The Engine of Conflict
Chuck Colson

Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Religious Freedom

As Mark Earley and I have discussed this week on "BreakPoint," we often take freedom of religion for granted in this country. While Christians in the United States don't face torture and death because of our faith, we do face very real threats to our religious liberty, and we would be fools to ignore them.

Take for example just one headline issue this election season: same-sex "marriage." As Anthony Picarello of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has said, same-sex "marriage" in this country is "an engine for religious conflict."

He explains that rewriting the definition of marriage does not just change one law, it changes everything. The legal term marriage permeates every sphere of law: taxes, education, and employment. These laws in turn regulate religious institutions and para-church organizations like schools, hospitals, orphanages, and Prison Fellowship.

There are a variety of cases that already point to this reality. In Massachusetts, where same-sex "marriage" is the law of the land, Catholic Charities announced that it would no longer serve as an adoption agency. Why not? Because by Massachusetts law, organizations that place children for adoption must have a state license. And organizations with state licenses may not discriminate against same-sex couples. So Catholic Charities had to choose: Either obey the law and violate the teachings of the Catholic Church, or get out of the adoption business altogether. It wisely chose the latter.

There are other troublesome legal issues concerning homosexuality besides same-sex "marriage." In California, Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill into law that makes it illegal for any non-profit organization receiving state funds to portray homosexual or bisexual practices in a negative light-so much for preaching from the pulpit about homosexuality being a sin. In another case in California, a private Christian school expelled two girls for announcing they were in a lesbian relationship. Can the state call this discrimination and demand that the school violate its own moral convictions of right and wrong? Thirty years ago, we would have called that impossible. Today, it's up for grabs.

Religious colleges might also be forced to extend married housing to same-sex couples, as was the case in a recent court decision involving a Jewish university in New York. Employees who voice dissent over practices that promote the homosexual lifestyle might risk censure or loss of employment, as did a 63-year-old Muslim employee of William Paterson University in New Jersey. He called homosexuality "a perversion."

And even in cases where the government can't compel faith-based groups to affirm homosexuality, it can punish defiant organizations by banning them from using public facilities. A judge in San Diego just ruled against the Boy Scouts of America on this very point, because it refused to allow homosexual scout leaders.

Like it or not, the questions surrounding same-sex "marriage" and special rights for homosexuals are going to force us to deal with religious freedom issues-even what we can preach about from the pulpit. That's why we must ask our candidates this fall where they stand on these issues and let them know what matters to us before the engine picks up more speed.

Pedophile Nation

Pedophile Nation
By Ben Stein
Published 10/18/2006 12:09:50 AM

Obviously, it's not easy to have a lot of sympathy for Mark Foley. He did some extremely questionable things, and he's being heartily punished for it, with more to come, most likely.

But he has raised an interesting issue long overdue for national discussion. The media and the pundits are acting as if something brand new happened when a grown up discovered the sexuality of teenagers. They're acting as if teenagers are innocent little children who never heard of sex until they got e-mails from a Member of Congress.

The truth is just the opposite. This is a nation that is absolutely drenched in juvenile sex. I am not sure exactly when it happened, but it sure was going on when I was a teenager and that was a long time ago in the days of James Dean. The problem is vastly more prevalent now.

Movies in large part are about teenage sex. Whole TV networks -- I am not going to mention any names -- are largely about teenagers and sex. Music, if you can call it music, is very, very largely about teenagers and sex, and teenagers listen to it incessantly. (I am the father of a teenager, and I promise you, it's true.)

Look at fashions for young girls. They are getting dressed like Parisian streetwalkers from the 1950s. Little girls are getting dressed by the fashion industry as if they were little hookers.

Billboards on Sunset Boulevard, very near my home, show young boys in extremely revealing outfits. Much of the whole young people's fashion and magazine industry is about selling kids on the idea that their sexuality is all that matters about them,

Then there's the Internet. Multi-billion dollar companies are bidding for websites that are very largely about teens advertising their sexual availability and allure. This is an immense business, and rapidly getting bigger. Can anyone say MySpace?

Obviously, this is not to excuse Mark Foley, who clearly breached his trust, or to excuse the House GOP leadership, which clearly messed up badly on Capitol Hill.

But this is a nation endlessly selling teenagers -- sometimes younger than teenagers -- as sex objects. This is how teenagers are merchandised -- and watch the cheerleaders at any high school football game for more proof. It should not surprise us if, with all of that selling, there are buyers, both gay and straight for all of this selling.

If Mr. Foley's disgrace brings about some kind of national debate about whether it's legitimate or ethical for commerce and culture to be so largely about merchandising sex to young people and merchandising young people as sexually alluring, it might have served some useful purpose. As it stands, the culture is selling an entire nation on pedophilia and sexualizing children at an explosively early age. It's long past time something was done to discuss whether this is where we want to go as a nation and a people.

Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer living in Beverly Hills and Malibu. He also writes "Ben Stein's Diary" in every issue of The American Spectator

Appalling Hypocrisy

CNN's Snuff Film
Mark Earley

Appalling Hypocrisy
Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.

In the first century before Christ, a slave named Spartacus led an unsuccessful revolt against Rome. As a warning to other would-be rebels, Roman soldiers crucified 6,000 slaves along the road to Rome. Their bodies were left hanging on crosses for all to see.

The Romans are remembered for their cruelty. But at least they weren't guilty of the kind of hypocrisy CNN is now engaging in.

As most of you know, CNN recently aired a video showing a terrorist sniper taking aim and killing an American soldier. The video was a gift from a terrorist group.

CNN said the network understood that some viewers would be deeply upset. However, CNN's goal, "as always," was "to present the unvarnished truth as best we can."

Is that right? I can hardly wait for CNN to broadcast a videotape showing "the unvarnished truth" about, say, partial-birth abortion.

CNN has forgotten, if it ever knew, that for television, any real truth is impossible. British media critic Malcolm Muggeridge noted that "the one thing television can't do is express ideas." By translating life into an image, television "is falsifying life."

Francis Schaeffer agreed. Far from offering truth, he said, "every television minute has been edited. The viewer does not see the event. He sees . . . an edited image of that event," one that gives an illusion of objectivity and truth.

And as Christian philosopher Douglas Groothuis notes, with television, reality becomes the image, "whether or not that image corresponds to any objective state of affairs-and we are not challenged to engage in this analysis."

This is dangerous. Groothuis quotes a college professor who complains that his students "tend to have an image-based standard of truth." Because of that, if the professor invites them to provide evidence supporting or contradicting their views, students look at him as if he came from another planet. This is because, he says, it's "foreign for them to think in terms of truth, logic, consistency, and evidence." This erosion in the ability to reason from images is something to remember when we're tempted to get all of our news from the tube-especially from CNN.

After all, the insurgents could have given CNN films of themselves blowing up Iraqi children or beheading journalists. Instead, they are heard discussing how to avoid killing innocent people. We're not invited to recall the thousands of innocents the insurgents have tortured and murdered over the past two years. So much for the "unvarnished truth."

Finally, and most appalling, CNN deliberately gave aid to the enemy of freedom-loving people everywhere. After all, do they really think Islamic radicals would hand over a videotape that would hurt their own cause? Of course not. They had to know the horrific impact their snuff film would have on the families of servicemen-or upon those considering joining the war against Islamo-fascism: It would have the same impact as the sight of those crucified slaves in ancient Rome. To claim otherwise suggests CNN editors are not playing with a full deck-or are engaging in the rankest hypocrisy.

When we watch television, we need to remember the scriptural call to "test everything." That certainly applies to network news claiming to give us the truth.

Prosperity Gospel - A Gospel Of The Antichrist

Prosperity Gospel - A Gospel Of The Antichrist
By Kato Mivule
October 8, 2006

1 John 4:1-6
(1) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
(2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
(3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
(4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
(5) They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
(6) We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.


Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh...this is the spirit of the Antichrist... However, the 'confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh' is not a mere outside mouth confession or a religious confession in church but an acknowledgment, realization, submission to The Lordship of Jesus Christ in our personal life and from the heart to the fact that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh...that He reigns as Lord in our personal lives.

1 John 4:2
(2) Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

It is the recognition, realization, submission, and obedience to the Life, Authority, Power, Lordship, Command, Word of God, and Life of Suffering, of Jesus Christ. So, this is not just mere confession on the outside that “Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” yet when one’s life and heart are totally contrary to the ‘Life of Jesus Christ in the Flesh’.


'Confess' in Greek...

G3670
ὁμολογέω
homologeō
hom-ol-og-eh'-o
From a compound of the base of G3674 and G3056; to assent, that is, covenant, acknowledge: - con- (pro-) fess, confession is made, give thanks, promise.

So, the Greek word that John used here ‘confess’ is ‘homologeo’ meaning…
To Assent...
Covenant…
Acknowledge…
Confess…
Give Thanks…
So, the verse above speaks about not only confessing the that 'Christ Jesus is come in the flesh' but obeying Jesus Christ and living the life of Jesus Christ in us. Just as Christ Jesus walked in the flesh, so we follow His example and we too walk a life that is dead to this world, sin and evil and live the life of Jesus Christ in us.

This means total obedience to the commands of Jesus Christ in us. It means dying to the things of the world and the pleasures of the world. It means carrying our cross and following Jesus Christ daily.

If we Confess, Acknowledge, Realize, Covenant, Assent that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, then we live that life of suffering just as Jesus Christ suffered, we live the life of the cross, we then love the things Jesus Christ loves and hate what He hates. This means not being a friend of the world and not loving the things that are in the world. It means 100% obedience to Christ Jesus regardless of the price and cost, even if it means our very lives.

1 John 4:3
(3) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

The Antichrist spirit confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh...this is a spirit of rebellion that does not realize, acknowledge, submit to the Lordship and Life of Jesus Christ. This Antichrist spirit submits to the things of the world, to the life and lordship of the world, riches, materialism, silver, gold, and submission to man.

The deceptiveness about this Antichrist spirit is it's characteristic of hypocrisy; religious Christians in this category merely “confess” that Jesus Christ is Lord and that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh but they do not obey the commands of The Lord...they merely say Lord, Lord but don't do the things The Lord commands...

Matthew 7:19-23
(19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
(20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
(21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
(22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
(23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

It is interesting to note that the ‘Confess Jesus Christ is come in the flesh’ is in present tense and not past. Christ Jesus dwells in those who obey his commands, those who love Him, His saints, His True Church…and in Him we live, move, and have our being.
Acts 17:28
(28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.


'Is come' in Greek...

G2064
ἔρχομαι
erchomai
er'-khom-ahee
Middle voice of a primary verb (used only in the present and imperfect tenses, the others being supplied by a kindred [middle voice] word, ἐλεύθομαι eleuthomai or ἔλθω elthō; which do not otherwise occur); to come or go (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively): - accompany, appear, bring, come enter, fall out, go, grow, X light, X next, pass, resort, be set.

So, the 'Is Come' in Greek is 'erchomai' generally meaning here...
Accompany
Appear
Bring
Come
Enter
Fall Out
Go
Grow
The life we live, we live in Christ Jesus and Jesus Christ in us. We don't live on our own but submit to His will and obey His commandments. Such a life is a life of the Cross, it is not a life of pleasures of this world as the Prosperity preachers desire us to believe.

Galatians 2:20
(20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

If Christ Jesus lives in us then we shall follow after His leading and example and not conform to the standards of this world.

For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever…as He walked, so does He still walk, and so will He walk and even so we ought to walk after His likeness and character...

Jesus Christ was not parading around in the best SUV, Corporate Jet, designer clothing, million dollar houses, fat bank accounts, expensive vacations and cruises...Jesus Christ lived a simple life, a life that was not attached to the riches of this world and not a friend to the powerful and the elite. Jesus Christ reached out to the sinners, sick and the poor of His day and so must we if Christ Jesus truly dwells in us and if we truly confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh....

James 4:4-5
(4) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
(5) Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

Prosperity Preachers always speak about terms like 'increase', 'going to the next level', 'being fruitful', 'divine favor in the world and business', financial increase, influence...and many other blasphemous terms...what the Prosperity teachers are doing is conforming Christian to the world and submission to man...this is the spirit of the Antichrist that 'Confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh'...

Brothers and Sisters be forewarned that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God. Those preachers who seduce you to such philosophies are liars and wolves in sheepskin seeking only to destroy your faith in Christ Jesus.

Now, many prosperity preachers argue that they also take care of the poor, orphans and help the sick but this is just Hypocrisy 101; these greedy preachers simply throw money in orphanages and pretend to help the poor not because they love to but because they seek to use the poverty of the poor for their own gain...

They get more donations when they show pictures of the poor to their donors...they pretend to preach the gospel but what they preach is heresy...their care for the poor is nothing but pure hypocrisy...they are like the IMF and World Bank “giving” Africans “Grants” which they expect Africans to repay somehow somewhere sometime in the future back to the world's elite Bankers - IMF and World Bank.

John 15:4
(4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

Hebrews 13:8
(8) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

1 John 2:6
(6) He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

So, we understand that the “confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” has to do with our total obedience to Jesus Christ, abiding in Him, He abiding in us and them we as a must, walking even as Jesus Christ walked…

We now understand that we must bear fruit and that fruit is the Life, character and likeness of Jesus Christ in us…walking just as He walked…acknowledging that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh…He abides in us even to this day, therefore His character and likeness is not just historical and past and irrelevant as the world says but is and must be manifest in us today…

So, we take a moment and ask our selves, did Jesus Christ live a life of materialism, worldliness, greed, sin, hate, murder, jealousy, political Christianity?…which things, sad to say is what many Christians are walking in today blinded by foolish pastors and so-called apostles (actually apostates) who are busy committing adultery with the world and loving the things of the world.

1 John 2:15-18
(15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
(16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
(17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
(18) Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

The spirit of the Antichrist is that which causes men to love the world and hate Christ and become enemies of God. Brothers and Sisters, let us watch and be very careful, today's prosperity preachers are agents of the Antichrist regardless of if they know it or not...the gospel of prosperity, riches and materialism is one that conforms Christians to the standards of this world while hypocritically using The Name of Jesus Christ.

Now, you CANNOT love Jesus Christ and at the same time love the things of the world such as materialism, posh cars first class air travel, the best cars – SUVs, Gulf Stream Jets, Million Dollar houses, huge dollar bank accounts, fame, upper class neighborhoods, the rich, powerful politicians and so forth…all best the world can give…

The prosperity gospel conforms people to love the things of this world and as such makes Christians friends with this world and as such they become enemies of God.

You cannot love such and think that you are abiding in Christ Jesus…those who think in such a way are hoodwinked and bewitched by Satan himself…and such is the prosperity doctrine and purpose driven life of lies and a life outside Jesus Christ.

Those who live in such lies called “prosperity gospel” will never be fruitful with The Life of Jesus Christ in them…they will never ‘Confess, acknowledge, realize, assent, covenant, that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh’; they will always say that “Jesus Christ CAME in the flesh”…such is the spirit of the Antichrist…the spirit of the world and love for the things of the world…the spirit that rejects continual submission to the Lordship, Character, and Likeness of Jesus Christ.

1 John 2:15-19
(15) Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
(16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
(17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
(18) Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
(19) They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

The Antichrist spirit is very much connected to the love of the world and things of the world...

Those who love the world and the things of the world have no love of the Father in them… These are they that refuse to ‘confess, acknowledge, and assent that Jesus Christ IS COME in the flesh’; they refuse the Lordship and Life of Christ Jesus in their personal lives…

Such is the Prosperity Movement…this Movement is one that promises Christians riches here on earth and the best of the world here in this dying world that is certainly passing away. The prosperity movement is one that subtly indoctrinates its believers to love the world and the things of the world and in the process, they do away with the Love of The Father and ‘Confess Not that Jesus Christ IS COME in the flesh’…this is a movement of rebellion and as such it is an Antichrist Movement.

Sad to note is the fact that many churches here in Africa are being swept by this diabolical movement called the prosperity and purpose driven movement… TBN TV is the greatest dispenser of this World Love prosperity and purpose driven venom from the Antichrist.

I sometimes wonder why these TBN guys don’t stop their broadcasts here in Africa…we don’t need such venom, we are tired of it and please TBN keep your Antichrist programming to yourself. We shall have our bibles, those will be enough for us.

We are tired of such lies like “Enjoying Everyday Life” with Joyce Meyer, not forgetting Benn Hinn’s Jet purchase campaigns…

Benn Hinn says that we should give him money so he can buy a new plane and that we so send him to preach the gospel around the world…we are tired of such lies, we don’t see Jesus Christ in such, we don’t see, His character and likeness in such preachers but greed, materialism, covetousness, merchandising and selling of all those small idols Benn Hinn loves to call gifts for the price of donations from his viewers, and sure enough this is an Antichrist spirit!

Sad and so sad is the fact that the ‘emperor walks naked’ and does not even realize it…the TBN promotion of such filth around the world is such and simply a walking naked emperor here on Africa’s airwaves.

Revelation 3:17-18
(17) Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
(18) I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

What amazes me is the fact that despite heavy criticism against the prosperity movement and its preachers, many of them still continue to stubbornly preach this Antichrist Gospel of riches, fame, ‘getting to the next level’ “being fruitful” which is nothing other than love for the world.

Brethren, truly this is the last hour just as The Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles warned us 2000 years ago about the great deception that would happen prior to The Lord's Second coming.

The storms of deception are blowing left and right and against the people of God, those who call themselves after the name of The Lord.

Deception is so rampant that Pastors of churches and Christians are giving themselves over to the overt love for the things of the world.

The deception is packaged to seduce Christians in accepting a “good” life in the world. They are promised the 'best in the world' if they 'saw' seeds of faith... The talk in Christendom these days is about being “fruitful” and getting to the “next level” but the fruitfulness spoken about by these imposters who pretend to be pastors is all about getting more influence, materialism, riches and money in the world.

The “next level” that these false apostles speak about is all about “getting to the next level” in the social ladders of the affluent societies...this is the gospel of elitism and it only leads towards destruction.

Sad it is to say that the greatest proponents today are the Western Preachers and Pastors, almost 99 per cent of TBN TV is about the promotion for love of the world and the things of the world.

We in Africa are daily being bombarded by the false teachings on TBN about a “good life”, “being fruitful”, and “ getting to the next level” by mainly American preachers and America-nized preachers...

When one turns on Christian TV, all you see and hear is a gospel that speaks not about the cross of Jesus Christ but about “making it in life”, all we hear constantly is the heresy and error by such speakers as Joyce Meyer, and not to mention Kenneth Copeland and his “Faith” programs...all these guys do is speak about being conformed to the world...

Brethren, those who want blunt discernment concerning TBN TV, here is it...this is a TV that promotes a false gospel, another gospel, a gospel of the Antichrist, a gospel that conforms believers to love the world and to get justification from man. Yes, regardless of how many innocent and sincere preachers are on this TV, they have been blinded by the god of this world and to seduce and deceive believers in loving the world while hypocritically singing the Name of Jesus Christ.

These are the last days and the Antichrist does not come dressed in Halloween attire, the Antichrist comes dressed in business attire - in a corporate suit and a briefcase full of 100 US Dollars bill notes, credit and debit cards, with a brand new SUV, flies in a personal corporate Gulf Stream jet, being welcomed on pulpits every Sunday, and having his programs aired across the world on "Christian TV", while promising millions peace, prosperity, and a good life here on earth...

It is no wonder that his (antichrist) gospel connects well with the elite political establishment; they are all seeking peace and prosperity...and the establishment know that what some “Christians” need today is just money and 'making it in life', the very thing the Antichrist is willing to offer in his peace and prosperity initiatives...

1 Timothy 6:3-10
(3) If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
(4) He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
(5) Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
(6) But godliness with contentment is great gain.
(7) For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
(8) And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
(9) But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
(10) For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

For the love of money is the source of all evil...don't be deceived, you cannot serve Jesus Christ and at the same time serve money...the prosperity preachers are liars and deceivers who desire us to believe that we can love Jesus Christ and money at the same time...those who heed these wolves who love to call themselves prosperity teachers and 'enjoying everyday life' preachers are doomed for destruction...brethren, repent!

Brethren, come out from such, be separate and The Lord will receive you...Amen

Revelation 18:4
(4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18
(14) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
(15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
(16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
(18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

In Christ Jesus
Kato Mivule
Uganda, Africa

When The Foundations Are Destroyed

When The Foundations Are Destroyed
Kato Mivule
October 14, 2006

A shaking going on…
There is a shaking going on in Christendom and everyday here in Uganda, Africa, we have evangelical leaders appear front page on Newspapers because of scandals in marriages, pastors endorsing divorce and unforgiveness, greed, materialism, pastors being exposed because of Voodoo practice and witchcraft enchantment, Christian leaders being exposed because of the material wealth they have secretly acquired while hypocritically using the name of Jesus Christ…the list goes on and on…

Hebrews 12:26-27
(26) Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
(27) And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

In the Western world, it is the same, you read stories of Pastors and so-called Christian leaders and “apologists” suing fellow Christians in secular courts, “Christians” calling on America to go to war with Iran, “Christian” warmongering pastors on TV, greed, materialism, divorce, pedophile pastors, and the list goes on and on…

Brethren, this shaking will continue going on until what cannot be shaken will remain. All pastors, churches, Christians, denominations will be shaken and the shaking is only going to become furious until The Lord separates those who are truly His from those who are not…

The Foundations are destroyed…
The truth of the matter is that the foundations on which these churches, ministries, pastors and Christians have built is sand and not the Rock. Therefore the foundations are destroyed so what have the righteous to do?

Psalms 11:3
(3) If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Yes, the foundations on which Christendom in Uganda is built are destroyed, the foundations of Western Christianity are destroyed but this is all fulfillment of the warning by the Apostle Paul to us in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 about the end times Apostasy (falling away) where men would walk away and depart from Truth even while still naming themselves Christians. So, now that the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous to do?

2 Thessalonians 2:3
(3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Brethren, I take this opportunity again to remind you that we are truly in the last days and the foundation of your Faith matters greatly. Foundations are very important when it comes to buildings. Depending on where one builds and on what type of ground one builds, foundations determine the strength and durability of that building.

Psalms 11:3 is not Americanism and “Christian” Nation Building…
Many have quoted this verse out of a spirit of patriotism and love for America…it is interesting to find many articles written about the “foundations” of America basing on this verse by the Religious Right, so-called Christian Coalition, and “Restore” America Back Movements.

Yet this verse speaks in context to one’s individual relationship with Jesus Christ and obeying His Holy Word… It has nothing whatsoever to do with Americanism and all the ‘false patriotism pseudo Christian nation building spirit’ out there among the Religious Right of the West.

This verse in psalms 11:3 speaks of us as individuals and where we choose to base our faith…it is a rhetorical question placed forward to us as individual Christians today…where do we base our faith? Is it in Christ Jesus, gold, silver, material wealth, fame, nations, politicians, the once mighty dollar, man, or mammon?

Do you still stand in The Faith?
The same verse calls us as Christians to examine our faith, to see if we still stand in the faith…it calls for us to scrutinize, check, critique, examine our faith based on God’s Holy Word if we truly still stand in the faith in Christ Jesus. The sad story is that many Christians choose to stay naïve and become very insincere with themselves by pretending that they are “holy” and with out sin as long as they go to church and pay a tithe…

2 Corinthians 13:5-6
(5) Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
(6) But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

Secondly the same verse in Psalms 11:3 calls us to take action based on God’s Word to get back to the True Foundation – Jesus Christ for all other foundations are already destroyed and worthless so to speak even before the shakings come.

Simply reading Psalms 11:3 and letting it go without re-examining oneself, repenting and taking action to the truth known is simply of no help and will still leave one on a foundation of sand. We must be doers of God’s Word otherwise we have built on sand and the end thereof is destruction.

When one looks at the foundation that most evangelicals have chosen to build, one clearly sees a foundation that has been destroyed even before the house falls. The foundations are destroyed and what is the righteous to do?

The foundations of Christendom today have been destroyed simply because they are not based in Christ Jesus…

Some of the foundations on which Christianity Today is built include...
Foundation of Prosperity Gospel
Foundation of Man and exaltation of Man
Foundation of Mammon – love for money
Foundation of being like the world – Purpose Driven Life
Foundations of Feminism – exaltation of Women and Usurping of Men’s Authority
Foundations of Political Christianity – Dominionism and so-called Christian Presidents
Foundations of Sin – calling good evil and evil good in church
Foundations of Rebellion against God’s Word
Foundation of the Pre Tribulation Rapture
Foundations of not suffering for Jesus Christ
Foundations of Hate and Despise for the poor
Foundations of Deception – False Doctrines
Foundations of Denominations – Methodist, Baptist, Episcopal, Catholics etc…
Foundations of trust in self – So-called Christian Self Help Positivism Thinking
Foundations of Church Growth Movement
Foundations of Purpose Driven Life (Purpose Driven Lies)
Foundations of Multi Million Mega Church Building Projects
…And many more…
All the above foundations are prophetically destroyed and what is the righteous to do? Should the righteous continue in churches and fellowships whose foundations are such as above? All such foundations as above are foundations of sand and what has the righteous to do with such? The end of such who build on foundations of sand is sure…it is a great fall and destruction…

We are to forsake ALL foundations of Sand and get to the foundation of The Rock, that is Christ Jesus regardless of the price we might have to pay in that. It is the late hour brethren; the devil is out as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. We cannot afford to continue building on sand.

A furious Storm in the horizon…
Remember that the storm is coming, and the storm will test both houses, the one built on a foundation of sand and that built on The Rock. The storm is the Tribulation period prophetically speaking. This will be a time that both houses are tested and that storm has begun forming in the horizon…it is a furious storm and no Christian house will survive this tribulation storm unless they are built on The Rock, which is Christ Jesus.

The time of testing is now and The Lord is asking that “what are you doing building on a foundation of Sand; such foundations are destroyed and what is the righteous to do with such?” the answer clearly is in God’s Holy Word. God has given us instructions for this hour and we are to come to the Cross and examine ourselves if we still stand in the Faith.

Yes, we are to allow The Holy Spirit to examine the intents of our hearts and lives basing of God’s Holy Word. We are to root out deception and all doctrines that are not based on the Whole Counsel of God’s Holy Word… This is a call for death to self and death to the love for the things of this world; that Christ Jesus will fully dwell in us.

Galatians 2:20
(20) I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

So, the question remains, who is the foundation of your Faith…on what foundation are you basing your faith? Is it your pastor? Is it your church, denomination, job, ministry, and all the things in this perishing world? If your foundation is not Jesus Christ, then your foundation is already destroyed, it is sinking sand…your faith is derailed and what has the righteous to do with such foundations?

The Wise Man and Foolish Man…
Jesus Christ warned us through parable of the wise man and foolish man, both who built their houses with the wise building on The Rock and the foolish building his house on sand. Jesus Christ told us in this parable how both houses were tested and only one was found standing after the test by a furious storm and tempest.

Matthew 7:24-27
(24) Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
(25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
(26) And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
(27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

We see from this piece of scripture that those who HEAR the Word of God and DO IT are those who build on the rock otherwise those who HEAR but DO NOT DO the Word of God are building on Sand… So, what has the righteous to do with building on Sand?
The question then is, do we do God’s Word?

Many so-called Christians, pastors, churches, and denomination don’t obey God’s word. They instead water down the Word of God. They mock Jesus Christ, they scoff at His Second Coming, and they detest the suffering of Jesus Christ such people are only interested in physical buildings, organizational structures, tithes, money and pleasing man while hypocritically holding to the Name of Jesus Christ… Such is a foundation of sand and that house will surely fall. So, what has the righteous to do with such doomed foundations?

Obeying Jesus Christ will cost you…
However, so-called Christians choose to build on sand because they don’t want to deal with the price that comes with obeying Christ Jesus. They don’t want to do God’s Word simply because it might cost them their relationships, best friends, loose jobs, be hated of this world and suffer pain for obeying Jesus Christ. Obeying God and doing His Word, means suffering for Jesus Christ and death to friendship with this world.

It means carrying your cross daily and following Jesus Christ. It means denying ALL and carrying your cross to follow Jesus Christ. Without denying ALL and carrying your cross to follow Jesus Christ, you cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ and that means your foundation is NOT The Rock but Sinking Sand. So, what has the righteous to do with building of foundations that are already destroyed?

Last Days Deception…
Jesus Christ is The Rock, and our Foundation; all other ground is sinking sand so to speak as sang in a popular hymn. Sad to say is that Jesus Christ warned us in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21 that we watch and be not deceived. In the last days men would come proclaiming Christ Jesus but would deceive many. They would speak about Jesus Christ but would deceive many. They would not be doers of The Word of God.

Matthew 24:4-5
(4) And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
(5) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Mark 13:5-6
(5) And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive you:
(6) For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Luke 21:8
(8) And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.

2 Thessalonians 2:2-4
(2) That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
(3) Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
(4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

The Bible warns us that in the last days before Jesus Christ comes back again, there would be a ‘Great Falling Away’ or ‘Apostasy...this is happening right before our eyes. Many Christians, churches, and pastors are giving in to a gospel of deception, a gospel of friendship with the world, a gospel of money, so-called inclusiveness, a gospel of pleasing man, denominations, ecumenism and many other evils baptized with Christian names.

This is a gospel of easiness and convenience, one that has nothing to do with suffering for Jesus Christ. Such is the apostasy or falling away from grace and from Christ Jesus…it is building on a foundation already destroyed – sand… Brethren, what has the righteous to do with such foundations?

The Lord is going to test ALL Peoples…
A careful look at Psalms 11 show us that The Lord will surely test both the righteous even the wicked…He will send the storm to test both houses, the one built on sand and that built on the rock.

For His eyelids test the children of men…and the Lord test the righteous…and at the end of the test, the righteous are before the Lord for his countenance behold the upright.

So, this Psalms is very prophetic in regards to the last days in which we live. Those who build on The Rock and those who build on the foundations of sand will both be tested and only those who will remain standing are those who OBEY and DO God’s COMMANDS in Christ Jesus.

Psalms 11 is not an Americanism Christian Patriotic Psalms like some from the West would want us to believe…it is certainly a Psalms directed to all who truly love Jesus Christ. So, if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? What has the righteous to do with foundations marked for destruction?

Psalms 11:1-7
(1) In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
(2) For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
(3) If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
(4) The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
(5) The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
(6) Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
(7) For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.

Building a house outside Christ is useless…
House built on a Foundation that is not Christ Jesus is built in vain…

Psalms 127:1
(1) A Song of degrees for Solomon. Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Calling Jesus Christ Lord means TOTAL Obedience…
Calling Jesus Christ Lord, Lord and not doing His word is surely building on a foundation of sand…
We are to obey Jesus Christ and not Man, we are accountable to Jesus Christ and His Holy Word and not Man and their religious institutions…

Luke 6:46-49
(46) And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
(47) Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
(48) He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.
(49) But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Count the cost of Obedience To Jesus Christ…
If you build on the Foundation of Christ Jesus, there is no turning back…
There is a cost and a price to pay, which is suffering for Jesus Christ and you, should count the cost before you begin building, there is to salvation without sharing in the sufferings of Jesus Christ…
We are called to suffer for Him as we obey Him and submit to His authority

Luke 14:28-30
(28) For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
(29) Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
(30) Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Our Foundation is Jesus Christ
Our Foundation is Jesus Christ…yet even after choosing the right foundation o which to build, we are warned that we use the right material otherwise our building might not stand the test though we might be saved.
What are you using to build, is it wood, timber, paper, hay, precious stones, silver or gold? Will your works stand the test of fire at the end…that prophetically speaks of these end times when the testing comes?
The Apostle Peter refers to our faith as Gold, and so the material we use should be Gold that will stand the test of the fiery furnace – the fires, the trials, sufferings and tribulations. Our faith being much more precious than Gold, will have to stand the test.

1 Corinthians 3:9-15
(9) For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.
(10) According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
(11) For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
(12) Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
(13) Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
(14) If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
(15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

1 Peter 1:7
(7) That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets…
We are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone.

That means we must walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and live the life Jesus Christ lived on us remembering He lives through us even today.

We follow the example laid by the apostles and prophets, their live and zeal for God in obeying God. This is our True foundation.

Sad to say is the fact that many churches, so-called Christian leaders and “church fathers” of today don’t follow the footsteps of Jesus Christ and they don’t live like He lived and don’t walk as He walked, neither do they emulate the examples laid by the Apostles and Prophets in their total obedience to God regardless of the price they paid.

Today’s church leaders, pastors, denominations, churches and so-called Christians are only interested in money, fame, popularity, power, authority, control, love for the world, and materialism, buying airplanes, New Model SUV, designer clothing, million dollar homes, fat bank accounts, and all the good the world has to offer.

They surely don’t follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and they despise the examples set forth by the apostles and prophets in the bible…such have built on a foundation of sand and for sure, whatever they do will fall apart and crumble to the ground when the storm and time of testing come and which has begun now in the last days…

Jesus Christ is the Foundation and the chief cornerstone. It is He that holds the whole building together…for with out Him, you accomplish nothing…

Ephesians 2:19-22
(19) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
(20) And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
(21) In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
(22) In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

God’s Foundation Stands For Sure…
God’s Foundation Stands for sure…those who hear and do the words of Jesus Christ build of the rock and for sure that house will withstand any storm that even the gates of hell will not be able to prevail against it…

It is the revelation that Jesus Christ is the Son of The Living God…and that means listening to Him and obeying His commandments regardless of the cost…

2 Timothy 2:19
(19) Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Matthew 16:13-20
(13) When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
(14) And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
(15) He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
(16) And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
(17) And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
(18) And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
(19) And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
(20) Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

A City whose Builder and Maker is God…
Abraham our father in Faith looked for a city whose foundations are built and made by God, and that is through Jesus Christ.

We too must live our lives looking for the city whose foundation is built and made by God in Christ Jesus…

Hebrews 11:8-10
(8) By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
(9) By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
(10) For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

For the Heroes of Faith in Hebrews 11 ‘died in faith without receiving the promises’ but afar off, they looked to a city whose foundation is built and made by God in Christ Jesus…

Hebrews 11:13-16
(13) These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
(14) For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
(15) And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
(16) But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 12:22-24
(22) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
(23) To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,
(24) And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

Jesus Christ, The Chief Corner Stone – The Rock of Offence…
Jesus Christ is the Chief Corner Stone and those who rebel against Him; He is the rock of offence and stone of stumbling for all who refuse to obey Him.

Brethren, let us build on the sure foundation, which is Jesus Christ for without Him we can do nothing.

Make no mistake about it, rebellion against Jesus Christ does not pay at all. Disobedience against His word is worthless because Jesus Christ certainly will become a rock of offence to you and a stone of stumbling and sure know that you will be crushed…

1 Peter 2:4-8
(4) To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
(5) Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
(6) Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
(7) Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
(8) And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Brethren, we are in the last days and I ask again….
When the foundations are destroyed what do the righteous do?
What have you to do with foundations of sand?
What have you to do with foundations doomed for destruction?
What is the worth of rebellion against Jesus Christ?

What you can begin to do?
Go before Jesus Christ at the cross
Acknowledge you are a sinner (I am speaking to Christians here)
Repent of all sin in your life
Examine your life according to God’s Word
Repent of all sin and doctrines not based on God’s word
Renew your commitment with Jesus Christ to hear and obey His commands
Read and study God’s Word daily…
Let your Faith in Christ be based on God’s Holy Word
Remember Salvation is personal and not a ‘group thing’…
Work out your Salvation in fear and trembling before a Holy God…
Walk Holy before God
Be filled with The Holy Spirit (You must be filled with the Holy Spirit)
Obey Jesus Christ and His Word regardless of the price, even unto death
Seek to please Christ Jesus Daily
Seek out those True Christians of like mind who you can fellowship…
Fix your eyes on Jesus Christ the author and finisher of your Faith in Him…
Forsake those churches, fellowships, pastors, so-called Christians who walk contrary to God’s Holy Word and only desire to be like the world, Christians who are materialistic, scoff at God’s Word, seek to please the world and Man…
Seek likeminded Christians with whom you can fellowship and encourage one another in God’s Word…remember we are in the last days and deception is rampant and the devil is out deceiving the world including Christians.
So, seek out likeminded Christians who are focused on Jesus Christ and you will grow together in Holiness, love for Christ, Purity and encourage each other in Christ Jesus as we endure sufferings and persecution for Jesus Christ, because for sure it is coming…
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
(14) Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
(15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
(16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
(18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Revelation 18:4
(4) And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

In Christ Jesus
Kato Mivule
Uganda, Africa

The enemy is gathering, so should we.

The enemy is gathering, so should we.
Posted: Tuesday, October 17, 2006
- written by jerry golden

As the battle with the PA Government mostly Hamas continues to escalate in Gaza we keep hearing of the weapons being smuggled into Gaza through the Egyptian Sinai. Now we are told on a daily basis how the Russians are now in Lebanon and training Hezbollah fighters for the next war with Israel.

Iran has more than doubled their support for Hamas and has sent military advisers to train them as well. Syria contrary to what you might be reading or hearing in the news has not put any effort to stopping the flow of weapons (rockets and missiles) to Hezbollah. But what might be the most alarming news is it is now known that over the past few days that both Russian anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft missiles have come into Gaza. The anti-tank weapons are the same that has killed so many IDF soldiers in the recent war in Lebanon. The anti-aircraft missiles are the most serious threat to the nation of Israel, for as I have said so many times in the past, if they are able to shot down one commercial airline full of tourists that will spell the end of air travel into and out of Israel for a very long time, leaving only the possibility of travel by boat.

Isn’t it amazing how God leads us always knowing things we don’t. A few years ago when God gave me the vision to prepare to rescue Jews who will be fleeing from Europe and will need a way to make their way home to Israel. Over the past three years we have seen anti-Semitism in Europe rise to a level not seen sense the Nazis began gathering Jews for the concentration camps. And when we began working towards purchasing a boat to rescue Jews we had no idea that Gaza would be given to our enemies to be used against us much less be armed with anti-aircraft missiles.

I am always amazed when I get an email telling me about doubting my vision back then, but God has shown them they were wrong and have asked my forgiveness, for them I always say my forgiveness is not necessary but your help may be.

We are now working on the larger boat, the deck has been taken off and being replaced at a very high cost to this ministry, there are a few other things that must be done before the boat is 100% sea worthy, but when it is all said and done we were able to buy this boat for less than half it’s real cost.

We are in the process of moving the sailing boat to Turkey to be joined with a fleet of other boats that will be available when the time comes, if we have the finances to purchase the fuel and pay the crew and we are believing that in faith. But the most important thing to be accomplished at this time is the groundwork in Turkey, Cyprus and elsewhere. There is a great need to get the word out in certain places in Europe and all the above takes large sums of money and I am asking you once again to pray. We have come a long way but we are not even close to the finish line.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our son Joel and all the IDF soldiers. Pray for this Ministry and your part in it. Shalom, jerry golden

Presidient Bush just doesn't get it.

Presidient Bush just doesn't get it.
Posted: Sunday, October 15, 2006
- written by jerry golden

Bush extends permission for the PLO to maintain an office in Washington DC. He did this by waving an anti-Terrorist act of 1987 that plainly stated the PLO cannot have an official presence in Washington. The big question is why would he encourage and help Palestinian Terrorists, if he hasn’t agreed to the destruction of Israel? I’ve answered that question many times in the past and each time I’ve been labeled a Bush basher, as if he is the one person in the world we are not allowed to disagree with.

But if that was all that Bush had done this week possibly God could look the other way, but listen to what Rice had to say yesterday: "There could be no greater legacy for America than to help to bring into being a Palestinian state..." Knowing that a Palestinian State would spell the destruction of Israel. Bush has been saying one thing out of one side of his mouth and another out of the other side. I said when the invasion of Iraq started that he put Israel on the table to appease the Islamic Arab World and has been trying to pay that debt to them by his Road Map to hell, and today it is plain as it could possibly be to any one with eyes to see. Rice also knows that Abbas has told Hamas and the Palestinian people that Hamas will not have to recognize Israel, but he tells the western press something quiet different.

But it doesn’t stop there; the Bush Administration is investing over $10 million in arming and training the Palestinian Force 17 Terrorists who are known to have killed many Israelis over the past 5 years, these are Terrorists who are part of the Aksa Martyrs Brigade and have send many suicide bombers into our cities, a force of over 6,500 Palestinians. The previous arming of the Palestinian Force 17 by the US brought Israel so much death and destruction now once again we see the same pattern, this time under the impression of stopping Hamas when many of the Force 17 is in fact known Terrorists and every one knows it. But this time around the US is not in it alone, as they will be trained near Jericho by British Officers. The last time they were trained in the Jericho area by the CIA and US Special Forces.

Now we see the US has already shipped arms this past week to the Palestinians Terrorists stating that it will help Abbas fight the Hamas Terrorists knowing that they are all working together to destroy Israel.

In the meantime on other fronts many here in Israel believe that Syria and Iran are gearing up for a pre-emptive attack on Israel to ward off a US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites. They are encouraged by the success Hezbollah achieved in this last war by Hezbollah as they stood up to the IDF and Israel not achieving any of its goals.

To say that living in this part of the world is like sitting on a power keg would be an understatement. But for those who know God and His Word it would be a terrible mistake to keep their eyes on the natural and not understand that God by His own hand brought us Jews back to this land that He promised our Forefathers and that He will not now or ever forsake us. That God would not call men to prepare to save Jews from a soon coming Holocaust if there would be no Israel for them to come to. Daniel told us that in the end days men would be running to and fro searching for knowledge, and that is what we find ourselves doing today, when we need to be walking in faith believing God to lead us and guide us for in the coming days it is only in Him will we have salvation.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our son Joel and all the IDF soldiers, pray for this Ministry and your part in it. Shalom, jerry golden

The Devil is mad and we should be glad.

The Devil is mad and we should be glad.
Posted: Sunday, October 08, 2006
- written by jerry golden

For Israel peace is a word that always brings more death and destruction. We greet each other with shalom “peace” and leave each other with the same shalom our greatest desire is shalom. All we hear about in the news is peace with these Islamic Arab who call themselves Palestinians and peace with our Islamic Arab neighbors. But what peace means to us here in Israel and to them is not the same thing. For them it means the total destruction of Israel, and for us it means we have to give up more of the land bringing them closer to what they really want, our total destruction. In fact the goal of the Islamic Arabs and the goal of the Devil is the same. They pray for the hidden 12th Imam to come as their messiah, who could very well be the anti-Christ for if you will read of the things he will do it certainly lines up with the anti-Christ but this is something we will see in time. There is no greater threat to the kingdom of this world and the throne of the Devil, than Israel, for it is through Israel and the Jews that God chose to bring the Jewish Messiah, and it is through Israel and the Nation of Israel that He has chosen to bring Him back to us again. And to those who are the Wild Olive Branch and have come to realize the importance of loving and supporting Israel they will find great favor in the eyes of God, for God cannot lie, Gen. 12:3.

It was by the hand of God that the nation of Israel was miraculously reborn according to Bible prophecies. From the ashes of the Holocaust God brought forth His people even revising the Hebrew language once again He gave them a reason to believe in Him and to know that His miracle working powers still existed for them today. For with the horrible deaths in the Nazi camps many were asking where is God, does He really exist. His answer came in the budding of the fig tree and Israel became a nation the greatest fulfillment of end time prophecy of this generation and one that has started the movement of the Ruach Ha Koddesh being felt through out the world by Jews every where and Believers in Yeshua.

But while Believers have been rejoicing in the glory and the Holy Ghost goose-bumps the Devil has been planning his attack on the nation of Israel. And while the Church has been holding their meetings he sit in their midst bringing about replacement theology and man made doctrines that has led many away from God. The Devil has entertained many in soulish ways making them believe it was spiritual while he danced in their midst playing games with their souls.

Few in the “Church” today know of the importance of Israel to God in these end days, and when I cry out for others to join this ministry to help me rescue Jews for another Holocaust is on the horizon in the coming days the majority turn a deaf ear. Showing their anti-Semitism by saying things like “the Jew only wants money” “this Jew wants us to buy him a boat”. But thank God many are hearing from the same Ruach Ha Koddesh (Holy Spirit) that has spoken these commandments to me and they are responding and we will rescue some. For one thing is certain I will never stop trying to do what I know to be a God given vision, and for those who have been touched by the Ruach Ha Koddesh will always be there with me and others in this great ministry.

Today we see the US Navy on the move in this region, with others doing all they can to prepare for what seems to be a great war. But we have seen this happen many times in the past and some how things seems to settle down for a while before they start up again. The real problem and the ones who feed the enemies of God are not the Saudis or the Iranians they are of course evil empires but the supplier of all the weapons of mass destruction is mainly Russia, who has and is building the nuclear reactor in Iran, It was the Russian who supplied the anti-tank weapons that killed the majority of our IDF soldiers, and it is Russia who is offering to build nuclear reactor for Egypt and Syria. While Korea builds missiles only to sell the Islamic Terrorist States and if they get to the point to sell to them nukes they most certainly will.

Once again we see Bush pushing the Saudi Road Map to hell knowing that it spells the destruction of Israel, and sending Rice here to twist the arms of a Sharon crony like Olmert who just gave us our first defeat and not even against a nation but an Iranian backed terrorist group Hezbollah. We hear Assad beating his war drums and others being forced to quietly join in the next attempt to destroy Israel by the Islamic Arab World.

So in the natural things don’t look so good here in Israel, but I have some Good News and it tells me we have time, that terrible things may happen for God will and in fact bring Israel back to Him in such a way that Jews will fall to their faces seeking only to know God and His ways. God will not totally destroy Israel and the Devil will fail once again for his fate has been sealed and his destination is a burning fire for eternity, but you see he also knows this and he is willing to put his best fight, in fact, his last fight. So while we are so concerned over the natural it is the spiritual we need to be concerned with and our obedience to God and His calling on each of us is and should be the thing we are most concerned about, we are talking about eternity here.

In this Ministry we are far short of our goal and your assistance is needed for without your help something will not be accomplished that should have. For you see this is a Body Ministry, God has you reading this not Jerry Golden, you now have two choices, walk away or commit yourself giving as unto God knowing you have done your part.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our son Joel and all the IDF soldiers, pray for this Ministry and your part in it. Shalom, jerry golden

Israel must prepare for Iran to push the button - chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz

Israel must prepare for Iran to push the button - chief of staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz Friday
October 21, 2006, 8:12 PM (GMT+02:00)

Iranian president said earlier there is no reason for Israel “the greatest insult to human dignity” to exist and it would soon disappear. Halutz also warned Israel to prepare for possible war with Syria, whose missile threat to Israel`s population is similar to that of Hizballah. Another of his outrageous speeches was delivered Friday to a pro-Palestinian rally marking the Islami Republic’s “al Qods Day” (Jerusalem Liberation Day). In further inflammatory remarks, Ahmadinejad said “the world knows the US and Britain are enemies of the Iranian nation.” He warned European nations not to harm Iran, saying that if anger in the region boiled over, Europe would get hurt because of its support for Israel. “Europe must distance itself from Israel at once. That is Iran’s ultimatum. “He went on to brand the UN Security Council and its decisions “illegitimate.” DEBKAfile adds: These words amounted to an Iranian threat of harm to the European UN forces deployed in Lebanon unless they left forthwith. His harsh words followed two events: one, the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert’s statement in Moscow this week after he met with Russian leaders: “They need to fear that something that they do not want to happen will happen. In no case, Olmert stressed, “will we reconcile with nuclear arms in Iranian hands. There is no margin for error here.” The other event was the arrival in the Persian Gulf of the giant US carrier Iwo Jima with its Expeditionary Strike Group to join the American naval, air and marine might piling up opposite Iran’s shores. Next week too, the Security Council convenes to discussion a form of sanctions against Iran for refusing to desist from enriching uranium.

DEBKAfile reports: The American Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group joins US build-up opposite Iran

DEBKAfile reports: The American Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group joins US build-up opposite Iran

October 20, 2006, 12:37 PM (GMT+02:00)

Tuesday, Oct. 17, the Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group steamed into the Persian Gulf to join the US naval, air and marine concentration piling up opposite Iran’s shores. It consists of the amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, the guided-missile destroyers USS Cole and USS Bulkeley, the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the attack submarine USS Albuquerque, and the dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island. The Iwo Jima group is now cruising 60 km from Kuwait off Iran’s coast. As DEBKAfile and DEBKA-Net-Weekly reported exclusively two weeks ago, three US naval task forces will be in place opposite Iran in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea by October 21. The other two are the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and the USS Enterprise Strike Group.

DEBKAfile Exclusive: A heavy influx of foreign-based Palestinian, Syrian, Iranian, Lebanese and Hizballah fighters swells Hamas strength for interneci

DEBKAfile Exclusive: A heavy influx of foreign-based Palestinian, Syrian, Iranian, Lebanese and Hizballah fighters swells Hamas strength for internecine showdown

October 22, 2006, 11:05 PM (GMT+02:00)

Senior IDF officers told DEBKAfile that the foreign fighters are slipping into Gaza through large gaps in the Gazan-Egyptian border. Among the arrivals are scores of bomb experts and commando combat instructors. They are coming to augment and upgrade Hamas’ “Rapid Deployment” unit and the Popular Resistance Committees terrorist coalition. Mingled among them are al Qaeda operatives from Sinai. The influx aims to 1. Assure Hamas of a quick victory over Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority security services. The final Hamas-Fatah confrontation is planned to go ahead in both territories straight after the Eid festival Wednesday, Oct.25 and is expected to expand into a full-blown civil war. 2. Position Hizballah-style ambush squads armed with missiles for waylaying Israeli ground units, in the event a large-scale ground offensive is launched to stem Palestinian attacks and the smuggling of upgraded weaponry through the Gaza Strip tunnels. DEBKAfile’s military sources add: Because of the vacillations of the Olmert government, the IDF may have missed the boat for an offensive of this kind being surgical enough to avoid large-scale casualties. This week’s cabinet meeting Sunday Oct. 22 ended again without operational decisions. The rival Palestinian factions are in the midst of a feverish arms-and-recruitment race. In Gaza, Hamas backed by the PRC, the Popular Front and al Qaeda followers has raised an estimated 15,000 recruits. The Iran-backed Jihad Islami is keeping its options open to see which side comes out on top. Hamas’ first ever-enlistment campaign on the West Bank, the traditional Fatah stronghold, has yielded several hundred recruits in its first stage. Several thousand joiners, many of them defectors from Abbas’ Presidential Force 17 and other Fatah frameworks, are to be fielded in a new “Independent Intervention Force.” Hamas scouts are handing out grants of thousands of dollars to defectors. Their object is to deplete the military strength available to Abu Mazen and assemble a military force able to stand up to the Israeli army on the West Bank. To stem the rate of defections, Abbas has recalled the retired former commander of Palestinian forces on the West Bank General Hajj Ismail. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that at this late date, some Israeli military planners are beginning to think that it would be folly for Israel to launch a large-scale ground attack on the Gaza Strip on the eve of a Palestinian civil war, because A. the troops would be walking into a prepared Iranian-Syrian trap, and B. they troops would be caught in the same predicament as US and British forces in Iraq.

AMERICA'S ACUPUNCTURE POINTS
PART 1: Striking the US where it hurts
By Victor N Corpus

Speaking Freely is an Asia Times Online feature that allows guest writers to have their say. Please click here if you are interested in contributing.

A noted Chinese theorist on modern warfare, Chang Mengxiong, compared China's form of fighting to "a Chinese boxer with a keen
knowledge of vital body points who can bring an opponent to his

knees with a minimum of movements". It is like key acupuncture points in ancient Chinese medicine. Puncture one vital point and the whole anatomy is affected. If America ever goes to war with China, say, over Taiwan, then America should be prepared for the following "acupuncture points" in its anatomy to be "punctured". Each of the vital points can bring America to its knees with a minimum of effort.

I Electro-magnetic Pulse (EMP) attack
China and Russia are two potential US adversaries that have the capability for this kind of attack. An EMP attack can either come from an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), a long-range cruise missile, or an orbiting satellite armed with a nuclear or non-nuclear EMP warhead. A nuclear burst of one (or more) megaton some 400 kilometers over central United States (Omaha, Nebraska) can blanket the whole continental US with electro-magnetic pulse in less than one second.

An EMP attack will damage all electrical grids on the US mainland. It will disable computers and other similar electronic devices with microchips. Most businesses and industries will shut down. The entire US economy will practically grind to a halt. Satellites within line of sight of the EMP burst will also be damaged, adversely affecting military command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR). Land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles will be rendered unserviceable in their silos. Anti-ballistic missile defenses will suffer the same fate. In short – total blackout. And American society as we know it will be thrown back to the Dark Ages.

Of course, the US may decide to strike first, but China and Russia now have the means of striking back with submarine-launched ballistic missiles with the same or even more devastating results. But knowing China's strategy of "active defense", when war with the US becomes imminent, China will surely not allow itself to be targeted first. It will seize the initiative as mandated by its doctrine by striking first.

China has repeatedly announced that it will not be the first to use nuclear weapons. But as an old Chinese saying goes: "There can never be too much deception in war." If it means the survival of the whole Chinese nation that is at stake, China will surely not allow a public statement to tie its hands and prevent it from seizing the initiative. As another saying goes: "All is fair in love and war."

2 Cyber attack
America is the most advanced country in the world in the field of information technology (IT). Practically all of its industries, manufacturing, business and finance, telecommunications, key government services and defense establishment rely heavily on computers and computer networks.

But this heavy dependence on computers is a double-edged sword. It has thrust the US economy and defense establishment ahead of all other countries; but it has also created an Achilles' heel that can potentially bring the superpower to its knees with a few keystrokes on a dozen or so laptops.

China's new concept of a "people's war" includes IT warriors coming, not only from its military more than 2-million strong, but from the general citizenry of some 1.3 billion people. If we add the hackers and information warriors from Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, Syria and other countries sympathetic to China, the cyber attack on the US would be formidable indeed.

So, if a major conflict erupts between China and America, more than a few dozen laptops will be engaged to hack America's military establishment; banking system; stock exchange; defense industries; telecommunication system; power grids; water system; oil and gas pipeline system; air traffic and train traffic control systems; C4ISR system, ballistic missile system, and other systems that prop up the American way of life.

America, on the whole, has not adequately prepared itself for this kind of attack. Neither has it prepared itself for a possible EMP attack. Such attacks can bring a superpower like America to its knees with a minimum of movement.

3 Interdiction of US foreign oil supply
America is now 75% dependent on foreign imported oil. About 23.5% of America's imported oil supply comes from the Persian Gulf. To cut off this oil supply, Iran can simply mine the Strait of Hormuz, using bottom-rising sea mines. It is worthwhile to note that Iran has the world's fourth-largest inventory of sea mines, after China, Russia and the US.

Combined with sea mines, Iran can also block the narrow strait with supersonic cruise missiles such as Yakhonts, Moskits, Granits and Brahmos deployed on Abu Musa Island and all along the rugged and mountainous coastline of Iran fronting the Persian Gulf. This single action can bring America to its knees. Not only America but Japan (which derives 90% of its oil supply) and Europe (which derives about 60% of its oil supply from the Persian Gulf ) will be adversely affected.

In the event of a major conflict involving superpower America and its allies (primarily Japan and Britain) on the one hand and China and its allies (primarily Russia and Iran) on the other, Iran's role will become strategically crucial. Iran can totally stop the flow of oil coming from the Persian Gulf. This is the main reason why China and Russia are carefully nurturing intimate economic, cultural, political, diplomatic and military ties with Iran, which at one time was condemned by US President George W Bush as belonging to that "axis of evil", along with Iraq and North Korea.

This is also the reason why Iran is so brave in daring the US to attack it on the nuclear proliferation issue. Iran knows that it has the power to hurt the US. Without oil from the Gulf, the war machines of the US and its principal allies will literally run out of gas.

A single blow from Iran or China or Russia, or a combination of the three at the Strait of Hormuz can paralyze America. In addition, Chinese and Russian submarines can stop the flow of oil to the US and Japan by interdicting oil tanker traffic coming from the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. On the other hand, US naval supremacy will have minimal effect on China's oil supply because it is already connected to Kazakhstan with a pipeline and will soon be connected to Russia and Iran as well.

One wonders: what will be the price of oil if Iran blocks the Strait of Hormuz. It will surely drive oil prices sky high. Prolonged high oil prices can, in turn, trigger inflation in the US and a sharp decline of the dollar, possibly even a dollar free-fall. The collapse of the dollar will have a serious impact on the entire US economy.

This brings us to the next "acupuncture point" in the US anatomy: dollar vulnerability.

4 Attack on the US dollar
One of the pillars propping up US superpower status and worldwide economic dominance is the dollar being accepted as the predominant reserve currency. Central banks of various countries have to stock up dollar reserves because they can only buy their oil requirements and other major commodities in US dollars.

This US economic strength, however, is a double-edged sword and can turn out to be America's economic Achilles' heel. A run of the US dollar, for instance, which would cause a dollar free-fall, can bring the entire US economy toppling down.

What is frightening for the US is the fact that China, Russia and Iran possess the power to cause a run on the US dollar and force its collapse.

China is now the biggest holder of foreign exchange reserves in the world, accumulating $941 billion as of June 30 and expected to exceed a trillion dollars by the end of 2006 - a first in world history. A decision by China to shift a major portion of its reserve to the euro or the yen or gold could trigger other central banks to follow suit. Nobody would want to be left behind holding a bagfull of dollars rapidly turning worthless. The herd psychology would be very difficult to control in this case because national economic survival would be at stake.

This global herd psychology motivated by the survival instinct will be strongly reinforced by the latent anger of many countries in the Middle East, Eurasia, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America that silently abhor the pugnacious arrogance displayed by the lone Superpower in the exercise of its unilateral and militaristic foreign policies. They will just be too happy to dump the dollar and watch the lone Superpower squirm and collapse.

The danger of the dollar collapsing is reinforced by the mounting US current account deficit, which sky-rocketed to $900 billion at an annual rate in the fourth quarter of 2005. This figure is 7% of US gross domestic product (GDP), the largest in US history. The current account deficit reflects the imbalance of US imports to its exports. The large imbalance shows that the US economy is losing its competitiveness, with US jobs and incomes suffering as a result.

These record deficits in external trade and current accounts mean that the US has to borrow from foreign lenders (mostly Japan and China) $900 billion annually or nearly $2.5 billion every single day to finance the gap between payments and receipts from the rest of the world. In financial year 2005, $352 billion was spent on interest payment of national debt alone - a national debt that has ballooned to $8.5 trillion as of August 24.

The International Monetary Fund has warned: "The US is on course to increase its net external liabilities to around 40% of its GDP within the next few years - an unprecedented level of external debt for a large industrial country."

The picture of the US federal budget deficit is equally grim. Dennis Cauchon, writing for USA Today said:
The federal government keeps two sets of books. The set the government promotes to the public has a healthier bottom line: a $318 billion deficit in 2005. The set the government doesn't talk about is the audited financial statement produced by the government's accountants following standard accounting rules. It reports a more ominous financial picture: a $760 billion deficit for 2005. If social security and medicare were included - as the board that sets accounting rules is considering - the federal deficit would have been $3.5 trillion. Congress has written its own accounting rules - which would be illegal for a corporation to use because they ignore important costs such as the growing expense of retirement benefits for civil servants and military personnel. Last year, the audited statement produced by the accountants said the government ran a deficit equal to $6,700 for every American household. The number given to the public put the deficit at $2,800 per household ... The audited financial statement - prepared by the Treasury Department - reveals a federal government in far worse financial shape than official budget reports indicate, a USA Today analysis found. The government has run a deficit of $2.9 trillion since 1997, according to the audited number. The official deficit since then is just $729 billion. The difference is equal to an entire year's worth of federal spending.
The huge US current account and trade deficits, the mounting external debt and the ever-increasing federal budget deficits are clear signs of an economy on the edge. They have dragged the dollar to the brink of the precipice. Such a state of economic affairs cannot be sustained for long, and the stability of the dollar is put in grave danger. One push and the dollar will plunge into free-fall. And that push can come from China, Russia or Iran, whom superpower America has been pushing and bullying all along.

We have seen what China can do. How can Russia or Iran, in turn, cause a dollar downfall? On September 2, 2003, Russia and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement on oil and gas cooperation. Russia and Saudi Arabia have agreed "to exercise joint control over the dynamics of prices for raw materials on foreign markets". The two biggest oil and gas producers, in cooperation, say, with Iran, could control oil production and sales to keep the price of oil relatively high. Sustained high oil prices, in turn, could trigger a high inflation rate in the US and put extreme pressure on the already weak dollar to trigger a more rapid decline.

Russia is now the world's biggest energy supplier, surpassing Saudi Arabia in energy exports measured in barrel oil equivalent or boe (13.3 million boe per day for Russia vs 10 million boe per day for Saudi Arabia). Russia has the biggest gas reserves in the world. Iran, on the other hand, runs second in the world to Russia in gas reserves, and also ranks among the top oil producers. If and when either Russia or Iran, or both, shift away from a rapidly declining dollar in energy transactions, many oil producers will follow suit. These include Venezuela, Indonesia, Norway, Sudan, Nigeria and the Central Asian Republics.

There is a good chance that even Saudi Arabia and the other oil-exporting countries in the Middle East may follow suit. They wouldn't want to be left with fast-shrinking dollars when the shift from petro-dollar to euro-dollar occurs. Again, the herd psychology will come into play, and the US will eventually be left with a dollar that is practically worthless. Considering the strong anti-American sentiments in the world caused by American unilateralism, especially in the Middle East, a concerted effort to dump the dollar in favor of the euro becomes even more plausible.

When the dollar was removed from the gold standard in August 1971, the dollar gained its strength through its use as the currency of choice in oil transactions. Once the dollar is rejected in favor of the euro or another currency for global oil transactions, the dollar will rapidly lose its value and central banks all over the world will be racing to diversify to other currencies. The shift from petro-dollar to petro-euro will have a devastating effect on the dollar. It could cause the dollar to collapse; and the whole US economy crushing down with it - a scene reminiscent of the collapse of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. But this one will be a thousand times more devastating.

A successful assault on the US dollar will make America crawl on its knees with a minimum of movements. And this assault can come from China, Russia or Iran - or a combination of the three - if they ever decide that they have had enough of US bullying.

5 Diplomatic isolation
In 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed from its own weight, the US emerged as the sole superpower in the world. At that crucial period, it would have been a great opportunity for the US to establish its global leadership and dominance worldwide. With the world's biggest economy, its control of international financial institutions, its huge lead in science and technology (specially information technology) and its unequaled military might, America could have seized the moment to establish a truly American Century.

But in the critical years after 1991, America had to make a choice between two divergent approaches to the use of its almost unlimited power: soft power or hard power. The exercise of soft power would have seen America leading the world in the fight against poverty, disease, drugs, environmental degradation, global warming and other ills plaguing humankind.

It would have pushed America in leading the move to address the debt burden of poor, undeveloped or developing countries; promoting distance learning in remote rural areas to empower the poor economically by providing them access to quality education; and helped poor countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America build highways, railways, ports, airports, hospitals, schools and telecommunication systems.

Unfortunately, such was not to be. If there was any effort at the exercise of soft power at all, it was minimal. In fact, it is not America which is practicing soft power in diplomacy but a rising power in the East - China. China has been busy in the past decade or so exercising soft power in almost all countries in Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East, winning most of the countries in these regions to its side. Through the use of soft power, China has created a de facto global united front under its silent, low-key leadership.

The US, on the other hand, decided to employ mainly hard power in the exercise of its global power. It adapted the policy of unilateralism and militarism in its foreign policy. It discarded the United Nations and even the advice of close allies. It unilaterally discarded signed international treaties (such as the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty). It adapted the policy of regime change and preventive war. It led the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the 78-day bombing of Serbia purportedly for "humanitarian" reasons. It invaded Afghanistan and Iraq without UN sanctions and against the advice of key European allies like France and Germany.

The US-led war in Iraq was a tactical victory for the US initially, but has resulted in strategic defeat overall. The Iraq war caused the US to lose its principal allies in Europe and be isolated, despised and hated in many parts of the world. Without too many friends and allies, the US is likened to an "emperor with no clothes".

So in a major conflict between America and China, isolated America cannot possibly win against a global united front led by China and Russia.

This brings us to the question of alliances, another "acupuncture point" in the anatomy of the superpower, which will be addressed in the second part of this report.

Tomorrow, Part 2: Faced with a China-Russia-Iran triumvirate

Victor N Corpus is a retired brigadier general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP); former chief of the Intelligence Service, AFP; and holds a master's degree in public administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.