HomeARC ML 3152
WORLD CURRENTS!--No.87 Maria #407 CM/FM 3152 10/97
The Asian Crash and Worldwide Stock Market Plunge!
1. ({\ul \i Note}: Falling stock markets and currency devaluations have been jarring Asia for months. This Asian crash finally hit the U.S. as well. On October 27, 1997, the U.S. stock market made its biggest one-day point drop ever. The 554-point plunge brought a 7 percent reduction in the market's value, and currency markets from Beijing to Bonn and Buenos Aires nosedived. The next day the Dow industrials recovered a record 337 points of that loss, and the U.S. stock market has been fluctuating erratically since then. Markets in Asia have stabilized a little, but investors remain nervous.)
2. {\b \i (Mama:) }We received the following messages from the Lord and Dad, when asking about the significance of the recent stock market crash in Asia, which had worldwide repercussions:
3. {\b \i (Vision:)} I see a puppeteer dressed in a long, black, hooded cape. I can't see his face clearly because of the big hood which is casting a shadow on his face. I get the impression I'm not supposed to see his face right now. He's handling several marionettes all at once, and he's making them dance. The puppeteer's looking down on them, and although I can't see his face, I have the impression that he's smirking.
4. He's talking in a sinister tone, saying, "Ahhhh, that's it! You're right in place now! You move here, and you move over there. Up and down--dance, dance, dance to my tune! You must dance, dance to my music! That's it, dance, dance to my tune! Uh, uh, uh--no, no--you mustn't try to remove those strings, for they are what hold you up. If you cut them, you'll only find yourself tangled in a mess of broken strings as you collapse and fall to the ground.
5. "Dance, marionettes, dance! Don't try to do it alone, for I'm at the controls, and only I can bring order out of the complexity of all these strings. Dance, marionettes, dance! I'll move you here, and I'll move you there. I'm connecting you all firmly to my hand piece, where I can control you, manipulate you, and monitor your movements.
6. "See? As long as you dance to my tunes, your strings and wires will stay untangled. I'll keep you afloat and you'll be able to move and dance about--albeit my way and according to my tune. But I'm sure you can see that would be much better than tangling up in a network of strings and wires as you crash and fall to the ground! So dance over here, marionette--arms up. Dance over there--arms down. Kick up your heels, march those feet! Now, take a bow. Dance, dance, dance to my tune!"
7. Down below I see the marionettes dancing on top of a world map. Each marionette represents a country or an area of the world. There's Hong Kong, Japan, the U.S., Europe, and others. The puppeteer has his strings firmly attached to each one, and he's manipulating them quite well.
8. It seems as if he's training the marionettes, like he's practicing with them. He's moving them into place, showing them their positions and where they need to stand. He'll pull on the strings to make one marionette raise his leg or his arm, or cause him to stand real erect. Then all of a sudden with one quick flick of the puppeteer's hand, the same marionette will fall down--not completely, but almost, as if he's going to collapse on the floor.
9. Marionettes have strings or wires that are attached to their different body parts--their head, shoulders, hands, knees and feet, their joints and limbs. If you don't hold them up just right, the strings can get all tangled up and they can collapse. And if they get too tangled, you're unable to move them or use them at all, and it's a real mess!--Somewhat like having a ball of yarn that's all in one big tangle, and when you try to pull and tug on one piece of the yarn, the snarl just gets tighter.
10. The puppeteer holds the hand piece in his hand, and he's able to move the marionettes all around. They have a great amount of mobility--especially when the puppeteer really knows how to work them using the hand piece to which all the strings are attached.
11. The puppeteer is manipulating the marionettes very skillfully, and he seems to be boasting about the fact that he can make them dance any way he wants. It's very interesting, because these marionettes are all connected to the same bar or hand piece that controls them. I think there's normally one hand piece per marionette, but this puppeteer has them all rigged together. Their strings are attached to one large hand piece that he's using to manipulate all the marionettes at the same time. They're all linked together, so that the way one marionette moves affects all the other marionettes, as the puppeteer is manipulating them all.
12. Now the puppeteer is moving away, and he's hanging the hand piece that he uses to control the marionettes on some type of control panel. It's fascinating, because the marionettes keep moving! Somehow, through this device that the hand piece is hanging on, the puppeteer is able to keep the marionettes moving and dancing the way he wants them to move by remote control.
13. Now the puppeteer is walking over to a side room. His back is toward me, and he's removing his long, black cape and putting on a coat. It's a dark suit coat and it looks very sharp, very tailored. It's very businesslike attire. It doesn't look quite like a military uniform, but it's all neat and pressed like that. Now he's combing his hair, and it looks like he's fixing his tie. I can't see real clearly because his back is to me.
14. It's obvious he's preparing to go somewhere. He's standing there looking in the mirror, checking that he's groomed just right. I can't see the reflection of his face in the mirror; a shadow is cast on it. He's straightening his jacket and it seems like he's going to walk out. All this time, the marionettes keep moving, and he's controlling them by this remote control. (End of vision.)
15. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} Eight things a comet doth bring when on high it doth range--wind, famine, plague, death to kings, war, earthquakes, floods, and direful change. Have not these current events been heralded by My messenger Hale-Bopp? I have set signs and wonders in the heavens as well as on the Earth, that the world may be warned. And as I have sent the warning, so follows the event. For these things must come to pass that all that I have spoken through the mouth of My holy prophets may be fulfilled.
16. Rejoice in this, My children, and be glad! Look up, for your redemption draws nigh! All these events--financial crashes, emergencies, plagues, wars, the winds of the air, the rains from the heavens, the warm current of the sea--are pointing one way, for these are the signs of the times, the signs of the End!
17. Have I not spoken and have I not been preparing you, lo, these many years for this day? For the End must needs come! Therefore, watch and pray and lend a listening ear, for this is the day that all the prophets have dreamed of! Watch and pray, My children, and make ready, for a day of harvest is come!
18. Him that will discern, let him discern. The sands of time are falling; the hourglass is running. The stage is set. The curtain is soon to go up as the next scene is about to begin, and the Wicked One is about to be revealed! His stagehands are setting the props in place. They're adjusting the lights and setting the stage, as the Wicked One prepares backstage. He's in the dressing room, and the final touches are being made on his make-up. He's putting on his cloak for his premiere performance, soon to begin on stage.
19. He's testing his marionettes and making them ready--testing their strings, adjusting their wires, lubricating their joints and limbs so that they will move with ease and in harmony and synchronization for the final dance.
20. Some of the marionettes have been in the hands of the puppeteer for a long time, and are more tried and proven. All their parts move freely about in response to the touch of the puppeteer's own hand. Then the puppeteer is lining up those who have been added to his collection more recently. He's moving them about, manipulating them up and down, back and forth and all around, testing them. He's pulling on the strings, attaching them firmly to his hand piece so that they will move in sync with the other marionettes. He's testing the strings--their tension and play--in order to break them in, so that they can follow suit and fall in line, joining in the dance with all the other marionettes.
21. Satan laughs and smirks with glee as he maneuvers his marionettes as pawns in his hands! He leads them in the dance as they jump and leap according to his commands and his gestures, at the flick of his fingers and the twist of his wrist.
22. You ask why these events are happening--the crash in Asia and the repercussions felt around the world? This show of power is to accomplish many purposes. It is perpetrated by the Wicked One, who is as the evil puppeteer demonstrating how his marionettes dance at his will and according to the movement of his hand.
23. At the same time, the Wicked One is attempting to teach his marionettes a lesson. Using Asia as an example, he is demonstrating what will happen if the marionettes should try to break loose from his control. It's a strong signal and a reminder to the marionettes that if they don't want to end up in a tangled mess, they must stay in line--else they get tangled and risk total collapse, since their joints and limbs are no longer being held up by the strings that are firmly attached to the puppeteer.
24. I tell you this parable, My children: The powers that be, the nations of the world, are as marionettes in the hand of the evil puppeteer. They are being manipulated at the touch of his finger and the twist of his wrist, as he is lining them up for the final show.
25. Oftentimes when the marionettes dance, they think they're free. As they leap from side to side and tap their feet in tune to the music, they forget that they're attached to the puppeteer by invisible strings. It's not until the puppeteer finds it necessary to give the marionette a strong tug in a certain direction that the marionette is reminded who's really in control. Though the marionette appears to be footloose and fancy-free, as long as its strings are attached firmly to the hand piece of the puppeteer, the marionette cannot move about without the touch of the puppeteer's hand which jerks it into submission.
26. The Wicked One has caused the turmoil in Asia, in part to punish those who would try to kick and buck against his control. It's a demonstration of his power to the nations, that should they try to kick and break free from his manipulation, it will only result in instability, and they will soon find themselves in a tangled state and at risk of plunging to the ground in total collapse, just as the marionette who would try to cut his ties. Therefore, this move in Asia is in part a demonstration to the nations, a warning that they'd better line up and stay firmly attached to the strings and the wires of the puppeteer who will support them and move them, else they collapse.
27. This one, Mahathir [EDITED: "Mahathir bin Mohamad, the Malaysian prime minister"], is as one who tries to break loose, who tries to free himself from the directions of the stage crew and the control of the puppeteer. Pray for those such as Mahathir, who do not want to be tied to the puppeteer. Pray for their strength, for their conviction, for their enlightenment, that they might turn to Me--for I am their only hope of salvation and true freedom. Only I am able to fully free them so that they may be free of the puppeteer's control.
28. The Wicked One has deceived the nations into thinking that if they cut their strings to him, they will fall in total collapse. The bright lights of the theater are being carefully run by the stage crew as they cast a glare on the eyes of the marionettes, blinding them to My lifeline that hangs over center stage. Only by grabbing ahold of My lifeline can the marionettes find escape from their ties to the evil puppeteer.
29. Through selfish lust and the deceitfulness of riches, the marionettes grow dependent on the strings of the puppeteer. But should they decide to cut their strings, to break loose from the control and manipulation of the dark puppeteer, My lifeline remains steady and firm, reaching out to hold them and support them, so that they will not stumble and totter and crumble in ruin.
30. Pray for these, that through the storm they may find hope in time of need, that they might find My lifeline of survival through faith and trust in Me. Pray for those who are sincerely seeking, that though the bright lights cast a glare, their eyes might focus on My lifeline, that they may find freedom from the puppeteer's wiring system.
31. I am the door. By Me, if any man enter in, he shall have life. I am that lifeline, and as people or nations grasp ahold of Me, I am able to free them to the extent that they let Me. For those who receive Me, I am able to free them from death and hell, giving them eternal freedom. For those who seek Me, I am able to answer their prayers and supply their requests. For those who yield themselves to Me fully, I am able to free them in every way. Where My Spirit dwells fully, there is full liberty indeed.
32. Not many nations will receive Me fully, but as they and their leaders receive you, they also receive Me, and I am able to protect and help them. Or as they provide refuge to My children, though they be not of the same faith, then I am able to give these nations refuge from the storm the Evil One will bring upon the Earth. All will be affected by his storm. But like a lifesaver in the stormy sea, I preserve those who take refuge in Me. As long as they cling tightly to Me, they will not sink. Though the waves may be rough about them and the winds howl, they will not sink or come to ruin.
33. I say to you, My children, that there is yet another purpose in these events: These things must come to pass, for the End is nigh. The stage is being set for the grand premiere and the revelation of the Wicked One, who is the author of this great confusion and the chaos that has rocked the nations. The crashing markets, the great plunge, the great rebound, the highs and the lows, are all being carefully manipulated by his hand, as he sets the marionettes in line for the final dance.
34. It's all a part of setting the stage for the grand entrance of the Wicked One. As these ripples rock the nations and the domino effect takes place, each piece falls in line, all pointing in one direction--to applaud and hail and accept the one who will bring order out of all this chaos--the One World leader!
35. The crash and fluctuating markets are a call to awaken the nations. Through these jolts and shocks, the turmoil and instability that is created will drive the crowds to cheer and beg for the puppeteer to wield his magic wand, causing all the marionettes to dance and move in harmony. Through these events, the Wicked One is setting the stage for his entrance. With these swift moves and jerks he is convincing the world of the need for a savior--someone who can save the day, someone who knows how to keep the strings in order, and how to flick his fingers and twist his wrist so that all may appear to keep on dancing free of entanglements, falls and crashes.
36. The Wicked One is marshaling his forces. His entrance is being heralded as the world looks on, as they see in living color the reality of the global economy that has been in operation behind the scenes. The Wicked One is demonstrating that it is not a myth. He's demonstrating some of his inner workings as he brings to the attention of the people that there is indeed a need for the puppeteer. He is partially unveiling his system of strings and wires, and demonstrating how only with the aid of the puppeteer will all the marionettes be able to move in sync, so that they may keep dancing, free from tangles and falls.
37. Through this touch of chaos, the Wicked One is motivating the crowds to call for the curtain to go up. As the inner workings are revealed and the magnitude of global communications are being realized, the reality of interconnections and link-ups and cross-investments demonstrate to the nations that there is a need for someone to man the controls, a need for leadership--someone with the skill of the puppeteer to keep everything moving in harmony to the rhythm of the music, someone who can rescue them from further turmoil, which they desperately want to avoid at all costs. Through fear of further impending chaos, the nations will be brought to their knees in a desperate plea for one who can keep everything moving and flowing, lest they become tangled and grind to a complete halt.
38. Marvel not at the great rebound of the mighty nation [EDITED: "the U.S."], and be not fooled by a false sense of security, for what is seen is only temporary. For those who lurk behind the scenes, those who sit in high places, know in their hearts the meaning of this apparent quick comeback--that it is only for a time. For this was only a show of force of the Wicked One, a demonstration to those in high standing of who is really the boss. Even the big money boys are as pawns in the hands of the puppeteer. This great fluctuation serves as a reminder to all that the puppeteer alone holds the controls.
39. The puppeteer's total power works by fear. The purpose of the great plunge and the mighty rebound of the great nation was to strike fear into the hearts of those who sit in high places, else they be lifted up beyond reason. In these days of extremities, as the pendulum swings from extreme low to extreme high, the puppeteer sends a strong signal that it is indeed he who holds the bag and manipulates the strings, and all must yield to his gestures and signals, else they will be tangled up and put out of commission.
40. Let him who will hear, listen: for there be those mighty men in the world who will lead the way. These are they who do prepare the way and set the stage so that the Wicked One might take center stage, and they do lead the way in the applause. Though they appear mighty and powerful in the eyes of the world, they, too, through the deceitfulness of riches and the motivation of fear, are moved to applaud the entrance of the one who will be worshipped by all the world. These who sit in high places, the big money boys and magistrates alike, are being warned as the pendulum swings, that it is indeed out of their control. They are being reminded that there is a need for the puppeteer to wield his magic wand to bring order out of chaos, else they too will collapse.
41. These days of extreme swings serve their purpose and motivate these who sit in high places. These events serve as a cue, a signal to man their stations, curtain time, for the scene is about to begin. And all the world will worship the Wicked One for a time, as they marvel at his agility and his ability to keep the marionettes moving and flowing and dancing in apparent sync and coordination.
42. I say to you, My children, let not your hearts be troubled, neither be afraid, for to you it is given to work great signs and wonders in the coming days! Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for these are the days which all the prophets that have gone before you have dreamed of!
43. I set before you a great and mighty harvest! Therefore, watch and pray, and know that I go before you to lead and to guide and to see you safely through. Through emergencies and crashes and economic wars, I will be your peace and your strength. I will be your strong tower, and nothing will by any means hurt or harm you. As I have promised, so will I also perform My promise--I will take care of My Own.
44. And in these days I hold you up as a beacon, a light shining forth in great darkness for all the world to see! Although all the world will wonder after the Beast, all the world will marvel at the awesome power, strength and mighty works that I will perform through you, My mighty bulwarks of faith in these Last Days of the End! Fret not yourselves for tomorrow, but work My works today, and know that I will never leave you nor forsake you. (End of message from Jesus.)
45. {\b \i (Dad speaking:)} Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! These certainly are exciting times! You folks shouldn't be too surprised at the recent events taking place, because I've been preparing you for years. This shouldn't be any big surprise for the Family at all! In fact, you should be rejoicing, praising and thanking the Lord, because it's almost over! It won't be long now! We're on our way! The End has got to come sooner or later, and believe me, it's now later than some of you think!
46. Praise You Lord! Help us, Lord! Give us wisdom, give us guidance, and give the Family peace in their hearts. Help them to look up and be glad, knowing that You always take care of Your Own, and You certainly are not gonna stop now. Help the Family to pray like everything depended on prayer, to work like everything depended on work, to witness like everything depended on witnessing, and to look to You at every turn, because they have a big job ahead! Help and strengthen each one, in Your Name, I ask.
47. I've already told you time and time again how to prepare for the coming crash. You oughtta know by now what practical measures to take, and you should've been living by these all along!--Not living beyond your means, not putting all your eggs into one basket, economizing and trimming the fat where and when possible, and on down the line.
48. And for Heaven's sake, don't hold any more funds in the bank than you have to! Keep as little there as you have to. You can use the System but don't let it use you, or abuse you, by stealing your funds by shutting down all of a sudden. It's all right to keep a little money in the bank if you have to, either to pay certain bills or to give you some credit rating or whatever. But you'd better not keep more there than you have to, and you'd better keep an eye on that bank as well. Banks can fail and close at any time, and then you've lost it all. Or if there's some sort of emergency or civil unrest, you might not be able to get your money out. So banks are all right sometimes, but you'd better beware of the bust!
49. You certainly need to stay out of debt, too. Then you'll need to have a little bit of reserve funds in different currencies, if possible, since you'll need some cash. You can keep part in your local currency as well as some strong international currency, depending on your situation. You should also have a stock of survival food of some sort. You don't need to have mountains of it. You just need some extra food on hand for emergencies, as well as lots of friends who can help feed you and take care of you if need be.
50. And of course you need some sort of tools to minister to the spiritually needy during this time, whether it's posters, tapes, videos, tracts, books or whatever. There will still be rich and poor; it's just that all of a sudden there will be a lot more poor than rich. But they're all poor if they don't know the Lord, so you need to be prepared to minister to people like that the best you can.
51. As far as other supplies goes, that sort of depends on your local situation. If you're in a country where there are lots of import barriers, you'd better be sure to have extra imported parts or supplies on hand if you need them, whether it's for your computers or printing equipment or whatever. You might want to have some contingency plans too, so you'll have some idea what to do in case the spring dries up and you're left without much income.
52. Most of all, you'll want to have a good connection with the Lord so He can lead you and guide you step by step and tell you what to do. You just can't beat hearing from God! Why do you think He's been emphasizing prophecy so much the last few years? He knows you're gonna need it in the days and years to come!
53. My Letters are full of all the things you should've been doing all along. It's all right there, and it might not be a bad idea to give them a little review, because that counsel still stands. I've been preparing you for this for years, and some of you have been in areas where you've already suffered sideline crashes. It's already been happening in recent years in some countries and regions--in South America, Russia and others who've been suffering economic crisis. Some of you who've been on the mission field have already had some practice at what it means to live under crash conditions.
54. But with this turn of events, the crash in Asia and the repercussions felt around the world, I can guess the Family will be asking, "Well, sure, Dad, we know you've said a lot in the Letters, but what now?" Well, I'll tell you what now! I'll tell you how this recent turn of events is going to affect the Family! This oughtta be one of the best things that's ever happened to the Family! It should be a great motivator to work like mad to get the job done in the little time we have left--to go into all the world and preach the Gospel! Everyone should be happy and rejoicing, 'cause it won't be long now!
55. With all that's happening in the world today--and now with this most recent turn of events where the AC is stirring the pot, rattling the cages and demonstrating his authority through this little show of force--I don't know of a better motivator for our Family to get out there and work the Lord's works while they still can! This oughtta inspire everyone to do all they can every day, and to press in like never before! Everyone oughtta be inspired with the mighty wave of witnessing that the Lord will bring about through all this, and the great harvest to be reaped!
56. It's time to man your battle stations, folks--there's a great work to be done! If any of you have been feeling a little down, a little bored with things and in need of a change, well, I'll tell ya, this oughtta do it!
57. Folks, this is your cue! If you've ever needed a little motivation, a little inspiration, or even a little shove in the right direction, this oughtta be it! This is one of the best things that could ever happen for the Family, as well as for the world. It's gonna wake people up and shake'm out of their sleepiness and their foolishness, and it's going to force the world to change their ways. It's gonna soften people's hearts and put them in a position where they might listen.
58. It's even gonna be good for some of our own folks who haven't been taking their jobs for the Lord as seriously as they should, and for those who have gone out from among us--to wake'm up! It's sad that some of our own folks have fallen into complacency. They've gotten a little settled down, thinking that there's plenty of time left. I've heard that some of our folks, especially some of the young people, have been wondering if the End is even near! Well, folks, I've got news for you: It's later than you think! And if this current crash and other current events don't wake you up to that fact, I don't know what will!
59. I'll tell you what this crash in Asia and its repercussions around the world are gonna mean for the Family and for the entire world: It means the AC is about to take the stand! He's the one behind all this instability of the stock markets, the devaluations and whatnot. He's causing the ripples to spread and be felt all around the world, so he can come along and set things straight. He's behind the scenes causing the confusion, so that the leaders of nations will be begging him for mercy, begging him to help bail'm out so they can stay afloat and not go completely under.
60. You've seen sign after sign! International borders have dissolved due to modern communications and intricate networks and everything being interconnected and interlinked. With modern technology and advanced systems, computer chips and hi-tech surveillance, "Big Brother" is watching, and it's now "all systems go!" Everything's in order! Everything's falling into place for the global economy to take off, and things are gonna move fast!
61. It's gotta come! The Lord's gotta allow the Antichrist to rise to power and let the world reap what it has sown! They've loved their money and worshipped the things that money can buy. They've forgotten their Creator and tossed God out of everything. Now it's time to pay the fiddler--and they're gonna fall flat on their faces! But the quicker that happens, the quicker the Lord can come--and the quicker we can pick up the pieces and turn this world right-side up!
62. As far as the Family is concerned, what this crash is gonna do is produce a mighty big harvest--a great harvest out there waitin' just for us--and the Lord needs you to reap it!
63. If you want to know what needs to be done now, how you're gonna cope with all that's going on and how you're gonna make it--well, I'll tell you how you're gonna make it!--By being smack-dab in the center of God's will, that's how! I'm all for taking every practical precaution and measure you possibly can, just as I've laid out for you in the Letters. It's good to do your best with the Lord's help to prepare practically. But let me tell you, the best way to prepare, the best preparation you can have for the crash and the coming days, is to prepare by being in God's will and doing His work!
64. If anyone is not in that position, my advice is to get there as fast as you can--by praying, seeking the Lord, seeking His will, His guidance and His direction as to where He wants you and what He wants you to do. Then trust Him to get you there in His time and His way.
65. By telling you this, I'm not inferring that most of the Family is not in the Lord's perfect will. Many of you are already right where God wants you! And if you are, then just keep on doin' your best for Him! Keep on being faithful every day. Keep on plugging away and trusting the Lord to care for you, because He will, just as He promised. Keep on going forward and making progress every day.
66. But there are a good number of folks who, for one reason or another, are sort of lagging behind. Some are hanging in the balances and in need of a little incentive to get them on their way. We all need a little incentive from time to time--there's nothing wrong with that--and I can't think of a better incentive right now than to look around at all the signs of the times that are coming to pass.
67. It oughtta make each of you--whether you've found your niche or whether you've yet to find it--do your best for Jesus each and every day!--Whether it's continuing on in the ministry you're in, or whether it's to get where you need to be going--to the mission field or the particular ministry that He's calling you to.
68. If you're right where the Lord wants you, there's no need to worry! The Lord works in mysterious ways, and you can't go gauging things by looking at all the natural conditions around you. If you're doing the Lord's work, He's gonna take care of you and supply all your needs. So the Family certainly has nothing to worry about as long as everyone is looking to the Lord.
69. We oughtta be doing all we can to get out the message, folks! If there was ever a time the world needed the Words of life, it's now! Do you realize how this is going to affect the world? During the years of the Great Depression, people had to get dead serious about life. It was a fight to survive, and there wasn't a lot of time for foolishness and shallow living like there is today.
70. Our folks will never be unemployed! There's no unemployment around here--and now is the time to get out there and get out the message like never before! The Family's best ability is availability! People are gonna be flocking to our doors! People are gonna be seeking you out and begging you to feed them the Words of the Lord! There's a famine in the land for the Words of life, and we can direct them to the oasis! These recent events oughtta light a fire under all our folks to want to witness like everything depended on witnessing!
71. You want to know how this worldwide economic crisis will affect the Family? It oughtta trigger one of the biggest witnessing pushes we've ever had! This oughtta launch the Family out into the biggest wave of worldwide witnessing we've ever seen!
72. You don't need to worry about a thing! The Lord will never fail you; He'll always take care of His Own. And the best survival, the best thing each of you can do to prepare, is to stay mighty close to the Lord! Stay in the perfect center of His will and obey His rules. Hear from Him fresh every day and trust Him to take care of you. And be ready--ready to go, ready to stay, ready to fill the need! Ready to move at a moment's notice if need be! Ready to give the message out! Ready to win a soul! Ready to reach someone in need! Ready to witness like everything depended on witnessing! Ready to pray like everything depended on prayer!
73. Be ready at all times to go anywhere and do anything to help anybody, to win and save a soul! Do all you can to get out the message, and God will do the rest. He'll lead you and guide you and show you where to go. He'll keep you and provide for you. Keep investing your all in God's work, and you can't go wrong. He'll always take care of His Own. Keep doing what God wants you to do and you'll never lose! Hallelujah! It won't be long now! (End of message from Dad.)
Chinese President Jiang's Visit to the U.S.
74. ({\ul \i Note}: On October 26 Chinese President Jiang Zemin went to the U.S. for a 9-day visit, including the first Sino-U.S. summit meeting since the slaughter of pro-democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989. During the summit, the Chinese agreed to buy $3 billion of U.S. airplanes. In exchange for the right to begin buying U.S. nuclear power plants, Beijing also pledged that it would not help other nations acquire nuclear weapons.)
'75. '(In his earlier years, Jiang was trained as an electrical engineer and either worked in factories or headed up technological research institutes. He eventually became mayor of Shanghai, but his real catapult into power was at the time of the Tiananmen Square incident. There was a split in the Chinese leadership at that time, with a few leaders sympathizing somewhat with the students. Jiang didn't. He supported the harsh military crackdown and was rewarded by being appointed general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, while the sympathizers were purged. He went on to become Deng's heir and successor.)
76. {\b \i (Jesus speaking:)} Money, money--filthy lucre. I have called it this not only because it is physically dirty and passes between so many unclean hands, but more so because it is filthy and vile in My sight. No man can serve God and mammon at the same time. Either he will hate the one and cling to the other, or he will cling to the one and hate the other. If money is your master and your god, that which you seek for the most, then I have little place in your life. Those who neglect Me for mammon do err, and pierce themselves through with many sorrows.
77. Money is not evil in itself. It is a vehicle, a tool. Those who love Me use money to help others, to help them to feel My love and comfort through their efforts to bring My truth and freedom to the lost. But the love of money is the root of all evil. It is the foundation of the systems of this world, and because of it, many good men are corrupted and many evil men become even more evil.
78. Its power is so great, for it carries a spirit--a strong spirit--which takes hold of men's hearts and turns them away from good. It corrupts their values, clouds their eyes, and they can no longer see clearly. This man, Jiang, seeks to make his country a financial power, and his vision is so clouded by this obsession that he cares not for his people. He has lost the heart which he once had as a youth, and in its place is a heart of stone, driven only by the passion for more wealth, more acclaim, and the longing to be among the superpowers of the world.
79. Indeed, China is a mighty nation, a great people. Their resources are vast, their population is immense, and they are fast rising to become one of the quiet superpowers of the world. I say quiet, because the Chinese prefer to work quietly and carefully behind the scenes. It is the way of the East rather than that of the West, which is more pushy and obtrusive. Yes, there are also quiet superpowers, among them the Japanese. Not all are military superpowers; some are economic. China has well been called a sleeping giant of the East, for it is indeed a giant, and will one day awake to play a great part in Endtime events.
80. With this man at their head and with the tight control which he maintains, China is fast becoming more and more dangerous as well, and the rest of the world sees this. He cares not, and does not respect human life. He will stop at nothing to make his country number one, for he is so blinded by the powerful spirit of the lust and love of money.
81. However, in My sight he is not much more evil than many others. For are not many nations of the world driven by the same power? Are not many world leaders driven by the same corruption, the same lust, the same greed? Is this not the powerful force which motivates and guides them? In this way, Jiang does not see that he does wrong. For he excuses the injustices done in his country, saying that the same greed, the same motives, are manifested in other places throughout the world--even in the "great United States," which appears to many to be so beautiful on the outside, but on the inside is a sepulchre, full of dead men's bones. The blood of the martyrs cries out to Me from her soil, and I will not be long in avenging them on her!
82. Jiang sees this hypocrisy, and uses it to excuse himself. Therefore he sees no need to change, for he feels that the sins of his country are no greater than the sins of any other country. In a way, this is true. For in My sight, the United States is just as corrupt, just as selfish, just as driven by the powers of evil as is China.
83. The United States is even more accountable before Me. They have much blood on their hands, for they have known Me. They have known My Spirit, they have seen My light, and they have rejected it. Whereas China, though it is filled with gross evils, restrictions and persecutions of My children, and driven by the greed and lust of this world, has not yet seen My light. So many have never heard My Name spoken. So many have never had the chance to receive Me.
84. Because of this, I will have great mercy on these, My yet unborn [EDITED: "not yet born-again"] children. Because of this, as a mother I care for them and love them. I plead with My missionaries to go, to reach them, to deliver them. Though they may not deliver them from the physical darkness and oppression, yet they can give them the spiritual light which will set them free!
85. In My Kingdom to come, all will be light. All will be liberty. All will be fair and beautiful, and these, My oppressed, unborn children, will experience Me and My truth, My love, My mercy, My forgiveness--while these, My children who have rejected Me, who have seen My face and yet turned away, will experience My wrath. They will need to bow down and serve these, My humble, unborn children. For they did not serve them in this life. They did not give that which I gave to them in great abundance. They were selfish, and hoarded, and forsook that which they knew to be truth. Even so will they need to bow down and humbly impart all that I have given to them to these others, My needy children. It will be a day of great sorrow for some, and a day of great rejoicing for others.
86. Through this visit to the United States by Jiang, the Chinese leader, I am filling America's cup of iniquity! For her hypocrisy, greed, selfishness and lust are exposed. I am showing the world clearly that she cares not for the hearts and lives of the innocent, but only looks to greed and lust as her god. It has even been proven on her soil, as she has crushed those who have cried out for freedom. She has rejected those who cried for My truth. She has ridiculed those who have proclaimed My message, and all this is filling her cup of iniquity.
87. But let the human rights activists beware also. For I look not at their many words, but I look on their hearts. I judge each one according to the motives which are deep within his heart. If they are sincere, with a love for those who are unjustly hurt, with a desire to help those who cannot help themselves, then I smile upon them. Though they win not in this world, in the next world they will receive honor and will be used to help Me in My Kingdom. (End of message from Jesus.)
Recent News Articles on the Currency Crash and Jiang Zemin's Visit to the U.S.
ON THE STOCK MARKET CRASH
Catching the Asian flu: A big sneeze in the U.S. market
Time
Maybe you were not paying particular attention when Thailand's currency, the baht, began to fall to earth like a wounded satellite. On July 2 the baht plunged more than 12% in value against the greenback. Then it crashed into the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, where government officials were forced to devalue their currencies. That triggered a region-wide crisis, in which stock markets gave up as much as 35% of their value, inflated real estate prices fell through the floor, banks collapsed, and hundreds of thousands of Southeast Asians, rich and poor, lost their jobs and fortunes.
Last week [EDITED: "Oct.20-23"] the reverberations of that early July disaster reached Wall Street, following a brief and awful stopover in Hong Kong. The former British colony had vowed to use its $88 billion in foreign reserves to fight off speculators and keep its highly valued currency pegged to the U.S. dollar at a rich 7.8-to-1 ratio. The gambit succeeded--but at a price: $42 billion of Hong Kong's storied wealth disappeared in short order as the Hang Seng index dropped 6% on Wednesday, then 10.4% on Thursday. "This is a full-fledged, absolute crash," said Kent Rossiter, an investment adviser for Nikko Securities in Hong Kong.
Hours later Wall Street was in full retreat. The global economy, once an abstraction to most people, had shown up front and center to deliver the bad news.
Tens of thousands of Thais who until very recently enjoyed a middle-class life have been abruptly thrown into unemployment and poverty. Countless industrial firms, restaurants and other businesses have collapsed. With 58 banks and finance companies at risk of bankruptcy, some managers are being forced to give up their Mercedes-Benz and drive taxis instead.
World stocks turmoil -- what they said
LONDON, Oct.28 (Reuters) -- European markets caught Asian flu on Tuesday, joining Wall Street's dizzying downward spiral 10 years after the 1987 crash.
Here is how investors around the world reacted:
"The best advice I can give today is [DELETED] don't buy any single stock anywhere in the world" -- Wieland Staud, Yamaichi, Frankfurt.
"People are completely panicking, everyone is trying to sell. We no longer have normal behaviour. At this point you should be calling psychiatrists, not economists" -- Geert Noels, Petercam brokerage, Brussels.
"You could see the whites in their eyes today -- people were just driven by fear" -- John Rattray, broker Ord Minnett, Wellington.
"The safest haven of all is cash" -- Nick Parsons, currency strategist, Paribas.
Dollar not immune to devaluations
TOKYO, Oct.29 (Reuters) -- The dollar could fall victim to the wave of devaluation that has rocked Asia, despite Washington's policy favouring a strong dollar and the strength of the U.S. economy, Japanese analysts say.
"The dollar cannot stay bloodstain-free when others are racing to devalue their currencies as a way out of economic ills," said Teruhiko Mano, adviser to the president of Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Japan's biggest commercial bank.
In Asia, except for the Hong Kong dollar, most currencies have been steeply devalued against the dollar in recent months. The Japanese yen has fallen 50 percent against the dollar since it hit a record high of 79.75 yen in April 1995.
Despite Wall Street's recovery following its seven percent decline, analysts said the U.S. stock market's downward correction was far from over.
Stock Shock Symbolizes Global Ties
The Christian Science Monitor
WASHINGTON, Oct.29 -- This week's turmoil in stock markets from Bonn to Beijing reflects one of the basic truths of the late 20th century: World business and money markets are interconnected as never before.
A web of modern communications and cross-investments can now ripple economic problems -- or progress -- around the globe in a day. Investors realize and react to the fact that a slowdown in Thailand will affect Japan and China, which in turn can affect the fate of American corporations that sell to Asia and other parts of the world.
With the end of the cold war, this impersonal economic discipline has become one of the most powerful geopolitical forces facing national leaders. As this week's roller-coaster ride on the Dow Jones Industrial Average shows, the US is not immune.
Where next for US stocks? A 20 percent downturn, while severe, would not be unusual in terms of market history. And several analysts, notably David Shulman, chief strategist at Salomon Brothers in New York, have forecast such a correction.
Global rally lifts markets as tumultuous week ends
New York Times News Service
NEW YORK, Nov.1 -- A global rebound in share prices helped buoy Wall Street on Friday, ending a tumultuous week of trading that some global investors feared would result in more wrenching declines.
Markets around the world, which had been roiled by an economic and currency crisis in Southeast Asia, appeared to stabilize after Hong Kong stocks soared early in the day.
But Barton M. Biggs, the global strategist at Morgan Stanley, Dean Witter, Discover & Co., said world markets could be in store for even greater disruptions.
"The sharp breaks in stock markets around the world are a warning to investors," he said in a report issued Monday when Hong Kong's free-fall triggered stock carnage around the world. "The global bull market has become very dangerous. The contagion has spread around the world, and no market, anywhere, is invulnerable to infection."
Worries Deepen in Japan, Korea
Washington Post Service
TOKYO, Nov.8 -- Market turmoil returned to Asia with a vengeance Friday, hitting the region's three most developed economies amid warnings that the situation in Japan was deteriorating rapidly.
Economists warned that the rapid slide in Japan could destabilize world bond and stock markets.
In Tokyo, the stock market plunged to a two-year low. South Korea's share prices took their biggest tumble ever, and the won hit a record low against the dollar, as the Korean government scrambled to dispel fears of a deepening financial crisis.
The market turbulence shook markets across Asia and rippled west. It pushed down share prices in Europe, where most major markets fell at least 2 percent, and the Americas, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down more than 2 percent in late trading.
Japan, the world's second-largest economy and a major exporter of surplus capital to the United States and other parts of the world, saw its key stock average close down 4 percent at its lowest level since July 1995.
In a report released Friday, Kenneth Courtis, a Tokyo-based economist with Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, warned that the ''quickening slide'' of Japan's markets and economy ''into zones of danger'' could be far more disruptive to the world than the economic turmoil elsewhere in Asia. Mr. Courtis said a crisis in Japan ''could have an impact on global markets that dwarfs the financial implosion in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Europe.''
He said Japanese banks would no longer meet international capital requirements if the Nikkei were to slide below 16,000. ''Should the market drop any lower -- and with no major change in policy that is likely -- Japanese banks will have to liquidate international assets. Much of these are in the U.S. Treasury market. That could destabilize world markets,'' Mr. Courtis said.
Malaysian Leader Sees Hidden Jewish 'Agenda'
International Herald Tribune
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct.11 -- Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad said that he suspected there may be a Jewish ''agenda'' behind recent attacks on his country's currency and stock markets.
''We are Muslims, and the Jews are not happy to see Muslims progress,'' Mr. Mahathir was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.
The prime minister, who in the past three months has repeatedly accused the American financier George Soros of helping trigger the region's currency crisis, said the government was not blaming any Jewish conspiracy for the speculative attacks.
But the people who were speculating were Jews and Mr. Soros was, incidentally, a Jew, Bernama paraphrased the prime minister as saying.
Bernama also quoted Mr. Mahathir as saying that Jews had robbed Palestinians of everything, but in Malaysia they could not do so, hence they depressed the ringgit, the national currency.
Mr. Mahathir's barbs and fiery rhetoric follow a 23-percent drop in the Malaysian ringgit since July 2 and equally steep falls in the stock market.
ON CHINA
9 arrested at White House China protest
WASHINGTON, Oct.26 (CNN) -- Chinese President Jiang Zemin was hardly off his airplane when protests against his U.S. visit began.
Nine conservative Christian activists were arrested as they prayed on a sidewalk by the White House, carrying anti-Jiang signs. They were protesting what they see as China's poor record on human rights and the Clinton's administration's willingness to overlook that record in the interest of better trade relations with the world's most populous country.
"Our policies are immoral," said Randall Terry, a founder of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue. "This has nothing to do with helping the citizens of China. This has to do with fattening the wallets of American big business."
Jiang puts Clinton in a corner
The Times
WASHINGTON, Oct.26 -- A vast, emerging market in China for American goods is beckoning seductively to [EDITED: "American"] industry, whose spokesmen argue for friendship and concessions. Jiang, who will be the guest of honour at a Washington lunch hosted by the US-China Business Council, which includes executives of multinational firms and powerful lobbyists, will announce a $1.5 billion (£930m) deal to buy Boeing commercial aircraft. Jiang and Clinton are expected to sign a nuclear cooperation pact allowing American companies to sell nuclear technology to China.
America's moribund nuclear industry is desperate to sell to China a new generation of nuclear reactors that have been developed jointly by the nuclear industry and the government at a cost of $870 million. With substantial sums at its disposal, the nuclear industry has successfully lobbied the Clinton administration, which has always been prepared to grant potential campaign donors what it calls a "respectful hearing". The White House is eager to see the sale go forward.
One snag has been China's habit of exporting nuclear technology to sensitive countries such as Iran. More than a decade ago, Congress passed a law barring any nuclear cooperation until the president could certify that China had stopped helping to spread the bomb.
Clinton insists China has recently changed its ways. But this is open to debate. Gordon Oehler, a former CIA officer in charge of monitoring nuclear proliferation, has testified in Congress that shipments to Iran continue, posing a potential threat to American naval forces in the Gulf.
Mao's heir finds path: Wall Street
New York Times News Service
NEW YORK, Nov.1 -- President Jiang Zemin of China trod a capitalist road Friday from Wall Street to the suburban campuses of hi-tech U.S. industry.
Free of all the irksome talk about human rights he had to endure in Washington, Jiang concentrated in his trip through New York on Friday on a matter closer to his heart: money. It was an interest enthusiastically reciprocated by American businessmen eager to cash in on the world's most populous market.
When Jiang dropped by IBM's Madison Avenue offices to ogle some of the company's most advanced gadgets, IBM chairman and chief executive Louis Gerstner greeted him in practiced Mandarin. "Lao pengyou, ni hao," Gerstner intoned, to satisfied chuckles all around. "Old friend, how are you?"
And if Chairman Mao had once warned that the revolution is not a dinner party, President Jiang underscored the dramatic changes in China today by throwing one -- swordfish at the Waldorf, whose guest list included some 200 top executives of blue chip companies, such as Boeing, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Fedex, Ford, Philip Morris and many others.
Jiang even rang the bell to begin trading at the New York Stock Exchange on Friday morning, standing next to the bright red, gold-starred flag of China.
The lure of the China market to American business dates back more than a century -- many of the great family fortunes in Boston were built on the China trade -- and early industrialists dreamed of great profits to be made "if every Chinese bought just one shoe."
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
