It's Idiot Hour in the 'Kingdom of God'

Yes, Kevin Rudd may be to blame for the 2011 Queensland floods, according to that beacon of rationality, Pastor Danny Nalliah of Catch the Fire Ministries on 8 January 2011:

Dear family & friends in Christ,

It is 11.50pm on Friday night the 7th of January. You might wonder what I am doing in my office at this time. Well we are all at the all night prayer meeting at the CTFM base. We started the prayer meeting at 7.30pm and would be finishing at 6am but this issue was so urgent, I thought I must get the info out to you as soon as possible, so that we can repent on behalf of Australia.

Around 8pm on Friday night the 7th of January we had a strong prompting by the Holy Spirit to repent on behalf of Australia. As we started doing so, I was reminded that every time America went against Israel, there was disaster in the land and this has been documented over the years.

Then at once I was reminded of Kevin Rudd speaking against Israel in Israel on 14th December 2010. It is very interesting that Kevin Rudd is from QLD. Is God trying to get our attention? Yes, I believe so.

Also the Lord said to us, “ I will humble Australia and bring her down on her knees. As she has taken pride in my blessing, and man has taken the glory and not given it to Me”.

Right now (12.30am - just after midnight) around 40 intercessors are crying out to the Lord and repenting on behalf of what Rudd has done against Israel. When I opened my email to write to you, I found the following email in my inbox and was amazed as to how God spoke to us about the same issue.

I have pasted below an article that some media are running with - BUT - only Bill Koenig has picked up the “spiritual ramifications” of this event & has been able to link it to the devastating floods in Queensland….Kevin Rudd’s home state!

Here’s the link to the original story from Bill Koenig (scroll down to find the article) http://www.watch.org/

Australia’s Rudd urged Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and open all its nuclear facilities to UN inspectors

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has wrapped up a visit to the Middle East by telling Israel it should allow UN inspectors into its nuclear facilities.

His comments on Israel’s nuclear program gave Israeli officials an unpleasant surprise, as they were published online during a gala dinner in Jerusalem marking the friendship between Australia and Israel.

In an interview with the Australian newspaper, Mr Rudd not only called on Israel to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), but said it should open all its nuclear facilities to UN inspectors.

Australia flood rescue and relief efforts are under way to deal with what officials have called a “disaster of biblical proportions.”

Australian Coastal City Bracing for More Devastating Flooding - FoxNews.com: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/01/04/australian-coastal-city-bracing-devastating-flooding/?test=latestnews

Zechariah 12:3,9 “And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people; And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem”.

Please, Please, Please take some time to stand in the Gap for our nation Australia and repent and pray as in 2 Chronicles 7:13-14.

This is Kevin Rudd (on right) in real life during the flooding in an ABC News video here. Can’t see Nalliah anywhere.

Parts of the town of Maclean on the Clarence River are subject to an evacuation warning order

A 3.2 metre flood peak is now expected to pass through Maclean at approximately 7a.m. this morning, Thursday 13 January 2011, and this SES advisory is still active:

Flood Evacuation Warning for Low Lying Areas of Maclean

Authorised By: Caroline Ortel – Operations Controller - 12 January 2011, 6:32pm

The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted that the Clarence River will peak at Maclean near 3.2 metres tomorrow (Thursday 13 January) morning. The State Emergency Service recommends that residents within the low lying areas of Maclean in River Street, McLachlan Street, John Street, Iona Close, Howard Street, Argyle Street, Bakers Lane, Rannoch Street, Dwartes Lane, Rush Lane, Hogues Lane and Central Avenue should be prepared to evacuate in the next 12 hours.

Residents should monitor the situation and be prepared to evacuate if instructed to do so. A Flood Evacuation Order will be issued by the SES if evacuation is required.

An evacuation centre will be established at Maclean Showground Pavilion where you can obtain temporary accommodation and other help. Alternatively you can also choose to go to friends or relatives.

To prepare for possible evacuation you should:

•Raise belongings by placing them on tables, beds and benches. Put electrical items on top. You may be able to place light weight items in the roof space.
•Collect together medicines, personal and financial documents, mementos and photos
•If possible, check to see if your neighbours need help
•Make arrangements for care of pets or other animals, or take your pets with you when you evacuate
•Be prepared to take three days’ supply of clothing and medicines
•Find out where to turn off the electricity and gas
•Continue to listen to a local radio station for updates
Don’t walk ride or drive through floodwaters – this is the main cause of death and injury during floods

For emergency assistance telephone the SES on 132 500

Web site: www.ses.nsw.gov.au

Mark Bellamy's most recent flood photos here.

UPDATE:

Flood peak passed through Maclean early this morning at approximately 0.6m below levee height so evacuation warning was withdrawn.

Peak passed though Yamba without incident during a low-tide period, but the town is still cut-off. Clarence Valley Council has opened a temporary 'base' in Treelands Drive Community Centre, Yamba, Ph: 6643.0200

Australia - not loving it at the moment

Sure we’ll all love this Dorothy Mackellar poem again in about a month’s time.

The love of field and coppice,
Of green and shaded lanes.
Of ordered woods and gardens
Is running in your veins,
Strong love of grey-blue distance
Brown streams and soft dim skies
I know but cannot share it,
My love is otherwise.

I love a sunburnt country,
A land of sweeping plains,
Of ragged mountain ranges,
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!

A stark white ring-barked forest
All tragic to the moon,
The sapphire-misted mountains,
The hot gold hush of noon.
Green tangle of the brushes,
Where lithe lianas coil,
And orchids deck the tree-tops
And ferns the warm dark soil.

Core of my heart, my country!
Her pitiless blue sky,
When sick at heart, around us,
We see the cattle die -
But then the grey clouds gather,
And we can bless again
The drumming of an army,
The steady, soaking rain.

Core of my heart, my country!
Land of the Rainbow Gold,
For flood and fire and famine,
She pays us back threefold -
Over the thirsty paddocks,
Watch, after many days,
The filmy veil of greenness
That thickens as we gaze.

An opal-hearted country,
A wilful, lavish land -
All you who have not loved her,
You will not understand -
Though earth holds many splendours,
Wherever I may die,
I know to what brown country
My homing thoughts will fly.

Waterlogged from Grafton NSW

The NSW North Coast in flood pictures this week

Images top to bottom:
NSW Premier's helicopter inspecting the Clarence Valley
Grafton Bridge over the Clarence River
Lavender Bridge, Bellingen Valley
View from Tabulam Bridge, Clarence Valley
Tabulam SES workers
Clarence Sailing Club, Grafton
Ferry Park, Maclean
Orara River, Clarence Valley catchment

From photogalleries of the Northern Star, ABC News, Northern Rivers Echo, Jane Beeby at Flickr and ratis 100.

Flood information on the NSW North Coast - Wednesday 12 January 2011

ABC News photograph of the Wilsons River

The Pacific and New England and Bruxner highways will be cut in places today, so check at Regional Road Information before intending to travel.

Ulmarra, Cowper and Brushgrove in the Clarence Valley have been alerted by public broadcast to the possibility that residents may need to evacuate some time today. All residents are asked to inform family members before they evacuate.

The NSW Police have provided a phone number for Flood Information: 1800 227 228.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology advice issued at 4:46 am EDT this morning:

Rain has eased since 9pm Monday night [11/01/11].

The Clarence River at Grafton was 7.28 metres and rising slowly at 4am Wednesday [12/01/11] with major flooding.

Overnight there have been renewed river rises in the Upper Clarence Valley. At 4am this morning, the main flood waters are near Baryulgil. Grafton is expected to peak tonight, with Major Flooding.

Predicted River Heights/Flows:

Grafton

- Peak near 7.6 metres around 9pm Wednesday [12/01/11] with major flooding.

Ulmarra

- Peak near 5.9 metres around midnight Wednesday [12/01/11] with major flooding.

Maclean

- Peak near 3.2 metres Thursday morning [13/01/11] with major flooding.

FloodSafe advice is available at http://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/

For emergency assistance call the SES on telephone number 132 500.

For life threatening emergencies, call 000 immediately.

Weather Forecast:
For the latest weather forecast see www.bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/
Next Issue:
The next warning will be issued by 8:00am Wednesday [12/01/11]

Official river heights infromation for Tweed River Cudgen Creek Brunswick River Wilsons River Richmond River to Coraki Lower Richmond River Clarence River to Baryulgil Mann and Nymboida Rivers Lower Clarence River Wooli River.

Bellinger River flood warning

ABC North Coast Northern Rivers Flood Information

UPDATE:

The Daily Examiner Clarence Valley flood photos

SAFFIN URGES NORTHERN RIVERS PRODUCERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES TO APPLY FOR FLOOD ASSISTANCE GRANTS

Media Release 10 January 2011

Member for Page, Janelle Saffin is encouraging local primary producers and small businesses affected by recent flooding in the electorate of Page to contact the NSW Rural Assistance Authority to see if they are eligible for flood recovery grants now available.

To be eligible, applicants need to show that 51 per cent of their income is derived from production – based on copies of their latest personal and business taxation returns, as well as satisfying other criteria.

A package of one-off “Category C Grants” – worth up to $15,000 – is available under the National Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA) provided jointly by Federal and NSW Governments.

Category C assistance will help primary producers with general clean up costs including the removal of debris and dead livestock, purchase of fodder, replacement trading stock, repairs to damaged equipment and property access – without which production and viability could be disrupted beyond the next season. It will help small businesses affected by flooding to conduct repairs and resume trading as soon as possible.

Category C assistance does not compensate for income losses and is not intended to replace insurance. It does not cover damage to dwellings, damages covered by insurance and cost of using own labour, existing staff or own equipment.

“A lot of producers and businesses in the region have been doing it extremely tough as a result of flooding,” Janelle Saffin said.

“For producers and farmers, crops have been destroyed and livestock has been lost.

“It’s clear that many small businesses have also suffered significant disruption to their businesses.

“This additional assistance is about helping farmers and businesses get back on their feet.

“These one-off grants will help minimise the economic impact of the floods in the affected communities and help people get back to business as quickly as possible.

“The Gillard Labor Government would continue to work with the NSW Government to provide as much support to NSW communities as we can as the recovery process continues.”

The new assistance for small business owners and primary producers is in addition to other joint Commonwealth/NSW Government assistance being provided under the NDRRA across affected Local Government Areas. That includes concessional loans of up to $130,000 for small businesses and primary producers; concessional loans of up to $25,000 for voluntary, non-profit organisations; road and rail freight subsidies of up to $15,000 to assist primary producers for the carriage of livestock and fodder; personal hardship and distress assistance; restoration of public infrastructure; and certain counter disaster operations.

Applications for assistance must be lodged to the NSW Rural Assistance Authority by Thursday 30 June, 2011.

For further information, or to apply for assistance under the Natural Disaster Community Recovery Package, call the NSW Rural Assistance Authority on 1800 678 593 or visit www.raa.nsw.gov.au

Media Contact: Paul Gallagher 0403076120

My Blackberry Is Not Working!

Ta to Rod of Iluka for sending this classic link across……

Only in America! Example No. 1,000,000,000,001

From the War Room at Salon on 6 January 2010:

No, they didn't refuse to extradite some fugitive slaves. They just acted like duly elected Representatives without being sworn in!

The new Republican majority already committed a major boehner on the second day of the new Congress. Representatives Pete Sessions of Texas and Mike Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania were busy attending a fundraiser when all their colleagues were actually sworn in as members of Congress. So, whoops, they're not members yet. No biggies, right? Wrong! Because then they both showed up to work and cast some votes, in direct violation of our Constitution, which they then participated in the official reading of, on the floor of the House.

Sessions even chaired the Rules Committee while he wasn't a member, because in 2011, all jokes will officially write themselves.

Clarence Valley Mayor gives up on Yamba By-pass but councillors hold firm

The Clarence Valley Review
4 January 2011
Click on image to enlarge

Clarence Valley Council management has made yet another attempt to ditch the Yamba By-Pass plan put in place to relieve negative impacts on Yamba Road residents and road users generally.

The first few times abandonment was mooted staff wanted to sell land back to developers and this time environmental issues are cited.

Mayor Richie Williamson is traversing quicksand when he supports staff in this matter and it could be a real vote loser for him in March 2011, as most Yamba residents would have little faith in the designated land being effectively protected if the by-pass was permanently shelved.

Particularly as the by-pass land lies along the top of an area defined as 'West Yamba,' which is mostly owned by aggressive professional developers and was itself an area with considerable biodiversity/conservation values.

Local government has a long history of rolling over and playing dead for developers in Yamba and, this current set of councillors were the ones who finally forced the West Yamba 'green fields' urban development land release on a predominately unwilling community.