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The American Empire: When did it really begin?

After World War II the United States was the undisputed superpower in the world economically and militarily. To firmly establish America's prominence as the world's leading economic and political power, the Bretton Woods conference was convened in 1945. The primary objective of the conference was to establish the dollar as the world's reserve currency.

This conference produced a policy whereby the U.S. dollar was fully convertible into gold by foreign governments who had the legal right to demand gold as payment for their goods and services sold to America. Dollars were not eligible for conversion into gold by private citizens, however.

The U.S. had positioned itself with this in mind before the war because it was known that America would end up supplying its allies with provisions, weapons, and thousands of other items during WW II, with the only acceptable form of payment being gold. Thus, the U.S. accumulated a significant portion of the world's gold by the conclusion of the war.

The Bretton Woods agreement worked well until the guns-and- butter policy of the 1960's was instituted and the money supply was expanded as never before to finance the Vietnam War and LBJ's Great Society programs.

Crisis and Possible Default

A dollar crisis erupted in 1970-1971 when foreign central banks who had been flooded with dollars funding U.S. deficits began to demand payment for their dollars in gold according to the Bretton Woods agreement. The U.S. had printed so many dollars and borrowed so much money from foreign banks that US gold reserves were rendered insufficient, making full payment in gold an impossibility. The crisis required an immediate solution to save America from default and bankruptcy... The solution came when America announced it would immediately sever the link between the dollar and gold, making it abundantly clear to all its creditors that America would never repay any of the billions of dollars it had borrowed with physical gold, but rather with depreciating paper dollars backed by nothing but the "reputation" of the U.S. Government.

At this point the United States declared itself an empire when it arbitrarily severed the link between the dollar and gold. The act of severing this link was in reality an act of bankruptcy by the U.S. Government. However, because of its economic, political, and military power, no government on earth could oppose this action as they had no viable alternative. They were literally forced to continue accepting depreciating dollars in payment for their goods and services sold to America.

In order to ensure the world had an economic reason to continue holding dollars, America made an ironclad agreement with Saudi Arabia wherein the Saudis would accept only U.S. dollars as payment for their oil. With this move the dollar suddenly became backed by the one commodity every nation had to have to survive- OIL! In order to buy oil one would have to own dollars to pay for it. Even though the dollar could no longer be exchanged for gold, it was now exchangeable for oil!

In exchange for accepting only U.S. dollars, America agreed to support the power and position of the House of Saud and to protect them if they were ever attacked by one of their neighbors. This guarantee was fulfilled when Saddam attacked Kuwait and threatened to attack Saudi Arabia in 1991.

In the ensuing years world demand for oil began to increase, and so did the demand for dollars, forcing foreign governments all over the world to accumulate increasing amounts of dollars in order to purchase their oil. Over time, world markets evolved to the point where other commodities such as wheat, corn, soybeans, natural gas, gold, silver, and many others were all traded in dollars. Thus, the position of the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency was firmly established, as was the requirement of foreign central banks to accumulate dollars to pay for all these commodities purchased on the world market.

With this system firmly in place the U.S. could print and borrow as much money as was needed without regard to any budget discipline whatsoever. As long as the dollar was the only acceptable means of payment for oil, its dominant position as the world's reserve currency was assured, and America could borrow and spend whatever it wanted without fear of flooding the globe with excess dollars.

Imperial America's Achilles Heel!

The supremacy of the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency ensured that America could dominate the world economically and politically, and could raise the necessary amount of cash through borrowings to fund its military in order to make it the most formidable military power on earth.

U.S. fiscal discipline during the 80's and 90's, was lax but it was nothing compared to what was to take place under the current President George Bush Jr. who embarked on the largest borrowing spree in the nation's history.

Coupled with this, America began to experience larger and larger current account deficits as it spent billions more every month on goods and services than it sold abroad. During 2005, the current account deficit was averaging a staggering $60 plus billion dollars a month. This is three quarters of a trillion dollars in just one year!

President Bush and the current Congress have together authorized and borrowed more money from foreign governments, banks, companies, and citizens than all of the previous 42 U.S. administrations combined. According to the Treasury Department, during the years 1776-2000, the first 224 years of U.S. history, 42 U.S. presidents borrowed a combined $1.01 trillion from foreign governments and financial institutions. But in the past four years alone, the Bush administration borrowed $1.05 trillion.

Like a drug abuser, America is addicted and must borrow between $2 to $3 billion dollars every-day of the year. No administration in U.S. history has mortgaged America?‘ future to foreign interests as has the current Bush administration. Total U.S. outstanding debt now exceeds a staggering $8 trillion dollars of which a large majority is owned to foreigners.

This staggering mountain of debt poses the greatest of threats to the economic survival of the United States were circumstances to arise wherein the dollar was not the only currency that nations could use to pay for their oil. If nations suddenly had a choice as to whether to pay for oil in euros rather than dollars, the supremacy of the American dollar would be seriously threatened, as would the economic viability of our great country.

The primary risk for America should this option become available would manifest itself via reduced demand for dollars on the global foreign exchange markets, as nations would require fewer and fewer dollars to pay for their oil. Reduced demand for any item, say the textbooks, implies a lower price down the road, and this dynamic would doubtless result in a depreciating dollar relative to other global currencies. Foreign central banks, needing more euros to buy oil, would seek to denominate ever increasing amounts of their foreign currency reserves in non-dollar currencies. This in turn means that America would find it increasingly more difficult to borrow the $2 to $3 billion dollars a day it must have to keep the U.S. economy afloat, pay the interest on $8 trillion dollars in debt, as well as continue to fund its enormous continuing deficit.

A History Lesson for Today " Why did America really Invade Iraq?"

The stated reason by the Bush Administration for invading Iraq was that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction and was prepared to use them against Israel, Iraq's other neighbors, and possibly America. Where are these weapons of mass destruction? So far, not a single one has been produced.

Why? Possibly because the true reasons why America invaded Iraq are found in events and policy development that happened before the invasion but which were never revealed to the American public.

Let's examine the first possible reason:

1. Ensuring that the dollar remained unchallenged as the world's reserve currency so the U.S. could continue to fund its massive deficits and sustain its economy and its political and military supremacy.

What does the dollar have to do with all this and how does the invasion of Iraq fit into the picture? It seems that Saddam sealed his fate in September of 2000 when he demanded that all Iraqi oil sold under the U.N. Oil for Food Program must be paid for in euros rather than dollars.

Saddam's actions were a direct threat to the supremacy of the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency and the ability of the U.S. to continue to fund its massive deficits. This is born out by the fact that two months after the U.S. invaded Iraq, the Oil for Food program was terminated and all of the Iraqi euro accounts were switched back to dollars. No longer did the world have the option of buying oil from Iraq and paying for it in euros.

Forcing the Iraqi accounts to convert from euros to dollars cost the Iraqis a great deal of money because the dollar had fallen in value relative to the Euro by some 13%! Not surprisingly, this detail has never been prominently mentioned by the five U.S. major media conglomerates who control 90% of information flow in the U.S., but confirmation of this vital fact provides insight into one of the crucial " yet overlooked " rationales for 2003 Iraq war.

Once the conversion from euros to dollars was accomplished, there was no immediate threat to the supremacy of the dollar, to the U.S. economy, to your lifestyle, and to America maintaining its status as the world's only superpower.

The 2nd possible reason for the Iraq war:

In a 1999 speech given while still CEO of Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney stated:

By some estimates, there will be an average of two-percent annual growth in global oil demand over the years ahead, along with, conservatively, a three-percent natural decline in production from existing reserves. That means by 2010 we will need on the order of an additional 50 million barrels a day. April 2004, Middle East Magazine

Where are we going to find all this oil? To gain a greater understanding of how serious this issue is, take time to read the following article. Life After the Oil Crash. http://lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

If the Vice President of the United States truly believed, as he stated before becoming Vice President, that world oil production was about to peak and go into decline, do you believe this would be sufficient motivation for the U.S. to ensure its economic survival by sending its military to Iraq in order to secure control over the 2nd largest oil and gas reserves on earth?

Who opposed the war in Iraq and why did they oppose it?

The nations who vehemently opposed the war in Iraq were Russia, Germany, France, and China. Ask yourself why were they so vocally opposed the war? The true and underlying reason was never spoken of by the press or by the Administration.

The reason all these nations opposed the war was because they all had contracts to purchase and develop Iraq's vast oil and gas reserves. American and British oil giants were excluded by Saddam and left out in the cold, having no access to the second largest known oil and gas reserves on the planet.

Interestingly, after the U.S. conquered Iraq, most of these contracts and agreements with France, Germany, Russia, and China were cancelled and given to U.S. and British Oil companies. 

To the Victor goes the Spoil!

Saddam had begun the process of excluding American and British oil and gas corporations from acquiring stakes in Iraq's bountiful hydrocarbons in the spring of 1997. Relief to Iraqis and restored confidence in the durability of the Saddam regime by the international community had already begun to occur after the UN's oil-for-food scheme was introduced the previous December.

A consortium of Russian companies, led by the state-owned Lukoil, took a 75 percent share (with the state-owned Iraq National Oil Company taking 25 percent) in a joint corporation to develop the West Qurna oilfield in southern Iraq. This oilfield holds 11 billion barrels of oil--a third of the total U.S. oil reserves. Then China National Petroleum Corporation entered the scene and entered into an agreement to develop the Adhab oilfield.

China's lead was followed by Total Societe Anonyme of France (now TotalFinaElf), which agreed to develop Nahr Omar oilfield in the south--almost as bountiful a field as the West Qurna. Then Ranger Oil of Canada secured a $250 million contract for field development and exploration in the Western Desert, followed by India's Oil & Natural Gas Corporation and Reliance Petroleum's signing of a deal to develop the Tuba oilfield. (The Nation, Oil, Iraq, and America, Dec 2002)

Without exception, almost all of the above contracts to develop, transport, and purchase Iraq's oil were cancelled and declared null and void by the Bush Administration after the war was over. These same contracts were now awarded to British and American oil giants.

To the victor goes the spoil, and it is readily apparent that securing control over the development, sale, transportation, and distribution of the 2nd largest oil and gas reserves on earth for America and Britain was undoubtedly one of the primary reasons for the war in Iraq. This was likely grounded in the belief that world oil production would peak sometime between 2006 and 2010.

In July, 2003, two major oil companies agreed to buy 10 million barrels of Iraqi oil under the first long-term contracts to be offered by Iraq since the end of the war.

BP, PLC and Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Cos. each had announced that they expected to ship 2 million barrels of Basra Light crude per month, starting in August and ending in December. They would load the oil on tankers at Iraq's Persian Gulf export terminal of Mina al-Bakr. This was a reward for British participation in the invasion and conquering of Iraq.

U.S. Executive Order #13303

The veracity of these actions is further proven by the President's Executive Order #13303! In May of 2003, President George Bush issued Executive Order number 13303 which stated:

Any attachment, judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial process is prohibited, and shall be deemed null and void with respect to all Iraqi petroleum and petroleum products and interests therein.

With this Executive Order the President granted American oil companies, or individuals who are involved in the production, transportation, or distribution of Iraqi oil, a lifetime exemption from any kind of legal action against them in the United States.

"In other words, if Exxon-Mobil or Chevron-Texaco touch Iraqi oil, anything they or anyone else does with it is immune from legal proceedings in the US," explained Jim Vallette, an analyst with the Sustainable Energy & Economy Network of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington DC.

This action made it impossible for any of the nations who had their contracts nullified by the President to sue to reinstate them because the oil companies to whom they were given are immune from any judicial proceeding against them in the United States!

"Effectively, Bush has unilaterally declared Iraqi oil to be the unassailable province of US and British oil corporations," Vallette added.

We can more often judge the true motives of nations and leaders not by what they say, but by what they do. Their actions reveal their true motives, not what they say for public consumption.

Oil and War

Oil is the lifeblood that flows through the veins of the American economy. America has approximately 5% of the world's population but consumes over 20% or more of the world's daily oil production.

What will be the consequences to America if we are rapidly approaching the time when world oil production will have peaked and the price of oil continues to skyrocket, choking off economic activity and creating massive unemployment?

With nations such as China and India growing exponentially, the demand for oil cannot go anywhere but up. Where will the oil production come from to meet the demand of two nations that possess 2.4 billion people, as they seek to purchase new cars, trucks, tractors, and all of the other products that are petroleum based?

Try and visualize what life would be like in the next few years if America was not able to buy its oil at a reasonable price. How would this impact your current lifestyle? Continuously increasing oil prices would at some point cause the U.S. economy to shrink to unimaginable levels.

Almost everything we use today in our modern life has petroleum as its base. From plastics to fertilizer, to gas for your car, they all utilize petroleum as their base. Food production is almost totally dependent upon fuel and fertilizers that are petroleum based.

Is the world really approaching a time when the price of oil will force the price of food to levels unknown in modern history?

Revelation 6:6

And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius, (a days wages) and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.

Conclusion:

The war in Iraq was fought for two basic reasons:

1. Securing U.S. control over the world's 2nd largest oil and gas reserves in order to have a secure source of oil for America if world production has or is about to peak.

2. Ensuring that the dollar remained the world's reserve currency. Thereby insuring the U.S. could continue to fund its massive deficits sustain its economy, its military, your lifestyle, and maintain its undisputed political power.

The Coming Iranian Oil Bourse

The Iranian government is about to launch the ultimate economic nuclear weapon that is aimed directly at the financial foundation of America. This weapon is the Iranian Oil Bourse which is scheduled to commence operations on March 20, 2006.

This bourse will be based on a euro-for-oil trading exchange whereby the nations of the world will have the option of purchasing their oil in euros rather than dollars.

This Bourse or Exchange will directly compete with the two American-owned exchanges, The International Petroleum Exchange in London, and the NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange) located in America. In sheer economic terms this represents a direct threat to the supremacy of the U.S. dollar as the world?s reserve currency.

Understanding the economic implications of this cannot be overstated. If any nation, be it China, Japan, India, or any of the E.U. countries decide to begin purchasing oil utilizing euros as the means of payment, they will likely have to sell dollars (dollar reserves) and convert them to euros.

This will put enormous pressure on the value of the dollar, and most likely cause it to fall in value relative to the other currencies.

Oil is the number one commodity traded on the planet. Billions are traded every day. Should the Iranian Oil Bourse begin to gain momentum, it could herald the beginning of the end of the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency.

The coming nightmare for the U.S. Federal Reserve

One of the Federal Reserves worst nightmares may begin to unfold in March of 2006, one expert on the subject stated, When it appears that international buyers will have a choice of buying a barrel of oil for $60 on the NYMEX [New York Mercantile Exchange] and IPE [London's International Petroleum Exchange] or purchase a barrel of oil for 45 to 50 Euros via the Iranian Oil Bourse (Global Politician, September 2, 2005).

The IOB (Iranian Oil Bourse) could accelerate the already-existent global trend of shifting foreign currency reserves from dollars to euros. Thus, countries could possibly begin the process of switching to euro reserves from dollar reserves and this could bring down the value of the U.S. currency.

Imports would start to cost Americans a lot more. As countries and businesses converted their dollar assets into euro assets, the U.S. property bubble would, without doubt, burst (The Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability, Nov. 15, 2004).

Understanding Iran's Goals and Objectives:

It is apparent that Iran has declared war on the United States and Israel, with a strategy based on the following premises:

1. The development and deployment of nuclear weapons systems on rockets with a range and capacity sufficient to strike both the United States and Israel.

2. The establishment of a strategic alliance with Russia, in order to ensure access to the technical knowledge and uranium needed to produce nuclear weapons.

3. The complete destruction of the nation of Israel via nuclear weapons, so that the name of Israel will be remembered no more. (Psalm 83)

4. To bring about the fall of the U.S. dollar from its position as the world's reserve currency and its subsequent replacement by the Euro. This is to be accomplished via opening the Iranian Oil Exchange where oil is sold and paid for in euros rather than dollars, thus encouraging nations to keep their monetary reserves in euros rather than dollars.

5. The encouragement of other nations to turn from the dollar to the euro in order to force the U.S. Treasury to pay ever higher interest rates to fund the enormous U.S. deficit of $8 trillion dollars.

6. To create a world-wide "dollar crisis", sending interest rates in the U.S. to double digit levels which could bring about an economic collapse of the U.S. economy.

7. The ultimate objective of Iran is to bring down the U.S. economy. If the dollar crashes, America will no longer have access to easy money in order to fund its military, and could be forced to withdraw its forces from the Middle East. This will position Iran to become a superpower in the Middle East, possessing both oil and nuclear weapons, as well as the will to use either of them as a weapon against any nation who opposes it.

What are the possible consequences to America?

If oil trades in euros, it is only a matter of time before wheat, soybeans, natural gas, gold, silver, copper, and all of the other major commodities will come to be traded in euros as well.

Nations want to protect their own interests, and no nation wants to have its reserves denominated in a currency that is depreciating, but rather in one that is appreciating, or is at least stable. So, over time, if the U.S. dollar begins to depreciate, it will lose its attractiveness as the world's reserve currency.

In essence, the opening of the Iranian Oil Bourse could mean the beginning of the end of the age of U.S. petrodollar supremacy, ultimately forcing the U.S. to significantly change its current tax, budget, debt, trade, and energy policies, all of which would have to be completely rewritten.

If nations begin to choose the euro over the dollar, the U.S. Treasury's ability to finance the U.S. deficit and pay the interest expense on $8 trillion dollars will become increasingly more difficult. The U.S. will be forced to make some very hard choices in order to preserve its economy. Among the possibilities are: substantially raising taxes, making major cuts in spending in all areas, including the military, raising interest rates to whatever levels it takes to enable the U.S. Treasury to continue to fund the deficit, or lastly, by just printing money to fund the deficit, leading to sustained and possible hyper-inflation.

These coming events could portend horrific economic consequences for the U.S. economy and for the lifestyle you have come to know and expect.

If there is eventually a flight from the dollar that results in a world-wide dollar crisis, the lifestyle you have known is certainly over! Paper assets (stocks & bonds) denominated in dollars will fall in value as the dollar falls in value, likely triggering an economic recession or depression that would drive down the value of tangible, non-paper assets as well (your house, for instance).

Most Americans are like the U.S. Government

Up to their eyeballs in debt!

Most Americans are exactly like their government, in debt up to their eyeballs. If this scenario begins to unfold, individuals who have excessive mortgage and credit card debt, or who have loans, personal or business, that float with the prime rate, will have to pay ever increasing interest rates, which at some point leads to massive defaults and bankruptcies.

As this scenario unfolds there could be substantial economic dislocations in America, probably leading to unemployment levels unknown in modern times, and which will undoubtedly bring on severe financial distress for millions of Americans. The lifestyle we have enjoyed and have become accustomed to could change dramatically in the coming years!

What if there is a world wide dollar crisis?

I believe we are entering the time which may well prove to be the beginning of the fall of America as the world’s foremost political, economic, and military power.

If there is a world-wide dollar crisis within the next several years, then there will be a world-wide financial crisis because 70% of the world's reserves are denominated in dollars. The solution to the coming "dollar crisis" will most likely be the creation of a "one world currency" prophesied in the Bible in the books of Daniel and Revelation.

How could America and the Nations of the world lose their sovereignty without a shot being fired?

Can you imagine the panic that will take place in the markets of the world if the dollar crashes? With 70% of the worlds reserves held in dollars, the nations will watch helplessly as their currency reserves evaporate overnight as the value of the dollar plummets.

What will be the likely outcome if these events come to pass? The leaders of the world will seek to quickly establish a one-world currency.

With the establishment of a one-world currency the world leaders must create and empower a world governing body that will have control over the creation, supply, and distribution of money world-wide.

Remember, when a nation gives up its control over the printing of its money to someone else, it gives up its sovereignty! The establishment of a one-world currency would force the U.S. and all the other nations of the world to give up their sovereignty to the new world order and to the governing body established to control the creation, supply, and distribution of money world wide! (The 4th kingdom described in the book of Daniel)

A Watchman's Word to America

By: Voicefromzion January 21, 2006

Ezekiel 33:2-5

Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them,:If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life."

I have been reflecting on these verses for the past month, trying to decide whether to be silent and to just pray about what the Lord has revealed to me in my times of prayer and intercession before Him, or to speak forth what He has revealed to me. Today, He spoke clearly to me that as a watchman I am to warn the people that a sword is coming and sound the trumpet.

I have never written an article like this one before, so know that I am writing it as unto the Lord with great humbleness and after much prayer. The contents of this article may upset many of you who read it because it portends very difficult economic times coming upon the United States, and upon so many of you whom we love.

We are writing this article realizing fully that it is the Lord who raises up kings and kingdoms, and it is by His sovereign will that He brings them down.

Daniel 2:20-22

Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.

America has unquestionably been the empire that has dominated the world economically, politically, and militarily throughout most of the 20th century and into the beginning of the 21st century.

The Lord prophesied that before His return a Fourth Kingdom would arise, the revived Roman Empire, which would crush and rule over all of the other kingdoms of the earth. In today?s terms, this means that a global, one-world government will someday exercise total sovereignty over all the people and nations of the earth. 

This also means that America must eventually surrender its own national sovereignty and submit to the power, authority, and dominion of the coming Fourth Kingdom.

This article addresses events that may begin to take place in 2006 and that over time could bring about the fall of the U.S. dollar as the world's reserve currency and usher in the establishment of a one-world currency. This would mean that America would relinquish its sovereignty along with all the other nations of the earth to the governing body empowered to create and control the one-world currency.

So I encourage you to take the time to read this article prayerfully and very carefully. This is not a short article that you should attempt to read while sitting at your computer. I would strongly suggest you print it out, and read it only when you are in a place that is quiet, so you can grasp the full meaning as to how it relates to you, to your family, and to all those you love.

Unless the Lord intervenes, events are about to transpire that are going to affect your job, your income, your lifestyle, the value of your home, and most of all your family and the nation in which you live - America. It is going to test your faith as it has never been tested before.

After reading the article I urge you go before the Lord in prayer and seek confirmation and the leading of the Holy Spirit as to what He is calling you to do.

Hebrews 12:26-29

And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. This expression, Yet once more, denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

Daniel 7:23

The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, which will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth and tread it down and crush it.

How will this impact you and your family if it comes to pass?

Ask yourself the following questions and write down your answers:

If in the future oil were to become increasingly more scarce, how will your lifestyle be affected by $6 or $8 a gallon gasoline prices? How will your lifestyle be impacted if your utility bills suddenly triple and the price of bread was $5 to $8 a loaf?

What would happen to your lifestyle if the U.S. Treasury had to raise interest rates to 8%, 10%, or 12% in order to sell enough Treasury bonds and notes to fund the chronically massive U.S. budget deficits, and your mortgage payments and credit card payments increased accordingly?

What would be the consequences to your lifestyle if foreigners decided to cut back on their investments in U.S. stocks, bonds, and real estate, and chose not to denominate their holdings in dollars but to invest their funds in other nations?

What would happen to your lifestyle if your investment assets in the U.S. began to depreciate in value as the dollar depreciated?

After reading this article you now understand these are not abstract questions. Unless the Lord intervenes and Iran is stopped from opening the Iranian Oil Bourse, some of these events will take place.

The speed with which these events will advance and the severity and impact they will have on the U.S. dollar, the economy, interest rates, and the value of paper assets is known only by the Lord.

However, this was sent to you in order to awaken you to the fact that the events written in God?s word are moving forward, and nothing is going to stop them. We are commanded to recognize the times and seasons!

It is time for you to seek the Lord on all these issues and to draw close to Him. If there is un-confessed sin in your life, repent and get right with the Lord immediately.

No Fear of the Living God

If there is one thing that is rampant among the people of God here in Israel and in America, it is that there is no fear of the living God. Because there is no fear of the living God, there is no real fear of sin and its consequences!

God does not look at sin the way we do. We often see it through our human eyes and not through God?s eyes. It is time to get serious about your finances, about your walk with the Lord, and about your relationship with Him.

Time is short, and the Holy Spirit compelled me to send out this article. Consequently, no one who has read what is written here can say they did not know or understand the message the Lord has sent to them.

Whether you choose to believe all or part of what is written here is between you and the Lord. I am asking you to pray over these questions before you seek to answer them. Seek the Lord with all your heart and He will give you understanding on these issues.

Understand clearly that the actions you choose to take, or fail to take, are going to affect your lifestyle quite dramatically, beginning in 2006, and know for certain that U.S. economic problems are likely to escalate in the coming years. As the problems escalate they will impact you, your family, and your way of life.

Those of you with young or adolescent children may find it difficult to focus on the difficult issues raised in this message. After all, who doesn?t hope and pray for a better future for their sakes? But ignoring God's written word is not an option, and it is precisely for their sakes that you must rise up now and seek the Lord and His wisdom as to how you are to make your plan for what lies ahead.

How you handle your personal finances reveals a great deal about what you believe about God and His calling on your life.

Do you believe the Lord is more concerned with the house you live in or the car you drive, rather than with the condition of your heart towards Him?

Do you believe the Lord is more concerned about how much time you spend in His word and in prayer than in the time you spend watching a 50 inch television or tapping a keyboard in front of a computer screen?

Is the Lord calling you to be Holy, or is He calling you to be seriously in debt seeking to live a lifestyle filled with things you really do not need?

Do you believe the Lord is calling you to first seek the kingdom of God, or rather the riches of this world, purchased by the mortgaging your soul?

Do you believe the Lord will judge you by your title and position at work, or by how much money you earn, rather than by your personal relationship with Him?

Do you believe the Lord when He said, "Be holy for I am holy" and that He meant it?

If you take the time to bring these questions before the Lord in prayer, know that the Lord will be faithful to speak to you on these issues. If He brings conviction that you have been traveling down the wrong road and directs you to take another direction, it is important you respond immediately. Time is very short!

Difficult times are coming for America and for the world. If you choose to follow the ways of the world rather than the ways of the Lord, you cannot expect to be protected under the shadow of His wings when the destruction that lays waste at noonday comes.

Remember, Noah preached a three-word sermon! It's gonna rain!" No one listened, they laughed at him, reviled him, but the rain still came and they all perished!

If you seek the things of the world and mortgage your soul to the world, then when difficult times come you will wake to the bitter truth that you have fallen into the hands of sinful man rather than upon the mercy of our compassionate Lord.

Choose wisely because your future and the future of your family may well depend on the actions you choose to take or not take.

Stand in the gap before the Lord and pray for America and its leaders as never before.

Ezekiel 22:30-31

I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one. Thus I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their way I have brought upon their heads, declares the Lord God.

Concluding Prayer

1st Kings 18:36-37

O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that You, O Lord, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.