Rejection of Lisbon would generate 'wrangling' at EU level, says Miliband

Tony Blair is the red hot favorite to be appointed as the full time president of the EU once the Lisbon Treaty is approved.

It must be remembered that even though the Lisbon Treaty must be approved before the EU constitution can come into effect as from the 01st of January 2010 and that it was Tony Blair who confirmed a treaty between the warring factions in Ireland and settled the decade’s long conflict over there.

Statement: the Lisbon Treaty will be approved and Tony Blair will receive the appointee the full time president of the EU!

Quote: REJECTION OF the Lisbon Treaty in the October referendum would generate further “institutional wrangling” at European level and lead to a reduction in the number of commissioners, British foreign secretary David Miliband said in Dublin yesterday.

And in response to a question about Tony Blair’s suitability to become president of the European Council, he said the former prime minister would be an “excellent” choice, but added that the position could not come into existence unless Lisbon was ratified.

Speaking at a joint press conference at Leinster House with Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, he said: “The eyes of Europe will be on Ireland in the early part of October. Obviously it’s now for the Irish people to decide how to vote in the referendum. As you know, the position of the British government is very, very clear and the British parliament is very, very clear as well, that the Lisbon Treaty is good for Europe, we think it’s good for Britain and now it’s for you to decide whether or not you want it for Ireland and therefore for the rest of Europe as well.”

Asked about the implications of a second rejection of Lisbon in October, he said: “Obviously we would then have to try to live under Nice, and as you know, the Nice treaty requires a reduction in the number of commissioners, it doesn’t specify how many, but essentially if we don’t have the Lisbon Treaty we will return to institutional wrangling which has been the enemy of European progress over the last seven years.”

In the light of reported opposition by Spain and Sweden, which currently holds the EU presidency, to having Tony Blair as President of the European Council, which would be established on a long-term basis if the Lisbon Treaty were passed, Mr Miliband was asked about his own attitude to Mr Blair as a possible president.

“I think he’d be an excellent president but there isn’t a vacancy at the moment because there isn’t a post and there won’t be a post unless there is a Lisbon Treaty. In my experience, there’s a lot of respect for Tony Blair around the world, never mind around Europe. He’s made his own contribution to Anglo-Irish relations, which I think is distinctive.

“But he’d be the first to say that there isn’t a vacancy at the moment, because there’s no job.”

Commenting on the recent arrests of British embassy staff in Tehran, he said: “The solidarity that’s been shown by the whole of the European Union, all 27 countries, on this issue of the arrest of the hardworking diplomats who are of Iranian origin but work for the British embassy in Tehran, is much appreciated.” Asked if he could see a time when himself and Mr Martin would be greeting each other at prime ministerial level, Mr Miliband said: “If you start thinking about other people’s jobs, you’re not focusing on your own job and I think we’re both focusing on our own jobs.”

Mr Martin said the two ministers had discussed the forthcoming Lisbon referendum, the arrest of British embassy personnel which Mr Martin described as “absolutely unacceptable” and the situation in Burma in the light of UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon’s impending visit there tomorrow. They also had “a brief overview of the Northern Ireland situation, particularly in the aftermath of the European elections and the range of issues that has emerged since then, in terms of devolution of policing, but also in welcoming of course the decision of loyalist paramilitaries to decommission their arms”. End of quote

The Rapture of the Church -- this is a mid tribulation Rapture blog for the reasons stated below.

There are three theories relating to the Rapture of the Church, the pre, mid and the post all being centered on the signing of the treaty of Daniel Chapter 9 Verse 27.

[Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for ONE WEEK : and in the MIDST of the WEEK he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.]

That is not to say that any of the theories relating to the Rapture of the Church do not have sound scriptural doctrine to support their beliefs.

I was talking to some fellow believers witnessing in the streets today and we began to talk about that very subject – the Rapture of the Church.

I was asked if I believed in the Rapture, and I said I did.

Their next question was do you believe in the pre-tribulation Rapture theory, to which I replied I do not believe in any of the theories relating to the Rapture of the Church, and that I thought the Rapture could happen anytime.

The person that I was talking to then said do you know that more than 80% of believers think the Christians must be gone from the earth before the Antichrist can be revealed and the treaty of Daniel signed.

If he’s right in saying that (which I believe he is) then what is to hold the Antichrist back from being revealed if the majority of Christians themselves think they must be gone from the earth before he can come forth?

No matter evidence is presented as proof that any particular individual is the Beast they will not believe it simply because they are still here on the earth and haven’t been raptured.

Accordingly, as there is only a very small group of those that do not believe in any theories, or believe in the mid or post theories relating to the Rapture their voice would not be loud enough for anyone to take notice of.

As that is the case, there is nothing, or very little, to hold the Antichrist back if the greater part of Church and indeed the Christians believe that they have to be taken from the earth for the Antichrist to reveal himself, just as the prpohecies themselves said would be the case .

Therefore, it will be the majority of the Christians themselves who will allow the Antichrist to come forth and not necessarily the pagans, although they will also bow down and worship the Beast.

We truly are living in the last days, and just when most feel safe and secure that’s when the slaughter will begin, so don’t say what happened?

Arabs vow to support Obama's Mideast peace drive

CAIRO— Arab foreign ministers vowed on Wednesday to support US President Barack Obama's Middle East peace efforts but said that normalisation with Israel depends on a halt to its settlement activity.

Arab countries "are prepared to deal positively with the proposals of President Obama to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict," they said in a statement after a meeting at Arab League headquarters in Cairo.

They vowed to "take the necessary steps to support the American effort based on achieving comprehensive peace and the creation of a sovereign, independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital."

Obama has made relaunching the Middle East peace process a top priority, pledging a "new beginning" for Islam and America in a landmark speech to the world's Muslims delivered in Cairo earlier this month.

He has also bluntly called for Israel to halt settlement activity on Palestinian land while urging Arabs to move closer to making peace with Israel.

The Arab ministers in Cairo did not spell out the steps they planned to take but said that in order to normalise relations with Israel, the Jewish state "must put a complete stop to settlement activity including in east Jerusalem."

Arab League chief Amr Mussa said Arabs were prepared to reconsider dealing with Israel "because there is now an American administration which has since day one expressed its seriousness in ending the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"This therefore requires us to move seriously and to take international positions in consideration," Mussa told a news conference after the talks.

"We give importance to the serious and balanced proposal put forward by President Obama" although "we consider statements by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu as unacceptable."

In a key policy speech earlier this month, Netanyahu for the first time mentioned the creation of a Palestinian state, but said it had to be demilitarized.

He also said the Palestinians must recognise the Jewish character of Israel and ruled out a halt to all Jewish settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

The Arab ministers' statement comes just two weeks after US envoy George Mitchell called on Arab states to take "meaningful steps and important actions" to make peace with Israel.

"We are working hard to achieve our objective, a comprehensive peace in the Middle East," Mitchell said during a trip to Egypt.

This includes "peace between Israel and its other immediate neighbours and full normalisation of relations between Israel and all of the Arab nations as contemplated by the Arab peace initiative," he said.

The 2002 initiative, backed by all 22 members of the Arab League, offers Israel full normalisation in return for a withdrawal from territory occupied in the 1967 Middle East war, a Palestinian state and an equitable solution to the Palestinian refugee problem.

A meeting between Mitchell and Netanyahu scheduled for Wednesday was called off because of disagreements over settlement growth, Israeli media reported.

Officials close to Netanyahu said he had called off the meeting and denied an Israeli newspaper report that Washington had cancelled it over Israel's refusal to halt "natural growth" in the settlements.

Italy backs Netanyahu's peace plans

ROME— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got a warm and supportive welcome Tuesday from Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, while postponing a potentially less comfortable meeting with President Barack Obama's Mideast envoy.

At a joint news conference after talks lasting about two hours, Berlusconi endorsed Netanyahu's plan for a future demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes Israel as a "Jewish state." That means that Palestinians must give up any notion of refugees who left what is now Israel — or their millions of descendants — resettling in their former homes.

And although the U.S. says emphatically that Israel must call an immediate halt to all forms of Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank, Berlusconi was more gentle, speaking only of the need for Israel "to send signals" on stopping settlement.

"It was a very warm welcome," an upbeat Netanyahu briefed Israel-based journalists traveling with him after the Berlusconi meeting. "It would be hard to find a better friend."

Both men also discussed Israel's concerns about what many Western countries say are Iran's nuclear arms ambitions.

Italy is perhaps Israel's greatest ally in Europe, but at the same time is Iran's No. 1 European trading partner, accounting for about 26 percent of total import-export trade between EU countries and Tehran.

Last year alone, Italian imports from Iran amounted to euro4.1 billion ($5.73 billion) and Italian exports amounted to euro1.8 billion, according to the Italy-Iranian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Standing next to Netanyahu, Berlusconi said Italy's economic ties to Tehran had always had the blessing of Israel and the U.S., and would continue as long as Washington approved.

Both leaders said they discussed at length the situation in Iran following the disputed June 12 election that returned hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power. Opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi says he was the true winner, and his supporters have protested for days to demand a new election.

Netanyahu said the violent crackdown on the protesters "shows the true nature of this regime" that is making governments everywhere reassess their relations with Tehran.

"I believe that the courage shown by the people of Iran in facing bullets in the streets for the sake of freedom is something that deserves the salute of free men and women everywhere," he said.

Making his first European tour since taking office, Netanyahu flies to Paris on Wednesday for talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy who says he is a firm supporter of Israel but nevertheless has also called for "an immediate and complete halt to settlement."

In addition, he insists that Israel must cede sovereignty over parts of Jerusalem claimed by the Palestinians, something that is anathema to Netanyahu and his right-wing political partners at home.

While in the French capital Netanyahu had been due to also meet the U.S. Middle East peace envoy, former Sen. George Mitchell, who analysts and Israeli officials had expected to press Israel on the settlement issue.

But Netanyahu aides accompanying him in Rome said Defense Minister Ehud Barak would instead travel to Washington next week to hold talks with Mitchell.

A statement read out to reporters said the Netanyahu-Mitchell meeting was being postponed until after the talks with Barak in order to "clarify issues."

Netanyahu says he will not allow construction of new settlements nor allow existing enclaves to expand beyond their current boundaries but he is not prepared to stop building within existing communities.

He says that the ultimate fate of settlements should be dealt with negotiations for a final, lasting peace agreement with the Palestinians and that in the meantime a compromise with the Americans can be found.

"Can we reach agreement on the settlement issue? Yes, if there is a will," he told reporters.

Cash is rapidly becoming extinct as the popularity and the accessibility of micro-chips takes off!

From the Cutting Edge Ministries website: Rev 13:16-18 requires a cashless economy, a fact which has puzzled Bible Scholars for centuries, but now it is coming quickly. Bank bosses foresee the "death of cash".

NEWS BRIEF: "Cash to become extinct as micro-chips take off", News.com.au, June 15, 2009

"CASH is accelerating down the path to extinction as new technologies threaten to mark the end of loose change within a decade. Bank and credit union bosses say cash won't be alone, with wallets and credit cards also likely to disappear too .... cash and cards will be replaced by computer chips embedded in mobile phones, watches or other portable devices."

Once people are conditioned thoroughly as to how convenient it is to "buy and sell" without cash using micro-chips embedded within "mobile phones, watches and other portable devices", they will quickly and easily accept micro-chips embedded within the skin, just as the Book of Revelation foretells.

After all, "mobile phones, watches or other portable devices" can easily be stolen! We believe this argument will be effectively used during the time when Antichrist and his False Prophet are preparing to implement his "Mark of the Beast" global ritual. What kind of time frame do these titans of industry expect the world to go completely cashless?

"Australian Central chief executive Peter Evers believes cash will be replaced for most transactions in five-to-seven years. 'Cash will disappear as there will be other forms of carrying cash, stored value in your phone or whatever it might be. It will transfer automatically', he said."

This phenomenon is also global.
"We're very close in countries around the world. If you go in to Hong Kong or Singapore, the low-value transactions have already disappeared. You can't go anywhere, like on public transport, without pre-purchasing a card. Banks general manager strategy and operations Chris Ward expects Australia to follow the offshore lead, with small cash transactions disappearing first. 'So you can't go and buy a bottle of water from the deli with cash; you've got to go and buy it with your chip', he said"

Small cash transactions have usually been considered to be the most problematic in terms of the entire world moving to a cashless system. After all, experts believe that paying cash to a young boy to mow your lawn will be the very last type of transaction to disappear. But, today's experts are telling us that it is this very type of transaction which is disappearing first!

Clearly, this prophecy of a cashless economy at the time of Antichrist is proceeding along the same general timelines of other prophecies.

Truly, we live in exciting times, as we are seeing the stage set for prophecy fulfillment all the time in our Daily News. Dedicated Christians of old longed to see this type of fulfillment, but passed away, not seeing it develop during their lifetime.

EU leaders reach deal for Lisbon Treaty as Sarkozy accuses Brown of caving into Brussels power-grab

Irish PM Brian Cowen, pictured with Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi, wants to hold a re-run of the poll.

The controversial EU constitution is set to come into force by next January after a deal was reached with Ireland in Brussels today.

EU leaders agreed to offer a number of concessions to Ireland's leaders so they can persuade voters to back the Lisbon Treaty in a new referendum later this year.

The news came as French President Nicholas Sarkozy boasted that the EU's powerful new financial regulators will exert unprecedented control over the City of London.

Mr Sarkozy accused Prime Minister Gordon Brown of caving into the Brussels power-grab over Britain's financial centre following a meeting of EU leaders.

His provocative comments are set to infuriate the Prime Minister, who earlier insisted he had fought off attempts for the European institutions to override decisions made by the British Government.

The two new bodies - the European Systemic Risk Council and European System of Financial Supervisors - which will be in charge of regulating and supervising banks across the continent.
But there have been concerns that the bodies would be able to give orders to countries - for instance, to bail out a failing bank.

Critical: Nicholas Sarkozy has accused Gordon Brown of caving into the Brussels power-grab over Britain's financial centre

The summit conclusions, agreed by the European Council, stresses "that decisions taken by the European Supervisory Authorities should not impinge in any way on the fiscal responsibilities of member states".

But they also agree that the bodies will have 'binding and proportionate decision-making powers (over) whether (national) supervisors are meeting their requirements under a single rule book and relevant (EU) law".

The Irish people threw the EU into disarray last June by rejecting the Lisbon Treaty - which critics say is the EU constitution in all but name.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen wants to hold a re-run of the poll in the first week of October and there is widespread expectation that voters will back the Treaty second time round.

In a classic Brussels fudge, Mr Cowen won legal guarantees that the EU will not be able to override Irish policy on the military, tax and abortion.

But the guarantees will not be ratified by member states until long after the Treaty comes into force - meaning that Tory leader David Cameron will be in the awkward position of having to steer them onto the statute books if the Conservatives win the next election.

The Conservatives are opposed to the Lisbon Treaty and have promised to hold a referendum on the Treaty if it has not been ratified by the time they win power.

If the Irish public vote 'yes' and the final remaining countries complete the ratification process, EU leaders hope that the Lisbon Treaty will come into force by January 1, 2010.

Ireland's financial circumstances have weakened considerably since the referendum 'No' vote last year, meaning that voters will be more reluctant to upset EU allies by rejecting the Treaty for a second time.

One of the most controversial aspects of the Treaty is the creation of an unelected EU President - a post which former Prime Minister Tony Blair is in the front-running for.

The British public have been denied the chance to vote on the Treaty, which is almost identical to the EU constitution, despite a Labour pledge to hold a vote at the last general election.

Mr Brown insisted that the Irish guarantees will not affect the Treaty - which has already been ratified by the House of Commons.

He said: 'The guarantees are specific to Ireland. The summit conclusions set out the fact that the protocol does not change the relationship between the European Union and the member states, and that the protocol clarifies but does not change the content and application of the Treaty.'

The Irish protocol will become part of the next EU Treaty change when Croatia joins the Union.

This is expected in the next couple of years.

Supporters of the treaty - a complex set of institutional changes aimed at making the enlarged EU more efficient - were keen to avoid any new round of referendums on it, after years of negotiations.

Mideast peace deal could happen 'within year': Blair

To herald the return of the Lord Jesus Christ back onto the earth -- Christians are looking for a seven year Middle East peace treaty confirmed by the Antichrist.

The correct verse for this is Daniel Chapter 9, Verse 27. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Now the prime suspect for the correct identity of the Antichrist and head of the international quartet of four towards Middle East peace, Tony Blair, has come forth just yesterday and said that such a deal may be possible within a year

LONDON (AFP) — A Middle East peace deal is possible "within the year," but only if all sides agree to peaceful negotiations, international envoy Tony Blair says in comments to be aired Friday.

The former British premier said there was a "great sense of hope and expectation" in the region after US President Barack Obama's recent speech on relations between the West and the Islamic world.
"If President Obama gets the right partner, on the Israeli side but also on the Palestinian side, his determination to do this I have no doubt about at all," he told interviewer David Frost.

He said Obama has made the Middle East a clear priority. "I have no doubt at all of his sincerity or his determination," he said on Frost over the World, on Al Jazeera's English-language channel.

"So if everyone would commit themselves to a peaceful political negotiation to a two-state solution, you could have this deal within the year. But people have got to be prepared to commit to it."

Obama pledged a "new beginning" for Islam and America in a landmark speech to the world's Muslims made in Cairo earlier this month, fueling hopes of diplomatic progress after his predecessor George W. Bush's departure.

That was followed by a major speech by Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu last weekend, in which he offered a conditional acceptance of a Palestinian state, in a break with his right-wing Likud party's ideology.

"I think the Obama speech was really a huge event... I think this was a very big moment, a vital moment, for the region and for the wider world," said Blair, adding: "I think there is a great sense of hope and expectation."

But he added: "The important thing is to understand that President Obama doesn’t need cheerleaders, he needs partners. He needs people who are going to help him achieve what he wants."

Blair said Netanyahu's speech was a "step forward," but acknowledged there was criticism.

"From the outside they're going to be skeptical, some cynical, some worried: 'Well what does this really mean?' and 'Are we going to be able to make progress on a basis that is acceptable to the Palestinian people?'," he said.

"And that's obviously still to be decided.

"So my view is, yes in that sense it is a step forward and now we've got to wait and see what actually happens.

Netanyahu Peace Speech: Israeli Prime Minister Appeals to Arab Leaders For Peace

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech at Bar-Ilan University in Ramat Gan near Tel Aviv, Sunday, June 14, 2009. Netanyahu on Sunday called for creation of a limited Palestinian state for the first time, saying it would have to be disarmed. Netanyahu made the call during a major policy speech about his Mideast peacemaking intentions. (AP Photo/Baz Ratner, Pool)

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed a Palestinian state beside Israel for the first time on Sunday, reversing himself under U.S. pressure but attaching conditions such as having no army that the Palestinians swiftly rejected.

A week after President Barack Obama's address to the Muslim world, Netanyahu said the Palestinian state would also have to recognize Israel as the Jewish state _ essentially saying Palestinian refugees must give up the goal of returning to Israel.

With those conditions, he said, he could accept "a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state."

The West Bank-based Palestinian government dismissed the proposal.

"Netanyahu's speech closed the door to permanent status negotiations," senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat said. "We ask the world not to be fooled by his use of the term Palestinian state because he qualified it. He declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel, said refugees would not be negotiated and that settlements would remain."

Netanyahu, in an address seen as his response to Obama, refused to heed the U.S. call for an immediate freeze of construction on lands Palestinians claim for their future state. He also said the holy city of Jerusalem must remain under Israeli sovereignty.

The White House said Obama welcomed the speech as an "important step forward."

Netanyahu's address was a dramatic transformation for a man who was raised on a fiercely nationalistic ideology and has spent a two-decade political career criticizing peace efforts.

Story continues below.
“”I call on you, our Palestinian neighbors, and to the leadership of the Palestinian Authority: Let us begin peace negotiations immediately, without preconditions," he said, calling on the wider Arab world to work with him.”Let's make peace. I am willing to meet with you any time any place _ in Damascus, Riyadh, Beirut and in Jerusalem."

Since assuming office in March, Netanyahu has been caught between American demands to begin peace talks with the Palestinians and the constraints of a hardline coalition. On Sunday, he appeared to favor Israel's all-important relationship with the U.S. at the risk of destabilizing his government.

But his call for establishing a Palestinian state was greeted with lukewarm applause among the audience at Bar-Ilan University, known as a bastion of the Israeli right-wing establishment.

As Netanyahu spoke, two small groups of protesters demonstrated at the university's entrance.

Several dozen hard-liners held up posters showing Obama wearing an Arab headdress and shouted slogans against giving up West Bank territory. Across from them, a few dozen dovish Israelis and foreign backers chanted slogans including "two states for two peoples" and "stop the occupation."

Police kept the two groups apart.
The Palestinians demand all of the West Bank as part of a future state, with east Jerusalem as their capital. Israel captured both areas in the 1967 Mideast war.

Netanyahu, leader of the hardline Likud Party, has always resisted withdrawing from these lands, for both security and ideological reasons. In his speech, he repeatedly made references to Judaism's connection to the biblical Land of Israel.

"Our right to form our sovereign state here in the land of Israel stems from one simple fact. The Land of Israel is the birthplace of the Jewish people," he said.

But Netanyahu also said that Israel must recognize that millions of Palestinians live in the West Bank, and continued control over these people is undesirable. "In my vision, there are two free peoples living side by side each with each other, each with its own flag and national anthem," he said.

Netanyahu has said he fears the West Bank could follow the path of the Gaza Strip _ which the Palestinians also claim for their future state. Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, and Hamas militants now control the area, often firing rockets into southern Israel.

"In any peace agreement, the territory under Palestinian control must be disarmed, with solid security guarantees for Israel," he said.

"If we get this guarantee for demilitarization and necessary security arrangements for Israel, and if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people, we will be willing in a real peace agreement to reach a solution of a demilitarized Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state," he said.

Netanyahu became the latest in a series of Israeli hard-liners to soften their positions after assuming office. Earlier this decade, then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon led Israel out of Gaza before suffering a debilitating stroke. His successor, Ehud Olmert, spoke eloquently of the need to withdraw from the West Bank, though a corruption scandal a disastrous war in Lebanon prevented him from carrying out that vision.

Netanyahu gave no indication as to how much captured land he would be willing to relinquish. However, he ruled out a division of Jerusalem, saying, "Israel's capital will remain united."

Netanyahu also made no mention of uprooting Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Nearly 300,000 Israelis live in the West Bank, in addition to 180,000 Israelis living in Jewish neighborhoods built in east Jerusalem. He also said that existing settlements should be allowed to grow _ a position opposed by the U.S.

"We have no intention to build new settlements or expropriate land for expanding existing settlements. But there is a need to allow residents to lead a normal life. Settlers are not the enemy of the nation and are not the enemy of peace _ they are our brothers and sisters," he said.

Netanyahu also said the Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state. The Palestinians have refused to do so, fearing it would amount to giving up the rights of millions of refugees and their descendants and discriminate against Israel's own Arab minority.

Although the Palestinians have agreed to demilitarization under past peace proposals, Erekat rejected it, saying it would cement Israeli rule over them.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh, another Palestinian official, called on the U.S. to challenge Netanyahu "to prevent more deterioration in the region."

"What he has said today is not enough to start a serious peace process," he added.

In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called the speech "racist" and called on Arab nations "form stronger opposition" toward Israel. Hamas ideology does not recognize a Jewish state in an Islamic Middle East and the group has sent dozens of suicide bombers into Israel. Netanyahu also came under criticism from within his own government _ a coalition of religious and nationalistic parties that oppose Palestinian independence.

Zevulun Orlev, a member of the Jewish Home Party, which represents Jewish settlers and other hard-liners, said Netanyahu's speech violated agreements struck when the government was formed. "I think the coalition needs to hold a serious discussion to see where this is headed," he told Israel Radio.

Mubarak: Two-state solution is coming; Netanyahu will concede

Bethlehem – Ma’an – A two-state solution is coming sooner or later, said Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday following a flurry of political activity in the region.Earlier the same day US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell affirmed US administration policy in the West Bank, saying he intends to stress a settlement freeze and push for a two-state solution. Mitchell expressed similar sentiments to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday. During an interview on Egypt TV, Mubarak commented on the latest developments, noting that he had expressed his determination for a two-state solution to Netanyahu when they were in Sharm Ash-Sheikh earlier this year. Mubarak said Netanyahu had not refused the idea at the time. Mubarak explained his interest in achieving a just solution to the Palestinian case, saying stability and peace for Palestinians meant stability in the region, including Egyptians. The Egyptian leader also spoke about his meeting with US President Barack Obama, noting that the leader promised that Israel would “lend a hand” in the halt of settlement construction. He also mentioned, however, that Palestinians must help by achieving unity.

Is there life after death—the Ian McCormack testimony?

Even though the subject matter of life after death is not a really a very healthy subject, yet, it still has to be dealt with in a manner that is sane and rational. As this blog is all about leading the readers of these articles on to eternal salvation by being washed under the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ through repentance, and even though it is not really all that wise to dwell too heavily on the subject matter of death, for the sake of this article, and for the specific reason stated above, it is my intention to do so here.

Before we continue on, you may come to a point of repentance, and thus salvation, right now, in the privacy of your own home, by simply clicking onto the How to be Saved page on the side of this site and then by reciting the believers prayer of repentance formatted therein, go on, do it now, before it is too late.

For those persons that are Born Again into the living spirit the prospect of life after death can be extremely exciting, for it is for certain, that after we do indeed have the death experience, we are guaranteed, that, even though the life has passed from our body, and the corpse will be placed into the ground, or incinerated, our spirits will still live on, and will be elevated up into Heaven to be with the Lord Jesus Christ for an eternity, and we will experience eternal life, or life without ending, and what a glorious prospect the thought of that is.

On the other hand, those that are not Born Again into the spirit the prospect of death is not so rosy. For those whose names have not been put down in the Lambs Book of Life the Lord cannot allow to enter into his kingdom, and even though the non believer may be shown the tunnel and the entrance to Heaven, the Lord has no other option other than to send them back down into the darkness of the tunnel, and into eternal hellfire - to there remain forever.

Most of these non believers are of the atheist, or agonist, variety and because they do not believe in the existence of a God, nor do they also believe in the existence of both Heaven and Hell.

Nevertheless, those that are of the aforementioned variety, atheist, or agonist, will not remain in their current state of non belief forever, for after having experienced death and they are sent into the burning Lake of Fire to there remain forever, and it will be at that point that they will suddenly become very interested in God.

Unfortunately, when that stage has been reached it is too late, far too late, for repentance, and there, in that state of eternal torment they must remain for a time without end.

For beginners, I have no doubts whatsoever that there is life after death, and here in a very concise manner is just how most would have described their (NDE’s) near death experiences

There really does seem to be a common denominator attached to near death experiences, and without going into all of the necessary details here, that common denominator appears to be the spirit of the dead person is lifted out of the body, and them most experience some sort of a tunnel experience, with a light at the end of the tunnel, and there at the end of the light is the Lord Jesus Christ, who either blocks the entrance to paradise that is clearly visible beyond the tunnel; or alternatively, allows the deceased persons spirit into paradise. That appears to be the near death experience very briefly, and of course there is a lot more detail attached to it than what I have mentioned here.

I have in my possession a tape called a Glimpse of Eternity, and describes how one man, a New Zealander by the name of Ian McCormack, had a death experience very similar to the one that I had described above, and I would highly recommend that you if you are able to secure this tape it is well worth the effort is having to do so, as I have personally watched it more than a dozen times, and will probably continue to watch it another dozen times well into the future. Ian has a website and it is http://www.aglimpseofeternity.org/ go to it now, and take a look you will not be disappointed.

I have reformatted the entirety of Ian’s testimony here, at the bottom of the page, in the hope that by doing so, you, the reader of this article, will do as I have suggested above, and click onto the Your Choice link as above at the top - and at the bottom of this page.

The supervisor where I work related to me a very similar experience to the one that Ian had, and it concerns both his mother, and his auntie who had both died for a time and where also drawn into a tunnel, with a light at the end of the tunnel, to be met at the end of the tunnel by the Lord Jesus Christ, who blocked their entrance to paradise, and told them to return from where they came, as it was not yet their time.

In summary: even if a person is an atheist, and does not believe a word that has been written in the Bible, then there is no doubting the similarity of both of these experiences, and the exact authenticity of both Ian McCormack’s, and my supervisor’s mother, and sister’s experience. There is no doubting whatsoever -- there is Life after Death.

Now here is Ian’s testimony
One night while diving for lobster on the small Island of Mauritius I was stung on my forearm by 5 Box-Jellyfish, which the local Creole fishermen called "invisibles" A sting from a Box-Jellyfish often proves to be fatal - as exemplified in Australia where 70 people are known to have died from their stings. Many books quote this particular type of Jellyfish to be among the most venomous creatures in the world.

By the time an ambulance arrived my body was totally paralyzed and necrosis had begun to set into my bone marrow. On route to the hospital I began to see my life flash before me. At this point of my life I was an atheist - but I knew I was nearly dead and I didn't know if there was life after death or whether there was just nothing. As I lay there dying, I saw my mother in a vision praying for me, encouraging me to cry out to God from my heart and He would hear me and forgive me (my mother was the only Christian in our family.) I didn't know what to pray and cried out that if God was real, could He help me to pray. Immediately God showed me the Lord’s Prayer, and for the first time in my life I prayed from my heart and gave my life to the Lord.

Death & Hell
The ambulance stopped and they placed me in a wheel chair and raced me into the hospital. The nurse took my blood pressure twice but could not find a pulse as my veins had collapsed. The doctors tried to save my life by injecting anti-toxins and dextrose into my body, but seemingly to no avail. Within a few minutes I seemed to slip away (apparently life ceased from my body for a period of approx. 15 minutes).

During this time I found myself in a very dark place, not realizing where I was. So I tried to find a light switch, thinking I was still in the hospital - but as I reached out into the dark I couldn't touch anything. Reaching to touch my face I found my hand go straight through it. It seemed so bizarre, as I knew I was standing there but couldn't touch any part of my physical body.

As I stood there I began to sense that this wasn't just a physical darkness but that there was something else there. I could feel a cold eerie feeling as though something or someone was looking at me - a spiritual darkness. From the darkness I began to hear men’s voices screaming at me telling me to "shut up" - "that I deserved to be there" - "that I was in Hell". I couldn't believe it, but as I stood there a radiant beam of light shone through the darkness and immediately began to lift me upward. I found myself being translated up into an incredibly brilliant beam of pure white light - it seemed to be emanating from a circular opening far above me (I felt like a speck of dust being drawn up into a beam of sunlight).

The JourneyI entered this opening to find myself inside a long narrow passageway or tunnel - at the far end of the tunnel I could see the source of the light - it was so radiant that it looked to be the centre of the universe. As I continued to look towards this light it seemed to draw me towards it at an incredible speed - I wasn't walking but was being translated along this tunnel towards the source of this light. I watched as a wave of light broke off the source and moved up the tunnel towards me - as it passed through me I could feel a wave of warmth and comfort flood my soul … it was incredible. This light wasn't just physical, but was giving off a living emotion … Halfway down another wave of light - this time it gave off pure peace - followed by another wave - of pure joy. Coming out of the end of this tunnel I found myself standing in the presence of awesome light and power - it seemed as though even the constellations in the universe must find their energy source from this focal point.

As I stood there I wondered to myself if this was just an energy source in the universe or if perhaps there could be someone standing in the midst of this light!!!!! A voice immediately responded to my thought and asked me "Ian, do you wish to return?" Return, I thought!!! Where am I??? As I looked over my shoulder I could see the tunne1 going back into darkness.

The Light
I thought - darkness - hospital bed - am I out of my body? - is this real? - am I standing here? - or am I in a coma having some bizarre dream? Am I in my body or out of my body?? (I could cognitively think of the two alternatives.) As I looked back towards the light, it was still there ... I responded "I don't know where I am, but if I am out of my physical body I wish to return." The voice responded "If you wish to return - you must see in a new light." "New light", I thought, "I'm seeing the light." "Are you the true light???" Words appeared in front of me "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5)." I had never read a Bible before in my life so I didn't know this was straight out of the scriptures. God is light, I thought - that is pure light - I see no darkness here, I have just come from darkness - I see no evil, no shadows - this is pure light - am I standing in the presence of God??? He knows my name and I didn't tell Him, only God could do that - He knows what I am thinking before I even speak, only God could do that. Then he must be able to see everything I have done wrong in my life ... no ... I don't want God to see that. I felt totally exposed and wanted to move away from the light and go back into the darkness where I belonged. I thought someone had made a mistake and brought the wrong person up. As I drew back towards the darkness a wave of light swept through me ... I felt pure unadulterated Love flow over me. Love I thought, how could God love me - I've taken his name in vain - I've slept around - I'm not a good man … but no matter what I said, waves of His unconditional Love continued to flow over me. I found myself weeping uncontrollably in His Presence. It was so amazing that He had totally forgiven me and accepted me as I was.

The waves of Love ceased and I wondered if I could possibly step into the light and see what God looked like. I was so close. ... I asked if I could step in. ..???.. I heard no response but thought if God could love me so much, He wouldn't mind …. As I stepped into the light I found myself disappear into it as it was so radiant - it had the intensity of laser light, yet you could look directly at it. The light seemed to absorb me into it - the centre seemed to be very bright so I aimed for it - I could feel a healing presence coming off this light that was healing my broken heart ... it was touching me deep inside my heart of hearts where no one gets to see … so beautiful.

God
Suddenly it opened up in the centre and standing in front of me was the most awesome sight - I could see a man standing in front of me, but he was not like anyone I'd ever seen before in my life. His garments were shimmering white in colour - garments of light - I could see His bare feet and His hands were outstretched towards me as if to welcome me. I knew I was looking upon God … as I looked toward His face the intensity of the light seemed to increase 7-fold - you couldn't make out the form of his face as the light was so bright - such purity, such holiness, such beauty. I asked God if I could step closer. I felt I could, I wanted to see His face. Moving closer waves of more Love began to flow towards me, and I felt very safe. Standing, now feet away, from the Lord I tried to see His face - but I didn't know that no man can see the face of God and live. And so, as I moved my face into the radiance that surrounded His face, He moved - and all His Glory moved with Him. Directly behind Him it opened out into a brand new World - green pastures, a crystal clear stream, rolling green hills to my right, mountains in the distance, blue skies above, to my left fields interspersed with trees and flowers. As I looked at the grass in front of me I could see the same light that was on the presence of God was radiating throughout this entire creation - totally untouched by man - perfect creation. And in my heart I knew I belonged here, that God had created me to live here - I knew I was home.

Return?I was just about to enter in and explore, when God stepped back in front of me, and asked me this question. "Now that you have seen - do you wish to step in or do you wish to return?" I thought, "I don't want to return. I wish to step in. I have no one to go back for and no one has ever loved me, all they've ever done is manipulate me and try to control me ... I have no one to go back for, I wish to step in." But God didn't move, so I looked back behind me to say "goodbye, cruel world", and standing behind me in a vision in front of the tunnel was my mother. And as soon as I saw her I knew that there was one person in my life that had shown me love, and that was my mother, and that she had prayed for me every day and tried to show me that this was the way. In my mind I thought, "If I am dead and I did choose to step into heaven, what would my mother think? Would she know I made it or would she think I went to Hell - because she knew I had no Faith? … I realized that it could break her heart and that she would have no reason to believe that God had heard my prayer in the ambulance and forgiven my sins. … I thought, "How can I do that to my mum, it would be so selfish" … and decided I wished to return.

God then spoke to me and said, "If I wished to return - I must see things in a new light." I understood that to mean that I must begin to see through his eyes of Love, Peace, Joy, Forgiveness, from His Heavenly perspective, not my temporary earthly perspective. Looking back towards the tunnel again I now could see a vision of all my family, and thousands and thousands of other people. I asked God who all these people were, and He told me that if I didn't return then many of these people would not get a chance to hear about Him….

I told God that I didn't know most of them and I didn't love them, but that I loved my mother and wished to return for her. God spoke to me and told me that He loved those people and wanted them all to come to know Him. I asked God how could I possibly return back down the tunnel and back into my hospital bed. He spoke and said "Son, tilt your head; now feel the liquid drain from your eye. Now open your eye and see." And I was immediately back in my physical body.

Back to earth
As I opened my eye, I was lying back on a hospital bed with my right leg elevated, cupped in the hands of the young Indian doctor who had been trying to save my life. He had a scalpel or some sharp instrument in his hand and he was prodding the base of my foot like a dead piece of meat. He wasn't aware that I was looking at him. I thought, "what's that man doing with my foot, what is he doing with that knife!!!!!!" At the same time something seemed to spook the doctor and he quickly turned his head to see my right eye open, looking at him… Terror struck his face and I got the distinct impression that he has just seen a dead man looking at him… My eye wasn't moving much and I could see the doctor thinking to himself that perhaps he had hit a nerve in my foot and caused the corpse to twitch, and that he had the evil eye looking at him or something. As for me, I was trying to grapple with what I had just seen. … Did I just see God, has He just given my life back??? As I lay there I heard the voice of God say "Son, I have just given you your life back." I said if that is true God, could you help me to tilt my head to the left and look out of the other eye, as I was getting sick of looking at the doctor’s terrified face. Strength came back into my neck and I opened my left eye to see a whole bunch of nurses and orderlies standing in the doorway looking at me as if the dead had just risen … As my eye locked onto theirs they began to jump backwards out of the doorway. From what I can ascertain I had been dead for a period of some 15 minutes. I prayed to God that night and asked him to heal me and enable me to walk out of the hospital. That night God completely healed me and enabled me to walk out of the hospital the next day.

I asked God what I had become, as I found my entire life was changing for good. God told me I was a Re-Born Christian and that he wanted me to read His Bible. I had never read a Bible and had never heard about being Born-Again. Over the next 6 weeks I read the entire Bible. I have never been the same, and believe that I saw our Lord Jesus Christ in His Glorified form (Rev. 1: 13 -18)

Psalm 91, the Antichrist, Satan and the Rapture of the Church

For many, many years now I have identified as being a fundamentalist (Bible believing) Born Again Christian. Now that is not to say that I completely satisfied with any aspect of the current state of today’s modern church movement.

On the contrary, I believe the church age as entered its final throws where the Bible describes it as being lukewarm, a condition that must exist so that the Antichrist can rise to power unrestrained by any leaders within the church, and in particular by the Christians themselves?

If the pastors of the churches themselves have been dumbed down, and we are not being told about Bible prophecy relative to world events, how then can a new Born Again believer expect to know the truth if he is not being told it by regular church attendance.

This condition must also exist so that the Prophecies can be fulfilled heralding the return back onto the earth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

For those that feel regular church benefit is of some assistance in their daily Christian walk, to those good folk I extend my heartiest blessings, and may they continue on with regular church attendance if they feel that is a requirement by God in their daily lives.

As for me, my experience with regular church attendance has left me feeling very cold and unwanted. Therefore, I attend church meetings only on the very rare occasions that there is a speaker of whom I really would like to hear, and see in person.

That being the substance of the matter there is nothing to prevent me from regular Bible reading and daily prayerful devotions so as to commit my ways over to the Lord, which I have made a habit of doing for a number of years now.

The information WebPages relative to the end times that I create on this blog have been derived my very limited knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, the daily news broadcasts, the Internet and other various resources.

I never ever write anything to upload to the Internet unless it can be absolutely proven by the scriptures themselves. Even though my interpretation may not be correct all of the time, it certainly is correct some of the time, and that is enough to prove just how close to the end off the age we really are.

As I had mentioned previously the main purpose of this site was to correctly identify the Beast of Revelation, for knowing very well in doing so the rest of the Bible prophecies would fall into place and then the Lord would return once more to reclaim the earth. I now believe that there may be a very strong likelihood that the retired British Prime Minister, Tony Blair fulfils that role.

I first became alerted to that fact when the late Barry R Smith said in one of his cassettes that the Antichrist would come forth and confirm a seven year Middle East peace treaty that would be in very similar form to an Irish treaty between the Protestants and the Catholics, and then low and behold what happened?

Just before leaving office Tony Blair confirmed a peace treaty between the Protestants and the Catholics and was then appointed to lead the international quartet of four towards Middle East peace. Could this be just a coincidence or not; personally, I do not believe the possibility of it being anything other the fulfilment of Bible prophecy right before our very eyes could be extremely remote.

Barry had also said that the power base for the Antichrist would be the EU, and that the Antichrist would be appointed as the president of the EU. Now, even though an official announcement has not as yet been made, it does seem to be the case with Tony Blair being the forerunner to achieve the presidency of the EU Council of ministers.

It would also come as no surprise to learn that the Council of Ministers were the inner tier of the ten governing nations of the EU - thereby fulfilling the prophecy of ten horns or ten crowns - constantly mentioned right throughout the scriptures.

As I had mentioned above, I make it a habit to read the Bible, and in fact I hardly ever leave the house unless I put on the armour plate of God, and as a part of my daily Bible devotions I read Psalm 91 which I have reformatted below. However, for the sake of this exercise I am concerned with Verses 13 and 14 of Psalm 91. 13 You will tread upon the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. 14 "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

After having read this verse for a number of years – and after having realized that Tony Blair was the Antichrist – remembering that Britain was named Great Britain (before it was renamed to just Britain, possibly for that reason) it was almost like there was a light switched on when I had come to the realization that the word lion has been mentioned twice with the second reference referring to the great Lion, or Great Britain.

There are also two references to a snake, with the first reference clearly referring to the physical animal itself – a cobra – the second reference very clearly does not refer to a snake in the sense of an animal, but instead, refers to a serpent. With it being common knowledge that right throughout the scriptures themselves there is constant reference to Satan being described as being a serpent?

Therefore, there is no doubting that hidden all of this time in Psalm 91 there was a constant reference to the Antichrist and Satan, with the insinuation being that the Antichrist is British. In the context of the fact that we are told that the Lord will rescue us from both the Antichrist and Satan we are then told in the next line that the Lord will rescue us which could only refer to the Rapture of the Church.

Psalm 911He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
16With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

RPT-Obama wants "immediate" Mideast talks -Mitchell

OSLO, June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama wants "immediate" talks between the Palestinians and Israel to forge a comprehensive Middle East peace agreement, U.S. envoy George Mitchell said on Monday.

"The President has told me to exert all efforts to create the circumstance when the parties can begin immediate discussions," Mitchell told reporters at the start of a Palestinian donors' conference in the Norwegian capital.

Mitchell, who is en route to the Middle East, said the aim of such talks was "a comprehensive peace and normalisation of relations" between Israel and its neighbours, which would also serve "the security interests of the United States". (Reporting by Wojciech Moskwa; Editing by Louise Ireland)

European elections: Sarkozy party and green coalition hail triumphs

Guardian.co.uk

First time since 1979 that sitting French president's party has won European Elections while Europe Ecologie scores high share of vote!

Two parties last night claimed victory in the French European elections as Nicolas Sarkozy's ruling centre-right UMP topped the poll and the new Europe Ecologie green coalition won a surprise high score to force climate change back onto the agenda for all French politicians.

Sarkozy's party increased its seats from 17 to around 30, far ahead of the beleaguered Socialist party, whose disappointing result saw the humiliating loss of around half its seats in the European parliament.

It was the first time since 1979 that a sitting French president's party had won a European election.

The government claimed the UMP's projected 28% of the vote was a seal of approval for its handling of the economic crisis and Sarkozy's high-profile French EU presidency last year.

The other major winner was Europe Ecologie, headed by the former May 1968 student leader and Europe veteran Daniel Cohn-Bendit.

The party was projected to come third with around 16.2%, less than 1% behind the Socialists.

The effects of this green surge were immediately felt in the wider political discourse.

The centre-right Prime Minister, Francois Fillon, carefully adapted his victory speech to stress the EU's fight against climate change.

Europe Ecologie's campaign was driven by key personalities in France, including the investigating judge Eva Joly, who led the inquiry into the Elf oil scandal, as well as the radical sheep-farmer José Bové.

In the Greater Paris and South East regions, Europe Ecologie overtook the Socialists.

Martine Aubry, the new Socialist leader, admitted her party was no longer credible, that it needed to stop internal divisions and profoundly reform.

A big loser was Francois Bayrou, the centrist who came third in the presidential election of 2007.
He had used the European campaign to attack Sarkozy and build support for another presidential bid in 2012, but appeared to commit political suicide in the final days of the campaign when he launched a highly criticised live TV slanging match with the Europe Ecologie leader, Cohn-Bendit.

His party had hoped to come third tonight but instead scored around 8%, far behind the green coalition.

The opposition to the government was split into several centre-left and extreme-left parties, with many still maintaining last night that their total combined vote showed a high anti-Sarkozy feeling in France.