Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
The Last Week of Daniel...
The Long Horn - Part 5a ‘The Arrogant One’ 8 And the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly, and when he was young and strong, the great horn he was suddenly broken; (Dan 8:8) Ampl On the 23rd of September 2002, just before sun down my brother and I went to pray on the little mountain at the back of our house. As the sun went down and the city lights came through I realized that what I am seeing infront of me, was what I have dreamed the night we moved our new house in one of the suburbs of Pretoria. As we reached the mountain I was filled with the Holy Spirit's Presence and power. It was an awesome time with God. It was cool and very peaceful. I felt the love of God and the closeness of my Lord Jesus Christ. I praised and worshiped Him as the Great I AM. I love Him so much, because of the Presence of His Spirit. I deeply drank of His love and ate the bread which He gave us out of heaven. While on this mountain, overlooking the northern suburbs of Pretoria, many different signs and visions appeared to us, as we were standing under the stars: As we looked we saw something looking like a fountain of God’s glory The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -1-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
coming out of heaven like a thunnel of God’s Glory, coming out of the other side of the mountain, out of the city of Pretoria. We quieted our souls in the presence of God, waiting on the Lord Jesus, wanting to hear what He has to say to us. Then many different signs and visions appeared to us: We saw a sign of a large eye which appeared in the heavens. I realized that God was saying that He sees all things and nothing passes His eye without His knowing, as is written: 8 I, the Lord will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. (Psa 32:8) Ampl And 4 The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven. His eyes behold; His eyelids test and prove the children of men. [Acts 7:49; Rev. 4:2.] (Psa 11:4) Ampl As we looked a sign of a large bird came out of the east. On his wings I could see something looking like two some aerials which were slightly pointed towards each other. This was the front view of the B52 Bomber or stealth bomber. While this sign appeared a sign of a powerful man appeared above us in the heavens. We saw how his right foot became larger and larger, as was prophesied to Daniel, saying: “there stood before the river a single ram which had two horns; and the two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. (Dan 8:3b) Ampl After this another sign appeared in the heavens. We saw large sign of dragon, which came from the east and was blowing fire towards the west. I saw fire coming out of his mouth. The fire looked like a bomb, which became an arrow that was shot right towards and through a rabbit or a hair’s body.
Indian concept of God The nations of India, worship many gods, so do the other religions in the east. There religion is called Hinduism. Main article: God in Hinduism Hinduism is a diverse system of thought with beliefs spanning monotheism, polytheism,[38] panentheism, pantheism, monism, and atheism, and its concept of God is complex and depends upon each particular tradition and philosophy. It is sometimes referred to as henotheistic (i.e., involving devotion to a single god while accepting the existence of others), but any such term is an overgeneralization.[39] There are many deities in Hinduism. At the top are the trimurti: Shiva (the destroyer), Vishnu (the protector), and Brahma (the creator), and their wives (goddesses in their own right): Shakti (also known as Paarvathi, Ambicaa) the goddess of courage and power, Lakshmi the goddess of all forms of wealth, and Saraswati the goddess of learning. The children of the Trimurti are also devas, such as Ganesha and Skanda or Kartika. Brahma is considered the ruler of the highest of the heavens (the world called Sathya), so in one sense, Brahma is not beyond the fourteen worlds as Shiva and Vishnu is. The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -2-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
Some gods are associated with specific elements or functions: Indra (the god of thunder and lightning; he also rules the world of Swarga), Varuna (the god of the oceans), Agni (the god of fire), Kubera (the treasurer of the gods), Surya (the sun god), Vayu (the god of wind), and Soma (the moon god). Swarga also has a set of famous heavenly dancers: Urvasi, Menaka, Rambha, and Tilottama (all female), whose job is to entertain the heavenly court, and upon orders from the heavenly kings, to distract people on the earth from accumulating too much good deeds so as to become a threat to the heavenly kings. Other notable inhabitants of the heavens include the celestial sages, and Narada the messenger of the gods. Yama (the god of death and justice) is said to live in Kailash along with his master Shiva. He rules the lower world of Naraka with a band of emissaries called the Yama doota (messengers of Yama), who bring the souls of dead persons to Yama for evaluation. Chitragupta is one of those lower level celestial beings who functions as the karmic accountant of all the actions of the human beings on earth. The YHWH strictly commanded all who worship Him, saying: 3 You shall have no other gods before or besides Me. 4 You shall not make yourself any graven image to worship it or any likeness of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 You shall not bow down yourself to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, [Isa. 42:8; 48:11.] 6 But showing mercy and steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exo 20:3-6) Ampl The rabbit and the mouse or the rat is considered unclean in the sight of Elohim, for He said: 29 These also are unclean to you among the creeping things that multiply greatly and creep upon the ground: the weasel, the mouse, any kind of great lizard, 30 The gecko, the land crocodile, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon. (Lev 11:29-30) Ampl God symbolically are emphasizing that these nation in the east worship other gods and that makes them unclean in His sight. Those who do these things are an abomination in the eyes of YHWH, the Great I AM. We shall bow to no other God, but to our Lord Jesus, as Paul said: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee must bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 And every tongue frankly and openly confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Php 2:10-11) Amp We must bow to no other God except Jesus Christ. And for this reason we will be persecuted and killed. The Lord opened my eyes to see how even its ears became larger, just like the right foot grew larger and larger. While the dragon attacked he was disturbed or distracted and had to look back, and was strangled, as was prophesied: 29 At the time appointed, God's own time, he shall return and come into the South, but it shall not be successful as were the former invasions. 30 For the ships of Kittim shall come against him; therefore he shall be grieved and discouraged and turn back to Palestine and carry out his rage and The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -3-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
indignation against the holy covenant and God's people, and he shall do his own pleasure; (Dan 11:2930a) Ampl These ships are coming against him, coming from the east, coming out of the north, against Israel, as YHWH prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah, saying: 13 And the word of the Lord came to me the second time, saying, What do you see? And I said, I see a boiling pot, and the face of it is tipped away from the north, its mouth about to pour forth on the south, on Judea. 14 Then the Lord said to me: “Out of the north the evil, which the prophets had foretold as the result of national sin, shall disclose itself and break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land. 15 For, behold, I will call all the tribes of the kingdoms of the north, says the Lord; and they will come and set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, against all its walls round about, and against all the cities of Judah as God's judicial act, a consequence of Judah's wickedness. (Jer 1:13-15) Ampl Then the Lord opened my eyes to see that one of the dragon’s eyes were great in great shock and unbelief. His eyes were wide open in absolute anguish. Then I saw the fear in the eye of this great dragon and the ships, which came with him, for he fell backwards and was struck with great power. I saw how he became like an old mule whose back had broken under a heavy load, frightened, because of the one who gave him such powerful blow. He was completely driven back into his own country. I saw how this man had a duck, in his righthand, squeezing the life out of it. He had a Chinese hat on having a feather in his hat on his head. This feathered hat was called a "Chapeau". Many times the Cocked hat or Bicorne was also worn with a feather in the hat. See the Prophecy: The Last Week of Daniel - Part 2 - A Time of Trouble
"Chapeau" & Cocked Hat "Chapeau" is a French term signifying a hat or other covering for the head. In heraldry, it is used as a mark of ecclesiastical dignity, especially that of cardinals, which is called the red chapeau. It is worn over the shield by way of crest, as mitres and coronets are. The cocked hat is a style of formal headgear, or hat, worn by certain civilian, military and naval officials from the early 19th century until the beginning of World War II.
A Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree
Evolved from the Bicorne, the cocked hat is pinned up at two sides to form a hump-back bridge shape; it is worn with the front end protruding over the nose and the back of the neck. A cockade in the national colours may be at the right side (French The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za
All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -4-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
tradition) or may have a plume on the top (British military c.1800); the cocked hat is often trimmed with gold or silver bullion lace and tassels. Naval officers wore this hat without further decorations, but those worn by military and civilian officials may be lavishly decorated with coloured ostrich or swan feathers. Officers in most navies wore the cocked hat as part of their full dress uniforms until at least 1914. Although the cocked hat remained part of ceremonial dress for senior officers in the British, French, US, Japanese and other navies until World War II, it has now almost disappeared in this context. After 1945 however, some military, diplomatic and colonial officials resumed wearing the cocked hat at very formal occasions. Hats with feathers were worn by many as a sign of nobility and honour. This was also a proud insignia of victory of an enemy. It was also a sign of imperial superiority of your enemy. There is also an idiom or a saying in French and British circles which goes as follow: “To be knocked into a cocked hat”, meaning to be soundly and swiftly defeated. YAH, the God who rides on the clouds, by this sign in the sky, confirms that the nations of the east, the Chinese, coming against Israel, will be “knocked into a cocked hat” by a very arrogant, diplomatic official, coming out of the European nations, either France or Brittan. I saw how the duck was bewildered by the attack on the nations of the east. Suddenly, in the next moment the Lord showed how we were nearly killed by the beast that squeezed the life out of the duck nations. Then I was reminded by all the prophecies, which the Lord had given us, and about the exact time and the seasons of the death and resurrection of the two witnesses. As we looked at the man, who, by means of a powerful blast had removed the nations of the east, I saw he had something else also in his other hand, we but could not see what it was. I asked the Lord what the time would be for these things and when these things would come to pass? Then a great sign appeared in the heavens. We saw a sign of a large ‘3’ that had fallen on its face, appearing in the heavens. While we looked, the ‘3’ started disappearing, as it started to turn on its side, until only a part of the second curl of the ‘3’ could be seen. The Lord, by means of this symbol, confirmed when these things would take place. According to the word of the Lord to His servant Daniel, by the mouth of the angel Gabriel, He said: 27 And he shall enter into a strong and firm covenant with the many for one week or seven years. And in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and offering to cease for the remaining three and one-half years; and upon the wing or pinnacle of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator. (Dan 9:27) Ampl The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -5-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
This man will make a treaty or covenant at the beginning of the 7 years, but in the middle of the seven years, 3.5 years later, will all these things come to pass. Then the eastern nations will come up against him and will be destroyed, by a powerful blow. Then the two witnesses will be killed by the beast that comes up out of the bottomless pit, as is prophesied: 7 But when they have finished their testimony and their evidence is all in, the beast or monster that comes up out of the Abyss, the bottomless pit, will wage war on them, and conquer them and kill them. (Rev 11:7) Ampl These two witnesses were killed just before a great earthquake occurred in Israel. See the prophecy: Fasting Journal - Part 16 - An Evil and a Treacherous plan Then the AntiChrist will start his rule claiming in the temple of the Holy city of Jerusalem that he is God. Then another appeared to us. We saw the sign of a man coming out of the south, jumping over the land, as was written: 4 I looked and saw the ram pushing and charging westward and northward and southward; no beast could stand before him, neither could anyone rescue from his power, but he did according to his own will and pleasure and magnified himself. 5 As I was considering, behold, a he-goat, the king of Greece, came from the west across the face of the whole earth without touching the ground, and the goat had a conspicuous and remarkable horn between his eyes [symbolizing Alexander the Great]. [Dan. 8:21.] (Dan 8:4) Ampl A sign of a large arrow appeared in the heaven, indicating the destination of the one coming out of the south west. Then the Lord opened my spiritual ear and I heard how one’s plug was pulled, because he was only a pawn in the hand of the organisation, as prophesied: 6 And he came to the ram that had the two horns which I The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -6-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
had seen standing on the bank of the river and ran at him in the heat of his power. 7 In my vision I saw him come close to the ram, Medo-Persia, and he was moved with anger against him and he, Alexander the Great, struck the ram and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but the goat threw him to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. (Dan 8:6-7) Amp The Goat having one horn broke off the ram’s two horns and cast him to the ground. This one long horn was suddenly broken off, as was prophesied: 8 And the he-goat, Alexander the Great, magnified himself exceedingly, and when he was young and strong, the great horn was suddenly broken; or as the Lord Jesus puts it: “His plug was pulled” by the leaders of the organisation of the Illuminati.
The Goat with One Horn… Who is this Goat coming out of the west having only one horn? As was explained before, hidden in the prophecies of Daniel are layers. These layers referred to different time seasons, which respectively referred to Daniel’s own time, the first coming of Jesus Christ and the second coming of Jesus, only thousands of years later. See the Journal - Nov 2009 - Solar & Moon & Venus Eclipse - 15 Jan 2010 Even so does this prophecy, also first refer to Alexander the Great, but also refer to another “Alexander the Great”, who would come out of the west to conquer the world, just before Jesus Christ is revealed in the heavens. Who is this other “Alexander the Great”? In all the signs in heavens that YHWH had shown us, He referred to this man, as “the arrogant one” or the “trigger happy one.” See the prophecy: Fasting Journals - Parts 12 | 14 |16 | 18. Only two people fitted these profiles:
The Cowboy who shot out of the Holster… During a 40 day fast in 2002, the Lord Jesus showed me a sign, of a cowboy, a hat on, who shot out his holster, towards the nations of the east. Who is this cowboy?
George Walker Bush George Walker Bush; born July 6, 1946, served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. Bush is the eldest son of President George H. W. Bush, who served as the 41st President, and Barbara Bush, making him one of only two American presidents to be the son of a preceding president.[4] The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -7-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
After graduating from Yale University in 1968, and Harvard Business School in 1975, Bush worked in his family's oil businesses. He married Laura Welch in 1977 and unsuccessfully ran for the House of Representatives shortly thereafter. He later co-owned the Texas Rangers baseball team before defeating Ann Richards in the 1994 Texas gubernatorial election. In a close and controversial election, Bush was elected President in 2000 as the Republican candidate, defeating then-Vice President Al Gore. Eight months into Bush's first term as president, the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks occurred. In response, Bush announced a global War on Terrorism, ordered an invasion of Afghanistan that same year and an invasion of Iraq in 2003. In addition to national security issues, Bush promoted policies on the economy, health care, education, and social security reform. He signed into law broad tax cuts,[5] the No Child Left Behind Act, the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, and Medicare prescription drug benefits for seniors. His tenure saw national debates on immigration and Social Security.[6] The war on Terrorism marked a new era of war in the world. All war fought from that time on would be fought under the banner of ‘Peace.’ Not only could a war be declared on anyone who will be considered an enemy of the state, but all the enemy can be determined by the state. One other tactic remains. By creating a pseudo enemy – al Qaeda they can create a reason to attack those nations who do not want to conform. Soon Christianity will be declared terrorism, because it does not agree with the states definition of freedom and free rights for all. They will be considered rebellious and a surged, by all the nations of the world. By this war, the United States of America became the Beast who let its horns down to push all the nations and squeeze the live out of them, in the hope that they will submit to the plan of the Illuminati, becoming part of the one world government. She will be used by Satan and the satanic rulers of the Illuminati order to ruler the world and kill thousands of Christians. See a brief history of the Bush administration’s campaigns, similar to that of Alexander the Great, below:
War on Terrorism Main article: War on Terrorism After September 11, Bush announced a global War on Terrorism. The Afghan Taliban regime was not forthcoming with Osama bin Laden, so Bush ordered the invasion of Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban regime.[198] In his January 29, 2002, State of the Union address, he asserted that an "axis of evil" consisting of North Korea, Iran, and Iraq was "arming to threaten the peace of the world" and "posed a grave and growing danger".[199] The Bush Administration proceeded to assert a right and intention to engage in preemptive war, also called preventive war, in response to perceived threats.[200] This would form a basis for what became known as the Bush Doctrine. The broader "War on Terror", allegations of an "axis of evil", and, in particular, the doctrine of preemptive war, began to weaken the
Bush presents UK Prime Minister Tony Blair with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -8-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
unprecedented levels of international and domestic support for Bush and United States action against al Qaeda following the September 11 attacks.[201] Some national leaders alleged abuse by U.S. troops and called for the U.S. to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and other such facilities. Dissent from, and criticism of, Bush's leadership in the War on Terror increased as the war in Iraq expanded.[202][203][204] In 2006, a National Intelligence Estimate expressed the combined opinion of the United States' own intelligence agencies, concluding that the Iraq War had become the "cause célèbre for jihadists" and that the jihad movement was growing.[205][206]
Afghanistan Main article: War in Afghanistan (2001–present) On October 7, 2001, U.S. and Australian forces initiated bombing campaigns that led to the arrival on November 13 of Northern Alliance troops in Kabul. The main goals of the war were to defeat the Taliban, drive al Qaeda out of Afghanistan, and capture key al Qaeda leaders. In December 2001, the Pentagon reported that the Taliban had been defeated[207] but cautioned that the war would go on to continue weakening Taliban and al-Qaeda leaders.[207] Later that month the UN had installed the Afghan Interim Authority chaired by Hamid Karzai.[208][209] Efforts to kill or capture al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden failed as he escaped a battle in December 2001 in the mountainous region of Tora Bora, which the Bush Administration later acknowledged to have resulted from a failure to commit enough U.S. ground troops.[210] Bin Laden and al Qaeda's number two leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, as well as the leader of the Taliban, Mohammed Omar, remain at large.
President George W. Bush and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan appear together in 2006 at a joint news conference at the Presidential Palace in Kabul.
Despite the initial success in driving the Taliban from power in Kabul, by early 2003 the Taliban was regrouping, amassing new funds and recruits.[211] In 2006, the Taliban insurgency appeared larger, fiercer and better organized than expected, with large-scale allied offensives such as Operation Mountain Thrust attaining limited success.[212][213][214] As a result, Bush commissioned 3,500 additional troops to the country in March 2007.[215]
Iraq Main article: Iraq War
The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -9-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
Beginning with his January 29, 2002, State of the Union address, Bush began publicly focusing attention on Iraq, which he labelled as part of an "axis of evil" allied with terrorists and posing "a grave and growing danger" to U.S. interests through possession of weapons of mass destruction.[199] In the latter half of 2002, CIA reports contained assertions of Saddam Hussein's intent of reconstituting nuclear weapons programs, not properly accounting for Iraqi biological and chemical weapons, and that some Iraqi missiles had a range greater than allowed by the UN sanctions.[216][217] Contentions that the Bush Administration manipulated or exaggerated the threat and evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction capabilities would eventually become a major point of criticism for the president.[218][219] In late 2002 and early 2003, Bush urged the United Nations to enforce Iraqi disarmament mandates, precipitating a diplomatic crisis. In November 2002, Hans Blix and M ohamed ElBaradei led UN weapons inspectors in Iraq, but were forced to depart the country four days prior to the U.S. invasion, despite their requests for more time to complete their tasks.[220] The U.S. initially sought a UN Security Council resolution authorizing the use of military force but dropped the bid for UN approval due to vigorous opposition from several countries.[221]
Bush, with Naval Flight Officer Lieutenant Ryan Philips, in the flight suit he wore for his televised arrival and speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in 2003.
The war effort was joined by more than 20 other nations (most notably the United Kingdom), designated the "coalition of the willing".[222] The invasion of Iraq commenced on March 20, 2003, and the Iraqi military was quickly defeated. The capital, Baghdad, fell on April 9, 2003. On May 1, Bush declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq. The initial success of U.S. operations increased his popularity, but the U.S. and allied forces faced a growing insurgency led by sectarian groups; Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech was later criticized as premature.[223] From 2004 through 2007, the situation in Iraq deteriorated further, with some observers arguing that the country was engaged in a full scale civil war.[224] Bush's policies met with criticism, including demands domestically to set a timetable to withdraw troops from Iraq. The 2006 report of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, led by James Baker, concluded that the situation in Iraq was "grave and deteriorating". While Bush admitted that there were strategic mistakes made in regards to the stability of Iraq,[225] he maintained he would not change the overall Iraq strategy.[226][227] In January 2005, free, democratic elections were held in Iraq for the first time in 50 years.[228] According to Iraqi National Security Advisor Mowaffak al-Rubaie, "This is the greatest day in the history of this country."[228] Bush praised the event as well, saying that the Iraqis "have taken rightful control of their country's destiny".[228] This led to the election of Jalal Talabani as President and Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister of Iraq. A referendum to approve a constitution in Iraq was held in October 2005, supported by the majority Shiites and many Kurds.[229] The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -10-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
On January 10, 2007, Bush addressed the nation from the Oval Office regarding the situation in Iraq. In his speech he announced a surge of 21,500 more troops for Iraq, as well as a job program for Iraqis, more reconstruction proposals, and $1.2 billion for these programs.[230] On May 1, 2007, Bush used his veto for only the second time in his presidency, rejecting a congressional bill setting a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops.[231] Five years after the invasion, Bush called the debate over the conflict "understandable" but insisted that a continued U.S. presence there is crucial.[232] In March 2008 Bush praised the Iraqi government's "bold decision" to Bush shakes hands with Iraqi Prime launch the Battle of Basra against the Mahdi Army, calling it "a defining Minister Nouri al-Maliki. moment in the history of a free Iraq".[233] He said he would carefully weigh recommendations from his commanding General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker about how to proceed after the end of the military build-up in the summer of 2008. He also praised the Iraqis' legislative achievements, including a pension law, a revised de-Baathification law, a new budget, an amnesty law, and a provincial powers measure that, he said, set the stage for the Iraqi elections.[234] On July 31, 2008, Bush announced that with the end of July, American troop deaths had reached their lowest number—thirteen—since the war began in 2003.[235] Due to increased stability in Iraq, Bush announced the withdrawal of additional American forces, which reflected an emerging consensus between the White House and the Pentagon that the war has "turned a corner".[235] He also described what he saw as the success of the 2007 troop surge.[235]
Surveillance Following the events of September 11, Bush issued an executive order authorizing the President's Surveillance Program which included allowing the NSA to monitor communications between suspected terrorists outside the U.S and parties within the U.S. without obtaining a warrant as required by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.[236] (As of 2009, the other provisions of program remained highly classified.[237]) Once the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel questioned its original legal opinion that FISA did not apply in a time of war, the program was subsequently re-authorized by the President on the basis that the warrant requirements of FISA were implicitly superseded by the subsequent passage of the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists.[238] The program proved to be controversial, as critics of the administration, as well as organizations such as the American Bar Association, argued that it was illegal.[239] In August 2006, a U.S. district court judge ruled that the NSA electronic surveillance program was unconstitutional,[240] but on July 6, 2007, that ruling was vacated by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on the grounds that the plaintiffs lacked standing.[241] The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -11-
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On January 17, 2007, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales informed U.S. Senate leaders that the program would not be reauthorized by the President, but would be subjected to judicial oversight.[242]
Interrogation Policies Bush authorized the CIA to use waterboarding as one of several enhanced interrogation techniques.[243][244][245] Between 2002 and 2003 the CIA considered certain enhanced interrogation techniques, such as waterboarding, to be legal based on a secret Justice Department legal opinion arguing that terror detainees were not protected by the Geneva Conventions' ban on torture.[246] The CIA had exercised the technique on certain key terrorist suspects under authority given to it in the Bybee Memo from the Attorney General, though that memo was later withdrawn.[247] While not permitted by the U.S. Army Field Manuals which assert "that harsh interrogation tactics elicit unreliable information",[246] the Bush administration believed these enhanced interrogations "provided critical information" to preserve American lives.[248] Critics, such as former CIA officer Bob Baer, have stated that information was suspect, "you can get anyone to confess to anything if the torture's bad enough."[249] On October 17, 2006, Bush signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006,[250] a law enacted in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision on Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, 548 U.S. 557 (2006),[251] which allows the U.S. government to prosecute unlawful enemy combatants by military commission rather than a standard trial. The law also denies them access to habeas corpus and bars the torture of detainees, but allows the president to determine what constitutes torture.[250] On March 8, 2008, Bush vetoed H.R. 2082,[252] a bill that would have expanded Congressional oversight over the intelligence community and banned the use of waterboarding as well as other forms of interrogation not permitted under the United States Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations, saying that "the bill Congress sent me would take away one of the most valuable tools in the war on terror".[253] In April 2009, the ACLU sued and won release of the secret memos that had authorized the Bush administration's interrogation tactics.[254] One memo detailed specific interrogation tactics including a footnote that described waterboarding as torture as well as that the form of waterboarding used by the CIA was far more intense than authorized by the Justice Department.[255]
North Korea Main article: North Korea–United States relations Bush publicly condemned Kim Jong-il of North Korea, naming North Korea one of three states in an "axis of evil", and saying that "the United States of America will not permit the world's most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world's most destructive weapons."[199] Within months, "both countries had walked away from their respective commitments under the U.S.-DPRK Agreed Framework of October 1994."[256] North Korea's October 9, 2006, detonation of a nuclear device further complicated Bush's foreign policy, which cantered for both terms of his presidency on "preventing the terrorists and regimes who seek chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons from threatening the United States and the The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -12-
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world".[199] Bush condemned North Korea's position, reaffirmed his commitment to "a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula", and stated that "transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States", for which North Korea would be held accountable.[235] On May 7, 2007, North Korea agreed to shut down its nuclear reactors immediately pending the release of frozen funds held in a foreign bank account. This was a result of a series of three-way talks initiated by the United States and including China.[257] On September 2, 2007, North Korea agreed to disclose and dismantle all of its nuclear programs by the end of 2007.[258] By May 2009, North Korea had restarted its nuclear program and threatened to attack South Korea.[259]
Syria Bush expanded economic sanctions on Syria.[260] In early 2007, the Treasury Department, acting on a June 2005 executive order, froze American bank accounts of Syria's Higher Institute of Applied Science and Technology, Electronics Institute, and National Standards and Calibration Laboratory. Bush's order prohibits Americans from doing business with these institutions suspected of helping spread weapons of mass destruction[261] and being supportive of terrorism.[262] Under separate executive orders signed by Bush in 2004 and later 2007, the Treasury Department froze the assets of two Lebanese and two Syrians, accusing them of activities to "undermine the legitimate political process in Lebanon" in November 2007. Those designated included: Assaad Halim Hardan, a member of Lebanon's parliament and current leader of the Syrian Socialist National Party; Wi'am Wahhab, a former member of Lebanon's government (Minister of the Environment) under Prime Minister Omar Karami (2004–2005); Hafiz Makhluf, a colonel and senior official in the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate and a cousin of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad; and Muhammad Nasif Khayrbik, identified as a close adviser to Assad.[263]
Assassination attempt On May 10, 2005, Vladimir Arutyunian, a native Georgian who was born to a family of ethnic Armenians, threw a live hand grenade toward a podium where Bush was speaking at Freedom Square in Tbilisi, Georgia. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili was seated nearby. It landed in the crowd about 65 feet (20 m) from the podium after hitting a girl, but it did not detonate. Arutyunian was arrested in July 2005, confessed, was convicted and was given a life sentence in January 2006.[264]
Other issues Bush withdrew U.S. support for several international agreements, including the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) with Russia. Bush emphasized a careful approach to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians; he denounced Palestine Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat for his support of violence, but sponsored dialogues
Bush, Mahmoud Abbas, and Ariel Sharon meet at the Red Sea Summit in Aqaba, Jordan, June 4, 2003
The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -13-
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between Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Bush supported Sharon's unilateral disengagement plan, and lauded the democratic elections held in Palestine after Arafat's death. Bush also expressed U.S. support for the defence of Taiwan following the stand-off in April 2001 with the People's Republic of China over the Hainan Island incident, when an EP-3E Aries II surveillance aircraft collided with a People's Liberation Army Air Force jet, leading to the detention of U.S. personnel. In 2003–2004, Bush authorized U.S. military intervention in Haiti and Liberia to protect U.S. interests. Bush condemned the attacks by militia forces on the people of Darfur and denounced the killings in Sudan as genocide.[265] Bush said that an international peacekeeping presence was critical in Darfur, but opposed referring the situation to the International Criminal Court. In his State of the Union Address in January 2003, Bush outlined a five-year strategy for global emergency AIDS relief, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Bush announced $15 billion for this effort.[266] This program is believed by some[who?] to be a positive aspect of Bush's legacy across the political spectrum. On June 10, 2007, he met with Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha and became the first president to visit Albania.[267] Bush has voiced his support for the independence of Kosovo.[268]
The Arrogant One‌ God revealed to the prophet Daniel that an arrogant king would arise in the last days, saying: 21 And the shaggy and rough he-goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is the first king, who consolidated the whole realm, Alexander the Great. (Dan 8:21) Amp The Lord Yeshua reveals to Daniel that this Long horn is the first king, who will consolidate the entire kingdom. Thus this horn has a purpose. He will bring together all the nations of the world, by means of promises of peace, making peace agreements with all the nations. He will be like a Messiah to the world. This horn is also described by the angel Gabriel, saying: 20 Then shall stand up in his place or office one who shall send an exactor of tribute to pass through the glory of the kingdom, but within a few days he shall be destroyed, yet neither in anger nor in battle. (Dan 11:20) Ampl This king will be an exactor of taxes and tribute to the kingdom. The prophecy also reveal that he would be destroyed, but not in a battle. As revealed by the Lord Jesus, his plug would be pulled, by those who execute authority over him and his kingdom. He was only a pawn, which had to fulfill a predetermined task. He had to consolidate the nations of the world, making use of his skills and abilities and he had to exact taxes from his people in order to gain financial strength for his kingdom. Who was sent with these two main purposes?
The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -14-
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Barack Hussein Obama II Barack Hussein Obama II; born August 4, 1961, is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as the junior United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned after his election to the presidency in November 2008. Obama is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, where he was the president of the Harvard Law Review and where he received a doctorate in law. He was a community organizer in Chicago before earning his law degree. He worked as a civil rights attorney in Chicago and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004. Obama served three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. Following an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000, he ran for United States Senate in 2004. Several events brought him to national attention during the campaign, including his victory in the March 2004 Democratic primary election for the United States Senator from Illinois and his prime-time televised keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in July 2004. He won election to the U.S. Senate in November 2004. Obama's presidential campaign began in February 2007, and after a close campaign in the 2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries against Hillary Rodham Clinton, he won his party's nomination. In the 2008 general election, he defeated Republican nominee John McCain and was inaugurated as president on January 20, 2009. Obama is also the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Chicago community organizer and Harvard Law School After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago, where he was hired as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman and Riverdale) on Chicago's far South Side. He worked there as a community organizer from June 1985 to May 1988.[28][30] During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from one to thirteen and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000. He helped set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens.[31] Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute.[32] In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time in Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his paternal relatives for the first time.[33] He returned in August 2006 in a visit to his father's birthplace, a village near Kisumu in rural western Kenya.[34] In late 1988, Obama entered Harvard Law School. He was selected as an editor of the Harvard Law Review at the end of his first year,[35] and president of the journal in his second year.[36] During his summers, he returned to Chicago, where he worked as a summer associate at the law firms of Sidley Austin in 1989 and Hopkins & Sutter in 1990.[37] After graduating with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) magna cum laude[38] from Harvard in 1991, he returned to Chicago.[35] Obama's election as the first black president of the Harvard Law Review gained national media The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -15-
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attention[36] and led to a publishing contract and advance for a book about race relations,[39] which evolved into a personal memoir. The manuscript was published in mid-1995 as Dreams from My Father.[39] University of Chicago Law School and civil rights attorney In 1991, Obama accepted a two-year position as Visiting Law and Government Fellow at the University of Chicago Law School to work on his first book.[40] He then served as a professor at the University of Chicago Law School for twelve years; as a Lecturer from 1992 to 1996, and as a Senior Lecturer from 1996 to 2004 teaching constitutional law.[41] From April to October 1992, Obama directed Illinois's Project Vote, a voter registration drive with a staff of ten and 700 volunteers; it achieved its goal of registering 150,000 of 400,000 unregistered African Americans in the state, and led to Crain's Chicago Business naming Obama to its 1993 list of "40 under Forty" powers to be.[42] In 1993 he joined Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland, a 13-attorney law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and neighborhood economic development, where he was an associate for three years from 1993 to 1996, then of counsel from 1996 to 2004, with his law license becoming inactive in 2002.[43] Obama served from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Woods Fund of Chicago, which in 1985 had been the first foundation to fund the Developing Communities Project, and also from 1994 to 2002 on the board of directors of the Joyce Foundation.[28] He served on the board of directors of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge from 1995 to 2002, as founding president and chairman of the board of directors from 1995 to 1999.[28] Legislation Obama cosponsored the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act.[68] He introduced two initiatives bearing his name: Lugar–Obama, which expanded the Nunn–Lugar cooperative threat reduction concept to conventional weapons,[69] and the Coburn–Obama Transparency Act, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending.[70] On June 3, 2008, Senator Obama, along with Senators Thomas R. Carper, Tom Coburn, and John McCain, introduced follow-up legislation: Strengthening Transparency and Accountability in Federal Spending Act of 2008.[71] Obama sponsored legislation that would have required nuclear plant owners to notify state and local authorities of radioactive leaks, but the bill failed to pass in the full Senate after being heavily modified in committee.[73] On the issue of tort reform, Obama voted for the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 and the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which grants immunity from civil liability to telecommunications
Senate bill sponsors Tom Coburn (ROK) and Obama discussing the Coburn–Obama Transparency Act [67]
The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -16-
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companies complicit with NSA warrantless wiretapping operations.[74] In December 2006, President Bush signed into law the Democratic Republic of the Congo Relief, Security, and Democracy Promotion Act, marking the first federal legislation to be enacted with Obama as its primary sponsor.[75] In January 2007, Obama and Senator Feingold introduced a corporate jet provision to the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, which was signed into law in September 2007.[76] Obama also introduced Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act, a bill to criminalize deceptive practices in federal elections[77] and the Iraq War DeEscalation Act of 2007,[78] neither of which has been signed into law. Later in 2007, Obama sponsored an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act adding safeguards for personality disorder Obama and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) visit a Russian military discharges.[79] This amendment passed the full Senate in the mobile launch missile dismantling spring of 2008.[80] He sponsored the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act facility in August 2005.[72] supporting divestment of state pension funds from Iran's oil and gas industry, which has not passed committee, and co-sponsored legislation to reduce risks of nuclear terrorism.[81] Obama also sponsored a Senate amendment to the State Children's Health Insurance Program providing one year of job protection for family members caring for soldiers with combat-related injuries.[82] See also: List of bills sponsored by Barack Obama in the United States Senate
Presidency Main article: Presidency of Barack Obama See also: Confirmations of Barack Obama's Cabinet and List of presidential trips made by Barack Obama. First days The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President, and Joe Biden as Vice President, took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda directing the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq,[105] and ordered the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp "as soon as practicable and no later than" January 2010.[106] Obama also reduced the secrecy given to presidential records[107] and changed procedures to promote disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.[108] The president also reversed George W. Bush's ban on federal funding to foreign
Barack Obama takes the oath of office as president of the United States
The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -17-
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establishments that allow abortions.[109] Domestic policy The first bill signed into law by Obama was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, relaxing the statute of limitations for equal-pay lawsuits.[110] Five days later, he signed the reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover an additional 4 million children currently uninsured.[111] In March 2009, Obama reversed a Bush-era policy which had limited funding of embryonic stem cell research to only a small number of lines. Obama stated that he believed "sound science and moral values...are not inconsistent" and pledged to develop "strict guidelines" on the research.[112] Sonia Sotomayor, nominated by Obama on May 26, 2009 to replace retiring Associate Justice David Souter, was confirmed on August 6, 2009,[113] becoming the first Hispanic to be a Supreme Court Justice.[114] On September 30, 2009, the Obama administration proposed new regulations on power plants, factories and oil refineries in an attempt to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to curb global warming.[115][116][117] On October 8, 2009, Obama signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, a measure that expands the 1969 United States federal hate-crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability.[118][119][120] Economic management On February 17, 2009, Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, a $787 billion economic stimulus package aimed at helping the economy recover from the deepening worldwide recession.[121] The act includes increased federal spending for health care, infrastructure, education, various tax breaks and incentives, and direct assistance to individuals,[122] which is being distributed over the course of several years. In June 2009, unsatisfied with the pace of economic stimulus investment, Obama, called on his cabinet to accelerate the spending.[123]
President Barack Obama signs the ARRA into law on February 17, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. Vice President Joe Biden stands behind him.
In March, Obama's Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, took further steps to manage the financial crisis, including introducing the PublicPrivate Investment Program, which contains provisions for buying up to $2 trillion in depreciated real estate assets. On March 23, The New York Times noted that "investors reacted ecstatically, with all of the major stock indexes soaring as soon as the markets opened."[124] Along with spending and loan guarantees from the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department, about $11.5 The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -18-
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trillion had been authorized by the Bush and Obama administrations, with $2.7 trillion actually spent by the end of June 2009.[125] Obama intervened in the troubled automotive industry[126] in March, renewing loans for General Motors and Chrysler Corporation to continue operations while reorganizing. Over the following months the White House set terms for both firms' bankruptcies, including the sale of Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat[127] and a reorganization of GM giving the U.S. government a temporary 60% equity stake in the company, with the Canadian government shouldering a 12% stake.[128] He also signed into law the Car Allowance Rebate System, known colloquially as the "Cash for Clunkers" bill, on August 7, 2009.[129] In the third quarter of 2009, the U.S. economy expanded at a 2.8% annual pace.[130] Obama has claimed that the stimulus package helped stop the economic downturn.[131] Various economists have credited the stimulus package with helping to create economic growth.[132][133] However, unemployment continued to rise to 10.1% (the highest in 26 years),[134] and the "underemployment" rate rose to 17.5%.[135] In mid-November, Obama said he was concerned that the excessive deficit spending could cause the economy to slide into a "double dip" recession.[136][137] Foreign policy In February and March, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton made separate overseas trips to announce a "new era" in U.S. foreign relations with Russia and Europe, using the terms "break" and "reset" to signal major changes from the policies of the preceding administration.[138] Obama's granting of his first television interview as president to an Arabic cable network, Al Arabiya, was seen as an attempt to reach out to Arab leaders.[139] On March 19, Obama continued his outreach to the Muslim world, releasing a New Year's video message to the people and government of Iran.[140] This attempt at outreach was rebuffed by the Iranian leadership.[141] In April, Obama gave a speech in Ankara, Turkey, which was well received by many Arab governments.[142] On June 4, 2009, Obama delivered a speech at Cairo University in Egypt calling for "a new beginning" in relations between the Islamic world and the United States and promoting Middle East peace.[143]
President Barack Obama meets The Rt. Hon Gordon Brown in 2009. Main article: Foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration
On June 26, 2009, in response to the Iranian government's actions towards protesters following Iran's 2009 presidential election, Obama said: "The violence perpetrated against them is outrageous. We see it and we condemn it."[144] On July 7, while in Moscow, he responded to a Vice President Biden comment on a possible Israeli military strike on Iran by saying: "We have said directly to the Israelis that it is important The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -19-
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to try and resolve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East."[145] On September 24, 2009, Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.[146] Iraq war Main article: Iraq War During his presidential transition, President-elect Obama announced that he would retain the incumbent Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, in his Cabinet.[147] On February 27, 2009, Obama declared that combat operations would end in Iraq within 18 months. His remarks were made to a group of Marines preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Obama said, "Let me say this as plainly as I can: By August 31, 2010, our combat mission in Iraq will end."[148] The drawdown is scheduled to be completed by August 2010, decreasing troops levels from 142,000 while leaving a transitional force of 35,000 to 50,000 in Iraq until the end of 2011. The plan is to transition the mission of the remaining troops from combat operations to counterterrorism and the training, equipping, and advising of Iraqi security forces.[149] War in Afghanistan Main article: War in Afghanistan (2001–present) Early in his presidency, Obama moved to bolster U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan.[150] He announced an increase to U.S. troop levels of 17,000 in February 2009 to "stabilize a deteriorating situation in Afghanistan", an area he said had not received the "strategic attention, direction and resources it urgently requires".[151] He replaced the military commander in Afghanistan, General David D. McKiernan, with former Special Forces commander Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal in May 2009, indicating that McChrystal's Special Forces experience would facilitate the use of counterinsurgency tactics in the war.[152] On a December 1, 2009, Obama announced the deployment of an additional 30,000 soldiers to Afghanistan.[153] He also proposed to begin troop withdrawals 18 months from that date.[154][155] Health care reform Main article: Health care reform in the United States Obama has called for Congress to pass health care reform, a key campaign promise and a top legislative goal.[156] He has proposed an expansion of health insurance coverage to cover the uninsured. His proposal would spend $900 billion over 10 years and include a government insurance plan (option) to compete with the private sector. It would also make it illegal for insurers to drop sick people or deny them coverage for pre-existing conditions, and require every American carry health coverage. The plan also includes medical spending cuts and taxes on insurance companies that offer expensive plans.[157] On July 14, 2009, House Democratic leaders introduced a 1,017 page plan for overhauling the US health care system, which Obama wanted Congress to approve by the end of 2009.[156] Obama supported a public health The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -20-
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insurance option as a main component to lowering costs and improving quality in the health care sector.[158] After much public debate during the Congressional summer recess of 2009, Obama delivered a speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9 where he addressed concerns over his administration's proposals.[159] On November 7, 2009, a health care bill was passed in the House after the inclusion of an amendment written by Republican Joseph R. Pitts and Democrat Bart Stupak that would disallow insurance companies from covering abortion for women who pay their premiums with their own money if other people pay for the same plan with any government subsidies.[160][161] On December 24, 2009, a version of the bill was passed in the Senate on a party-line vote of 60-39.[162] Cultural and political image Main article: Public image of Barack Obama See also: International media reaction to Barack Obama's 2008 election Obama's family history, early life and upbringing, and Ivy League education differ markedly from those of African-American politicians who launched their careers in the 1960s through participation in the civil rights movement.[216] Expressing puzzlement over questions about whether he is "black enough", Obama told an August 2007 meeting of the National Association of Black Journalists that "we're still locked in this notion that if you appeal to white folks then there must be something wrong."[217] Obama acknowledged his youthful image in an October 2007 campaign speech, saying: "I wouldn't be here if, time and again, the torch had not been passed to a new generation."[218] Obama is frequently referred to as an exceptional orator.[219] During his pre-inauguration transition period and continuing into his presidency, Obama has delivered a series of weekly Internet video addresses.[220] According to the Pew Research Center, Obama's approval ratings dropped from 64% in February, 2009 to 49% in December, a trend similar to Ronald Reagan's and Bill Clinton's first years.[221]
President George W. Bush invited then-President-elect Barack Obama and former Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter to a meeting in the Oval Office on January 7, 2009.
Obama's international appeal has been described as a defining factor for his public image.[222] Polls show strong support for Obama in other countries,[223] and he has met with prominent foreign figures including then-British Prime Minister Tony Blair,[224] Italy's Democratic Party leader and then Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni,[225] and French President Nicolas Sarkozy.[226]
The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -21-
Fast Journal
The Servant February 2010
According to a May 2009 poll conducted by Harris Interactive for France 24 and the International Herald Tribune, Obama was rated as the most popular world leader, as well as the one figure most people would pin their hopes on for pulling the world out of this economic downturn.[227] Obama won Best Spoken Word Album Grammy Awards for abridged audiobook versions of Dreams from My Father in February 2006 and for The Audacity of Hope in February 2008.[228] His "Yes We Can" speech, which artists independently set to music, was viewed by 10 million people on YouTube in the first month,[229] and received a Daytime Emmy Award.[230] In December 2008, Time magazine named Barack Obama as its Person of the Year for his historic candidacy and election, which it described as "the steady march of seemingly impossible accomplishments".[231]
Obama presents his first weekly address as President of the United States on January 24, discussing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
On October 9, 2009 the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Obama had won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize " for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".[232] Obama accepted this award in Oslo, Norway on December 10, 2009 with "deep gratitude and great humility."[233] The award drew a mixture of praise and criticism from world leaders and media figures.[234][235] Obama is the fourth U.S. president to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the third to become a Nobel laureate while in office. Obama is fulfilling his public role of uniting the nations and the people of the world. He is portrayed as the Saviour the world needs. He has passed the health bill, calling the private and business sector pump billions of dollars into the people and the economy. He has even called on his own senate to spend more. Why? We will deal with issue later, but only to say, He is actually doing the inverse and thus taking the people’s money into the World bank and into the hands of those few who want to control the world – The Rothschild’s and the Bilderberg Group. You might still ask, but make me conclude that Obama is the longhorn that will be broken off, after he has achieved and accomplished his goal, that is world unification? Again, just as the Lord Jesus, by His Holy Spirit, led me to compare the coming Anti-Christ with Napoleon Bonaparte, so we will do with the life, history and personality of ‘Alexander the Great.’ Bear with me a little while, then you will see how all these end-time events unfold. The writing in black is history, but the brown is the life of Barack Hussein Obama III, now better known as ‘Barry Soetoro’ From the directors: “The Witness” The Servants of the Lord Jesus Christ South Africa, Pretoria info@witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za & witnessesforjesuschrist.co.za All prophecy must be tested by the word of our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thess 5:20-21) Please send this letter to many other so that they many also be blessed by the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ and be prepared for His coming. This letter may be copied, but all rights are reserved as those given from the Lord Jesus Christ to His Servants the prophets at Witnesses for Jesus Christ. (Amos 3:6-7 & Rev 22:16-20) Therefore give Glory to whom Glory belong. -22-