Showing posts with label Brazil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brazil. Show all posts

Sunday, January 27, 2019

The Holocaust Remains a Wake-Up Call for the Church - Charles Gardner ISRAEL TODAY

The Holocaust Remains a Wake-Up Call for the Church

Sunday, January 27, 2019 |  Charles Gardner ISRAEL TODAY
Nearly three-quarters of a century has passed since the Red Army liberated the notorious Auschwitz death camp on January 27, 1945, a date now marked by the annual Holocaust Memorial Day here in Britain and elsewhere.
It is held with the intention of ensuring that it never happens again. But alas, anti-Semitism is back to haunt us, proving the point often made that we never learn from history.
In the UK, we face the dreadful possibility of having a Prime Minister with strong anti-Israel sympathies if the party currently holding onto power by the skin of its teeth does not get its act together.
In the US, they have witnessed the ghastly spectre of a congresswoman who took “swearing in” quite literally as she launched a profanity-laced tirade against President Trump on taking office.
Democrat Rashida Tlaib and Representative Ilhan Omar are the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, with the latter having already expressed her opposition to Israel.
Anti-Semitism has also been cited among issues affecting the Women’s March movement in America. In fact, it is on the rise worldwide, with left and right forming an unholy alliance against God’s chosen people.
On the other hand, there is increasing support for Israel from unexpected quarters. Take Brazil, for instance. Its new president, Jair Bolsonaro, has boldly declared his intention of following the US lead in moving his embassy to Jerusalem. And Wilson Witzel actually requested the sound of a shofar to accompany his inauguration as a Brazilian state governor, so strong is his support for the Jewish state.
So what does this mean? Nations, communities and individuals are lining up for battle (whether knowingly or not) in anticipation, no doubt, of the day of judgment when the sheep are separated from the goats (see Ezekiel 34.17, Matthew 25.31-46, Joel 3.2) on the basis of how they treated the Jewish people.
In the midst of all this, the silence from most leaders of the Christian church has been deafening – just as it was in Germany and elsewhere during the Shoah. I guess this is largely because of the dangerous and heretical Replacement Theology that has certainly swept through much of the British church.
We should be witnessing stirring calls from our pulpits to stand with the Jews, but somehow they don’t see the connection. That’s because they have been disconnected from the roots of their faith, and have forgotten that we worship the God of Israel, who has sent his Son as Messiah, first for the Jews and also for the Gentiles.
We owe them everything – the Law, the Prophets, the Patriarchs, the entire Bible (Luke being the only Gentile author) and most of all Jesus, who will soon return as the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev 5.5).
That the Jewish state is once more under severe threat was illustrated by the surface-to-surface missile fired into Israel by Syrian-based Iranian forces on Sunday. Fortunately, it was successfully intercepted.
Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of the late evangelist Billy Graham, is currently suffering severe side-effects from cancer treatment which she believes could be a message for Israel.
Recalling that God had some of his prophets live out the message he gave them, she wonders if her current life and death battle relates to the Jewish nation, reborn just a week before she came into the world.
“The warning I feel deep within is that Israel is in danger of a surprise attack in this, her 70th year,” she writes, urging them to return to the Lord (Joel 2.12-14) and us Gentiles to pray for the peace of Jerusalem “and for the whole House of Israel”.
If we truly love Jesus, we will love the Jews – as many of our Arab friends testify on finding peace and reconciliation at the cross. Wake up, church!
PHOTO: Visitors seen at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum in Jerusalem ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Jewish community jumping ship as political storm takes Brazil - LUIS ROIZ TIMES OF ISRAEL

Shuttered storefronts on Sao Paolo's popular Augusta Street. (Luiz Roiz/Times of Israel)

Jewish community jumping ship as political storm takes Brazil

Unemployment, lack of upward mobility and fear of street violence among reasons for rapid increase of Brazilian Jews making aliyah,

BY LUIS ROIZ August 15, 2017 TIMES OF ISRAEL

SAO PAULO, Brazil — Over the last three years, Brazil’s usually lighthearted Carnival culture has been darkened by a political and economic crisis that has turned into the longest recession in the country’s history.

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email
and never miss our top stories
FREE SIGN UP!

In an attempt to root out the rot plaguing Brazil’s core, Operation Car Wash has exposed corruption at the highest political levels. Led by Attorney Sérgio Moro, a modern-day Eliot Ness, it is one of the deepest-running investigations of its kind.

Besides taking to the streets and social media in protest, the public’s only outlet is watching their politicians get butchered in the media — but still, average citizens continue to endure most of the fallout from the crisis.

Brazilian Jews share the same fate as everyone else in Latin America’s largest, most populous and economically developed country. Most of them fall into the middle class, an economic tier becoming more impoverished by the day since the onset of the record-setting two-year recession.

Last year’s impeachment of president Dilma Rousseff and the recent sentencing to nine-and-a-half years in prison for her predecessor Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva — known simply as Lula — have cast a pall over Brazil.

Bruno Laskowsky, president of the 
Jewish Federation of São Paulo. (Courtesy)


Lula was charged for corruption and money laundering, and Rousseff was either involved or failed to put an end to it. Now, serious accusations against the current president, Michel Temer, are adding fuel to the fire.

Rounding out the bleak scenario are the widespread arrests of politicians and businessmen, along with the dismantling of large companies involved in corruption scandals, such as Petrobras and Odebrecht.

The situation has been very trying for the country’s Jewish community of 110,000.

“Us Jews have experienced a fair share of suffering throughout history. Maybe we can help Brazil through these tough times,” says Bruno Laskowsky, president of the Jewish Federation of São Paulo.

São Paulo hold’s Brazil’s highest concentration of Jews. “We have been very welcome in Brazil and owe our loyalty to this nation, which, I am sure, will overcome this challenge sooner or later,” Laskowsky says.
Light at the end of the tunnel?

But while the community tries to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel, it needs to maintain a degree of resilience — and Brazil’s middle class is watching its standard of living disappear before their eyes.

“I had a comfortable house and a car, a regular job. And now, I’m back living with my parents. My family helps me out, fortunately,” says Rochelle Rosensweig, an economist with an MBA in finance.


Rochelle Rosensweig has an MBA in finance, but is considering becoming an Uber driver to pay the bills due to Brazil’s shrinking economy. (Courtesy)

Rosensweig now relies on a scholarship to keep her 12-year-old son enrolled in a Jewish school in São Paulo. Living off occasional freelance consulting gigs, she’s considering a second job as an Uber driver to guarantee a steadier income.

Despite her qualifications as a medical professional, psychologist Denise Lew also struggles to make ends meet as a civil servant.


Denise Lew and her son. (Courtesy)

“I can’t even afford to pay my son’s tuition. At the office, I have seen demand fall sharply in recent years because of the crisis. Nobody has any money,” she says.

Lew is broke, like many others. Interest rates in Brazil are sky high, causing debt to snowball. Both Rosensweig and Lew rely on assistance from Unibes, a Jewish charitable organization.

Many companies have shuttered or gone bankrupt in recent years. Pedestrians walking in São Paulo’s commercial centers are seeing a growing number of empty businesses. The real estate market is stalled, and vehicles are sold at large markdowns.

The economic downturn has also seen membership at Jewish community centers and clubs such as Hebraica gradually dwindle.

But Jewish families in Brazil have more serious concerns, such as ensuring a quality education for their children. Recently, the number of payment defaults in both Jewish and non-Jewish private schools has increased.

“Most Jewish schools receive philanthropic subsidies to keep them going,” says Laskowsky.


Rabbi David Weitman. director of Ten Yad. (Courtesy)

Demand in charities such as Ten Yad and Unibes in São Paulo has also increased. Both serve poor people of all backgrounds and are officially recognized as public services. Growing demand from members of the Jewish community is striking.

“The request for our meals and services is increasing by about 20% a year, and we have also realized a drop in the average age of our beneficiaries, meaning younger people are seeking us out,” says Ten Yad director Rabbi David Weitman.

Located in Bom Retiro, the old Jewish district of São Paulo, Ten Yad also offers a program that delivers food for people with no means of transportation.

“We are at the limit of our capacity,” Weitman tells The Times of Israel.

A century old, Unibes runs flea markets with used clothes and slightly damaged products in order to raise funds. When asked about the current situation in Brazil, the Unibes board preferred not to comment.
The situation in Rio

The situation in Rio de Janeiro is more dramatic. The Sugarloaf city is experiencing a crisis within a crisis. In addition to the swelling favelas, or slums, overflowing since the country’s capital moved to the city of Brasilia in the 1960s, Rio has been overrun with drug trafficking.

The city is commonly referred to as the “Gaza Strip” by Cariocas (Rio natives). Stray bullets hit the civilian population indiscriminately almost every day.


A shuttered storefront in Sao Paolo. (Luiz Roiz/Times of Israel)

In the reviled corruption rankings, former Rio governor Sérgio Cabral was among those leading the pack. He is now in jail. The “free for all” for public money tainted even the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games investments, and now, most of the region’s sports facilities are abandoned.


The flow of tourists has slowed to a trickle. Sixty-nine stores go out of business every day. Even next year’s cherished Carnival parade is threatened by a lack of funds. With no money to pay police officers and teachers, it’s a tough sell to finance rollicking.


Illustrative: A police officer patrols inside Rio de Janeiro International Airport in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, July 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Violence has led Carioca Jews to opt for emigration to Israel, says the Israeli consul in São Paulo, Dori Goren.

“Rio does not have a consulate,” says Goren, “so many Carioca Jews interested in aliyah come here [to São Paulo]. They report the fear of violence as one of the main reasons for emigrating.”
Voting with their feet

The Israeli consulate in São Paulo is making an extra effort to meet the overall increase in demand for emigration to Israel.

Israeli consul in Sao Paulo, Dori Goren. (Courtesy)

“It requires the translation of many documents and going through bureaucratic procedures. It’s not an easy job,” says Goren, who saw a similar situation in Argentina 15 years ago.

According to the Jewish Agency, the number of Brazilian emigrants is increasing. The end of 2015 saw a 77% increase in the number of olim (496) compared to 2014, which itself represented an increase of 39% (280) over the year prior (207).

2016 saw the arrival of 684 olim to Israel, 40% more than in 2015. And by May of this year, 346 new olim (29% more than in the same period in 2016) have already made Israel their new home.

“Israel will always open its arms to the Jews — even more now, when the unemployment rate is very low and the economy is thriving. Contrary to popular belief, Israel has a low violence rate, with only two annual deaths per 100,000 inhabitants,” says Goren.
The country of the future

The Brazilian crisis is part of the troubling mosaic created by neo-populism in Latin America.

Hugo Chavez and his successor Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, Lula and Rousseff in Brazil, and Nestor Kirchner along with his wife Cristina in Argentina are among just a few examples of the troubling leadership there.

In Brazil, the economic teams working under Lula and Rousseff were betting on untapped oil resources to hide their corruption and poor governance. Unfortunately, they lost the bet, causing the country’s virtual collapse.


A used clothing flea market at the Unibes nonprofit in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Courtesy)

A large number of idealistic young Jews in Brazil were charmed by the prospect of a country led by a former labor union man like Lula. They imagined that he could reduce social inequality without falling into the traps that stymied the traditional left in the past. But reality played out much differently than they’d imagined.

After a brief warm-up period which saw the bolstering of millions of people who previously had no purchasing power, the system crashed.

Lack of sustainability, no investment in infrastructure, inability to reform an archaic system and poor management are some of the main issues at blame. And then, of course, there was the unheard level of corruption. The politicians fell back on demagoguery to save face.


Paulista Avenue in Sao Paulo, Brazil is a main commercial artery, but lately more and more stores are closing down. (Luiz Roiz/Times of Israel)

“The twilight of an idol,” commented analyst Hélio Schwartsman recently in an article published in one of the most traditional newspapers, Folha de S.Paulo. He was describing the feeling of those who once believed in the labor union leader.

Now, a divided Brazil is unsure who will govern the country tomorrow. An optimistic few still cling to an expression coined by Jewish writer Stefan Zweig, who took refuge from Nazism here: “Brazil, the country of the future.” Ironically, both the writer and his wife took their own lives before this future had a chance to arrive.

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Jerusalem Log #6 - Friday 05.05.17 Jerusalem, Israel - “Ice Cream in All Flavors”


 “Ice Cream in All Flavors”
Steve Martin
Jerusalem Log #6 - Friday 05.05.17


Greetings from the land of Israel.

I certainly have enjoyed writing these brief daily logs. I hope you have found pleasure in reading them!

We each have our favorite flavor of ice cream. For some, the standard, foundational choices of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry satisfy just fine. Neapolitan I believe if you want all three at once. For the bold and adventurous type, Rocky Road, Mint Chocolate Chip or Carmel Pecan does it for you.

For me – it’s Rocky Road baby! (Mint chocolate is a close second.)

When it comes to the inhabitants and amazing cultures in Israel, here too there are many flavors. Just among the Jews themselves you have variations ranging from the Ultra-Orthodox, the Messianics, the secular, and a few in between each.

Birthday party near Jerusalem

Then there are the Arab Christians, the Arab Muslims, and I suppose just Arabs. I know a few shop owners in the Old City who would probably adhere to one label, but really not devoted to religion but primarily their daily business.

And within the mix of all this, especially in the larger cities of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Eilat and Tiberias, of course you have the tourists. Now there for sure is a wide choice of creams in all colors, shapes and sizes.

Not only have the Jewish people returned to their Land permanently with aliyah, to join those already living here, you also have in the Land at all times the tourists coming for a few days or a few weeks. They too have arrived from England, France, Germany, Russia, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Kenya, Canada, and of course the good old US of A, from where I reside in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Walking through the historical and spiritual sites, you hear all the different languages and thank the Lord that He is not a “one flavor” God. He creates and loves them all.

Tourists from India in Bethlehem

For those who have had the great joy of coming to Israel on a tour or to visit friends as I do, you know what I am talking about. For the ones reading this who never have, and hope to, I am glad to share my heart in words, pictures and videos with you. May you experience a taste of Israel through these, and enjoy your favorite ice cream while you do! (Pass the chocolate syrup please.)

Ahava (love) and Shalom (peace) from Israel!

Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

This Region Of The World Is Being Hit By The Worst Economic Collapse It Has Ever Experienced - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

South America On The Globe - Public Domain

Posted: 07 Mar 2017   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

The ninth largest economy in the entire world is currently experiencing “its longest and deepest recession in recorded history”, and in a country right next door people are being encouraged to label their trash so that the thousands upon thousands of desperately hungry people that are digging through trash bins on the streets can find discarded food more easily.  

Of course the two nations that I am talking about are Brazil and Venezuela.  The Brazilian economy was once the seventh largest on the globe, but after shrinking for eight consecutive quarters it has now fallen to ninth place.  And in Venezuela the economic collapse has gotten so bad that more than 70 percent of the population lost weight last year due to a severe lack of food.  Most of us living in the northern hemisphere don’t think that anything like this could happen to us any time soon, but the truth is that trouble signs are already starting to erupt all around us.  It is just a matter of time before the things currently happening in Brazil and Venezuela start happening here, but unfortunately most people are not heeding the warnings.

Just a few years ago, the Brazilian economy was absolutely roaring and it was being hailed as a model for the rest of the world to follow.  But now Brazil’s GDP has been imploding for two years in a row, and this downturn is being described as “the worst recession in recorded history” for that South American nation…
Latin America’s largest economy Brazil has contracted by 3.6 percent in 2016, shrinking for the second year in a row; statistics agency IBGE said on TuesdayIt confirmed the country is facing its longest and deepest recession in recorded history.
Data shows gross domestic product (GDP) fell for the eighth straight quarter in the three months to December, down 0.9 percent from the previous quarter. The figure was worse than the 0.5 percent decline economists had forecast and left the country’s overall GDP down 3.6 percent for the full year following a 3.8 percent drop in 2015.
“In real terms, GDP is now nine percent below its pre-recession peak,” Neil Shearing, chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics, told the Financial Times.
“This is comfortably the worst recession in recorded history,” he added.
It had been hoped that things in Brazil would be getting better by now, but instead they just keep getting worse.

The number of bankruptcy filings has soared to an all-time record high, and the official unemployment rate has more than doubled since the end of 2013.  The following comes from Wolf Richter
In a stunning deterioration, the unemployment rate in Brazil spiked to 12.6% in the rolling three-month period through January, a record in the new data series going back to 2012, according to Brazil’s statistical agency IBGE. Up from 11.8% in the three-month period through October. Up from an already terribly high 9.5% a year ago. And more than double the 6.2% in December 2013.
Meanwhile, hordes of hungry people are rummaging through garbage cans in Venezuela in order to find something to fill their aching stomachs.

Things have gotten so bad that one of President Maduro’s chief opponents has urged citizens to label which trash bags have food in them so that people that are searching through the garbage can find food scraps more easily
Controversial Priest and opponent to President Nicolás Maduro’s administration Father Jose Palmar posted on social media this week about labeling discarded waste so those looking through it for food can do so more easily and “with dignity.”
Palmar called on Venezuelans to celebrate Lent by identifying bags where food has been discarded for those with no where else to turn. That way, they don’t have to dig through non-edible items to find it.
And previously I have written about how people are so hungry in Venezuela that some of them are actually slaughtering and eating cats, dogs, pigeons and zoo animals.

I keep telling people that this is coming to America, but a lot of people out there don’t want to believe me.

But it is most certainly coming.

Thanks to chronically empty store shelves and severe food shortages, people in Venezuela are losing weight at an astounding pace.  In the United States it would be a good thing if much of the population lost this much weight, but in Venezuela it definitely is not
Three quarters of the country’s population lost an average of over 18 pounds over food shortages in 2016, according to a survey by Venezuelan universities and nonprofit groups. Last year, over 80 percent of foodstuffs disappeared from shelves and many had to get by with one meal a day, Foreign Policy reported.
Venezuela was once South America’s most powerful petrostate. But decades of government mismanagement sent the country into decline. Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chavez choked the economy with heavy-handed regulations, price controls, and a campaign to nationalize major industries that chased out foreign investments.
Further north, very alarming signs are starting to pop up in Mexico.
It probably won’t happen next week or next month, but there are indications of emerging “liquidity problems” which could precipitate a major debt crisis at some point…
In Mexico foreign investors hold around $100 billion of the country’s local-currency government debt, the most for any emerging market economy. That’s almost 20 times what it was 20 years ago. They also hold billions of euros worth of corporate bonds, which are also showing signs of strain, prompting some Mexican business leaders to call for “new programs” to be implemented before the situation causes “a large-scale crisis” among Mexican companies.
The most ominous sign yet came last week when Bloomberg reported sources saying that the Bank of Mexico (or Banxico, as it is referred to) had sought a swap line from the Federal Reserve in case of “liquidity problems,” which immediately triggered furious denials from Banxico. “I can say clearly and unequivocally that we are not in the process of asking for any credit line from any authority,” said the central bank’s governor, Agustin Carstens, who has postponed by six months his departure from the bank, initially scheduled for May.
One of the biggest problems for nations such as Brazil, Venezuela and Mexico is the strength of the U.S. dollar.  During the good times they went into tremendous amounts of debt, and much of that debt was denominated in U.S. dollars.  So when the U.S. dollar becomes stronger, it takes more of their own local currencies to pay that debt back.
And if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates at their next meeting, that will strengthen the U.S. dollar even more and put even more pressure on emerging market economies.
Unfortunately, it appears that this is precisely what the Fed is going to do
Even one small interest rate increase by the Fedcould have a sweeping impact on U.S. and world economies, Komal Sri-Kumar told CNBC on Monday.
“I think they are going to hike” on March 15, Sri-Kumar said on “Squawk Box,” echoing a theory shared by many analysts. “But that is going to prompt capital outflows from the euro zone, especially with the political risk. It is going to increase the capital outflow from China, and the U.S. economy will feel the impact.”
The global economy is more interconnected than ever before, and pain that starts in one region can rapidly spread to others.

The biggest debt bubble that the world has ever seen is starting to burst, and over the coming years we are going to see financial pain on a scale that would be unimaginable to most of us at this moment.

But even now there are those that would suggest that this colossal debt bubble can continue growing much faster than global GDP indefinitely, and this sort of exceedingly reckless optimism is leading many astray.

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Noah’s Ark Sails Again By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Noah's Ark (Video capture YouTube)

Noah’s Ark Sails Again

And the LORD said unto Noach: ‘Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation.” Genesis 7:1 (The Israel Bible™)
It took Dutch millionaire contractor Johan Huibers one and a half years and $4 million to build the ark according to the dimensions of the original as detailed in the Bible. His recreation is five stories tall, can hold more than 5,000 people, weighs roughly 2,500 tons, and measures 95 feet wide, 410 feet long and 75 feet tall. As impressive as this sounds, it is half the size of the original, which was, in Biblical terms, 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide, and 30 cubits high. It varies from the original in that it was constructed from American cedar and pine instead of the Biblical gopher wood, and is wrapped around a steel frame standing on a steel barge. Similar to the original ark, Huibers’ creation does not have a motor, propeller, or sails. It will be towed 5,200 miles to Brazil behind another vessel and the voyage will cost $1.5 million.
Huibers said he felt compelled to build the ark after dreaming his province of Nood-Holland in the Netherlands was destroyed in a flood
“In 1992 I had a dream about the Netherlands being underwater [due to] a flood,” Huibers, 57, told Fox News. “A short time after, I saw a book and I read it to my children. It showed pictures of the Great Flood. I said then that I want to build the ark. Thirteen years later, I had the means and time to do it.”
The ark is a popular tourist site at its present location in Dordrecht, Netherlands, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors since it was completed in 2012. It is hoped that it will continue to draw crowds in South America. Time is running out and the project is still underfunded. Its first port of call will Fortaleza, Brazil, where is may remain docked for as long as four years. After that, there are plans to visit Argentina, Uruguay and Colombia before coming to the west coast of the United States.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

A Church Quake: 'Come Again, Holy Spirit' - JAMES W. GOLL CHARISMA NEWS

Holy Spirit

A Church Quake: 'Come Again, Holy Spirit'

Will James Goll's prophetic dream come true? (Will James Goll's prophetic dream come true?)
One of the most consistent ways the Lord speaks to me is through the avenue of dreams. Many of my writing and speaking assignments are given to me in such a manner. Prayer assignments over the years have almost always come in the forms of visitations and visions. This is true especially if it is a strategic assignment.
While ministering in Brazil a couple years ago, I was seeking the Lord for His mind and thoughts concerning future movements of the Holy Spirit. I went to sleep in my hotel room in Belo Horizonte and woke up out of a "stunner of a dream." The manifested presence of God was riveting on my body as an aftereffect of this dream encounter. It shook me.
I SAW SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AS A WOMB FOR THE BODY OF CHRIST!
Like an eagle in flight, I was hovering over the globe in search of a place to land. Suddenly the entire west coast of the United States came before me. I was zoomed in upon the state of California and with the eye of an eagle I saw glimpses of redemptive purposes and plans.
I then turned in flight over portions of southern California and I saw something that seemed unusual. Southern California was a womb for the body of Christ. She had been used to conceive the Word and the Spirit over the last 100 years of the church and to bring forth different movements of God.
My "knower" was on high alert as I flew over Los Angeles and Orange County that this womb had already received another word—implanted at least a year earlier—and that another long-term, almost overdue, birth was imminent. I then soared over Pasadena and the next thing I knew, the eagle suddenly flew into the historic Mott Auditorium on the hallowed grounds of William Carey University.
I SAW JOHN WIMBER STANDING ON THE PLATFORM!
The Mott Auditorium was packed with worshipping believers with standing room only. The place was electric with the presence of God. Rabid worship was happening with occasional authoritative declarations by various leaders. I noticed a few desperate pastors know crying out with anguish for God to visit them once again. Then things suddenly shifted.
All of a sudden, the late John Wimber, former leader of the Vineyard Movement and voice for the Third Wave, was firmly standing on the newly purple-carpeted platform. The cultural atmosphere was now pregnant with a realm of the glory and the thick majesty of God. Then I heard and felt the voice of John Wimber echo an invitation that rattled the entire place. He simply declared, "COME AGAIN, HOLY SPIRIT!"
People starting crashing to the floor en masse under the impact of the power and authority that resonated in those simple words. Once again another sound wave was released: "COME AGAIN, HOLY SPIRIT." It was not gentle Jesus showing up or the comforting dove of God manifesting. It was not just another renewal or revival meeting—though it seemed to include all of those qualities. It was the violent invasion of heaven entering a time and space world. It was a church quake.
I felt the reverberation coming off the sound waves of the voice of the invitation. It shook the very building, the grounds and all those present. The fear of the Lord fell and an earthquake of a 5.7 magnitude resulted. The quake resulted in an anointing resting on Psalm 57: "Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me. For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. I will cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me. He will send from heaven and save me."
People screamed in terror as the entire grounds and buildings were rattled by the sound of God's voice being heard and felt once again. Signs and wonders broke out but it appeared as an aftereffect, not the primary goal. Then a third time I heard the pronouncement from John Wimber: "COME AGAIN, HOLY SPIRIT!" People crashed onto the floor in droves.
As I pen this, I just now realized some things I had forgotten. I was reminded of them as they just flashed suddenly within me as I compose this. I also saw the late Jill Austin, one of the fieriest prophetesses of the last decade, gazing in upon what was happening and smiling. I heard her laugh echo over the occurrence as to say, "I told you He was coming!"
I saw a great cloud of witnesses including Aimee Simple McPherson and others who were gathering around to peer in upon this strange outbreak. The convergence of old anointings—still seemingly resident upon California—were now colliding.
SUDDENLY I WAS AWAKENED!
My senses were heightened. It was July and I was ministering in Brazil—a land pregnant with revival—but suddenly it appeared to be another season. It was autumn—right at the time of the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah. Then pages of a book flipped quickly from one chapter of time to another and suddenly it was 40 days and nights later. I smelled smoke in Mott Auditorium as if the place had been filled with the burning fiery sacrifices of violent praise and worship. I smelled burnt flesh. I smelled aromas of life and death simultaneously at work.
Short messages from different anointed vessels were a part of this new sound wave but again it was not the main thing. Miracles happened—they just suddenly occurred. But again, this was not the aim. It was not why the people even assembled. Yes, there were even short passionate pleas and desperate cries for help! But even that was not the central focus. This move of God centered on the radical worship of the One—Christ Jesus the Lord—and the welcoming with abandonment of the third person of the Godhead—the Holy Spirit! The jealousy of God permeated the experience.
It was not a conference. It was not polished. It was not even 24/7 as we presently know it. It was raw and overpowering. It was not rehearsed. It was an invasion of the Holy Spirit Himself.
A window of opportunity had opened and this uncontrollable surging sound wave jumped spontaneously around the globe. A man appeared on a pogo stick gleefully jumping from city to city and nation to nation. The man on the stick was William Seymour of the historic Azusa Street Revival. He leapt across the nations and everywhere his pogo stick landed, light came for a brief moment! The nations were in an uproar—and fire and light were falling around the globe.
THEN I HEARD ONE LAST WORD
"A Line Has Been Drawn in the Sand." Terror gripped me. I shook. I honestly did not know what was coming next. I still do not know having pondered deeply on this experience. Was it Days of Glory or impending societal chaos? Was it times of economic collapse or reformation where a new order was created out of tumultuous uncertainty? I honestly was left not knowing what the outcome or the result was or would be.
But this I knew. Hope for the fragmented body of Christ and the nations was being released. An invitation was being sent from heaven to earth and a line was being drawn in the sand.
The word went in me. The word penetrated me. The word has disturbed me. But this I know, heaven has a word that must be heard in the earth realm, "COME AGAIN, HOLY SPIRIT!" And the invitation must have an urgent and appropriate response.
James W. Goll is the co-founder of Encounters Network and director of PrayerStorm. He also coordinates a coalition of leaders called Encounters Alliance. Author of The Beginner's Guide to Signs, Wonders and theSupernatural Life, Goll has shared Jesus in more than 40 nations worldwide teaching and imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry and life in the Spirit. For more information, visit encountersnetwork.com.
For the original article, visit jamesgoll.com.
Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.
Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.

Friday, March 4, 2016

The Economic Collapse Of South America Is Well Underway - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

Earth - Our World - Public Domain

Posted: 03 Mar 2016   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

The 7th largest economy on the entire planet is completely imploding.  I have written previously about the economic depression that is plaguing Brazil, but since my last article it has gotten much, much worse.  During 2015, Brazil’s economy shrank by 3.8 percent, but for the most recent quarter the decline was 5.89 percent on a year over year basis.  Unemployment is rising rapidly, the inflation rate is up over 10 percent, and Brazilian currency has lost 24 percent of its value compared to the U.S. dollar over the past 12 months.

At this point, Brazil is already experiencing its longest economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s, and things are getting worse for ordinary Brazilians every single day.  The following comes from CNN
But with Brazil plunging into its worst recession in over two decades — hopes for a brighter future are fading. The Brazilian economy shrank 3.8% in 2015, according to government data published Thursday. That’s the biggest annual drop since 1990 and the country is in its longest recession since the 1930s.
I have never seen anything like this,” said Alves, 24, as he stood on his balcony overlooking Rocinha, a massive lower middle class neighborhood or favela in Rio de Janeiro where he grew up. “My parents would tell me about hard times, but today it is really tough. Prices are going up every day.”
So how did this happen?

Well, there are a couple of factors that are really hurting South American economies.
Number one, during the “boom years” governments and businesses in South America absolutely gorged on debt.  Unfortunately, many of those loans were denominated in U.S. dollars, and now that the U.S. dollar has appreciated greatly against local South American currencies it is taking far more of those local currencies to service and pay back those debts.

Number two, collapsing prices for oil and other commodities have been absolutely brutal for South American economies.  They rely very heavily on exporting commodities to the rest of the world, and so at the same time their debt problems are exploding they are getting a lot less money for the oil and industrial commodities that they are trying to sell to North America, Asia and Europe.

I want you to pay close attention to the following chart and analysis from Zero Hedge.  As you can see, the economic problems in Brazil appear to be greatly accelerating…
“The Brazilian economic downturn took a real turn for the worse in February,” according to Markit’s Composite PMI, which collapsed to record lows at 39.0. Despite a slightly less bad than expected GDP print this morning (still down a record 5.89% YoY), hope was quickly extinguished as PMIs showed economic activity continuing to contract at a record pace, job losses accelerating, and manufacturing’s collapse accelerating. As Market sums up, “With the global economy also showing signs of slowing, which will impact on external demand, it looks as if the downturn is set to continueto run its course in the coming months.”
             GDP was a disaster (but better than expected)

Brazil GDP - Zero Hedge 
And of course Brazil is not the only South American economy that is a basket case right now.  In fact, things in Venezuela are far worse.  In 2015, the Venezuelan economy shrunk by 10 percent, and the official rate of inflation was a staggering 181 percent.
Could you imagine living in an economy with a 181 percent inflation rate? 

As prices have escalated out of control, citizens have attempted to hoard basic supplies in advance, and this has resulted in food shortages that are absolutely frightening
Cardboard signs on the door warning of “No bread” have become increasingly common at Venezuelan bakeries.
Venezuela gets 96 percent of its foreign currency from oil exports, and as crude prices have plunged, so have the country’s imports — among them wheat.
The leftist government of President Nicolas Maduro has tightly controlled access to hard currency, and this has affected imports ranging from medicine to toilet paper. Now it is seriously affecting imports of wheat, which Venezuela does not grow.
Add to this the soaring inflation rate — 181 percent in 2015, the world’s highest — and you see why customers are mainly interested in buying basic food items such as bread.
Here in the United States, there are still people who doubt that an economic crisis is happening.

But in Venezuela and Brazil there is no debate.

Unfortunately, what is happening in Venezuela and Brazil is also slowly starting to happen to most of the rest of the planet as well.  It is just that they are a little farther down the road.  Economic and financial bubbles are bursting all over the world, and I like how author Vikram Mansharamani described this phenomenon during a recent interview with CNBC
Deflationary tides are lapping the shores of countries across the world and financial bubbles are set to burst everywhere, Vikram Mansharamani, a lecturer at Yale University, told CNBC on Thursday.
I think it all started with the China investment bubble that has burst and that brought with it commodities and that pushed deflation around the world and those ripples are landing on the shore of countries literally everywhere,” the high-profile author and academic said at the Global Financial Markets Forum in Abu Dhabi.
And of course the evidence of what Mansharamani was talking about is all around us.

Just this week we found out that Chinese state industries plan to lay off five to six million workers, U.S. factory orders have now fallen for 15 months in a row, and the corporate default rate in the United States has now risen above where it was at when Lehman Brothers collapsed.

There are some people that would like to point to the fact that stocks have bounced back a bit over the past couple of weeks as evidence that the crisis is over.

If they want to believe that, they should go ahead and believe that.

Unfortunately, the truth is that the hard economic numbers that are coming in from all over the world tell us very clearly that global economic activity is slowing down significantlyA new global recession has already begun, and the pain that is already being felt all over the planet is just the beginning of what is coming.