I was in Canada last week speaking to groups of World News and Prophecy subscribers. It is always a pleasure to go to Canada. This time I saw the varied parts of British Columbia from Vancouver to the delightful Okanagan Valley.

I paid more for basic commodities than I do in the United States. A fish sandwich at McDonalds was slightly more than at my corner store, and I paid $1.22 (Canadian) for a liter of gas. That translates to about $4.60 a gallon—quite a bit more than the $3.25 I pay here in the United States. Advertisements I saw for food prices in general were higher than America. But at least there was food on the shelves, when in some parts of the world right now there are food shortages.

Recent food riots from Haiti to the Ivory Coast have highlighted the shortages and spread fear of increased levels of poverty. Riots in Egypt have led to several deaths. When people don't have the basic bread (and rice) of life, they take to the streets. Ancient Rome learned this lesson well and kept its citizens pacified with ample bread supplies.

One of the reasons for the crisis is that in the past 20 years, developing countries have become net importers of food because of rising internal consumption and a decline in agricultural output. In addition, the growing emphasis on biofuels has diverted grains to uses other than food for people.

What does this mean? It means that efforts to reduce poverty in these nations in recent years have been set back, at least for the short term. In poorer countries people pay 50 to 60 percent of their annual income for food—and this is just for basic foodstuffs (not much meat and very few if any delicacies). Food shortages can lead to civil unrest and the untimely deaths of the innocent.

Food is a basic need, and the lack of it can shift the course of nations. In Revelation 6 we see food shortages defined in the end time by the third seal—the third horseman, carrying a set of scales signifying food scarcity. You can read more on this prophecy in the article reprint "The Horsemen of Revelation."

World food supplies are nowhere near the crisis level of this prophecy. But each time we see shortages develop, we should be aware of just how quickly events can change the best plans made by governments. Even in the best of times, famine can quickly raise its head and lead to suffering. When the events foretold in Revelation unfold, the entire world will be caught unprepared.

Americans and Canadians may be paying more for food and energy, but they can be thankful they have the wealth to buy what is still available. Even the poorest among them is rich compared to the masses in developing nations. All the more reason to be thankful to God for the abundance of these nations.

In closing let me welcome the many new subscribers to this newsletter. Many hundreds are added each month. If you find this letter useful to you, please consider forwarding it on to a friend. As always, we enjoy hearing from you

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