By MariaMaria #475 CM/FM 3230 2/99

Dear Family,

1. I love you! In this "World Currents" we'd first like to share some hot news from Heaven regarding events on Earth—the graduation of King Hussein of Jordan and what significance it has for the Mideast and the world, and what the Lord has shown us will happen next. Following this, we'll take a look at the Brazilian economic crisis and what the Lord calls "the Evil Puppeteer's game of economic dominoes." We pray these insights on the news are a blessing to you!

King Hussein's Homegoing

2. King Hussein had ruled Jordan for 47 years as an advocate of peace in the midst of war and turmoil, and his sickness and death generated a lot of news. He had been suffering from a form of cancer and was undergoing treat­ment for it at the Mayo Clinic in the U.S. Yet even in the midst of his chemotherapy treatment, he was so committed to peace that he flew to the Wye River summit to participate in talks between Netanyahu, Arafat and Clinton, and was instrumental in convincing the Israelis and Palestinians to sign a peace accord.

3. After months of treatment, he pronounced himself cured and flew home to Jordan, where he received a tumultuous welcome from his people. In the days that followed‚ he also enacted some sweeping changes, as he unexpectedly replaced Crown Prince Hassan, his brother, who had been his designated successor for the last 34 years‚ with his oldest son, Abdullah, a 37-year–old military man with no political experience.

4. Shortly thereafter‚ King Hussein had a re­lapse and flew back to the Mayo Clinic for emergency treatment—a bone marrow transplant. When this treatment failed, the dying king returned to Jordan‚ where he passed on to his Heavenly reward on February 7. Abdullah was then crowned king, only a little over a week after he first learned his father was considering him for the position!

5. These sudden changes in Jordan's leader­ship caused many in the Mideast and around the world to ask what would happen next. We wondered too, and asked the One Who knows the future if He could please tell us the significance of these changes and what the future holds. The Lord gave us the following revelatory message, explaining King Hussein's role in this life and his commission in Heaven, as well as our own commission!

6. (Jesus speaking: ) Behold the passing of an era. For with the departure of this Godly ruler into the world of the spirit, come yet more signs of the End. This one's passing has highlighted the very fragile peace and delicate agreements that exist in the world‚ particularly in the Middle East. This one was as the kingpin holding things together and leading the fight for peace, the fight for good, and against evil, corruption, prejudice and pride.

7. He pinned and joined many diverse el­ements with differing interests. He joined the Palestinians with the Israelis, the Americans with the Arabs, the Christians with the Muslims, for the center of his pin was aimed at peace. That was his target and what he sought, and he attempted to gather and hold these diverse el­ements together as he reached for this bull's-eye. With the removal of this pin, little by little things will turn, will change‚ will adjust.

8. I gave this one many gifts of My Spirit and of My power. He sought Me daily, many times a day. He called out to Me, and in his heart he worshipped Me, the one true God, and only Me. He looked to Me for counsel and guidance. He heard My voice in the stillness of his heart. He followed the principles of My truth that were embedded in his heart from his youth. His heart was moved and made soft by the suffering and sorrow that he saw around him, and he let it make him a better and stronger man.

9. Many come into the world of politics and be­come corrupt and selfish, caring for them­selves and their riches and their power more than for their people. But this one was not such a ruler. He was a ruler who cared deeply for his people, and they knew it and felt it; thus they mourn his loss.

10. His son also follows in the footsteps of his father, in that he has a heart of love for his people, and he has great respect and reverence for Me. He seeks My voice and will hear the whispers of My Spirit and will follow the truth that has been revealed unto him. Yet even though he does his best, he cannot hold back all the evil, the conflicts, the signs of the Time of the End, for long.

11. It is My will and My plan that the Wicked One be revealed, that he rise to power and rule the world in un­righteousness for a time, that I may in turn return and gather My Own and establish perfect peace on Earth forever. In order for these events to take place, other people and nations have to fall into their places, and with the removal of this one, King Hussein, I have changed things and have set the stage for even greater changes to come.

12. I will bless his people. I will satisfy his poor with bread and his thirsty with water. I will be good to this people and this land for his sake, and for righteousness' sake, and for the sake of those in this land who are My children, who love Me and serve Me with all their hearts. They too will in due course go through perilous times—times of tribulation—yet I will keep them through it. I will either protect them or deliver them from this life, but I will always bring My Own unto Myself again. They will never be far from Me, nor suffer above that which they are able to bear.

13. Though King Hussein was a Muslim in name, he was also a believer in heart, for he had received Me. I know My children and am known of them‚ and am able to save them to the uttermost and give them eternal life. So Hussein, My beloved friend, will now assist Me from this side in the coordinating of the End­time events. He seeks peace, and his lifetime has been spent attempting to achieve peace on Earth. He knew he could never bring the world to perfect peace, but he sought to do what he could. Through his love and caring, his friendship and charm, his morals and principles, he won the trust and faith of many and helped build bridges of trust and communication. In time he will at last be able to see the fulfillment of his dream—perfect peace across the Earth.

14. Though I speak of him assisting Me in My Heavenly Kingdom‚ this does not mean that he has been immediately exalted to a place of great prominence. There is learning and growth in Heaven‚ as there is on Earth, and those who come to this side have much to learn at first. But time in Heaven is not as you experience time on Earth‚ and the gifts and callings which I bestow upon you are without repent­ance. You bring them with you to Heaven and I use them Here much as I used them there, for those who are yielded to Me. So good kings continue to exercise their kingly gifts in leading and guiding others, much as King Hussein does.

15. His gifts and skills will not be lost nor wasted. He will be one of My assistants and an overseer in the setting up of My Heavenly Kingdom on Earth, when I return to rule in righteous­ness. He invested his talents wisely and caused them to bring forth great dividends. So will I be able to trust him with many cities, even many countries of the Earth‚ in that day to come. He prepares for this even now‚ and he also helps prepare the way for My coming.

16. He will advise and speak to the hearts of the kings of the Earth. He will be one of My min­ister­ing spirits, helping to keep the balance of the powers on Earth until the End. For I must allow much evil to spring forth, and often the powers of darkness will seem to be in the ma­jority. Yet in spite of it, there will always be ­pockets of resistance, and I will provide places of hiding and protection for My children, that they may continue My work and preach My mess­age. He will speak to and strengthen the hearts of the rulers that I will raise up as pro­tectors of My people, as cham­pions of the weak.

17. For the sake of the poor and innocent, and the ignorant who know Me not, I will always allow there to be some peace and stability and safety somewhere‚ that as many as poss­ible might be given a chance to find Me, and that I may keep them from unnecessary suffering. For I love My people of the world and I care for each one. I watch out for the poor, the sick, the wounded and the lonely, and seek to help them. Though they may have no earthly protector, or though they may be threatened by changes in the world, I seek to help and save as many as possible.

18. I need you to be My hands to reach them. Will you lay down your lives for the poor and needy‚ for those who lack and are in need spiritually or physically or both? I know you will, My children, and thus I know I will be able to reward you greatly for your labors of love for Me and for My lost sheep. There are so many needy, so many lonely, so many hungry ones.

19. If you would know the wish of this great man of peace who has now entered the realm of the Spirit, it would be this: that you bring My message of love and hope to the people of his land, and of all lands; that you give them faith and draw them to Me; that you teach them My ways, so that they may be happy and prosper.

20. This is your commission, which I renew now at the time of the king's passing: Feed the hungry, comfort the destitute, strengthen the weak, bind up the brokenhearted, love the unlovely, give to the needy. For in this you will accomplish My will, and will prepare many hearts to be joined unto Me, and to be saved from the destruction that is yet to come upon this Earth. (End of message from Jesus.)

21. (Mama:) King Hussein loved his people and laid down his life for them and for the cause of peace, and has passed on to a great reward! In the above message, the Lord renews our commission to lay down our lives as well, so we can help many others to know Him and be saved.

22. In a separate message, the Lord gave more details of the dark days ahead, encouraging us to work while we can‚ to pray for King Abdullah and for the peace of the region, and to follow the Lord's voice and leadings closely.

23. (Messenger speaking: ) I have come from the land beyond time. I have come from the City of Light, the Heavenly halls. I have come to tell you that an era has passed and the times are changing. With the departure of this great man in the sight of God comes a changing of the actions of those in the Gulf states and throughout the region. Powerful forces are at work in this area, and many hidden currents flow. The tide now turns and positions harden in many places.

24. It is not without great sorrow that I bring this message. For things have been stable, things have been strong and firm and in place‚ but now that this man has been taken‚ the forces of evil will break loose in this region. They will seek to engulf and war and capture and take prisoner those of these lands.

25. I have come because I have a message for the children of David. I have come bearing in my hand a message from the King. His Words are these:

26. (Jesus speaking: ) Work the works of Him that sent you while it is day, for the night cometh when no man can work. The dark clouds are looming; they gather now on the horizon, and they bring with them torrents of rain—a downpouring such as this world has never seen. This is not the rain of refreshing, the rain of life. This is the rain of destruction and of confusion‚ the rain of the Devil. This rain comes now as this man of God has been taken out of the way. Even as this man has been taken away, so has the peace of this area also been taken away.

27. I have blessed King Abdullah‚ for he follows after Me. He is like his father. He has the heart of a king and the mind of a great king. Many great men from history stand by his side now as he prepares for the tough road ahead.

28. Pray for this man, that he may be a man of understanding, a man of upright counsel. Pray that he stands strong against the attacks upon him by his enemies, for there are those that hate him. Pray that he can serve as a humble king, as his father was. Pray most of all for great, great wisdom, for the job of a ruler is great and the burden heavy. Upon King Abdullah's shoulders he carries the weight of his country. Pray that he may turn to Me for strength and inspiration. For if he comes to Me for his guidance, I will lead him in a straight and sure path. I will hold his hands and keep his feet from falling.

29. I have instructed you to pray for magistrates and kings, for those in power, for those who have the rule over you. Their job surely is difficult, therefore pray that they may be strengthened. Pray for peace, for it is through your prayers and your fervent beseeching Me that these lands will remain open for the Gospel.

30. Pray and prepare, for the day is coming when the flood of evil will be let loose. Pray for these who are in power. Pray that they will judge righteously. Pray that their hearts may be soft and open to Me and My Words.

31. I have promised that the Lord God would do nothing but that I would reveal it unto My servants. So I reveal to you now the things which are to come. I am warning you to be prepared, for it is in being prepared that you will instruct many. It is by taking time to hear from Me, and taking time to hear My voice and listen to the whispers of My Spirit, that you will find in Me the strength and the wisdom needed.

32. I am strong to save and to uplift. I am strong to help the righteous, just as I helped this one [King Hussein] stand strong for many years till he was called to his Heavenly reward. Pray that King Abdullah might rule well in the spirit of his father and in the spirit of his fathers before him, for they stand at his side now and whisper in his ears. They give counsel and hope and encouragement to this one, that he might fight a good fight also, and prove himself ­worthy of the title "a man of peace."

33. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Me, for surely I am their refuge and strength. Blessed are men when they follow the string of golden beads that drop from the Heavens, for they find in them great wisdom and anointing. Blessed are ye, for you follow after the Words I give, and as your Lover, I am inspired to give you more. Blessed are all they that follow and obey My voice, for them will I bless. I will exalt those who follow Me in due time.

34. Blessed are ye for following Me—blessed, oh, so blessed! Follow closely, My little ones, that you might be right where I need you in the days to come. (End of message from Jesus.)

35. (Mama:) Please follow closely, dear Family, by taking time to hear the Lord's voice and listen to the whispers of His Spirit! He's your refuge and strength, and is strong to save, uplift and help!

36. Please pray too for King Abdullah and the new leadership of Jordan, and that the Mideast can remain open to the preaching of the Gospel. Your fervent prayers will avail much! As you pray, obey and follow closely‚ the Lord promises there are great blessings being laid up in store for you!

37. P.S. For more on King Hussein's life, please see END 16, page 1.

The Samba Effect!

38. The effects of the Asian economic crash continue to reverberate around the world, and the latest country to suffer economic crisis is Brazil. Since Brazil floated its currency back in mid-January, it has lost between 35 and 40 percent of its value. "Floating" a currency is simply a sophisticated term for allowing it to devalue without any restraints, and this move threw global financial markets into turmoil. ­Brazil has the largest economy in Latin America, and the eighth-largest economy in the world.

39. The Brazilian economic crisis has been termed "the samba effect" and has had a major impact both on Brazil and the rest of Latin America. Because Brazilians have less to spend—and in some cases have lost their jobs and are going hungry—they're buying less from the rest of Latin America, which spreads the crisis and multiplies the misery.

40. We asked the Lord if He could please speak to us about this latest economic crisis in Brazil and give us some insight, and we received the following message:

41. (Jesus speaking:) One step, two step, three step, four. Is this all, or is there more? Click, click, click, down they go. Once they start, they cannot stop. Click, click‚ click, the dominoes fall. One upon another, down go they all!

42. One step, Asia. Two step, South Africa. Three step, Russia. Four step, Venezuela. Is this all‚ or is there more? Yes, there's more—Brazil's turn now, and more to come—for dominoes is the name of the game‚ and indeed they all will fall!

43. This current crisis in Brazil is merely another piece falling in the Evil Puppeteer's game of economic dominoes. You see, My children, the Evil Puppeteer does not have his pieces aligned in a straight row, nor are they in a perfect circle. No‚ the Evil One seeks to show his mastery and skill at the game through demonstrating his deftness and proficient handling of the pieces. His alignment of these pieces is done in such a way as to demonstrate his control and mastery of the global economic dominoes which he has positioned and whose fall he has triggered.

44. He has not positioned the pieces in a straight line, but he curves the line and swerves it back and forth. He does figure eights and other fancy twists and turns with his pieces, to prove his skill and his power. In this way he is spreading his financial panic over a wide variety of territories and economic scenarios, for by so doing he is able to spread his depression and distress. He is swerving and turning one direction and then another; nevertheless‚ the dominoes will all fall‚ for all are connected.

45. The Puppeteer is demonstrating his skill at the game—his mastery of the dominoes and how they fall at the touch of his hand. This serves as a reminder of who is in control to those in power, to the rulers of this world and all those who bow down and worship him.

46. This is the design of his game of economic dominoes: once it starts, it cannot stop. One affects the other. All are linked‚ all are tied together. None are isolated nor confined in themselves. The Evil One has his pieces in position. All are intertwined and interlinked, keenly integrated, each one affecting another. When a ­crisis breaks out in one country, it will affect all the others in some way, at some time. It may not be manifested immediately in each country, it may come further down the line for some, but all will be touched‚ and will totter and fall—paving the way for the Puppeteer to take control.

47. This current crisis in Brazil is yet another piece in the lineup, another domino, skillfully positioned to fall in line. This financial turbulence is the process by which the Evil One is spreading his fear, panic and depression, which in turn creates the political instability that leads to troubles and great sorrow for those who do not look to Me.

48. But I say to you, My children, though emergencies, crashes and wars surround you, it will not come nigh you if you put your trust in Me, for I will take care of My Own.

49. This is why I have outfitted you with the new weapons of My Spirit, that you might find refuge and stand in this day. Therefore, let these gifts I have bestowed upon you be your comfort in the days ahead. Do not let these signs of the times trouble your hearts, My dear ones, but receive this warning with gladness‚ knowing I am strong to save and will preserve My Own.

50. Do not be deceived through the false words of those who would not discern the signs of the times. For while some cry peace and safety as they give false readings of the times, sudden destruction is on the horizon for those who do not discern.

51. But look up with joy, My children, knowing that I reveal these things to you, that you might prepare. Continue to hone the gifts I bestow upon you‚ as you carry on My work, for in this lies your greatest asset.

52. This is the best preparation you can have, to walk in My truth and continue to preach My Word. For in this lies your greatest safety. As you faithfully and diligently serve Me and deliver the Words to the nations‚ I will mightily bless you and save you and keep you in the day of trouble which will come upon all the inhabitants of the Earth.

53. Fear not the effects of these dominoes as they fall, My children. Only hearken diligently unto Me‚ for I will lead you and guide you as the darkness covers the Earth. Your best protection is to stay close to Me, in the center of My will. As you do this, I will bless and keep you through whatever is happening all around you. I will pro­tect you and provide for you by My supernatural hand‚ so that you can continue witnessing My Words to the end. (End of message from Jesus)

54. (Mama: ) What wonderful promises, that as we continue to obey and preach the Word, the Lord will bless and keep us despite the trouble all around us! As Jesus told His first disciples so long ago, "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel's, the same shall save it" (Mark 8:35).

55. So keep pouring out to others, keep close to the Lord, and stay in the center of His will. As you do that, He'll protect you and provide for you so you can keep carrying on His work to the very end, when you'll hear Him say, "Well done‚ thou good and faithful servant," and enter into His Heavenly joy! (Mat.25:21). I love you!

Love, Mama

Choppy Currents of

a World Cash Ocean

By Nicholas Kristof with Edward Wyatt

New York Times News Service, Feb.15, 1999

For most Americans, these are still good times economically. But elsewhere in the world, hundreds of millions of people are still caught in a severe crisis, one that has recast lives and will haunt a generation in the East just as the Great Depression shaped a generation in the West.

The collapse of Brazil's currency in ­January and the jolt it gave markets worldwide under­scored the continuing risks of "the most serious financial crisis in half a century," as President Clinton called it in his State of the Union address.

The worldwide financial crisis over the last 20 months has toppled some governments and hobbled others. The crisis illustrates how globalization increasingly stitches lives all over the world into a single economic quilt.

In the new economic landscape that has emerged in recent years, the pool of inter­national investments has grown to dwarf the sums that governments can muster, and money zips around the globe far faster than ever before. The result is a world more prosperous, but also perhaps more wobbly.

"More and more people are asking whether the international financial system as it has oper­ated for most of the 1990s is basically unstable," Ian McFarlane, governor of Australia's central bank, said at a recent conference in Singapore. "And I think by now the majority of observers have come to the conclusion that it is."

The initial impulse in the United States as the crisis erupted was to see the problems as an outgrowth of Asian corruption. But a growing body of evidence suggests that there was nothing uniquely Asian about these countries' problems, and that the catastrophe was wor­sened by folly and hubris [overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance] in the U.S. and ­Europe.

It was bankers and investors in Moscow and the Thai capital, Bangkok, who speculated wildly on stocks and real estate and thus built up catastrophic bubble economies. But it was U.S. officials who pushed for the financial liberal­ization that nurtured the speculation. And it was U.S. bankers and money managers who poured billions of dollars into those emerging markets. Then, when the crisis hit‚ U.S. officials insisted on tough measures like budget cuts and high interest rates, which many econ­omists argue made things worse.

The failure in January of the $41.5 billion bailout of Brazil demonstrates that the West still has not found a reliable formula for dealing with these crises. Experts continue to worry about the danger of a global recession or worse‚ and about the risk that economic woes may tear apart countries like Indonesia and even China.

Resentment at U.S. policies—and perhaps at the United States' economic success—has also led to a sense in many countries that the global economy is at an ideological turning point. In particular‚ there is a growing backlash against what some nations regard as an American model of capitalism‚ which rescues rich in­vestors and investment funds but sacrifices Indonesian children.

What does all this portend? And how can it be that, as David Hale‚ chief economist of the Zurich Group, describes the financial upheaval of the last year and a half, "a real-estate crisis in Bangkok set in motion something that has no parallel in human history"?

In one sense, today's crisis fits into a long history of financial manias and panics. Emerging markets have been risky ever since the 1320s‚ when England, then a developing country‚ defaulted on loans to banks in the Italian city-state of Genoa.

Yet for all the parallels with the past, new elements are at work to make the global econ­omy very different from that of a century ago, or even a decade ago. Most fundamentally, finance and technology have exploded in importance and now dominate the economic horizon.

In a typical day, the total amount of money changing hands in the world's foreign exchange markets alone is $1.5 trillion—an eightfold increase since 1986 and an almost incomprehensible sum, equivalent to total world trade for four months.

"It's no longer the real economy driving the financial markets," said Marc Faber, a prominent fund manager in Hong Kong, "but the financial markets driving the real economy."

Already, a 15 percent increase in U.S. stock prices bolsters American wealth by $1.7 trillion, which is considerably more than the value of all the manufacturing that takes place in a year in the entire United States. This capacity for wealth creation has delighted Americans, but there is also a converse: A 15 percent drop in the market erases wealth equivalent to the entire annual output of all U.S. factories.

Investments are increasingly leveraged, using borrowed money so that a $1 million bet becomes a $5 million bet, or they are channeled through complex financial instruments known as derivatives to multiply the potential profits. Derivatives have grown tremendously, with those traded in 1997 valued at $360 trillion, a figure equivalent to a dozen times the size of the entire global economy‚ and they bring important benefits but also new risks of turbulence.

Scope of global crises

makes finding remedy difficult

By Edward Dufner, The Dallas Morning News

Never before have currency collapses, investor alarm and flights of capital gripped so many places all at once, analysts say.

Whether the current meltdown eclipses the Great Depression or stops short of that benchmark of suffering, it is astonishing experts with its size and speed.

If the crisis were confined to the United States, it could be managed by the Federal Reserve, economists say. But it's not.

"The frustration is this: There is really no one individual who could do much about it," said Sung Won Sohn, chief economist for Norwest Corp.

"We've never had this kind of situation before, where all these countries have a domino effect," agreed Pepperdine University econ­omist Terry Young. "At a click of a mouse, you know, billions are being transferred around," she said. "The impact is a lot greater than what we anticipated. It's way beyond our imagination."

If there is any agreement between optimists and pessimists at this point, it may be over the sense that the world econ­omy is enter­ing unknown territory.

"Right now the past is not a terribly sure guide to the future, because the world has changed so much," said Baylor University economist Stephen Gardener. "We live in this age of rapid information flow.… Things that might have happened over a period of months or years before might happen over a period of hours now."

"I've never seen anything like this," Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan told econo­mists at a convention in Washington. "This is quite an unusual phenomenon." He gained points for candor, if not for clairvoyance.

Some experts see troublesome portents in the combination of a big stock market run-up and banks with heavy international exposure, conditions that prevailed before the start of the Great Depression.

"I am impressed and somewhat alarmed by the parallels with 1929," said University of California economist Barry Eichengreen, a former senior policy advisor to the International Monetary Fund.

Dr. Sohn of Norwest put the odds of a global recession at 50-50. "I certainly agree that this is the worst economic situation since the Great Depression," he said.

Whether the future holds deep despair or only a U.S. slowdown, recent events have done little to clarify the situation.

Now all eyes fix on Brazil, where the government is trying to reassure investors.

Westminster College economist Dr. James Seidelman, who observed Asia's woes while teaching in Thailand, warned of big trouble.

"If Latin America … does a similar kind of meltdown to what we've seen in Russia and the previous year with Indonesia and Thailand and South Korea, that's the momentum that kind of takes down the U.S. with the rest of the contracting world economy," Dr. Seidelman said.