in California where the audience was told, “One day you will see the flag of Islam over the White House.”

In the face of such reports as these, one of the most baffling and unsettling puzzles about Islam is the constant contention on the part of some Muslim leaders that they are a peace-loving people. Yet even as they make the claim, Islamic terrorists continue to brutally murder any person or group with whom they find fault. In his foreword to Don Richardson’s book The Secrets of the Koran, former radical Shi’ite Muslim Reza F. Safa asked:

If Islam is a peaceful religion, then why did Mohammed engage in 47 battles? Why, in every campaign the Muslim armies have fought throughout history, have they slaughtered men, women and children who did not bow their knees to the lordship of Islam? The reign of terror of men such as Saddam, Khomeini, Ghadafi, Idi Amin and many other Muslim dictators are modern examples. If Islam is so peaceful, why are there so many verses in the Koran about killing the infidels and those who resist Islam? If Islam is peaceful, why isn’t there even one Muslim country that will allow freedom of religion and speech? Not one! If Islam is peaceful, who is imparting this awful violence to hundreds of Islamic groups throughout the world who kill innocent people in the name of Allah?

To get a handle on these two contradictory sides of Islam, it will help us delve briefly into the history of how the religion came to be and what beliefs it holds today.

The History of Islam

The name Islam literally means submission. A Muslim is “one who submits to God.” According to conservative estimates, there are about 1.5 billion Muslims in our world today. Approximately 1.4 million live in the United States. While we usually associate Islam with the Middle East, the largest Muslim populations are actually in Asia.

According to Islamic tradition, the founder of Islam, Mohammad, was born in Mecca (in present-day Saudi Arabia) in AD 570. Mecca was a thriving center of religious pilgrimage, filled with numerous temples and statues dedicated to the many gods the Arabian people worshiped at the time.

Mohammad’s father died before the prophet was born, and his mother died when he was six years old. He was raised by his paternal grandfather, grew up to become a camel driver and then a merchant, and at the age of twenty-six, married a wealthy caravan owner named Khadija. Khadija was forty years old and had been divorced four times. In spite of her age, she and Mohammad had six children together.

Mohammad worked in professions that brought him into contact with a number of Christians and Jews who caused him to question the religion of his own people. He was forty years old and meditating in a cave outside of Mecca when he received his first revelation. From that moment on, according to his own testimony, God occasionally revealed messages to him, which he declared to the people. These messages, which Muhammad received throughout his life, form the verses of the Qu’ran, which Muslims regard as the divine word of God.

In the seventh-century Arabian world of Mohammad, the people worshiped more than 360 different gods, one for each day of the lunar year. One of these was the moon god, the male counterpart to the female sun god. The moon god was called by various names, one of which was Allah, and it was the favorite god of Mohammad’s family. As Dr. Robert Morey explains, “The literal Arabic name of Muhammad’s father was Abd-Allah. His uncle’s name was literally Obied-Allah. These names… reveal the personal devotion that Muhammad’s pagan family had to the worship of Allah, the moon god.”

As Mohammad began to promote his new religion, it was only natural that he would choose to elevate the moon god, Allah, and declare him to be the one true God. His devotion to Allah was single-minded and fierce, and in establishing and spreading his religion of Islam, Mohammad slaughtered thousands of people who resisted conversion. Abd El Schafi, an expert on ancient Muslim scholarship, informs us:  ”One of Muhammad’s popular claims is that God commanded him to fight people until they became Muslims . . . All Muslim scholars without exception agree on this.”

Opposition in Mecca forced Mohammad and his followers to flee to Medina in AD 620, where he became the head of the first Muslim community. In AD 631 he returned to Mecca, where he died the following year. At his death, the Islamic community became bitterly divided over the question of who would be Mohammad’s successor. Even today that division survives in the two Islamic sects, now known as Shi’ite and Sunni. Conflict between these sects is one of the major stress points in Iraq and throughout the Islamic world.

At the death of Mohammad, the group we know as the Sunni followed the leadership of Abu Bakr, Mohammad’s personally chosen successor. The Sunni now comprise about 90 percent of the Islamic world. They believe that Muhammad’s spiritual gifts died with him and that their only authority today is the Qu’ran. The Baath party of Saddam Hussein was part of the Sunni sect.

The Shi’ites maintained that Mohammad passed on a legacy of personal authority in addition to the Qu’ran, called the Hadith, as author Winfried Corduan explains:

The Shi’ites, on the other hand, identified with Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali, whom they saw as possessing a spiritual endowment directly from the prophet. The Shi’ites believe that their leaders, the imams, have authority on par with the Qu’ran. It is the Shi’ites that believe that the Twelfth Imam went into concealment hundreds of years ago and continues to live there until he returns as the Mahdi…the Muslim Messiah!

When Abu Bakr succeeded Mohammad, he and his successors launched jihads (or holy wars0 that spread the religion of Islam from northern Spain to India and threatened Christian Europe. Christians resisted the threat, and a series of wars followed that drove the Islamic invaders back into the Middle Eastern countries, where they still dominate. Their zeal to have their religion dominate the world has not diminished, however, and it remains a threat to all who do not maintain vigilance.

To be continued…

Let’s analyze a “basic” chronological order. This is just a modern analysis but my research tells me that the reformation of the collapsed Roman Empire dates back as early as 800 AD (Charlemagne’s time).

1930 – French statesman Aristide Briand is one of the first who proposed what he first called “the United States of Europe”. In his proposal he said, “The nations of Europe today must unite in order to live and prosper.”  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristide_Briand

1946 – Winston Churchill forcefully asserted that “the tragedy of Europe” could only be solved if the issues of ancient nationalism and sovereignty could give way to a sense of European “national grouping.” He said that the path to European peace and prosperity on the world stage was clear: “We must build a United States of Europe.”

1951 – Three nations signed the Treaty of Paris with three additional nations, Germany, France, and Italy, forming a common market for coal and steel in an environment of peace and equality.

1957 – Treaty of Rome was signed on Capitoline Hill, one of the famous Seven Hills of Rome. On this occasion, Italy, France, and Germany joined the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Belgium, creating the European Economic Community – the Common Market.

1973 – the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark joined the EEC, and Greece was added in 1981, making it a ten-nation confederation.

1986 – Spain and Portugal came into the union, and the agenda expanded beyond economics when the EEC officially adopted the goal of a politically unified Europe.

1987 – the Single European Act was implemented. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Germany was reunified, and East Germany was integrated into the membership.

1992 – the economic borders between the nations of the European community were removed, and a common passport was issued to travelers. Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the union in 1995.

2002 – eighty billion coins were produced for use in the twelve participating nations of the Eurozone, thus introducing the new monetary unit, the Euro. As we learned in the previous article, the Iranians have recently refused to accept the American dollar as payment for oil, requiring payment to be made in Euro.

2004 – Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia were added, bringing the total to 25 nations.

2007 – Romania and Bulgaria were admitted to the EU, bringing the total number of nations to 27.

While Israel was part of the original Roman Empire territory, it is not currently a part of the European Union. The EU considers Israel ineligible for membership due to human rights violations, based on its occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and East Jerusalem. It has been proposed, however, that if Israel would sign a peace treaty with its hostile neighbors, it would be offered membership in the EU.

Gradually yet steadily, the nations of Europe have come together, creating a modern replica of the ancient Roman Empire. Europe is more integrated today than at any time since the days of ancient Rome. The “United States of Europe” is considered by many to be the second most powerful political force in our world.

Now I’m not going into details about how the consolidation of the European Government is organized but for those who are interested in its governance, here’s a Wiki link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_union#Governance

From this brief study of Daniel’s prophecy of ancient Rome and modern Rome, we can begin to understand the meaning of what is going on in the world today. Three things in particular emerge from our study that should increase our vigilance.

1. The Consolidation of World Power

Since the time of the Roman Empire, there has been no nation or empire with the power to govern or dominate the known world. But it is coming. In the future, there will be a short period of time when the world will be unified under one dominant leader.

We saw in Daniel’s second vision that the fourth beast had tern horns growing from its head. We need not wonder at the meaning of the beast and the ten horns, for the meaning of Daniel’s dream was given directly to him:

“The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall . . . devour the whole earth, trample it and break it in pieces. The ten horns are ten kings who shall arise from this kingdom” (Daniel 7:23-24)

The fourth beast represents the fourth successive kingdom after Babylon, which history identifies as the Roman Empire. But since Rome was never ruled simultaneously by ten kings, we know that those kings are yet to arrive on the stage of world history to rule a newly formed empire that overlays the territory of the ancient Roman Empire. Today the concentration of power in the European Union signals the beginning of this new world order.

2. The Coming of One World Leader

According to Daniel, a supreme leader will rise from among the ten-leader confederacy in EU.

“And another shall rise after them; he shall be different from the first ones, and shall subdue three kings. He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” (Daniel 7:24-25).

This leader will emerge from the group of ten to take control of the new European Union. He will become the final world dictator. We know him as the Antichrist, and I will have more to say about him at a later article. But the point we must not miss is this: the new European Union is one of the conditional preludes to the coming of the Antichrist.

Paul-Henri Spaak, 1^st president of the UN General Assembly, 1^st president of the European Parliament, and onetime secretary general of NATO, is credited with making this stunning statement:

“We do not need another committee. We have too many already. What we want is a man of sufficient stature to hold the allegiance of all people, and to lift us out of the economic morass into which we are sinking. Send us such a man and be he god or devil, we will receive him.”

3. The Condition for the Treaty with Israel

In the ninth chapter of Daniel’s prophecy, he tells us of a treaty that will be signed between his people and the world leader who will head the realigned Roman Empire:

“Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the middle of the week he shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering” (Daniel 9:27)

Daniel tells us here that Israel will sign a treaty with the Antichrist, and that this treaty will be forged to last for a “week”, literally in prophetic language, “week of years”, or seven years.  This treaty will be an attempt to settle the Arab-Israeli controversy that today focuses the world’s attention on the Middle East. After three and one-half years, that treaty will be broken, and the countdown to Armageddon will begin.

Conclusion

Brothers, I am not saying here that we are closer to the end times as we think. However, a peace agreement in Israel has long been pursued for more than I can recall. But the situation right now looks as if it must happen.

• The Obama administration has been pushing a peace agreement aggressively. (As of April 15, 2010 – http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/15/world/middleeast/15mideast.html)
• If you Google EU-Israeli Treaty or agreements, you will come to realize it’s an ongoing process.

I pray that as you read these articles and you read the prophetic clues of the Bible, God will reveal to you what needs to be revealed to you.

Amen

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness – 1 John 1:9.

That is one of the first verses many new Christians memorize–and rightly so. It holds forth the comforting promise of forgiveness and cleansing for all of us who have struggled with guilt in this sin-stained world. Yet there are some today who, because they fail to comprehend the extent of divine forgiveness, deny the clear teaching of 1 John 1:9 and teach other to do the same. They say that to pray for forgiveness reveals unbelief. After all, a healthy Christian doesn’t experience guilt because he understands Christ’s total forgiveness. Why seek forgiveness when you already have it?

However, their guilt-free brand of Christianity not only burdens guilty people with more guilt, but also strips away the only means to alleviate the guilt of sin–confession. Rather than helping Christians draw near to God, they are reinforcing the barrier of sin that interrupts their relationship with God. But that’s not the end of the story.

The Bible clearly teaches that Christians should seek forgiveness.
Consider this:

• · In each one of the penitential psalms (Pss. 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143), the psalmist is demonstrating the heart of a justified believer when he seeks forgiveness. In each case the psalmist is already a believer, fully forgiven.
  · In the gospels, Christ taught believers to ask the Father to forgive their sins (Matt. 6:12; Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4). Some of those to whom He spoke were already born again.
  · In 1 John 1, the verb tenses show that confession and forgiveness should be a continuous experience. Verse 7 literally reads, “The blood of Jesus His Son keeps cleansingus from all sin,” and verse 9 likewise says, “If we are continually confessing our sins.” Those to whom John wrote were already fully forgiven believers (cf. 5:13).

But the question remains: Why are you supposed to seek God’s forgiveness if He has already justified you? If justification takes care of sin past, present, and future, so there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1), why pray for forgiveness? Aren’t you praying for something that is already yours?

The answer is that divine forgiveness has two aspects. One is the judicial forgiveness God grants as Judge. It’s the forgiveness God purchased for you by Christ’s atonement for your sin. That kind of forgiveness frees you from any threat of eternal condemnation. It is the forgiveness of justification. Such pardon is immediately complete–you’ll never need to seek it again.

The other is a parental forgiveness God grants as your Father. He is grieved when His children sin. The forgiveness of justification takes care of judicial guilt, but it does not nullify His fatherly displeasure over your sin. He chastens those whom He loves, for their good (Heb. 12:5-11).

Let me show you the difference:

• · Judicial forgiveness deals with sin’s penalty–parental forgiveness deals with sin’s consequences.
  · Judicial forgiveness frees us from the condemnation of the righteous, omniscient Judge whom we have wronged–parental forgiveness sets things right with a grieving and displeased but loving Father.
  · Judicial forgiveness provides an unshakeable standing before the throne of divine judgment–parental forgiveness deals with the state of our sanctification at any given moment and is dispensed from a throne of divine grace.
  So the forgiveness Christians are supposed to seek in their daily walk is not pardon from an angry Judge, but mercy from a grieved Father.

Some object to the idea that God could ever be displeased with His own children. They ask: Can our once-and-for-all forgiven sins ever provoke divine displeasure? The answer is a resounding “Yes.” In fact, it is because of God’s righteous displeasure over your sin that He refuses to leave you the way you are–sinful.

In a very practical sense, God’s indignation over your daily sins demonstrates His love for you. That’s the thought of Hebrews 12:5-11 where some form of the word discipline is used seven times. Divine displeasure over your sin brings discipline, reproof, and scourging. That’s a good thing, not only because it helps rid your life of sin, but it also shows His love for you and confirms your relationship to Him–”those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives” (v. 6).

God’s discipline–sometimes involving punishment for disobedience–is painful; no one will argue with that. But you must remember: He is causing you to share in His holiness (v. 10); He is training you (v. 11); He is producing in you the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (v. 11). So when you have sinned, humble yourself, confess your sin, and submit to His loving discipline.

Remorse over sin, daily confession, and a continual attitude of repentance are marks of a healthy Christian life. What’s the benefit? Look again at 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (italics added). Forgiveness and cleansing–those promises are as refreshing to the sinner as a cold drink of water to a thirsty man.

David testified to the power of confession in Psalm 32: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer… I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my sin to the Lord”; and You forgave the guilt of my sin” (vv. 4-5). The guilt of David’s sin affected him physically–he found relief only through full confession.

We’ve already discussed the difference between judicial and parental forgiveness–the latter is in view in 1 John 1:9. It is a subjective, relational kind of forgiveness. It is the restoration to a place of blessing in the eyes of a displeased father. Similarly, the cleansing of 1 John 1:9 doesn’t refer to regeneration. Rather, it is a spiritual washing to rid you of the defilement caused by sin in your daily walk. The verse is speaking of an ongoing pardon and purification from sin, not the cleansing and forgiveness of salvation.

The pardon of justification and the washing of regeneration do not eliminate the need for you to deal with the subjective reality of sin in your life. If you entertain such an idea, you will either be consumed by your guilt or you will steel yourself against the pangs of your conscience–either reaction will separate you from a loving Father.

Instead, keep confessing your sins; seek God’s forgiveness and cleansing daily. As the verse says, He is faithful to Himself to forgive your sins and He is just, having already made full atonement for your sins through the sacrifice of His beloved Son. When you confess your sins, you are restored by a loving Father who delights to shower the brokenhearted and repentant with His mercy and compassion.

King Nezzy was one of the greatest ruler of Babylon that ever lived in the middle-east some 605BC to 562BC. According to written accounts, both biblical and non-biblical, he conquered Judah and Jerusalem and sent the Jews into exile, and transported the treasures of Solomon’s palace to Babylon. At that time, Daniel – a teenager from an upper-class family in Jerusalem was deported to Babylon to serve as trainee in King Nezzy’s court; he was later an advisor to foreign kings. This deportation of royal descendants from Jerusalem had been prophesied by Isaiah to Hezekiah (Isaiah 39:7).

If you read the book of Daniel in the Bible, we will learn that Daniel was truly a man of God, ultimately used by God for His purpose and as proof, protected him from being devoured by the lions. You will also learn that the God of Israel, the only God, is in control of the destiny of “ALL” nations. Daniel’s importance as a prophet was also confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 24:15. Daniel means “God Is My Judge.” His unshakable faith to Yahweh and his loyalty to God’s people strongly affirmed the “TRUTH” in his life.

28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in days to come. Your dream and the visions that passed through your mind as you lay on your bed are these:

29 “As you were lying there, O king, your mind turned to things to come, and the revealer of mysteries showed you what is going to happen. 30 As for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because I have greater wisdom than other living men, but so that you, O king, may know the interpretation and that you may understand what went through your mind.

31 “You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue—an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance. 32 The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. (Daniel 2:28-33)

The Four World Empires

Through Daniel, God gave King Nezzy a history of the remaining days of the world. We know this because Daniel specifically said “days to come” and “things to come” (Daniel 2:28,29 NIV). Daniel revealed the meaning of the dream of the statue in five sections: the head of gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of copper and brass, the legs of iron, and the feet – part iron, part clay.

The first world powerful empire, (represented by head of gold), was King Nezzy’s own kingdom of Babylon 600 BC. Daniel’s words to King Nezzy are clear (See Daniel 2:37-38). King Nezzy never doubted that the head of gold is referred to his kingdom since the chief deity of Babylon was “Marduk”, known as “the god of gold”. The historian Herodotus described the image of Marduk as a dazzling sight – a golden statue seated upon a golden throne before a golden table and a golden altar.

The second world empire in King Nezzy’s dream was represented by the image’s chest of silver, from which two silver arms emerge (Daniel 2:32). This is the Medo-Persian Empire that conquered Babylon in 539 BC and remained in power for approximately 200 years. We don’t need to doubt this because later, when Daniel reported the events surrounding the end of the  Babylonian empire, he clearly stated that it would be the dual monarchy of the Medes and the Persians that would take control of King Nezzy’s empire (see Daniel 5:28 and 8:20).

The third world empire revealed within the image is represented by its belly and thighs of bronze. “Kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth” (Daniel 2:39). The bronze Kingdom belongs to ancient Greece, the kingdom of Phillip of Macedon and his famous son, Alexander the Great! Not only does history confirm Greece as the empire that crushed the Medo-Persians, but Daniel himself affirmed it by naming Greece specifically in Daniel 8:21. Under Alexander, the Greek empire conquered more territory than Babylon and Medo-Persians. With soldiers armored in bronze and brass helmets, breast-plates, shields and swords, they have subdued virtually all of the known world.

The fourth empire displayed in the image is symbolized by its legs of iron. Daniel describes this empire as “strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others” (Daniel 2:40). History shows us clearly that Rome is the fourth kingdom. Not only was Rome the successor to the Greek empire, but the iron legs of the image provide a powerful symbol that characterizes the nature of the Romans. The word “iron” is used fourteen times in the text describing Rome in Daniel chapter 2. Historians often use “iron” as an adjective when characterizing the Roman Empire: Rome’s iron hand, Rome’s iron grip, Rome’s iron rule, Rome’s iron fist, Rome’s iron legions.

The Roman Empire

History confirms the progression of Daniel’s explanation of King Nezzy’s dream.  The Babylonians were overthrown by Medo-Persians; the Medo-Persians were conquered by the Greeks; and when Alexander’s empire and territories was conquered by Rome, all of the lands and people of the previous kingdoms were assimilated into one kingdom known as the Roman Empire. This empire came into existence fifty years before Jesus was born, and it continued to power throughout the Lord’s earthly ministry and beyond. It was Roman rule that put Jesus on the cross. It was the imperialistic Romans who ruled ruthlessly throughout the world during the early days of church.

By AD 395 the Roman Empire had split into two political areas of rule: the [Latin-speaking] West with its capital in Rome, and the [Greek-speaking] East with its capital in Constantinople (modern Istanbul, Turkey), which included the land of Israel. This division of the empire is depicted in the statue’s two legs. But this splitting of the mighty Roman Empire into two political units was not to be the last division that kingdom would suffer as Daniel explained to King Nezzy, when he turned his attention to the statue’s feet and toes. He noted that in the king’s dream, the feet and toes were composed of a mixture of iron and clay. Though positioned at the bottom of the image, these extremities are apparently highly important, for Daniel said as much about the feet and toes as he had said about all the other parts of the image combined! (see Daniel 2:41-43)

According to Daniel, there is to be yet another division in the Roman Empire. Not a division of two, as indicated by the image’s two legs, but of ten, as symbolized by its ten toes. Daniel foretells a time when the Roman Empire will consist of ten kingdoms or leaders. Since the downward movement from one section of the statue to the next represents the passage of time, the “feet and toes” stage must follow the “legs” stage.  But when we look back at the history that followed Daniel’s prophecy, we find nothing in history that even remotely corresponds to a tenfold Roman coalition. That shows us that this fifth and final feet-and-toes-stage kingdom is yet to come and is yet to perform its prescribed role in human history, though it may be possible it is forming right now at our very eyes.

King Nezzy’s Dream Image

In the next issue, we will talk more about the modern Rome we can call EU. We all know that the Roman Empire was never really defeated but rather faded into smaller territories because of political division. Are they forming back to a new Roman empire? If so, who will be its new King? Are we safe to assume that perhaps the anti-christ or false prophet would emerge from this reunion?

Speeding up your startup

Although Windows 7 boots up faster compared to previous versions of Windows it would still slow down as you install more softwares as they require Windows to run them on startup. Well I found this piece of software called Startup Delayer (http://www.r2.com.au/software.php?page=2&show=startdelay) and it is a freebie.  What it does is to tell the the programs you selected to sit tight, be patient and run a little bit later after some traffic has cleared. This software is one of the best ways that I found out there to speed up a slow booting computer, even one that runs on Windows 7.

Make your PC more secure

Although Windows 7 is equipped with some solid security tools, including a firewall and anti-spyware Windows Defender, there is still a need to have a good antivirus program.  Enter Microsoft’s Security Essentials. It provides real-time protection against malware and it doesn’t hog system resources.  PCWorld compared it to other free anti-virus utilities and they said it holds its own.  It is a fine alternative to paying an annual fee for virus protection.

As far as I know, Microsoft requires a genuine copy of Windows to be able to download the application.

Work faster

Here are some keyboard shortcuts I found useful over the years.

Toggle between applications: Press <Alt> <Tab> to switch between programs without the use of a mouse. One of the best time savers.

Navigate application windows: Use <Ctrl> <Tab> to cycle through an application’s window or through a web browser’s tab. An underrated cousin of the shortcut above.

Line up windows: Although Windows 7 made it easier to line up to windows by just simply dragging an open window left or right and let go, that is not the case with older version of Windows.  Hold down <Ctrl> and click on the desired windows in the taskbar, then right-click on the task bar and choose Tile Vertically.

Create application shortcuts: Right-click on any application icon, select Properties and click the Shortcut tab. Specify a combination keystroke to start an application.

Malapit na ang summer. Balita ko ay napakainit na raw diyan sa Pilipinas at may krisis ng tubig. Pagdasal natin na sana ay madagdagan ang tubig diyan sa atin. Kung papaano gagawin ni Lord yun eh hindi ko alam. Everything is possible naman sa Kanya. Magpatuloy na lang tayong magdasal at magtiwala tayo.

HAROLD’S DAUGHTER

Napadala ko na ‘yung pera na nakolekta para sa anak ni Harold. Umabot din na $410. Baka madagdagan pa dahil mag papahabol pa raw si Kookie. Sana, kahit sa maliit na paraan, ay makatulong hetong konting tulong ng grupo para sa anak ni Harold.

Salamat sa lahat ng nagbigay. Huwag sana kayong magsasawa.’

EARTHQUAKE

Nung January ay may malaking earthquake na naganap sa Haiti. Kahapon (February 26) ay sa Japan naman. Kanina ay may mas malaking earthquake sa Chile. Nagbabala ng tsunami warning para sa ibang bansa lalong lalo na sa Hawaii. Sa kasalukuyan, habang sinusulat ko ito, wala pa sa Hawaii ang tsunami. Mga tatlong oras pa bago ito mag hit. Nawa’y hindi ito magbigay pinsala sa ating mga kapatid na nasa Hawaii, lalong lalo na kay pareng Joy Sol.

Napapadalas ang lindol. Wala akong alam sa mga ganitong bagay pero natural lang sigurong isipin na pag may gumalaw sa ilalim ng lupa sa isang lugar, merong pang ibang lugar na maapektuhan. Sana wala nang mangyaring ganitong sakuna. Sana di na madagdagan ang sakunang ito. Pero, para na rin maiwasan ang mas malaking sakuna, maging handa sana tayo. Turuan natin an gating mga mahal sa buhay, lalo na ang mga bata, ng tamang gagawin kung sakaling magkalindol.

Bukod sa lahat, magdasal tayo na bantayan tayo ng Diyos sa mga ganitong pangyayari.  Yun lang naman talaga ang makakatulong sa’tin.

SUMMER

May nag suggest sa’kin dati na baka gusto raw ng grupo na mag outing hetong darating na summer. Magandang idea ito para lalong maging close ang tropa. Hindi lang ito pang tropa kundi para na rin sa mga pamilya ng tropa. Hindi naman kelangan na beach or resort. Puwede rin namang picnic or barbeque sa isang lugar. Pampamilya kumbaga.

Kakausapin ko ang ilang tao at baka puwedeng sila ang mag asikaso. Kung sakaling matuloy, sana ay madami ang makarating lalo na dun sa mga bihirang makapunta dahil sa madaming inaasikaso.

Ingat kayong lahat. God bless and enjoy reading the newsletter.

Did you catch that? Let me reword it simpler. Conserve!

Our dependence on foreign oil has become a major concern – especially since the oil lies under the control of nations we have tensions or hostile relationships with. Paul Roberts addressed this concern in his book, The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World. Perhaps the greatest casualty of the Iraq war may be the very idea of energy security:

But with the continuing fiasco in Iraq, it is now clear that even the most powerful military entity in world history cannot stabilize a country at will or “make it” produce oil simply by sending in soldiers and tanks. In other words, since the Iraqi invasion, the oil market now understands that the United States cannot guarantee the security of oil supplies – for itself or for anyone else. That new and chilling knowledge, as much as anything else, explains the high price of oil.

According to Roberts, our ability to protect our foreign oil inflow is limited at best. Even if we commit to use brutal military force, as the Carter doctrine says we are ready to do, we cannot ensure an endless supply of oil from hostile countries.

Is There Any Oil in Israel?

It will help, of course. But that depends on how much oil Israel can supply. Former prime minister Golda Meir jokingly said “Let me tell you something we Israelis have against Moses. He took us forty years into the desert in order to bring us to the one place in the Middle East that has no oil”.

Going back to the bible, prophet Ezekiel (36:11) prophesied a time when God will prosper Israel more than its early beginnings.  How could Israel ever be more prosperous than the days of King Solomon? According to the bible, during his reign, Israel’s wealth was the wonder and envy of the known ancient world. Yet according to the prophet Ezekiel, God is telling Israel that at some time in the future, she will be wealthier than before.

In an internet article WorldNet Daily:

Aaron Klein asked this question: “Is Israel sitting on an enormous oil reserve mapped out in the Old Testament that when found will immediately change the geopolitical structure of the Middle East and confirm the validity of the Bible to people around the world?”

John Brown, an evangelical Christian and founder and chairman of Zion Oil and Gas, believes that there is indeed oil in Israel. He is certain that several biblical passages indicate where rich deposits might be found. He cites two passages “Let Asher be blessed . . . and let him dip his foot in oil” (Deuteronomy 33:24 KJV). “Joseph is . . . a fruitful bough by a well . . . Blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath . . . shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head.” (Genesis 49:22-26 NKJV).

Brown’s explanation of why these passages indicate the presence of oil is fascinating. He says that maps of the territory allotted to the twelve tribes when they entered Palestine show that the shape of Asher’s area resembles a giant foot. That foot is “dipped” into the top, or “crown” area belonging to the land given to the tribe of Joseph’s son Manasseh. “The oil is there,” Brown asserts, “where Joseph’s head is met by Asher’s foot.” And Brown is willing to put his money where his mouth is. According to the article, in 2007, his company was granted two extended licenses for approximately 162,100 acres that include the Joseph and Asher-Manasseh areas, which Brown believes contain oil.

In spite of the tantalizing possibilities of oil in Israel, it has not yet been found. This means we must continue to deal with reality, that the oil we use is hostile. So how does the oil situation affect our future?

The Emergence of Prophetic Alliances

The book of Ezekiel foretold a time when Russia would attack Israel. In detailing how the military aggression would take place; the prophet listed a coalition of some of the nations that would join with Russia in the attack.

I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them, all of them with shield and helmet” (38:4-5)

Now we all know from history that until 1935, Persia was the official name of the country we now call IRAN. Now we all know from the news that IRAN is now enriching Uranium to weapons grade. But not once in the past twenty-five hundred years has Russia formed a solid military connection with Persia/Iran, not up until now.

These two nations have formed a military alliance that continues to be strengthened by the political situation in our world. In fact, Russia recently signed a billion-dollar deal to sell missiles and other weaponry to Iran (and this was no secret).  Joel C. Rosenberg, former aid to Israeli prime minister  Benjamin Netanyahu, points out: “Over 1000 Iranian nuclear scientists have been trained in Russia by senior Russian scientists.”

Here is an end-time alliance that was prophesied twenty-five hundred years ago by a prophet, and the last five years has become a reality. Obviously, the stage is being set.

The Emergence of Petroleum Alliances

The issue of oil becomes more and more critical with each passing year, for Western democracies in general, and for Israel in particular. What we are seeing is a confluence of several negative factors and processes in the region. . . A huge percentage of the world’s oil reserves . . . is found in the possession of powers not friendly to the West or to Israel. (Omer Selah – Israel Fuel Authority)

It’s funny, the wealth of these few oil-producing nations is growing at such an exponential rate that they are “struggling” to find ways to invest their money. Have you ever had a time when you become undecided where to spend your money? Are you going to put them in stocks? Start a new business venture? Save them in banks to earn interest?  How about finance a secret military? Yes?

Muslims consider this kind of wealth to be a gigantic weapon with the blessing of Allah. As author Don Richardson puts it:

“Muslim strategists ask their followers, why do we find in these modern times that Allah has entrusted most of the world’s oil wealth primarily to Muslim nations? Their answer: Allah foresaw Islam’s need for funds to finance a final politico-religious victory over what Islam perceives as its ultimate enemy: Christianized Euro-American civilization.”

Another New York Times article headlines in the spring of 2002, “Iranian Urges Muslims to Use Oil as a Weapon.” In this article, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is quoted as having said:

The oil belongs to the people and can be used as a weapon against the West and those who support the savage regime of Israel . . . If Islamic and Arab countries . . . for only one month suspend the export of oil to Israel and its supporter, the world would be shaken.

Do you remember those emails that spread around telling us to boycott one type of Gas (say Mobil) for one day or one month so that the price could drop? Well, it has a Muslim origin.

By now, it should be clear to us that America’s ride on the crest of wealth and power faces unprecedented threats from newly rich, newly united Middle Eastern countries that have no love for us. Many of them would love to see us reduced to the ashes.

So What Are We to Do?

We wait. Jesus told His disciples that just as you can tell that summer is near when the fig tree puts forth leaves, you can also tell that the Son of Man is returning by recognizing the signs given by the prophets (Matthew 24:32). So we wait. There’s nothing we can do to hasten His coming. No man knows exactly when the Lord will return (Matthew 24:36), but by the signs we can discern the season of His coming.

Keep on working. Jesus said “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (John 9:4). So the key in pleasing the Lord in these last days is to continue your work diligently at what God has called you to do. So know what you are called to do!

Keep on watching. Southern evangelist Vance Havner gives us the real key to keeping to our task and finding joy in the face of impending doom:

“We are not just looking for something to happen, we are looking for Someone to come! And when these things begin to come to pass, we are not to drop our heads in discouragement, or shake our heads in despair, but we are to lift our hearts in delight”.

2/11/2010 6pm Los Angeles, CA