Christ's Free Servant Posted July 12, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 197 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 2,461 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/18/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/31/1949 Share Posted July 12, 2006 The Death of a Thousand Cuts - Commentary on the News Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor - www.omegaletter.com Moscow and Beijing are working hard behind the scenes to dilute any United Nations' effort to rein in North Korean dictator Kim Jong il, taking the same position with North Korea that they have with both Iran and Sudan. Russian Ambassador Vitali Churkin said that while his country shared fellow council members' "serious concern" about the missile tests, it wanted the council to consider a presidential statement as the "proper format" for a response. He warned against "whipping up emotions too much" and played down the idea that sanctions would be considered. His Chinese counterpart, Wang Guangya, was publicly non-committal, telling reporters "if all council members feel that some appropriate action is needed by the council, we will see." In Beijing, the foreign ministry issued a statement hinting at its opposition to any actions against North Korea. It urged "all parties" involved in the issue to "refrain from doing things that will increase tensions and complicate the situation." The last time North Korea set off international alarms in 1998, China threatened to block any meaningful resolution -- the best they could come up with was a letter of 'regret' issued by the Security Council two weeks later. In 2002, it emerged that North Korea had been cheating on the 1994 extortion agreement hammered out by the Clinton administration. That deal involved paying off North Korea with food and oil shipments and US help with civilian nuclear reactors, in exchange for a North Korean pledge to stand down on its nuclear ambitions. When the deal collapsed, Kim Jong il, following the protocol established by the Nuclear Dictator Wannabe Handbook, expelled International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, restarted his nuclear facilities and withdrew from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The protocol was established by Saddam Hussein, but has been used effectively by both Kim Jong il and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad without any serious repercussions. Saddam was deposed by the United States, OVER the objections of the United Nations. Had the US not intervened, Saddam's Iraq would still be a charter member of the Axis of Evil. Ahmadinejad and Kim are gambling that, having taken the pasting at the UN that it took in 2003, Washington will think twice before getting out ahead of the United Nations again. And as long as the United Nations is tasked with overseeing their nuclear programs, they can move forward without significant risk to their regimes. At the UN, they have Moscow's and Beijing's veto power to protect them. One would assume that the Russians and Chinese should be far more worried about a nuclear North Korea or Iran than the US. America remains outside their reach, while Russian and Chinese cities are already in range of both countries. But they aren't. The Russians sold Iran both the reactors and the materials necessary to start up a nuclear weapons program. The Chinese provided Kim Jong il with his nuclear program. It is a diplomatic fiction that their intention is anything less than a proxy nuclear war with the United States. An Iranian nuclear attack against the United States would cripple the US, and eliminate the imbalance of power created by the existence of an unchallenged American superpower. But any US retaliation would be directed at Iran, leaving Russia intact to exploit the opportunities crippling the United States would provide. Beijing shares the same strategy with North Korea and has the same ultimate end-game planned. Why else would either nation risk creating a nuclear neighbor? Russia and Iran have no shared ideology. And Communist North Korea is the last Stalinist regime on earth, and as such, at ideological odds with Maoist Communism. The only thing they share is hatred of the United States. If the United States weren't their shared enemy, they would be at war with one another. Iran is the principle exporter of the Islamic terrorism being deployed against Russian troops in Chechnya. If Pyongyang weren't a thorn in Washington's side, it's Stalinist government would have long since been deposed by the dominant Red Chinese Maoists. And Kim Jong il would now be a Hollywood director instead of a megalomaniacal dictator with delusions of grandeur and four nuclear weapons. In the past decade, while Washington slept, Moscow and Beijing have been quietly laying the groundwork for America's destruction, a little at a time. Rather than challenging Washington directly, they are supporting a policy of inflicting the 'death by a thousand cuts' on America -- using other states and non-state actors as proxy warriors. That is why both countries still had military technicians fleeing Baghdad as coalition forces entered the city. It's why both countries have been arming the Arab world to the teeth for the past decade, providing intelligence, weapons and training to any nation that opposes the United States enough to do it damage. While the Russians and Chinese are both bedeviled by Islamic terrorism, they continue to arm and train the Islamic world, gambling on a war that will weaken or destroy both enemies while they sit on the sidelines and then pick up the pieces. Which is the precise scenario outlined in Bible prophecy for the last days. While the Bible clearly indicates a Pre tribulation Rapture of the Church, that is not the same thing as a guarantee that nothing bad will happen to America until after the Rapture. The Rapture is not a 'Great Escape' but is rather a necessary element of the Big Picture for the last days. Jesus promised the Comforter would remain with the Church until He comes. Paul says the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit, the Comforter) would be 'taken out of the way' BEFORE the 'man of sin' is revealed. (2nd Thessalonians 2:1-8) Since the Holy Spirit indwells believers, He cannot be 'taken out of the way' without either leaving the Church comfortless or taking the Church with Him. The Bible promises we will NOT be left comfortless. To argue otherwise means Jesus made a false promise. That is not supported by Scripture. What IS supported by Scripture is that the Church leaves when the Restrainer is taken out of the way: "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1st Thessalonians 4:17) So the Bible promises the Church will not be left comfortless AND it promises that the Church will be taken by the Lord. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to connect the dots and see the Big Picture. The Bible assigns a role in the last days drama for the Russians, and it assigns a role to the Chinese, it mentions Iran by name, provides for a global government and even puts Israel at the center of a global conflict. It outlines a series of battles and conflicts that it says are part of a wider war that comes to its conclusion on the plains of Megiddo. All the major players on the current world scene are represented in Scripture. Except the United States of America. We can hope that America's absence is explained by the Rapture. But if the Lord tarries, there are plenty of other explanations to choose from. None of them good. _________________________________________________________________ Stay Informed! Encourage one another! Don't Let Anyone Be Left Behind! Maranatha ! - (Lord Come Quickly) YBIC-Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christ's Free Servant Posted July 12, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 197 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 2,461 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/18/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/31/1949 Author Share Posted July 12, 2006 FYI - I do not hold to the pre-trib theology that is stated toward the end of this commentary, though I'm not against it if that is what the Lord has in mind - I'm not going to tell him "No, no! Please leave me here" or anything like that. But, I agree with the author that a pre-trib rapture belief does not necessarily let America off the hook. Personally, I believe God has a strong dose of judgment in mind for America and for the Church in America prior to his return, that he will protect those who hide in the shelter of the Almighty, and that it will bring about a great revival and harvest of souls. I hope he leaves me here for at least part of that, even if it means suffering through the tribulation. It is not that I want to see us suffer. It is that I want to see the Church return to her first love and to stop living in spiritual adultery. Anyway, the point of this post was not to debate pre, mid, or post theologies. I thought the author had some interesting insights into the current world situation and how it plays into the fulfillment of prophecy, so I thought I would share his news commentary with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ann2 Posted July 13, 2006 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 1 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 349 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 5 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/08/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/12/1939 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Sue the post sure gives us something to think about,makes sence to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christ's Free Servant Posted July 13, 2006 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 197 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 2,461 Content Per Day: 0.35 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/18/2005 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/31/1949 Author Share Posted July 13, 2006 Sue the post sure gives us something to think about,makes sence to me. I've been watching China and Russia for some time now - how they seem to be playing both sides of the fence, and when I read this, it made sense to me, too. They act like they are against terrorist activity, all the while they consort with terrorist regimes and they sell technology and weapons to those same terrorist regimes, so who do they think they are kidding? It is obvious whose side they are on - their own. But, then we know how the story ends, because God predicted through his prophets many, many years ago how this is all going to go down. Praise God, we (true believers in Jesus Christ) are on the winning side! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jckduboise Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 FYI - I do not hold to the pre-trib theology that is stated toward the end of this commentary, though I'm not against it if that is what the Lord has in mind - I'm not going to tell him "No, no! Please leave me here" or anything like that. But, I agree with the author that a pre-trib rapture belief does not necessarily let America off the hook. Personally, I believe God has a strong dose of judgment in mind for America and for the Church in America prior to his return, that he will protect those who hide in the shelter of the Almighty, and that it will bring about a great revival and harvest of souls. I hope he leaves me here for at least part of that, even if it means suffering through the tribulation. It is not that I want to see us suffer. It is that I want to see the Church return to her first love and to stop living in spiritual adultery. Anyway, the point of this post was not to debate pre, mid, or post theologies. I thought the author had some interesting insights into the current world situation and how it plays into the fulfillment of prophecy, so I thought I would share his news commentary with you. Bravo Sue..every word of it I have also come to the conclusion that there will be no rapture at least not as we would like to hope for.. Blessings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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