Is it “fun” to play at evil? Should we follow our neighbors, like proverbial lemmings, off the dangerous cliff of pagan practices? Most of society has accepted the lie that Halloween is “innocent fun” and eagerly train their children to take pleasure in symbols of pagan, and even Satanic, evil.

On Monday, October 24, 2011, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace published its recommendation for a globally empowered international authority over the world’s finances.  This move by the Vatican may seem like simply “another academic paper” for policy wonks.  But for students of Bible prophecy, the move represents possibilities of tremendous prophetic significance.

For the last several years, oil prices have dropped right around the time of the fall Holy Days (fall in the northern hemisphere, that is).  This year appears to be the same.  Gasoline (petrol) prices have been dropping for the last several weeks now.  Monday, oil reached its lowest price since September 2010.  It ended trading in New York at $78 per barrel.  Experts believe it will stay low to year’s end (Associated Press, October 3, 2011).

Last week President Barack Obama “rebuked EU leaders for failing to recapitalize banks and allowing the debt crisis to escalate to the point where it is scaring the world.”  Reaction from the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, was one of scorn, “I don’t understand how anyone in the European Commission can have such a stupid idea [spending one’s way out of a debt crisis].  The result would be to endanger the AAA sovereign debt ratings of other member states.  It makes no sense.”  Mr. Schäuble basically told Washington to “mind its own business” following Mr.

Many professing Christians were disappointed when claims of a “rapture” on May 21, 2011 were proved false. Afterward, some said “Oops!” and looked instead to October 21, 2011.  Well, “Oops!” again!  Meanwhile, “New Agers” are looking to December 21, 2012. Some see it as “Doomsday” while others expect the dawn of a new spiritual breakthrough. Of course, both views will soon be proved wrong and their followers disappointed.