Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

The Push to Kill Cash - Next Up is Australia
Aug 31st, 2019
CommentaryGRAHAM SMITH/ACTIVIST POST
Categories: Contemporary Issues

The supposed coordination of governments and tech companies to create a one-world, cashless society is often viewed as little more than fodder for silly YouTube conspiracy videos. After all, cash is still king in daily life, even in extremely high-tech, innovative societies like Japan. 

Upon closer examination, though, current realities like Australia's proposed cash transaction ban for 2020, the continuing removal of higher denomination bills from several world economies, and the creation of centralized, state cryptocurrencies by governments worldwide cannot be ignored.

These trends signal a global push to kill paper money in the name of safety, security, and financial inclusion.

You Can Pay, But It Better Be Our Way

Australia's "Black Economy Taskforce" wants to put people accepting over 10,000 AUD (~$6,750) in cash in the slammer for up to two years, or fine them up to 25,000 (~$16,890), in an ostensible bid to fight black market economies. The Currency (Restrictions on the Use of Cash) Bill 2019 states:

Transactions equal to, or in excess of this amount would need to be made using the electronic payment system or by cheque. The Black Economy Taskforce recommended this action to tackle tax evasion and other criminal activities.

Note the similarity here with talking points of other governments. India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, when announcing the devastating surprise removal of 86% of the country's circulating paper cash in 2016, proclaimed:

Black money and corruption are the biggest obstacles in eradicating poverty.

Not surprisingly, Modi's shock move put the dominantly cash-based society in a panic, forcing people to take their now worthless 1,000 and 500 rupee notes to banks within 50 days of the announcement, to exchange them for smaller denominations. Now The Royal Bank of India is moving to ban all cryptocurrencies but one, the state-approved, digital rupee.

The removal of large cash bills is a worldwide, ongoing reality, with the European Central Bank (ECB) stopping production of the 500 euro note earlier this year. The note, dubbed by the media as "the Bin Laden," was said to be used disproportionately in financing terrorism. 

The U.S. used to have banknotes worth $500 and higher as well, some which were known as gold certificates, entitling the bearer to physical gold upon redemption. As fractional reserve banking took over, however, and national debt increased, these systems were progressively abandoned. The trend continues today in the form of Negative Interest Rate Policy (NIRP), and the resultant push for digitization of money.

Stop Holding Cash and Take Our Debt

"If everyone is holding cash, negative interest rates become useless." These are the words of former People's Bank of China (PBOC) governor Zhou Xiaochuan after the Chinese government had just completed a trial run of their new national cryptocurrency back in 2017. Now the country's sovereign digital currency is "almost ready." Zhou has also officially stated:

At the current stage, the central bank's major goal of issuing digital currency is to replace the physical cash.

Earlier in the same interview, he maintained that "The cost for cash transaction will gradually increase in the later stage. 

For instance, banks do not charge any fee for counting a large amount of coins now, but in the future they may charge their clients for such services." Zhou's remarks about negative interest rates are arguably the biggest giveaway as to what is going on here. If people are holding cash outside of banks, reckless, Keynesian NIRP policies won't have the desired effect of coercing spending in the populace.

New Zealand Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr agrees with Zhou:

Let's tax cash holdings, simple as that: we're back to monetary policy as usual; people are disincentivised to be holding large lumps of physical cash; they are having to think harder about putting money to work.

While draconian government monetary policy is alarming, the lack of support for actual financial sovereignty in the crypto and tech space is indicative of another problem. 

Government's designs on eliminating paper money and fighting permissionless, decentralized crypto exchange -- both moves to control money supply and populations of individuals -- are obvious, and to be expected. But even big tech companies and exchanges like Facebook and Binance are jumping on the propaganda bandwagon, dragging many well-meaning enthusiasts into the fight against financial freedom (even if unintentionally) right along with them.

"We believe that we all have a responsibility to help advance financial inclusion, support ethical actors, and continuously uphold the integrity of the ecosystem." - Libra whitepaper

"This is why we believe in and are committed to a collaborative process with regulators, central banks, and lawmakers..." - Facebook's David Marcus

"Binance is looking to create new alliances and partnerships with governments, corporations, technology companies, and other cryptocurrency companies and projects involved in the larger blockchain ecosystem, to empower developed and developing countries to spur new currencies." - Binance's 'Venus' announcement

The common theme here is eager compliance with Keynesian value destroyers. And these examples are illustrative of the true financial epidemic.

Forced 'Perfection'

Digital currencies really are extremely convenient. Everybody in the world really should have a chance at financial inclusion. Holding wads of paper cash and coins really can be a bother, as well as a safety hazard, where crime is concerned. 

In Finland, passengers on state railways won't be able to purchase tickets with cash for long-distance trips, starting in September. Much easier than messing with the paper stuff. ATMs are becoming less common worldwide, even in countries like China, the U.S., and cash-obsessed Japan. Settlements and payments can be made effortlessly, though, with just a quick scan or entering a PIN, so it's no big deal.

But this is not a perfect world. Governments are corrupt. Artificial monopolies and seas of red tape exist, keeping the life-threateningly impoverished and entrepreneurial from accessing crypto and banking services via strict KYC and AML policy, and by mandating, like Modi in India, that their hard-earned and hard-saved money is worthless. People already have the opportunity for extreme financial inclusion. 

A $40 smartphone and an internet connection enables anyone, anywhere in the world, to make or receive money with Bitcoin. In the name of regulation, safety, and financial inclusion, however, the state makes the situation more chaotic, less safe, and extremely exclusive where real human need is concerned.

Some of us crazy people still like paper cash, and prefer to pay that way. Some annoying, behind-the-times Luddites still put money in their mattresses, where global financial policy turns more and more toward negative rates, continued inflation, and devaluation of money sitting in banks. 

Some entrepreneurs and tech-savvy fans of crypto simply think it's nobody else's business, preferring paper wallets, coin shuffling, and VPNs, in a world where everyone but those in power are presumed guilty until proven innocent. 

Some of us "conspiracy nuts" just like crypto for crypto, and paper cash is still closer to that clean and private model than any slimy, centralized digital state currency could ever hope to be.

THE LOVE OF CHRIST TO HIS CHURCH IS INEXPRESSIBLE, SAVE BY THE TENDEREST HUMAN RELATIONSHIP. (Ephesi
Aug 31st, 2019
Morning MeditationF. B. Meyer
Categories: Meditation;Inspirational;Book Study

Here is a mystery indeed. That scene in Eden is also a parable. It was not good for Christ to be alone. He needed one to love and to give love. But there was none among unfallen angels that could answer to Him. And therefore God the Father sought a bride for his Son from among the children of men; yea, He took the Second Eve from the wounded side of the Second Man, as He lay asleep in the garden-grave.

Redeemed men compose that bride. The Saviour loves them, as a true man who for the first time loves a pure and noble woman. He does not love them because they are fair, but to make them so. He has approved his love by becoming man, and giving Himself to death. By his blood, and Word, and Spirit, He is sanctifying and purifying them for Himself. The process is long and severe; but He nourishes and cherishes them, as a man does his wounded flesh. And ere long, when the bride is complete in numbers and in beauty, the mystery that now veils her shall be flung aside, and amid the joy of creation, He will present her to Himself, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing; bearing his name, sharing his rank, and position, and wealth, and power, and glory, for ever and ever.

Then the Church shall cleave to Him for ever, and He shall cleave to her. And they twain shall be one spirit. And his own prayer shall be realized, offered on the eve of his agony and passion, "The glory which Thou hast given Me, I have given unto them; that they may be one, even as We are one."

People Without a Purpose: Why Young Brits Have Lost Hope
Aug 31st, 2019
CommentaryJOHN STONESTREET/BREAKPOINT.ORG
Categories: Contemporary Issues

Few things will bring on the goosebumps like listening to Winston Churchill's 1940 "fight them on the beaches" speech, easily one of the strongest statements of national unity and patriotic defiance in all of human history.

The prime minister spoke for a people who, as he said, would "never surrender," and he was right. Even with London smoldering from the Blitz and the nation standing virtually alone against Hitler's war machine, they didn't break. And their persistence eventually saw the tide turn and Europe liberated.

The secret to their endurance is really not a secret at all. The British in Churchill's day were a people with a purpose. Churchill called what they faced a fight against tyranny, and the nation believed him. 

As C. S. Lewis observed in his wartime radio addresses, some of which later became part of his book "Mere Christianity," the Nazis really were wrong, and the Allies really were right. Good and evil exist and can be known. That, Lewis observed, was a signpost to the meaning of life.

Britain has undergone quite a transformation since Churchill's speech. Last week, the Sun reported on a new, nationwide survey that plied 1,500 Brits of all ages with a variety of questions about their attitudes and beliefs. Among the results: a stunning 89 percent of those aged 16 to 29 said their lives lack meaning and purpose.

In other words, Nihilism is running rampant among Millennial and Gen-Z Brits. Just half of those aged 60 and over gave similarly hopeless answers, which is still not a great result but certainly better than 89 percent.

The Sun suggests this means people find purpose in life as they age. Or, it could mean that Brits are steadily losing a sense of meaning and purpose with each generation.

Evidence for the latter interpretation comes from the answers participants gave to other questions: 84 percent of young people said they're failing to "live their best life." Nearly 40 percent also said they'd choose to re-do their lives if they could.

And, what would they change if they could hit that "reset" button? Over half of Brits believe they were put on earth to be as happy as possible. Only 37 percent said their purpose is to make other people happy. Less than a third thought they exist to do as much good as possible.

I can't help wondering how different the results would be if this survey had been conducted in the middle of World War II. Would the British have been similarly aimless and preoccupied with personal happiness and fulfillment? 

Would almost 90 percent of young people, who bore the brunt of the war, say their lives lacked meaning? I doubt it. I don't think a British population that hopeless would have had the resolve to withstand the Nazi assault and help lead the Allies to victory.

So, what happened? How did the Brits, who out-lasted the Blitz, transform into people unsure of life's very purpose? 

When Churchill made those thundering moral pronouncements on behalf of his nation, he didn't conduct a poll to find out who thought the Nazis were wrong or worth fighting. He didn't ask each citizen to define their "best life." And he certainly didn't elevate individual happiness to the top of his wartime priorities.

But in a world where meaning is up to us, where life supposedly means whatever we say it does, it ultimately comes to mean nothing. A culture that abandons any fixed reference point and instead tells its young people that truth, purpose, meaning, and morality are purely subjective, will only, in the end, rob them of any truth, purpose, meaning, or morality worth fighting for.

Churchill rallied his nation to a "righteous cause." That sort of call requires vertical thinking, a people who embrace a transcendent sense of meaning. And what the world saw were the storms a people like that could weather. 

Today, Britain and so much of the Western world is discovering that a people without a transcendent sense of meaning can't even weather peacetime.

Let the Headlines Speak
Aug 31st, 2019
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

Hurricane Dorian to strengthen, set to slam Florida as major Category 4 storm on Labor Day
Hurricane Dorian is on track to strengthen to a powerful Category 4 hurricane with possible life-threatening storm surge and dangerous winds as it slams into Florida’s east coast at the end of Labor Day weekend, forecasters said Thursday. “Strengthening is forecast during the next few days, and Dorian is expected to become a major hurricane on Friday,” the National Hurricane Center said Thursday. Landfall on Monday is possible anywhere between the Florida Keys and southern Georgia, forecasters said.

No injuries reported after 6.3 magnitude earthquake hits off Oregon coast
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Thursday off the Oregon coast, but did not generate a tsunami or cause any damage or injuries, authorities said. The epicenter of the quake, which hit just after 8 a.m., was located about 150 miles from the city of Bandon at a depth of 7 miles in the Pacific Ocean.

Amazon, Microsoft, ‘putting world at risk of killer AI’: study
“Why are companies like Microsoft and Amazon not denying that they’re currently developing these highly controversial weapons, which could decide to kill people without direct human involvement?” said Frank Slijper, lead author of the report published this week.

Hong Kong Christians Rise Up in Worship, Joining Protests against China
“The unofficial anthem of Hong Kong’s anti-extradition movement is ‘Sing Hallelujah to the Lord.’ The underground Church is coming out of hiding in China. Gathering in peace and prayer, thousands of Christian protestors can often be heard belting out the 1974 hymn, “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord.”

Netanyahu to make Pro-3rd Temple Politician ‘High Ranking Official’
It has been confirmed that Zehut (Identity) party leader Moshe Feiglin will order his party, Zehut, to step down in the current election to join Netanyahu’s Likud party who will make him a “high ranking official” in the PM’s next government. Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut was the only party head in the current elections who openly calls for building the third Temple and has placed it on his party’s platform.

Mini-brains grown in a lab show neural activity like preterm babies
Muotri and his colleagues developed a new way of making brain models from pluripotent stem cells. They added special growth factors and other chemicals to make the stem cells grow into various brain cell types that then spontaneously assembled into brain-like structures. Each artificial brain grew to about half a centimetre in diameter over a period of 10 months. Using tiny electrodes to measure electrical activity, the researchers found that they began producing simple brain waves at about two months. Over time, these brain waves became more complex, suggesting the individual brain cells were starting to communicate with each other and form networks. The researchers found that the way these brain waves evolved resembled the early development of real human brains.

It’s official: No U.S. warming since at least 2005
Purveyors of the belief that mankind is catastrophically impacting the global climate insist it’s getting warmer year by year. But a new, improved system to assess surface temperatures established in 2005 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, indicates otherwise. In fact, the U.S. Climate Reference Network — comprised of 114 pristinely maintained temperature stations spaced relatively uniformly across the lower 48 states — finds there has been no warming for the past 14 years at least

Latest Projection Shows Dorian Hitting US as a Major Hurricane
“Dorian is expected to become a major hurricane on Friday,” the National Hurricane Center said in its Thursday morning advisory. The center estimated that Dorian will clip the northwestern Bahamas and dump four to eight inches of rain there before turning to the U.S. mainland to do the same, with a foot of rain possible in some locations.

Egypt proposes long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas – report 
During the talks between the Hamas delegation, Egyptian intelligence officials proposed a long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas – Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported Friday morning. According to the report, the Egyptians suggested a long-term ceasefire in exchange for humanitarian and economic improvements for the Gaza Strip.

Iranian tanker headed to Lebanon, not Turkey 
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday an Iranian oil tanker, now in waters south of Turkey and at the center of a confrontation between Washington and Tehran, was headed for Lebanon. Tracking site Marine Traffic showed earlier on Friday that the Adrian Darya, formerly called Grace 1, had changed course again and was headed for the southeastern Turkish port of Iskenderun.

U.S. Census Bureau partners with controversial Muslim group – report 
A controversial US Muslim organization is going to cooperate with the US Census Bureau, according to a report by the Investigative Project on Terrorism. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced the partnership on Wednesday, highlighting that it is aimed to “ensure American Muslims are fairly and accurately counted in the 2020 Census.”

No single gene associated with being gay
A genetic analysis of almost half a million people has concluded there is no single “gay gene”. The study, published in Science, used data from the UK Biobank and 23andMe, and found some genetic variants associated with same-sex relationships. But genetic factors accounted for, at most, 25% of same-sex behaviour.

Ilhan Omar Demands UN Take Control of US Borders in Mirror of European Migrant Crisis
Rep. Ilhan Omar is demanding that the United Nations take control of the U.S. border with Mexico in a mirror of how Europe was inundated with migrants following lobbying from international bodies. “We should do what any other country does by dealing with this situation in a serious way,” Omar said during an immigration forum in south Minneapolis.

Mumps has swept through 57 immigration detention facilities and infected over 900 people 
Mumps has swept through 57 immigration detention facilities in 19 states since September, according to the first U.S. government report on the outbreaks in the overloaded immigration system. The virus sickened 898 adult migrants and 33 detention center staffers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in its report Thursday.

Ebola death toll in east Congo outbreak climbs above 2,000
The death toll from Democratic Republic of Congo’s year-long Ebola outbreak has climbed above 2,000, government data showed on Friday, as responders battle to overcome community mistrust and widespread security problems. The government team overseeing the response said the number of confirmed and probable cases had also hit a milestone of more than 3,000 in what has become the second-worst epidemic of the virus on record.

Palestinians shun U.S. consular events after widespread protests
The United States Embassy in Jerusalem…canceled a meeting that was scheduled to take place in Ramallah between Palestinian business people and the embassy’s commercial attaché after widespread pressure from the Palestinian public. It is the second activity to be canceled in August after the embassy was forced to postpone a conference it organized in the West Bank city of Ramallah last Monday due to Palestinian protests.

Israel: Iran, Hezbollah intensifying missile efforts
The Israeli military is accusing Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah of stepping up attempts to build missile-production facilities in Lebanon and says these efforts are putting Lebanese civilians in danger. The announcement comes at a time of rising tensions. In recent days, Israel has struck Iranian targets in Syria and Iraq, and Hezbollah has accused Israel of a drone strike in Lebanon.

“I’ve Never Seen Anything Like This”: China Reels As Pork Prices Explode To Record Levels
Prices of China’s favorite protein have surged 18% in China in just two weeks, and the people are not happy.

Severe hunger threatens millions in Somalia as climate emergency deepens
Somalia faces a new humanitarian crisis with more than 2 million people now threatened by severe hunger, aid agencies say. A further 3 million people are uncertain of their next meal, latest assessments suggest.

Apocalyptic footage shows cars narrowly avoiding flames from massive Alaska wildfire
A destructive wildfire season in Alaska has only grown worse in recent weeks, as the Swan Lake Fire has spread rapidly. Located near Sterling on the Kenai Peninsula, the blaze has been fueled by an incredibly warm and dry summer.

The temporary city built for Burning Man is visible from space 
…In addition to cleaning up after yourself, there are also organized runs and games that encourage people to pick up M.O.O.P., which stands for Matter Out Of Place. In addition to routine cleanup, there’s a wild list of other activities this year, including sensual hot dog eating and 40 orgies.

Nearly 850,000 ordered to evacuate in Japan as downpours, flooding, mudslides continue into Friday
Daily downpours inundating parts of western Japan in the coming days will raise the risk of flooding and mudslides. The downpours began on Tuesday, and they are expected to continue into Friday before diminishing in intensity this weekend.

Georgia Governor declares state of emergency –
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Thursday afternoon declared a state of emergency for 12 South Georgia counties ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Dorian.

The Real Reason Why End Times Fraud Todd Bentley And The New Apostolic Reformation Scandal Could Very Well Destroy The Charismatic Movement
…Bentley’s “ministry” was nothing more or less than an openly demonic freak show in the flesh that at times ranged from comical to terrifying. The idea that anyone, on any planet, would consider this man to be a “minister of the gospel” is the most ridiculous thing you could ever imagine. Yet, in spite of that, Todd Bentley became an official ordained minister in the Charismatic Movement.

Jesuit Superior General Of The Roman Catholic Church Says No Country Can Turn Away Illegal Migrants Because The ‘Land Belongs To Everyone’
It has been quite awhile since the Roman Catholic Church has wielded the type of absolute power they had grown accustomed to during the start of the Dark Ages and all the way into the time of the Spanish Inquisition. And like their brothers over in Islam, when Rome is not in power they pretend to be all about “peace and love” until they can seize control once again.

Trump admin allows veterans’ hospitals to have Bibles, Christmas trees again
…”One of my fondest memories growing up, we used to sing Christmas carols at the VA hospital in Fayetteville, North Carolina,”…”Something as simple and as decent as that was being stopped,” he said. “With the support of the president, we just said enough is enough.”

Dangerous Trends - Churches Promoting Self Happiness Over God's Holiness
Aug 31st, 2019
CommentaryMICHAEL BROWN/ASKDRBROWN.ORG
Categories: Exhortation

I have often said the contrast between the contemporary American gospel and the biblical gospel is this: The contemporary American version says, "This is who I am. This is how I feel. And God is here to please me." The biblical version says, "This is who God is. This is how He feels. And I am here to please God."

Consequently, in our modern version of the gospel, "sin" is defined as anything that hurts me or makes me uncomfortable. In the biblical version, "sin" is defined as anything that grieves the Lord or is contrary to His nature.

The difference between the two concepts is vast. Without exaggeration, it is the difference between life and death.

It is true, of course, that sin hurts us as well, since, in the end, sin is never worth it. But something is not sinful simply because it harms us. Instead, it is sinful because God says it is, whatever His reason might be.

That means it doesn't matter if, for a season, we enjoy our sin or if, for the moment, our sin is profitable or pleasurable. What matters is that God says it is sin. End of subject.

A Confusing Statement

Recently, a church ministry which has consistently reached out to the LGBT community with the gospel while stating plainly that homosexual behavior is sinful posted a very confusing statement.

This ministry, which promotes the possibility of change through the gospel, explained that, "God loves all people, LGBTQ+ and straight. The message of CHANGED has never been 'All Must Change.' We share these stories specifically for Christians who are unfulfilled in identifying as LGBTQ+. For those of you who feel fulfilled and happy as you are, we love you!"

It's the same message for everyone. Gay. Straight. Promiscuous. Celibate. Single. Married. "Be holy, because your God is holy!"

The statement continued, "God doesn't force people to change, and people -- including Christians -- shouldn't force others to change, either. We stand against any and all forms of shame, manipulation, force, humiliation, or physical harm in so-called 'ministry' or therapy."

I understand, of course, that this statement is responding to controversy about so-called "conversion therapy" and the notion that Christians are trying to force gays to change. In that context, some of this statement makes sense.

And I stand with these precious men and women who have found new life in Jesus, even while being scorned and mocked by the larger LGBT community.

I also agree that God loves all people, regardless of how they live or identify.

Scripture is Clear: Be Holy

But it is imperative we also explain that:

1) God is not pleased with all lifestyles and behaviors and identities.

2) We will all give account to Him one day.

3) Jesus died to forgive us all our sins and to grant us transformation and new life.

4) While God does not simply call us to change -- whoever we are and however we live -- He does call us to repent. And you can be assured that repentance means a changed life.

That's why these sentences are both dangerous and misleading: "We share these stories specifically for Christians who are unfulfilled in identifying as LGBTQ+. For those of you who feel fulfilled and happy as you are, we love you!"

Does this mean that if you're happy being a "gay Christian" God is happy with that? If you're "fulfilled" in your same-sex relationship, the Lord is OK with it? That you can be active "LGBTQ+ Christian"? Absolutely, categorically not.

Jesus calls us to holiness, not fulfillment, to obedience, not happiness. He calls us to deny ourselves, not indulge ourselves. And that means taking up our cross. Daily. (See Luke 9:23.)

That doesn't mean we tell a gay person, "You must become straight!" Rather, we tell them, "You must be holy, by the grace and power of God!"

It's the same message for everyone. Gay. Straight. Promiscuous. Celibate. Single. Married. "Be holy, because your God is holy!"

Sin is Sin. Period.

As expressed by Peter, "Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.' Since you call on a Father who judges each person's work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear." (1 Peter 1:13-17)

This is not coercion. This is not manipulation. This is not peer pressure or shaming. God forbid.

In that regard, I affirm what the statement was trying to say. I too "stand against any and all forms of shame, manipulation, force, humiliation, or physical harm in so-called 'ministry' or therapy." So does every Christian therapist and counselor and psychologist I know. Absolutely.

And I certainly believe that God's ways are ways of life. That following Him brings ultimate fulfillment. That walking with Jesus brings perfect peace and inexpressible, glorious joy.

But let's be perfectly clear. Sin is sin regardless of how we feel about it. Sin is sin regardless of whether it brings us temporary happiness or fulfillment. And all same-sex relationships -- by which I mean sexual and/or romantic -- are always sinful in God's sight.

In solidarity with Him, then, we offer everyone forgiveness of sins, acceptance in the Father's family, eternal life, and a radically transformed life.

That is the power of the gospel. Let us proclaim it without fear, apology, or shame.