Posted: 06 Mar 2017 Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG
If you didn’t know better, you might be tempted to think that “Space Available” was the hottest new retail chain in the entire country. As you will see below, it is being projected that about a third of all shopping malls in the United States will soon close, and we just recently learned that the number of “distressed retailers” is the highest that it has been since the last recession. Honestly, I don’t know how anyone can possibly believe that the U.S. economy is in “good shape” after looking at the retail industry. In my recent article about the ongoing “retail apocalypse“, I discussed the fact that Sears, J.C. Penney and Macy’s have all announced that they are closing dozens of stores in 2017, and you can find a pretty comprehensive list of 19 U.S. retailers that are “on the brink of bankruptcy” right here. Needless to say, quite a bloodbath is going on out there right now. But I didn’t realize how truly horrific things were for the retail industry until I came across an article about mall closings on Time Magazine’s website… About one-third of malls in the U.S. will shut their doors in the coming years, retail analyst Jan Kniffen told CNBC Thursday. His prediction comes in the wake of Macy’s reporting its worst consecutive same-store sales decline since the financial crisis.Can you imagine what this country is going to look like if that actually happens? Shopping malls all over the United States are literally becoming “ghost towns”, and many that have already closed have stayed empty for years and years. The process usually starts when a shopping mall starts losing anchor stores. That is why it is so alarming that Sears, J.C. Penney and Macy’s are planning to shut down so many locations in 2017. According to one recent report, 310 shopping malls in America are in imminent danger of losing an anchor store… Dozens of malls have closed in the last 10 years, and many more are at risk of shutting down as retailers like Macy’s, JCPenney, and Sears — also known as anchor stores — shutter hundreds of stores to staunch the bleeding from falling sales.Once the anchor stores start going, traffic falls off dramatically for the other stores and they start leaving too. Four years ago in “The Beginning Of The End” I warned that empty storefronts would soon litter the national landscape, and now that is precisely what is happening. Now that the Christmas season is over, some retailers that have been around for decades have suddenly decided that it is time to file for bankruptcy. Sadly, one of those retailers is HHGregg… HHGregg Inc., the 61-year-old seller of appliances and electronics, is moving closer to Chapter 11 after announcing a store-closing plan, according to people with knowledge of the matter.Another retailer that was once riding high but is now dealing with bankruptcy is BCBG… BCBG, the California-based fashion retailer that had acquired fashion design firm Herve Leger in 1998, and that once had more than 570 boutiques globally, including 175 in the US, and whose cocktail dresses and handbags were shown off by celebrities, filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday.If the U.S. economy was actually doing as well as the stock market says that it should be doing, all of these retail chains would not be closing stores and going bankrupt. But of course the truth is that the stock market has become completely disconnected from economic reality. We live at a time when middle class consumers are tapped out. According to one recent survey, 57 percent of all Americans do not even have enough money in the bank to write a $500 check for an unexpected expense. And people are falling out of the middle class at a staggering pace. The number of homeless people in New York City recently set a brand new record high, and city authorities plan to construct 90 new homeless shelters within the next five years. On the west coast we are also seeing a dramatic rise in homelessness. The following comes from an article by Dan Lyman… Citizen journalists have captured stunning images and video of homeless encampments that are spiraling out of control in the shadows of Disneyland and Anaheim Stadium in California.You can see some video footage of this homeless encampment on YouTube right here… Incredibly, the Federal Reserve is almost certainly going to raise interest rates at their next meeting even though the U.S. economy is faltering so badly. That only makes sense if they are trying to make Donald Trump look as bad as possible. Even though this giant bubble of false economic stability that we are currently enjoying has lasted far longer than it should have, the truth is that nothing has changed about the long-term economic outlook at all. America is still heading for “economic Armageddon”, and the retail industry is a huge red flag that is warning us that our day of reckoning is approaching more rapidly than many had anticipated. |
News of witches attacking President Donald Trump went viral, but there's another type of witchcraft attack that all believers need to know about in this season.
The Jezebel spirit's witchcraft is rising—and always rises—during this time of the year.
Let me clarify, I am not talking about incantations and spells from witches and warlocks. I'm talking about spiritual witchcraft as in 2 Kings 9:22. Some translations say, "Jezebel and her sorceries."
The word for witchcraft in 2 Kings 9:22 comes from the Hebrew "kesheph." It means sorcery and witchcraft. Merriam-Webster defines witchcraft as "the use of sorcery or magic, communication with a familiar." Sorcery is defined as "the use of magical powers that are obtained through evil spirits." The Queen Jezebel in the Old Testament was influenced by the spirit we call Jezebel today. She was practicing witchcraft—sorcery—against her enemies.
Jezebel Worship Off the Charts
Now, during Lent, some people have a tendency to exalt Mary, the mother of Jesus. But we know that's not God's will. God has "highly exalted [Jesus] and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father" (Phil 2:9-11).
I am not Catholic-bashing here. This is not about a religion or a denomination. It's about spiritual practices in which some are engaging.
Where Mary is exalted, it empowers the spirit of Jezebel and her witchcrafts. Some people in some religions refer to Mary as the queen of heaven. But Ashtoreth, the chief pagan goddess of war and sex mentioned in the Old Testament, is also known as the queen of heaven. And it's the Ashtoreth spirit that's behind Jezebel. The Lord speaks of the queen of heaven in Jeremiah 7, noting that the people of Judah were giving offerings to other gods and provoking Him to anger. The Old Testament Jezebel's father, Ethbal, was the high priest of the goddess.
Again, exalting Mary seems to empower the queen of heaven, also known as Jezebel. Lifting Mary up to a place where only Jesus belongs unleashes demonic activity in that territory. As demonic activity increases, people report feelings of oppression, fatigue, strong spiritual warfare against the mind that makes you feel like quitting, and even physical manifestations for which doctors can't find a reason. Are you experiencing any of these things?
Passivity Won't Deliver You From Jezebel's Witchcraft
Always remember, we aren't wrestling against flesh and blood, yet we do need to put on our whole armor and engage in the battle. Passivity isn't going to deliver you from Jezebel's witchcraft.
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is complete" (2 Cor. 10:3-6).
When it comes to witchcraft, we have to withstand it. The Bible says to "be firm in faith [against his onset—rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined]" (1 Pet. 5:9a, AMPC). It's easy enough to give in to witchcraft, especially if you don't know what is attacking you. So again, when you feel like giving up, when you feel tired for no reason, when you have strong confusion, when you are fighting an intense battle in your mind and when infirmities are manifesting, it could be witchcraft. Resist it at its onset. Cast it off. Submit yourself to God. "Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you" (James 4:7).
Again, submit yourself to the lordship of Christ. Exalt His name. Thank Him for His blood. Rejoice in the Lord. Praise and worship carry breakthrough. That's often all it takes to change the spiritual climate in your home. And worship is where we should start because He is worthy of our adoration.
If worship doesn't break the witchcraft, take authority over it in the name above all names. Witchcraft has to bow at the name of Jesus. But make sure you don't have any common ground with the enemy. Repent for any rebellion in your heart, and surrender your will anew to God. Remember, we are more than conquerors in Christ, and no weapon formed against us can prosper—not even witchcraft. Our job is to be spiritually discerning enough to catch the devil at his onset, resist him, rebuke him and praise God for the victory. Amen. 
Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of awakeningtv.com, on the leadership team of the New Breed Revival Network and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening; Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan's Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. Jennifer's Periscope handle is @propheticbooks.
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