Good morning on this Saturday, December 18th, exactly one week before Christmas. Last week I wrote about some significant revelations contained in the recently released intelligence cables by WikiLeaks. Of particular interest was information about the vanishing freedoms in Russia. Russia has not reverted to a communist system such as they endured for so many years while part of the old Soviet Union, but to an iron-fisted form of fascism under President/Prime Minister Putin. He has led a regime which has silenced the opposition, curtailed freedoms, eliminated enemies, resumed arms build ups, rejuvenated the military, restored dictatorial ways, and provided support to many of the world's rogue threats. He was able to accomplish this by a massive infusion of capital produced by gains through the sale of Russia's fuels because of the high demand and pricing of oil, the overthrow or marginalization of Russia's oligarchs, the positioning his political proteges in positions of authority and power, the curtailing the media's freedoms, and the crushing of threats to his leadership. In Ezekiel 38-39 Russia is depicted as a strong nation who will lead an alliance of nations in an future attack on Israel. Russia's return to prominence on the world stage clearly makes this scenario more achievable in both the immediate and distant future. Their support of Iran's nuclear program and provision of armaments to many of the countries mentioned as future allies in Biblical prophecy are noteworthy as well. The WikiLeaks material has confirmed what many students of prophecy have been saying about Russia in recent days. The Russian Bear is back and its predatory threat has been restored.
Tomorrow is Edgewood's Christmas musical Drama. You won't want to miss this very special Christmas service and our Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service this year. I hope I'll be seeing you in these services. Merry Christmas!
Mel Brown

Good morning on this Saturday, December 11th. What an interesting series of revelations we have experienced with the successive releases of the United States State Department classified cables leaked by WikiLeaks. Like so many others I am shocked that these secret cables were so poorly secured and easily accessible to the media. It certainly does not inspire confidence in our government's ability to protect classified information! Some of the more interesting revelations contained in the various files include:
(1) The fledgling democracy experienced under Yeltsin in Russia has vanished. Putin's regime has squashed former freedoms and instituted a fascist control over the country.
(2) The Arab states in the Middle East are equally disturbed about Iran's quest for a nuclear weapon and Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah repeatedly urged us to attack Iran to prevent it at any cost. We also learned that North Korea has supplied Iran with advanced missiles capable of long-distance strikes.
(3) The Chinese government was behind the cyberattacks on Google's computer network earlier this year. It was described as a coordinated campaign of computer sabotage engineered by Chinese government operatives.
(4) Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and her predecessor, Condoleezza Rice, ordered our diplomats to spy on United Nations Security Council members by obtaining their credit card numbers, frequent-flier data, schedules, e-mails, cell phone information, and even samples of their DNA. This revelation is particularly embarrassing since it is now publicized for all the world to see. The 1946 U.N. Treaty bans such activity on United Nations' property.
(5) The Karzai government in Afghanistan is rife with corruption. It has been receiving money from Iran among others. The Afghan V.P., Massoud, was caught by the Drug Enforcement Agency of the United Arab Emirates with $52,000,000 cash in a briefcase. No explanation was given of the origin or destination of the cache of cash.
We'll follow up on this and other significant information in our next Blog.
Tomorrow's sermon will be the final message in the series on Revival.
I hope to see you in church tomorrow.
Mel Brown

Good morning on this Saturday, December 4th. Yesterday the snow began to fall and continued into today with an accumulation of several inches and a resulting havoc among drivers. The first snow usually results in many fender benders as drivers begin adjusting their driving habits to the new reality of slippery roads, decreased visibility, and diminished vehicle control. Many years ago I read an informative article on the wonders of snow and its relationship to the application to numerous verses of Scripture. The book of Job (38:22) tells us that snow contains many treasures (although most of us probably don't feel it is treasured when we are shoveling it). Snow gets its beautiful whiteness because visible sunlight is white and is reflected by the snowflakes without preference to any particular color in the color spectrum. Snow can either amplify sound or absorb it depending on if it is glazed over or not. Since snow is composed mostly of an high percentage of air trapped in the structure of the snow crystals, it can be provide insulation. Non-compacted snow is 90-95% trapped air. Fresh clean snow is edible, provides much needed moisture for soil when it melts, and can cleanse the air as it falls. Snow covering in Scripture is a picture of forgiveness of sins, purity, the Lord's glory, angels raiment, and the risen Christ. In Walter L. Wilson's excellent reference, "Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types," he suggests that the picture in Isaiah 55:10 of rain and snow related to seeds, germination and growth as an illustration of the seed of God's word operating on the human heart is as follows. "Rain falls and does its good work immediately. Snow falls and may remain on the ground quite a long time before it soaks in. So one may hear a sermon and some parts of it may bless the person immediately as the rain. Other parts of the message will remain in the heart and mind dormant for years. Then when the proper conditions arise and right circumstances exist, the dormant message becomes a living message to the heart." What a picture of the power of God's word both today and tomorrow!
So lets all enjoy and appreciate the snow as a beautiful picture painted by God of many blessings from the Lord to Us.
Tomorrow's message is "Continual Revival Living."
I hope you can make it (the snow will be ended and roads should be clear)
Mel Brown