Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog: Ground-breaking study reveals 871,000 Jewish believers in Jesus in the U.S.

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Ground-breaking study reveals 871,000 Jewish believers in Jesus in the U.S. (Alliance For The Peace of Jerusalem releases & discusses data during press conference at NRB convention.) by joelcrosenberg NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 28, 2018 – A surprising number of Americans with Evangelical beliefs have Jewish roots, and the vast majority of Evangelicals believe it is important to share the Gospel with the Jewish people, according to a study by LifeWay Research underwritten by Chosen People Ministries and New York Times bestselling author Joel C. Rosenberg. The study, “Evangelical Attitudes Toward Israel and the Peace Process,” found that: Eighty-six percent of Americans with evangelical beliefs say sharing the Gospel with Jewish people is important; and An estimated 871,000 Americans with evangelical beliefs – almost three times the most generous previous estimates -- have a Jewish parent or grandparent. “The study indicates unprecedented openness and responsiveness to the Gospel among American Jews and Americans with Jewish roots,” said Rosenberg, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen. “What’s more, a significant percentage of American Evangelicals without Jewish roots say they believe sharing the Gospel with Jewish people is important, though not all of them are doing so. “We must always be loving and humble when we share the message of Jesus with anyone,” Rosenberg continued. “But the Church must never be ashamed of the Gospel because it is, as the Apostle Paul instructs us, the power of salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jews first and also for the Gentiles.” The study also found 30 percent of Americans with evangelical beliefs have Jewish friends. But only 32 percent of those told their Jewish friends about Jesus in the past year, and Evangelicals in general seem unclear about how Jews fit into God’s plan. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed embrace “supersessionism” or replacement theology – the claim that the Christian church “has fulfilled or replaced the nation of Israel in God’s plan.” Forty-one percent reject that idea, and 32 percent are not sure. Younger Evangelicals – those between 18 and 34 – are more likely to say Christians have replaced Jews in God’s plan. Thirty-four percent agree, and 30 percent disagree. Thirty-six percent are not sure. In contrast, 48 percent of Evangelicals 65 and older disagree with replacement theology. Twenty-three percent agree, and 29 percent are not sure. “To see nearly 40 percent of younger evangelicals unsure of how Israel fits into God's larger story tells me we have a huge opportunity to educate the next generation to appreciate God's love and plan for both Israel and the nations,” said Esther Fleece, international speaker, author and millennial influencer. “Millennials don't need help getting involved, we need help understanding a theology that gives Israel and the Jewish people a place in God's ongoing story.”   About half (55 percent) believe “the Bible teaches that one day, most or all Jewish people, alive at that time, will believe in Jesus.” Sixteen percent disagree, and 29 percent are unsure. “We are thrilled with the growth of the messianic movement both within and outside of the nation of Israel,” said Dr. Mitch Glaser, president of Chosen People Ministries. “The number of Evangelicals saying they have a Jewish parent or grandparent is far greater than we imagined. Probably one of the reasons for this, according to the LifeWay Survey, is because over 70 percent of Evangelicals in the United States believe in the importance of reaching out to their Jewish friends with the good news of Jesus.” Although Evangelicals see a clear tie between Bible prophecy and the rebirth of the nation of Israel, they’re less certain whether Jewish people play a role in the return of Jesus. “According to the survey, many Evangelicals believe the Gospel will be spread to all people in the world before Jesus returns,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. “But they aren’t sure if Jewish people have a special place in God’s plan anymore.” About half (47 percent) agree with the statement, “Jewish people continue to be significant for the history of redemption as Jesus will return when the Jewish people accept Jesus.” Twenty-three percent disagree, and 31 percent are not sure. “The Scripture places God’s commitment to Israel as an expression of his faithfulness and grace. God made promises to Israel as a people long ago Scripture says he will keep,” said Darrell L. Bock, New Testament professor at Dallas Theological Seminary. When the first part of the study was released in December, showing a need to educate all, especially the young, about Israel’s place in God’s plan, key faith leaders formed the Alliance for the Peace of Jerusalem, an organization dedicated to facilitating a better public understanding of the complexities of the Middle East including its roots in history and the Bible. Glaser, Rosenberg and Bock are all founding members of the Alliance. LifeWay Research conducted the “Evangelical Attitudes Toward Israel and the Peace Process” study Sept. 20-28, 2017. The survey asked 2,002 Americans with evangelical beliefs about a wide range of issues involving Israel. This study found that among American adults almost 40 million have evangelical beliefs using the NAE LifeWay Research Evangelical Beliefs Definition (39,912,710). Two percent of these evangelicals (.021816884) indicate that one or more of their parents or grandparents are Jewish. This yields the estimate of 870,771 adult Americans who have evangelical beliefs and self-report that they have at least one Jewish parent or grandparent.   For the complete results of the survey, please visit jerusalemalliance.com. STATEMENT BY JOEL C. ROSENBERG ON THE NEW SURVEY REGARDING EVANGELICALS, THE GOSPEL AND JEWISH PEOPLE Jesus said, “Blessed are the peace-makers.” What does it mean to be a peacemaker? It means understanding that God is not “either/or.” He’s “both/and.” He loves all people on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and He commands us to do the same. It means praying and working for calm and quiet and justice and reasonable peace treaties that bless all people in the Middle East. Above all, it means communicating to every Jewish and Muslim person the good news that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and the only way to make true and everlasting peace with God – and our fellow man – is to repent of our sins, and receive Jesus as Messiah by faith. The Gospel is the ultimate Mideast peace strategy. Presidents and Prime Ministers won’t preach it, nor should they. Only we can. And we must, for the fields are ripe for harvest. In the 1950s, there were fewer than 1,000 Jewish believers worldwide. Today, there are 871,000 Jewish believers in the U.S. alone – a spiritual earthquake of historic proportions. In recent years, when asked how many Jewish believers there are, I’ve said the number was “about 300,000.” My source was the 2001 edition of Operation World, a study that endeavored to compile the most accurate statistics of Christ-followers in individual countries, and distinct people groups. Page 362: “Globally there has been a significant response [to the Gospel] among the [world’s] 15 million Jews; around 132,000 are linked with Messianic congregations and a further 200,000 with Gentile churches. Most of these believers are in North America, and also in Russia-Ukraine and the U.K.” In other words, eighteen years ago, Operation World reported 332,000 Jewish believers in Jesus worldwide. Even that number struck many experts as high. Jews For Jesus says on its website that “estimates [of Jewish believers] range from as low as 30,000 to as high as 125,000 worldwide.” Chosen People Ministries says the number is “maybe 200,000.” But the study we’re releasing today indicates that Americans with Jewish roots are far more receptive – and responsive – to the Gospel than any of us previously thought. The veil that has covered the eyes of my people for nearly 2,000 years – that has obscured our understanding of Jesus’ true identity – is lifting. This is deeply encouraging, and it reaffirms that the Gospel message works – it transforms and betters the lives of all people when they receive it, including Jewish people. But first they have to hear it. This is why the Alliance calls pastors, theologians and believers all over the world to sign the Statement we’ve introduced today, and in so doing to recommit themselves to preaching the Gospel of peace to all people everywhere – including Jews and Muslims – with love and humility and a profound sense of urgency. Let us say what the Apostle Paul said, that “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile.” joelcrosenberg | March 1, 2018 at 2:37 pm | Categories: Epicenter | URL: https://wp.me/piWZ7-8EF

12 Years In A Row And Counting: The U.S. Has Not Had A Year Of 3 Percent Economic Growth In More Than A Decade - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

12 Years In A Row And Counting: The U.S. Has Not Had A Year Of 3 Percent Economic Growth In More Than A Decade

Posted: 28 Feb 2018 Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

If the U.S. economy is in good shape, then why has economic growth been so anemic for more than a decade?  It has been 12 long years since the economy grew by at least 3 percent, and for most of that time my website has been one of the leading voices chronicling America’s long-term economic problems. 

In 2017, U.S. GDP increased by just 2.3 percent, but at least that was better than the pathetic 1.5 percent figure that was posted for 2016.  With Donald Trump in the White House, we have taken some steps in the right direction, but we must never forget that our long-term economic and financial problems continue to steadily get worse.

As I travel around Idaho’s first congressional district, I often tell voters that we have not had a year of 3 percent economic growth since the middle of the Bush administration, and a lot of people have a really hard time believing that this is accurate.  But of course it is 100 percent true, and earlier today CNS News published an article highlighting this fact…

The United States has gone a record 12 straight years without 3-percent growth in real Gross Domestic Product, according to data released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

This drought is highly, highly unusual.  In fact, before this 12 year stretch the previous record was just four years…

Before the current period, when the nation has seen twelve straight years without 3 percent growth in real GDP, the longest stretch of years in which real GDP did not grow by at least 3 percent was during the Great Depression—when there were four straight years (1930-1933) when real GDP did not grow that much.

Have we entered a new era of low economic growth?

Is 3 percent the best that we can hope for from now on?

I have pointed out many times that Barack Obama was the only president in all of U.S. history never to have a single year of 3 percent economic growth, and he had two terms to try to achieve that.

Of course the U.S. economy began struggling far before Obama entered the White House.  As the U.S. has increasingly embraced socialism, our once vibrant economy has really had a tough time.  In fact, since the end of the Reagan administration our economic growth numbers have not been good at all…

The last time it grew by more than 7 percent was 1984, when Ronald Reagan was president. That year, it grew by 7.3 percent.
In the years after 1984, the highest level of economic growth achieved by the United States was in 1999, when real GDP grew by 4.7 percent.

Hopefully things can turn around under President Trump, and that it is why it is so imperative that we send pro-Trump candidates for Congress to Washington.

The U.S. economy is way overdue for a recession, and many believe that the next major economic downturn is right around the corner.  We just witnessed the worst February for stocks in 9 years, and the Dow ended the month on a huge down note.  Hopefully things will rebound in March, but there is absolutely no guarantee that will happen.

The following are some more facts about what transpired in February from Zero Hedge…

• Trannies worst month since Jan 2016
• Small Caps worst month since Oct 2016
• VIX biggest monthly jump since Aug 2015
• 30Y TSY Yield biggest monthly jump since Nov 2016
• 2Y TSY Yield up 6 straight months
• HY Credit (HYG) worst month since Jan 2016
• HY Spreads worst month since Sept 2015
• USD Index up most since Feb 2017
• WTI worst month since Aug 2017
• Gold worst month since Sept 2017
• Silver worst month since Nov 2016

I know that I didn’t write very much this month, and that is because I have been relentlessly working to win my race for Congress.

We are less than 80 days away from May 15th, and it is an exceedingly close race between me and three other major candidates.

If you live in Idaho’s first congressional district, please mark May 15th on your calendar.  Our numbers are surging and we feel very good about the race, but without a doubt we are going to need every single vote that we can get.

Michael Snyder is a pro-Trump candidate for Congress in Idaho’s First Congressional District.  If you would like to help him win on May 15th, you can donate online, by Paypal or by sending a check made out to “Michael Snyder for Congress” to P.O. Box 1136 – Bonners Ferry, ID 83805.  To learn more, please visit MichaelSnyderForCongress.com.

The Mainstream Media Is Talking About A Coming Middle East War That Could Involve Saudi Arabia, Iran, The U.S. And Israel - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

The Mainstream Media Is Talking About A Coming Middle East War That Could Involve Saudi Arabia, Iran, The U.S. And Israel Posted: 07 Nov 2017  Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG People better start waking up and paying attention to what is happening in the Middle East, because the situation is becoming quite serious.  If things go badly, we could be facing a major regional war which would involve not only Saudi Arabia and Iran, but also potentially the United States and Israel.   Yesterday, I quoted an article in the New York Times that warned that tensions between the Saudis and the Iranians were raising “the threat of a direct military clash between the two regional heavyweights”.  And now Jake Novak of CNBC is saying that a “direct conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as opposed to the proxy war they’re fighting in Yemen, looks inevitable.” I put those last two words in bold so that there wouldn’t be any confusion.  In fact, Novak is warning that the Saudis “are marching ever closer towards a wider regional war”.  Novak understands the dynamics of the Middle East, and he realizes where things could be headed if cooler heads do not prevail. Saudi Arabia and Iran have already been fighting proxy wars against one another in Syria and Iran for quite a while, but a direct military conflict between the two could literally be a nightmare scenario. One of the primary characters in this ongoing drama is Saudi Arabia’s extremely hawkish crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.  He hates Iran with a passion, and he has already said that he believes that a peace dialogue with Iran is impossible. And over the past several days, events in Saudi Arabia and Lebanon have moved talk of war to the front burner… First, the kingdom squarely blamed Iran for a missile attack on Riyadh from Yemen that was thwarted by the U.S.-made Patriot anti-missile system. The Saudis called that attack “direct military aggression by the Iranian regime and may be considered an act of war.” Second, the Saudis accused Lebanon of — figuratively at least — declaring “war” against it because of aggression from Hezbollah. That statement spurred even Saudi ally and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to publicly urge for calm. In an article yesterday, I discussed the “purge” that is currently taking place in Saudi Arabia.  Many believe that this purge is all about removing any potential obstacles to a war with Iran.  Mohammed bin Salman and his father have made dealing with Iran their number one strategic priority, and they have even enlisted the Israelis as allies in their cause… As is already well-known, the Saudi and Israeli common cause against perceived Iranian influence and expansion in places like Syria, Lebanon and Iraq of late has led the historic bitter enemies down a pragmatic path of unspoken cooperation as both seem to have placed the break up of the so-called “Shia crescent” as their primary policy goal in the region. For Israel, Hezbollah has long been its greatest foe, which Israeli leaders see as an extension of Iran’s territorial presence right up against the Jewish state’s northern border. If Saudi Arabia and Iran go to war, it is probably inevitable that Hezbollah will strike Israel at the same time, thus getting the Israelis directly involved in the conflict. Not only that, if a major regional war does erupt in the Middle East it would almost certainly mean that the U.S. would have to get involved as well.  Here is more from Jake Novak of CNBC… But if full blown war breaks out directly between the two countries, it’s hard to see the U.S. being able to sit it out without at least some form increased weapons support and other aid. Then it will be up to Iran’s possible allies, like Russia and China to make the next move. If you are thinking that this sounds like the type of scenario that could cause World War III to erupt, you would be correct. The Iranians and the Saudis both have weapons of mass destruction, and so a direct conflict between the two would seem to be unthinkable. But rational thinking does not always prevail in the Middle East.  The conflict between Sunni Islam and Shia Islam has a long and bitter history, and the bad blood between the Saudis and the Iranians is never going to subside until one side or the other ultimately prevails. Let us hope that a “hot war” between Saudi Arabia and Iran does not erupt any time soon, because such a war would not be good for the United States whatsoever.  Pretty much every scenario that you can imagine ends with enormous numbers of innocent people dead, and such a conflict could ultimately be the spark that sets off World War III. Michael Snyder is a Republican candidate for Congress in Idaho’s First Congressional District, and you can learn how you can get involved in the campaign on his official website. His new book entitled “Living A Life That Really Matters” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.

16 Jewish Community Centers in U.S. Receive Bomb Threats - JNS.ORG CHARISMA NEWS

Jewish community centers throughout the U.S. received bomb threats Monday. (Video Screenshot Image)

16 Jewish Community Centers in U.S. Receive Bomb Threats

1/11/2017 JNS.ORG  CHARISMA NEWS

Sixteen Jewish community centers in the U.S. and several Jewish schools in London received bomb threats Monday, according to the JCC Association of North America and media reports.

The American JCCs receiving the threats were in California, Delaware, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, South Carolina and Tennessee. The community centers received phone calls from what authorities believe is the same source, with a prerecorded message warning of a bomb planted on premises. In London, Jewish schools in the Roehampton, Ilford and Brent neighborhoods were affected, The Jewish Chronicle reported. The JCCs and schools were evacuated following the threats, allowing police to search the facilities for explosives. No bombs were found.

David Posner, director of strategic performance at JCC Association of North America, said the umbrella organization "thanks federal and local law enforcement for their quick and thorough response."

"JCCs continue to work with [local and federal authorities], as they do all year long, to ensure the continued safety of JCC members and all those who participate in JCC activities, as well as the safety of JCC buildings," Posner said. 

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!

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.

Holy Spirit-Inspired Prayer Movement Catching Fire in the U.S.- GRANT BERRY CHARISMA NEWS

Holy Spirit-Inspired Prayer Movement Catching Fire in the U.S.

9/23/2016 GRANT BERRY  CHARISMA NEWS

Recently I have teamed up with a new prayer movement called 10 Days that is uniting local church communities to pray for unity in the body of Messiah/Christ around the Feasts of the Lord. And it is catching like wild fire with some 30 cities around the country participating this fall season.

From my previous articles on Charismanews.com, you know that, as a Jewish believer in Messiah/Christ, I have this understanding that the portals of heaven are opened that much wider during the feast days; that the anointing of God is also increased; and that they are appointed times unto the Lord. While Yeshua/Jesus has fulfilled many of these feasts, this does not mean that we cannot continue to celebrate Him in the midst of them. Just as at Christmas we remember and celebrate His birth.

The Feast days are not just for Jewish people, or even Jewish believers per se, but rather for all of God's children who would like to share in their experience. And what better way to focus on these days than through prayer and praise. Hallelujah! 

Scripture does not call these Jewish feasts, but rather the Feasts of the Lord (Lev. 23:2). In fact there is a special time during Rosh Hashanah (the feast of Trumpets) andYom Kippur (the day of Atonement), called the Days of Awe. This is a 10-day period between the two holidays leading up to Yom Kippur. Dictionary.com describes the word Awe like this: an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like; in awe of God. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

I don't think it is a coincidence that during these days we find ourselves living in, the Holy Spirit is drawing us back to reconnect spiritually with our roots and from that to gain many of the blessings that are associated with them, such as the anointed times of the Feasts, and to be able to connect with our Father and Yeshua/Jesus in this manner.

This very much ties into the word that Jonathan Friz, the founder of 10 Days, received through the Holy Spirit as the Lord began to call him to this new prayer focus, which is so exciting. The Lord said, "Babylon refuses to mourn, but that God's people will mourn before He returns." Wow! What a word, but isn't this exactly what is now beginning to happen? God has sent us major warnings in our country, such as 9/11 and the financial crisis, but while there may have been a brief response the world has not received the warnings. But His church is beginning to wake up and respond, as the call of prayer goes out into our nation.

In the New Covenant, the feast of Yom Kippur celebrates God's sacrifice for us once and for all through Yeshua/Jesus, but it also reminds us of the holiness of God. And it is during these very special 10 Days of Awe that we may properly reflect, as the trumpet is blown, not only upon ourselves to search our own hearts, but also to mourn for our country—for the unborn and the sexual sins that pervert our society; for a world that is increasingly turning away from God; and for His church to arise from within the midst.

Let the trumpet sound and call His church into a time of reflection, prayer and repentance and let us cry with one voice that our Lord would be glorified through us to reach a lost and dying world. Please pray about involving yourself and your church in one of these events. And if not, please pray about getting involved in the future. God's holy temple is arising!

Click here to read more about the 10 Days movement.

For those of you in Connecticut, if you would like to attend one of the 10 Days events, please visit this site for one of the churches listed in your area and come join us at our own Messiah's House for the very first night.

Or, for a 10 Days gathering near you, check out the gathering page here.

For those of you from the New England and New York areas, please join us for the finale event. This is going to be a very special gathering from 3-6.30 pm where the Holy Spirit has connected Jonathan to the old Moody Campus, which will be opened for a much larger gathering of believers.

Grant Berry is a Jewish believer in Yeshua/Jesus and author of The New Covenant Prophecy and The Ezekiel Generation. He founded Reconnecting Ministries with the specific focus to help the church reconnect spiritually to Israel and considers it vital to the kingdom of G-d in the last days. His message focuses on the unity, love and healing that the Father wants to bring between Jew and Gentile yet clearly points out the differences and misunderstandings between the two groups. Now is the time to look more carefully into this mystery to make way for healing and reconnection in the Spirit. For more information, please visit reconnectingministries.org.

3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!

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.

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

The U.S. Has Lost 195,000 Good Paying Energy Industry Jobs - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

The U.S. Has Lost 195,000 Good Paying Energy Industry Jobs

Posted: 04 Aug 2016  Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

Not all jobs are created equal.  There is a world of difference between a $100,000 a year energy industry job and a $10 an hour job running a cash register at Wal-Mart.  You can comfortably support a middle class family on $100,000 a year, but there is no way in the world that you can run a middle class household on a part-time job that pays just $10 an hour.

The quality of our jobs matters, and if current long-term trends continue unabated, eventually we are not going to have much of a middle class left.  At this point the middle class has already become a minority in America, and according to the Social Security Administration 51 percent of all American workers make less than $30,000 a year right now.  We have a desperate need for more higher paying jobs, and that is why what is happening in the energy industry is so deeply alarming.

Just today we got some more disturbing news.  According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the U.S. has lost 195,000 good paying energy jobs since the middle of 2014…

Cheap oil has fueled a massive wave of job cuts that may not be over yet.
Since oil prices began to fall in mid-2014, cheap crude has been blamed for 195,000 job cuts in the U.S., according to a report published on Thursday by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
It’s an enormous toll that is especially painful because these tend to be well-paying jobs. The average pay in the oil and gas industry is 84% higher than the national average, according to Goldman Sachs.

Those are good paying jobs that are not easy to replace, and unfortunately the jobs losses appear to be accelerating.  In their new report, Challenger, Gray & Christmas went on to say that 95,000 of those job cuts have come in 2016, and 17,725 of them were in July alone.
We also got some other bad news for the U.S. economy on Thursday.

Factory orders are down again, and at this point U.S. factory orders have now been down on a year over year basis for 20 months in a row.  That is the longest streak in all of U.S. history.
Needless to say, we have never seen such a thing happen outside of a recession.

In addition, it is being reported that U.S. banks have been tightening lending standards for four quarters in a row.

Once again, this is something that has never happened outside of a recession.

On top of all that, tax receipts continue to plummet.  This is a very bad sign for the economy, because falling tax receipts are usually a sign that we are headed into a recession.  The following comes from Zero Hedge…

July “Withheld” receipts – those tax and withholding payments that come straight from wage earner pay stubs – are down 1.0% year over year. 
This data series can be choppy, and looking at the three month trailing average yields a 3.1%.  That’s a touch slower than the 2016 YTD comp of 3.3%, and tells us to not expect too much from Friday’s number.
Also worth noting: YTD non-withheld tax receipts (such as those that come from “Gig economy” workers) are down 6.5%, and July’s comp is 15% lower than a year ago.
Last, corporate tax receipts are down 11% YTD, and if the current pace of these payments holds it will be the first negative comp since 2011. Bottom line: if the tax man isn’t as busy, can the U.S. economy really be expanding?

Are you starting to see a pattern here?

And let’s review what else we have learned over the past couple of weeks…

-U.S. GDP growth came in at an extremely disappointing 1.2 percent for the second quarter of 2016, and the first quarter was revised down to 0.8 percent.

-The rate of homeownership in the United States has fallen to the lowest level ever.

-The Wall Street Journal says that this is the weakest “economic recovery” since 1949.

-Barack Obama is on track to be the only president in U.S. history to never have a single year of 3 percent GDP growth.

Meanwhile, things continue to get worse around the rest of the planet as well.  For example, the economic depression in Brazil continues to deepen and it is being reported that the Brazilian economy has now been shrinking for five quarters in a row…

Brazil’s economy, the world’s ninth largest, contracted by 0.3 percent in the first quarter, marking the fifth straight quarter it shrank. Last year, Brazil’s gross domestic product fell to its lowest level since 2009.
Inflation has also shot higher recently, rising 9 percent in 2015, from 6.3 percent in 2014, according to data from the World Bank. Energy as a percentage of exports, meanwhile, fell to 7 percent in 2015, from 9 percent in the previous year.

And of course Brazil is hosting the Olympics this summer, and that is turning out to be a major debacle.  Many of the international athletes will actually be rowing, sailing and swimming in open waters that are highly contaminated by raw sewage, and Brazilian police have been welcoming tourists to Rio with a big sign that says “Welcome To Hell“.  And let us not forget that right next door in Venezuela the economic collapse has gotten so bad that people are killing and eating zoo animals.

As the global economy continues to deteriorate, what should we do?

Legendary investor Bill Gross shared some of his thoughts on the matter in his latest Investment Outlook…

“Negative returns and principal losses in many asset categories are increasingly possible unless nominal growth rates reach acceptable levels,” Gross said in his latest Investment Outlook note published Wednesday.
“I don’t like bonds; I don’t like most stocks; I don’t like private equity. Real assets such as land, gold, and tangible plant and equipment at a discount are favored asset categories.”

I tend to agree with Gross.  Bonds are in a tremendous bubble right now, and the stock market bubble has grown to ridiculous proportions.  In the end, the only wealth that you are going to be able to fully rely on is wealth that you can physically have in your possession.

As you have seen in this article, signs of economic decline are all around us. And yet, many people out there are still convinced that good times are right around the corner.

What is it going to take to convince them that they are wrong?

The Amount Of Stuff Being Bought, Sold And Shipped Around The U.S. Hits The Lowest Level In 6 Years - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

The Amount Of Stuff Being Bought, Sold And Shipped Around The U.S. Hits The Lowest Level In 6 Years Posted: 23 Jun 2016  Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG When less stuff is being bought, sold and shipped around the country with each passing month, how in the world can the U.S. economy be in “good shape”?  Unlike official government statistics which are often based largely on projections, assumptions and numbers seemingly made up out of thin air, the Cass Freight index is based on real transactions conducted by real shipping companies.  And what the Cass Freight Index is telling us about the state of the U.S. economy in 2016 lines up perfectly with all of the other statistics that are clearly indicating that we have now shifted into recession mode. If you are not familiar with the Cass Freight Index, here is a definition of the index from the official Cass website… Since 1995, the Cass Freight Index™ has been a trusted measure of North American freight volumes and expenditures. Our monthly Cass Freight Index Report provides valuable insight into freight trends as they relate to other economic and supply chain indicators and the overall economy. Data within the Index includes all domestic freight modes and is derived from $25 billion in freight transactions processed by Cass annually on behalf of its client base of hundreds of large shippers. These companies represent a broad sampling of industries including consumer packaged goods, food, automotive, chemical, OEM, retail and heavy equipment. Annual freight volume per organization ranges from $1 million to over $1 billion. The diversity of shippers and aggregate volume provide a statistically valid representation of North American shipping activity. When they say “all domestic freight modes”, that includes air, rail, truck, etc.  As you are about to see, the total amount of stuff that is being bought, sold and shipped around the country by all these various methods has now been declining for 15 months in a row. If it was just one or two months you could say that it was just an anomaly, but how in the world can anyone explain away 15 consecutive months? Not only that, but the brand new number that just came out for May 2016 is the lowest number that we have seen for the month of May in 6 years. Of course the number for April was the lowest number that we have seen for that month in 6 years too, and the number for March was also the lowest number that we have seen for that month in 6 years. Are you starting to get the picture? Below is some analysis of these numbers and a chart from Wolf Richter… The Index is not seasonally or otherwise adjusted, so it shows strong seasonal patterns. In the chart below, the red line with black markers is for 2016. The colorful spaghetti above that line represents the years 2011 through 2015. The only month this year that was not the worst month since 2010 was February; only February 2011 was worse. That’s how bad it has gotten in the Freight sector: “Truck tonnage continues to slide for both linehaul and spot markets,” according to the report. And railroads are also singing the blues. To me, these numbers are absolutely staggering.  How anyone can look at them and then attempt to claim that the U.S. economy is heading for good times is a mystery to me. And this is especially true considering all of the other news that is pouring in.  Just today, we learned that new home sales have fallen by the most in 8 months.  If you are trying to sell your home, hopefully you will get that done very quickly, because this latest property bubble is starting to burst in a major way. Of course there are many, many more numbers that tell us that a new U.S. economic crisis has already begun and has been going on for quite a while.  If you doubt this at all, please carefully read my previous article entitled “15 Facts About The Imploding U.S. Economy That The Mainstream Media Doesn’t Want You To See“. Today, I also came across a stunning IMF report that was just released that criticized the U.S. for our shrinking middle class and our rising levels of poverty… A rising share of the U.S. labor force is shifting into retirement, basic infrastructure is crumbling, productivity gains are scanty, and labor markets and businesses appear less adept at reallocating human and physical capital. These growing headwinds are overlaid by pernicious secular trends in income: labor’s share of income is around 5 percent lower today than it was 15 years ago, the middle class has shrunk to its smallest size in the last 30 years, the income and wealth distribution are increasingly polarized, and poverty has risen. If you follow my work on a regular basis, you already know that everything that the IMF said in that paragraph is true. A little bit later in the report, the IMF shared some absolutely startling facts about the growth of poverty in this country… There is an urgent need to tackle poverty. In the latest data, 1 in 7 Americans is living in poverty, including 1 in 5 children and 1 in 3 female-headed households. Around 40 percent of those in poverty are working. This distressing growth in our poverty numbers has taken place during Barack Obama’s so-called “economic recovery”. So how bad are things ultimately going to get for America’s poor now that a new economic crisis has begun? Before I wrap up this article, I have to mention the early returns from the Brexit vote.  All day on Thursday, global news sources were reporting that the latest polls had “Remain” comfortably in the lead, and global financial markets soared on that news. But now that the actual votes are being reported, it looks like it is going to be much, much closer than anticipated.  In fact, as I write this article “Leave” is ahead by a 54.16 percent to 45.84 percent margin.  Only a relatively small fraction of the votes have been counted so far, but global financial markets are already being spooked by these results. If “Leave” does actually win, that is going to have enormous implications for the markets and for the future of Europe.  So let’s keep a close eye on what is happening.  If “Leave” does prove to be victorious, that will be one of the biggest things to hit Europe in decades, and I am sure that I will be posting an article about it tomorrow. We live at a time when global events are beginning to accelerate, and there is much uncertainty in the air.  If you do not have a solid foundation on which to stand, the events of the coming months will likely shake you greatly.  I encourage everyone to start focusing on the things that really matter, because a lot of the other things that we obsess over will soon become quite insignificant. —– UPDATE: It is official – the United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union.  They are to be greatly congratulated for declaring their independence, but without a doubt this vote is going to cause some very serious short-term economic and financial pain.  Already we have witnessed the greatest one day crash in the history of the British pound, and stock markets all over the world are crashing.  For much more, please see our latest video update…

Attachments area

Preview YouTube video Brexit Vote Result Shock - Britain Votes To Leave The EU - Global Markets Crash

Brexit Vote Result Shock - Britain Votes To Leave The EU - Global Markets Crash