The EU Observer just published results of a German-conducted survey that was released on September 15. Survey participants hailed from Germany, Poland and France. When asked whether their nation would be better off with their own national currency, two-thirds of Germans said “yes” to a return to the Deutsche mark. Forty-nine percent (virtually half) of Germans also agreed that they would be “better off” if the EU did not exist.

Nearly everyone has seen a rainbow. The beautiful, majestic, multicolored arc in the sky inspires awe and is a wonder to behold. But there is more to the rainbow than meets the eye. Beyond the elusive and transient image of this miracle of nature is a divinely inspired miracle that represents one of the first promises of God recorded in the Bible.

Regular readers of this News and Prophecy and students of the Scriptures are aware that as the end of the age approaches, we will see far more troubling events. There will be more false prophets, wars, catastrophic weather, major geopolitical shifts, and the Israelite-descended nations will experience unique problems and suffering due to their outright rejection of God.  Without Christ’s own revelation, these escalating events will cause some to become paralyzed with fear and worry.

Germany is calling for a new European treaty by the end of the year to clear the way for more European integration and a new legal foundation for the Union.  “Germany would like to see… a legal basis that would give the European Court of Justice the jurisdiction to monitor the budgets of member states and to punish deficit offenders” (Der Spiegel, August 27, 2012).

The summer Olympics of 2012 was a spectacular display of athletic achievement, performances, triumphs, world records and victories. Yet, there were also great disappointments, sorrow, drama, mistakes and disqualifications. As some athletes reveled in victory, others wept in heartbreaking defeat. The humanity of the Olympics was completely exposed, before our eyes, without anything being left out as the theme of “going for the gold” reverberated to the ends of the earth.