It appears my forecast that Israel will enter a multi-front conflict around the year 2010 (2010--180-11C, 110-18C), similar to the one they experienced during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 (1974--180-11I, 110-18I), is a view shared by the outgoing head of Israel’s military intelligence, Amos Yadlin. He is quoted in the Jan 1, 2011 Economist magazine (p. 22) as saying, “The next round won’t be focused on one theatre, but rather will incorporate two or three. It will be much bigger, much wider in scope, and with many more casualties [than the ones suffered during clashes with Hezbollah in 2006 and Hamas in 2009].”

The 2006 (2006--180-11N, 110-18N) conflict with Hezbollah embarrassed the Israeli army, and also resulted in Israel receiving about 4,000 missiles that for the most part missed any targets. These missiles had a very limited range and accuracy. Hezbollah has since beefed up their missile inventory to around 50,000 missiles and now some of them have a range 120 miles and a payload of 1,200 lbs. What is worse, they are accurate to within 100 yards. In its lead article on p. 9, the Economist notes the change in the balance of power as follows, “For the first time a radical non-state actor has the power to kill thousands of civilians in Israel’s cities more or less at the press of a button.”

When it comes to the security of its people the nation of Israel is very vigilant. While Hezbollah has been bulking up, Israel has done so as well. They’ve added new attack helicopters and missile defense systems as they prepare for what they believe is an inevitable and decisive showdown with these hostiles who are on their border.

Will Israel stumble again against Hezbollah as they did in 2006? According to the template Israel will win decisively. Its 2006 (2006--180-11N, 110-18N) weak showing was typical of new directions that take around four years to achieve their culmination (2010--180-11C, 110-18C). Around the year 2010 (2010-2012) we can expect this sequence to achieve its completion. And once this Hezbollah-Hamas threat is neutralized I would count on a strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities to occur either during the end stages of the battle or shortly thereafter. Israel will not want to wait for these threats on their border to have the time to reconstitute prior to taking on Iran.

Is this obvious? It may seem so now, but it was less obvious when the forecast was first made. But this brings up an objection that might as well be dealt with. Do obvious forecasts show the weakness of the template, and argue against its validity?

“Obvious” Forecasts and the Validity of the Template

Some of the forecasts suggested by the Template of Time seem obvious and detractors have said the template fails to predict anything other than the obvious. Since it only predicts what is obvious, it has no value or utility.

First, there are many forecasts it makes that are far from obvious. We will look at a few of them. Second, whether a forecast is obvious or not is irrelevant. The question that needs to be answered is this: does this forecasted event fit a model of time and thereby provide additional evidence of the template's existence?

Let's look at an "obvious" forecast to see what it tells us. The unification of Canada, Mexico and the USA has been predicted by others and is suggested by the template as well. Obvious, right?

Hardly. There is nothing at the moment that suggests such a union is inevitable. It remains one of a million possibilities that may or may not occur. But let’s assume, for argument’s sake, that it is obvious and will happen in the future. But when will it happen. In 2012? In 2020? The Template of Time suggests it will occur around the 2026-2030 time frame, with c. 2030 being the likeliest date. Therefore, whether it is obvious or not, if this union occurs and fits this time pattern, then it offers additional proof of the template’s existence. What is not obvious is the timing of an event. If history is random, then the timing of history should be random as well, but if it fits a pattern specified in advance, then history is not random but conforms to a grid of dates called the Template of Time.

The same can be said for the forecast on Israel. It is one thing to say that Israel will experience a multi-front war, but it is another to tie it to a specific time period that is linked to the multi-front war it experienced during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. If this new multi-front conflict develops, and further, becomes a wider war with Syria and possibly Egypt, then the Template of Time is again validated by a forecast that offers a prospective proof of its existence.

There are several forecasts I’ve made that are anything but obvious. The Supreme Court supporting gay marriage and reversing or limiting Roe v. Wade is hardly obvious. If anything, this mixture of socially conservative and liberal rulings is counter-intuitive. And with all of the tensions between the USA and China, a breakthrough economic agreement between the two, around 2010, is hardly obvious, but that is what the template forecasts. It was not obvious that N. Korea would make an aggressive move against S. Korea that would dwarf the move it made against S. Korea and the USA in 1976, but it did, on schedule, as forecast.

Perhaps the most important and surprising forecast is the emergence of a centralized European Union that becomes a military superpower with ambitions in Africa, the Middle East and Russia. I don't know anyone who is proposing such an idea, but once it happens—if it does—I am certain it will appear obvious to all who cannot accept that history follows a Template of Time.

May 2011 be your best year ever. May you grow spiritually deeper and richer, gaining an unshakable peace that will serve you through the ttimes ahead. And if you do not know Jesus, may you come to a saving faith in Him.

Happy New Year,

Tom

In W. B. Yeats' poem, The Second Coming, the author wrote,

"Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst,
Are full of passionate intensity."

After drawing an apocalyptic picture of chaos he defines the best and worst people to us in surprising terms. "The best lack all conviction." As Yeats looked around at the leaders of his day, the nobility, the influential, the best that society had to offer, he saw a rudderless tribe without guiding values. The West had become a world of people who no longer embraced ideas worth dying for; they lacked all conviction.

Then he turned his eyes to the worst who were afflicting the world and he noted that their fundamental characteristic was a "passionate intensity" that enabled them to work tirelessly to achieve their ends. We can see this intense ferocity on display throughout history in the Nazi and Communist movements. In both cases the individual disappeared in its adoration of the State and the State's leader. Or as Koestler wrote in Darkness at Noon, the word "I" is a grammatical fiction. The individual does not exist. Only the collective "we" exists.

In this philosophy two things occur. The individual loses himself in service to the state. His/her life becomes a total, self-sacrificial worship offered to this false-idol. The second thing that happens is a blood bath ensues as people are devalued, they have no individuality and no longer possess the inherent worth of being created in the image of God.

We see these two strands of fanatical self-sacrifice and blood-lust being interwoven in the life of a truly demonic character, Felix Dzherzhinsky, the trailblazing first leader of the Soviet Secret Police's first incarnation: the Cheka. The following comes from Whittaker Chambers' brilliant memoir, Witness, where he recounted why he had been a communist:

"When I was a Communist, I had three heroes. One was a Russian. One was a Pole. One was  a German Jew.

"The Pole was Felix Djerjinsky (sic). ...After the Russian Revolution, he became head of the Tcheka (sic) and organizer of the Red Terror. As a young man, Djerjinsky had been a political prisoner in the Paviak Prison in Warsaw. There he insisted on being given the task of cleaning the latrines of the other prisoners. For he held that the most developed member of any community must take upon himself the lowliest tasks as an example to those who are less-developed." [Whittaker Chambers, Witness (New York: Random House, Inc., 1952), p. 6]

This self-sacrificial capability gives the worst an extraordinary intensity and power that is far greater than their numbers. It turns a revolutionary minority into a majority. It also facilitates their willingness to use terror and mass-murder as tools to achieve their end.

Terrorism

We see this same sort of intensity today in the terrorists who are trying to destroy Western culture, aiming their weapons first at its most offensive parts. Recently Denmark, in conjunction with Sweden, uncovered and stopped a terror plot to storm the building of the newspaper that published cartoons about their prophet, Mohammed. Evidently, this was to be a Mumbai-style attack wherein armed terrorists were to go inside the building with guns and attempt to shoot and kill as many people as possible. They had guns in the trunk of their car and were arrested when they entered the car to drive to a location that may be revealed during questioning (possibly a rehearsal or planning site, or the actual offices). These terrorists came from Sweden, were tracked by the Swedish security police, and that is how Sweden's became involved in this case.

If you look back at the blog posting of 12-13-2010 you will see that I noted how a 2010 (2010--180-11C, 110-18C) suicide bombing in Sweden prompted me to look back to see if there were any historical events that could be tied to this from around the year 1974 (1974--180-11I, 110-18I). There was a terrorist event around that time, but when I came to the year of new directions, around 2006 (2006--180-11N, 110-18N) the only thing I could find was the Danish publication of inflammatory cartoons in 2005 and the subsequent terrorist activity that this excited. It could be that this latest incident ties the sequence together, involving as it does both Sweden and Denmark, or that another attempt is in the works and one will eventually succeed. Of course, we hope that all terrorist activities fail, but we must remember these people are filled with a "passionate intensity," and they will not stop probing for weaknesses and attacking. The fulfillment of this sequence may still remain in the future.

Grace and peace,

Tom

Most of trust the ground beneath our feet. Nothing has happened to test that faith for the majority of us. Therefore, one can imagine how unnerving an earthquake would be. In one minute it can upend a faith based on a lifetime of experiences. Once terra firma starts shearing, rising, and jumping up and down as if it was alive our faith in this foundation is fatally wounded.

I have a feeling that the dramatic changes we will experience over the next twenty years will affect us much like earthquakes do. We trusted in this...that trust will disappear; this provided us comfort...it no longer comforts; we expected this--it was an article of faith--and it did not occur.

This intense shaking has already started. We experienced it in the 2008 financial crisis that almost caused the global financial system to completely freeze up. The Federal Reserve was bankrolling companies that many believed to be "too smart to fail." Goldman Sachs was one of them. It bankrolled European interests. And as all of this frantic activity was going on behind the scenes our faith in the financial stability of the world's markets disappeared. Since the economy is based on trust--the belief that a dollar today will be worth something tomorrow--this was a troubling development.

There is a purpose to all of this shaking. It tests what is real, what can endure and what is worth believing in. Our financial system is not what will save us. The Money God is not one worthy of worship or faith. There is only one God who is worthy of such veneration and that God is one in Essence and three in Person. He is sovereign over the passage of world events. They do not occur apart from His will or without His consent, and their appearance is perfectly timed.

If I were to suggest a bedrock foundation upon which to base one's life, a foundation that will not move no matter how bad the earthquakes are, it would be the sovereignty of God. In other words, the earthquakes are a part of His plan and we can be sure they are occurring for the good of those who belong to the family of God the Father. If God were not in control of human history, then what could we believe in? Anything could happen. But those who understand how Almighty God is sovereign over time do not fear that all is random chaos. Everything occurs to advance the establishment of the kingdom of God throughout the earth, and history reflects this.

The Template of Time: Our Destiny Decoded shows how the past 2,000 years of history have unfolded with remarkable precision on a grid of dates. It is not accidental, random or chaotic. This history covers the development of the Roman Empire, aka the Great Beast, the development of the kingdom of God through the conversion of millions, and their prophesied conflict. History is one of the strongest arguments for the sovereignty of God because it shows how the violent shakings of the past have led us to the brink of prophectic fufillments thousands of years in the making. It will also help make obscure prophecies intelligible. In short, it will provide answers for where this world is headed and will help arm the mind for the shocks and aftershocks that are upon us.

Grace and peace,

Tom  

The worst list may not consist of what is truly awful, though some of it fits that description, but rather what was infuriating, imbecilic, sophomoric and nerve-jangling. Events that were like finger nails being dragged across a chalk board may not qualify as the worst on most lists, but hey, this is my list. I hope you enjoy it.

The Worst from the USA:

Nancy Pelosi’s leadership: The former leader of the House of Representatives hales from San Francisco. Her Democratic Party has apparently decided that the values of San Francisco—a radicalism that extends far beyond any gay-rights controversies—is a broad enough base to govern from. One would think the 2010 shellacking they received from the voters would change their mind, but noooo. While their ears were still ringing from the concussive blasts that rocked their political world they decided upon this course to bring their party back from the brink: give them more Pelosi. She was recently re-elected to lead the House democrats. It was as if they said, "We'll show you. After we commit suicide you will really miss us and want us back." Only they forgot that they would be dead at that point, and having them back wasn't really much of an option.

If the Republican Party fails to govern and lead at this stage of the contest, then we can only hope for a third party to emerge that ends up eliminating the most clownish of the two major parties now in operation.

Sarah Palin: There is a large group of people who hate Sarah Palin. I am not among them. There is another group who fears her because she just might get elected. I am not a member of that group either. I don't think she is electable. I fall into the camp of being deeply disappointed in her.

When she exploded onto the public stage as John McCain’s running mate I first thought, “The Maverick has lost his mind.” As she continued to fumble, stumble, and bumble her way through the primary I thought, “Whatever her shortcomings, she has a charismatic connection with a large section of the American people that is valuable to a politician. Now, if only she will lay low after the election defeat, learn the issues, develop a governing philosophy to guide her through the times when tough decisions are required, she might become a political force.”

She became a political force, but there is little evidence that she has cultivated a political philosophy, and abundant evidence that she lacks the character that is required for effective leadership. The most glaring indication of this was her resigning her post as governor of the State of Alaska. When she signed up for the job she had a term to complete to serve those who voted for her, and she abdicated her responsibility for reasons that appear increasingly incoherent the more I reflect on them. Her resignation was inexcusable. Add to this her recent foray into “Reality TV,” the ultimate oxymoron, and one can see in her an absence of the gravitas that one hopes to see in a potential leader of the free world.  

TSA: Memo to the dragoon-squad who wants to touch my junk: “Don’t.” End of memo. The TSA job has got to be the most miserable gig in the country. They don’t hire rocket scientists, but even this churlish group can figure out that they aren’t protecting anybody and no one really likes them. I just wonder what kind of psychological damage this job is inflicting on TSA agents. After you’ve groped your fortieth grandma you’ve got to feel a little unsettled and deranged by your work. Then, after being damaged, we get to experience these people. Yikes!

Polarizing Factions: the Founding Fathers were worried about the emergence of factions, or political parties, and their tendency to excite passions, demagogue, and stir up the masses. Today we have Democrats and Republicans competing against each other to see who can make us retch the most often. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could focus on the problems at hand and develop solutions for them?

Rod Blagojevich: If there is one thing I can’t stand it is a shameless politician. You know the type. The one who gets caught on videotape with his hand in the cookie jar and then spends the rest of his life calling us all fools for believing what we saw, and claiming he is a towering figure of righteousness. If you’ve never witnessed such a spectacle before then take a trip to Planet Blago. It is a land where right is left, up is down, and lies are truth.

Reality TV: The lack of funds and the absence of imagination have landed us in the cultural dead-zone called Reality TV. It did not begin in 2010, nor has it sunk to its lowest level. Based on current trends it has yet to plumb the depths of narcissistic vapidity, so, in all likelihood, it will remain a worst performer for many years to come.

Justin Bieber: put simply, I just don’t get it.

The Worst of 2010 From Abroad:

When we extend our view beyond our shores then America's worst candidates appear to be virtuous in comparison with Kim Jong-il of North Korea, and Iran’s Mahmoud Amadenijad.

Jong-il’s provocative, warlike actions have the Korean peninsula on the verge of war. His insane policies have his people either starving or on the verge of starvation. He is, in short (no pun intended for the diminutive leader with the pompadour), an evil person.

When we come to Ahmadinejad the record is not as bad, but this likely due to his not having the same degree of power as Jong-il. We must not forget that Ahmadinejad is the second banana in Iran and Khameini is the one in power. But Ahmadinejad is the face of Iran and his pronouncements against the USA and the State of Israel, his election that was likely fraudulent, his suppression of the protesters, and the actions that would likely follow his ascent to the top of Iranian political power, make him a sold international choice for the worst list.

Much of the chaos that I predicted would occur on or around the year 2010 has mercifully avoided us for much, if not all, of this year. These events could take place in the 2011-201 time frame and still fulfill the Template of Time's patterning of history. Or they might not take place at all, and I hope the chaos doesn't. But 2000 years of recorded history point to our entering an age where the world will be utterly transformed by changes that are difficult to imagine.

Where is this world headed? The Template of Time: Our Destiny Decoded will offer unique insights into the answer of this important question.

Grace and peace,

Tom

It is a tradition in America to post best and worst lists at the end of each year, recounting what went right and what went wrong. Far be it from me to ever go against the current. So here is a best list from this year. It is short. It only offers three selections and one of them comes from overseas and it does not involve movies, books, TV programs, celebrities and all of the other truly important stuff that other lists cover.

The Best from the USA:

The U.S. military: When the surge of troops entered Iraq few thought they could make a difference. After all, the nation of Iraq was lurching towards a full-blown civil war and a little over 100,000 soldiers could not make much of a difference once millions of Iraqis decided to fight each other. But they stabilized the situation and are allowing U.S. soldiers to depart this troubled region with a measure of dignity and the nation’s thanks. We can only hope that the soldiers who are fighting in Afghanistan, a decentralized, tribal chaos, will be able to leave ASAP since every dollar we invest in that region is funding Afghani corruption. Our Army trains soldiers, and has been for years, and yet what areas are these Afghan troops securing? The motivated Afghan soldiers are fighting for their tribal warlords. Whether we can leave with dignity or not, for the sake of our brave soldiers we need to leave. War needs an objective and when can you say you've conquered Afghanistan? With its Pakistani safe haven intact this objective cannot be met. And if the safe haven was gone, and Afghanistan was pacified and occupied by 500,000 U.S. Army soldiers, what exactly have you conquered? A tribal people who will return to their tribal form of government as soon as we leave.

The Tea Party Movement: President Obama’s reckless spending did what the Republican leadership never could: it awakened the American independent and Republican voters to the need to rescue our nation from the fiscal insanity that began with George W. Bush and took a quantum leap forward with Barack Obama. The Tea Party Movement was derided by the mainstream, largely-liberal press and the Tea Partiers could have cared less. They organized, energized and resuscitated a Republican party that had been left for dead due to its feckless leadership and general stupidity. Whether or not the Republican Party can rise to the challenge of governing effectively remains to be seen. What has been established beyond a doubt is the Pelosi-wing of the Democratic Party is incapable of governing in a way that is acceptable to the vast majority of the American people.

The Best From Abroad:

The British Government: I am not a big fan of politicians, conservative or liberal, but when both parties band together to do the smart thing and the right thing I am left staring at the event in wonder. After all, this sort of thing is as common as Halley’s comet.

When the British went to the polls in 2010 they failed to elect a clear conservative or liberal majority. When the two sides met and horse-traded they put together a coalition government that is in the process of instituting some remarkably tough austerity measures that acknowledge this simple math formula: we cannot keep spending what we do not have. The U.S. state governments will have to cross this Rubicon shortly. Our states are on the verge of bankruptcy because greedy politicians have feathered their nest with the people’s hard earned money by creating government pension programs that cannot possibly be funded. Since they cannot be funded they must be both cut and restructured. This will require political will and intelligence, something that does not exist in the state of Illinois where I now live. But, God willing, the voters will wake up one day and elect a slate of politicians who understand the problem and have the character to pursue the solutions AND remain out of jail for corruption.

The Worst of 2010 List is much longer and will appear tomorrow. Until then,

Grace and peace,

Tom

When Jesus was born eternity entered the sphere of time, the timeless fused with time and history changed from that day forward. It was such a remarkable event that it caused the church tremendous difficulties when it came to explaining what had happened when Jesus was born. What was He? God or man or both? And if both, how could you explain this? Was He one man with two natures or did He possess one nature? And if He was God the Son, and there was God the Father, then how could God be one God and yet more than one?

It took the church about 500 years to determine what it believed, and to answer these vexing questions. Most of the answers came from Greek theologians who, being raised in a philosophically vibrant world, had minds with a subtlety capable of wrestling with these issues. The Roman world of that time was dominated by two spheres of thought: the Latin in the West and the Greek in the East. This bifurcation became obvious when the eastern half dropped Latin as their official language in the seventh century and oped for Greek. It was through the efforts of the theologically gifted people of the eastern half of the empire that Christian orthodox thought evolved. And what became historically significant, the eastern half that became the Byzantine Empire never lost its love of theology. This led to much hairsplitting and eventually the dissociation of the eastern and western churches. 

What Do We Do With This Man Jesus Called the Christ?

The First Ecumenical Council of Nicea, in 325 (326--100-3N), occurred in Turkey, the eastern half of the empire, and it tackled the question of whether or not Jesus was and is God. This meant the eastern bishops were well represented, but bishops from around the empire were invited and attended. In a notable intrusion of the state into the business of the church, this council was called by Emperor Constantine to settle a question raised by a man named Arius. He claimed Jesus was a created being--He was begotten--and therefore, since there was a time before His being born when He did not exist, He could not be God.

The Council of Nicea strongly disagreed with Arius and his interpretation of "begotten." This did not prevent the New Age Movement, and The Da Vinci Code, from circulating the ludicrous nonsense that the idea that Jesus was God was forced down the throat of the Christian church by Constantine and that the vote to determine his divinity was a close vote.

First, the vote was a landslide in favor of Jesus' divinity. Around 300 bishops attended and only two voted for the position that Jesus was not God. As for Constantine, he only cared that a single orthodox position came into being to unify the empire. He did not want a religion disrupting his empire's peace. Every authoritarian figure since has striven to impose a unity of thought. That is why he called this council to settle this issue. Once settled, he instituted harsh penalties against those who would promulgate the Arian teachings. However, in an amazing about face that brought great turmoil to the empire, Constantine later sided with Arius and died an Arian. Far from supporting the position of Jesus' divinity, he opposed it and his son who ruled after him opposed it. 

When you look at the Nicene Council's original formulation you can see how it was crafted to counter the arguments of Arius. The quotations that are in brackets were in the original formulation of the Nicene Creed, but were later removed during the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople in 381 (380--70-5C).

"We believe in one God... And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;

The Nicene Creed's conclusion was completely removed by the Second Ecumenical Council. It went:

"[But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.]"

The other two Ecumenical Councils that developed Christian thought, and the Synod of Orange that decided for Augustine's vision of grace, unfolded on the Template of Time with remarkable precision. The Third Ecumenical Council of Ephesus occurred in 431 (430--100-4C). The Fourth Ecumenical Council of Chalcedon occurred in 451 (450--70-6C) and the Synod of Orange occurred in 529 (530--500-C). It makes sense that Augustine's vision of theology triumphed at the conclusion of the first 500-year season for it would rule over Christian thought until the arrival of Aquinas. His monumental Summa Theologica, that was left unfinished at his death in 1274 (1274--70-4I), also appeared on the Template of Time, but it was rejected by the Reformers whose thought aligned more closely with Augustine's.

Eternity Enters Time

The history of the Christian Church is both fascinating and important, because history is, in part, the realization of prophecy. God's eternal Word declares what will be, and these prophecies are ultimately realized in the sphere of time, or history. In this we see the Word of God inscripturated, His prophecies, entering the sphere of time, just as the Word of God incarnated did. In both instances God's eternal Word intersects with time.

The importance of history is this: if we do not know our history we will be lost when it comes to understanding the prophecies of God, for prophecy and history are one. Prophecy is the initiating impulse from eternity and history is its culmination in the sphere of time. The Template of Time: Our Destiny Decoded, is more than a collection of evidence that a Design of Time exists. It is also a historical vision of the advance of the kingdom of God that covers the above development of its doctrine and its disemination by the evangelization of the world. This vision will help make the prophecies of God, that will soon come into fulfillment, easier to understand. For prophecy divorced from history is mere speculation and fancy that can lead the earnest believer down paths that simply make no sense.

When the Eternal enters time it is to fulfill its mission to redeem time and history. When we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, upon our saving faith in Jesus, we have an example of the mortal and immortal intersecting for the purpose of redemption. Ultimately, that which appeared in time, our bodies, will be made eternal as the gift of eternal life is realized in bodies of light. And history, the non-stop series of man-made disasters, will be redeemed by the government of the Messiah. The creation of the heavens and the earth will be redeemed and replaced by a new heaven and a new earth. That which exists in the sphere of time, all of creation, is not heading to its end, but to its perfection. It started with the impulse, "Let there be light!" And it will end with the sons and daughters of God becoming children of light. 

Merry Christmas,

Tom

Jim O'Neill, Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management is perhaps best known for coining the acronym BRIC. The BRIC nations are the emerging markets and BRIC stands for Brazil, Russia, India, and China. He recommended investing in these nations a decade ago and those who did fared spectacularly well.

Now he has come out with another tag-line and that is: 2011 is the year of the USA. What he means by this is the USA will enter a period of strong and prolonged GDP growth fueled largely by increased exports, and increased consumption due to declining unemployment. He now thinks the U.S. market is the place to be and that it will experience 20% growth in 2011.

I don't see anything to refute that other than the economic consequences of a potential Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, a huge spike in the price of oil and the drag this would likely cause on the economy. But this strike, though I believe it will happen in 2011, may be delayed until 2012. Or it may never occur since no one can predict future events with absolute certainty.

Until then, I would rather focus on the good news. The U.S. economy is on the mend. The GDP projections are rising and this brings with it the likelihood of a declining jobless situation. After the trauma of the 2008 melt down, and the gloom that has followed us ever since, I think a little good news is a great tonic for our country and can help turn pessimism into optimism and optimism into constructive action--more banks lending, more businesses investing, more growth.

Finally, Christmas is just around the corner. During this orgy of consumerism let's try to remember the example of the One who set His glory aside and became flesh, was born in the humblest of circumstances, for our sake so that He might extend to us the gift of eternal life. If you've received this gift, then no matter what else happens to you during this life, you will have lived a successful life of eternal worth.

Grace and peace,

Tom

China seems intent on making the Yellow Sea its private pond, but the other nations with interests in or near this sea are not going along with this plan. If you recall, not very long ago, China and Japan were locked in a battle of wills over a captain whose ship was operating in waters Japan claims as their own around the Senkaku/Daioyu Islands. His ship allegedly rammed Japan's patrol boat and he was arrested and detained. Their diplomatic relations were almost completely shut down during this episode. Now we have a similar incident occurring between China and S. Korea and once again it involves a Chinese boat that has allegedly rammed the patrol boat of another nation.

China is demanding compensation from S. Korea over an incident involving around 50 Chinese fishing boats operating illegally in S. Korea's waters, according to S. Korea. One of these fishing boats capsized after it rammed a S. Korean patrol boat, resulting in the death of one of its crew and another missing at sea. This actually occurred during the weekend, but it was kept quiet during the build up of tensions between S. and N. Korea.

What is China doing? It appears they are provoking minor incidents to see how S. Korea and Japan will respond to them, and to get a better gauge on their capabilities. In military parlance it is called "probing by fire," and it involves firing at an enemy position to get them to fire back. Once they've fired back you can get a read as to where their crew-served weapons are and can then neutralize them during or before the planned battle occurs.

Is China going to war with Japan and Korea? Japan and China seem headed to conflict though not in the near term, but Korea and China do not. Then what is China's ultimate aim? It is not war with either of these countries; its target is Taiwan and making ti a part of greater China by diplomacy or conquest. The Yellow Sea flows into the Straits of Taiwan.

Israel and Gaza

According to today's Wall Street Journal, p. A 15, "Israel launched an unusually heavy series of airstrikes on Gaza in retaliation for Palestinian rocket attacks, raising the prospect of a new round of fighting after a relative lull for two years." The Template of Time forecasts an eventual opening up of two fronts in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. This conflict will grow in intensity and involve the surrounding nations (Syria and Egypt and possibly Iraq). The Gaza incident is just one more indication of how fragile the peace is in this volatile region.

In a world of conflict, war and terrorism we sometimes wonder, "Where is this world headed?" The Template of Time: Our Destiny Decoded offers a compelling vision of how history has unfolded on a template with a consistency that rules out chance and suggests future outcomes.

Grace and peace,

Tom

In the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail a couple of men are pushing a cart through a grim street while another walks beside it shouting, "Bring out your dead!" The cart is filling up with dead bodies. Suddenly a man approaches the cart carrying an old man who protests, "I'm not dead yet." The man who is carrying him argues, "But you will be soon enough." He answers, "I'm feeling better."

The scene reminds me of the way people are writing off America, pronouncing it dead, while they stare with admiration and wonder at China. This has become something of a ritual. Prior to China's emergence it was Japan who was supplanting the U.S. Nothing could prevent Japan Inc from both surpassing America or from buying it at a bargain basement price.

"I'm not dead yet," history protests, but fearful Americans, and resentful "friends," or allies reply, "You will be soon enough."

Christians point to our moral decline and say, "It is God's judgment on America. Who can prevent God from dealing justly with America?" To which I reply, "If God dealt with any nation from a standpoint of justice and justice alone, then what nation could stand?" None. It is not God's justice that will sustain America, but His mercy. He has dealt mercifully with America from its inception and the template shows He will continue to be merciful. We don't deserve it. We have never deserved it. But God's gracious intervention in the lives of individuals, and nations, has never been predicated on what we have earned or deserved.

The Template of Time contains a powerful argument regarding why America will remain preeminent. Where is this world headed? Why not find out for yourself.

Grace and peace,

Tom

When I predicted the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy would be overturned it was not based on a forecast. Forecasts are generated by the preceding historical events that unfold on the Template of Time. Predictions are based on what I see as being likely to happen. They are an opinion. The "Don't ask, Don't Tell" policy seemed to me to be doomed once the Secretary of Defense opposed it and the Pentagon study said it would not be disruptive.

Will it destroy the military? I only served for three years in the U.S. Army a long time ago, but based on my limited experience I cannot imagine it will make a big difference. When I served it was common knowledge that one of our officers was gay. He was part of the battalion staff so his position was designated by the letter "S" followed by a number (1 signified the battalion commander's staff, 2 was for intelligence, etc.). So the person in charge of military intelligence was the S-2. The gay officer was commonly referred to as "Sugar One," so his homosexuality was well-known, or suspected, and everyone just kept doing their jobs and not worrying about what his preference was.

My forecast regarding the Supreme Court ruling in favor of gay marriage is a much more significant event, should it come to pass. That could have many unforeseen consequences as it redefines what has been a traditional building block of civilization: the marriage unit. Also, authorizing gay marriage currently does not appear to be as likely as the overturning of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was, but the forecast suggests it will occur and I've learned to go with what the Template of Time suggests rather than what seems likely.

Even though the N. Korean's blinked, failing to attack S. Korea for its live fire exercise, the Korean situation remains a tense one. I am praying for peace and for the transformation of the N. Korean gulag-state into one that embraces freedom for its people. 

Grace and peace,

Tom