Heaven Bound

Hawaii State Quarter

Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Aina i ka Pono – the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness

Adopted as the state motto in 1959, these wise words  “the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”  date back to King Kamehameha III in a speech given at Kawaiahao Church in Honolulu   following the return of the kingdom to the Hawaiians from the British in 1843.

“Pono”  is a great word.  It’s one of those words which just by saying it, everyone knows what you mean.  PONO  –  “that which is right, to act rightly or in righteousness, with honor, morality, justice, virtue, goodness.”   And by virtue of these things, things are kept in balance, thus, “the life of the land is perpetuated in righteoussness” –  in other words, without righteousness the life of the land cannot be sustained.

I bring this up today because of  recent decisions by the elected officials of this great and beautiful state.  As a transplant from Colorado over ten years ago, I have come to love the people and the state deeply and the issues that face the state have become near and dear to me. For myself and many others, the beauty of the islands, its history and the spirit of the people here is something special and unique; almost tangible.  Truly God has poured out his blessing on these islands. Centered at the crossroads of the Pacific, Hawaii by God’s design, has become strategically and spiritually important not only to the peoples of  this great state, but, to the peoples of the entire Pacific rim.

It’s thought that the first immigrants to the islands arrived by canoe from the Marquesas in the southern Pacific in approximately 400 AD.  With a religious system that centered on nature and idol worship, human sacrifice, fear and bondage, the islands of Hawaii would remain in spiritual darkness until the arrival of the first Christian missionaries from England on the ship Thaddeus on April 4, 1820.   It was by the arrival of fourteen men and women (seven couples) that God would begin to re-shape the people and culture of the island bringing an end to the Kapu system of worship by the love and message of Jesus Christ. 

 The faith and devotion of these early Christians is still visible today in the heritage they left and in the words on the stones that mark some of their graves  in the small cemetary behind Kawaiahao church and next to the Mission Houses Museum in Honolulu.  *For those of you who might find it of interest, you can read through a compilation of these markers, many of which contain scripture and interesting information regarding the people who are buried there at this website –  http://files.usgwarchives.net/hi/honolulu/cemeteries/mission.txt

This past week, the Hawaii State Senate became the first in the nation to abolish prayer before the opening of its legislative sessions.  I guess in their collective wisdom, Hawaii is no longer in need of God’s blessing or guidance. A decision which is in my opinion is decidedly not pono.  And, who also (the State Senate)  moved recently to push  forward a bill to approve civil unions in the state of Hawaii overturning the will of the people, who when put to a vote, overwhelmingly voted in favor of traditional marriage and family.  Another act, which in my opinion was decidedly not pono.

According to wikipedia, the name Thaddeus means “braveheart” – an appropriate name for the vessel which first brought the good news of Jesus Christ to the islands via fourteen brave men and women who sacrificed everything to bring hope and light to a people walking in darkness in the uttermost parts of the earth.  And, for all the supposed good intentions of the current elected officials of this great state, what they have done in reality is betrayed the trust and heritage of the people of the islands they represent by failing to keep the state motto; by failing to act in righteousness – to act pono.

There is a verse in Revelation which states that in the last days all the islands will be removed from their places (Revelation 6:14).  Might the decision of Hawaii’s leadership at this crucial juncture in history contribute to this mighty judgment from God?  I don’t know – but, what I do know is this – with a braveheart God is calling all of us, wherever we live, to live pono – to live and act in righteoussness, to be holy as He is holy and to be salt and light in a world that is becoming increasingly dark.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love thee”  Psalm 122:6      Waiting and watching with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!    Cindy

“As fish are caught in a cruel net or birds are taken in a snare, so men are trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly on them”.  Ecclesiastes 9:12

How many of you saw the controversy this week over the new MTV program “Skins“?  Formatted after the hugely popular British series of the same name, Skins is a reality program which push the boundaries (as if there were any left) for American audiences in its depiction of underage teens, sex and drugs.  Couple that story with the one this week of the teacher who allowed in his or her classroom sex acts between second graders and it isn’t hard to see that our society has reached a new low in what can only be labeled as pedophilia.  And while, there has been an outcry against the teacher (as there should be) a whopping 3.3 million viewers tuned in to Skins during its last episode – 1.8 million of which were under 18!  And due to the enormous amount of  publicity the show received this past week, ratings are expected to go even higher!  

I was reading  Psalm 78 this morning and was struck by the words from verse 18 –

“they willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved”.  

I found this very interesting as it seemed to tie in with some of the things I had been thinking about recently.  Without a doubt,  we live in a culture with an insatiable appetite for sex – young sex.  As magazine after magazine at the Supermarket check-out would testify, we idolize the young and beautiful and can’t seem to get enough of  their sex, drug filled lives.  Hungrily, we devour each tidbit of information fed to us by the media filling us up with the food we crave.

In Psalm 78, the Israelites after being delivered from Egypt began to murmur against God. Instead of an attitude of gratefulness and humility, they developed a spirit of rebellion and began to forget all that God had done for them; failing in God’s explicit instruction for teaching their children the precepts of God. 

“I will open my mouth in parables. I will utter hidden things  – things from old – what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, we will tell the next generation, the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power and the wonders he has done.  He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our forefathers to teach to their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children not yet born and they in turn would tell their children, then they would put their trust in God …”

 As I recount these verses, I have to ask myself – have we done this?  Have we been faithful in teaching the next generation about God; about Jesus?  And, by virtue of the incredible  decay of our culture over the past few years; the sad answer to that question would be a resounding no.  Instead of craving the things of God in order that we might pass them on to our children,  we have craved and demanded the satisfaction of our own appetites and our own flesh.

 I believe the world-wide attention garnered by the recent death of fish and birds across the globe were given as a warning – a warning to an increasingly wicked and rebellious world of a snare which has been set for them and in which they unwittingly will be caught.  But, I also see this warning as not just a warning for them, but, also for us.

 Psalm 91  – escaping the fowlers snare.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Surely, he will save you from the fowlers snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge, his faithfulness will be your shield and your rampart”.

In these final days up to and until the rapture, it is comforting to have these words from Psalm 91.  And while God is faithful to keep his promise, we would do well to take before the Lord, the things we do and the things we crave – and repent and make changes where necessary.  It would be foolish to think that God’s protection is a given for God constantly calls us to a life of holiness and if that has not been our pursuit before now, it should be soon.

 As adults we are all stewards of God’s most precious commodity; his children. In our laziness and pursuit of self-interest, millions upon millions of children both born and unborn have been lost. The unborn to the abortion mills and the born to lives of dysfunction and abuse through the failure of those who should have been there to protect their security and their innocence.   Shame on a generation whose appetite for the things of the flesh has allowed for the devouring of its own precious young.  No wonder the God Molech laughs.

May God help us to see things for what they really are and repent while there is still time.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love thee”  Psalm 122:6   Waiting and watching with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!  Cindy

     Yin and Yang Symbol

Recognize this symbol?   With the growing popularity of Eastern religions in America more than likely you do.   This symbol according to Taoist tradition represents balance – balance in opposites such as light and dark, high and low, male and female;  opposites which according to eastern mysticism  balance each other out.  Each half containing a light and a dark dot which represent seed and the flowing together or mingling  of the two halves – as the light half contains a dark dot and the dark half contains a light dot  – important symbols representing the connectedness of the two.  

 On January 8, a terrible tragedy took place outside the entrance to a Safeway store in Tucson, Arizona.  Interestingly, the Yin and Yang symbol is a prominent part of the Safeway logo.  You’ve all seen it;  the large red S flanked on each side by the white Yin and Yang symbol.  (Sorry, I could not reproduce it for you here as it is a registered trademark).  But, symbols are important and the awful tragedy that unfolded in Tucson that day is chock full of them.

 Why symbols ?

I think of symbols as something like hieroglyphics – word pictures – which assist in the  interpretation and understanding of a story – especially the underlaying story.    Because we are in a spiritual battle, there is often more going on than is visible at the surface.    What we see may be just the tip of the  iceberg so to speak.  It was not the small piece of ice jutting up from the cold dark waters of the Atlantic that sunk the Titanic, but, the larger unseen chunk hidden below.  For this reason, symbols are important – the Bible is full of them and so, might I add are the plans of the enemy.  The enemy is boastful and likes to hide in plain sight – their agenda revealed in the symbols they use.  

 A man named Sam and a store called Safeway –

According to Wikipedia, the Safeway chain was started in 1912 by Sam Selig who came to California from Arizona in the year 1911 –  (a full hundred years before the Tucson tragedy).  Selig is a Jewish or Yiddish name which means “happy” or “blessed,” –  a name which is certainly appropriate as the  supermarket chain started by Mr. Selig has been blessed with phenomenal success.   In 1912,  Mr. Selig opened a single grocery story in Los Angeles at the corner of Pico and Figueroa Streets and by 1922 the chain had expanded to 71 stores and today numbers in the thousands with stores around the world.

Tragedy and houses made of clay –

On January 8, at the entrance to a Safeway store in an area near Tucson, Arizona called Casas Adobes,  22 year old Jared Lee Loughner deliberately shot and killed  6 people and wounded 12 others, one of which was  Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford who was severely wounded.   Casas Adobes is a Spanish name which means “House or houses of clay.”   Adobe as anyone who lives in the southwest know is clay mixed with sand and organic material such as straw, sticks and/or manure which is shaped in to bricks and then dried in the sun to be used for building material.   The store was also located at the corner of Ina and Oracle Streets.   An oracle which is by definition a prophet or person who divines the future and comes from the latin which  means  “to speak” – in otherwords, divination.  This tells me that this was no random act (in the spiritual sense) against vessels of clay. Loughner who was a practicing Satanist chose this site under the direction of fallen angels otherwise known as familiar spirits.

  the mingling of seed  and Genesis 6:1-4 

I’m not sure why Safeway adopted the Yin and Yang symbol as part of their logo, but, I find it interesting that this obviously occult symbol is coupled with their slogan “ingredients for life.”   An odd statement until you realize, that  groceries, i.e. crops, food all have to do with seed and the Yin and Yang symbol as I mentioned above, contain within them symbolism of seed.  The light and the dark each containing the seed of the other suggesting the mingling of two opposites –  in the spiritual realm this mingling has to do with heaven and earth.  A concept which goes back to Genesis  when the “sons of God married the daughters of men” and is found within the mystery religions as well as Masonry to this very day.  For excellent teaching on this click on these two links to videos by Pastor Mike Hoggard, one titled “The Mother of all Secrets” and the other titled, the Triple Helix”.   http://mikehoggard.com/video/the-mother-of-all-secrets/    http://mikehoggard.com/video/triple-helix/

famine and Revelation chapter 6: 1-5 –

I received this article from friend Steve Coerper of Steve Coerper Blog Talk Radio yesterday regarding the very real possibility of famine and food riots as early as this spring.  This story was also posted by him on Five Doves today, but, if you didn’t catch it there, you can check it out here.  http://www.eutimes.net/2011/01/obama-orders-military-to-prepare-for-spring-food-riots/  Which by the way, if you are not already catching Steve’s daily radio programs on prophecy and the news, you are missing out!

Why God chooses to reveal certain things in this manner, I’m not sure.  But, as pointed out by Pastor Mike in his video,” the mother of all secrets,”  it most likely has to do with God bringing to light everything that is hidden. 

“Fear not therefore, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.  Matthew 10:26

Mystery religions always operate in an air of secrecy with special rites and knowledge only for the initiated.   Beware of any religion, denomination or organization that holds anything in secret! 

the black horse of Revelation 6 – 

 This story out of Wisconsin today –  200 cattle found dead in the field.  Wow!  Two hundred!   At even a penny for pound, that’s a lot of beef!   http://www.examiner.com/equestrian-in-madison/200-dead-stockton-cows-deemed-no-threat-to-horses-or-humans   First birds and fish.  Will other animals of the food chain be next????   I wonder.  With the current devastation of crops around the world from extreme weather conditions,  it’s not hard to envision that the black horse of Revelation chapter 6 has begun to ride.

 Jan.  8  – the story within the story –

Date:  January 8, 2011  (Shevat 3 on the Jewish calendar, Shevat the 11th month of the Jewish religious year).  11  – the  number for discord, division, disorganization, disintegration.

Location:  A Safeway store in Casas Adobe, Arizona at the corner of Ina and Oracle.  A store which despite its name “safeway” is represented by the pagan Yin and Yang symbol.     

the Perpetrator –:  22 year old Jared Loughner.  Jared which means descendant, descent or “to fall”.  Jared was also the name of the father of Enoch (who was taken before the flood) and who lived 962 years.  The name Jared when you think of “descent” or “fall”  is eerily reminiscent of  Revelation 12:9 where rebellious  angels  (along with the dragon)  are cast out or  fall from heaven – their goal – to mingle with the seed of man in an effort  to corrupt God’s special creation;  mankind, who was created in God’s  image and whose spirit dwells within (for those who are believers in Y’shua) these jars of clay.  Jared Loughner by evidence of a makeshift shrine found in his backyard was also a Satanist, a symbol of his own personal  fall and rejection of God.  

the Victims: 

  Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford who survived and is making remarkable progress.   Gabrielle, a name which means “woman of God” or God is my strength”.

Christina Taylor Green.  The youngest victim of those slain.  The nine-year old girl born on Sept 11, 2001.  Christina which means “anointed, Christian”.   Green the color of spring, new life and by implication resurrection.  9 in the Bible the number of finality; judgment.

It’s also interesting to note that both the shooter and his most prominent victim Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford are Jewish.  Which reminds me that Israel in these last days will be viewed as both victim and perpetrator and in spite of this; will survive.  Young Christina reminds me of the young Church, the body of believers, the bride of Christ who will be taken from this life by either rapture or by death (martyrdom) yet remain “green – alive- viable” through the hope of the resurrection.

The story of these last days – played out in front of an ordinary supermarket whose slogan is: ingredients for life.  Jesus said, “I am the bread of life”  – in other words, he is the ingredient for life.  He  is the one and only “safeway”.    Aside from him there is no other.   The adding to or mingling of anything else is a corruption of God’s perfect design.  The world tells us we need balance but, God’s word tells us we need a Savior.  

In the very near future, bread will become a very dear thing, a scarce commodity.  Therefore, it is more important than ever that we make certain that we have the only bread that matters, the bread from heaven Jesus.  He is the only bread that will sustain us in to eternity;  aside from Him, there isn’t anything else that we need – for Jesus, is the real ingredient for life!

*There are many threads that run through this story which I have only began to touch upon.  The political fall-out from this incident -in my opinion – speaks alot on its own.  The battle is intensifying.  May God help us be ready. 

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love thee”  Psalm 122:6     Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!   Cindy

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the eleventh day of the eleventh year                  

“Now the people complained about the hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused.  Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp”.  Number 11:1

The number 11.  What is it about this number and why have so many people been seeing it the past few months?  According to EW Bullinger the number 11 signifies disorder, disorganization, imperfection, disintegration and by implication division.  Frightening words when you think about it.  And, if the death of fish and birds is any indication (disorder of nature), the next few months will make 2010 with all its earthquakes, volcanos and tragedies of one kind or another pale in comparison.

I was reading on Five Doves this morning and want to bring your attention to two excellent articles.  One posted by Jim H. titled “Bulls Eye Red Blood Moon” by master Navigator, astronomer and friend Michael Wellman and the other by William F. Dankenbring posted by Fay under the title, Timeline.  In my opinion the information presented in both these articles is more than outstanding and will dispel any doubts about the time in which we are living if thoughtfully and prayerfully read.  Great material, I might add for sharing with friends or family who may still be on the fence.  

  The signs which appear in the heavens and the mathematic perfection of prophecy as demonstrated in these articles speak overwhelmingly of a God who not only loves us, but, is absolutely in control.  Words of comfort for those of us who know and understand.   For those who don’t,  it will seem as if the whole world has gone crazy.     http://www.triumphpro.com/70-years-prophecy.pdf      http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/jan2011/jimh18.htm

Which reminds me of a verse from Proverbs I read this morning.

“The Lord works out everything for his own ends – even the wicked for a day of disaster”.  Proverbs 16:4

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Numbers Chapter 11 – the danger of discontent

In Numbers chapter 11, (and I encourage you to take the time to read the entire chapter) – we find the Israelites becoming discouraged and dissatisfied after leaving Egypt.  Not satisfied with the manna God provided for them, they longed for the days back in Egypt where in spite of the bondage they were under, they enjoyed many of the luxuries the culture provided.   Forgetting the bondage they had endured at the hands of the Egyptians and their miraculous deliverance, they longed for the “good life” –  the fruits provided at the hands of the masters they despised.   And, the scripture says the Lord’s anger burned against them.  

Although I am expecting the rapture any day now,  I feel strongly led to comment on this passage – for myself as much as anyone else.   By all appearances, 2011 will be a year for disintegration, disorganization, disorder and division.   The question is – how will we react when the “good life” we have grown so accustomed to comes to an end?  When we don’t have all the many luxuries that living in this country has afforded us.  Are we prepared?  And, I don’t mean prepared in the sense of how many cans of beans we have  stored away.  I mean prepared in the sense of  knowing and living our lives today like Christ is sufficient for us.  If this isn’t our mind-set now, we can hardly expect it to be in the future.

Is there dissatisfaction, discontent in your life?  If there is, get it out.  Discontent is sin, because what it says is that you are not satisfied with what God has given you, where he has placed you in life.  Brothers and sisters, it is imperative that we practice contentment now.   Does that mean we don’t work hard, strive to do better for ourselves?  Of course not, that’s not what I’m saying.  Discontent is something else.  Something that tells us we can never have enough, be enough or do enough. Discontent is boredom from a life so filled with luxury that we no longer see or appreciate what God has given us.

When I go to Waikiki and walk among the homeless living on the beaches there, I am reminded of how little we really need.  Shelter, food and warm clothing pretty much covers it.   Yet so much of our time and energy goes to providing so much more for ourselves than that.   With this in mind, are we certain when the time comes, that we, like Lot’s wife won’t be tempted to look back?   Something to think about.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love thee”  Psalm 122:6    Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!   Cindy

   Hitchcock’s, The Birds

Like a scene from a Hitchcock movie, 2011 arrived with an air of mystery as thousands of red-winged blackbirds fell dead from the sky in Arkansas on New Years Eve.  Add to that 100,000 dead fish along a 20 mile stretch of river in the same area and the mystery becomes even more profound.  What caused the sudden and massive deaths of both birds and fish in such a short period of time?  If you like me, have been following these stories, you know that there are as many theories as there are reports – everything from fireworks, air turbulence, lightning, seismic activity, weather engineering and natural causes but, the truth is no one really knows.   What’s even stranger and harder to comprehend is the number of reports trickling in daily from other areas of the country and around the world of more dead fish and birds.  What in the world is going on!

On the fifth day …..

“And God said, Let the waters teem with living creatures and let birds fly across the earth above the expanse of the sky. So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems according to their kinds and every winged bird according to its kind.  And God saw that it was good … and evening and morning were the fifth day.”

It’s interesting to me that birds and fish are both linked together on the fifth day of creation. Sandwiched between the creation of the sun, moon and stars on the fourth day and the creation of man on the sixth day – is the creation of fish and birds. Both of which figure prominently in the  New Testament with fish the symbol for Christians and a dove, the symbol for the Holy Spirit. The  number 5 also happens to be the number for grace.  Anytime God gives us warning to impending judgment, it is grace.  Which I think may well be the point.

The first incident, (or at least the first one brought to our attention) involved the deaths of an estimated 5,000 red-winged Blackbirds in the town of Beebe, Arkansas.  Not hailing from Arkansas, I can’t be exactly sure how the word Beebe is pronounced but, one of the first things that came to mind was the similarity of the name of the town to “Bibi”  the nickname for Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Clinton connection to Arkansas. A second thought is how close Beebe sounds to the word “baby”  –  a warning of judgment perhaps in regard to the millions of abortions performed in this country since Roe v Wade was passed in 1973. 

interesting to note as well -the birds fell in Arkansas ten days after the lunar eclipse. 

This year has gotten off to such a bizarre start that it is becoming impossible to keep up with each new development.  Checking the internet news tonight, I found a report on a river turning mysteriously bright green in Victoria, Canada, the massive deaths of thousands of crabs in the UK and a story linking the death of a former Bush aide who was recently found murdered in Delaware to the use of poisonous chemicals in Arkansas – a story I came across while reading John McTernan’s Insights.  Take a look if you haven’t read this yet.    http://inteltrends.wordpress.com/2011/01/04/top-u-s-official-murdered-after-arkansas-weapons-test-causes-mass-death/

Like the title from the 1963 movie – “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World”   It seems as if the whole world has gone mad!   Bio-weapons, Haarp, Chemtrails, Atom smashing,  L-Rad, Mind control  and other sophisticated weapons;  the list goes on and on …..  one thing is clear – this world is no longer business as usual!   In this past century man in his rebellion has been pushing the boundaries set forth by God in Genesis with disastrous results and what we are seeing is just the beginning!  Today its birds and fish, what will it be tomorrow ????

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* Thanks to John B for the many excellent tips he sent me over the past few days – some of which was shared on Five Doves recently – if you missed them, you can catch them here:  http://www.fivedoves.com/letters/jan2011/johnb14.htm

** Thanks also to all of you who took the time to wish me a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year in the comments section.  I read each one and was truly blessed by your thoughtfulness.

Brothers and sisters, we live in exciting times!  Our God is on the move!  Open your eyes and you will see the glory of the Lord! 

“Then the glory of the Lord will appear for all to see, the Lord has promised this!”  Isaiah 40:5

 And,  “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6     Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!  Cindy

 Wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas!   What a joy it has been for me to share with all of you this past year;  the encouragement and exchange of information we have shared has truly been a blessing!  Because I have family visiting here until just after the New Year, it will probably be a few days before I will have the opportunity to post again.  May the peace and joy that comes from knowing Messiah Jesus fill your hearts to over flowing this special season.   Mele Kalikimaka – Merry Christmas from Hawaii!  Cindy

   the blood-red moon of a lunar eclipse

On Monday December 20, weather permitting the blood-red moon of a lunar eclipse will be visible over the Hawaiian islands from 9:40 p.m. until 10:50 p.m.  Visible from the mainland in the early morning hours of December 21, it could be the last and most important sign of the year;  a year which for anyone who has been paying attention these last few months has been if anything a year for signs.  

“There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places and fearful events and great signs from heaven.”  Luke 21:11

2010 has been just such a year – let’s take a brief look back.

– Tuesday January 12, 2010 – a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake strikes Port–au–Prince Haiti collapsing the Presidential Palace, the National Assembly building and the Port-au-Prince Cathedral; an estimated 230,000 people are killed with thousands of others left to become the homeless victims of crime and disease that often follows in the wake of such great disasters.

– Saturday February 27, 2010. Another earthquake, this one centered 71 miles from Chile’s second largest city, Concepcion.  At a magnitude of 8.8, it was 700-800 times stronger than the earthquake which struck Haiti the month before, but, because it was centered much deeper in the earth than that of the Haiti quake, the loss of life was considerably less. 

-Wednesday April 14, 2010, the second phase of eruptions of the spectacular and deadly Eyjafallajokull volcano in Iceland begins (initial eruption late December 2009) garnering world-wide attention for its stunning images of fire and ice, lighting and smoke and the tons of ash that brought airports all across Europe to a standstill.

– Tuesday April 20, 2010,  (Hitler’s birthday) – the Deep-Water Horizon Oil Rig explodes  killing 11 men and injuring 17 others, causing oil to spill unchecked fom the seafloor in to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for the next several months killing marine life and destroying livelihoods all along the coast until the oil flow causing the water to appear like blood could be stopped.

– Saturday May 8, 2010,  A gray whale is sighted off the coast of Israel, an extraordinary event so unlikely that one exuberant headline simply put it this way  –“appears back from the dead.”   Not seen in Mediterranean waters since the 17th or 18th centuries, the Jonah like re-appearance of the whale after 3 centuries drew everyone’s attention.

– Sunday July 11, the third in a total of three solar eclipses which would fall for three consecutive years in a row on the Jewish date of Av 1 took place.  Beginning at the remote and mysterious  Easter Island, this eclipse would  be visible only from the far reaches of the Southern Pacific. Easter Island was given its name by a dutch explorer who first first encountered the island on Easter Sunday 1722.

– Thursday August 5, 2010, 33 miners were trapped, 2,300 feet below ground, buried alive when the San Jose copper-gold mine collapsed around them.

– Friday September 4, 2010 a  7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes New Zealand, its epicenter just 19 miles west of Christchurch.  Amazingly, no one died!

– Wednesday October 13, 2010 – all 33 miners are rescued (resurrected) alive and well after surviving an amazing 69 days underground in the collapsed Chilean mine.

–  Thursday December 2, 2010, a devastating fire engulfs the mountains of Carmel Israel on the first day of Hanukkah.  The fire claimed at least 44 lives making it the deadliest fire in Israeli history.

–  Sunday December 12, 2010 the discovery of the marble statue of the goddess Aphrodite is found after a massive storm collapses a cliff at an archaelogical dig at the ancient seaport of Ashkelon in Israel.  4 feet tall and weighing 440 pounds, the statue is thought to have once stood in a Roman Bath House utilized by the same Romans who conquered and destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD  two thousand years ago -that which was once hidden has now come to light.  *More on this next post.

– Wednesday December 15, 2010,  a wooden vessel full of refugees is crushed against the razor-sharp and jagged rocks of  Christmas Island as they try to make landfall in tumultuous seas.  An estimated 100 people were killed, 8 of whom were children. Christmas Island, another remote Pacific Island  named for its discovery in 1643 by Captain William Mynors of the Royal Mary, a British East India Company vessel which sailed past the island on Christmas day.

And, last but, not least, the coming lunar eclipse of December 21.  Have I missed anything?   Whew!  What a year it has been!

I wasn’t quite sure what I would find when I began putting this post together this morning.  Thanks to friend and reader John Buckingham through whose encouragement to write on the lunar eclipse got me started writing  this morning.  And, although, I did not address it specifically (the lunar eclipse);  I’m hoping that by this brief synopsis of all the events of the past year, we might better see the message that God intends for us.   I look forward to hearing your thoughts and any additions you might have.

“Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love thee”  Psalm 122:6    Watching  and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!   Cindy

        the planet Krypton

“Contrary to popular belief, I was not born in a manger, I was born on Krpyton and was sent by my father Jor-El to save planet earth”.  

 I was reminded today of these arrogant words spoken so blithely by our President some months ago at a press conference dinner at a time when he was basking in the limelight of favor and success by those who viewed him as the Messiah of hope and change.  But, that was then, this is now – today, according to a recent poll, the President has slipped to a record low of 42%.   For numbers to be this low, its obvious that the President has lost the support of not only the swing voters, who helped put him in office, but, within his own constituency.  From a Wall Street Journal article sent to me today by friend and researcher Sue Bradley of Inklings of Other Worlds  titled, “From Audacity to Animosity” –

Mr. Obama’s problem is not only with the left of his party. Democratic professionals, people who do the work of politics day by day, don’t see him as a bad man or a sellout, but they scratch their heads over him and privately grouse. They don’t understand a Democratic president who, in the midst of a great recession, in our modern welfare state, doesn’t know how to win support! The other night Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Ed Rendell, was on “Hardball” sounding reasonable on the subject of Mr. Obama, but I thought his eyes, his visage, his professionally pleasant face were screaming: Those crazy birthers are wrong, he’s not from another country—he’s from another galaxy! He doesn’t do politics like any normal person!   http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703766704576009943102291486.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

He’s got that right!  Somehow this man is different.  Something about him has left everyone scratching their heads.  How could someone who had so much supposed promise, turn out to be such a dismal failure?   Yet, in spite of his abysmally low numbers at home, his world-wide popularity remains at a staggering 61% – a full twenty points ahead of any other world leader!  Incredible!  http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/views_on_countriesregions_bt/618.php?nid=&id=&pnt=618&lb=btvoc&gclid=CNbllqeB6KUCFRhzgwodKBxk0Q

And, maybe that’s just the point.  Perhaps, success within American politics never was the goal.  With 2012 on the horizon, I have an idea that 2011 is going to be an interesting year.  I find it rather doubtful that a man with so much world wide appeal and so much ego will let anything like American politics stand in the way of his larger success. 

It is also interesting as we approach the end of the year that a lunar eclipse will take place  on the shortest day and the longest night of the year – the winter solstice – a full two years in advance of the widely hyped and greatly feared December 21 of 2012.  Winter solstice; ancient in origin and observed in one way or another by just about every pagan culture.  Will this heavenly sign (the lunar eclipse) be any indication of what we can expect in the year to come?

 In just a few short days, this year will be history.  What began with so much tumult (earthquakes, volcanos, and other disasters) is so far coming quietly to a close.  I have the distinct feeling that before the last few lyrics of Auld Lang Syne can be sung, we will know without a doubt that 2011 is going to be a very different kind of a year. 

There is a baby who was born in a manger and Barack Obama is right, it was not him.  Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords is that baby –  born in Bethlehem, born of a virgin and born to die. Jesus Christ who rose from the dead, conquered sin and death and is coming again!  May the good news the shepherds received that night fill your hearts and minds with the same joy that filled theirs and may the God of peace and hope comfort you with these words – Jesus is coming again!

And,  as always –  “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love thee”.  Psalm 122:6        Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!  Cindy

    with just the tips visible, light shines brightly from this 9 branched Hanukkah Menorah

This week, the week of Hanukkah, the news coming out of Israel has been filled not with the joyous images of brightly burning Hanukkah candles but, instead with the horrific images of  deadly flames from a fire which has been burning out of control for the last several days on the mountains of Carmel. A fire which has tragically taken the lives of 41 people, displaced thousands and consumed everything in its path.

As a result of months of drought, this small area of forestation (only about 7% of Israel is forested) had become a tinderbox.  With allegations not of arson but of negligence as the cause of the fire, one can only surmise that the severe conditions that resulted in this fire may well have been prevented had the dry conditions been addressed pre-emptively by Israeli forest management.  With this in mind, I can’t help but think of the prophet Elijah who God used to call down fire from heaven and who also closed up the heavens to dew and rain in response to Israel’s faithlessness and idolatry – and neglect. 

We see an example of this from 1 Kings 18: 16-18 when Ahab is confronted by the prophet Elijah.  Ahab blames Elijah for the drought taking no responsibility for himself.

“When he (Ahab) saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?”  “I have not made trouble for Israel” Elijah replied. “But, you and your family have. You have abandoned the Lord’s commands and have followed the Baals.”

Abandonment, the almost certain outcome of neglect.

And, apparently as the leadership goes, so go the people.  This is why God calls leaders (especially spiritual leaders) to such great accountability.  With the people of Israel and the prophets assembled on Mount Carmel (Carmel by the way which means garden or orchard) Elijah confronts the people with these words:

“How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him: but, if Baal is God, follow him.” But, the people said nothing.”

Wow!  I think that statement says a lot! How tempting it is for us as humans to try to take the middle road when it comes to spiritual things.  To just say nothing!  As if saying or doing nothing relieves us of any responsibility before God.  A sharp reminder this week of *Hanukkah as the fire burns uncontrolled on Carmel that it is faith in action like that of the Maccabees who in 165 BC acted in faith to take back the temple and to cleanse it from the defilement it had received at the hands of  the Syrian-Greek King Antiochus Epiphanes that is still commemorated today.

*Hanukkah as many of you know commemorates the miracle of the small amount of oil which burned for 8 days until new oil could be consecrated for cleansing the temple after it had been desecrated in 165 BC.   http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/hanukkah.htm

With the fires burning on Carmel, I am reminded that our God is a consuming fire and that all that is wood, hay and stubble will be burned up.  Unlike the oil of the Holy spirit which burns miraculously in the lives of God’s chosen vessels, (refining, but never consuming) his people.

As I think about this, I’m convicted and reminded of my own faithlessness at times and how totally dependent I am on the grace of God to keep the oil of the Holy Spirit burning miraculously in my life.  The challenge is in keeping dry undergrowth from taking root in my life by neglecting to take the time I need daily in prayer and study of the word – essential elements all in keeping my spirit green, fresh and supple before God.

Tonight when I light my own Hanukkah Menorah, I will be thinking about these things.  It is Jesus that keeps the oil burning in my life and all those who have put their trust in him.  Something which is beautifully demonstrated by the lighting of the Hanukkah Menorah by the servant candle (the Shamash) by which all the other candles are lit.

May God bless you all this beautiful Hanukkah season, may the light of Jesus shine brightly in you and through you! 

And as always, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper who love thee” Psalm 122:6   Watching and waiting with YOU for the soon return of Jesus!  Cindy