Friday, July 29, 2016

Bye Bye Middle Class: The Rate Of Homeownership In The United States Has Hit The Lowest Level Ever - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

Abandoned House - Public Domain

Posted: 28 Jul 2016   Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

The percentage of Americans that own a home has fallen to the lowest level ever recorded.  During the second quarter of 2016, the non-seasonally adjusted homeownership rate fell to just 62.9 percent, which was exactly where it was at when the U.S. Census began publishing this measurement back in 1965.  This is not what a “recovery” looks like.  

All throughout the Obama years, the percentage of Americans that own a home has gotten smaller and smaller and smaller.  The reason for this, of course, is that the middle class in America is dying.  Last year, we learned that middle class Americans now make up a minority of the population for the first time ever.  In order to have a high rate of homeownership, you need a thriving middle class, and you can’t have a thriving middle class without good paying middle class jobs.  

This is why I write about the evisceration of the middle class so extensively, because the U.S. economy is systematically being hollowed out and most Americans don’t understand what is happening.

Traditionally, owning a home has been a sign that you have arrived as a member of the middle class, but under Barack Obama the percentage of Americans that own a home has fallen every single year.  In the past, we have talked about how it had fallen to the lowest level in decades, but now it has officially fallen to the lowest level ever.  The following comes from CNBC
After rising just over a decade ago to its highest level ever, the nation’s homeownership rate fell to match its all-time low and could drop even further in the months to come.
In the second quarter of this year, the rate fell to 62.9 percent, not seasonally adjusted, which is the same as it was in 1965, when the U.S. Census started tracking the metric. During the epic housing boom in the mid-2000s, the rate soared as high as 69.2 percent. That was when politicians touted the so-called “ownership society.”
So why is this happening?

Well, according to Wolf Richter analysts are blaming many factors…
  • Rising home prices in an economy of stagnant wages (for the lower 80%) have pushed entry-level homes out of reach for many people.
  • Lower priced homes in many urban areas entail a huge and costly ($ and time) commute every day. And even then, these homes may be too much of stretch for big parts of the population in expensive urban areas.
  • First time buyers are having trouble saving for a down payment since they spend their last available dime to meet soaring rents.
  • Millennials have been blamed. They always get blamed for everything. They saw their parents deal with the American Dream as it turned into the American Nightmare, and they learned their lesson early in life.
  • The super-low interest rate environment hasn’t made homes more affordable because home prices, in response to super-low interest rates, have soared, and in the end, mortgage payments are higher than they were before.
  • Higher home prices entail other costs that are higher, including taxes, brokerage fees, and insurance.
Certainly all of those points are legitimate, but the truth is that what we are facing is much broader than all of that.  The middle class in the United States has been dying for decades, and in recent years the long-term trends that have been slowly eating away at the middle class like cancer have accelerated significantly.  Just consider these numbers…

-In America today, nobody has a job in one out of every five families.

-At this moment, 102 million working age Americans do not have a job.

-According to the Social Security Administration, 51 percent of American workers currently make less than $30,000 a year.

-In 1970, the middle class brought home approximately 62 percent of all income. Today, that number has plunged to just 43 percent.

-The Federal Reserve says that 47 percent of Americans could not pay an unexpected $400 emergency room bill without borrowing the money from somewhere or selling something.

-One recent survey discovered that 62 percent of all Americans have less than $1,000 in savings.

-If you currently have no debt and you also have ten dollars in your pocket, that gives you a greater net worth than about 25 percent of all Americans.

-According to Kathryn J. Edin and H. Luke Shaefer, the authors of a book entitled “$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America“, there are 1.5 million “ultrapoor” households in the United States that live on less than two dollars a day.  If you can believe it, that number has doubled since 1996.

-Back in 2007, approximately one out of every eight children in America was on food stamps. Today, that number is one out of every five.

-Things continue to get worse for the middle class as we head into the second half of 2016.  Gallup’s U.S. economic confidence index just hit the lowest level so far this year.

I could keep quoting numbers at you all day, but hopefully you are getting the picture.
The middle class in America just keeps getting smaller and smaller and smaller, and our politicians just keep on conducting business as usual.  They don’t seem to care that they are strangling the life out of what was once the largest and most thriving middle class in the history of the planet.

And things could soon get much worse for the middle class as this new global economic crisis accelerates.  In fact, highly respected economist Peter Schiff believes that a major downturn in the U.S. is imminent
HERE IS THE REALITY: The world has caught on, and the gig is up. Under Obama’s stewardship, the U.S. national debt has gone from $10 Trillion, to what will be $20 Trillion by the time he leaves office, with nothing more than 100 MILLION Americans out of work, and 50 MILLION in poverty and on food stamps. That’s what cheap money bought for us. It was all “borrowed” cheap money too, making it infinitely worse, and the world is tired of lending.
There are so many families out there that are really struggling right now, and more than two-thirds of all Americans believe that the country is on the wrong track.

I would like to tell you that happy days are here again and that the best times for America are just around the corner, but unlike the politicians at the Republican and Democratic national conventions, I am not going to lie to you.

Very rough times are coming, and things are going to get much harder for the middle class.

Plan accordingly, and get prepared while you still can.

This Year’s Top Five Natural Biblical Phenomena - Number Two Will Scare You! Abra Forman - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

(Breaking Israel News)

This Year’s Top Five Natural Biblical Phenomena - Number Two Will Scare You!


“Thine are the heavens, Thine also the earth; the world and the fulness thereof, Thou hast founded them.” Psalms 89:12 (The Israel Bible™)
With the incredible return of fish to the shores of the ancient Dead Sea, more attention than ever is turning to the revealing of God’s miracles, presence and prophecies all over the globe. This year, which the Nascent Sanhedrin has declared a Jubilee year, has seen amazing evidence of the Bible coming to life.
Breaking Israel News took a look back at the top five Biblical phenomenon stories of the year proving that in these modern times, God is more visible than ever before to those who are willing to see Him.

1. Life Discovered on the Shores of the Dead Sea as Prophesized in Ezekiel 47:9


The Dead Sea (Photo: Shutterstock.com)
The Dead Sea (Photo: Shutterstock.com)

Breaking Israel News broke this earth-shaking story about the fulfillment of Ezekiel 47:8-9, in which the prophet foresaw the returning of live fish and healing waters to the Dead Sea, an ultra-saline, inhospitable environment where no life can survive. Incredibly, a young woman from Jerusalem stumbled upon fresh-water ponds filled with fish along the shores of the Dead Sea and quickly saw their significance. Her video documenting the phenomenon has received over 12,000 views.

Read here: Dead Sea Prophecy - Comes To Life

2. End of Days Yellowstone Volcano Prophesied in Zechariah


Photo: Shutterstock.com
Photo: Shutterstock.com

In May, unusual seismic and geological activity in America’s massive Yellowstone National Park raised concerns that the dormant volcano could be due for an enormous eruption, which would have devastating effects on the region. Kabbalist Rabbi Yitzchak Batzri explained that the rash of earthquakes throughout the globe and the increase of volcanic activity at Yellowstone and other locations fit exactly with Zechariah’s prediction for the End of Days, which states that two-thirds of the world will be destroyed by fire.

3. Nile River “Turns” Blood-Red in Biblical Nature Phenomenon


A satellite photo taken of the Nile River, released on April 1, 2016. (European Space Agency)
A satellite photo taken of the Nile River, released on April 1, 2016. (European Space Agency)

An incredible satellite image, released by the European Space Agency in April, amazed the world with a Biblical tableaux of the Nile River seemingly turned to blood. The photo showed the Egyptian Nile rendered in bright red, evoking the first plague that the Lord sent to the Egyptian pharaoh for refusing to free the Israelite slaves. The timing was considered extremely significant, as the photo was released only a week before the holiday of Passover, when Jews celebrate the Israelite exodus from Egypt and slavery.

4. Another Biblical Plague Mysteriously Appears as Passover Approaches [WATCH]


Photo: Jag_cz / Shutterstock.com
Photo: Jag_cz / Shutterstock.com

Quick on the heels of the blood-red Nile story, another scene from the Bible came to life when a video from Afghanistan revealed the incredible mixing of fire and water in one mysterious geological phenomenon. The video showed water and fire pouring out together from the same opening in the earth in a display eerily similar to the fire and ice described in Exodus 9:24.

5. Global Wave of Earthquakes a Prelude to Redemption?


Photo: Shutterstock.com
Photo: Shutterstock.com

Seven major earthquakes hit both coasts of the Pacific and a number of smaller quakes struck around the world over a 96-hour period in April, leading seismologists to warn that the Earth may be in for some shaky days in the future. Rabbis and scientists alike predicted that Israel is overdue and could soon feel a major earthquake “at any time”; experts pointed to the End of Days prophecy in Psalms 104:32 which foretold tremblings of the earth before the final redemption.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Remembering Schindler's Legacy: 'We Don't Have to Be Silent This Time' - CBN News Chris Mitchell


Remembering Schindler's Legacy: 'We Don't Have to Be Silent This Time'
07-28-2016
CBN News Chris Mitchell

JERUSALEM, Israel – "Schindler's List" stands as one of the most moving films of all time. It tells the story of Oskar Schindler and the nearly 1,200 Jews he rescued from the Nazis, in part by employing them in his factory. 
At the end of the film, released in December 1993, survivors place stones of remembrance on Schindler's grave in Jerusalem.
Christian leaders recently met one of Schindler's survivors, Ewa Ratz, during a seminar at the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem. Ratz addressed seminar participants at his gravesite.
"Every time I come here I am very moved, really because he's my survivor," Ratz told CBN News. "They asked me in Poland, 'How did you survive the Holocaust?' I say, first of all, the Almighty God; second, my mother; and third, of course, Oscar Schindler."
As a young child in 1945, Ratz was number 201 on Schindler's list. Her mother, Fela, was number 202.
"I loved Oscar Schindler, 'Herr Director.' All of us loved him – an angel of mercy, really. We knew exactly what he was doing and how difficult it was to do it," she said.

Ratz later spoke with the group about surviving the Holocaust and life in the camp before she met Schindler. 
"The Germans were terrible – [they gave us] 25 lashes on the behind almost every day," she recalled. "They hang people in the upper plats every two days, with no reason. I think that Hitler and the Nazis really convinced them…that they [the Jews] are not human."

Yad VaShem is dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust for future generations. It's also committed to educating this present generation about the dangers of anti-Semitism and the consequences of remaining silent in the face of evil.
"We think about the Holocaust, the Church was silent. We don't have to be silent today," Susanna Kokkonen, director of Christian Friends of Yad VaShem, told CBN News. 
Susanna Kokkonen
Kokkonen leads the Christian leaders' seminar.

"This seminar is for Christian leaders to learn more about anti-Semitism, the Holocaust and Israel today," she explained. "And when we think about anti-Semitism, we used to think about it in the past. But now in the past few years we have seen how much it's rising all over the world.  So we understand suddenly that this topic is urgent and it's really important for church leaders to understand what's happening."

The 10-day seminar has had a deep impact on the visiting Christian leaders.
"I would say this seminar has been a life-changing experience," Pastor Ed told CBN News. "It has been a stretch spiritually, intellectually, emotionally. It has really impacted my view of the history of the Jewish people. To be here in the Land, to meet people, to meet survivors, it's been quite a moving experience."

Pastor Josh Phillips plans to take home a new passion.
"A love for Israel and the Jewish people that I didn't know I had, I didn't know I needed, but a desire to be a partner and an advocate for Israel and for the Jewish people," Phillips said.

Yet Kokkonen believes much of the Church is still silent.
"I see the silence of the Church. We are silent about anti-Semitism. Most of us don't feel that it touches us," Kokkonen continued. "We might say that it's awful, it's terrible, it's wrong. But we don't need to take any concrete steps and that same kind of conspiracy of silence also exists with regard to the persecution of the Christians."
Ephraim Kaye, Yad VaShem's director of international seminars, sees world events forging a bond between Jews and Christians.

"Today we're in the same boat, Christians and Jews. More Christians are being murdered every day than Jews throughout the Middle East and in other places," Kaye told CBN News. "We need each other. There is a clash of civilizations."  
"And we both have to work together because this is something that affects us all," he continued. "And we have to know what the dangers are in fundamentalist radical, extremist Islam. Evil cannot be overlooked. You cannot put your head in the sand today, especially after the Holocaust."

Kaye sees the value of these seminars.

"When we come in contact with these evangelical pastors, it gives up hope, Israelis, as Jews, living here in the Middle East," he said. "We're in a tough neighborhood; it's not easy.  But they give us a lot of support, a lot of optimism. We embrace them. They embrace us. Couldn't be better!"  

Ratz agreed.

"I wanted everyone to know Schindler was not a Jew. He was a Christian and I'm sure many Christians maybe they will do the same. I believe in the Christians," she said. 

Deep Meaning of "Tel Aviv" will Astound You! ✡ "Bring You into the Land" - ISRAEL365

Today you are going out, in the month of spring.
And it will come to pass that the Lord will bring you
into the Land.

הַיּוֹם אַתֶּם יֹצְאִים בְּחֹדֶשׁ הָאָבִיב וְהָיָה כִי יְבִיאֲךָ יְ-הֹוָה אֶל אֶרֶץ

שמות יג:ד,ה

ha-yom a-tem yotz-eem b'-kho-desh ha-a-veev v'-ha-ya kee y'-vee-a-kha a-do-nai el e-retz

Today's Israel Inspiration

The name Tel Aviv has a rich Hebrew meaning. "Tel" is a historically significant hill or mound built on top of layers of civilization, while "Aviv" means springtime and alludes to new life and the revival of the ancient homeland. The modern city of Tel Aviv was formed In 1909, and its founders chose this name based on the Hebrew title of a book by Zionist leader, Theodore Herzl. Show your love of Israel with a great t-shirt!

The Fresh Air of Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv may be best known for its skyscrapers and booming hi-tech industry, but when city life meets serenity, you can be sure you've stepped into Yarkon Park.

Priest: "No Better Place For Christians Than Israel"

Israeli Greek Orthodox Priest Gabriel Naddaf opened the Christians United For Israel (CUFI) Washington Summit on Monday by lauding Israel as the safest country for Christians in the Middle East.

Today's Israel Photo

Noam Chen's stunning photo of the Yarkon river, nature in the heart of the city of Tel Aviv.

Thank You

Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel!

“Blessings from Texas” - and Ireland!

It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!

Blessings from Texas USA. No matter what the media spouts in the U.S., the Christians in Texas stand with you Israel! - Sharon Marshall

HI my name is Brian and I am from Ireland, I am a Christian, we pray for the peace of Israel and we here want you to know that ye are not alone and we are standing with you in prayer and in love and every other way we can help Israel we will. May GOD bless and protect ye all and we give thanks that He has and He will.- Brian Riordan, Ireland
Shalom,
Rabbi Tuly Weisz
RabbiTuly@Israel365.com
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Why The Church Must Speak Now! (Day 3) - Carl Gallups on the Jim Bakker Show


Watch here: Why The Church Must Speak Now! (Day 3) - Carl Gallups on the Jim Bakker Show








Carl Gallups
Jim Bakker Show 2016 | Show# 3044 | Aired on July 28, 2016
Jim Bakker Show © 2016 • Morningside Studios
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Fulfillment of the Dead Sea Prophecy Has Begun By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS




The Dead Sea (Photo: Shutterstock.com)

Fulfillment of the Dead Sea Prophecy Has Begun


“And it shall come to pass in that day that living waters shall go out from Yerushalayim: half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in summer and in winter shall it be.” Zechariah 14:8 (The Israel Bible™)
Almost ten times saltier than the ocean, nothing can live in the Dead Sea’s hypersaline environment – Or so scientists thought until recently. Scientific research has proved the existence of life at the bottom of the sea, but due to a unique set of circumstances, signs of life have begun appearing on its very shores, precisely as it is written in the Book of Prophets.
A young woman on a nature hike was shocked recently when she discovered freshwater ponds with fish on the shores of the Dead Sea. Samantha Siegel, a Jewish woman living in Jerusalem, often takes trips to the desert and the ancient body of water. On a recent visit, she encountered an incongruous sight with powerful implications: a prophecy appearing before her eyes that seemed to contradict the laws of nature.
The Dead Sea is, as its name implies, dead. More than 400 meters below sea level, it is the lowest point on dry land. No life can exist in its ultra-salty waters and its shores are coated with a thick layer of salt that kills any plant.
Its inhospitality has been documented for centuries. A mosaic on the floor of a church in Medeba, Jordan, showing a map for Byzantine pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land, illustrates this. It features a picture of fish swimming down the Jordan River and then turning around once they arrive at the waters of the Dead Sea.
The Bible, however, describes a very different picture of the region. Lot looked out on the valley where the Dead Sea is now and saw an incredibly fertile and well-watered region.
And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before Hashem destroyed Sdom and Gomorrah, like the garden of HashemGenesis 13:10 (The Israel Bible)
The Bible relates that the landscape changed when the fire and brimstone destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah turned the valley into a wasteland. Indeed, people who visit the Dead Sea today would find it difficult to envision a garden in the arid region.
Do you agree the Jewish people have a Biblical right to Jerusalem?
Even more perplexing are the Messianic prophecies that water will flow east from Jerusalem into the Dead Sea, and these bitter waters will fill up with fish and the surrounding desert will be teeming with life.
Then said he unto me: ‘These waters issue forth toward the eastern region and shall go down into the Arabah; and when they shall enter into the sea into the sea of the putrid waters the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass that every living creature wherewith it swarmeth whithersoever the rivers shall come shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come thither that all things be healed and may live whithersoever the river cometh. Ezekiel 47:8-9 (The Israel Bible)
The water level at the Dead Sea has been receding at the fantastic rate of up to one meter every year. This is due to water being diverted from the Jordan River for agricultural purposes and evaporation caused by the Dead Sea mineral works. The dropping water level has led to sinkholes appearing on the shores of the Dead Sea. On a visit to the arid region, Siegel discovered that many of these pools have been filling up with sweet fresh water, and even more incredibly, fish.
The proof is undeniable. Siegel produced a video (see below) in which fish are clearly seen swimming on the shores of the Dead Sea, and she films herself swimming in a large pool surrounded by green plants.
Fresh water at the Dead Sea is a clear example of how the prophets were able to see things that remained hidden from scientists for thousands of years. In 2011, a team of researchers from Ben Gurion University in the Negev sent divers to the floor of the Dead Sea. This endeavor posed serious technical difficulties as the super-saline environment renders regular scuba gear inoperable. It was the first time such a dive had ever been made, and what they discovered was astounding.
The researchers discovered huge craters on the seafloor, 15 meters across and 20 meters deep. Fresh water was flowing from these craters, which were carpeted with mats of microorganisms, showing that the Dead sea was not entirely dead. The beginnings of the prophecy are in place, waiting to spring forth.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this Biblical prophecy appearing in plain sight is, as Siegel stated in her video, “This is a big deal, and no one is really talking about it.”