Tsunamis And End Times: Part 1

There is a new fear fomenting in minds. The operative word is tsunami. Is America in danger? Yes, as is just about every country with a coast line. The timing of a cataclysmic tsunami isn’t possible but the potentials are in place.

Tsunamis are an explanation of a normally over looked prophecy. Much consideration is given to prophecies regarding earthquakes, pestilence, and famine. However, little attention is given to the statement regarding “the sea and waves roaring” (Luke 21:25). The recent tsunami in Asia explains it.

Historically there have been more than are generally realized. A classic example occurred around 1,650 BC when a volcano erupted in the Mediterranean Sea on the island of what is now Santorini. It had the power of 150 atomic bombs the size of the ones dropped on Japan. About 7 cubic miles of magma was erupted sending a philian column 23 miles into the sky. The tidal wave washed over the shores of the countries of the entire Mediterranean basin. The Minoan civilization on Crete was destroyed. There are no ancient records noting the total impact of the explosion.

Currently everyone thinks of the West Coast of America when a tsunami is considered. The long large Cascadia fault off the California and Oregon costs makes it a candidate for a devastating tsunami to sweep the entire coast.

However what most aren’t aware of is the pending danger off our East Coast resulting from conditions in the Canary Islands. There the large ancient volcano Cumbre Vieja poses an even greater threat. It last erupted in 1949 leaving one side of this massive mountain separated from most of the land by six feet. Were an earthquake to cause it to break off and fall into the Atlantic it is estimated it would send a 50 foot wave that would impact the entire East Coast with only six hours warning. That is scarcely enough time for major cities to be evacuated.

The power at the disposal of Mother Nature to cause global disasters of biblical proportions is enough to cause one to think our Heavenly Father has something in store.

I heard a secular parody on radio recently of a conversation between the host and God. The host asked, “What’s with all these earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and fires?”

God replied, “I hate to be self promoting but I have a whole section in my book on it called “The Revelation.’ You should pickup a copy some time and read it.”

I have. I started reading it as an inquisitive child. I first thought it would take a big forest fire to destroy the earth by fire. Over the years I never doubted but questioned how some of the events described could ever happen. The advent of the atomic bomb began to open my youthful eyes. Now I have no doubt how such apocalyptic events can happen in an instant.

Consider some of the precursors to the big event. Wars and rumors of wars are noted. In the 20th Century there were over 200. In that same era over one million died from earthquakes. Global pestilence such as AIDS is killing millions with new diseases developing that are even more deadly. Starvation of masses is hinted at in that nearly 100,000 have starved in Africa in the last 10 years. Globally an estimated 10,000 starve daily.

In spite of all this I am still an optimist because I have read all the Book. I know how the story ends. For those with saving faith in Christ —- WE WIN!

Thanksgiving In Our Heritage

Giving thanks is a long standing practice in America and Canada. It was preceded by the harvest-home celebration in England. Even that was preceded by the ancient Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.

The first Thanksgiving in America was religious in nature and didn’t involve feasting. December 4, 1619, a group of 38 British settlers at Berkeley Plantation on the James River engaged in a day of giving thanks, prayer, and worship.

Nearly a year later the Plymouth colony settled on these shores. Their first winter in Massachusetts was devastating. Nearly half of their number suffered and died in the harsh weather. The summer of 1621 resulted in bumper crops.

That fall Governor Bradford declared a day of feasting and giving thanks to God for His blessings on the colony. The day lasted three days. About 90 Wampanoag Indians added five deer to the menu of corn, wheat, barley, peas, clams, eel and other fish, leeks and plums. This practice was followed the next several years.

The other New England colonies followed the practice. During the Revolutionary War eight special days of thanksgiving followed significant developments in the war. President George Washington, in 1789, declared November 26, a day of giving thanks to the All Mighty. In 1839, New York became the first northern state to have an official state Thanksgiving. Other Northern states followed immediately. In 1855, Virginia was the first Southern state to have such a day.

Encouraged by the persistent Sarah Josepha Hale, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November 1863, “a day of thanksgiving and praise to the beneficent Father.” For the next 75 years each president proclaimed the last Thursday of November as Thanksgiving.

In 1941 Congress formerly established the fourth Thursday of November as the official national Thanksgiving Day.

Now what?
Thanks are expressed by someone, to someone, about something. Let’s each be one to express thanks. There is much for which to be thankful.

Some schools teach the Pilgrims gave thanks to the Native Americans for their help. Not so. It was to All Mighty God. When you pause to give thanks be more mindful of the One to whom you are speaking than of the thing about which we are giving thanks.

Do yourself a favor. Make a list of things for which you are thankful. Even those among us who have significant difficulties there are many things for which to express thanks.

Captain Kangaroo taught generations the two magic words of please and thank you. A lot of folks have forgotten them. Rarely are they heard. Not only are they rarely heard by people but by the God of all blessings. Make giving thanks a life style. As you do you will become increasingly aware of the many things for which you have cause to be thankful. This is a matchless way of training yourself to be a more positive person.

Don’t forget to give thanks to the God of every good and perfect gift. He inhabits the praise of His people. Make your life His habitat.

Taxing The Wealthy

Economics 101 includes a basic principle many never learned. It relates to one of the only two certain things in life: taxes. In every society those in authority want them and no one else does. In Ireland recently I learned why old castles had so few windows. There was a tax on daylight. It was based on how much light was allowed in a house. Wait until Washington hears of that one.

In America the subject of taxing, tax breaks, and deductions rages. One theory is tax cuts favor the rich. I should hope so. Why? Because that benefits everyone else. That is the purpose. It is to allow entrepreneurs to have more money so they can invest it in products and services. That provides jobs and jobs put money in the pockets of those less wealthy.

The investments by entrepreneurs is a way of putting money into the pockets of others. In doing so it alleviates the government having to put money in their pockets.
Elemental observation number two. Higher taxes do not keep the rich from being rich. They know how to protect their wealth. Some persons who are the strongest advocates for increased taxes are very wealthy. They have made and sheltered theirs.
Conversely higher taxes keep some people from getting wealth. Higher taxes discourage adventurous investors from creating jobs that generate taxes and salaries for employees. This results in unemployment.

Tax cuts allow money to circulate more freely among the people rather than through government. An example of this was the recent tax break related to the purchase a heavy equipment. 60% was allowed on new equipment and 30% on used equipment. This allowed one local contractor to purchase 40 pieces of heavy equipment. This meant jobs were provided for the people selling the equipment, making the equipment, and those wage earners personally purchased items they needed and paid taxes. Without that tax break none of that would have happened. Those people would have been unemployed. That local scenario was played out countless times across America.

Lamentably some wealthy persons have selfishly spoiled this cycle. Critics of tax breaks use them as the norm. Like all systems it is dependent upon honest people to make it work.

There are numerous horror stories of government agencies misusing tax funds. Waste in government is a well documented reality. That doesn’t mean taxes in general should be abolished.

Lowering tax rates encourages investments within the country. Higher tax rates sends investors looking for foreign markets with a more favorable tax rate. It robs America of jobs. Fewer jobs mean more unemployed people looking to the government for money they could have otherwise earned in a job the government taxed out of existence to get the money to give them.

It is true that wealthy entrepreneurs make money. They also take the risk of possibly losing it.

The principle involves an old Biblical axiom: “Give and it shall be given unto you.”

Super Granny – Defender Of Justice

true story reported on the news in the USA

An elderly Florida lady did her shopping, and upon returning to her car, she found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle. She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her voice “I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!”

The four men didn’t wait for a second invitation. They got out and ran like mad. The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and get into the driver’s seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition. She tried and tried, and then it dawned on her why.

A few minutes later she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down. She loaded her bags into the car and then drove to the police station. The sergeant to whom she told the story doubled over on the floor with laughter.

He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car jacking by a mad, elderly woman described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.

Stem Cell Research: The Ethical Dilemma

There is a perilous vast uncharted sea that might be crossed. Beyond the horizon it is believed there might be the land of Utopia. Several vessels are poised to try to make the voyage. It is unknown if any can cross but known if one can cross several identifiable ones can also.

Based on that scenario why insist that all the cargo be placed in one vessel? This question is compounded by the fact that one vessel was made for a higher known mission.

Now the elements. The sea is stem cell research. The vessel is the human embryo. Other vessels are alternative sources of pluripotent stem cells. That is, human cells that may develop many types of body parts. Utopia is a cure for human being suffering from Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, juvenile diabetes, spinal cord injuries or many other ailments.
It is not known for sure human embryos will prove to be a source to reverse these heartbreaking human conditions. The possibility of reversing such grievous conditions is inviting. Even if they can there is a moral issue involved.

Morals? All of us are moralist to some degree. Samuel Johnson, 18th Century literary giant, said “we are perpetually moralist.” Certain moral determinations are unavoidable. This is one. Regardless of which side of this issue you might be on you are a moralist. The issue pushes the envelope of bioethics.

Other vessels for the potential crossing are available. Dr. Edmund Pellegrino, the John Carroll professor of medicine and medical ethics at The Center for Clinical Bioethics at Georgetown University Medical Center, notes studies published in leading journals including Science, Nature, and Hepatology found that stem cells can be obtained from such sources as fetal tissue over eight weeks old, human placenta, umbilical cords, and adult bone marrow. These cells would still have the all-important pluripotentiality of embryonic stem cells to produce any cells desired, including heart, lung, and brain cells. He questions, “Why make or destroy embryos to obtain stem cells when we don’t have to?” Paraphrased, “Why use this vessel at all?” If it can reach Utopia so can others.

President Bush in addressing the issue echoed this fact saying, “You should also know that stem cells can be derived from sources other than embryos …. Many patients suffering a range of diseases are already being helped with treatments developed from adult stem cells.”

The President further noted that as a result of private research 60 genetically diverse lines already exist with the ability to reproduce themselves indefinitely, creating ongoing opportunities for research. He has proposed using federal funds for research using these existing lines. That opens a vast world of potential.

If the ethical sea, made perilous by ethical and moral hazards, is to be crossed to Utopia it need not be crossed in this one vessel, embryonic stem cells, only. Actually, at all. If crossed, a moral crossing is possible.

SOURCES: http://aolsvc.health.webmd.aol.com/content/pages/9/1691_50914.htm
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/08/20010809-2.html