Theft Is Out of Control

Stores across the U.S. are grappling with a huge uptick in shoplifting that could lead to higher prices and closed stores if the problem persists, said Walmart CEO Doug McMillon. Most of the shoplifting is organized retail theft rather than petty theft. Most of the products targeted have a high resale value.

Walmart is having to lock up a growing number of items that used to sit openly on shelves. In the store in my town, I’ve noticed a growing number of cameras from various allies. The first camera I noticed was in the baby food section. I couldn’t understand why people would steal this product, but Infinity formula sells well on ebay.com.

Walmart isn’t the only big box retailer dealing with an uptick in theft. Last month, Target Chief Financial Officer Michael Fiddelke said shoplifting has jumped about 50% year over year, leading to more than $400 million in losses in this fiscal year alone.

Many drugstore chains have had to cut their losses by closing hundreds of stores. Rite Aid is planning on closing 97 stores. The firm’s executive vice president of retail, Andre Persaud, said the day may come when all Rite Aid stores will be like a big vending machine with everything behind plexiglass to slow down thefts.

One woman who owned a high-end clothing store had to close her Business after it was broken into 17 times. Burglaries in St. Louis went door-to-door breaking into nearly two dozen businesses. DB’s Sports Bar owner Justin Gibson said this is the fourth time DB’s has been broken into this year.

“You’re taking food out of our mouths,” Gibson said. “It’s already hard times with inflation, and now we’re having to make these repairs constantly and hire extra security. We’re stretched very, very thin.”

Package theft in some areas is so bad that people can’t have packages delivered to their homes. I’m lucky to live in an area where I’ve never had something stolen from my doorstep. I recently watched a video where a guy did a funny prank on these thieves. He had a package next to his home on a long wire. When several thieves grabbed the box, he would chase after them, and they would be knocked to the ground when the length of the wire ran out.

The liberal media, always ready to defend criminals, said that soaring inflation is what triggers the crime wave. Richard Rosenfeld, a professor of criminology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, told Insider that property crime would jump this year as rising prices push consumers into the black market.

The real problem is that many people have become extremely evil. They think they are entitled to take stuff that they didn’t purchase. One guy at Home Depot loaded up a cart with three power washers and began walking out the door with them. When an 80-year-old employee tried to confront him, he just pushed him into a wall, which led to the worker’s death.

A huge factor that is embodying thieves is the meltdown of our legal system. San Francisco encouraged theft by only having criminal prosecution of people who steal items worth my than $900. So people boldly walk into a Walgreens, load their bags with items worth less than the new limit, and walk out of the store. One woman was robbed by a man who had been arrested 50 times in recent years. Another woman was brutally beaten over her purse. The man who attacked her was arrested and only given a $500 bail.

I once watched a video of a man in Singapore demonstrating how much crime is related to culture. He was in a cafe and left his laptop on the table and went around a mall for about half an hour. When he came back, the laptop was still there. Crime is very low in Singapore because people are taught it’s wrong.

Fear can also be a motivator of morality. If you go to a gold jewelry shop in Saudi Arabia, the dealers will let you handle all the gold products. It’s well understood that if you get caught trying to steal from the shop, they’ll cut your head off.

The extreme criminal nature of American society is a strong indication that our nation is doomed. Unless we return to our moral foundation, we will die like a hundred other empires that lost their soul.

“Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).

–Todd

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First Coming

One solitary birth is the basis upon which the future hangs for every person ever to enter this mortal realm we call planet earth. How each man, woman, and child who is old enough to understand the salvation issue views the First Coming determines where their home will be for eternity.

Many believe Jesus was sent by God to show us how to live a good life. Some believe He was a great prophet and teacher. Others believe He was a philosopher, right up there with Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the rest. A few among the billions who have lived since His birth have believed Jesus is the Son of God, but perhaps one of many others in a created angelic order assigned to influence the affairs of humankind. Still fewer believe He was who He claimed to be–the only begotten Son of God; the way, the truth, and the life (John 14: 6).

No birth of anyone else has ever caused the excitement and controversy Jesus’ birth has engendered. Was this baby a stranger of an otherworldly order, sent to earth to provide moral guidance? Was Jesus sent to philosophize on the ups and downs of the human existence? Or, was this visitation something more?

Jesus came into the world through the Jewish race. Only those inalterably antagonistic to the truth of history will argue against that. So, we should examine this birth—this First Coming—through the prism of Israel and its dealings with the one called Jesus.

Although there are other histories about the era, the Bible’s account has, through archaeological unveilings, proven time after time to be accurate in details concerning matters surrounding Jesus, the Jews, and Israel. (One example is the relatively recent discovery of evidence that someone called “Pontius Pilate” ruled the area of Judea during the times attributed to Jesus’ crucifixion. Until the discovery, Pilate’s existence as an historical figure was seriously doubted, even denied, by many historians.)

We know the accuracy of how Israel–the religious Jews in particular—dealt with Jesus. We know with assurance that He performed miracles and claimed to be God, Himself, by using the Bible’s documented veracity as proof that Jesus was born exactly as foretold in detail by Old Testament prophets. These Jewish religious leaders’ treatment of Christ’s First Coming as a baby lays the groundwork for understanding what that first visitation means to the souls of all mankind. Understanding that First Coming also will help frame the vital importance of how each of us views Christ’s prophesied Second Advent.

Tragically, the pious Jewish leaders refused to accept that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah sent from Jehovah to be their King and their Savior. They rejected Him despite the precise prophecies He fulfilled in His coming and His ministry. They chose to have Rome rather than Jesus rule over them. The results of their rejection continue to reverberate—not only in the Holy Land, but throughout the entire world. Armageddon is building, its nucleus grounded in satanic rage against God’s chosen people.

Jesus wept over God’s people of Israel and the city, Jerusalem. He saw times ahead that would eventuate in calamity for them.

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. (Luke 19: 41–44)

Christ’s First Coming was ignored and scoffed at by the religious leaders of the time. Their choice was their own way, rather than God’s. They preferred to do what was right in their own eyes. True to Jesus’ prophecy, Jerusalem was laid waste, the Temple was destroyed, and the Jews were scattered to every part of the world. Genocide was committed against them to the point that their very existence as a race was threatened.

Israel continues to pay the price. Anti-Semitism is growing in Europe and around the world. The nation is becoming marginalized, just as the prophet Zechariah forewarned in Zechariah chapters 12 and 14.

But there is a bright day coming for that people–those who accept the Messiah’s second visitation. Paul the apostle warned believers not to feel superior to Jews. He forecast a coming time when Israel would shine among the nations.

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. (Romans 11:25)

God said, again through the prophet Zechariah, that believing Israel will yet recognize the Lord Jesus–upon His Second Coming to the earth.

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10)

The Apostle Paul said:

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. (Romans 11:26)

A parallel can be drawn between the ecclesiastical Jewish leaders of the time of Jesus’ first visitation and many among mainstream evangelical clergy today. Neither group has considered prophecies of Christ’s coming as relevant to their times. Their attitude is much akin to the one described by the Apostle Peter:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:3–4)

This sin-darkened sphere is on the brink of another visitation. Unlike the first, when He came as a humble baby, who was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, He will come the next time as the King of all kings, and the Lord of all lords. Let us who claim Christ as Savior heed His words about His coming again. The first phase of that Second Coming will be unannounced, and in the twinkling of an eye—the Rapture!

Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. (Mark 13:35–37)

—Terry

Unexplained Wealth Order and Civil Forfeiture

Governments around the world have passed laws that allow them to steal people’s money and other assets. If you are traveling across the country and you get stopped by law enforcement, they can seize any large sum of money without charging you for any crime. They will say this is drug money, and you have to go to court to get it back.

The original idea for civil forfeiture was a good thing. It has been used to restore money stolen by fraud and other schemes by corrupt politicians. Civil forfeiture targets cybercrime, fraud, and scams in high finance at Wall Street, and money laundering on a global scale. It enables police to have sufficient power to “return money to crime victims” in instances of swindling or fraud. Civil forfeiture laws were helpful in enabling authorities to seize and return swindled funds by the Bernard Madoff fraud.

Civil forfeiture should have been heavily regulated because it is very open to abuse. If law enforcement lacks morality, civil forfeiture can be used as a valuable tool to steal from people. I’ve written about Civil forfeiture before, and the problem is only getting worse.

I found four cases where people had their money stolen by dirty cops. In some cases, people lose a large part of their money because of large fees to lawyers. I’m glad the fourth guys beat the system and won:

A couple was driving from New York to Florida, and they were stopped by police because of a cracked windshield. During questioning, the officer decided that $32,000 cash in the van was “probably involved in criminal or drug-related activity,” seized it, and shared it with federal authorities under equitable sharing. The victim hired a lawyer to get back the seized money, who urged them to settle for half of the seized amount. After the lawyer’s fees, the victim got back only $7,000.

Matt Lee of Clare, Michigan, was driving to California with $2,500 cash when pulled over by police in Nevada, who seized almost all of the cash under suspicion that it was a “drug run.” Lee hired an attorney who took half as his fee, leaving Lee with only $1,130 remaining.

A New Yorker piece detailed abuses in Tenaha, Texas, where police would target out-of-state drivers using rental cars, often not issuing traffic tickets. Police sometimes ask stopped motorists to sign “roadside property waivers,” which, unless signed, threaten criminal charges unless valuables are handed over; the waivers say, in effect, that victims will not contest the seizure in exchange for not being arrested.

Javier Gonzalez was carrying $10,000 cash in a briefcase and got pulled over in Texas. Deputies handed Gonzalez a waiver that if he signed over the money and did not claim it later, he would not be arrested, but if he refused to sign the waiver, Gonzalez would be arrested for money laundering. Gonzalez signed the waiver, wondering if the officers were real “officers of the law” and wondering if he got robbed. He later sued the county, which lost and returned his cash plus paid him $110,000 in damages plus attorney’s fees.

The dollar amount of the Civil forfeiture is actually rather small. A 2020 study found that the median cash forfeiture in 21 states which track such data was $1,300. In low-income communities, the seizures are typically less than $500. Stealing money out of people’s wallets will only breed hatred for cops.

There is now a new angle of attack by governments called the Unexplained wealth Order (UWO). It is a type of court order issued by the government to compel the target to reveal the sources of their unexplained wealth. UWOs were first introduced in Britain by the Criminal Finances Act of 2017. Persons who fail to account are liable to have assets seized after an enforcement authority, such as the National Crime Agency (NCA), need to make an appeal to the High Court.

The power of UWOs in fighting money laundering lies in their reverse onus principle. Some drug lords have piles of money piled to the ceiling because they can’t put it in a bank. If they claim to be a farmer by trade, the courts would rule against them in a (UWO) case if they had $400 million in holdings. Gangster Al Capone was worth $100 million in today’s money, and perhaps as a joke, he claimed to be a used furniture dealer.

UWOs work fine on a large scale, but they can be dangerous on a small scale. A rich friend may give someone an expensive car. When the person goes to register it, the government may demand to know how he could afford such an expensive car. If his friend suddenly dies, the government gets a free car to auction off.

These open-act highway robberies by governments and local enforcement are just one more reminder that this place is not our true home. Any treasure on earth is very unlikely to survive the tribulation.

“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20 ESV).

–Todd

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Embracing Sorceries

Among the most telling signals that this is the time of the consummation of human history this side of Christ’s Second Advent are the developments wrapped in the following prophecy:

“Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts” (Revelation 9:21).

It’s this matter of “sorceries” that I would like to dwell upon here.

“Sorceries,” in this instance, is derived from the Greek pharmakeia. It has several meanings, including “witchcraft” and “poison or drugs.”

Early in history, the word pharmakeia, as referring to drugs, was thought to indicate poison. The level of dosage determined whether the poison was fatal. Of course, this is true. Too much can be deadly. We know people overdose many times, and some die, either by accidental or deliberate overdose.

This has caused some within religions to declare all modern pharmakeia, or pharmacy, as a sin.

I have a son who is a pharmacist, and, of course, I believe he and his fellow doctors of pharmacy do good, not evil. However, there is no arguing against the fact that it’s not only the illicit drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and others that are harming and even killing people, but it’s legitimate medicines that are doing the same in all too many cases.

Abuse of opioids has become so problematic, for example, that most state regulating boards have gone overboard, some believe, by keeping those who genuinely need help from getting appropriate meds. Pain-management clinics, for example, are heavily restricted from dispensing medications above certain dosages, etc.

One such medication is at the heart of the problem that has brought about this over-regulation. It is the drug said to be killing thousands in the United States—youths in particular. Fentanyl is a Chinese-produced drug for pain that was once used regularly but now is more or less banned here in America. I don’t know the cases in which it’s allowed to be used, but I presume there are some.

The lethality of this drug is exacerbated by the insane border policies of this presidential administration. Drug runners are practically running free in illegally flooding our southern border areas with fentanyl and other such powerful drugs. Cartels from the south continue to reap billions of dollars while killing our citizens with their drug trafficking.

One story frames the problem:

…Los Angeles County experienced a 1,280% spike in overdose deaths from fentanyl, according to a recent report from the county Department of Public Health.

In a joint statement, the LA County District Attorney’s Office (which regularly refuses to charge drug dealers) and the health department announced the creation of a working group to address the situation “through prevention, education and enforcement.”

The ‘enforcement’ part will, of course, mark a radical departure from DA George Gascón’s ‘catch-and-release’ policy when it comes to criminals.

According to the health department, there were 104 deaths in 2016 attributed to fentanyl, which ballooned to 1,662 in 2021.

According to City News Service, black residents had the highest overdose rate based on the population, at 30.6 per 100,000 residents. White residents are overdosing at a rate of 22.5 per 100,000, while Latinos are at 11.1 per 100,000 residents.

The overdoses also occurred much more frequently in less affluent areas – which came in at 38.4 deaths per 100,000 vs. 12.3 per 100,000.

“Fentanyl overdoses are a significant and growing public health problem across the United States and in [the county], across sociodemographic groups and geographic areas,” reads the report, which adds, “The increases among youth and the widening inequities between under-resourced and more affluent groups underscore the need to target prevention efforts to those at highest risk to decrease fentanyl overdoses and advance health equity in [LA County].” (“LA County Experiences 1,200% Increase in Fentanyl Overdose Deaths Over 5-Year Period,” Planet Today, 12/3/22)

Many observers, including yours truly, see this incursion as a direct invasion by the communist Chinese government as a concerted effort on behalf of the Marxist/socialist/globalist order to bring America to its knees. The fentanyl assault is no doubt from the mind of Satan, who is at work readying his Antichrist overlord to enter the stage of end-times history.

People, particularly the young, embrace this deadly drug through recreational use. According to God’s prophetic Word, the problem will become exponentially worse. A salient question is: Might the horrific level of drug use during the Tribulation be partly responsible for the “strong delusion” people will be sent, according to 2 Thessalonians chapter 3?

To avoid being a part of that era of earth-dwellers when such “sorceries” are embraced by the deluded masses, and instead be with the Lord Jesus Christ, here is what you must do now, while there is time before the Rapture or your own cessation of life:

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9–10).

*** Important Notice! ***

We have been introduced to a podcast we believe will give you inspiration and comfort during these prophetic times. Please make it a point to watch and listen to Watchman River Tom –a podcast we truly believe is Holy Spirit Directed as we who are believers look for our blessed hope (Titus 2:13).

Watch for links to these videos on a regular basis at Raptureready.com on our End Times News by Feature Writers and Contributors section.

We will post the Watchman River Tom 30-minute podcasts as frequently as Tom presents them.

Here is the title and link to the introductory video.

“We are Witnessing the Setup of the 7 Year Tribulation”  https://youtu.be/uky4Fcny3jc

—Terry

 

 

 

—Terry