The Tide of Our Times
The new year is a time of resolutions for some, hope for others and, we trust bright anticipation for us all. Concerning the future, the Apostle Paul advised us well when he said, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:13-14). Yes, ahead lies the privilege of living for Christ in an exciting world for, indeed, these could be the last days.
“Hamas Leader ’s Son Converted—This past year, Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a top West Bank Hamas leader, converted to Christianity... This 30-year old was first exposed to Christianity eight years ago while in Jerusalem, where out of curiosity he accepted an invitation to hear about Christianity. Afterwards, he became ‘enthusiastic’ about what he heard and would secretly read the Bible every day. ‘A verse like “love thine enemy” had a great influence on me,’ Yousef recalled...
‘I studied Islam more thoroughly and found no answers there. I reexamined the Koran and the pinciples of the faith and found how it is mistaken and misleading.’
Yousef said he could understand God as revealed through Jesus Christ... Now, his message to Muslims is this: ‘There is only one way to paradise—“the way of Jesus who sacrificed Himself on the cross for all of us.’”
“Government Unveils World’s Fastest Computer—Scientists unveiled the world’s fastest supercomputer, a $100 million machine that for the first time has performed 1,000 trillion calculations per second in a sustained exercise...
The computer, named Roadrunner, is twice as fast as IBM’s Blue Gene system at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, which itself is three times faster than any of the world’s other supercomputers, according to IBM.
‘The computer is a speed demon. It will allow us to solve tremendous problems,’ said Thomas D’Agostino, head of the National Nuclear Security administration, which oversees nuclear weapons research and maintains the warhead stockpile.
To put the computer’s speed in perspective, if every one of the 6 billion people on earth used a hand-held computer and worked 24 hours a day, it would take them 46 years to do what the Roadrunner computer can do in a single day.”
“Dollar Leaps, But Effect is Atypical—The value of the U.S. dollar has soared with unheard-of speed against many currencies in recent weeks, but the global financial crisis has altered the usual effects of such a spike.
Normally a rising dollar means more Americans traveling abroad and foreign countries exporting more goods and services to the United States. But this time few analysts said they expect to see that happening anytime soon, even though the dollar has gained about 25 percent against the euro and the British pound since early August.”
“Libya’s Gadhafi Seeks Better Ties With Russia—In his first visit to Russia since Soviet times, Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Saturday lauded a new era of cooperation between the two countries, as he sought to take advantage of a recent chill between Moscow and Washington. Kremlin sources and experts agree that Gadhafi came to Moscow not only to seek cooperation on energy but also to reach an agreement on buying Russian weapons to boost Libya’s defenses.”
“Lethal Micro Air Vehicles—Civilian researchers and military developers in Ohio are creating the first battlefield-ready, lethal generation of Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) with a 2015 deadline. The tiny flying... machines will be the size of small birds, capable of operating for several days without recharging...
According to an article at RaidersNewsNetwork... the Pentagon is feverishly working with engineers and biologists to create a lethal arsenal of ‘micro-mechanical fighting bugs that combine insect aerodynamics with GPS navigation and molecular electronics.’ Honeywell’s MAV is already in use in Iraq by the U. S. Army, checking for roadside bombs and ambushes. It can both ‘hover and stare’ or ‘perch and stare’ at altitudes as high as 10,500 feet, or land and send videos.”
Destiny Newsletter continued