Years ago Gibo, when I was a teenager, in the days when the threat to the Western World was Russia, I was walking over the Harbour Bridge with a friend who said to me when we were looking at Garden Island, "If Russia wants to invade Australia, they could take us over with a fleet of canoes".

I don't think Australia could defend itself against the populations of our Asian neighbours. Someone told me a long time ago, Indonesia considered the North-West of Austalia to be its territory (and this person wasn't a Christian).

I've said it before, but the only authority I will accept on end times is the Bible. Things you say here from what you've read, I will acknowledge as possibilities or even probabilities. I've read all of Barry Smith's books in the 80's and some of the things he said haven't been fulfilled (like 10 countries being in the EEC, this has now been exceeded)Barry Smith wrote very well with the information he had, and I will credit him with being the only preacher I know who approached end times with a sense of humour. Some of Barry Smith claims can't be substantiated and we don't often know where he sourced his infomration from, but nevertheless they made good reading.

I see the Earth's resources becoming scarce as a possible sign of end times, but I will never make claims as to a possible date of Christ's return.

Steel Mann.
I dont know when Christ will Return...but I can sure see it coming. Soon endtimes will be everywhere.
All of the committed christians will be talking about it here, on other sites, in the press, through the letterboxes.
Many chistains are currently not looking at the endtimes much (though many have heard of the rise of mark/microchip on the right hand or forehead economy...Revelation 13:16-18/14:9-11) because its a fearful time for many in the church.

The ten nations of Europe, though currently more than ten could easily fall back to the number of ten nations.
Chaos is going to ensue soon as Russia stirs up more trouble and some present EU nations could easily withdraw from the Union. I expect England to stand alone later on... apart from the European Union.

Gods got His Hand on England...

One thing I can never fathom about this millennial "End Times" claptrap that obsesses the more bizarre godbotherers, is that if all these purported prophecies and visions are indeed portents of the Second Coming of Christ, shouldn't that be a good thing?

I mean, why is Gibo so worried if he thinks that Jesus is about to return - isn't that what fundies want?

Hi CJ, I was wondering exactly the same thing myself.

Given the number of posts on the same theme, I think Gibo owes us an explanation.

>>Many chistains are currently not looking at the endtimes much (though many have heard of the rise of mark/microchip on the right hand or forehead economy...Revelation 13:16-18/14:9-11) because its a fearful time for many in the church.<<

I can understand the misprint of chistains for christians, given the ever-present saliva on the keyboard, but I can't imagine why it is "a fearful time for many in the church"

Although having said that, I am aware that on a general level, an abiding fear of your actual Christian as he goes through life, is that he is not quite good enough to make it through the pearly gates, and into heaven.

My evidence for this is Elgar's "Dream of Gerontius" which made a big impression on me in my youth, as it provides an insight into the mind of a devout person, nearing death.

The libretto comes from Cardinal Newman's 1865 poem, in which the eponymous Gerontius, clearly a very religious man, who has led a virtuous and blameless life. Yet when faced with the inevitability of judgement, he goes to pieces:

"I can no more; for now it comes again,
That sense of ruin, which is worse than pain,
That masterful negation and collapse
Of all that makes me man.
And, crueller still,
A fierce and restless fright begins to fill
The mansion of my soul. And worse, and worse,
Some bodily form of ill
Floats on the wind, with many a loathsome curse
Tainting the hallowed air, and laughs, and flaps
Its hideous wings
And makes me wild with horror and dismay.
O Jesu, help! pray for me"

The full text is here, if anyone is interested.

http://www.newmanreader.org/works/verses/gerontius.html

The idea that a religion could generate such daily fear impressed me greatly.

If that is the fear that Gibo is concerned about, I'm not particularly surprised that his fascination with the "endtimes" does not extend to wild enthusiasm.

The duty of the Christian churches CJMorgan/Pericles is to be watching and waiting for Christ's Second Coming... to be willing to inform others of such.
By observing the "signs of the times", and openning our mouths about those "signs", born again Christians help in the Salvations of others.

My fixation with the invader (he's coming...I have no doubt. Theres been too many visions and prophecies about an enemy coming not to believe it will happen) is the poverty state of Australias defences.

Defence gave up, long ago, and conceeded land to an asian invader.
They simply gave up, under possible future global circumstances, whereby we would lose the US nuclear umbrella...and gave the land to asians.
This is why the old Brisbane line got moved from around Tenterfield NSW down to around Newcastle NSW.
Defence is prepared to give all of that land above Newcastle NSW to an enemy.
An army friend says they wouldnt even have enough ammo to fight a large force anyway. This also points to conceeded land. They wont put in enough weapons and ammunition into a major fight against the pagan nations to the north.
They chickened out in my sight...so I speak against their weaknesses.
Even though God would allow an invader because of the sins of the people...Id still like to see a reasonably fair fight.
Lets stand up for the women and children and do the best we can.