Plunging Manufacturing Numbers Mean That It Is Time To Hit The Panic Button For The Global Economy - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

Plunging Manufacturing Numbers Mean That It Is Time To Hit The Panic Button For The Global Economy Posted: 01 Mar 2016 Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE We haven’t seen numbers like these since the last global recession.  I recently wrote about how global trade is imploding all over the planet, and the same thing is true when it comes to manufacturing.  We just learned that manufacturing in China has now been contracting for seven months in a row, and as you will see below, U.S. manufacturing is facing “its toughest period since the global financial crisis”.   Yes, global stocks have bounced back a bit after experiencing dramatic declines during January and the first part of February, and this is something that investors are very happy about.  But that does not mean that the crisis is over.  All bear markets have their ups and downs, and this one will not be any different.   Meanwhile, the cold, hard economic numbers that keep coming in are absolutely screaming that a new global recession is here. Just consider what is happening in China.  Manufacturing activity continues to implode, and factories are shedding jobs at the fastest pace since the last financial crisis… Chinese manufacturing suffered a seventh straight month of contraction in February. China’s official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 49.0 in February, down from the previous month’s reading of 49.4 and below the 50-point mark that separates growth from contraction on a monthly basis. A private survey also showed China’s factories shed jobs at the fastest rate in seven years in February, raising doubts about the government’s ability to reduce industry overcapacity this year without triggering a sharp jump in unemployment. For years, the expansion of the Chinese economy has helped fuel global economic growth. But now things have shifted dramatically. At this point, things are already so bad that the Chinese government is admitting that millions of workers are going to lose their jobs at state-controlled industries in China… China’s premier told visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew on Monday his government is pressing ahead with painful reforms to shrink bloated coal and steel industries that are a drag on its slowing economy and ruled out devaluing its currency as a short-cut to boosting exports. Premier Li Keqiang’s comments to Lew on Monday were in line with a joint declaration by financial officials from the Group of 20 biggest rich and developing economies who met over the weekend in Shanghai. They pledged to avoid devaluations to boost sagging trade and urged governments to speed up reforms to boost slowing global growth. Across all state-controlled industries, as many as six million workers could be out of a job, with almost two million in the coal industry alone. But it isn’t just China.  Right now manufacturing activity is slowing down literally all over the planet, and this is exactly what we would expect to see if a new global recession had begun.  The following chart and analysis come from Zero Hedge… As the below table shows, 28 regions have reported so far. Seven saw improvements in their manufacturing sectors in February, twenty recorded a weakening, and India was unchanged.  This means that over 70% of the world saw manufacturing sentiment deteriorate in February compared to January. In terms of actual expansion, there were 21 countries in positive territory and 7 in negative. In particular, Greece moved from neutral to contraction territory, while Taiwan dropped below breakeven from expansion. Unfortunately, most Americans don’t really pay much attention to what is going on in the rest of the world.  For most of us, what really matters is what is happening inside the good ole USA. And of course the news is not good.  There were more signs of trouble for U.S. manufacturing in the February numbers, and this continues a trend that stretches back well into last year.  The following is what Chris Williamson, the chief economist at Markit, had to say about these numbers… “The February data add to signs of distress in the US manufacturing economy. Production and order book growth continues to worsen, led by falling exports. Jobs are being added at a slower pace and output prices are dropping at a rate not seen since mid-2012. “The deterioration in the manufacturing sector’s performance since mid-2014 has broadly tracked the dollar’s rise, which makes US goods more expensive in overseas markets and leads US consumers to favour cheaper imported goods. “With other headwinds including the downturn in the oil sector, heightened uncertainty due to financial market volatility, global growth worries and growing concerns about the presidential election, it’s no surprise that the manufacturing sector is facing its toughest period since the global financial crisis.“ Over the past couple of decades, the U.S. economy has lost tens of thousands of manufacturing facilities.  We desperately need a manufacturing renaissance – not another manufacturing decline. As good paying manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas, they have been replaced by low paying service jobs.  As a result, the middle class is shrinking and the ranks of the poor are exploding. It is hard to believe, but today more than 45 million Americans are on food stamps, and a significant percentage of those individuals actually have jobs.  They are called “the working poor”, and it is becoming a major crisis in this nation. And no matter what Obama may say, unemployment remains a major problem in the United States as well.  At this point, unemployment rates in 36 states are higher than they were just before the last recession hit in 2008. Of course a lot of people are going to look at this article and will point to the stock market gains of the past couple of weeks as evidence that “things are getting better”.  It is this kind of clueless approach that is keeping the American people from coming together on solutions to our problems. The truth is that the United States has been experiencing economic decline for decades.  Our economic infrastructure has been gutted, the middle class is steadily deteriorating, and we have amassed the biggest pile of debt in the history of the world. Anyone that believes that things are “just fine” is in a massive state of denial.  Consuming far more wealth than we produce is not a formula for a sustainable economy, and it is just a matter of time before we find this out the hard way.

China ‘notes’ Pope’s new year greeting, calls for flexibility - TRUNEWS

China ‘notes’ Pope’s new year greeting, calls for flexibility

Jan.3, 2016 TRUNEWS

China said on Wednesday it had “noted” an interview in which Pope Francis sent Lunar New Year
greetings to President Xi Jinping, and called on the Vatican to be flexible in creating conditions for better relations.

The Vatican, which has had no formal diplomatic ties with Beijing since shortly after the Communist Party took power in 1949, has been trying to improve ties with China and its state-sanctioned Catholic Church.

The main point of contention between Beijing and the Vatican is which side should have the final say in the appointment of bishops. Another stumbling block is the Holy See’s recognition of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.


Pope Francis holds a skullcap given to him by a faithful as he arrives to lead the weekly audience in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican February 3, 2016. REUTERS/Max Rossi

While he was in South Korea in 2014, the Pope urged China to pursue a formal dialogue to benefit both sides. While flying to South Korea, his plane was allowed to cross Chinese air space, a first for a pope.

In the interview in the Asia Times this week, the Pope did not mention difficult subjects like human rights, expressing his admiration for China and sending his best wishes to Xi and China’s people ahead of next week’s Lunar New Year holiday.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he had “noted the relevant report”.

“China has always been sincere about improving Sino-Vatican ties, and have made many efforts in this regard,” Lu told a daily news briefing.

“We are still willing to have constructive dialogue with the Vatican based on this principle, meeting each other half way, and keep pushing forward the development of the process of improving bilateral relations. We also hope that the Vatican can take a flexible, pragmatic attitude to creating conditions for improving ties.”

Lu did not elaborate.

Lowest Ever: The Baltic Dry Index Plunges To 394 As Global Trade Grinds To A Standstill - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

Lowest Ever: The Baltic Dry Index Plunges To 394 As Global Trade Grinds To A Standstill

Posted: 14 Jan 2016   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC BLOG

For the first time ever, the Baltic Dry Index has fallen under 400.  As I write this article, it is sitting at 394.  To be honest, I never even imagined that it could go this low.  Back in early August, the Baltic Dry Index was sitting at 1,222, and since then it has been on a steady decline.  Of course the Baltic Dry Index crashed hard just before the great stock market crash of 2008 too, but at this point it is already lower than it was during that entire crisis. 

This is just more evidence that global trade is grinding to a halt and that 2016 is going to be a “cataclysmic year” for the global economy.

If you are not familiar with the Baltic Dry Index, here is a helpful definition from Wikipedia…

The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is an economic indicator issued daily by the London-based Baltic Exchange. Not restricted to Baltic Sea countries, the index provides “an assessment of the price of moving the major raw materials by sea. Taking in 23 shipping routes measured on a timecharter basis, the index covers Handysize, Supramax, Panamax, and Capesize dry bulk carriers carrying a range of commodities including coal, iron ore and grain.”

The BDI is one of the key indicators that experts look at when they are trying to determine where the global economy is heading.  And right now, it is telling us that we are heading into a major worldwide economic downturn.

Some people try to dismiss the recent drop in the Baltic Dry Index by claiming that shipping rates are down because there is simply too much capacity out there these days.  And I don’t dispute that.  Without a doubt, too many vessels were built during the “boom years”, and now shipbuilders are paying the price.  For example, Chinese shipyards reported a 59 percent decline in orders during the first 11 months of 2015…

Total orders at Chinese shipyards tumbled 59 percent in the first 11 months of 2015, according to data released Dec. 15 by the China Association of the National Shipbuilding Industry. Builders have sought government support as excess vessel capacity drives down shipping rates and prompts customers to cancel contracts. Zhoushan Wuzhou Ship Repairing & Building Co. last month became the first state-owned shipbuilder to go bankrupt in a decade.

But that doesn’t explain everything.  The truth is that exports are way down all over the world.  China, the United States, South Korea and many other major exporting nations have all been reporting extremely dismal export numbers.  Global trade is contracting quite rapidly, and I don’t see how anyone could possibly dispute that.

The global economy is a mess, but many people are not paying any attention to the economic fundamentals because they are too busy looking at the stock market.

The stock market does not tell us how the economy is doing.  If the stock market is up today that does not mean that the economy is doing well, and if the stock market is down tomorrow that does not mean that it is doing poorly.

Yes, the health of the financial markets can greatly affect the overall economy.  We saw this back in 2008.  When there is a tremendous amount of panic, that can cause a credit crunch and make it very difficult for money to flow through our system.  The end result is a rapid slowdown of economic activity, and it is something that we will be experiencing again very soon.

But don’t let the day to day fluctuations of the stock market fool you.  Just because the Dow was up 227 points today does not mean that the crisis is over.  It is important to remember that stocks are not going to go down every single day.  On Thursday, the Dow didn’t even regain two-thirds of what it lost on Wednesday.  Even in bear markets there are up days, and some of the biggest up days in stock market history were right in the middle of the crash of 2008.

It is critical that we take a long-term view of things and not let our vision be clouded by every tick up and down in the financial markets.  Initial jobless claims just hit their highest level in about six months, and companies like Macy’s and GoPro are laying off thousands of workers.  Things are already bad, and they are rapidly getting worse.

And let us not forget the great amount of financial carnage that has already happened so far this year.  According to CNBC, approximately 3.2 trillion dollars of stock market wealth was wiped out globally during the first 13 days of 2016…

Almost $3.2 trillion has been wiped off the value of stocks around the world since the start of 2016, according to calculations by a top market analyst.
It has also been the worst-ever start to a year for U.S. equities, said Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices, as both the S&P 500 and the blue-chip Dow Jones industrial average have posted their steepest losses for the first eight days trading of a year.

Over the past six months, there have now been two 10 percent “corrections” for U.S. stocks.  The only other times we have seen multiple corrections like this were in 1929, 2000 and 2008.  If those years seem familiar to you, that is because they should.  In all three years, we witnessed historic stock market crashes.

The stunning collapse of the Baltic Dry Index is just more evidence that we have entered a global deflationary crisis.  Goods aren’t moving, unemployment is rising all over the planet, and commodity prices have fallen to levels that we have not seen in over a decade.

Around the globe, there have been dramatic stock market crashes to begin the year, and we should expect to see much more market turmoil during the weeks and months to come.
If the markets have calmed down a bit for the moment, we should be very thankful for that, because we could all use some additional time to prepare for what is coming.

The debt-fueled standard of living that so many of us are enjoying today is just an illusion.  And many of us won’t even understand what we have been taking for granted until it is taken away from us.

A great shaking is coming to the global economy, and the pain is going to be unimaginable.  So let us enjoy every single day of relative “normalcy” while we still can, because there aren’t too many of them left.

China Boosts Armed Forces to Challenge U.S. Military Dominance - Kelly Sloan TruNews

China Boosts Armed Forces to Challenge U.S. Military Dominance - TruNews (Rick Wiles)

Jan. 7, 2016

(TRUNEWS) China announced new boosts to its military forces Wednesday, in an effort to surpass the U.S. as the world’s mightiest military power.

The plan includes the construction of a new headquarters and the formation of three new units – a general command for the People’s Liberation Army, a missile force and a strategic support force.

State television showed Chinese President Xi Jinping giving military flags to the heads of the three new units last week. He also said he wants to continue working toward the “great renewal of the Chinese nation” and views building a strong military as the key.

But in an attempt to prove China poses no threat, Xi announced in September he would reduce China’s 2.3-million army by 300,000 troops.

The move comes as China boosts its posturing in the South China Sea, giving cause for concern to many of the neighboring countries in the Asia Pacific theater.

Prior to this latest escalation, Japan announced on December 18th that they will be stringing a line of anti-ship, anti-aircraft missile batteries along 200 islands in the East China Sea, stretching almost 1,400 km (870 miles) from the country’s mainland toward Taiwan.

Vietnam also made changes to their defense strategy to counter Chinese expansion, announcing a distinct move beyond contingency planning earlier this month. Reuters reported that key units were placed on “high combat readiness” – an alert posture to fend off a sudden attack – including its elite Division 308, which guards the mountainous north.

About Kelly Sloan

Kelly Sloan is a reporter and anchor for TRUNEWS Headlines on radio stations across the U.S. She was previously an anchor and reporter for USA Headline News and USA Radio News, where she also served as Assistant Religion Editor.

Rick Joyner - Insight on Russia, China, Syria in the Middle East - 2016

Rick Joyner - Russia, China, Syria - 2016

Rick Joyner, MorningStar Ministries in Fort Mill, SC, was on the Jim Bakker Show in late 2015. He was quoted on The Jim Bakker Show, aired Jan. 4, 2016, for his prophetic words on the 

"5 Trends That Will Change The World In 2016"

Below are video shots taken from the show. You can see the full program, with Rick & Lori Bakker, and Rick Wiles, by clicking here: The Jim Bakker Show - aired 01.04.16

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People

Jim Bakker & Rick Wiles

Watch here: The Jim Bakker Show - aired 01.04.16

The Calm Before The Storm - THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE - Michael Snyder

The Calm Before The Storm

Posted: 26 Oct 2015 THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE - Michael Snyder

Have you noticed that things have gotten eerily quiet in the month of October?  After the chaos of late August and early September, many had anticipated that we would be dealing with a full-blown financial collapse by now, but instead we have entered a period of “dead calm” in which things have become exceedingly quiet in almost every way that you can possibly imagine.

Other “watchmen” that I highly respect have made the exact same observation.  Even though the economic numbers are screaming that we have entered a global recession, they aren’t really make any headline news.  A whole host of major financial institutions around the planet are currently in danger of collapsing and creating the next “Lehman Brothers moment”, but none of them has imploded just yet.  And of course Barack Obama seems bound and determined to start World War III.

On Monday, it was announced that he is sending a guided missile destroyer into Chinese waters in the South China Sea.  The Chinese have already stated that they might just start shooting if this happens, but Barack Obama doesn’t seem to care.  But until the shooting actually begins, that is not likely to upset the current tranquility that we are enjoying either.
To me, what we are experiencing at the moment would best be described as “the calm before the storm”.  If you are not familiar with this concept, this is how it is defined by How Stuff Works…

Have you ever spent an afternoon in the backyard, maybe grilling or enjoying a game of croquet, when suddenly you notice that everything goes quiet? The air seems still and calm — even the birds stop singing and quickly return to their nests.

After a few minutes, you feel a change in the air, and suddenly a line of clouds ominously appears on the horizon — clouds with a look that tells you they aren’t fooling around. You quickly dash in the house and narrowly miss the first fat raindrops that fall right before the downpour. At this moment, you might stop and ask yourself, “Why was it so calm and peaceful right before the storm hit?”

Like so many others, I believe that a great storm is coming, and yet right at this moment things seem so peaceful.

Unfortunately, this period of peace and quiet is not going to last for long, and most Americans know deep down that something is seriously wrong with our nation.  In fact, a new WND/Clout poll has found that 85.3 percent of all likely voters in the United States believe that our country is going in the wrong direction…

The poll found 92.6 percent of those who identified themselves as conservative believe the nation is on the wrong track. Among those who call themselves liberal, 90.9 percent said it is going the wrong direction.

 When asked what they think of the American economy after seven years of Obama’s leadership and economic policies, nearly 80 percent described it as “very fragile” or “somewhat fragile.”

Self-identified Democrats, Republicans, liberals and conservatives were in general agreement, with about 75 percent to 80 percent describing the economy as “somewhat fragile” or “very fragile.”

But even though we are steamrolling in the wrong direction, we haven’t suffered any incredibly serious consequences for it yet.

For the moment, this is allowing the mockers to have a field day.  They are fully confident that Barack Obama and the Federal Reserve knew what they were doing after all, and they are gleefully taunting those of us that have been warning of the great disaster that is heading our way.

However, those that are wise are getting prepared.

I think that we could all learn some lessons from what Overstock.com Chairman Jonathan Johnson is doing. The following is an extended excerpt from a recent Zero Hedge article…

*****

One week ago Johnson, who is also candidate for Utah governor, spoke at the United Precious Metals Association, or UPMA, which we first profiled a month ago, and which takes advantage of Utah’s special status allowing the it to use gold as legal tender, offering gold and silver-backed accounts. As a reminder, the UPMA takes Federal Reserve Notes (or paper dollars) which it then translates into golden dollars (or silver).

The golden dollars are based off the $50 one ounce gold coins produced by the Treasury of The United States. They are legal tender under the law and are protected as such.
What did Johnson tell the UPMA? Here are some choice quotes:

We are not big fans of Wall Street and we don’t trust them. We foresaw the financial crisis, we fought against the financial crisis that happened in 2008;we don’t trust the banks still and we foresee that with QE3, and QE4 and QE n that at some point there is going to be another significant financial crisis.

 So what do we do as a business so that we would be prepared when that happens. One thing that we do that is fairly unique: we have about $10 million in gold, mostly the small button-sized coins, that we keep outside of the banking system. We expect that when there is a financial crisis there will be a banking holiday. I don’t know if it will be 2 days, or 2 weeks, or 2 months. We have $10 million in gold and silver in denominations small enough that we can use for payroll. We want to be able to keep our employees paid, safe and our site up and running during a financial crisis.

We also happen to have three months of food supply for every employee that we can live on.

*****

Why would such a seemingly intelligent and successful CEO of a large Internet company do such things?

It is because he can see the writing on the wall.

This period of calm will not last.  A great storm is coming, and when it does arrive those that have not prepared for it are going to suffer tremendously.

Most people have no idea just how fragile our system really is.  Today, some of these “too big to fail” banks supposedly have trillions of dollars in assets, but if you want to withdraw $10,000 or more in cash you have got to give them 24 hours notice to get enough money…

This is just the beginning. As anyone can tell you, it’s all but impossible to move large amounts of money into cash in the US. Even the large banks will routinely ask you for 24 hours notice if you need $10,000 or more in cash. These are banks will TRILLIONS of dollars worth of assets on their books.

And with each passing day we see even more signs of the global economic slowdown that is emerging all around us.  For example, we just learned that the China Containerized Freight Index has dropped to the lowest level ever recorded.  China accounts for more global trade than anyone else, and so this is a very clear sign that global economic activity is slowing down dramatically…

By early July, the index dropped below 800 for the first time in its history, which started in 1998 when the index was set at 1,000. It soon recovered to about 850. And just when bouts of hope were rising that the worst was over, it plunged again and hit even lower levels.

The latest weekly reading dropped another 1.7% from the prior week to 752.21, the worst level ever. The CCFI is now 30% below where it had been in February this year and 25% below where it had been 17 years ago at its inception.

But for those that don’t want to believe that hard times are on the way, they can take comfort in the eerie period of calm that we are experiencing right now.

What they don’t realize is that this truly is “the calm before the storm”, and the global economic crisis that is ahead of us is going to be far beyond what most people ever dared to imagine was possible.

A Response to Russian Airstrikes in Syria - Rick Joyner | Prophetic Perspective on Current Events

A Response to Russian Airstrikes in Syria

Watch here: A Response to Russian Airstrikes in Syria 

- Rick Joyner 

| Prophetic Perspective on Current Events

Rick Joyner

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Rick responds to Russia bombing Syrian targets and talks about how it reveals where the US stands in relation to these countries. We need to understand the times in which we live as well as the world economy. Rick explains the history of the removal of evil dictators and gives insights on the behavior of the media in today's society.

Expressions & Diversity - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Expressions & Diversity

- Now Think On This

by Steve Martin

“For just as there are many parts that compose one body, but the parts don’t all have the same function; so there are many of us, and in union with the Messiah we comprise one body, with each of us belonging to the others. But we have gifts that differ and which are meant to be used according to the grace that has been given to us.” Romans 12:4-6 CJB


Walking down any city street, especially in a major urban area, you see all kinds of people. In Charlotte, North Carolina’s uptown, or Center City as some would call it, you can also observe many nationalities – those from India, Africa, Southeast Asia, China, South America, and of course different sections of America. (I know this due to the Anglo-Saxon ancestral accents I hear!) Personally, I love them all.

In the business office I work at in uptown Charlotte, as the Accountant since 2012, we regularly have interns who come for the summer months. Some of them are still in college, while others have just completed their upper level education and are ready to hit the marketplace. They just haven’t gotten hired quite yet, so this will look good on their resume.

Often we have a wide diversity of these young “millennials”, those in the 20’s age group. They have come to serve with us from different Carolina colleges, having diverse cultural and societal backgrounds. This particular summer we have some whose grandparents were from China, India and Scotland. Each one brings a specific skill, knowledge base, and educational training, which are used to enhance the labor force the company already has. Having them around certainly drops the average age of the staff, at least for these few months.

It amazes me how diverse the Lord has created mankind. From every tribe, nation and group He has delighted Himself with such a rainbow of colors, languages and gifts. One country’s people may be advanced in mathematics, while another is known for their agricultural products. Some nations specialize in manufacturing, and some in high adventure, using their natural resources for the excitement and enjoyment of their visitors.

Can you imagine if we were all Anglo-Saxon Americans, or all Chinese, or possibly everyone was an African? In my perspective I would find that quite boring. I think that is why the Lord God of Israel created so many features, colors, talents and skills that each one possesses. Though twins are very close to being exactly alike, the wide variety of men, women and children are not, and it is awesome. What a creative God there is!

It has been a true blessing to have had friends from different backgrounds and genealogies. In travelling to foreign countries, and meeting new friends, I am very appreciate of the various cultures each has developed, with their amazing foods, clothing styles, and personalities. It is simply the work of the great God we know and serve.

As people express the various skills, talents and gifts they have, I encourage you to appreciate and respect that which each one offers to the world, for each is made in the image of our God, and has a specific purpose in God’s eternal plan. Accepting the wide variety of expressions, with multifunction and diversities, will bring more joy and thanksgiving in our lives for who they are, and what we can share together.

Give thanks to the Lord for His extravagant creation!

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Love For His People. Inc.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

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Now Think On This #157 “Expressions & Diversity” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2014 (06.21.14) Saturday at 1:45 pm in Charlotte, NC.

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on our newest website: Now Think On This

Get the Gold! - Now Think On This (Steve Martin)

“Get the Gold!”

“Don’t hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or—worse!—stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it’s safe from moth and rust and burglars. It’s obvious, isn’t it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.” (Matt. 6:19-21, The Message)

I love the Olympics! Be it the winter or summer games, I enjoy watching all the nations’ athletes walk in for the opening ceremonies, all dressed in their colorful and smartly dressed uniforms (as my Brit friends would say) and cultural garments, waving their flags and their hands to the crowd, as they proudly represent their countries. It is a great sight of unity among the people, and the hosting country always puts on a fascinating show. Russians, Chinese, Americans, Europeans, Asians and more have all hosted the grand celebration of completion among athletes. I commend them for it.

It amazes me each time a new country is represented that I have never even heard of, or a country is in the games for the first time. Especially the lone athlete carrying his flag by him or herself. I hope they do well and make new friends. They certainly have worked hard to get there too.

Training and coming together through teamwork, in preparation for the honor of their country and their sport, has been the foundation built on for the competition. It certainly brings out the best. The goal of standing on the podium after their event is completed, holding onto the precious metal of gold, silver or bronze is a grand sight, as their home flag is lifted and their national anthem is played.

As a former athlete myself, in middle and high school, I understand a measure of the effort it certainly takes for these competing. To spend hours, days, months and even years preparing; and then to give it all you have at that specific moment in time, when you have a few minutes to excel in an individual event, or as your teams goes through the bracket toward the championship game, is quite the effort. May they all do well, and accomplish their heart’s desire.

I am chasing gold too. Mine isn’t made up of the earthly metal, but it is being stored up as an eternal reward, to fit on my head as a crown. The King Himself, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) will be giving them out. And then we will participate in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb ceremony too. That will indeed be a "crowning moment" for those who have received His salvation through His shed blood. It will be a joyous occasion, as much perseverance and running the race He has given us while in our human body has been accomplished. I look forward to sharing that eternal time with those I have walked with, and those who I will meet for the first time.

While our time remains here on this planet, our hearts are to be set on stockpiling treasure in heaven, as The Message Bible puts it in terms we certainly understand. Laying up those crowns prepared for those who have followed in His plans and purposes will be the award, along with the eternal realm of heaven itself. This is not just a dream or fairy tale, but it is reality. Our labors here on earth are to be for eternal, not just temporal, achievements. My heart and yours must be set on that purpose.

Enjoy the Olympics as you can. Celebrate with the victors as they raise their hands and winning metals in triumph, knowing that your reward, being stored up in heaven, is a treasure worth living for in this time we have been given. This too is a shadow of things yet to come, for those who know the Lord Jesus.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Love For His People

Founder

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these letters minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless known families in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Go here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH  OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box414   Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

Please share this Ahava Love Letter/Now Think On This with your friends.

Israel Hayom - 'With the Jewish mind and the Chinese engine, the sky's the limit'

'With the Jewish mind and the Chinese engine, the sky's the limit'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosts Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Jerusalem • Yi: There is a profound traditional friendship between people of our two countries • Dr. Miriam Adelson: China opened its doors to Jewish refugees of the Holocaust.

Shlomo Cesana

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Wednesday |  Photo credit: GPO

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"My visit to China [in May], and your visit today in Jerusalem, showcases the determination our two governments have to strengthen our friendship and improve cooperation between us," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Wang arrived in Israel Tuesday night for a three-day visit. "Our strengths complement one another," Netanyahu said. China has massive industrial and global reach. Israel has expertise in every area of high-tech. And I think the combination could be very, very beneficial to China and of course to Israel. Especially with regards to the fields we are talking about: science and technology, water management, agriculture, green energy and health services. 

Likewise we want to increase cooperation between us in global transportation. I would like to talk to you about the rail road that will connect Asia and Europe, by going from the port of Eilat on the Red Sea to the Ashdod port on the Mediterranean. I believe this is important to global and Chinese commerce."

Netanyahu highlighted the two countries' shared values. "We both value education and families. We value knowledge and learning. We place importance on taking initiative and being entrepreneurial, something which both Israel and China have in great supply. I think Israel could be a perfect partner for 

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"It gives me great pleasure to come to Israel," Wang said. "Indeed this is my first trip to this country as Chinese foreign minister. I have first and foremost come to Israel for the furtherance of friendship between our two countries. Indeed there is a profound traditional friendship between people of our two countries."

The Chinese foreign minister echoed Netanyahu's belief that Israel and China's economies are well fitted for one another. "I've also come to pursue stronger cooperation between our two countries. Our two economies are highly complementary, and the mutually beneficial cooperation between us enjoys a very bright future. During your visit to China this year, Mr. Prime Minister, you reached a very important agreement with President Xi Jinping, and Premier Li Keqiang of China on how to further deepen the mutually beneficial cooperation between our two countries. 

I have come to explore with my Israeli counterpart on how to further implement all the important consensus and explore the various areas of even stronger cooperation between us so as to deliver greater benefits to both peoples," Wang said.

With regards to Middle East diplomacy. Wang said his country would "continue to play a positive role in the region." Netanyahu tried to rally the Chinese behind a deal to prevent Iran from being able to produce nuclear weapons. "We believe that for the peace of the world, for the peace of the coming years and decades, Iran must be denied the capability -- I stress the word -- the capability to develop nuclear weapons. It must fully comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions," Netanyahu said.

Wang recalled China's reception of Jews refugees during World War II, when other nations turned them away. "I believe this helped form the basis of the deep and valued friendship between our two countries, such a friendship should only be improved," he said.

Wang praised Netanyahu for initiating the efforts to improve ties with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang. "I came to see how to implement important agreements and evaluate different fields of increased cooperation with my Israeli colleagues, to the benefit of both nations," Wang said.

Israel and China recently agreed to lift the visa requirement for people holding diplomatic passports when traveling between the two countries.

Wang also met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday and expressed hope that the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians bear fruit.

Meanwhile, speaking at a Likud convention Wednesday night, Netanyahu reiterated his stance against the Iranian nuclear threat. "Seventy years after the attempted extermination of our people, comes a leader [in Iran] and says he will destroy the Jews and the Jewish state and is given legitimacy by the world, his spokesmen get a pat on the back. 

We are not falling to temptation. When someone threatens to exterminate us, we take that threat seriously, and we will not allow Iran to develop military nuclear capability. Mark my words: We will not allow Iran to develop a military nuclear capability. Not only will we not accept a situation in which Iran has the bomb, but we will not accept them being able to manufacture one as well. There is a big difference between the two," he said.

Meanwhile, Yi praised the potential of Sino-Israeli cooperation Wednesday night at a banquet in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem. "With the Jewish mind, and a Chinese engine, we will build a machine that will reach the skies," he said.

During the event, organized by the Chinese embassy in Israel, the Association to Promote Israel-China ties and other Sino-Israeli groups, Wang emphasized the continuously improving ties between the two countries. "There is a Chinese saying -- true friendship only grows. By my understanding, this is the direction our two nations, who share a long history together, are going. Our goal today is to improve the ties between our countries for children and grandchildren's sake."

"I welcome you to Jerusalem, the eternal and united capital of Israel," Dr. Miriam Adelson told Wang at the banquet. "When countries around the world closed their doors to the Jews during the Holocaust, the Chinese people opened their nation's doors, accepted them with open arms and gave the Jews shelter and protection," she said.

Hebrew University President Professor Menachem Ben-Sasson also spoke at the event. "People ask us -- what is the secret to your success? Well, the secret is our daring to ask questions," he said. Ben-Sasson mentioned the university's archive of Albert Einstein's assorted works. "We uploaded his writings to the Internet in different languages, including Chinese; we had 25 million visitors in the first week, half of them from China."