Inconsistent thinkers love to quote the wooly-headed Ralph Waldo Emerson line: "consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." I think it is more accurate to say, "Inconsistent thinking is the hobbling of the mind," because iconsistent thinkers disable their ability to reason or think logiAnd when it comes to political figures the wildly partisan are about as inconsistent as it gets.

Take the latest salvo sent at President OBama. Now, as a reader of this blog knows, I am against his economic programs. I think they are European-style socialist in their orientation and severely flawed. So I am no big fan of OBama. But it annoys me to no end to have people refusing to give him the credit for authorizing the Seal-Team 6 raid on OSama's mansion. When President Carter authorized a raid to free the hostages in Iran, and it failed, he rightly received the blame. He was the Commander in Chief and the success or blame belonged to him. In the end he received the blame and Reagan received the White House.

And so it is with OBama. He made a gutsy decision to send in a team into Pakistan, almost certainly without their knowledge or consent--how can you confide in a government who is allowing OSama to live there unmolested?--and the opportunities for failure were many. The unexpected happens. One of their Blackhawk helicopters was disabled on landing. But he made the call and it worked. To not give him the credit and to hold Carter in derision for his failed rescue attempt--which I assure you, the Obama-bashers do--is an example of inconsistent thinking of the most partisan sort.

Believe me, I understand how the left-wing lunatics are every bit as guilty, but so what. Inconsistent thinking is a self-invoked curse on one's own ability to see clearly whether one is a right winger or a left winger. I am sure the rage that drives it warms those who are motivated to indulge in this game, but I find it sad. To be blind is to suffer a disability. To be willfully blind is to disable yourself.

Grace and peace,

Tom

First, congratulations to the U.S. Special Operations unit that executed the al-Qaeda terrorist chieftain named Osama bin Laden. For ten years he has been on the loose, but the time arrived for his exiting this world and he has gone, like we all will, to meet his maker. However, I have this sneaking suspicion that the reality of hell will not approximate his fantasy of dozens of virgins awaiting to fulfill his lusts. Now that I've unburdened myself of those warm sentiments, onto Israel.


The reason why I believed Mubarak would be removed from office (forecast in my book The Template of Time; see p. 191) was because the template strongly suggested Israel would be at war with both Syria and Egypt in the near future (c. 2010-2013, with 2011 and 2012 being the most likely dates). Now that Mubarak is gone, Egypt is rapidly moving toward conflict with Israel. Note the following actions:


1. Mubarak virtually blockaded the Gaza Strip and, along with Israel, patrolled its shores to prevent arms from being smuggled in by sea. The new regime is opening its border to Gaza.


2. Mubarak kept Iran at arms length. The new regime is opening up diplomatic relations with Iran.


3. Mubarak viewed the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood as a hostile and illegal force. Under the new regime the Muslim Brotherhood is now legal and set to make big gains in the coming elections due to the fact that they are politically organized while the people who overthrew Mubarak are not.


4. Mubarak would never move to strengthen Hamas' hand, but the new regime has brokered a deal uniting Hamas (the ruling party in Gaza) and Fatah (the ruling party in the West Bank). These two Palestinian factions were previously hostile toward one another. In fact, Fatah was ousted from its rule over Gaza by Hamas. This unity is not viewed favorably by Israel. Netanyahu, Israel's Prime Minister, told Abbas, the leader of the Palestinians on the West Bank, that they need to choose between peace with Israel or peace with Hamas. 


Well, Mr. Netanyahu, they have made their choice. Not surprisingly, with the strategic shifts in power rocking the Middle East, and threatening the tenuous peace existing there between the Arab nations and Israel, Netanyahu is now flying to the USA to meet with political leaders in the U.S. It is not certain that he has secured a meeting with President Obama (based on public reports).


I was enjoying lunch the other day with a friend I have known now for many years. He is a Jewish atheist who I always enjoy meeting because he's a delightful guy and we have such spirited debates. He now concedes that my forecast for a conflict between Israel and the surrounding nations appears inevitable, but he cannot bring himself to admit that I made this forecast using a template based on Biblical time-cycles and important dates from the life of Jesus. He thinks I was able to see this because of my secular knowledge of history.


I responded, "How could I have seen Mubarak being ousted when no one else was saying he would be?" His answer, "Because he was so old. It was likely." Then I asked, "How could this be unfolding on the dates forecast by the template if the template did not exist?" "Conflict was likely, and the dates are coincidental." 


He has never explained how the previous 2,000 years coincidentally followed this pattern as well. What my friend is guilty of is tautological thinking. "This template can't exist because it can't exist." The facts supporting its existence are summarily dismissed because facts can't support what doesn't exist. There is a reason why his mental filter is so sensitively attuned to rejecting the possibility of the Template of Time's existence. If it does exist, then his atheistic worldview would crumble before the fact that history is not random but the sovereign outworking of God's plan. 


I will continue to pray for my friend, because I do not want the words I have shared with him to be used against him when he stands before the throne of judgment and God says, "But I sent my servant Tom Payne, your friend, to share with you the news of Jesus Christ and still you rejected my offer of salvation through the Son of God. You are therfore found guilty." My friend, like bin Laden, myself, and everyone else, will one day have to stand in front of his Maker and either be accepted into the kingdom of perfect peace or exiled into the world of his choosing, a world apart from God. Pray that he, his wife and family, and everyone you know personally, may receive the mercy that is available to all through a faith in Jesus.


Grace and peace,


Tom


 

The Wall Street Journal carries an article this morning that posits how a pragmatic Israel supports the continuation of the brutal Assad regime. Before reacting to this with accusations of how this Zionist state is the incarnation of evil--as some people believe--I think it might be helpful to try and view the situation from the standpoint of the people who are living in this troubled state.

Israel is in a tough bind right now. Their arch-enemy, Iran, is expanding its influence throughout the region. It is stirring the pot in Bahrain, is improving relations with its Shi'ite brothers in Iraq, and has long been a military ally of Syria. The fear is this: if Assad falls, then will the next person in power be someone anointed by Iran and, therefore, even more overtly hostile toward Israel and its interests? The conclusion they've drawn is Syria would tilt even further against Israel should Assad fall and I think their conclusion is right.

The Template of Time strongly suggests Israel and Syria will be at war this year or in the following years (2012-2013), with the likelihood being the years of 2011-2012. This is because the historical movement of conflict, the Yom Kippur War in 1973 (1974--180-11I, 110-18I), received a new impulse of historical energy exactly when the template forecast it would. This was Israel's conflict with Syria's proxy army, Hezbollah, in 2006 (2006--180-11N, 110-18N), and its bombing of Syria's nuclear facilities in 2007. This points to a larger, more destructive war between the two nations as this sequence achieves its culmination around the year 2010 (2010--180-11C, 110-18C; or, since this year has passed, 2011-2013).

President Assad may be overthrown, or Iran's support for his regime could keep him in power. Either way, Iran's influence over Syria increases, as does the potential for conflict with Israel.

Less clear is Egypt's involvement in this conflict since the new direction phase c. 2006 was not as pronounced. However, since Israel invaded Sinai in 2008, and was at war with Hamas, the involvement of Egyptian citizens and Hamas in a conflict with Israel is likely. This then could lead to the Egyptian army becoming a part of the conflict as the situation deteriorates.

The bottom line: Israel will likely be involved in a two or three front war in the next 12-24 months. What a nightmare the Middle East has been and will be.

Grace and peace,

Tom

One of the many forecasts that are strongly suggested (meaning, more likely to occur) is the outbreak of a wave of terrorism across Europe, with the UK and Spain receiving an exceptionally large dose of it. The USA will suffer from homegrown terror cells. Russia will be on the receiving end of terrorist acts from its Muslim population and Israel will be constantly attacked by Hamas, Hezbollah, and Palestinian terror cells. That's the grim forecast and the timing of these terrorist events is now, or in the years following (2012-2013).

It could be that one of the first shots of this new age of terror was just fired in Morocco, where a cafe frequented by foreign tourists was hit by a terrorist's bomb. There were 14 people killed and 20 wounded and sadly, this I feel is just the beginning. The attacks will ultimately migrate across the Mediterranean and occur on European soil.

It makes no sense; it is a manifestation of irrational hatred. What can one do? Pray for the salvation of the lost is one thing, because Jesus is the only answer that works and endures. People who are born again receive a new heart with new affections, and one of them is a love that comes from God. Only Jesus, through the mighty power of His saving grace, can rid the world of this irrational fanaticism. Come quickly Lord.

Grace and peace,

Tom 

On February 16, 2011 I wrote the following:

Yemen: Some forecasts seem more obvious than others. When I find one of that type I typically say that the template strongly suggests a certain outcome. In this case I will say that the template strongly suggests a change of leadership in Yemen around the 2010 cycle-date. The two sequences we are studying converge on the year 2010. Both of these sequences begin with a change in leadership (in 1974 in N. Yemen and in 1977, 1978 in both N. and S. Yemen). This suggests a new direction to this movement in history which would mean a new leader. This could come from a coup, violence or abdication. I have no idea which, but I do believe a change will occur. Based on the current level of violence it would appear it will be sooner than later. Also, the current leader, Saleh, has been the President of N. Yemen since 1978 and of united Yemen since its inception. This also points to a new direction in leadership around the year 2010. If a change in leadership fails to occur in the 2011-2013 time frame I will be very surprised. [Addition to the original post: I just read a BBC online article that says Saleh will not seek to remain in office beyond the year 2013 so it appears history is once again going to conform to the Template of Time.]


The rebels who once opposed granting President Saleh immunity are now willing to do so and it appears they have reached an agreement wherein he will step down from power. For those of you who say such a forecast was obvious I would say, "As obvious as Gadhafi's staying in power? It seemed obvious he would be ousted, and he still may, but in the chaotic flow of history things are only obvious in retrospect...unless history conforms to a pattern that makes its 

Yemen's leader, President Saleh, negotiated an agreement allowing him to step down, but it failed to satisfy those demanding his ouster. They were not happy about the little clause that gave him amnesty for any and all crimes he may or may not have committed. So Yemen is back in a ferment of protest. Whatever, the case Saleh has said he will step down by 2013 and this confirms the Template's prediction. However, I believe it will likely be this year.

As for Bahrain, everything seemed so quiet after the Saudi tanks rumbled over the causeway to support the Sunni regime that is in power. Now we are reading how the Bahrainian government has proof that Iran is busily training insurgents and rebels, through their Hezbollah proxy, to overthrow the existing regime (see WSJ , 4-25-2011). The Template of Time believes these accusations are true because it is forecasting the overthrow of this Sunni government and its replacement by a Shi'ite, pro-Iranian government either in 2011, or 2012-2013.

The one person who originally seemed most likely to be overthrown, Gadhaffi-Qadafi-Khadaffi (remember when he was virtually surrounded by successful rebel forces?) now appears to be relatively secure in a divided Libya. The template does not forecast his removal from power. It could happen, but there is nothing I see on the template projecting this outcome.

Finally, Qatar is virtually out of the news. Yet the template forecasts a change in leadership for this country. To see what is forecasted for these countries and others like the UAE and Kuwait in the Forecasts section of this website.

Grace and peace,

Tom

My time with Minister Fortson was very enjoyable because he is a gracious host. Unfortunately, something beyond his control, marred the interview. When I first started out the echo I was hearing was so bad and so loud I could not continue. I would say something and it would be blaring right back in my ear while I was trying to complete the sentence or thought. I hung up and called back. When I returned to the program it was still there only not as loud. It still made it extremely difficult to respond to his questions.

Additionally, he told me he was hacked during the interview and was able to thwart the attack. Hmmm. Did somebody not want to hear what I was trying to say?

The lesson I learned was to not continue the interview when there is such a distraction. Hang up and call back, hang up and call back, until a better connection is made.

I will be doing the final interview on this book (until events once again conform to the template, as I believe they will) on Wednesday night on Tenacity Radio. The link is http://www.tenacityradio.com/ The program is called Spirit Finders, its host is Christopher Andrews and it will be live on April 20 at 10 PM CST. I look forward to this and pray for a good connection.

Some of the topics I think I will focus on are the anticipated outcomes in the Middle East, the anticipated explosion of terrorism throughout Europe and Israel, the outbreak of homegrown terrorism in the USA, and other related topics. I will also cover the sovereignty of God and the need to be less judgmental toward those with whom one disagrees. Until then,

Grace and peace,

Tom

Tonight I will be on Minister Fortson's BlogTalk Radio program entitled, the Omega Hour. The link is

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ministerfortson/2011/04/15/tom-payne--template-of-time

If you are a listener of this program and this is your first visit to the site, then welcome! To get your arms around this idea I would recommend going back to the home page and familiarize yourself with the Template's structure. I've also included the first chapter to help make the design of the template easier to follow. But if you find yourself getting tangled up in knots please remember it is this simple: a movement begins, around 32 years later it is moved in a new direction, and around four years after that this new direction grows and achieves its culmination. This 36-year sequence is the heart and soul of the template.

The rest of the template locates where the movement will begin (e.g., many historical movements began around 1974) and, finally, there is a time structure--called a Fractal--that gives these 36 year sequences a special significance. But in each and every case we are talking about a 36-year sequence.

The Template of Time does forecast a period of wars and upheaval, offers specific players and approximate times. You will find very specific forecasts in the "Forecasts" section regarding China, the Middle East and North Africa turmoil and more. But it also offers a vision of hope. While the world is being shaken great spiritual outpourings are forecast to occur. One of the most hopeful messages of all is this: as crazy and chaotic as these historic upheavals seem, they are all part of God's plan. His kingdom cannot be thwarted and His will cannot be overcome. All of the machinations of whomever or whatever makes you fearful, from the Great Beast to the New World Order, will fail. God is sovereign over time and all of its productions. He wins. Hallelujah!

Grace and peace,

Tom

I've just returned from Cabo San Lucas where Joni and I spent days together perfecting the art of doing nothing. I think I overachieved in this area. I did not run once, and I ate and drank my way to gaining five pounds. God willing that will fly off in about three days.

It felt good to roam around Cabo's Marina in the warmth, eat outside, and forget about the relentless Chicago winter. Right now it looks like we will get a warm weather break this week, but will return to the high 40's and low 50's soon after.

My biggest surprise during the vacation was the quality of the sushi at Nicksan's. Like I said, we did plenty of nothing, so the surprises were all at the small end of the scale.

I watched Butler and U Conn play one of the most boring NCAA final games in history and experienced my second biggest surprise. I did not fall asleep during the game. Patient's should watch a rerun of this game before the anesthetic gas is turned on. It will naturally take them them to that twilight world between wakefulness and sleep.

Meanwhile, the world is wobbling along on its axes and everything seems to be settling into a kind of ho-hum routine. The rebels in Libya advance, they retreat, advance-retreat, repeat, repeat. In Egypt the Muslim Brotherhood is starting to make noise, but it is drowned out by louder noises. Iran is keeping a low profile--low for Iran. Maybe we will just bumble through this time period and preserve the status quo? Unfortunately, history is too dynamic to allow this situation to last.

Grace and peace,

Tom

If there is one thing the template communicates to us it is this: there is no such thing as luck or chance; nothing happens by accident. What is even more extraordinary, the interweaving of the trillions upon trillions of everyday details are perfectly timed. And finally, somehow this perfectly orchestrated activity involves free will.

No one has convincingly or adequately illustrated how free will and the sovereignty of God can co-exist, but it is a matter of faith that they do. When I struggle to conceive how they work together the best I can come up with is this. There is a plan that will be accomplished. God sends out His call: "Who will accomplish this task for me?" And someone unconsciously hears this voice and is motivated to respond, "Here am I. Send me." The way is then opened for this individual to succeed no matter what the odds, for he or she is to fulfill a sovereign unalterable decree from the Most High.

There are problems with this illustration as with all others, but it suggests the two ideas of predestination and free will can coexist.

When we consider the turmoil that is occurring throughout the world we can be thankful it has yet to hit our shores in like manner. But if it does we can be certain of this: it is not an accident; it is the unfolding of a plan that existed before the creation of the world; and the shaking serves the purpose of revealing what is false and what is true as well as turning our neglectful hearts to God.

Grace and peace,

Tom