Famous Quotes of Prominent Americans in Our History

If you never considered our nation's past leaders as men of conscience toward Almighty God, the Bible & Christ, with regard to our nation's liberty and our freedom, then ponder their thoughts below.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
George Washington:
It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.

Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God.

Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

Mankind, when left to themselves, are unfit for their own government.

The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.

The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves.

Jim Elliot
He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. (Lay hold onto Eternal Life.)

Thomas Jefferson:
Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories.

He who knows best knows how little he knows.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever.

If the present Congress errs in too much talking, how can it be otherwise in a body to which the people send one hundred and fifty lawyers, whose trade it is to question everything, yield nothing, and talk (charge, sic) by the hour?

It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read.

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.

Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence.

The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.

Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property.

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Benjamin Franklin:
Rebellion against tyrants (tyranny) is obedience to God.

The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either.

Patrick Henry:
I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that is the Christian religion. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed.

The Bible is worth all the other books which have ever been printed.

The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them.

I know not what others may choose but, as for me, give me liberty or give me death.

Are we at last brought to such humiliating and debasing degradation, that we cannot be trusted with arms for our defense? The great object is that every man be armed.

John Adams:
Democracy... while it lasts, is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide.

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations.

There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live (the Bible).

Samuel Adams:
Our contest is not only whether we ourselves shall be free, but whether there shall be left to mankind an asylum on earth for civil and religious liberty.

The Constitution shall never be construed... to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.

Abraham Lincoln:
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.

Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.

My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.

The people will save their government, if the government itself will allow them.

Ronald Reagan:
Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged.

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin.

I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the US Congress.

If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.

It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first.

The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.

The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

The problem is not that people are taxed too little, the problem is that government spends too much.

We might come closer to balancing the Budget if all of us lived closer to the Commandments and the Golden Rule.

We are never defeated unless we give up on God.

Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face.

Thankful...

It's time to take a respite from all the negative news that surrounds us, and take stock of what I'm truly grateful for. Granted, you cannot put all the pros & cons on a scale, and see which outweighs the other; it doesn't really work that way. Often, burdens & blessings are intertwined, inseparable. If God has no other intention toward us, it's to make us see the unseen, to look beyond the visible, and know the intrinsic pricelessness of all that is in spirit.
My most priceless blessing; my wife. She's the greatest earthly reason I awake each morning; to have the joy of her companionship each & every day. No other person enriches my life, moment to moment, day after day, year after year. She is my heart & soul.
Number Two: My children & my parents & grandchildren. I'm one of the few people my age who still have both mother & father still living. Plus, I am also blessed with two wonderful step-parents. All in their late 70's to mid-80's, in relative health, they live independently, able to reasonably function, and do as they can. I love, honor and pray for their welfare daily, and am oh so thankful for each day I have them. There's nothing quite like being able to call or go see them, and say, "Hi Mom, Hi Dad, I love you." And they respond, "I love you, too". I know these days are numbered, so I cherish each & every one.
I am also exceedingly blessed to have a collage of seven children; 5 boys, 2 girls, ages 21 to 38. All healthy, with all their faculties (sometimes questionable) & appendages. Never a serious illness or impediment; All working, 5 on their own, 2 at home in college. Ever a mixed blessing, they are as much pride & joy as trial & tribulation.
But let me tell you about my 3 granddaughters...
They're the most beautiful, most intelligent, most thoughtful, most loving, most considerate, most everything good of any creation God ever made. And there's ABSOLUTELY no bias in this statement! ABSOLUTE Truth! I've just got to figure out how to keep them just as they are, never growing up, sitting in my lap & beside me, reading them stories.
Last, but not least, are my joys of brothers & sisters, relatives & friends, whom I've shared so many countless, unforgettable times with. So many years of memorable moments, tears & elation, friendship & bonds, work & play, births and deaths. I wouldn't, nor couldn't, trade anything for a single one.

Yet, I count all this but loss for the one single greatest blessing I never deserved. And in this blessing, I know I will never lose all my aforementioned gifts. I shall see them again for all eternity. They will never grow old, never be sick or infirm, never experience pain nor sorrow, nor ever again be separated from me.
What is this one glorious gift of grace? The Gift of Christ.
"For YHWH GOD so loves me that He gave up His only Son, that if I will believe on Him, I SHALL not perish, but have eternal life." "Moreover, everyone, I declare unto you the Good News, how that Christ died for my sins & your sins, ACCORDING to the Scriptures, was buried and rose again the third day, ACCORDING to the Scriptures."

Do you have this gift? Do you have Christ? Do you have the joy of eternity with Him and your parents, children, grandchildren, family members & friends? Do they have Christ? Claim Him today by faith, and such joy is yours. Thankfulness will never be so sweet, so reassuring, so complete. "Behold, I stand at your door and knock. If you hear my voice, and open unto me, I WILL come in, and abide with you, and you with me." "The universe will pass away, but my words SHALL NEVER pass away."

I am thankful...

Grasping at Straws; Gasping for Air

Another bailout for business, nothing for American families & workers...Talk about wealth redistribution!
Imagine if you will, a large freshwater sea (taxpayers) regulated by a hydro-economic dam (our gov't), fed out through pipelines (finance, banking, business, industries, etc) to destinations everywhere (goods & services sold), with a portion (although somewhat polluted) fed back into our sea. Through age, dereliction, mismanagement, greed, and myriad other degradations, the machinery begins to operate inefficiently, ineffectively & out of control.
The dam had long allowed too much outflow from the sea (taxes, credit, mortgages, loans, mergers, buyouts, et al), while the pipelines swelled and soaked up as much as the dam would let out. (When the dam & pipelines exceed our sea's supply, they "borrow" more water from neighboring seas, but put the bill on our sea's tab.) The end destinations seemed watered enough simply through the over-saturation of the pipelines. The pipelines report, "all is well", and all the machinery churned harder with gluttony. Meanwhile, the polluted portion returning to the sea increases & begins to contaminate the entire waters, and ultimately, the entire system.
Yet, the dam continues to demand outflow greater than the quality & quantity the sea is capable to feed the bloated, asthmatic pipelines. Finally, the sea begins to dry up & die...and still the dam drains the sea.
While this analogy is simplistic, it is utterly succinct. Our gov't is killing our nation with bailouts and "bad" loans to businesses. Putting a band-aid on the cancre, while the cancer eats up the body, accomplishes nothing. The worsening pain & agony of the heart, body & soul of our nation will leave no one untouched.
Make no mistake. The Day of Reckoning is soon upon us.
_______________________________________________________________

Citigroup gets massive government bailout

By Dan Wilchins and Jonathan Stempel Dan Wilchins And Jonathan Stempel 2 hrs 11 mins ago

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The government rescued Citigroup Inc, agreeing to shoulder most of the potential losses from $306 billion in its risky assets and inject $20 billion in new capital, its biggest effort yet to prevent a big bank from failing.

The bailout, announced late Sunday, gives the government the right to buy another 4.5 percent equity stake, and marks its latest effort to contain a widening financial crisis that has already brought down Bear Stearns Cos, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc and Washington Mutual Inc.

U.S. President George W. Bush called the bailout necessary "to safeguard our financial system," and said the government would, "if need be," make similar decisions in the future.

Shares of Citigroup surged as much as 72 percent on Monday. The price of insuring Citigroup bonds against default fell by half.

"All in all, these actions should settle market jitters surrounding the company for now," CreditSights Inc analyst David Hendler wrote.

The package also gives Chief Executive Vikram Pandit more time to shed assets, slash payroll and boost efficiency after soaring losses from toxic debt led to $20.3 billion in losses in the last year. Analysts expect billion of dollars of further losses. Pandit became CEO in December.

Pandit "deserves a vote of confidence," Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, Citigroup's largest individual investor, told CNBC television. "I am personally committed to Citigroup. No doubt about that." Alwaleed agreed last week to increase his Citigroup stake to 5 percent from less than 4 percent.

Citigroup received the latest government infusion after its shares plunged 60 percent last week to below $4 amid growing concern it would need large amounts of capital to survive the recession, and less than a week after it set plans to slash 52,000 jobs, leaving it with 300,000 employees.

The stock rose $1.92, or 51 percent, to $5.69 on the New York Stock Exchange after trading as high as $6.50. The annual cost to insure $10 million of Citigroup debt against default for five years fell to about $250,000 from $500,000, according to Phoenix Partners Group.

The Citigroup deal broadly lifted shares in the U.S. banking sector. In afternoon trading, Bank of America Corp jumped 23 percent to $14.07, JPMorgan Chase & Co advanced 17 percent to $26.66, and Wells Fargo & Co rose 14.5 percent to $24.91, all on the NYSE.

ON THE HOOK

The $20 billion of government capital comes after it injected $25 billion last month. In this round, the government is buying preferred stock that will pay an 8 percent dividend.

"Authorities will do whatever they feel is necessary to ensure that the Great Depression will not return," said Gavin Graham, director of investments at BMO Asset Management in Toronto. "The effect on confidence is too great." Graham manages about $50 billion and owns some Citigroup debt.

In exchange for the bailout, Citigroup slashed its quarterly dividend to a penny per share from 16 cents. It cannot raise the payout for three years without U.S. consent.

Even so, taxpayers are now on the hook for nearly $250 billion of potential losses in the $306 billion portfolio, including commercial real estate loans, leveraged loans, and other assets representing 15 percent of Citigroup's $2.05 trillion balance sheet.

Citigroup will absorb the first $29 billion in losses on the $306 billion portfolio, plus 10 percent of additional losses, for a maximum total exposure of $56.7 billion. The Treasury Department, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp and the Federal Reserve would absorb the rest.

In return, Treasury and the FDIC will get $27 billion in preferred shares, of which $7 billion are a fee that Citigroup pays in exchange for the government guarantee.

The government is also getting warrants to buy $2.7 billion in Citigroup common stock at $10.61 per share for a potential he 4.5 percent stake. That's on top of the roughly 3.3 percent the government is entitled to buy under a previous deal.

"To stabilize the equity, we had to put behind us the issue of Citigroup's ability to withstand whatever would come," Chief Financial Officer Gary Crittenden said in an interview on Monday.

Citigroup estimated the injection will give it a Tier 1 capital ratio of 14.8 percent, more than twice what the government requires. The government also increased Citigroup's access to the Fed's discount window, adding liquidity.

TEMPLATE

The Fed, the Treasury Department and the FDIC called the actions "necessary to strengthen the financial system and protect U.S. taxpayers and the U.S. economy."

Citigroup has one of the farthest international reaches of any U.S. bank, with operations in more than 100 countries. Investors have long speculated the government deemed it too big to fail because a collapse could cause global financial havoc.

The government package may become a template for other U.S. banks expected to face growing losses as the economy contracts. Losses once concentrated in mortgages are bleeding into other areas such as credit cards and commercial real estate.

The rescue magnifies the U.S. government's burden following bailouts of insurer American International Group Inc, Bear Stearns and mortgage finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Treasury also has injected more than $300 billion into banks and other financial institutions.

Already, more than $1 trillion of taxpayer money is at risk, and the Big Three automakers are seeking $25 billion more to avert bankruptcy. President-elect Barack Obama may also seek up to $700 billion for economic stimulus.

Earlier this month, U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said a $700 billion industry rescue package to soak up toxic assets from troubled banks, like Citigroup, will instead only be used to inject capital into banks.

That decision sent mortgage and other debt markets into a steep decline.

Citigroup's problems were compounded by its decision to move back onto its books or buy back the tens of billions of dollars of assets it had held off its balance sheet.

The bank's market value on Friday was just $20.5 billion, down from more than $270 billion two years ago -- and even below the $25 billion initial U.S. capital injection.

Unlike in the bailouts of AIG, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Pandit and other top executives were not asked to resign, though the government will have the final say on their compensation. Not all investors were pleased.

"You're seeing an inept management team being rewarded by the U.S. government," said William Smith, whose Smith Asset Management in New York has seen its Citigroup stock plunge in value over the years.

___________________________________________________________________

Dow ends up nearly 400 after bailout of Citigroup

By TIM PARADIS, AP Business Writer Tim Paradis, Ap Business Writer 30 mins ago

NEW YORK – Wall Street barreled higher Monday for the second straight session, this time in a relief rally over the government's plan to bail out Citigroup Inc. — a move it hopes will help quiet some of the uncertainty hounding the financial sector and the overall economy. The Dow Jones industrials soared nearly 400 points and the major indexes all jumped more than 4.5 percent.

The advance gave the market its first two-day advance since Oct. 30-31. Although investors sensed last week that a rescue of Citigroup was forthcoming, investors nonetheless were heartened, even emboldened, by the U.S. government's decision late Sunday to invest $20 billion in Citigroup and guarantee $306 billion in risky assets.

Wall Street's enthusiasm surged not only because the bailout answered questions about Citigroup but also because many observers saw the move as offering as a model for how the government might carry out other bank stabilizations.

"This could be the template for saving the banks," said Scott Bleier, founder of market advisory service CreateCapital.com.

"The government has taken a new quill out, they've gone to where they didn't go before in terms of trying to secure the system," Bleier said. "Some of that vulnerability seems to be gone now."

Still, the market remains wary, especially with the economy in a serious downturn. The Dow was up more than 500 points in the last hour before giving up some of its gains — many investors wanted to take some money off the table before the next bit of bad news arrives. And the market has frequently done sharp reversals since the start of the credit crisis 15 months ago.

The efforts from the Treasury Department, the Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to help stabilize Citigroup are only the latest this year to support a banking system troubled by bad debt and flagging confidence. Besides implementing its $700 billion bailout plan for the overall financial industry, the government has bailed out insurance giant American International Group Inc. and taken over lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

"You're definitely seeing relief," said Anthony Conroy, managing director and head trader for BNY ConvergEx Group. "More than anything, the Fed repaired some of the psychological damage that was being done to the sector. I think the Fed is poised to do whatever they possibly can to help the financials get through the current turmoil."

"Not all banks are unhealthy, so knowing that the Fed is there is enough," Conroy said.

According to preliminary calculations, the Dow rose 396.97, or 4.93 percent, to 8,443.39.

Broader stock indicators also jumped. The Standard & Poor's 500 index advanced 51.78, or 6.47 percent, to 851.81, and the Nasdaq composite index rose 87.67, or 6.33 percent, to 1,472.02.

The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies rose 30.25, or 7.44 percent, to 436.79.

Trapped in the "Matrix"; Prayer, Foreign Loans, Detroit, CitiGroup

I know everyone is disheartened by the ongoing avalanche of political, financial & economic morass. Many have asked, "Where's the bottom?" Assume there is none...We're in freefall.
In all reality, there's very little we can do physically to prepare for the days ahead. Our preparation must be spiritual, mental & emotional. If there was ever a time for prayer in Yeshua's (Jesus') name, this is it. Our forefather's did exactly this very thing, and they weren't concerned about political correctness. On July 27, 1775, they (our first Congress) held our first National Day of Prayer. They attended it at the old Christ Church in Philadelphia, PA. In attendance were John & Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock among others. They didn't have any qualms or question in re to whom they were praying, now did they? This is a historical & spiritual fact published in newspapers all over our young nation. Look it up yourself. I'll even send you the front page PDF myself.
I'm asking each & every one to do just this. Set aside a short time this Sunday, even if you've never done it before, and pray in Yeshua's (Jesus') name for our land. Pray it, mean it, believe it. No matter your persuasion, do it anyhow. If our forefathers considered it important enough to call a nation to prayer in Yeshua's name, how much more should we take heed now? Sadly, our present Congress wants nothing (in truth) to do with Yeshua, save for lip service. YHWH may not spare our land because of our backsliding away from Him, but He should be our first resort, not our last...
___________________________________________________________________

US seeks $300Bln from Arab Gulf states

Thu Nov 20, 2:29 am ET

KUWAIT CITY (AFP) – The United States has asked four oil-rich Gulf states for close to 300 billion dollars to help it curb the global financial meltdown, Kuwait's daily Al-Seyassah reported Thursday.

Quoting "highly informed" sources, the daily said Washington has asked Saudi Arabia for 120 billion dollars, the United Arab Emirates for 70 billion dollars, Qatar for 60 billion dollars and was seeking 40 billion dollars from Kuwait.

Al-Seyassah said Washington sought the amount as "financial aid" to face the fallout of the financial crisis and help prevent its economy from sliding into a painful recession.

The daily said the United States plans to use the funds to help the ailing automobile industry , banks and other companies suffering from the global financial turmoil.

The four nations, all members of OPEC, produce together 14 million barrels of oil per day, around half of the cartel's production and about 17 percent of world supplies.

The four states are estimated to have amassed close to 1.5 trillion dollars in surplus in the past six years due to high oil prices that rocketed above 147 dollars in July before sliding to just above 50 dollars.

The daily also said that the United States has asked Kuwait to forgive its Iraqi debt estimated at around 16 billion dollars.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

November 22, 2008

Editorial, NYTimes

If Bankruptcy Hits Detroit

Congress has given Detroit’s flailing automakers less than two weeks to come up with a restructuring plan that would justify giving them tens of billions of taxpayer dollars and ensure that they have a reasonable path back to profitability. We hope it is a good plan, because the lame-duck Congress does not have a choice.

Michigan’s three car manufacturers have said that they would go bankrupt this year without an infusion of taxpayers’ money. Failing to provide it would be a truly irresponsible act that could obliterate one or more companies, potentially causing other bankruptcies and costing many hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Unpalatable as it seems to underwrite the proven record of failure of Detroit’s automakers, Congress must provide sufficient money to shore them up until the Obama administration takes office. Then, the new president and new Congress can decide how to manage either a rescue package with tight strings attached or a bankruptcy process that ensures the fallen companies have a reasonable shot at picking up the pieces.

Bankruptcy proceedings are designed to allow ailing companies to be restructured into profitable businesses, but that is by no means guaranteed — and it requires infusions of credit.

In the current financial environment, where even the soundest companies are having trouble getting loans, the government would have to guarantee that financing is available so that any car company under bankruptcy protection could keep operating and paying its workers and suppliers while it is restructured.

A bankrupt carmaker would face another tricky problem: how to keep consumers from shunning its cars out of fear that it might not be around to honor its warranty. Any bankruptcy financing given to a car company should be enough to buy warranty insurance to cover its fleet.

None of this guarantees an orderly restructuring. A company in bankruptcy proceedings could try to avoid making tough choices and coast through on the government dime. Insuring warranties might create an incentive for the company and its workers to relax on quality control. But these concerns might be addressed by tying worker and executive incentives to car quality and establishing a ceiling for government bankruptcy credit.

To get America’s carmakers back on their feet, difficult choices will have to be made — including cutting labor costs and the cost of health insurance. That is likely to mean selling off some product lines, laying off workers and closing the least productive plants. It could mean renegotiating the deal with the auto workers’ union to pay billions into a fund to cover retiree medical costs.

Taxpayers will end up with a big liability even if the company turns around and is able to repay its debt to the government. The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is required to cover a substantial portion of the underfunded pension liabilities of any bankrupt company.

Economists Luigi Zingales and Joshua Rauh of the University of Chicago estimated that if General Motors were to collapse, underfunded pension liabilities would cost taxpayers roughly $23 billion.

It would still be our choice that the restructuring of blundering auto companies occur in an orderly way and be combined with a national strategy to deliver more fuel-efficient cars. Congress, so far, has failed in its duty to help make that happen. What must be avoided at all costs is for a big car company to spiral into liquidation.

My Reply: Everyone of you "bailout" proponents miss the "BIG PICTURE" in all this mess. For the sake of short term expediency, you're all willing to undermine the very principles our nation was founded upon. Sadly enough, we've done a great job of destroying these foundations these last forty years, with the Reagan years perhaps being a slight exception.
We've gotten in the bad habit of looking to Washington as our "Heavenly" father to fix all our ills. It isn't working and hasn't ever worked in the long run. Privatizing the wealth & socializing the debt is bad for everyone, regardless of the perceived need. We (our gov't) should not have done it at all, ever. I do feel for Detroit, same as I feel for all of us in these times. I'm suffering as well as many small business owners here, but Uncle Sam isn't bringing me any billion dollar check. I wouldn't take it anyhow, because the debtor is slave to the lender. Yet, we're already there...
Long term, we've embarked down the path of no return with the prevailing philosophy of toying in socialism, no matter how you want to veil it. In reality, it's not socialism, but an oligarchy masquerading as such. The inevitable outcome is higher taxation, loss of liberty, more gov't oppression & social dependence, with even greater poverty. All these increasing ills spell America's demise as a world power, bookmarking us in the pages of history as how moral deterioration & spiritual cancer led to another empire's downfall. The "handwriting" is on the wall, you're just in fatal denial.
The bankruptcies will & have come anyway, not just in Detroit, but everywhere. Truth be told, our nation is already bankrupt. Just wait until our foreign creditors call in their markers. Can't happen? Don't hold your breath...
The "tremors" across our nation over the last 100+ years weren't merely "natural" or cyclical calamities. Economists and the like would deem it so, based on past events, yet the words, "unprecedented", "once in a century", "uncharted territory" are now their bylines. The "tremors" have become more intense & more frequent, and this one's a major shocker. But, the really "BIG ONE" is still yet to come...
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Citigroup on the Ropes

By BEN WHITE and VIKAS BAJAJ

Less than two months ago, Citigroup emerged from the wreckage of the financial crisis as one of the last titans left standing on Wall Street.

Now, in a stunning turnabout, the banking giant has sunk to its knees after a series of blows that have driven its stock price to a mere $3.77 on Friday — and left it running short on time and options.

In the decade since Citigroup was born from the merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group, it weathered many storms that threatened to pull it apart. But the current turmoil can be traced back to the last weekend of September, when it sought to reassert itself by swallowing Wachovia, the stricken bank based in Charlotte, N.C., whose vast deposit base would have turned Citi into one of America’s dominant lenders.

As the global financial crisis drove Wachovia toward collapse, the government frantically engineered their marriage. At a bargain price of $1 a share, Vikram S. Pandit, Citigroup’s chief executive, was happy to oblige: The deal would have greatly enhanced Citi’s retail banking presence and added more stable consumer deposits to a balance sheet staggered by billions in write-downs on bad mortgage loans and related securities.

But like so many other things for Citigroup over the last several years, it fell apart. Less than a week later, Wells Fargo, the powerful San Francisco-based bank, swooped in with a higher offer. Citi was left in the lurch, without a business that was vital to its future.

That collapse began a steady decline in Citigroup shares that snowballed this week as speculation grew that the bank might require a government bailout, a forced merger that would crush common equity holders, or an ouster of Mr. Pandit.

In the last five days alone, more than half of Citigroup’s market value was vaporized, and investors and analysts intensified calls for the bank to find ways to lift its stock price, including splitting the company, selling pieces or selling itself outright.

“They don’t have the sovereign wealth funds or other big investors to turn to anymore,” said William Fitzpatrick, an equity analyst for Optique Capital Management. “There are two remaining options: a federally forced merger or nationalization.”

The bank has fought back vigorously with assertions that its capital position is strong. It announced plans Monday to cut costs and slash 52,000 jobs. On Thursday, Saudi Prince Walid bin Talal, Citi’s biggest individual shareholder, said he would increase his stake in the bank to 5 percent from 4 percent.

But none of that has appeased investors, some of whom believe Citigroup must raise $20 billion or more in new capital to offset expected losses — and may have trouble doing so.

To some extent, Citigroup’s fortunes have declined as the storm in the broader financial industry has grown angrier.

Many analysts argue that the globe-spanning conglomerate, largely built by Sanford I. Weill, had never really worked as a cohesive unit. Different divisions have consistently battled, and promised synergies between units have rarely emerged.

“They never spent the time, the money or the energy to integrate all of the businesses,” said Meredith Whitney, analyst at Oppenheimer. “And so the credit card business speaks Mandarin while the mortgage business speaks Cantonese. It’s not a functional family. And because it’s not a functional family, it’s extraordinarily expensive to operate all the separate businesses, and you don’t get any of the advantages.”

Many of these problems were masked during the credit boom this decade. But with the financial crisis in full swing, the bank’s failure to unite its empire has become more exposed than ever.

“A lot of the issues facing Citigroup are not new issues, they have simply grown greater in severity,” said Michael Mayo, an analyst at Deutsche Bank.

These strains intensified significantly in recent days, when a near three-week grace period in financial markets came to an abrupt halt. Credit markets had begun to thaw as a $700 billion bailout for the financial industry took effect, and the United States presidential elections breathed a temporary euphoria into markets worldwide.

But financial stocks came under renewed assault last week after Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. said the agency was abandoning its plan to buy troubled assets from banks — including the likes of Citigroup. While the program was not a panacea for the banking industry’s ills, investors had been expecting the government to absorb vast amounts of troubled assets from bank balance sheets, putting the companies on the path toward financial health.

The price of these securities had seen a nascent recovery in late October and early November as investors awaited more details about the plan. Policy makers had suggested the government would have paid higher prices for the securities than they could fetch on the open market, something that would have helped reduce the financial pressure on Citigroup.

Allen L. Sinai, president of Decision Economics in New York, said that while the original plan to buy assets was poorly conceived, the decision to scrap it severely damaged banks like Citigroup that were holding billions of dollars of mortgage-related assets.

Now “those balance sheets will continue to contract as long as housing prices continue to go down,” said Mr. Sinai. “What the flip-flopping has done is put another nail in some of our financial institutions.”

Investors pounded financial shares further as continued dire news about consumers and unemployment made clear that banks will face larger losses on consumer loans, as well as the prospect of billions more in mortgage-related write-downs. While financial shares fell across the board, Citigroup, with its large costs and troubled holdings, quickly became viewed as the most vulnerable, spurring huge sell-offs that worsened as hedge funds bet on a decline in its stock.

Then, on Tuesday, a report about imminent defaults on two large commercial mortgages sent the price of bonds backed by those loans tumbling. The first $209 million loan was backed by two Westin hotels in Arizona and Hilton Head, S.C., and the second was a $125 million loan backed a shopping complex in Southern California.

These problems renewed fears that a vast wave of damaged commercial loans would course through banks — including Citigroup — already hit by a tsunami of toxic mortgage products.

What does it all mean?

This current colossal economic calamity & facts regarding America & our world cannot be viewed as anything to be elated about. If at all, these are times when strong hearts & minds are more than necessary. We are at the beginning of what will be the largest global realignment in history, greater than World Wars I & II. Nations will rise & fall, not primarily by war, but by economics. Yet, economics is just the means, not the cause. The cause is spiritual warfare; warfare caused by the depravity of the human heart all over the world. Sadly, at this stage of human history, this depravity will dominate world events now and for generations to come. As the framework for the One World Order is built day by day, we will see monumental changes in everything we once held dear and/or commonplace.

It cannot be disputed America (its government, its society, its churches, its peoples) has forgotten, ignored, denied & discarded the Bible, God's Word, as the sole source of life, "Mankind shall not live by bread (food) alone, but by every word that proceeds from YHWH. Matt. 4:4, And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." I John 5:11. This is where our need begins and ends.

Your "religion" doesn't matter a hill of beans. No Baptist, no Protestant, no Catholic, no Mormon, no Muslim, no Hare Krishna, no Buddhist, nor anything other than faith in Christ alone will regenerate the human soul & spirit. This claim is not my opinion, resolution, nor supposition. It is the resounding declaration of our Creator Himself, "Unless you believe (accept, embrace, adhere) that I AM the Living GOD, you will die in your sin." John 8:24 "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3

My motivation for this Blog is not driven by hatred, vengeance, or anger at the world. It is solely driven by YHWH's love for sinners, among whom I am counted prevalent. My sins are as scarlet, but Christ made them white as snow. "YHWH showed His love for me in that while I am yet a sinner, Christ died for me. And rose that I shall have eternal life." Rom 5:8, 6:23. I'm no different than anyone of you, "For all have sinned and fallen short of YHWH's glory."Rom 3:23 , I simple came to Christ with a repentant, sorrowful heart and accepted His grace. "For by grace are you saved (redeemed, brought back into fellowship) through faith (trusting YHWH's Word); and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Eph 2:8

While the news all around us is increasingly bad, the Goods News of Christ is calling out God's people to new heights of Faith. Bible (God's Word) prophecy is being fulfilled right before our eyes, yet the world is too blind to see, read, or believe. Else they would repent and seek His mercy, grace, and healing.
I'm not a seer, nor doomsday prophet, nor a gloomy pessimist. I'm merely a Watchman on the Wall (Isaiah 21:6), I tell what I see. As with Noah, I saw this Flood coming, a global life-altering Tsunami washing over the world. It has been building and accelerating for over 40 years. This tsunami will change the faces of many nations and lives of billions unlike ever before. We must be spiritually, mentally & emotionally prepared. There is very little we can prepare for physically. Only God can meet these needs. You have to make the choice for yourself and your family.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

US Financial System needs at least $1 Trillion to stabilize markets
Thu Nov 20, 1:45 am ET

(Reuters) – The U.S. financial system still needs at least $1 trillion to $1.2 trillion of tangible common equity to restore confidence and improve liquidity in the credit markets, Friedman Billings Ramsey analyst Paul Miller said.

Eight financial companies -- Citigroup Inc, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs Group Inc, Wells Fargo & Co, JPMorgan Chase & Co, American International Group Inc, Bank of America Corp and GE Financial -- are in greatest need of capital, he said.

"Debt or TARP capital is not true capital. Long-term debt financing is not the solution. Only injections of true tangible common equity will solve the current crisis," he said in a note dated November 19.

Currently, the U.S. financial system has $37 trillion of debt outstanding, he noted.

Combined, these eight companies have roughly $12.2 trillion of assets and only $406 billion of tangible common capital, or just 3.4 percent, the analyst said in his note to clients.

Miller said these institutions need somewhere between $1 trillion and $1.2trillion of capital to put their balance sheets back on solid ground and begin to extend credit again, given their dependence on short-term funding and the illiquid nature of their asset bases.

Since the summer of 2007, Wall Street has been hammered by a sharp pullback in debt markets, which began with mortgage woes and escalated into a credit crisis, slowing economic activity around the world.

RECAPITALIZATION NEEDS

The bulk of the capital will have to come from the U.S. government, Miller said. The government needs to take the initial steps to begin the process, and private capital and earnings can finish the job.

"The quicker the government acts, the sooner the financial system can work through its current problems and begin to supply credit again to the economy," he said.

The U.S. government must declare a bank-dividend holiday and convert the TARP funding into pure tangible common equity to get the credit markets functioning.

Also, the government should support a centralized CDS clearinghouse that backstops all transactions and eliminates the cross-default problem, the analyst said.

Top U.S. financial regulators said on Friday they were working on developing a centralized clearinghouse for credit default swaps, the exotic instruments that have exacerbated the financial crisis of recent months.

The weakened economy and global credit crisis had pushed the U.S. government into bailing out companies including insurer AIG, investment bank Bear Stearns, and mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Regulators have also shown a willingness this year to intervene when banks appeared to struggle. They pushed Wachovia Corp into finding a buyer and arranged for JPMorgan to buy Washington Mutual Inc's banking assets after worried customers began to yank deposits.

Miller, however, said it could take three to five years for the financial system to fix itself completely, with adequate capital and appropriately priced interest rate and credit risk.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Weekly jobless claims surge to 16-year high

By Lucia Mutikani Lucia Mutikani 20 Nov 2008, Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits surged last week to their highest level in 16 years, Labor Department data showed on Thursday, as a harsh economic environment forces employers to cut back on hiring.

Initial claims for state unemployment insurance benefits were a seasonally adjusted 542,000 in the week ended November 15 from a revised 515,000 the previous week. That was higher than analysts' forecast for a reading of 505,000 new claims.

U.S. stock futures tumbled on the data and Treasury debt prices edged higher, attracting a safe-haven bid. The U.S. dollar deepened losses against the yen.

The latest data has added to fears that the U.S. economy faces a deep recession and paints a gloomy outlook for the labor market.

"This report paints a pretty bleak job picture for mid-November and reinforces the comments from the Fed yesterday almost guaranteeing a sizable Fed rate cut at the next Fed meeting on December 16," said Cary Leahey, economist at Decision Economics in New York.

"It means we're probably facing another payroll employment report showing November job losses in the vicinity of 200,000."

The Federal Reserve has slashed its economic growth outlook through 2009 to minimal levels, minutes from the central bank's Oct 28-29 policy meeting released on Wednesday showed.

A Labor Department official said there were no special factors influencing the report.

The four-week moving average of new jobless claims, a better gauge of underlying labor trends because it irons out week-to-week volatility, rose to 506,500 from 490,750 the week before, the highest since the start of 1983.

Continuing claims were 4.012 million in the week ended November 8, the latest data available, up from 3.903 million the prior week and the highest since December 1982.

Analysts estimated so-called continued claims would be 3.92 million. The insured unemployment rate, a measure of the workforce receiving unemployment benefits, was 3.0 percent in the week ended Nov 8, rising from 2.9 percent the prior week.

This was the highest reading since June 2003.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Foreign Aid Money Spent on $23 Million Art Ceiling at U.N. Human Rights Council

Tuesday , November 18, 2008

The U.N. Human Rights Council, frequently accused of coddling some of the world's most repressive governments, threw itself a party in Geneva Tuesday that featured the unveiling of a $23 million mural paid for in part with foreign aid funds.

In a ceremony attended by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo told the press that his 16,000-square-foot ceiling artwork reminded him of "an image of the world dripping toward the sky" — but it reminded critics of money slipping out of relief coffers.

"In Spain there's a controversy because they took money out of the foreign aid budget — took money from starving children in Africa — and spent it on colorful stalactites," said Hillel Neuer, executive director of U.N. Watch.

Click here to see photos of the $23 million ceiling art.

Spanish taxpayers paid for most of the sprawling sculpture, which has been compared to the Sistine Chapel, but around $633,000 came from Spain's budget for overseas development aid.

Spain's conservative opposition party blasted the government for diverting money from projects to alleviate poverty in poorer countries, though the government insisted the funding for Barcelo's work was kept separate.

Ban himself praised the piece and thanked Barcelo for putting his "unique talents to work in the service of the world." The artwork will soar above the Human Rights Council's chambers at U.N.'s European headquarters in Geneva, which may soon undergo a $1 billion renovation — but only after a $1.9 billion facelift of the U.N.'s New York offices is completed.

Meanwhile, international humanitarian groups pleaded with the human rights panel to take time out from their party to address the worsening human rights "catastrophe" in the Congo, where the government is fighting a deadly battle with several rebel groups.

"Mass displacement, killings and sexual violence — involving hundreds of thousands of victims, if not more — require an urgent response," according to a statement issued jointly Tuesday by Freedom House and U.N. Watch.

Congo has been off the radar at the Human Rights Council, which removed its monitor from the African country in March when the Congolese government and a group of neighboring nations applied pressure on the council to expel the monitor.

"When the Human Rights Council was established two years ago there were about 12 or so monitors, and gradually one after another has been scrapped," said Neuer. "The other ones are all on the chopping block."

Violence is worsening in the country, where an estimated 4 million people have been killed in the past 10 years and tens of thousands have been displaced in recent months.

"The [Lord's Resistance Army] leader, Joseph Kony, is continuing his brutal and abusive tactics," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The U.S. and U.K., along with the U.N. and governments in the region, should actively work together to apprehend LRA leaders wanted by the [International Criminal Court]."

Secretary-General Ban has supported a U.N. resolution that would increase the U.N. peacekeeping force in Congo by 3,100 troops and police, but some critics say that move would not be enough.

Human rights groups — and U.N. officials themselves — have criticized the peacekeeping force for failing to protect civilians in places like Kiwanja, where at least 20 people were killed this week.

The 17,000-man U.N. deployment is already the U.N.'s largest peacekeeping commitment, but is restricted by tough rules of engagement and has a massive territory to cover. Congo is the size of Western Europe, and North Kivu, where the fighting is centered, is one-and-a-half times the size of France.

A World in Crisis? US Erodes from Within

I previously posted the daunting reality (How Deep the Rabbit Hole) that 6 or more world countries are bankrupt or on the verge of bankruptcy; Iceland, Uruguay, Argentina, Ukraine, Pakistan, Venezuela, with Russia, Brazil & others following behind. The IMF is currently asking for $100Billion more to loan out to these failing nations. While the United States is technically bankrupt, it is in vehement denial as long as it remains the world's largest consumer. But, as we close up our wallets & purses, our wages & income decrease, and credit is an unaffordable option, our nation's citizens, businesses, cities, counties & states are lining up in droves for loans & bailouts. Make no mistake, there's only three methods to garner capitol for wealth redistribution: print it, borrow it, tax for it. And, all of it at your expense.
World economic "experts" and political leaders are now constantly throwing out the terms, "unprecedented", "one hundred year crisis", "uncharted territory" to try to describe, or put a label on, this never before seen global calamity. The dreaded "R" word, recession, so long deemed unthinkable, has finally passed through their lips. Bottom line, no humanist on earth is sure where all this is leading, how bad it's going to get, nor when it will end. Predictions fly about like leaves in a tornado, from the overly optimistic "pie in the sky" to apocalyptic "doom & gloom". What you believe depends on who you believe.
All who read this blog know I reference and ascribe to the Biblical prophecy which details our present condition as the "Ending of the Age of the Gentiles". Even Jewish adherents of the Tanakh (Old Testament) know these prophecies from the books of Daniel, Ezekiel, Micah & other prophets for thousands of years. Bible prophecy is not a myth, or maybe it might happen, but the future foretold. Whether or not you believe something doesn't make it true or false. Its authenticity is solely based upon the reliability of the originator. If our Creator isn't the originator of the Holy Scriptures, then all bets are off. We're just some happenstance of chance, mankind has no destiny, and our future is only oblivion. The only safe option is Yeshua the Christ. You decide...
________________________________________________________________________________________________

Facing Deficits, States Get Out Sharper Knives

Nov 17, 2008
By Jennifer Steinhauer, NYTimes

LOS ANGELES — Two short months ago lawmakers in California struggled to close a $15 billion hole in the state budget. It was among the biggest deficits in state history. Now the state faces an additional $11 billion shortfall and may be unable to pay its bills this spring.

The astonishing decline in revenues is without modern precedent here, but California is hardly alone. A majority of states — many with budgets already full of deep cuts and dependent on raiding rainy-day funds or tax increases — are scrambling to find ways to get through the rest of the year without hacking apart vital services or raising taxes.

Some governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger in California and David A. Paterson in New York, have called special legislative sessions to deal with the crisis.

Others are demanding hiring freezes and across-the-board cuts. A few states are finding their unemployment insurance funds running dry, just as the ranks of out-of-work residents spike.

The plunging revenues — the result of an unusual assemblage of personal, sales, capital gains and corporate taxes falling significantly — have poked holes in budgets that are just weeks and months old and that came about only after difficult legislative sessions.

“The fiscal landscape,” said H. D. Palmer, a spokesman for the California Department of Finance, “is fundamentally altered from where it was six weeks ago.”

In Michigan, to reduce overtime costs, fewer streets will be salted this winter. In Ohio, where the unemployment rate is above 7 percent, the state may need a federal loan for the first time in 26 years to cover unemployment costs. In Nevada, which is almost totally dependent on sales taxes and gambling revenues, a health administrator said the state may be unable to pay claims in a few months.

In California, Mr. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, and state legislators are preparing to do battle over a proposed 1.5-cent sales tax increase, while in New York, Mr. Paterson, a Democrat, has proposed $5.2 billion worth of savings, principally cuts to Medicaid and education.

Even states where until recent months natural resource production has provided a buffer — and fat surpluses — are experiencing a sudden reversal of fortunes as oil prices have declined.

“Frankly, I thought 2001 was really awful,” said Scott D. Pattison, the executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers, referring to the last big economic downturn. “It is even worse now.”

He added, “This fiscal year will be really bad, and what is unfortunate is that I can’t see how 2010 won’t be bad too.”

In keeping with recent economic trends, the states with the worst problems are those where housing booms morphed into a large-scale mortgage crisis over the last two years.

The current-year budget gap in Rhode Island represents over 11 percent of the state’s entire general fund, in large part because of the high number of subprime loans. The story is similar in Arizona, California, Florida and Nevada.

In addition, the crisis in the financial markets had immediate and widespread impact on state budgets. States have lost revenues from capital gains taxes and bonuses that have evaporated, and growing job losses have reduced state income taxes while draining unemployment funds.

“What we are seeing is when fewer people are working there is less income tax and less spending,” said Keith Dailey, a spokesman for Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio, a Democrat.

Americans have also stopped shopping, which has hurt states that are heavily reliant on sales taxes, like Florida and Arizona. States that rely on tourism, like Nevada and Hawaii, have also been hurt by less consumer spending.

Further, the national credit crunch makes it harder for businesses to get loans, which trickles back into losses to states. When California was temporarily unable to gain access to the credit markets in the days leading up to the federal bailout package, state budget directors across the country noted the moment with horror.

The state’s brief inability to pay bills because it could not get credit — California, like many states, regularly borrows money when it is short of cash in anticipation of revenue flowing in later — has since been largely interpreted as an outgrowth of the much larger national and international credit crisis. Still, some budget experts said the problem could be a harbinger: cities and counties with poor credit ratings could be cut off in the coming year, and there could be higher costs for issuing bonds.

“Just the fact that this was an issue at all is a big concern for every state,” Mr. Pattison said. “Long-term bonds may be at risk. And I think states are going to have to accept that cost of debt is going to be higher.”

In most states, budget directors and legislators have said that tax increases are not likely. A notable exception is California, where Mr. Schwarzenegger is seeking a 1.5-point increase to the state’s 6.25-percent sales tax, although he is unlikely to get the necessary approval of Republican legislators.

In Oregon, moreover, Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat, has proposed a $1 billion economic stimulus plan centered on infrastructure improvements, which he envisions would be paid for by raising the state’s gas tax by 2 cents per gallon and increasing a host of vehicle fees.

When regular legislative sessions resume in many states in January, other states will be more likely to look to rainy-day funds, when they are available, and deeper cuts to services, most notably to K-12 education, which is generally a last-resort option among lawmakers.

“Most states have tried to protect K-12 and even higher ed,” said Raymond Scheppach, the executive director of the National Governors Association, “but I think they are both going to be on the block.”

Many states are expected to go to a second round of earlier cuts.

“We’ve cut universities, we’ve cut our infrastructure spending, we’ve prorated schools and asked employees for concessions twice,” said Leslee Fritz, the spokeswoman for the Michigan State Budget Office. “All the different options out there we have already done more than once.”

States are also looking to create large-scale infrastructure projects and other construction works as a means of stimulating the local economy.

The Washington governor, Christine Gregoire, a Democrat, is asking the federal government for hundreds of millions of dollars more for state and federal construction projects.

Ohio officials have already passed a stimulus package of $1.5 billion in bonds, to be used largely for public works, advanced and renewable energy projects, and the biomedical industry.

“States don’t have a lot of economic stimulus tools,” said Mr. Pattison of the budget officers’ association, “but they have infrastructure.”

Fewer than a dozen states have remained in the black this fiscal year, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal-leaning economic research group in Washington that tracks state budgets, and they are largely those in the West with oil and mineral resources at the ready.

“The oil-producing states were doing very well with oil at $120 a barrel,” said Iris Lav, the deputy director of the center. “They may not do as well now.”

More generally, Ms. Lav said, state budgets are “moving from the damaged to the devastated.”
___________________________________________________________________

A Strain on State Budgets

At least 37 states and the District of Columbia have faced or are facing budget gaps totaling $66 billion in the 2009 fiscal year. Most states, which rely on sales, income and property taxes, are seeing a significant drop in such revenues or increases that are below the inflation rate, compared to the same period last year. Unlike the federal government, states are generally required to balance their budgets each year. See Chart
___________________________________________________________________

Japan agrees to lend IMF $100 billion to combat crisis

China National News

Saturday 15th November, 2008

Japan is offering to lend up to $100 billion to the International Monetary Fund to help nations hit hard by the global financial crisis.

Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso announced the IMF loan offer before joining Group of 20 world leaders in Washington to discuss how to tackle the economic turmoil. Japan has almost $1 trillion of foreign currency reserves it can draw upon to support the IMF.

The IMF recently provided emergency loans to Iceland, Hungary and Ukraine worth more than $30 billion to support their ailing financial systems.

Mr. Aso also called for reforming the IMF's governing structure to better reflect the importance of emerging economies.

A spokesman for Mr. Aso said the Japanese prime minister is urging world leaders to learn from Japan's efforts to recover from its own financial crisis of the 1990s.

Spokesman Kazuo Kodak said Mr. Aso believes banks should be required to fully disclose their bad loans and should be given help to remove those loans from their balance sheets.

In another development, the finance ministers of Japan, China and South Korea have agreed that their countries should play what they call a 'pivotal role' in stabilizing Asia's economy. The ministers met Friday on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Washington.

The finance chiefs said in a joint statement that they will consider increasing the size of currency swap arrangements among their nations. South Korea is seeking to gain access to more dollars after its currency, the won, recently came under heavy selling pressure.
____________________________________________________________________________________

Confession

To one & all,
Many might think this blog solely a rant of "Doom & Gloom". While it may appear so on the surface, the waters run much, much deeper. It is primarily a Wake Up Call to America; A voice crying in the wilderness to prepare the way of the Lord Yashua ha Mashaich (King Jesus the Christ, God our Salvation). I use the true Hebrew rendering of His name & title because it honors Him. Our English translated Greek translation, the "Lord Jesus Christ" muddies the "waters" as it were.

During my 50+ years upon this earth, I have experienced & witnessed people, places & things, most will never encounter. This is not a brag, but a praise to Yashua for all the opportunities he has given me. From all these experiences & through His Word, YHWH has also given me a panoramic perspective of our world, time & events (past, present & future), not wholly unlike He gave the OT prophets. Not that I claim to be a Prophet by any means, save that He shows me as they saw through His eyes. While the details aren't always crystal clear, the far-reaching scope from end to end is. It's kinda like God fixing & positioning His panoramic camera or telescope, and saying, "Look! See what is shown you!" "Now, go tell what you see!" Hence, the Watchman on the wall...

I remember America as she once was, a young nation, full of hope & promise, albeit an adolescent in her attitudes, actions & perceptions. Brash, arrogant, even racist, but ever holding forth hope & faith in God's Word and His promises. The Ten Commandments & Biblical, Judeo-Christian precepts were still the basis for our rule of law. All government proceedings, school classes & church services were opened with prayer and/or Bible readings, only in Jesus' name. We were sure & certain of Yeshua's place and hand upon our nation; there was, is, always would be, no other name under Heaven given, whereby we must be redeemed (saved). Only building upon this foundation was our nation blessed above all others on the face of the earth. Growth & prosperity abounded, industry & farming flourished, churches & schools excelled, our leaders & governments held themselves accountable to God and us. The Gospel of Christ was sent out unto all the world. We were YHWH's beacon of light for everyone to see. But then, the unthinkable began to happen...

Through legislation, hardheartedness, apostasy, compromise, spiritual adultery & idolatry, we began, like the children of Israel, to seek other gods. The god of greed, lust, power, covetousness, murder, psycho-drugs, promiscuity, adultery, and all other deadly vices, was allowed into our homes, our schools, our businesses, our government and our churches with his enticement of lies. Little by little, he altered our thinking, then our actions. "You shall not surely die, you shall be as God!", he said, and we believed. Over the course of four generations, we exchanged the truth of YHWH for a lie, and went from favored status to a nation dying in its wickedness. You cannot truly think or say America's best days are still ahead!!! That's a lie! You're blind & foolish to even consider the thought! America is in darkness, and getting darker by the hour, and I really don't know if YHWH has any grace and mercy left for our nation!

Only as individuals does hope flicker for our land. Individuals who determine their state before YHWH, and seek Him with a repentant, whole heart and purposed mind. Individuals who then become fishers of men, to uphold the Word of God in all it puts forth, chiefly the Word become flesh, as our God, Savior & King Yeshua. Individuals who would choose to serve Him rather than men. Mothers, fathers & children who would cling to Christ rather than the world. Only then does America have any breath of life remaining, or any hope for the future.

Granted, I am an ardent student of prophecy. A student who adheres to all the prophecies of the "End Times". These prophecies of both our Messiah Yeshua and the OT Prophets outline the End of the Age of the Gentiles (where we are nearing), King Yeshua's return for His church ( his body of believers, both living & dead into new incorruptible bodies), The physical appearance of persons known as the Anti-Christ & the Beast who lead the One World Order, the rebuilding of the Third Temple in Jerusalem, the Seven Years of Tribulation upon the Earth, the Final Return of Lord Yeshua to defeat the Anti-Christ, the Beast & Lucifer at the Mount of Megiddo, the Millennial (1000 year) reign of King Yeshua over the earth. A last victorious battle over Lucifer, and then, Yeshua creating a new universe in which we will reign with Him forever. These are all well described & detailed in the Holy Scriptures written by YHWH, Yeshua, The Spirit of Holiness, Elohim, El Shaddai, Himself. The names of GOD are important, as they are descriptors of His attributes; His Omniscience, His Holiness, His Love, His Mercy, His Justice, His Omnipotence.

As a further point of discussion, many Americans are falsely convinced that our Supreme Court's & Congress' rulings with regard to "Separation of Church & State" as a mandate to Separation from YHWH, Yeshua. Our nation's forefathers, namely Jefferson, NEVER entertained this thought! Jefferson's personal letter to a local Baptist minister was in the context of not establishing a particular denomination in America, such as Catholicism did in Europe. It was NEVER meant to rip out America's heart toward Christ! Every signer of our Declaration of Independence was deeply familiar with YHWH, the Gospel of Christ and the Holy Scriptures. Their familiarity is exhibited in every line they wrote. The ideas of Islam, Mohammed, or any other errant faith, or atheism was NEVER considered! There is no other faith than Christ! Today's philosophy ascribes this perceived separation to exclude YHWH, Yashua, and the Spirit of Holiness from all aspects of American life and pursuits. Our embrace of these falsehoods is exactly a major cause of our present cancer. Again, we exchanged the truth for a lie, and the results are more than apparent. They are devastating...

In all, it's an increasingly horrific world in which we now live. But as a believer in Christ, we have hope, joy, peace and assurance. YHWH, Yashua is for us, who can stand against us? This is where our past, present & future has always been. Not in the empty promises of man, not in the lies of the Accuser. Only in GOD in Christ. Forever.

Choose You This Day America; Liberty or Bondage

Our government is bankrupting us not only financially, but throwing the morale of the nation into the abyss, and casting all present & future generations of Americans into slavery.

Before anything further in this blog, let me state this overriding axiom above all else, "If you take YHWH (GOD) out of the equation, the formula fails." This is not a laboratory tested theorem, but a life tested fact borne out by 7000 years of human civilization. Every empire heretofore who neglects YHWH and his precepts has failed; Babylon, Medo-Persia, Assyria, Egypt, Greco-Macedonia, Han, Rome, Ottoman, et al. "Where there is no vision (YHWH given, driven) the people perish, but happy are they who keep YHWH's Word." Prov. 29:18 para. (circa 1000 BC). America is next in line.

In 1948*, the United States of America embarked on this very same downhill slide of history. In 2008, the avalanche began in earnest. Most likely, it is irreversible. What began in the courtrooms & classrooms has now permeated all aspects of American existence; from the family room to the boardroom. We are being told & reminded constantly that our issues are financial and/or economic, but this is a flat out lie. As I have reiterated over & over, we are dying from spiritual cancer. What began in the heart has spread to every member of the body, and is eating us up from the inside out. I wish I didn't have to be so emphatic about this, but you, the patient, everyone you know, our children, our grandchildren are showing the signs and effects of this terminal disease.

Our government and all its experts think throwing our money at it will fix it. Many US citizens hope beyond reason a new president will fix it. Our Congress keeps proposing new ways to put fingers in the dike, hoping to delay the inevitable, while driving our nation faster into bankruptcy. Every day they commit more & more of our resources to their failing endeavors only brings us more quickly to our collapse.

For sixty (60) years, nearly four generations of Americans, have been inundated with vain & false philosophies, brainwashed by errant science & theories, victimized by societal deterioration, and choked by governmental & fiscal irresponsibility. All because we didn't believe YHWH. We deemed His Word nothing more than myths, fables, helpful hints at best, but a great collection spot for family records. We decided His redemptive work in Yeshua ha' Mashiach is irrelevant, unhistorical, and inapplicable. Yet, we see and dare not deny the results of these decisions.

So, given the conclusion of our terminal condition, do we go for the quick, sharp sting of death, or do we keep prolonging the painful, suffering agony with haphazard life support? It already appears we have opted for the latter, so prepare for excruciating spasms of distress in the days ahead. We, as a people and a nation, would rather partake of the disease, than seek the Healer who can heal all ills.

All it would require on our part is a choice. Albeit, not a lightly made choice, because this choice would change our hearts, our entire nation, and our standing in the world. Our forefathers made it, and it set the tone for America for nearly 200 years. Their choice made us the envy of every other nation on earth, but yet we turned our backs and discarded it as outdated, misinterpreted, discriminatory, hate speech.

We are a nation at the crossroad of decision. Do we continue this broad road to destruction, or choose the narrow path which leads to life? If you truly, deeply care about yourself, your spouse, your children, your neighbor, your country, then bow your head & your heart in this prayer:

Our Father of Heaven and earth, in whom we live and breathe and have our being, God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, our King, our Savior, in Christ, we have sinned against you and you alone. We have forsaken your Word and your precepts, and gone our own way. Oh, Lord Jesus (Yashua), we repent of our wickedness, our adultery against you. You who bore our iniquities upon the cross, died, and rose from the dead to give us life eternal. Forgive us our sinfulness, come in and make new our hearts & minds by your Spirit. We commit our way, our lives, our land unto you. Let us make your Word the lamp unto our feet & the light unto our path once again. Heal us this day, our Strength & our Redeemer. Amen

YHWH, Yashua says, "If my people, on whom My name is called, shall be humbled, and shall pray, and shall seek My face, and shall turn back from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." II Chron 7:14

It doesn't matter your political persuasion, your sexual preference, your religious denomination, your economic condition, your stubbornness of heart, or your mind of unbelief, God (YHWH, YASHUA) will keep His Word. He cannot lie. He cannot fail. He cannot deny Himself.

"Keep remembering Yashua ha' Mashiach (Jesus the Christ) has been raised from the dead. And if we died with him, then we shall also live with him. The Lord knows them that are his. The Word of God is not bound (restricted by human effort). Even if we don't believe, yet he remains ever faithful: for he cannot deny himself." II Tim 2 para.

The time of wasting away is past. The day of reckoning is soon upon us. Do we want to be healed? Do we want GOD to be God over us? Do we imagine that judgment has not come upon us, or that we shall escape the effects of our actions?

"The Lord of the promise is not slow, as some deem (count) slowness, but is long-suffering (infinitely patient) toward us, not having purposed any of us to perish, but for all of us to come to repentance (turn back to Him)." II Peter 3:9

"Thus says the LORD, In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in this day of salvation have I helped you: and I will preserve you." Is 49:8 "Know you the God of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if you seek him, he will be found of you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever." II Chron 28:9

To heck with political correctness, all other imaginations of religion & righteousness be condemned. Either we choose according to God's Word or fail miserably. It couldn't be simpler or more dire. Only after we choose thusly, can we, "Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, you who are made righteous; and shout for joy, all you who are made upright in heart!" Ps 32:11

*U.S. Supreme Court ruling, McCollum v. Board of Education: The court found faith in Christ instruction in public schools to be a violation of the establishment clause and therefore unconstitutional.