Editor's comment: When one reads the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:4-8. It is very easy to come to the conclusion, we are living in "The Birth Pain Era." You have to remember The Bible is a universal Book, written to the whole world. Therefore it is a worldview that is needed to understand where we are in God's plan for the end of the age.

 Guatemala City: Heavenly armed gunmen on Monday kidnapped 13 foreign missionaries in Guatemala’s northern Peten region and demanded more than $330,000 in ransom. The whereabouts and condition of the victims, believed to be Swiss, are unknown. (Associated Press)

 Turkey: At least 50 people have died in and near the heavily-populated city of Adana near the Mediterranean coast in Turkey, in a strong earthquake. Officials at the Kandilli seismology institute in Istanbul say the quake measured 6.3 on the Richter scale. Tremors were felt across a wide area and were felt as far afield as the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus. (British Broadcasting Corporation)

 Texas: The second drought to in 3 years is leaving farmers in dire straits and taxing the state economy. The state is projecting agriculture losses of $517 million this year and an overall economic loss for the state of $1.7 billion. (Pensacola News Journal)

 Bangladesh: Officials in Bangladesh have been meeting to discuss how best to help thousands of residents of the Chittagong Hill tracts region who may be dangerously short of food. The authorities have confirmed several people have died of starvation. (British Broadcasting Corporation)

 Heavy summer downpours brought flooding to upstate New York, Vermont, Ohio and Wisconsin, causing a train derailment and diesel fuel spill along with at least four storm related deaths. (New York Times)

 Florida: Florida fires continue. Florida continues to burn. Eight north Florida counties have been declared disaster areas. Over 29 counties in Florida are experiencing fire breakouts. (Pensacola News Journal)

 British Activists Want To Lower Homosexual Age Of Consent To 14: June 22,1998--As Great Britain prepares to lower the age of consent for homosexual sex to 16, activists there are already pushing to lower the age further to age 14. (Electronic Telegraph)