
AND THE THIRD ANGEL FOLLOWED THEM, SAYING WITH A LOUD VOICE, IF ANY MAN WORSHIP THE BEAST AND HIS IMAGE, AND RECEIVE HIS MARK IN HIS FOREHEAD, OR IN HIS HAND. *** REVELATION 14:9
Monday, October 13, 2008
King Solomon and His Women

1But king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:
2Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
4For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
7Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 9And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
11Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
12Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
13Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.
14And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom...
2Of the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
3And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
4For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
7Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods. 9And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.
11Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
12Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
13Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.
14And the LORD stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite: he was of the king's seed in Edom...
1 Kings 11: 1-14.
The Great Apostasy

I was carried forward to the time when heathen idolaters cruelly persecuted and killed the Christians. Blood flowed in torrents. The noble, the learned, and the common people were alike slain without mercy. Wealthy families were reduced to poverty, because they would not yield their religion. Notwithstanding the persecution and sufferings which these Christians endured, they would not lower the standard. They kept their religion pure. I saw that Satan exulted and triumphed over their sufferings. But God looked upon His faithful martyrs with great approbation. The Christians who lived in that fearful time were greatly beloved of Him, because they were willing to suffer for His sake. Every suffering endured by them increased their reward in heaven.
Although Satan rejoiced because of the sufferings of the saints, yet he was not satisfied. He wanted control of the mind as well as the body. The sufferings that they endured only drove them closer to the Lord, leading them to love one another, and causing them to fear more than ever to offend Him. Satan wished to lead them to displease God; then they would lose their strength, fortitude, and firmness. Although thousands were slain, yet others were springing up to supply their places. Satan saw that he was losing his subjects; for although they suffered persecution and death, yet they were secured to Jesus Christ, to be the subjects of His kingdom. Satan therefore laid his plans to fight more successfully against the government of God and overthrow the church. He led the heathen idolaters to embrace a part of the Christian faith. They professed to believe in the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, and proposed to unite with the followers of Jesus, without a change of heart. Oh, the fearful danger of the church. It was a time of mental anguish. Some thought that if they should come down and unite with those idolaters who had embraced a portion of the Christian faith, it would be the means of their full conversion. Satan was seeking to corrupt the doctrines of the Bible.
I saw that at last the standard was lowered, and that the heathen were uniting with the Christians. Although these worshipers of idols professed to be converted, they brought their idolatry with them into the church, only changing the objects of their worship to images of saints, and even of Christ and of Mary His mother. As the followers of Christ gradually united with them, the Christian religion became corrupted and the church lost its purity and power. Some refused to unite with them; such preserved their purity and worshiped God alone. They would not bow down to an image of anything in the heavens above or in the earth beneath.
Satan exulted over the fall of so many; and then he stirred up the fallen church to force those who would preserve the purity of their religion either to yield to their ceremonies and image worship or be put to death. The fires of persecution were again kindled against the true church of Christ, and millions were slain without mercy.
It was presented before me in the following manner: A large company of heathen idolaters bore a black banner, upon which were figures of the sun, moon, and stars. This company seemed to be very fierce and angry. I was then shown another company bearing a pure white banner, upon which was written, "Purity and holiness unto the Lord." Their countenances were marked with firmness and heavenly esignation. I saw the heathen idolaters approach them, and there was a great slaughter. The Christians melted away before them; and yet the Christian company pressed the more closely together, and held the banner more firmly. As many fell, others rallied around the banner and filled their places.
I saw the company of idolaters consulting together. Failing to make the Christians yield, they agreed to another plan. I saw them lower their banner and then approach that firm Christian company and make propositions to them. At first their propositions were utterly refused. Then I saw the Christian company consulting together. Some said that they would lower the banner, accept the propositions, and save their lives, and at last they could gain strength to raise their banner among the heathen. A few, however, would not yield to this plan, but firmly chose to die holding their banner rather than to lower it. Then I saw many lower the banner and unite with the heathen; but the firm and steadfast would again seize it and bear it on high. I saw that persons were continually leaving the company of those who bore the pure banner, and were uniting with the idolaters under the black banner, to persecute those bearing the white banner. Many were slain, yet the white banner was held high, and believers were raised up to rally around it.
The Jews who first aroused the rage of the heathen against Jesus were not to escape unpunished. In the judgment hall, as Pilate hesitated to condemn Jesus, the infuriated Jews cried, "His blood be on us, and on our children." The fulfillment of this terrible curse which they called down upon their own heads, the Jewish nation has experienced. The heathen and those called Christians alike have been their foes. Those professed Christians, in their zeal for Christ, whom the Jews crucified, thought that the more suffering they could bring upon them, the better would God be pleased. Many of the unbelieving Jews were therefore killed, while others were driven from place to place and were punished in almost every manner.
The blood of Christ and of the disciples, whom they had put to death, was upon them, and they were visited with terrible judgments. The curse of God followed them, and they were a byword and a derision to the heathen and to so-called Christians. They were degraded, shunned, and detested, as if the brand of Cain were upon them. Yet I saw that God had marvelously preserved this people and scattered them over the world that they might be looked upon as specially visited by the curse of God. I saw that God had forsaken the Jews as a nation; but that individuals among them will yet be converted and be enabled to tear the veil from their hearts and see that the prophecy concerning them has been fulfilled; they will receive Jesus as the Saviour of the world and see the great sin of their nation in rejecting and crucifying Him.
Early Writings, E.G.W. , pp.210-213.
Note: Bolds and Highlights added for emphasis. Arsenio.
A Distinctive Name and People

A Distinctive Name and People
(Chap. 49)
Not Ashamed of Our Name
We are Seventh-day Adventists. Are we ashamed of our name? We answer, "No, no! We are not. It is the name the Lord has given us. It points out the truth that is to be the test of the churches."--Letter 110, 1902.
We are Seventh-day Adventists, and of this name we are never to be ashamed. As a people we must take a firm stand for truth and righteousness. Thus we shall glorify God. We are to be delivered from dangers, not ensnared and corrupted by them. That this may be, we must look ever to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.-- Letter 106, 1903.
Our Distinctive Sign
The banner of the third angel has inscribed upon it, "The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Our institutions have taken a name which sets forth the character of our faith, and of this name we are never to be ashamed. I have been shown that this name means much, and in adopting it we have followed the light given us from heaven. . . . The Sabbath is God's memorial of His creative work, and it is a sign that is to be kept before the world.
There is to be no compromise with those who are worshiping an idol sabbath. We are not to spend our time in controversy with those who know the truth, and upon whom the light of truth has been shining, when they turn away their ear from the truth to turn to fables. I was told that men will employ every policy to make less prominent the difference between the faith of Seventh-day Adventists and those who observe the first day of the week. In this controversy the whole world will be engaged, and the time is short. This is no time to haul down our colors.
A company was presented before me under the name of Seventh-day Adventists, who were advising that the banner or sign which makes us a distinctive people should not be held out so strikingly; for they claimed it was not the best policy in securing success to our institutions. This distinctive banner is to be borne through the world to the close of probation. In describing the remnant people of God, John says, "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" (Rev. 14:12). This is the law and the gospel. The world and the churches are uniting in harmony in transgressing the law of God, in tearing away God's memorial, and in exalting a sabbath that bears the signature of the man of sin. But the Sabbath of the Lord thy God is to be a sign to show the difference between the obedient and the disobedient. I saw some reaching out their hands to remove the banner, and to obscure its significance. . . .
When the people accept and exalt a spurious sabbath, and turn souls away from obedience and loyalty to God, they will reach the point that was reached by the people in the days of Christ. . . . Shall anyone then choose to hide his banner, to relax his devotion? Shall the people whom God has honored and blessed and prospered, refuse to bear testimony in behalf of God's memorial at the very time when such a testimony should be borne? Shall not the commandments of God be more highly esteemed when men pour contempt upon the law of God?--Manuscript 15, 1896.
The World is Watching
God's commandment-keeping people are described by the prophet as "men wondered at." We are to be a people distinct from the world. The eyes of the world are upon us, and we are observed by many of whom we have no knowledge. There are those who know something of the doctrines we claim to believe, and they are noting the effect of our faith upon our characters. They are waiting to see what kind of influence we exert, and how we carry ourselves before a faithless world. The angels of heaven are looking upon us. "We are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men" (1 Cor. 4:9).--The Review and Herald, June 18, 1889.
The Future of God's People
Our people have been regarded as too insignificant to be worthy of notice, but a change will come; the movements are now being made. The Christian world is now making movements which will necessarily bring the commandment-keeping people to notice. There is a daily suppression of God's truth for the theories and false doctrines of human origin. There are plans and movements being set on foot to enslave the consciences of those who would be loyal to God. The law-making powers will be against God's people. Every soul will be tested. O that we would as a people be wise for ourselves and by precept and example impart that wisdom to our children! Every position of our faith will be searched into, and if we are not thorough Bible students, established, strengthened, settled, the wisdom of the world's great men will be too much for us.--Letter 12, 1886.
Selected Messages, Book II, E G. W., pp. 384-386.
Note: Bolds and Highlights added for emphasis. Arsenio.
The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world

It is as true now as when Christ was upon the earth, that every inroad
made by the gospel upon the enemy's dominion is met by fierce opposition
from his vast armies.
!
The conflict that is right upon us will be the most terrible ever witnessed.
!
But though Satan is represented as being as strong as the strong man
armed, his overthrow will be complete, and everyone who unites with him
in choosing apostasy rather than loyalty will perish with him.
!
The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world.
!
Hurricanes, storms, tempests, fire and flood, disasters by sea and land,
follow each other in quick succession.
!
Science seeks to explain all these.
!
The signs thickening around us, telling of the near approach of the Son of
God, are attributed to any other than the true cause.
!
Men cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining the four winds that they
shall not blow until the servants of God are sealed; but when God shall bid
His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen
can picture.
!
Four mighty angels are still holding the four winds of the earth. Terrible
destruction is forbidden to come in full.
!
The accidents by land and by sea; the loss of life, steadily increasing, by
storm, by tempest, by railroad disaster, by conflagration; the terrible floods,
the earthquakes, and the winds will be the stirring up of the nations to one
deadly combat, while the angels hold the four winds, forbidding the terrible
power of Satan to be exercised in its fury until the servants of God are
sealed in their foreheads.
!
Angels are holding the four winds, which are represented as an angry
horse seeking to break loose and rush over the face of the whole earth,
bearing destruction and death in its path.
!
A terrible conflict is before us. We are nearing the battle of the great day of
God Almighty. That which has been held in control is to be let loose. The
angel of mercy is folding her wings, preparing to step down from the throne
and leave the world to the control of Satan.
!
The principalities and powers of earth are in bitter revolt against the God of
heaven. They are filled with hatred against those who serve Him, and
soon, very soon, will be fought the last great battle between good and evil.
!
The earth is to be the battlefield--the scene of the final contest and the final
victory.
made by the gospel upon the enemy's dominion is met by fierce opposition
from his vast armies.
!
The conflict that is right upon us will be the most terrible ever witnessed.
!
But though Satan is represented as being as strong as the strong man
armed, his overthrow will be complete, and everyone who unites with him
in choosing apostasy rather than loyalty will perish with him.
!
The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world.
!
Hurricanes, storms, tempests, fire and flood, disasters by sea and land,
follow each other in quick succession.
!
Science seeks to explain all these.
!
The signs thickening around us, telling of the near approach of the Son of
God, are attributed to any other than the true cause.
!
Men cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining the four winds that they
shall not blow until the servants of God are sealed; but when God shall bid
His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen
can picture.
!
Four mighty angels are still holding the four winds of the earth. Terrible
destruction is forbidden to come in full.
!
The accidents by land and by sea; the loss of life, steadily increasing, by
storm, by tempest, by railroad disaster, by conflagration; the terrible floods,
the earthquakes, and the winds will be the stirring up of the nations to one
deadly combat, while the angels hold the four winds, forbidding the terrible
power of Satan to be exercised in its fury until the servants of God are
sealed in their foreheads.
!
Angels are holding the four winds, which are represented as an angry
horse seeking to break loose and rush over the face of the whole earth,
bearing destruction and death in its path.
!
A terrible conflict is before us. We are nearing the battle of the great day of
God Almighty. That which has been held in control is to be let loose. The
angel of mercy is folding her wings, preparing to step down from the throne
and leave the world to the control of Satan.
!
The principalities and powers of earth are in bitter revolt against the God of
heaven. They are filled with hatred against those who serve Him, and
soon, very soon, will be fought the last great battle between good and evil.
!
The earth is to be the battlefield--the scene of the final contest and the final
victory.
Matthew 24:6 through Matthew 24:13
6And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all
these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7For nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places. 8All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9Then shall they
deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for
my name’s sake. 10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and
shall hate one another. 11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13But he that shall
endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matthew 25:12 through Matthew 25:13
12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13Watch therefore,
for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Luke 21:34 through Luke 21:36
34And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you
unawares. 35For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole
earth. 36Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to
escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
Revelation 7:1 through Revelation 7:3
1And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth,
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on
the sea, nor on any tree. 2And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the
seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was
given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the
trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
6T - Testimonies for the Church Volume Six (1901)
Section Six - Cautions and Counsels
Subsection: Preparation for the Final Crisis
Pages: 404.1 - 410.4
The great crisis is just before us. To meet its trials and temptations, and to perform its
duties, will require persevering faith. But we may triumph gloriously; not one watching,
praying, believing soul will be ensnared by the enemy. {6T 404.1}
In the time of trial before us God's pledge of security will be placed upon those who
have kept the word of His patience. Christ will say to His faithful ones: "Come, My
people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it
were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast." Isaiah 26:20. The Lion of
Judah, so terrible to the rejectors of His grace, will be the Lamb of God to the obedient
and faithful. The pillar of cloud which speaks wrath and terror to the transgressor of
God's law is light and mercy and deliverance to those who have kept His
commandments. The arm strong to smite the rebellious will be strong to deliver the
loyal. Every faithful one will surely be gathered. "He shall send His angels with a great
sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from
one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:31. {6T 404.2}
Brethren, to whom the truths of God's word have been opened, what part will you act in
the closing scenes of this world's history? Are you awake to these solemn realities? Do
you realize the grand work of preparation that is going on in heaven and on earth? Let
all who have received the light, who have had the opportunity of reading and hearing
the prophecy, take heed to those things that are written therein; "for the time is at
hand." Let none now tamper with sin, the source of every misery in our world. No longer
remain in lethargy and stupid indifference. Let not the destiny of your soul hang upon
an uncertainty. Know that you are fully on the Lord's side. Let the inquiry go forth from
sincere hearts and trembling lips, "Who shall be able to stand?" Have you, in these last
precious hours of probation, been putting the very best material into your character
building? Have you been purifying your souls from every stain? Have you followed the
light? Have you works corresponding to your profession of faith? {6T 404.3}
Is the softening, subduing influence of the grace of God working upon you? Have you
hearts that can feel, eyes that can see, ears that can hear? Is it in vain that the
declaration of eternal truth has been made concerning the nations of the earth? They
are under condemnation, preparing for the judgments of God; and in this day which is
big with eternal results, the people chosen to be the depositaries of momentous truth
ought to be abiding in Christ. Are you letting your light shine to illumine the nations that
are perishing in their sins? Do you realize that you are to stand in defense of God's
commandments before those who are treading them underfoot? {6T 405.1}
It is possible to be a partial, formal believer, and yet be found wanting and lose eternal
life. It is possible to practice some of the Bible injunctions and be regarded as a
Christian, and yet perish because you lack qualifications essential to Christian
character. If you neglect or treat with indifference the warnings that God has given, if
you cherish or excuse sin, you are sealing your soul's destiny. You will be weighed in
the balance and found wanting. Grace, peace, and pardon will be forever withdrawn;
Jesus will have passed by, never again to come within reach of your prayers and
entreaties. While mercy lingers, while the Saviour is making intercession, let us make
thorough work for eternity. {6T 405.2}
The return of Christ to our world will not be long delayed. Let this be the keynote of
every message. {6T 406.1}
The blessed hope of the second appearing of Christ, with its solemn realities, needs to
be often presented to the people. Looking for the soon appearing of our Lord will lead
us to regard earthly things as emptiness and nothingness. {6T 406.2}
The battle of Armageddon is soon to be fought. He on whose vesture is written the
name, King of kings, and Lord of lords, is soon to lead forth the armies of heaven. {6T
406.3}
It cannot now be said by the Lord's servants, as it was by the prophet Daniel: "The time
appointed was long." Daniel 10:1. It is now but a short time till the witnesses for God will
have done their work in preparing the way of the Lord. {6T 406.4}
We are to throw aside our narrow, selfish plans, remembering that we have a work of
the largest magnitude and highest importance. In doing this work we are sounding the
first, second, and third angel's messages, and are thus being prepared for the coming
of that other angel from heaven who is to lighten the earth with his glory. {6T 406.5}
The day of the Lord is approaching with stealthy tread; but the supposed great and wise
men know not the signs of Christ's coming or of the end of the world. Iniquity abounds,
and the love of many has waxed cold. {6T 406.6}
There are thousands upon thousands, millions upon millions, who are now making their
decision for eternal life or eternal death. The man who is wholly absorbed in his
counting room, the man who finds pleasure at the gaming table, the man who loves to
indulge perverted appetite, the amusement lover, the frequenters of the theater and the
ballroom, put eternity out of their reckoning. The whole burden of their life is: What shall
we eat? what shall we drink? and wherewithal shall we be clothed? They are not in the
procession that is moving heavenward. They are led by the great apostate, and with
him will be destroyed. {6T 406.7}
Unless we understand the importance of the moments that are swiftly passing into
eternity, and make ready to stand in the great day of God, we shall be unfaithful
stewards. The watchman is to know the time of night. Every thing is now clothed with a
solemnity that all who believe the truth for this time should realize. They should act in
reference to the day of God. The judgments of God are about to fall upon the world,
and we need to be preparing for that great day. {6T 407.1}
Our time is precious. We have but few, very few days of probation in which to make
ready for the future, immortal life. We have no time to spend in haphazard movements.
We should fear to skim the surface of the word of God. {6T 407.2}
It is as true now as when Christ was upon the earth, that every inroad made by the
gospel upon the enemy's dominion is met by fierce opposition from his vast armies. The
conflict that is right upon us will be the most terrible ever witnessed. But though Satan is
represented as being as strong as the strong man armed, his overthrow will be
complete, and everyone who unites with him in choosing apostasy rather than loyalty
will perish with him. {6T 407.3}
The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world. Hurricanes,
storms, tempests, fire and flood, disasters by sea and land, follow each other in quick
succession. Science seeks to explain all these. The signs thickening around us, telling
of the near approach of the Son of God, are attributed to any other than the true cause.
Men cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining the four winds that they shall not
blow until the servants of God are sealed; but when God shall bid His angels loose the
winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture. {6T 408.1}
To those who are indifferent at this time Christ's warning is: "Because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth." Revelation 3:16.
The figure of spewing out of His mouth means that He cannot offer up your prayers or
your expressions of love to God. He cannot endorse your teaching of His word or your
spiritual work in anywise. He cannot present your religious exercises with the request
that grace be given you. {6T 408.2}
Could the curtain be rolled back, could you discern the purposes of God and the
judgments that are about to fall upon a doomed world, could you see your own attitude,
you would fear and tremble for your own souls and for the souls of your fellow men.
Earnest prayers of heart-rending anguish would go up to heaven. You would weep
between the porch and the altar, confessing your spiritual blindness and backsliding.
{6T 408.3}
"Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people,
sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children: . . . let the
bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the
ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare
Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach." Joel 2:15-17. {6T 408.4}
"Turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with
mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your
God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and
repenteth Him of the evil. Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a
blessing behind Him?" Verses 12-14. {6T 409.1}
After Israel's apostasy and bitter retribution, God's message of grace for the repentant
people was: "Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak
comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of
Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in
the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Hosea 2:14, 15. {6T 409.2}
"And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call Me my husband; and
shalt call Me no more my lord. . . . And I will betroth thee unto Me forever; yea, I will
betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in
mercies. I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord."
Verses 16-20, margin. {6T 409.3}
"And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and
none else: and My people shall never be ashamed." Joel 2:27. {6T 409.4}
Warning, admonition, promise, all are for us, upon whom the ends of the world are
come. "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." 1
Thessalonians 5:6. {6T 410.1}
"Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting,
and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares."
Luke 21:34. {6T 410.2}
"Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Mark 14:38. Watch against the
stealthy approach of the enemy, watch against old habits and natural inclinations, lest
they assert themselves; force them back, and watch. Watch the thoughts, watch the
plans, lest they become self-centered. Watch over the souls whom Christ has
purchased with His own blood. Watch for opportunities to do them good. {6T 410.3}
Watch, "lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping." Mark 13:36. {6T 410.4}
ML - My Life Today (1952)
Subsection: Preparation for the Final Crisis
Pages: 404.1 - 410.4
The great crisis is just before us. To meet its trials and temptations, and to perform its
duties, will require persevering faith. But we may triumph gloriously; not one watching,
praying, believing soul will be ensnared by the enemy. {6T 404.1}
In the time of trial before us God's pledge of security will be placed upon those who
have kept the word of His patience. Christ will say to His faithful ones: "Come, My
people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it
were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast." Isaiah 26:20. The Lion of
Judah, so terrible to the rejectors of His grace, will be the Lamb of God to the obedient
and faithful. The pillar of cloud which speaks wrath and terror to the transgressor of
God's law is light and mercy and deliverance to those who have kept His
commandments. The arm strong to smite the rebellious will be strong to deliver the
loyal. Every faithful one will surely be gathered. "He shall send His angels with a great
sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from
one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:31. {6T 404.2}
Brethren, to whom the truths of God's word have been opened, what part will you act in
the closing scenes of this world's history? Are you awake to these solemn realities? Do
you realize the grand work of preparation that is going on in heaven and on earth? Let
all who have received the light, who have had the opportunity of reading and hearing
the prophecy, take heed to those things that are written therein; "for the time is at
hand." Let none now tamper with sin, the source of every misery in our world. No longer
remain in lethargy and stupid indifference. Let not the destiny of your soul hang upon
an uncertainty. Know that you are fully on the Lord's side. Let the inquiry go forth from
sincere hearts and trembling lips, "Who shall be able to stand?" Have you, in these last
precious hours of probation, been putting the very best material into your character
building? Have you been purifying your souls from every stain? Have you followed the
light? Have you works corresponding to your profession of faith? {6T 404.3}
Is the softening, subduing influence of the grace of God working upon you? Have you
hearts that can feel, eyes that can see, ears that can hear? Is it in vain that the
declaration of eternal truth has been made concerning the nations of the earth? They
are under condemnation, preparing for the judgments of God; and in this day which is
big with eternal results, the people chosen to be the depositaries of momentous truth
ought to be abiding in Christ. Are you letting your light shine to illumine the nations that
are perishing in their sins? Do you realize that you are to stand in defense of God's
commandments before those who are treading them underfoot? {6T 405.1}
It is possible to be a partial, formal believer, and yet be found wanting and lose eternal
life. It is possible to practice some of the Bible injunctions and be regarded as a
Christian, and yet perish because you lack qualifications essential to Christian
character. If you neglect or treat with indifference the warnings that God has given, if
you cherish or excuse sin, you are sealing your soul's destiny. You will be weighed in
the balance and found wanting. Grace, peace, and pardon will be forever withdrawn;
Jesus will have passed by, never again to come within reach of your prayers and
entreaties. While mercy lingers, while the Saviour is making intercession, let us make
thorough work for eternity. {6T 405.2}
The return of Christ to our world will not be long delayed. Let this be the keynote of
every message. {6T 406.1}
The blessed hope of the second appearing of Christ, with its solemn realities, needs to
be often presented to the people. Looking for the soon appearing of our Lord will lead
us to regard earthly things as emptiness and nothingness. {6T 406.2}
The battle of Armageddon is soon to be fought. He on whose vesture is written the
name, King of kings, and Lord of lords, is soon to lead forth the armies of heaven. {6T
406.3}
It cannot now be said by the Lord's servants, as it was by the prophet Daniel: "The time
appointed was long." Daniel 10:1. It is now but a short time till the witnesses for God will
have done their work in preparing the way of the Lord. {6T 406.4}
We are to throw aside our narrow, selfish plans, remembering that we have a work of
the largest magnitude and highest importance. In doing this work we are sounding the
first, second, and third angel's messages, and are thus being prepared for the coming
of that other angel from heaven who is to lighten the earth with his glory. {6T 406.5}
The day of the Lord is approaching with stealthy tread; but the supposed great and wise
men know not the signs of Christ's coming or of the end of the world. Iniquity abounds,
and the love of many has waxed cold. {6T 406.6}
There are thousands upon thousands, millions upon millions, who are now making their
decision for eternal life or eternal death. The man who is wholly absorbed in his
counting room, the man who finds pleasure at the gaming table, the man who loves to
indulge perverted appetite, the amusement lover, the frequenters of the theater and the
ballroom, put eternity out of their reckoning. The whole burden of their life is: What shall
we eat? what shall we drink? and wherewithal shall we be clothed? They are not in the
procession that is moving heavenward. They are led by the great apostate, and with
him will be destroyed. {6T 406.7}
Unless we understand the importance of the moments that are swiftly passing into
eternity, and make ready to stand in the great day of God, we shall be unfaithful
stewards. The watchman is to know the time of night. Every thing is now clothed with a
solemnity that all who believe the truth for this time should realize. They should act in
reference to the day of God. The judgments of God are about to fall upon the world,
and we need to be preparing for that great day. {6T 407.1}
Our time is precious. We have but few, very few days of probation in which to make
ready for the future, immortal life. We have no time to spend in haphazard movements.
We should fear to skim the surface of the word of God. {6T 407.2}
It is as true now as when Christ was upon the earth, that every inroad made by the
gospel upon the enemy's dominion is met by fierce opposition from his vast armies. The
conflict that is right upon us will be the most terrible ever witnessed. But though Satan is
represented as being as strong as the strong man armed, his overthrow will be
complete, and everyone who unites with him in choosing apostasy rather than loyalty
will perish with him. {6T 407.3}
The restraining Spirit of God is even now being withdrawn from the world. Hurricanes,
storms, tempests, fire and flood, disasters by sea and land, follow each other in quick
succession. Science seeks to explain all these. The signs thickening around us, telling
of the near approach of the Son of God, are attributed to any other than the true cause.
Men cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining the four winds that they shall not
blow until the servants of God are sealed; but when God shall bid His angels loose the
winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture. {6T 408.1}
To those who are indifferent at this time Christ's warning is: "Because thou art
lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth." Revelation 3:16.
The figure of spewing out of His mouth means that He cannot offer up your prayers or
your expressions of love to God. He cannot endorse your teaching of His word or your
spiritual work in anywise. He cannot present your religious exercises with the request
that grace be given you. {6T 408.2}
Could the curtain be rolled back, could you discern the purposes of God and the
judgments that are about to fall upon a doomed world, could you see your own attitude,
you would fear and tremble for your own souls and for the souls of your fellow men.
Earnest prayers of heart-rending anguish would go up to heaven. You would weep
between the porch and the altar, confessing your spiritual blindness and backsliding.
{6T 408.3}
"Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: gather the people,
sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children: . . . let the
bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. Let the priests, the
ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare
Thy people, O Lord, and give not Thine heritage to reproach." Joel 2:15-17. {6T 408.4}
"Turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with
mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your
God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and
repenteth Him of the evil. Who knoweth if He will return and repent, and leave a
blessing behind Him?" Verses 12-14. {6T 409.1}
After Israel's apostasy and bitter retribution, God's message of grace for the repentant
people was: "Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak
comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of
Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in
the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Hosea 2:14, 15. {6T 409.2}
"And it shall be at that day, saith the Lord, that thou shalt call Me my husband; and
shalt call Me no more my lord. . . . And I will betroth thee unto Me forever; yea, I will
betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in
mercies. I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord."
Verses 16-20, margin. {6T 409.3}
"And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and
none else: and My people shall never be ashamed." Joel 2:27. {6T 409.4}
Warning, admonition, promise, all are for us, upon whom the ends of the world are
come. "Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober." 1
Thessalonians 5:6. {6T 410.1}
"Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting,
and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares."
Luke 21:34. {6T 410.2}
"Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." Mark 14:38. Watch against the
stealthy approach of the enemy, watch against old habits and natural inclinations, lest
they assert themselves; force them back, and watch. Watch the thoughts, watch the
plans, lest they become self-centered. Watch over the souls whom Christ has
purchased with His own blood. Watch for opportunities to do them good. {6T 410.3}
Watch, "lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping." Mark 13:36. {6T 410.4}
ML - My Life Today (1952)
Chap. 10 - A Reverent Life
Section: Angels Holding the Four Winds
Pages: 308.1 - 308.5
I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he
cried with a loud voice to the four angels, . . . saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea,
nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Rev. 7:2, 3
{ML 308.1}
Four mighty angels are still holding the four winds of the earth. Terrible destruction is
forbidden to come in full. The accidents by land and by sea; the loss of life, steadily
increasing, by storm, by tempest, by railroad disaster, by conflagration; the terrible
floods, the earthquakes, and the winds will be the stirring up of the nations to one
deadly combat, while the angels hold the four winds, forbidding the terrible power of
Satan to be exercised in its fury until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.
{ML 308.2}
Angels are holding the four winds, which are represented as an angry horse seeking to
break loose and rush over the face of the whole earth, bearing destruction and death in
its path. {ML 308.3}
A terrible conflict is before us. We are nearing the battle of the great day of God
Almighty. That which has been held in control is to be let loose. The angel of mercy is
folding her wings, preparing to step down from the throne and leave the world to the
control of Satan. The principalities and powers of earth are in bitter revolt against the
God of heaven. They are filled with hatred against those who serve Him, and soon, very
soon, will be fought the last great battle between good and evil. The earth is to be the
battlefield--the scene of the final contest and the final victory. {ML 308.4}
While their hands were loosening, and the four winds were about to blow, the merciful
eye of Jesus gazed on the remnant that were not sealed, and He raised His hands to
the Father and pleaded with Him that He had spilled His blood for them. Then another
angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels and bid them hold until the
servants of God were sealed with the seal of the living God in their foreheads. {ML
308.5}
Section: Angels Holding the Four Winds
Pages: 308.1 - 308.5
I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he
cried with a loud voice to the four angels, . . . saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea,
nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. Rev. 7:2, 3
{ML 308.1}
Four mighty angels are still holding the four winds of the earth. Terrible destruction is
forbidden to come in full. The accidents by land and by sea; the loss of life, steadily
increasing, by storm, by tempest, by railroad disaster, by conflagration; the terrible
floods, the earthquakes, and the winds will be the stirring up of the nations to one
deadly combat, while the angels hold the four winds, forbidding the terrible power of
Satan to be exercised in its fury until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads.
{ML 308.2}
Angels are holding the four winds, which are represented as an angry horse seeking to
break loose and rush over the face of the whole earth, bearing destruction and death in
its path. {ML 308.3}
A terrible conflict is before us. We are nearing the battle of the great day of God
Almighty. That which has been held in control is to be let loose. The angel of mercy is
folding her wings, preparing to step down from the throne and leave the world to the
control of Satan. The principalities and powers of earth are in bitter revolt against the
God of heaven. They are filled with hatred against those who serve Him, and soon, very
soon, will be fought the last great battle between good and evil. The earth is to be the
battlefield--the scene of the final contest and the final victory. {ML 308.4}
While their hands were loosening, and the four winds were about to blow, the merciful
eye of Jesus gazed on the remnant that were not sealed, and He raised His hands to
the Father and pleaded with Him that He had spilled His blood for them. Then another
angel was commissioned to fly swiftly to the four angels and bid them hold until the
servants of God were sealed with the seal of the living God in their foreheads. {ML
308.5}
Message 2 - Destitute of the power of love, she has sought the arm of the state.pdf (34KB), Message 3 - The Supremacy of God's Word.pdf (23KB),
Friday, October 10, 2008
Berlusconi Says Leaders May Close World's Markets (Update1)

By Steve Scherer
Oct. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said political leaders are discussing the idea of closing the world's financial markets while they ``rewrite the rules of international finance.''
``The idea of suspending the markets for the time it takes to rewrite the rules is being discussed,'' Berlusconi said today after a Cabinet meeting in Naples, Italy. A solution to the financial crisis ``can't just be for one country, or even just for Europe, but global.''
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell as much 8.1 percent in early trading and pared most of those losses after Berlusconi's remarks. The Dow was down 0.5 percent to 8540.52 at 10:10 in New York.
Group of Seven finance ministers and central bankers are meeting in Washington today, and will stay in town for the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings this weekend. European Union leaders may gather in Paris on Oct. 12, three days before a scheduled summit in Brussels, Berlusconi said today, while Group of Eight leaders may hold a meeting on the crisis ``in coming days,'' he said.
Berlusconi didn't give any details about what kind of rules leaders were looking to change, except to say that leaders are ``talking about a new Bretton Woods.''
The Bretton Woods Agreements were adopted to rebuild the international economic system after World War II in a hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. The aim of the agreements was to establish a monetary management system, initially by pegging currencies to gold. The IMF was set up later to help manage the international financial system.
Updated: October 10, 2008 10:15 EDT
US To Declare October 'Economic Emergency', Suspend Elections

The Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) is reporting in the Kremlin today that the Bank of England has received from the United States Federal Reserve Bank a ‘notice’ that President Bush is preparing to declare an ‘Economic Emergency’ during the week of October 5th and will further announce that the American Presidential election due to be held on November 4th will be ‘indefinitely suspended’.
These reports state that the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, had expressed his ‘shock and outrage’ to his American counterparts at the US Federal Reserve after the catastrophic collapse of one of the largest financial banks in the World, Lehman Brothers, and which caused both the Band of England and the European Central Bank to rush $42 billion into the European economy yesterday to keep it from collapsing, and their own banks from running out of money, necessitating the response from the US Central Bank leader Ben S. Bernanke.
As Prime Minister Putin had previously warned, and as we had reported on in our September 13th report “Hurricane Ike To Completely Destroy United States, Says Putin”, the horrific hurricane storm that has devastated the State of Texas, and where a humanitarian crisis is presently unfolding, has, indeed, proved to be the proverbial ‘straw that broke the camels back’ as the catastrophic damage from this storm raced beyond the Gulf of Mexico coast and ravaged the heartland of America to such an extent that the Governors of Ohio and Kentucky have declared States of Emergency as millions have been left without power.
The significance of this historic storm damage to the American economy, these reports say, led to the unprecedented pressures put upon the World’s largest insurance company American International Group (AIG) and its halt in negotiations, during a rare Sunday meeting in New York, to support the near bankrupt Lehman Brothers on Sunday, but which was then allowed to collapse and is now threatening to also destroy AIG itself.
Not being explained to the American people is that AIG, the World’s largest player in the $45 Trillion derivatives market, during the past two weeks had bet heavily on the World Markets against the damage from Hurricane Ike exceeding $2 billion in property damage, lost oil and gasoline production, lost wages and payments to companies forced to close, etc., it is obligated to pay, but which the actual damages are now being estimated will exceed $1 Trillion as the damages throughout the United States are finally tallied.
[Note: Derivatives are financial instruments whose value changes in response to the changes in underlying variables. The main types of derivatives are futures, forwards, options, and swaps. The main use of derivatives is to reduce risk for one party.]
Such a calamitous action by AIG has basically shattered the Western economic system, and as we can read as reported by The Australian Business News Service in their article titled “Global banks brace for derivative blow-up”, and which says:
“So here we are on the morning of D Day. The world's major couterparties on the $US455 trillion derivatives market go into technical default and no one is sure what is going to happen.
Lehman Bros yesterday formally petitioned the State Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District Court of New York for Chapter 11 protection.
Lehman would also have filed what are called "first day motions", which allow the bank to pay salaries and wages, while it continues to market its non-toxic, broker-dealer operations and work out what on earth to do with its highly toxic $US53 billion residential and commercial mortgage portfolio.
But, as scary and Spartan as it might sound, failure is as essential to the workings of an effective marketplace as is success.
Which means only that, given this shattered, battle-weary investment bank is unable to find itself a new owner or think its own way through the current calamitous circumstances, then one of the legendary brands of Wall Street should be left to fail.
In a weekend of unprecedented drama, the Fed seems to have been forced to play Solomon and choose between Merrill Lynch and Lehman. Both were facing mortal threat. But it seems only one could survive intact.”
Even worse for the American people during this unprecedented crisis is that one of their top economic experts, Wilbur Ross, chairman and CEO of WL Ross & Co, is now warning that over 1,000 US banks are nearing collapse, and one of their top economists, Nouriel Roubini, of NYU's Stern School and RGE Monitor, if further warning that “there is already a "slow-motion run on retail banks" occurring nationwide.”
Russian Military Analysts commenting on these reports state that though it is unlikely that the American President can suspend US elections solely on the basis of an Economic Emergency alone, it is entirely probable that he could do so should their Nation suffer another 9/11 type attack, and which they ‘cryptically’ observe could place as early as September 22nd as American Military Forces begin to conduct their World-Wide tests of their new nuclear alert system as they conduct another test of their so-called Star Wars Missile Defense System.
It should be further noted that as their once great Nation continues sliding towards the abyss of total ruin, these American people still refuse to acknowledge the substance of the many warnings being issued to them from all corners of the World as if even with eyes and ears they do not see and do not hear anything other than what they are programmed for by their masters.
How sad for these people, how much sadder for the rest of us these people are now all but lost.
© September 16, 2008 EU and US all rights reserved.
These reports state that the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, had expressed his ‘shock and outrage’ to his American counterparts at the US Federal Reserve after the catastrophic collapse of one of the largest financial banks in the World, Lehman Brothers, and which caused both the Band of England and the European Central Bank to rush $42 billion into the European economy yesterday to keep it from collapsing, and their own banks from running out of money, necessitating the response from the US Central Bank leader Ben S. Bernanke.
As Prime Minister Putin had previously warned, and as we had reported on in our September 13th report “Hurricane Ike To Completely Destroy United States, Says Putin”, the horrific hurricane storm that has devastated the State of Texas, and where a humanitarian crisis is presently unfolding, has, indeed, proved to be the proverbial ‘straw that broke the camels back’ as the catastrophic damage from this storm raced beyond the Gulf of Mexico coast and ravaged the heartland of America to such an extent that the Governors of Ohio and Kentucky have declared States of Emergency as millions have been left without power.
The significance of this historic storm damage to the American economy, these reports say, led to the unprecedented pressures put upon the World’s largest insurance company American International Group (AIG) and its halt in negotiations, during a rare Sunday meeting in New York, to support the near bankrupt Lehman Brothers on Sunday, but which was then allowed to collapse and is now threatening to also destroy AIG itself.
Not being explained to the American people is that AIG, the World’s largest player in the $45 Trillion derivatives market, during the past two weeks had bet heavily on the World Markets against the damage from Hurricane Ike exceeding $2 billion in property damage, lost oil and gasoline production, lost wages and payments to companies forced to close, etc., it is obligated to pay, but which the actual damages are now being estimated will exceed $1 Trillion as the damages throughout the United States are finally tallied.
[Note: Derivatives are financial instruments whose value changes in response to the changes in underlying variables. The main types of derivatives are futures, forwards, options, and swaps. The main use of derivatives is to reduce risk for one party.]
Such a calamitous action by AIG has basically shattered the Western economic system, and as we can read as reported by The Australian Business News Service in their article titled “Global banks brace for derivative blow-up”, and which says:
“So here we are on the morning of D Day. The world's major couterparties on the $US455 trillion derivatives market go into technical default and no one is sure what is going to happen.
Lehman Bros yesterday formally petitioned the State Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District Court of New York for Chapter 11 protection.
Lehman would also have filed what are called "first day motions", which allow the bank to pay salaries and wages, while it continues to market its non-toxic, broker-dealer operations and work out what on earth to do with its highly toxic $US53 billion residential and commercial mortgage portfolio.
But, as scary and Spartan as it might sound, failure is as essential to the workings of an effective marketplace as is success.
Which means only that, given this shattered, battle-weary investment bank is unable to find itself a new owner or think its own way through the current calamitous circumstances, then one of the legendary brands of Wall Street should be left to fail.
In a weekend of unprecedented drama, the Fed seems to have been forced to play Solomon and choose between Merrill Lynch and Lehman. Both were facing mortal threat. But it seems only one could survive intact.”
Even worse for the American people during this unprecedented crisis is that one of their top economic experts, Wilbur Ross, chairman and CEO of WL Ross & Co, is now warning that over 1,000 US banks are nearing collapse, and one of their top economists, Nouriel Roubini, of NYU's Stern School and RGE Monitor, if further warning that “there is already a "slow-motion run on retail banks" occurring nationwide.”
Russian Military Analysts commenting on these reports state that though it is unlikely that the American President can suspend US elections solely on the basis of an Economic Emergency alone, it is entirely probable that he could do so should their Nation suffer another 9/11 type attack, and which they ‘cryptically’ observe could place as early as September 22nd as American Military Forces begin to conduct their World-Wide tests of their new nuclear alert system as they conduct another test of their so-called Star Wars Missile Defense System.
It should be further noted that as their once great Nation continues sliding towards the abyss of total ruin, these American people still refuse to acknowledge the substance of the many warnings being issued to them from all corners of the World as if even with eyes and ears they do not see and do not hear anything other than what they are programmed for by their masters.
How sad for these people, how much sadder for the rest of us these people are now all but lost.
© September 16, 2008 EU and US all rights reserved.
[Ed. Note: The United States government actively seeks to find, and silence, any and all opinions about the United States except those coming from authorized government and/or affiliated sources, of which we are not one. No interviews are granted and very little personal information is given about our contributors, or their sources, to protect their safety.]
Snowballing sell-off spreads worldwide

Friday, October 10, 2008
NEW YORK - Stock prices careened lower Friday in Asia and Europe and gyrated wildly in the United States, extending a stampede of selling that began on Wall Street a day earlier and deepening a global financial crisis that has defied all efforts to stop it.
President Bush tried to reassure Americans afraid for their life savings and their jobs. "Anxiety can feed anxiety," Bush said Friday, "and that can make it hard to see all that is being done to solve the problem."
This week's coordinated interest rate cuts by the world's central banks to thaw frozen credit markets and boost investor confidence have fallen flat as markets remain gripped by fears about the scale and depth of the likely global recession.
Stock prices were swinging sharply on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrials fell nearly 700 points soon after trading began, regained all of that deficit temporarily - then slid to a loss of more than 300 points shortly after Bush's remarks.
The Wall Street Journal reported that government officials are considering temporarily guaranteeing all U.S. bank deposits and billions of dollars of bank debt, in addition to possibly buying stakes in individual banks. The New York Times also said officials are reviewing a British proposal that also includes repayment guarantees for certain types of loans.
Administration officials told The Associated Press that several financial rescue plans are being reviewed, but no announcements are likely before finance ministers from the seven biggest industrial nations meet Friday in Washington.
"The world is sending an unmistakable signal: We're in this together, and we'll come through this together," Bush said of the international planning.
The $700 billion federal bailout legislation enacted on Oct. 3 cleared the way for the government insurance limit for bank deposits to be temporarily raised from $100,000 to $250,000 in cases where bank or savings and loans fail. That guarantee covered $5.2 trillion of deposits, but another $1.8 trillion is not presently covered, according to the Wall Street Journal.
But a Treasury Department official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of market conditions, said covering all deposits is not now being considered. "We raised the limit one week ago and have no plans to remove the limit," the official said.
A spokesman for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., however, didn't appear to rule out the possibility that such a plan might be considered.
The Treasury had earlier requested from Congress authority for the FDIC to change deposit insurance limits to respond to disruptions in the banking system, in addition to the increase to $250,000 that was part of the bailout legislation, FDIC spokesman Andrew Gray noted in a statement.
"We believe that we have significant latitude, in consultation with Congress, under the systemic risk exception - which carries the threshold of approval of the Federal Reserve and Treasury Secretary in consultation with the president - to protect depositors and adopt other measures to support the banking system," Gray said.
Thursday's anniversary of the U.S. stock market peak turned into one of the worst days in Wall Street history, with the Dow Jones industrials loosing a breathtaking 679 points, or 7.3 percent.
Asian markets followed Wall Street's cue, as key market gauges dropped 9.6 percent in Japan, 8 percent in India and 7.2 percent in Hong Kong. European stocks slumped by midday with key market barometers losing 7.3 percent in London, 7.7 percent in Germany and 7.5 percent in Paris.
A stream of selling forced exchanges in Austria, Russia and Indonesia to suspend trading, and the rout in Australian markets caused traders to call it "Black Friday."
"Overall it's the fact that despite the huge firefighting efforts of central banks worldwide we still haven't seen any thawing of interbank lending that is going to be causing the most concern now," said Matt Buckled, a dealer at CMC Markets in London.
The late burst of selling Thursday on Wall Street sent the Dow Jones industrials down to 8,579, crashing through the 9,000 level for the first time in five years and wiping out $872 billion of investment value.
As bad as the day was, even worse was the cumulative effect of a historic run of declines: The Dow suffered a triple-digit loss for the sixth day in a row, a first, and the average dropped for the seventh day in a row, a losing streak not seen since 2002.
"Right now the market is just panicked," said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poor's in New York. "Nobody wants to take on any risk. Everybody just wants to get their money and put it under the mattress."
Thursday's sell-off on Wall Street took place one year to the day after the Dow closed at its record high of 14,164. Since that day, frozen credit, record foreclosures, cascading job losses and outright fear have seized the market and sapped 39 percent of its value.
Paper losses for the year though Thursday add up to an staggering $8.3 trillion, according to preliminary figures measured by the Dow Jones Wiltshire 5000 Composite Index, which tracks 5,000 U.S.-based companies representing almost all stocks traded in America.
It was the second straight day that Wall Street was rocked by a final-hour sell-off, but this one was particularly shocking.
Most of the day was relatively calm, and the trading floor was quieter than usual because of the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Wall Street awoke to news the federal government was brandishing a new weapon against the financial crisis - considering seeking an equity stake in major U.S. banks in order to stabilize them.
But that step appeared to be as ineffectual as the others Washington has rolled out in recent weeks, including a $700 billion bailout of the financial industry, a coordinated interest rate cut by central banks around the world and direct lending by the Federal Reserve to private companies to provide them with short-term cash.
Acquiring a stake in the banks would be yet another startling intervention by the government in the free market, but economists said Bush was left with little choice because of the credit markets, where tight lending has choked off the everyday cash that is the lifeblood of the economy.
"In normal times, this would be out of the question, but in the present dire situation, I think the government should be employing all the powers that it can," said Sung Won Sohn, an economics professor at California State University, Channel Islands.
Wall Street has been teetering on the brink of panic for a month now, vulnerable to any bad news. Thursday's sell-off was triggered when a major credit rating agency put General Motors Corp. and its finance affiliate under review to determine whether it should be downgraded.
Stock in GM, one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones industrials, lost 31 percent of its value and closed at $4.76 - its lowest level since the Korean War began more than a half century ago.
For the Dow, it has been nothing short of a free fall:
-The point decline Thursday was the third-worst in Dow history. The worst, 778 points, came less than two weeks ago.
-Of the last 19 trading days, there have been 11 triple-digit losses - including the unprecedented six straight. The six gains have all been triple-digits, and only one of them was enough to make up the losses of the day before.
In percentage terms, Thursday's drop in the Dow exceeded the day the markets reopened after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was not close to the 22.6-percent decline on Black Monday in 1987, the last stock market crash.
---
AP Economics Writer Martin Crutsinger reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Tom Raum in Washington and Patrick Rizzo in New York contributed to this story.
Spreading NAFTA’s Love Across The Atlantic

By: Dana Gabriel -
3 October, 2008
Canada and the European Union (EU) are set to begin preliminary discussions on deeper economic integration a mere three days after the election. It has been reported that the proposed trade deal will far exceed NAFTA. Some see this as an opportunity to possibly update the 15 year-old accord. Stephen Harper is busy telling Canadians that only a Conservative majority government will be able to bring confidence back and stabilize the economy. That is why I find it a little strange that this has not become a pillar of the Conservatives economic platform. Harper has decided not to release the full text of the draft proposal until after the election on October 14. The reality is that such an agreement with the EU will be no different than NAFTA in the sense that it will be used to further advance corporate interests.
For the past several months, Canadian officials have been hard at work negotiating with EU representatives. They have compiled a detailed study that will be unveiled after the election. Talks could begin as early as October 17 at a summit in Montreal , with formal negotiations set to begin in 2009. Just as the case with the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) labour, citizen groups and the public at large have been excluded from any discussions. Many support this trade initiative because they wish to lessen Canada’s dependency on the American economy. This agreement has a better chance of succeeding if Harper is re-elected Prime Minister. There still remains much secrecy surrounding trade talks with the EU, and up to this point, Harper appears to be reluctant to make this an election issue.
French and current rotating EU president Nicolas Sarkozy has said that he wishes economic integration with Canada to be part of his lasting legacy. Europe sees Canada’s energy resources as a possible solution to easing their dependency on Russian oil and gas. In a commentary that appeared in the Globe and Mail, Alan Alexandroff, co-author of the C.D. Howe Institute paper titled Still Amigos, writes, “If the EU and Canada can forge an accord that covers services, government procurement and skilled labour that could well set the table for reviving the original NAFTA.” He went on to say, “If the EU and Canada join hands, the U.S. and Mexico will be eager to join the party.” Some believe that such an agreement will further advance North American integration while spreading NAFTA to Europe. A Canada-EU trade deal could be used as the model for future bilateral accords and as a way to further renew U.S.-EU relation.
There are calls to further deepen the U.S.-EU partnership with a new sense of multilateralism in areas of trade, climate change, and fighting terrorism, along with others. In April of 2007, it was announced with very little fanfare that the U.S.-EU had reached a deal on a new Trans-Atlantic Economic Partnership. They agreed to set up an economic council and further boost trade and investment by harmonizing services, business takeovers, and intellectual property. They also agreed to continue working towards eliminating non-tariff barriers to trade, which could eventually lead to a U.S.-EU single market.
Economic integration was a first step in the creation of the EU, and a similar stealth approach is being used to advance a North American Union. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso recently said in a speech, “We have to make room at the top table for others, because that is the only way we can consolidate and strengthen a stable, multilateral world, governed by internationally agreed rules.” He also stated, “the time has come to start thinking of an Atlantic Agenda for Globalisation.” With the further erosion of national sovereignty and continued economic, social, cultural and environmental integration, we are on an undeniable path towards world government.
With the collapse of the WTO talks, more bilateral trade agreements will be used in advancing the New World Order’s agenda. The global elite, pushing for world government, are using the current financial turmoil to acquire more wealth and power. Economic uncertainty could also be used to usher in a North American Union with its own currency. A Canada-EU trade deal is yet another incremental step towards global governance.
For the past several months, Canadian officials have been hard at work negotiating with EU representatives. They have compiled a detailed study that will be unveiled after the election. Talks could begin as early as October 17 at a summit in Montreal , with formal negotiations set to begin in 2009. Just as the case with the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) labour, citizen groups and the public at large have been excluded from any discussions. Many support this trade initiative because they wish to lessen Canada’s dependency on the American economy. This agreement has a better chance of succeeding if Harper is re-elected Prime Minister. There still remains much secrecy surrounding trade talks with the EU, and up to this point, Harper appears to be reluctant to make this an election issue.
French and current rotating EU president Nicolas Sarkozy has said that he wishes economic integration with Canada to be part of his lasting legacy. Europe sees Canada’s energy resources as a possible solution to easing their dependency on Russian oil and gas. In a commentary that appeared in the Globe and Mail, Alan Alexandroff, co-author of the C.D. Howe Institute paper titled Still Amigos, writes, “If the EU and Canada can forge an accord that covers services, government procurement and skilled labour that could well set the table for reviving the original NAFTA.” He went on to say, “If the EU and Canada join hands, the U.S. and Mexico will be eager to join the party.” Some believe that such an agreement will further advance North American integration while spreading NAFTA to Europe. A Canada-EU trade deal could be used as the model for future bilateral accords and as a way to further renew U.S.-EU relation.
There are calls to further deepen the U.S.-EU partnership with a new sense of multilateralism in areas of trade, climate change, and fighting terrorism, along with others. In April of 2007, it was announced with very little fanfare that the U.S.-EU had reached a deal on a new Trans-Atlantic Economic Partnership. They agreed to set up an economic council and further boost trade and investment by harmonizing services, business takeovers, and intellectual property. They also agreed to continue working towards eliminating non-tariff barriers to trade, which could eventually lead to a U.S.-EU single market.
Economic integration was a first step in the creation of the EU, and a similar stealth approach is being used to advance a North American Union. EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso recently said in a speech, “We have to make room at the top table for others, because that is the only way we can consolidate and strengthen a stable, multilateral world, governed by internationally agreed rules.” He also stated, “the time has come to start thinking of an Atlantic Agenda for Globalisation.” With the further erosion of national sovereignty and continued economic, social, cultural and environmental integration, we are on an undeniable path towards world government.
With the collapse of the WTO talks, more bilateral trade agreements will be used in advancing the New World Order’s agenda. The global elite, pushing for world government, are using the current financial turmoil to acquire more wealth and power. Economic uncertainty could also be used to usher in a North American Union with its own currency. A Canada-EU trade deal is yet another incremental step towards global governance.
You can contact Dana @ newworldordermustbestopped@hotmail.com
Source: http://intelstrike.com/?p=307
Foreign economists urge 'global plan'
Agence France-Presse/Getty Images ALERT: A stock broker scans his screens at Frankfurt's stock exchange on Tuesday as the DAX moved below 6,000 to 5,742. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the passage of a U.S. financial bailout would bring "new confidence" to the markets.Nicholas Kralev
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
washington_ti859:http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/01/foreign-economists-prod-us-on-global-plan/
Leaders and economists from Western Europe to East Asia Tuesday urged the United States to go beyond reviving a failed domestic bailout and start working on a new global financial system.
Associated Press Traders at MICEX, the Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange, watch and wait during a tense session in Moscow on Tuesday when stock indexes sank despite a two-hour trading halt.
"The Americans don't have a choice — they must absolutely have a global plan," Christian Noyer, head of the French central bank, said in Paris.
David Smick, a global strategist and author of "The World Is Curved: Hidden Dangers of the Global Economy," said the next U.S. president should immediately call for a second "Bretton Woods" conference to devise a new doctrine of international finance.
The tiny New Hampshire town hosted a conference shortly after World War II that established rules for economic interchange among the world's industrial powers and created the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
"I am convinced that the sickness runs deep and that we need to rethink the entire financial and monetary system, as we did in Bretton Woods ... to create the tools for worldwide regulation made necessary by the globalization of trade," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in the French city of Toulon on Monday.
He said that officials from France, Britain, Germany and Italy will meet next week in Paris with the Continent's top financial officials to prepare for a proposed global summit on the economic crisis. European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet will participate.
The 27-nation European Union said Tuesday that the crisis "has become a global problem" and Washington has a "special responsibility" to resolve it.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel took aim at the House failure to pass the Bush administration's $700 billion bailout proposal, which sparked a global stock market plunge. She called the package a "precondition for creating new confidence in the markets."
Kaoru Yosano, the Japanese minister of economic and fiscal policy, agreed. "The outcome has caused a major impact on not only the U.S. economy but also the world economy," he said.
Until a few weeks ago, foreign governments were blase and even gloated about U.S. financial woes, Mr. Smick said. "The decoupled theory has taken a crash landing," demand is plummeting worldwide and foreign financial institutions have been forced to come to terms with their own "toxic waste," he said.
Continues 1 2 Next
TIMES NETWORK
Source: http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/01/foreign-economists-prod-us-on-global-plan/
The Sucking Sound of Ad Dollars Disappearing

Jesse Lefkowitz
Newspapers and magazines have already been hit, and hard. Even network TV and luxury advertisers may not escape this recession
by Jon Fine
BW Magazine
The New Age of Frugality - BusinessWeek
Financial Crisis: How to Stop the Panic - BusinessWeek
Credit Crisis: The Risk Hits Russia - BusinessWeek
News You Need to Know - BusinessWeek
A Recession That's Mild But Long? - BusinessWeek
The New Age of Frugality - BusinessWeek
Financial Crisis: How to Stop the Panic - BusinessWeek
Credit Crisis: The Risk Hits Russia - BusinessWeek
News You Need to Know - BusinessWeek
A Recession That's Mild But Long? - BusinessWeek
It has been a lousy few years for much of the media, and 2008 has offered no respite. But to quote the hideous '70s band Bachman Turner Overdrive, b-b-b-baby, you just ain't see n-n-nothing yet.
Because on top of the wrenching change affecting essentially every non- online media, here comes a very scary-looking economic downturn.
Think of the recession, says Barclays (BCS) analyst Anthony DiClemente, "as a vine growing up a wall. Except instead of a healthy vine, like at Wrigley [Field], it's like—'feed me, Seymour'—from The Little Shop of Horrors."
Forgive the surfeit of pop-culture jokes. I'm only trying to inject levity into an extremely grim picture. According to ad tracker TNS Media Intelligence, which provided all such figures for this column, automotive and financial services were the No. 1 and No. 3 U.S. ad categories last year. We all know what happened to the latter in recent months. In 2007, Merrill Lynch (MER), Lehman Brothers (LEH), Bear Stearns (BSC), and Washington Mutual (WM) spent $213.1 million on advertising. Even if those companies' new owners spend something to reassure old customers, you're likely looking at a nine-figure sum sucked out of the ad marketplace by those guys alone. And when major carmakers report sales drops of 30%, boffo ad buys do not follow. Ford Motor's (F) ad spending was down over 31% for the first half of this year. Car sales' slide has accelerated since. In case you're wondering, the No. 2 ad category was retail, which is now under severe pressure as consumers spend less.
The consequences of all this contraction are readily apparent when you talk to key media executives. Magazines sell ads long before they appear, and advertisers already are making noises about cutting back in the first half of 2009, says one senior executive in that industry. "Everyone says they are going to keep advertising in a downturn," says another executive, who has run major sales organizations in different media. "But not everyone actually does it. That's just the reality of having to report earnings and profits." And while the wealthiest consumer may remain relatively untouched, those who have recently traded up to high-end products may slam the brakes on such consumption, raising chances that luxury advertisers will be affected, too. Food looks more likely to stay stable. One mordant TV executive puts it this way: "The auto industry is out. And Campbell's Soup (CPB) is in."
How the dollars flow—or rather don't flow—in any downturn can shape events in ways obscured until much later. As strange as it sounds today, the tech bust that started in 2000 meant that total dollars spent on online display advertising declined 21% between 2001 and 2002. And as strange as it sounds today, many established media organizations used that decline as a rationale for deemphasizing the Web in favor of their traditional businesses—and underinvestment allowed all manner of Web-only startups to outflank them in the one medium that's still growing. While online display ads will still be up in '09, says BMO Capital Markets analyst Leland Westerfield, that growth rate will likely slow. Look for search advertising to hold up, so Google should be hurt the least.
Elsewhere, Barclay's DiClemente suggests, the slowdown's effects will move up a media ladder of sorts, starting with newspapers, magazines, radio, local TV, and then hitting broadcast and—possibly—cable TV. There's a "high probability," he says, that the "advertising malaise spreads to network TV"—the one long-running medium that's held steadiest as others have fallen off.
DiClemente is forecasting a 5.5% pullback in ad spending next year, with only Web and cable TV posting ad upticks. It may be hard to conjure a scenario worse than today's, given what radio, local TV, and newspapers are currently experiencing. This has been a year in which many unthinkable things have happened—newspaper executives, for instance, mulling which days of the week they won't publish. But the coming downturn means that what once was unthinkable ... well, you better start thinking it.
Because on top of the wrenching change affecting essentially every non- online media, here comes a very scary-looking economic downturn.
Think of the recession, says Barclays (BCS) analyst Anthony DiClemente, "as a vine growing up a wall. Except instead of a healthy vine, like at Wrigley [Field], it's like—'feed me, Seymour'—from The Little Shop of Horrors."
Forgive the surfeit of pop-culture jokes. I'm only trying to inject levity into an extremely grim picture. According to ad tracker TNS Media Intelligence, which provided all such figures for this column, automotive and financial services were the No. 1 and No. 3 U.S. ad categories last year. We all know what happened to the latter in recent months. In 2007, Merrill Lynch (MER), Lehman Brothers (LEH), Bear Stearns (BSC), and Washington Mutual (WM) spent $213.1 million on advertising. Even if those companies' new owners spend something to reassure old customers, you're likely looking at a nine-figure sum sucked out of the ad marketplace by those guys alone. And when major carmakers report sales drops of 30%, boffo ad buys do not follow. Ford Motor's (F) ad spending was down over 31% for the first half of this year. Car sales' slide has accelerated since. In case you're wondering, the No. 2 ad category was retail, which is now under severe pressure as consumers spend less.
The consequences of all this contraction are readily apparent when you talk to key media executives. Magazines sell ads long before they appear, and advertisers already are making noises about cutting back in the first half of 2009, says one senior executive in that industry. "Everyone says they are going to keep advertising in a downturn," says another executive, who has run major sales organizations in different media. "But not everyone actually does it. That's just the reality of having to report earnings and profits." And while the wealthiest consumer may remain relatively untouched, those who have recently traded up to high-end products may slam the brakes on such consumption, raising chances that luxury advertisers will be affected, too. Food looks more likely to stay stable. One mordant TV executive puts it this way: "The auto industry is out. And Campbell's Soup (CPB) is in."
How the dollars flow—or rather don't flow—in any downturn can shape events in ways obscured until much later. As strange as it sounds today, the tech bust that started in 2000 meant that total dollars spent on online display advertising declined 21% between 2001 and 2002. And as strange as it sounds today, many established media organizations used that decline as a rationale for deemphasizing the Web in favor of their traditional businesses—and underinvestment allowed all manner of Web-only startups to outflank them in the one medium that's still growing. While online display ads will still be up in '09, says BMO Capital Markets analyst Leland Westerfield, that growth rate will likely slow. Look for search advertising to hold up, so Google should be hurt the least.
Elsewhere, Barclay's DiClemente suggests, the slowdown's effects will move up a media ladder of sorts, starting with newspapers, magazines, radio, local TV, and then hitting broadcast and—possibly—cable TV. There's a "high probability," he says, that the "advertising malaise spreads to network TV"—the one long-running medium that's held steadiest as others have fallen off.
DiClemente is forecasting a 5.5% pullback in ad spending next year, with only Web and cable TV posting ad upticks. It may be hard to conjure a scenario worse than today's, given what radio, local TV, and newspapers are currently experiencing. This has been a year in which many unthinkable things have happened—newspaper executives, for instance, mulling which days of the week they won't publish. But the coming downturn means that what once was unthinkable ... well, you better start thinking it.
Bush Attempts to Reassure Americans as G-7 Finance Ministers Gather in Washington

President George W. Bush makes statement on US economic crisis at the White House, 10 Oct 2008
By VOA News 10 October 2008
Download (WM) President's statement on the economy - Watch (WM)
Leaders of the world's largest economies confronted a global financial system in shambles Friday as they gathered in Washington to cope with a plunging stock market, a frozen credit market, and fears the world is headed for recession. U.S. stock markets plunged around five percent in the first few minutes of trading, but later recovered in volatile trading. Key European stock market indexes were down sharply in afternoon trading. Steep declines forced officials in Russia and Indonesia to suspend trading indefinitely. Brazilian officials suspended trading temporarily after declines of at least ten percent. And Japan's Nikkei index was off nearly 10 percent at the close - its biggest one-day loss since 1987. Officials from the Group of Seven industrialized nations (the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Canada and Italy) are gathering in Washington ahead of a meeting of the International Monetary Fund, and will meet with U.S. President George Bush on Saturday.
In televised remarks Friday, Mr. Bush tried to reassure investors around the world. He said officials are taking strong measures to solve the crisis, and blamed "fear" for what he described as the "startling" drop in stock prices. Mr. Bush said the United States is a wealthy nation with the tools and resources to solve these problems, and urged Americans to be confident in the country's future. Meanwhile, U.S. officials may be considering a plan to help ease the credit-crunch that sparked the current crisis.The Wall Street Journal's online edition reports today the U.S. may decide to guarantee billions of dollars in bank debt and temporarily insure all U.S. bank deposits.In an interview today with CNBC television, British entrepreneur and investor Richard Branson said he does not expect the U.S. stock markets to produce any sort of sustained rally.The president of the Virgin Atlantic airline and founder of many of the Virgin Group's other enterprises - including a space tourism company - also said he plans to get back into the mortgage business in the next six months.Many economists blame mortgage-related investments tied to the U.S. housing market for sparking the financial crisis.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
WHO Calls for Treatment of Mental Disorders in Developing World
Benedetto Saraceno
By Lisa Schlein Geneva0
9 October 2008
Schlein report - Download (MP3)
Schlein report - Listen (MP3)
The World Health Organization is calling for urgent action to provide care and treatment for millions of people with mental disorders in the developing world. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from WHO headquarters in Geneva on World Mental Health Day. The World Health Organization reports about 300 million people in the world suffer from mental health disorders. A substantial number of people in rich countries do not get the help they need. But the World Health Organization says that pales in comparison with the situation in developing countries where more than 75 percent of people suffering from mental disorders receive no treatment or care. That is why the World Health Organization is launching a program to raise awareness about the enormity of the problem and to persuade governments to change their policies and practices.The program is focusing on eight key conditions. They include depression, schizophrenia, child mental disorders, alcohol and illicit drugs, substance abuse, dementia, epilepsy and suicide prevention.
Benedetto SaracenoWHO Mental Health and Substance Abuse Department Director Benedetto Saraceno tells VOA, the organization's goal is to provide treatment by 2015 for 20 percent of the population who currently are receiving nothing."We calculate around 200 million people today are not receiving the treatment they need," Saraceno said. "Twenty percent means 40 million people."Dr. Saraceno notes across Africa for example, nine out of 10 people suffering from epilepsy go untreated. He says they are unable to access simple and inexpensive anticonvulsant drugs, which cost less than $5 a year per person. He says people with mental illnesses are hesitant to disclose their problems and seek treatment. He says they are stigmatized. They suffer from discrimination and often are subject to neglect and abuse. "The key point is to give voice to people with mental health problems so they can come up and say, 'yes. We have mental health problems. So what. We want to be treated. We want to be respected. We want to be part of the solution,' " he explained. "One of the key components of the program is to raise awareness about the silent epidemic of mental disorders and the silent epidemic of human rights violations occurring in many psychiatric facilities." The World Health Organization wants mental treatment programs to be integrated into national primary health care facilities. It says doctors and nurses should be trained to identify and manage mental disorders in local communities. The World Health Organization cites several cases where this is successfully being done. For example, it says the national primary care program in Chile now includes treatment of depression for everyone who needs it, benefiting hundreds of thousands of people.Then again, it says an epilepsy project in local health systems in China is achieving excellent results.Dr. Saraceno says WHO's cost-effective strategies for tackling the treatment gap for mental disorders are achievable. He says it takes political will and sufficient money to subsidize these programs.
Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-10-09-voa43.cfm
The Storm of The Lord

1Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.
2Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
3And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
5Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
9Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.
10For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
11For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
12Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
13And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
14I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
15Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
16Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
17They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
18For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
19Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.
20The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
21I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
23Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
24Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
25I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
27Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.
28The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.
29Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
30Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.
31Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
32Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
33And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.
34And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.
35Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?
36And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
37Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?
38But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;
39Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:
40And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
2Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
3And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
5Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
9Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.
10For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
11For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
12Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.
13And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
14I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
15Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
16Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
17They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
18For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
19Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.
20The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.
21I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
22But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.
23Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
24Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
25I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
27Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.
28The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.
29Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
30Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.
31Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
32Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
33And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.
34And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.
35Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken?
36And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
37Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?
38But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD;
39Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:
40And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
Jeremiah 23 (King James Version)
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