Predictions for 2015

Introduction

What predictions for 2015 would you make? Many people at this time of year make predictions. Some look to astrologers; some go the other extreme and look into the word of God. I would much sooner trust God's word. Some people make very specific predictions from any number of sources and have been doing so for a long time. When I became a Christian over 30 years ago and quickly developed an interest in Bible prophecy, I had the idea that the world could not possibly last until the year 2000. I was, not doubt, partly influenced by people's predictions. Yet here we are about to start a new year and talking about predictions for 2015.

The Bible predicts many things but is often vague on the timing. For good reason - we would tend to put off making right choices until close to the deadline. We all tend to be procrastinators.

While dates are hard to predict, we can see trends, we can watch the signs of the times which is what this newsletter is all about. It is what, in fact, we are told to do:

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)

"Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is." (Mark 13:33)

"Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:" (Mark 13:35)

I am going to stick my neck out a little and make some predictions for 2015. But, at the same time I will protect myself a little by:

• A disclaimer - I am not anything like a prophet, only a Bible student who is looking up.
• A caveat - I will only predict trends - which is pretty safe because trends tend to continue.

So, let's take a look at some recent news stories and see what has been happening and what might be likely to continue in the near future.

Note that I am simply sharing news items of interest. That does not imply that I agree with everything presented.

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars ... nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes ..." (Matt 24:6-7)

US Families Prepare For 'Modern Day Apocalypse'

Thousands of families are hoarding food and weapons in anticipation of an impending catastrophe, writes Sky's Dominic Waghorn.
By Dominic Waghorn, US Correspondent

This old nuclear missile facility has been turned
into an apocalypse refuge

From the outside America may seem to be a land of endless optimism and confidence. But could it be in danger of falling apart?

An increasing number of Americans seem to think so, and they're preparing for the end.

They call themselves preppers. Mainstream suburban Americans hoarding supplies and weapons while leading otherwise perfectly normal lives.

It's a national phenomenon and it's supporting a doom boom industry worth many millions.

Braxton Southwick is a typical father-of-six in Salt Lake City, who believes the nice suburban neighbourhood he lives in could soon be swept away by some kind of modern day apocalypse.

Like other preppers, he's afraid of some impending catastrophe but also what that will do to American society.

"I think that is what I'm scared of the most," he told Sky News, "Not the actual events. I've already prepared for that. It's the aftermath, when there are no police, there are no military to protect us, we're going to be protecting ourselves."

The trigger could be a terrorist attack, a monetary collapse, cataclysmic failure in power generation, or a natural disaster. Preppers fear what comes next and have no faith in either their government or human nature.

"Once people use up all their resources, they're going to come after the people that prepared and had more resources. So basically we have to take care of ourselves."

Predictions for 2015 - Preppers: - we will see more and more preparation for tough times to come as more people wake up to the realization that all is not well in the world; that we are, in fact, on the verge of a stupendous crisis. Any such preparation is good in that it can lessen the hardship when the crisis (or even any local disaster) comes. (Preppers is the term used to refer to people who make preparation with the belief that there is a crisis coming.)

50 Numbers From 2014 That Sound Fake But That Are Actually Real

2014 was quite a bizarre year, wasn't it? The past 12 months brought us MH370, Ebola, civil war in Ukraine, civil unrest in Ferguson, the rise of ISIS and the fall of the Democrats in the midterm elections. Our world is becoming crazier and more unstable with each passing day, and I have a feeling that things are going to accelerate greatly in 2015. But for the moment things are relatively quiet as much of the world stops to celebrate the holiday season, so now is a good time to look back and see where we have been over the past year. The facts that I am about to share with you sound false, but they are all quite true. If you doubt any of these facts, just click the link on the number to find the source. It has been said that truth is stranger than fiction, and that was definitely the case during the past 12 months. In no particular order, the following are 50 numbers from 2014 that sound fake but that are actually real...

2.5 - Researchers have discovered that characters in cartoons for children are 2.5 times more likely to die than characters in adult dramas. But as long as those characters look cute and make funny noises it must be okay.

$4.20 - The price of ground beef just hit a brand new record high of $4.20 a pound. Exactly 10 years ago, it was just $2.21 a pound. What do you think Clara Peller would say about this?

19.8 percent - This holiday season, nearly 20 percent of all American families are on food stamps. But since the stock market is soaring, most of the rest of the country doesn't seem to care.

$20 - If you want to "lock down that new man for Christmas", you can buy a positive pregnancy test on Craigslist for just 20 dollars.

29.0 years - The average age when a man in America first gets married has reached an all-time high of 29.0 years. Thus the need for the fake pregnancy tests.

31.1 percent - An astounding 31.1 percent of all U.S. young adults in the 18 to 34-year-old age bracket are currently living with their parents. But the good news is that demand for tacky basement decor is at an all-time high.

33 percent - According to the Wall Street Journal, close to one-third of all Americans have a file in the FBI's master criminal database.

34.6 percent - According to the CDC, 34.6 percent of all men in America officially meet the criteria for being obese.

36 - At this point only 36 percent of the U.S. population can name all three branches of government.

43 - The new EPA regulations issued while Barack Obama has been president are 43 times as long as the entire Bible.

45 percent - One survey discovered that 45 percent of all Americans "dread" the Christmas season.

48 percent - Only 48 percent of Americans can immediately come up with $400 in emergency cash without borrowing it or selling something.

50 - An MIT research scientist is warning that if current trends continue 50 percent of all children in America will be autistic by the year 2025.

Predictions for 2015 - Societal breakdown: - did you read those numbers? People are sick and overweight, in debt, totally dependent on the system caring for them, they don't grow their own food, they are more connected with their electronic devices than their neighbours and are more concerned with the big E (entertainment) than anything else. The vast majority are very unprepared for being thrust back into a society with an 1800's level of infrastructure.

12 Disasters That Could Bring About The End Of The World As We Know It

The American Dream Is Becoming An Absolute Nightmare And Life As We Know It Is About To Change
By Michael Snyder, on December 10th, 2014

Click here to read it all

Predictions for 2015 - Cataclysmic events: - we certainly hope none of these events (which are largely beyond the control of the individual) happen with the possible exception of "God reaching for the off switch." Surely, on our own, we are headed for destruction. The Bible does describe what it calls the trumpets (Revelation chapters 8-11) which seem to be of that scale but there will be pleanty of lesser troubles before that.

There Is A Microchip In Your Future Whether You Like It or Not

A hotly debated topic in recent years has been the practicality, ethicality, and necessity (one way or another) for human microchip implantation - many governments are putting their proverbial feet down and demanding all babied are "chipped" within the next year or so. With so much conflicting information, I found it interesting that recently, there have been a LOT of very "pro" chip implant articles lately.

They are a very strange brand of articles that look like they were written by a slick PR person and there is absolutely an undertone of making microchips cool with happy, smiling people – just look at the photo below from an article about a woman who got an impact so she didn't have to endure the slave-like task of carrying around her work key-card anymore:

In that article, they say of the woman, named Emilott Lantz: "And she's not the only one to let this particular tech get under her skin. She attended the Sime tech conference in Stockholm, where participants were offered the procedure for free. Around 50 members of a Swedish biohackers group called BioNyfiken had the same procedure done in the past month, according to the Local report.

Predictions for 2015 - Even more surveillance: - this is an obvious trend. Even beyond what "big brother" does, there are more and more cameras being carried by individuals. Identity and credit card theft are pushing us toward methods of biometric identification and electronic tracking. There could be many benefits (general efficiency, tracking lost children etc) but also many opportunities for abuse.

Ebola Cover Up: CDC Monitoring 1,400 Active Cases: "Government Effort To Control The Message"

Though it's taken a backseat to Ferguson and the Sony hacking story, the Ebola virus remains a threat in the United States.

According to Fox News Channel's investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson, who recently reached out to the Centers for Disease Control, the agency is still very much involved in monitoring individuals for the deadly African-borne virus. The problem, says Attkisson, is that the CDC is covering up the numbers, presumably to minimize panic across the United States.

Attkinson says that following the appointment of Ebola Czar Ron Klain media involvement became almost non-existent because the government stopped releasing statistics and granting interviews in an effort to control the news.

The infectious disease experts I consulted were and remain very concerned about this because if it gets out of control in this country because we will not be able to deal with it.

A lot of the media coverage has gone from overtime to almost nothing since they appointed the Ebola Czar, and I don't think that's any accident - I think it's a strategy.

There's a good argument to be made that things were made safer… the reason we don't have a worst case scenario today as far as we know is because there was media coverage... a public outcry... that totally changed the way the government was handling the Ebola crisis ...

Once the Ebola Czar came in they quit putting out the head of the CDC... no more interviews. Someone decided, I think, when we give information they cover it. When we don't give information it will fall off the stage and it largely did.

I called CDC not long ago and said how many active cases are being monitored in the United States of Ebola and they said 1,400.

I said, 'where is that on your web site?' They said 'We're not putting it on the web.'

Predictions for 2015 - Pandemics: - there is a definite trend for more and deadlier diseases. As pathogens become more resistant and people's immune systems become weaker, the threats to health and the potential for widespread disease only increases. Fortunately, our immune system is very capable of handling most threats if we keep it in top form - get the right nutrients in and the toxins out and follow good health practises and you will be able to fight off many problems.

Drought-hit Sao Paulo may 'get water from mud': TRFN

RIO DE JANEIRO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - São Paulo, Brazil's drought-hit megacity of 20 million, has about two months of guaranteed water supply remaining as it taps into the second of three emergency reserves, officials say.

The city began using its second so-called "technical reserve" 10 days ago to prevent a water crisis after reservoirs reached critically low levels last month.

This is the first time the state has resorted to using the reserves, experts say.

"If we take into account the same pattern of water extraction and rainfall that we've seen so far this month - and it's been raining less than half of the average – we can say the (reserve) will last up to 60 days," said Marussia Whately, a water resources specialist at environmental NGO Instituto Socioambiental.

But an expected increase in water usage during the upcoming Christmas and New Year's holidays could easily reduce the time the reserve will last, she added.

After that period, there is no certainty over the water supply available to Brazil's wealthiest city and financial center, Whately said.

If rain doesn't replenish the Cantareira system - the main group of reservoirs that supply Sao Paulo - the city could run dry, she said.

Predictions for 2015 - The drought problem: -this is also likely to get worse, in no small part, because people are not heading the warnings or conserving like they should. Mike Adams' article linked to above points this out very well. California and some other U.S. states are in big trouble which will affect the food supply as well. I always encourage people, if they can possibly do it, to start thier own garden.

Ray's note: About 25 years ago, when I worked for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Director of our Region shared his understanding of what was coming to our earth, mostly from the perspective of the oceans, of course. He summarized what was coming with the word "est." He then explained what he meant - hottest, coldest, wettest, dryest, stormiest etc; in other words, more extremes in many of the earth's natural processes. And this is exactly what we see today.

Floods Wreak Havoc Across Asia

Death toll rises in Thailand, more than 10,000 evacuated in Philippines and help required in Malaysia
Barbara Mae Dacanay, December 29, 2014

Butuan, Philippines: One person died and thousands fled their homes as a tropical storm battered the southern Philippines with strong winds and heavy rains on Monday, officials said.

More than 10,000 residents were evacuated as tropical storm Seniang crashed into southern Philippines, affecting 28 provinces in central and southern Philippines, senior officials said.

"Tropical storm Seniang made a landfall at Baculin village, Hinatuan town, in Surigao del Sur, at four in the morning of Monday," governor Johnny Pimentel told Gulf News.

"Rains occurred for three days prior to the storm's landfall. We braved dangerous winds and rainfall to evacuate endangered people," Pimentel said, adding there had so far been no reported casualties.

On Monday, Seniang roared with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometres per hour near the centre and gusts of up to 80km/h as it entered Hinatuan, the country's eastern seaboard, from the Pacific Ocean.

It continued moving northwest, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

Seniang dumped 15 to 30 millimetre of rain per hour over a wide diameter of 300km, Pagasa said, adding that the storm signal number one was raised in 17 areas in central and southern Philippines and storm signal number 2 in 11 areas in central Philippines and southern Philippines.

"Bridges and roads were impassable in many parts of Surigao del Sur," Pimentel said, adding that Storm Seniang reminded residents of Tropical Storm Wushi (Sendong), which initially landed in Hinatuan, then crossed to nearby Iligan and Caragayan de Oro provinces and killed 1,300 people across southern Philippines on December 16, 2011.

Flights from Metro Manila to the Caraga region were cancelled.

A stranded passenger, Hilda Gonzaga said, "I could not go home for New Year's celebrations."

Local airport terminals in Metro Manila's suburban Pasay City were full of unhappy residents from the Caraga Region, airport authorities said.

Some 8,696 passengers, 90 vessels, 19 motor boats, and 249 rolling cargo vehicles were stranded due to Seniang, the Philippine Coast Guard said.

Storm Seniang was expected to reach Negros Oriental in central Philippines on Tuesday, and Palawan's Puerto Princesa in northwest Philippines on Wednesday, on New Year's Eve. It will be a wet New Year in all affected areas since the storm is expected to exit through the South China Sea on Friday, January 2, Pagasa said.

Meanwhile, at least 14 people died and eight more were injured due to flooding in southern Thailand, officials confirmed on Monday.

Officials at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said that while the situation has eased in some areas, persistent flooding continues to affect the three southernmost provinces.

Heavy rains and strong winds are expected in the area up until the New Year according to the Thai Meteorological Department.

Severe weather warnings were issued Monday for the Gulf of Thailand, with heavy winds and waves expected.

The floods have so far affected 1,415 villages causing the closure of 237 schools, 32 religious sites and 17 government offices.

Predictions for 2015 - Floods: -This is only likely to get worse (at the same time as droughts) and the experts are also saying that. There have been big changes in the climate in the Arctic regions and this is affecting climates worldwide. As ice recedes there is more heating of the oceans as there is not the ice and snow cover to reflect solar radiation back from the earth. As a result, more solar energy is absorbed which further warms the surface, there is more melting and we have a vicious and accelerating cycle. This year just ending, 2014, will be the warmest year on record. It is also the 38th consecutive year with an anomalously high annual global temperature (Scientific American). The jet streams and whole climate patterns are changing resulting in some areas being much drier than normal and others getting record amounts of moisture.

ISIS Militants Claim They Have Produced 'Dirty Bomb' Using Stolen Radioactive Uranium

Islamic State militants are claiming that they have built a "dirty bomb" with radioactive uranium that was reportedly stolen from Mosul University after ISIS seized the city of Mosul in June.

Four months after 40 kilograms of uranium were reported as missing from the university, several ISIS militants have taken to social media to purport that they have used the missing uranium to build a "dirty bomb," which is a special improvised explosive device consisting of radioactive nuclear waste and conventional explosives, designed to spread hazardous radioactive material over a wide ranging area.

If the militants' claims are true, the "dirty bomb" would represent the first "weapon of mass disruption" controlled by the Islamic State.

According to The Mirror, a former British explosives expert, who is now an Islamic State trainer in Syria, Hamayun Tariq, posted a claim on Twitter, using the pseudonym Muslim al-Britani, that ISIS militants have not only produced the "dirty bomb" but are also curious to see how much damage the new explosive device can cause.

Predictions for 2015 - Increasing terrorism: - There is not likely to be a let up in sentiments of Muslims who see their militant actions and pusing themselves closer to their understanding of a much-sought-for divine intervention in world affairs. Christians should also have great fervor as we see the day approaching. But our fervor should be expressed in love and kindness to others.

Insider: "Forget Iran, Iraq, Ukraine, and Syria, this Is Where WWIII Will Start"

Jim Rickards and Money Morning.com / November 17, 2014

"Should the rise of conflicts across the Middle East and Ukraine serve as a warning sign that something much more dangerous is approaching?

"According to Jim Rickards, the CIA's Asymmetric Warfare Advisor, the answer is yes.

"In a startling interview he reveals that all 16 U.S. Intelligence Agencies have begun to prepare for World War III.

"Making matters worse, his colleagues believe it could begin within the next 6 months.

"However, the ground zero location for this global conflict is what makes his interview a must-see for every American.

"Take a few moments to watch it below and decide for yourself."

Predictions for 2015 - Wars and rumours of wars: - The Bible directly predicts this (Matthew 24:6) so I am not really making a prediction am I? Really, just pointing out what the Bible says will happen as we approach the end. Russia, especially, is seeming to be increasingly aggressive which seems to correspond to the bear of Daniel chapter 7 waking up.

MIT Researcher's New Warning: At Today's Rate, Half Of All U.S. Children Will Be Autistic By 2025

Research scientist Stephanie Seneff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a widely published author on topics ranging from Azlheimer's Disease to autism and cardiovascular disease, raised plenty of eyebrows recently with a bold proclamation on autism at a special panel in Massachusetts about genetically modified organisms and other topics.

"At today's rate, by 2025, one in two children will be autistic," Seneff said last Thursday in Groton, MA at an event sponsored by the holistic-focused Groton Wellness organization.

Seneff presented slides showing a remarkably consistent correlation between the rising use of Roundup (with its active ingredient glyphosate) on crops and the rising rates of autism; while it doesn't show a direct correlation it does give researchers plenty to think about, especially considering Seneff's research into the side effects of autism that mimic glyphosate toxicity and deficiencies.

The slide notes that the heaviest use of Roundup, Monsanto's flagship weedkiller, began in 1990 and continued to rise since. Meanwhile, the number of kids with autism has gone from 1 in 5,000 in 1975 to 1 in 68 today, a puzzling and frustrating stat that shows no signs of slowing down and one that correlates strongly with the rise in glyphosate use.

Predictions for 2015 - Increasing autism and other autoimmune conditions: - Really, anyone could look at the graph above and make that prediction at least for autism. Since the trend is largely driven by lifestyle and organizations like Monsanto fiddling with our food ("...the curse causeless shall not come." Proverbs 26:2) it will not turn around until and unless there are major changes in our agricultural system. Again, if you can grown even some of your own food you will benefit.

Pope Francis Declares Evolution and Big Bang Theory Are Right and God Isn't 'a Magician with a Magic Wand'

Francis goes against Benedict XVI's apparent support for 'intelligent design' -- but does hail his predecessor's 'great contribution to theology'
By: Adam Withnall / The Independent.com / Tuesday 28 October 2014

"Speaking at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pope made comments which experts said put an end to the 'pseudo theories' of creationism and intelligent design that some argue were encouraged by his predecessor, Benedict XVI.

"Francis explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator - arguing instead that they 'require it.'"

Francis explained that both scientific theories were not incompatible with the existence of a creator – arguing instead that they "require it".

"When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so," Francis said.

Predictions for 2015 - Continued confusion in religion: - I have a great regard for the Word of God; you can see my many Bible studies posted on this site. These strange, unbiblical ideas are nothing but confusion; we could call it Babylon.

Awed by Israel, 2016 Republican hopeful Ben Carson pledges support

US would 'have Israel's back' if he was president, says early conservative favorite, knocking Obama and calling Netanyahu 'a great leader'
By Josef Federman December 20, 2014

JERUSALEM (AP) - In his first visit to Israel, prospective Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson said he is in awe of the Jewish state, inspired by its ancient holy sites, impressed by the resilience of people living in a perpetual conflict zone - and deeply disappointed in President Barack Obama.

"I do not believe that Obama has been one to cultivate the relationship," said Dr. Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who has emerged as a favorite of some conservatives in the early field of possible GOP candidates.

"I would make it very clear that Israel and the United States have a long, cordial relationship, and I don't think we should ever leave the Israelis in a position of wondering whether we support them," Carson said in an hourlong interview with The Associated Press in Jerusalem. "And that certainly is a question now."

Predictions for 2015 - A conservative backlash: - This is more of a prediction than the previous ones which have really just been pointing out trends. I just see this as a possibility and if there is a change in two years to a more conservative, Republican administration in the U.S. we could see such a change. As the U.S. has such an influence in the world, we might expect changes in that direction. I am also quite familiar with the background of Dr. Ben Carson and find this very interesting.

I would greatly encourage you to watch the following 15-minute video of some of the signs of the last days that happened around the world within the last month.

'Climate Chaos' in 2015: Strange Events/Apocalyptic Sounds Increasing Around The World (2014-15) (15 min)

The end of America 2014-2016: "It's worse than you know" (14 min)

"The Saviour's prophecy concerning the visitation of judgments upon Jerusalem is to have another fulfillment, of which that terrible desolation was but a faint shadow." (p66)

"A crisis awaits the world. The most momentous struggle of all the ages is just before us. The calamiites by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast events of the greatest magnitude. The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final momvements will be rapid ones." (p70)

"A storm is coming, relentless in its fury. Thinking men and women have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity taking possession of every earthly element, and recognize that something great and decisive is about to take place - that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis." (p80)

"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)

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