Friday, November 24, 2017

As America Gives Thanks, Homelessness Continues To Set New Records In Major Cities All Over The Nation - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

As America Gives Thanks, Homelessness Continues To Set New Records In Major Cities All Over The Nation

Posted: 23 Nov 2017 Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG

If the economy is doing just fine, then why is homelessness at levels not seen “since the Great Depression” in major cities all over the country? If the U.S. economy was actually in good shape, we would expect that the number of people that are homeless would be going down or at least stabilizing. Instead, we have a growing national crisis on our hands. In fact, within the past two years “at least 10 cities or municipal regions in California, Oregon and Washington” have declared a state of emergency because the number of homeless is growing so rapidly.

Things are particularly bad in southern California, and this year the Midnight Mission will literally be feeding a small army of people that have nowhere to sleep at night…

Thanksgiving meals will be served to thousands of homeless and near-homeless individuals today on Skid Row and in Pasadena and Canoga Park amid calls for donations and volunteers for the rest of the year.
The Midnight Mission will serve Thanksgiving brunch to nearly 2,500 homeless and near-homeless men, women and children, according to Georgia Berkovich, its director of public affairs.

Overall, the Midnight Mission serves more than a million meals a year, and Berkovich says that homelessness hasn’t been this bad in southern California “since the Great Depression”…

Berkovich said the group has been serving nearly 1 million meals a year each year since 2013.
“We haven’t seen numbers like this since the Great Depression,” she said.

And of course the official numbers confirm what Berkovich is claiming. According to an article published earlier this year, the number of homeless people living in Los Angeles County has never been higher…

The number of homeless people in Los Angeles has jumped to a new record, as city officials grapple with a humanitarian crisis of proportions remarkable for a modern American metropolis.
Municipal leaders said that a recent count over several nights found 55,188 homeless people living in a survey region comprising most of Los Angeles County, up more than 25% from last year.

If the California economy is truly doing well, then why is this happening?

We see the same thing happening when we look at the east coast. Just check out these numbers from New York City…

In recent years the number of homeless people has grown. Whereas rents increased by 18% between 2005 and 2015, incomes rose by 5%. When Rudy Giuliani entered City Hall in 1994, 24,000 people lived in shelters. About 31,000 lived in them when Mike Bloomberg became mayor in 2002. When Bill de Blasio entered City Hall in 2014, 51,500 did. The number of homeless people now in shelters is around 63,000.

For New York, this is the highest that the homeless population has been since the Great Depression, and city leaders are trying to come up with a solution.

Meanwhile, things are so bad in Seattle that “400 unauthorized tent camps” have popped up…

Housing prices are soaring here thanks to the tech industry, but the boom comes with a consequence: A surge in homelessness marked by 400 unauthorized tent camps in parks, under bridges, on freeway medians and along busy sidewalks. The liberal city is trying to figure out what to do.

Are you noticing a theme?

Homelessness is at epidemic levels all over the U.S., and this crisis is getting worse with each passing day. Some communities are trying to care for their growing homeless populations, but others are simply trying to force them to go somewhere else. They are doing this by essentially making it illegal to be homeless. In some cities it is now a crime to engage in “public camping”, to “block a walkway” or to create any sort of “temporary structure for human habitation”. These laws specifically target the homeless, and they are very cruel.
Many of us tend to picture the homeless as mostly lazy older men that don’t want to work and that instead want to drink or do drugs all day.

But the truth is that women and children make up a significant percentage of the homeless. In fact, the number of homeless children in our country has increased by about 60 percent since the end of the last recession.

And there are thousands upon thousands of military veterans that are homeless. For example, a 34-year-old man named Johnny that served in the Marine Corps recently used his last 20 dollars to buy fuel for a woman that had run out of gas and was stranded along I-95 in Miami…

Pulled over on the side of I-95, McClure, 27, was approached by a homeless man named Johnny. She was apprehensive at first, but Johnny told her to get back into her car and to lock the doors while he walked to get her help. He went to a nearby gas station, used his last $20 fill a can and brought it back to fill up her car.
Grateful, but without a dollar to repay him, McClure promised she would come back with something.
In the weeks since, she’s returned to the spot along I-95 where Johnny stays with cash, snacks and Wawa gift cards. Each time she’s stopped by with her boyfriend, Mark D’Amico, they’ve learned a bit more about Johnny’s story, and become humbled by his gratitude.

Deciding that they wanted to do even more for Johnny, they started a GoFundMe page for him and have since raised approximately $250,000.

So it looks like there is going to be a happy ending to Johnny’s story, but the truth is that more people are falling into homelessness with each passing day.

If things are this bad now, how much worse will they become as the economy really starts slowing down? Already, we have shattered the all-time yearly record for retail store closings, and we still have more than a month to go. The following is from a CNN article entitled “Is This The Last Black Friday?”…

A record number of store closures — 6,735 — have already been announced this year. That’s more than triple the tally for 2016, according to Fung Global Retail and Technology, a retail think tank.
And there have been 620 bankruptcies in the sector so far this year, according to BankruptcyData.com, up 31% from the same period last year. Prominent names such as Toys R Us, Gymboree, Payless Shoes and RadioShack have all filed this year, and Sears Holdings (SHLD), which owns both the iconic Sears and Kmart chains, has warned there is “substantial doubt” it can remain in business.

Sadly, analysts are projecting that the number of store closings could be as high as 9,000 next year.

Yes, there are some areas of the country that are doing well right now, but there are many others that are not.

Let us always remember to have compassion on those that are struggling, because someday we may be the ones that end up needing some help.

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.

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Jerusalem & Friends - The Camels. Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Jerusalem & Friends

- The Camels

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Then Rebekah lifted her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she dismounted from her camel.” (Genesis 24:64, NKJV)

Rebekah was a natural. Being she was raised among camels, the normal means of desert travel, she certainly knew how to get on and get off properly. She probably never gave it a second thought. A camel girl well trained!

On any tour to Israel one thing you really enjoy looking out for are the roaming camels. These beasts of burden have been around since before Noah I would imagine, who would have had two on the ark. Abraham and his two sons certainly had many, being rich in favor. Jacob and his boys accumulated herds of them, roaming the deserts of the Promised Land under the watchful eye of the Living God of Israel.

Each time I have had the opportunity to ride the touring bus through the Land, my camera was always ready, hoping to catch the Bedouin’s camels walking in the nearby hills along Highway 1 headed down to the Dead Sea from Jerusalem. You can often see these created creatures among the black tents of these desert people or corralled within a makeshift fenced-in area nearby on the sloping, sparse landscape. To both young and old, seeing a camel out in their natural habitat is a real delight.

My first experience in riding one didn’t go so good. It was at a tourist restaurant stop on the way to Beersheva, with its robed owner awaiting any tourist, even the not-so-knowledgeable ones. Anyone ready to give him $5 for a few short laps, or at least two, around the food stop parking lot. My thought, “I can do this. Get the camera out and watch me ride!”

Already down on his really thick knees, head proudly held high, this camel gave me a look, and stayed somewhat still while I pulled up onto his single hump, covered with multi-colored blankets and some leather under them to serve as the saddle. I was given a few instructions on how to hang on, and then slowly walked around the parking lot. Not a big deal, until the dismount.

What I failed to hear, or even to be told, was most likely thought by both owner and camel one of two things. I was either a seasoned rider, or I was smart enough to figure it out - how to properly prepare for the upcoming, or down coming, dismount. Being I hadn’t paid any attention to others I had seen on other occasions, or because they typically had a platform to get on and off from, I had little idea how it would happen.

The camel did his normal thing. He stopped, bent his front knees forward, and dropped down to the blacktop. HARD.

As for me? My head jerked back at first, and then before I could say, “Help!” I flew over his brown head. Down I went, flying head first into the hard ground.

No, it wasn’t a “10” on the dismount. Maybe a “2”.

My glasses smashed first, giving no cushion for my head. This photo tells the result. At least I could still smile!

Would I do it again? Why certainly! But now a bit wiser, and paying attention to the fact that you must lean way back, hang on tight, and act like a rodeo master when on the back of a camel just naturally preparing to let you down.

When you make it to Israel, hoping for that opportunity and provision to come, go ride a camel! The ones along the road in the desert are just waiting for you to show them you have what it takes to ride ‘em!

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Use the "Sign Up" button on our website, or go here: Sign Me Up!

One of my favorite camel photos! Near Eilat, Israel at the Camel Ranch. (Oct. 2008)

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$50 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

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Now Think On This #333 - in the year of our Lord 11.23.17 – “Jerusalem & Friends – Camels”, Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. My 63^rd birthday. 11:00 am

Today. Tomorrow. For Eternity.

For Salvation.

For Life.

For Miracles.

For Love.

For Provision.

For Health.

For Goodness.

For Him.

We give thanks every day

to our Saviour

the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yeshua HaMashiach.

Steve & Laurie Martin

Love For His People

Charlotte, North Carolina

USA

Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog - Ominous: Putin holds summit with Iranian & Turkish leaders to strengthen anti-Western alliance, discuss next steps in Syria. Trouble for Israel.

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Ominous: Putin holds summit with Iranian & Turkish leaders to strengthen anti-Western alliance, discuss next steps in Syria. Trouble for Israel. Here’s the latest.

by joelcrosenberg

(Jerusalem, Israel) -- After several years of darkness falling on the Middle East, we're actually seeing quite a bit of good news in recent months.

The U.S.-led coalition of Sunni Arab countries is systematically crushing the Islamic State. The Caliphate has been dismantled. ISIS jihadists are still a threat, but they're being driven out of Syria and Iraq.
With the fall of the Caliphate, the ISIS-led genocide against Christians and Yazidis is over, as is the relentless slaughter of Muslims who don't share ISIS's wicked theological and political views.
The Saudis are making major reforms and cleaning house in significant ways inside the kingdom -- they're also developing closer ties with Israel, as are the Gulf emirates.
This week marks the 40th anniversary of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat's historic visit to Jerusalem in 1977, and the beginning of a dramatic peace process that led to the Camp David Accords in 1979.
Four decades later, Egypt's peace with Israel is not perfect. But the relationship between the two governments is closer -- and warmer -- than ever.
What's more, President el-Sisi told our Evangelical Delegation earlier this month how highly he regards Sadat's legacy of peace, and how he wants to build on that legacy. Mrs. Jehan Sadat, the widow of the late Egyptian leader, also told us over tea in her home how highly she regards President el-Sisi. She said he is carrying on her husband's legacy. That is no small thing, especially just a few years after the Muslim Brotherhood nearly burnt Egypt's society and economy to the ground.
Led by the remarkable King Abdullah II, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan also maintains a solid peace treaty with Israel and close security and intelligence cooperation. Nowhere in the Arab world are Christians safer than in Jordan. Indeed, as I mentioned when our Delegation met with the King in Amman this month, Jordan is an island of calm and stability in an ocean of fire. Again, given the history of the region, this is truly something to give thanks over.
Meanwhile, Israel's economy is booming. Tourism is at record levels. Natural gas is flowing. And polls show that most Israelis feel safer and more secure than any time in the last seven decades. This is all good news.

And yet, all is not well.

There are still many serious challenges in the region, especially for impoverished Palestinians -- especially for those living in Gaza, trapped under Hamas' cruel hand -- as well as for the millions of Muslim and Christian refugees in the region who have had to flee from violence in Syria and Iraq and have no idea where to call home.

That said, today was a particularly ominous day.

Today, the leaders of Russia, Iran and Turkey met in the Russian city of Sochi at a summit aimed at strengthening their emerging military and economic alliance, and at figuring out how to consolidate their gains in Syria.

Such an alliance is a new axis of evil, and it bodes ill for the U.S. and the West generally, and for Israel in particular. Indeed, students of the ancient Hebrew prophecies of Ezekiel 38 and 39 should be watching events carefully. One should not draw speculative, rash conclusions, of course. We cannot say that the eschatological "War of Gog & Magog" is at hand. But the trend lines in the region are remarkably consistent with the 2,500 year old prophecies.

Let us, therefore, remain watchful and prayerful, calm and sober, seeking the Lord's wisdom in how best to serve Him and advance His Kingdom in these curious days.

For now, here's more on today's sobering summit in Sochi....

"Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday a 'new stage' had been reached in the Syria crisis but achieving a political solution would require compromises from all sides, including the Syrian government," reported Haaretz, an Israeli news organization, based on reports from the Associated Press and Reuters.

"A three-way summit in Sochi on Wednesday between the leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran could produce decisive steps towards ending the bloodshed in Syria, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at the start of their talks," the article noted.

"Putin announced he and his counterparts at Sochi, Erdogan and Iran's president Hassan Rohani, supported the convocation of a Syrian peoples' congress as one of the first steps to establish inclusive dialogue in the war-ravaged country," Haaretz added. "Putin said the three leaders had instructed their diplomats, security and defense bodies to work on the composition and date of the congress.

More excerpts from the story:

Iran's military is also present in Syria, alongside Russian troops and Hezbollah, the pro-Iran Lebanese militia. They say that does not amount to foreign interference because they are in Syria at Assad's invitation.
As a prelude to the summit, Putin earlier this week hosted Assad at his residence in Sochi. It was the only time the Syrian leader is known to have left Syria since his last visit to Russia, two years ago.
Putin also made telephone calls in the past 24 hours to other leaders with influence in Syria, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman, as part of Moscow's drive to build an international consensus over a peace deal to end the six-year conflict.

———————

> To pre-order a copy of The Kremlin Conspiracy (which releases March 6th), please click here.

> To order copies of the new mass market paperbacks of the J.B. Collins novels — my trilogy about ISIS plotting attacks on the U.S., Israel, Jordan and Egypt — please click here.

joelcrosenberg | November 22, 2017 at 8:43 pm | Categories: Epicenter | URL: https://wp.me/piWZ7-8Cn

"Bears, Lions and Giants in the Land will Be Your Nourishment" - Bill Yount, Hagerstown, MD The Elijah List

"Bears, Lions and Giants in the Land will Be Your Nourishment"

Bill Yount, Hagerstown, MD The Elijah List Nov. 22, 2017

From the Desk of Steve Shultz:

This is a "nourishing" word (pun intended) from Bill Yount for the upcoming year. Yes, challenges and shakings will continue...BUT at the same time—great VICTORIES will come as well.

You'll read about this and more as Bill shares here:

I sense 2018 will be a year of "everything at once". All Hell will break loose and all of Heaven will break loose—but Heaven is greater than Hell... This will be a year when mighty men and mighty women will rise up because they've killed a bear, a lion or a giant, for these have come to make us strong. God says, "They will be your nourishment, your bread; your sustenance."

That is both a sobering and an exciting word at the same time...it's both/and.

God always, always prepares us for the days ahead...and you will be highly encouraged even in challenging times of just how God shows up on our behalf!

Please forward this word to your friends! Encourage them to subscribe to the Elijah List right here: http://elijahlist.com/subscribe.

Enjoy!

Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher

The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News
http://www.elijahlist.com

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"Bears, Lions and Giants in the Land will Be Your Nourishment"
Bill Yount, Hagerstown, MD

Everything All at Once

I sense 2018 will be a year of "everything at once". All Hell will break loose and all of Heaven will break loose—but Heaven is greater than Hell. I sense the presence of a great cloud of heavenly witnesses—including family members—standing to cheer us on this coming year. The eyes of Heaven are upon us, waving checkered flags in the distance.

The heavens are shouting, "Don't lose your excitement for what God has called you to do. Your excitement excites Him and activates the angels among you. Excitement is a powerful weapon against the enemy as it ties his hands."

A challenging year is ahead. It will seem like everything is happening at the same time. People will be saying, "It's always something. It's always something..." in a negative tone. On the other hand, if we stay focused on the Lord, we will be saying, "He's always doing something. He's always doing something good, in spite of the situation."

The mindset we need to have for this new year is: "We do bears, we do lions, and we do giants. That's what we do." For they will come this year to find out what is in us. These will be distractions to keep us from focusing on the Lord with worshipping Him no matter what. I sense the enemy saying, "I hope you don't feel like worshipping the Lord this year with what I have in mind. If you do, it will bring Him down into your situation and if He shows up, I'm out of here; for He doesn't know how to lose. Defeat is not in Him."

Extreme Trials and Extreme Victories

It will be a year like Houston being hit by a hurricane and winning the World Series. Extreme testings and extreme victories. Testings will bring them on. Priorities will change as these challenges show up.

I hear the Father saying, "Batten down the hatches." I sense this means the prayer closet will become a very important place in our lives. I believe "batten down the hatches" refers to closing the door on distractions as we not only pray but listen to Him speaking to us.

2018 – I See Bear Rugs, Lion Furs and Giants' Heads On Gold Platters

This will be a year when mighty men and mighty women will rise up because they've killed a bear, a lion or a giant, for these have come to make us strong. God says, "They will be your nourishment, your bread; your sustenance." We will get to eat honey out of the belly of the lion. We will see what a lion's fur looks like hanging in our house and the heads of giants on gold platters. I see bear rugs, lion furs and giants' heads laying all over the place in your houses.

These will be trophies awarded to those who didn't give up the good fight of faith.

Giants Are the Breakfast of Champions

I hear the Father asking, "How hungry are you? When you get hungry enough, you get to eat giants! The giants aren't showing up to take you out, they're showing up so you can eat them. Eat your giants today. They are your nourishment. They are your bread and sustenance. Giants are the breakfast of champions."

"Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not." (Numbers 14:9 KJV)

I have wondered why "I'm no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God" is still my favorite song going into this new year. Why is "do not fear" mentioned so often throughout the Bible?

Because God knows there will be times and reasons why we will be afraid, but He is with us.

Because of what Jesus did on the Cross, He has already slain every bear, every lion and every giant we will ever face, so we can too. Remember Jesus lives in us and He is not afraid, and He doesn't worry about anything.

Bill Yount
Blowing the Shofar Ministry

Email: theshofarhasblown@juno.com
Website: theshofarhasblown@juno.com

Bill Yount has been a member of Bridge of Life in Hagerstown, Maryland, for the past 36 years where he is now an elder and a home missionary. He is currently an advisor at large for Aglow International. Bill faithfully served in prison ministry at Mount Hope for 23 years and now travels full-time, both in the U.S. and internationally, ministering in churches and Aglow circles.

"Humility and humor" characterize his ministry as he brings forth a fresh word that is "in season," proclaiming the Word of the Lord! The shofar (or ram's horn) is often used in his meetings, breaking the powers of darkness over regions, churches, and households. The shofar represents God's breath blowing into the nostrils of His people, reviving them and awakening the lost. Many of God's messages, which Bill ministers prophetically, come out of his everyday life with his family and friends.

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