"Almost six weeks after nearly 300 girls were kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Nigerian defense chief believes the girls have been located. Despite this breakthrough, the Nigerian government seems reluctant to use military force to free the girls" (Yahoo.com, May 26, 2014). "Boko Haram has attempted to use the girls as leverage for a...
This week in a visit to Israel and the West Bank, "Pope Francis inserted himself directly into the collapsed Middle East peace process… issuing an invitation to host the Israeli and Palestinian presidents for a prayer summit meeting at his apartment in the Vatican, in an overture that has again underscored the broad ambitions of his papacy" (New York Times, May...
Long ago the prophet Daniel foresaw an end-time European empire composed of ten kingdoms or nations and represented by feet of "iron and clay" (Daniel 2:41-43). The mixture of "iron and clay" is symbolic of a union of nations that do not naturally adhere to each other. This past week’s parliamentary elections reflected the iron and clay nature of the European...
"Scientists using two different age-determining techniques have shown that a tiny zircon crystal found on a sheep ranch in western Australia is the oldest known piece of our planet, dating to 4.4 billion years ago… They used a technique known as atom-probe tomography that was able to identify individual atoms of lead in the crystal and determine their mass, and...
A school headmaster commented recently in a major British paper that "The state education system is producing a generation of 'amoral' children who fail to understand the difference between right and wrong" (Telegraph, May 15, 2014). With the major emphasis on testing and "the basics," schools are failing to equip student with the "moral compass they need for...
Following World War II, Japan's constitution was developed to prevent future military conquests by the Japanese. However, recent provocations by China and North Korea have caused the Japanese to reconsider the 70-year-old ban on a military (Reuters, May 15, 2014). "Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called for a review of legal limits on the military's ability...
The “hot topic” of same-sex marriage is heating up in more surprising ways (Washington Post, April 28, 2014). “A church and a coalition of local clergy are challenging North Carolina’s gay marriage ban by making a novel argument: that it violates freedom of religion” (FindLaw.com, April 30, 2014). “While many congregations have been reluctant to address or...
A recent report “recounting a litany of near-misses in which nuclear weapons came close to being launched by mistake concludes that the risk of potentially catastrophic accidents is higher than previously thought and appears to be rising” (The Guardian, April 29, 2014). “The report lists 13 instances since 1962 when nuclear weapons were nearly used… The Chatham...
The European Union is pushing for a financial transaction tax (FTT) and Britain is pushing back (BBC, April 30, 2014). Of particular interest to students of Bible prophecy is that 11 of 27 EU member states are going ahead with the FTT, even though the particulars have yet to be decided upon. The eleven nations are: “Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium,...
This week, severe weather spawned tornadoes across Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, killing more than 30 people (New York Times, April 29, 2014). The powerful storm systems leveled homes and businesses, forced frightened residents in several states to take cover and left tens of thousands without electricity (Associated Press, April 29, 2014). The...
