Now Trending - World's News & Current Affairs From a Biblical Perspective
Prophecy Update Newsletter
September 21, 2016
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Counterfeit Miracles of the Antichrist - By Britt Gillette - http://raptureready.com/featured/gillette/bg76.html
Not everyone in the world today accepts the message of Jesus. This shouldn't surprise you. Even many of those who met Jesus refused to accept His message. In spite of the love He offered... In spite of His revolutionary teachings... In spite of His miracles... They rejected Him. Why? Jesus said it's because such people are children of the devil - the father of lies (John 8:42:44). Otherwise, why would anyone reject Jesus? Jesus embodied truth (John 14:6). He gave sight to the blind (John 9:6-7). He opened the ears of the deaf (Mark 7:35). He cured the lepers (Luke 17:14). He even brought the dead back to life (John 11:43-44). His miracles testified to His identity as the Son of God (John 5:36). Still, many of those who witnessed His miracles turned away from Him. Many of those who heard His words did not believe Him. And in the years since, millions upon millions have rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Yet Jesus tells us a time will come when the world will gladly follow someone else. He said, "Another will come, and Him you will follow" (John 5:43). Who is this man the world will follow? Who is this false messiah? I'm sure you've heard of him before. His name is the Antichrist. The Bible tells us the Antichrist will be so powerful, the world will worship him (Revelation 13:4). He will command a global government with complete power over every person on earth (Revelation 13:7). His power will be so complete he'll control everyone's ability to buy or sell (Revelation 13:17). But is this power the only reason the world will worship him? Most likely not. Many kings and rulers have held power. Few have been worshiped. But the Bible provides us with a clue as to why the world will worship this man. It says he will perform great miracles (Revelation 13:13). In fact, these miracles will be so amazing, they will deceive God's people - if such a thing were possible (Matthew 24:24). The "Miracles" of Advanced Technology Many describe technology as a modern day miracle. Since the Industrial Revolution, we've witnessed one technological breakthrough after another. With each passing year, our devices cost less and grow in power. Given current trends, we have no reason to believe this won't continue right up until the moment Jesus returns. After all, we live in a world of exponential change. We live in a world where each year technology improves by leaps and bounds. And it's in this world where the Antichrist will perform his deceptive miracles. How will he do this? I don't know. But in the near future, he will be able to use new technologies to copy almost every miracle of Jesus. Is it any wonder he will deceive so many people? The Bible says the whole world will follow him. And his "miracles" are one of the reasons they will. But the Antichrist's miracles won't be miracles at all. They'll be fakes. Keep in mind, counterfeit miracles are nothing new. Pharaoh's magicians copied many of the plagues God sent on Egypt (Exodus 7:11). Is it any surprise the Antichrist will be able to do the same? Are You the Messiah? When John the Baptist sent a messenger to ask Jesus if He was the long awaited Messiah, Jesus responded, "The lame walk. The deaf hear. The blind see..." (Luke 7:22). For John, this was enough. These facts confirmed the identity of Jesus. After all, never in the history of the world had a man restored sight to a man born blind (John 9:32). His miracles proved Jesus was the Messiah. But very soon, such miracles will be commonplace. Advanced technology such as molecular manufacturing, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology will cure all disease and disabilities. The blind will see. The lame will walk. The deaf will hear. The sick will be healed. It's easy to imagine that when that happens, one man will claim credit - the Antichrist. Let's look at a few of Jesus' miracles and how the Antichrist could use future technology in an effort to copy them: Feeding the Five Thousand - Tasked with feeding a crowd of 5,000 men (and even more women and children), Jesus took five loaves of bread and two fish. He blessed them, broke them into pieces, and had His disciples hand them out to the people. Everyone ate as much as they wanted, and twelve baskets of leftovers were collected (Matthew 14:13-21). Did you know the dirt in your front yard probably has every element needed to make fish and bread? All you need is a recipe and the means to make them. With the blueprint for a piece of fish or a loaf of bread, advanced technology will be able to do just that. By rearranging matter, you could literally create a fish or a loaf of bread from nothing but dirt. And with enough dirt, you could feed five thousand people. In fact, with enough dirt and the right technology, you could feed the whole world. In a world of advanced technology, the Antichrist will be able to feed the whole world. And if he did, the world would worship him for it (Revelation 13:4). But again, this would be a false miracle. Man does not live off of bread alone, but from the Word of God (Matthew 4:4). Water into Wine - The first miracle Jesus performed in public took place at a wedding. When the wine ran out, Jesus told the servants to fill six jars with water. Then, He told them to dip some out and take it to the master of ceremonies. When they did, the water had turned into wine (John 2:1-11). With advanced technology, the Antichrist could also turn water into wine. Remember, natural chemical processes create both water and wine. Once computers can control the forming and breaking of chemical bonds, humans will be able to direct those chemical processes. If you have the elements needed to form the chemical compounds in wine, advanced technology will open the door for turning water into wine. Curing of Disease - Jesus cured lepers (Luke 17:14), gave sight to the blind (John 9:6-7), healed the lame (Mark 2:11-12), opened the ears of the deaf (Mark 7:35), and cured disease (Luke 8:2). Will the Antichrist be able to do the same? In all likelihood, yes. Advanced technology is on the verge of monumental breakthroughs in medicine. Soon, we'll be able to replace cancerous cells with healthy ones. Designer antibodies will attack and destroy once deadly viruses. Imagine man-made machines so small they can travel through the blood stream. As they encounter deadly bacteria and viruses, they latch on and disable them, effectively ending all illness and disease. In such a world, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the paralyzed will walk again. No one will die from infection. No one will die from heart disease. The aging process will be reversed. Some Things Can't Be Replicated Again, counterfeit miracles are nothing new. Pharaoh's magicians appeared to copy many of the plagues God sent on Egypt. But in the end, Pharaoh and his court couldn't match God's power over death. Death ultimately came to the firstborn of Egypt (Exodus 12:29). Likewise, what Jesus did on the cross can't be copied. He took on the sin of the world, and through Him, we receive forgiveness. Can the Antichrist (or any man) forgive sin? No. Jesus is the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). He has the power to lay down His life and to pick it up again (John 10:18). He has the power to raise the dead (John 11:44), and He has power to judge the world (John 5:22). The end times will be a time of great deception (2 Thessalonians 2:10-11). Even though the teachings of Jesus are well known, much of the world continues to look for a messiah-a savior who will end the suffering of this world. The Bible tells us the world will follow the Antichrist. They will marvel at his "miracles." They will worship him as their savior and god. But it will all be false. It will all be an illusion. Nothing but a counterfeit hope, when real hope is found in Jesus. DISCLAIMER: We love Michael Snyder and appreciate his well-written and insightful articles, but we have to agree to disagree when it comes to his viewpoints concerning the Rapture and the Tribulation. We want to make it clear that we in no way endorse or approve of his Post Tribulation viewpoint nor his new book, "The Rapture Verdict." We believe that the Bible clearly teaches that the Church will not go through the Great Tribulation, but will be Raptured prior to the beginning of this time of Jacob's Trouble. Furthermore, we believe the Bible teaches that the Tribulation period can't even begin until we are taken out of the way! Some pre-tribulation ministries have completely banned Michael Snyder. For the time being, we will continue to post his very popular articles, but only with this disclaimer included.
Obama Used His Final UN Address to Promote A 'Liberal World Order' And A Palestinian State - By Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/obama-used-his-final-un-address-to-promote-a-liberal-world-order-and-a-palestinian-state During Barack Obama's eighth and final address to the United Nations he let his true colors show. He staunchly defended globalism, he took several not very subtle shots at Donald Trump, and he boldly declared that Israel "cannot permanently occupy and settle Palestinian land". That statement about "Palestinian land" was extremely alarming to many, because there are indications that Obama may decide to support a UN Security Council resolution that establishes the parameters for a Palestinian state during his final months in the White House. Barack Obama has promised to squeeze every ounce of "change" out of the remainder of his term that he possibly can, and his last UN speech showed what is on his heart at this moment. According to the Washington Post, Obama's final UN address represented "an impassioned plea on behalf of a liberal world order"... President Obama, in his final speech to the United Nations Tuesday, made an impassioned plea on behalf of a liberal world order that he admitted was under growing threat from wars in the Middle East and rising nationalism at home and in Europe. Speaking to the U.N. General Assembly for the eighth and last time as president, Obama sought to rise above the conflicts of the moment and outline a future of international cooperation, stressing the importance of the global liberal institutions formed after World War II, including the United Nations. Barack Obama is a true believer in internationalism. He appears to be completely convinced that the best path forward for humanity involves more integration on all levels - political, economic and even spiritual. Just check out this excerpt from his speech... "I believe that at this moment we all face a choice," Obama said. "We can choose to press forward with a better model of cooperation and integration or we can retreat into a world sharply divided and ultimately in conflict along age-old lines of nation and tribe and race and religion. I want to suggest to you today that we must go forward and not back." Obama's obsession with globalism is one of the reasons why he has so much disdain for Donald Trump, and his speech at the United Nations contained quite a few comments that seemed specifically targeted at him. The following comes from CNN... He painted a dark picture of the future awaiting Americans, and the world, if the forces of "aggressive nationalism" or "crude populism" win out. And he specifically inveighed against building a wall - a centerpiece of Trump's proposal on border security. "A nation ringed by walls would only imprison itself," Obama declared to the assembled representatives of the UN's member states. But even more alarming than his defense of globalism was his wording about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I can't remember any previous president ever using the phrase "Palestinian land" before. Obviously a "two-state solution" is already an inevitable outcome in Obama's mind. Here is the full quote for those that have not seen it yet... "Surely Israelis and Palestinians will be better off if Palestinians reject incitement and recognize the legitimacy of Israel. But Israel must recognize that it cannot permanently occupy and settle Palestinian land." To me, this statement is a major red flag. Could it be possible that Barack Obama plans to stab Israel in the back by supporting a UN Security Council resolution that permanently divides the Holy Land before his time in the White House is done? On Wednesday, Obama is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As you can see, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest says that a discussion about a "two-state solution" will be on the agenda... Obama plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday to "discuss the need for genuine advancement of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the face of deeply troubling trends on the ground," according to White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest. Barack Obama knows that he only has until January 20th, 2017 to take any action on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. If he supports a UN Security Council resolution formally recognizing a Palestinian state and granting them East Jerusalem as their capital, the next president would not be able to go back and undo that. So this may be a way for Obama to "leave a legacy" in the Middle East, and he may especially be tempted to do this if it looks like Donald Trump could win the election... A looming Donald Trump presidency would make it more likely for lame-duck US President Barack Obama to support a United Nations Security Council resolution laying down the basic parameters for the creation of Palestinian state, a former top US official said Sunday. "I suspect that if Trump wins, the president would be more inclined to go for a Security Council resolution to try to do something that binds, creates standards for the future that the next president couldn't undo," Dennis Ross said at a conference on the future of Zionism and the US-Israel relationship. "If Clinton wins, I suspect he [Obama] would be more sensitive to her concerns as to whether this helps or hurt her." Less than a week ago, I wrote an article about how UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also appears to want to see movement toward a Palestinian state before his term ends, and he reaffirmed this position very strongly on Tuesday... Earlier on Tuesday, UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon told the UN General Assembly that the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be a two-state solution, and that the one-state option would "spell doom" for both sides. "This is madness. Replacing a two-state solution with a one-state construct would spell doom: denying Palestinians their freedom and rightful future, and pushing Israel further from its vision of a Jewish democracy towards greater global isolation," said Ban. Of course Barack Obama and Ban Ki-moon are both dead wrong about this. If the UN Security Council passes a resolution that sets the parameters for a Palestinian state, it would be one of the worst things that they could possibly do, and it would set the stage for a major war in the Middle East. But the pressure is on, and the world community seems to sense a real opportunity to divide the land of Israel. Every year, the World Council of Churches observes a "World Week for Peace" during the month of September, and the focus is almost always on the Middle East. This year, the work of the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum will be highlighted during the "World Week for Peace", and it is an organization that is strongly affiliated with the World Council of Churches. On their website, the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Forum has just released a poem that declares that "it's time for Palestine". This is how that poem begins...
Overall, I don't know if I have ever seen such an international push for a Palestinian state like we are seeing right now. And the man that holds all the power is Barack Obama, because a potential U.S. veto is all that stands in the way of a UN Security Council resolution that divides the land of Israel and establishes a Palestinian state. At this moment we are in the danger zone. Obama has only four months left to pull the trigger, and Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have both stated that they do not plan to support such a resolution once they take office. So if something is going to happen, it is almost certainly going to be before January 20th, 2017. It is unclear what Obama is going to do at this point, but it is not exactly comforting that the fate of the land of Israel lies in his hands. Accept Palestine or face 'sea of hatred,' Jordanian king warns Israel - http://www.timesofisrael.com/accept-palestine-or-face-sea-of-hatred-jordanian-king-warns-israel/
Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Abdullah accuses Jewish state of attempting to alter status quo on Temple Mount Jordan's King Abdullah warned Israel would find itself in "a sea of hatred" if it did not accept a Palestinian state, while also condemning Muslim terrorists from the United Nations rostrum Tuesday. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Abdullah spoke of the importance of peace between Israel and Palestinians, blaming the ongoing conflict for continued unrest in the region. "No injustice has spread more bitter fruit than the denial of a Palestinian state. I say: Peace is a conscious decision," the king said. "Israel has to embrace peace or eventually be engulfed in a sea of hatred in a region of turmoil." Mentioning only the Christian and Muslim connection to Jerusalem holy sites, Abdullah accused Israel of attempting to alter the identity of the city. "As the Custodian of Islamic holy sites in Jerusalem, I will continue my efforts to protect these places, and stand up against all violations of their sanctity, including attempts for temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al Haram Al Sharif," he said. Israeli officials have repeatedly rejected accusations by Palestinian and Jordanian officials that it intends to allow Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount or alter the status quo governing the holy site. Tensions over the compound, considered the holiest place in Judaism and the third holiest in Islam, have often led to flare-ups of violence. Abdullah began his speech with a long and impassioned plea for the world to differentiate between Islam and terrorism, which he claimed had no connection to the religion. He decried Islamic terrorists who "want to wipe out our achievements and those of our ancestors; to erase human civilization, and drag us back to the dark ages." Abdullah clearly distanced himself and mainstream Islam from the terrorist organizations. "Let me state clearly that these radical outlaw groups do not exist on the fringes of Islam, they are altogether outside of it. Thus we refer to them as khawarej, outlaws of Islam." He criticized both those who fail to recognize the war on Islamic terror for what it is, and those who simply stigmatize all Muslims without differentiation. "How can we be effective in this fight when we haven't clearly defined who the enemy is?" the king stated. "Who are we fighting with and who are we fighting against?" Iran threatens to 'turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to dust' if Israel missteps - http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran-News/Iran-threatens-to-turn-Tel-Aviv-and-Haifa-to-dust-if-Israeli-missteps-468303
"If the leaders of the Zionist regime make a mistake then the Islamic Republic will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to dust," reads banner on military truck in missile parade. In an attempt to tout its military prowess on Wednesday, Iran threatened to "turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to dust" during a parade of the Islamic Republic's armed forces in Tehran. Iran marked the anniversary of its 1980 invasion by Iraq by parading its latest ships and missiles and telling the United States not to meddle in the Gulf. At a parade in Tehran, shown on state TV, the military displayed a wide array of long-range missiles, tanks, and the Russian-supplied S-300 surface-to-air missile defense system. In a reference to Iran's arch-foe Israel, a banner on one military truck shown on state TV read,: "If the leaders of the Zionist regime make a mistake then the Islamic Republic will turn Tel Aviv and Haifa to dust." At the port of Bandar Abbas on the Gulf, the navy showed off 500 vessels, as well as submarines and helicopters, at a time of high tension with the United States in the strategic waterway. US officials say there have been more than 30 close encounters between US and Iranian vessels in the Gulf so far this year, over twice as many as in the same period of 2015. On September 4, a US Navy coastal patrol ship changed course after an Iranian Revolutionary Guard fast-attack craft came within 100 yards (91 meters) of it in the central Gulf, at least the fourth such incident in less than a month, US Defense Department officials said. "We tell the Americans that it's better that the capital and wealth of the American people should not be wasted on their inappropriate and detrimental presence in the Persian Gulf," said Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Tasnim news site quoted him as saying: "If they want to extend their reach and engage in adventurism they should go to the Bay of Pigs" - a reference to the location of a botched US attempt to overthrow Cuban leader Fidel Castro in 1961. In Tehran, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, declared that Iran wanted peace. But he also said Iran's lessons in the 1980-88 war against Iraq now served as a guide for "our brothers in faith" in Syria, "Palestine," Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Bahrain, a checklist of countries where Iran has political, religious or military allies. The Russian-supplied missile defense system on show in Tehran was deployed last month around Iran's underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow. Enrichment at the site, around 100 km (60 miles) south of Tehran, has stopped since the implementation in January of Iran's agreement with world powers to curb its nuclear program in exchange for an easing of sanctions. Also on display was the Qadr H missile, which has a range of 2,000 km, according to state TV. Iran's ballistic missile program has been criticized by the West, and the US Treasury imposed sanctions on two Iranian companies in March because of their alleged ties to it. The Russian-supplied missile defense system on show in Tehran was deployed last month around Iran's underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow. Enrichment at the site, around 100 km (60 miles) south of Tehran, has stopped since the implementation in January of Iran's agreement with world powers to curb its nuclear program in exchange for an easing of sanctions. Also on display was the Qadr H missile, which has a range of 2,000 km, according to state TV. Iran's ballistic missile program has been criticized by the West, and the US Treasury imposed sanctions on two Iranian companies in March because of their alleged ties to it. Nearing Midnight: Rapture Resistance Ramping Up - Terry James - http://raptureready.com/rap16.html
The past number of weeks has brought a ramping up of vitriol against the doctrine of the pre-Trib Rapture to my inbox. The assault seems spearheaded by one blog thrust in particular. I receive as many as three long diatribes from this source in a single day. The accusation is that those who believe in the pre-Trib Rapture are part of what this blog entity calls the Rapture Cult. A number of emails pour in from various individuals who, close examination uncovers, are likely in cahoots with the blog-entity initiating this latest strategy against pre-Trib Rapture teaching. These emails, without exception, use the "Margaret McDonald" accusatory proclamation. They claim that we who believe the Bible presents a pre-Trib Rapture have been taken in by the hellish vision of the nineteenth century false prophetess who is said to have also caused John Darby to fall for the lie of a pre-Trib Rapture. C. I. Scofield, the DeHaans, and the rest of us have joined and perpetuated this " Rapture cult." The anti-pre-Trib blog writer points an anger-tinged condemnation of the ancient writings such as that of one called Pseudo-Ephraem. This writer from antiquity has been studied by prophecy scholars such as Grant Jeffrey and others in order to find extra-biblical validation that the pre-Trib view of Rapture was held by the early church fathers and by the early church in general. The blogger insinuates that the very use of the title "pseudo" indicates this is a false teacher. The "genuine" Ephraem, he writes, apparently lived in the fourth century, while the "pseudo" lived in as late as the seventh. Yet he confuses his attempt to make his case by using both Ephraems to claim that they both, in the final analysis, write a firm denial of the pre-Trib Rapture. The blogger writes of both Ephraems: "Both said the only thing 'remaining' is the arrival of Antichrist"--i.e., they both believed, according to him, that the Antichrist coming to power is the next prophetic event to take place. No Rapture is in view. Grant Jeffrey plainly refutes that claim through his research. Jeffrey wrote the following in a chapter for one of my books: 1. Ephraem's manuscript lays out the events of the last days in chronological sequence. Significantly, he began with the Rapture, using the word "imminent," then he described the Great Tribulation of three and a half years duration under the Antichrist's tyranny, followed by the second coming of Christ to earth with His saints to defeat the Antichrist. 2. Significantly, at the beginning of his treatise in section 2, Ephraem used the word "imminent" to describe the Rapture occurring before the Tribulation and the coming of the Antichrist. "We ought to understand thoroughly therefore, my brothers which is imminent or overhanging." 3. He clearly described the pre-Tribulation Rapture: "Because all saints and the Elect of the Lord are gathered together before the tribulation which is about to come and are taken to the Lord, in order that they may not see at any time the confusion which overwhelms the world because of our sins."--Grant Jeffrey, "Rapture, Three Fascinating Discoveries" The writers of those earlier times used the term "pseudo" as merely a literary device in order to not have their names made public for one reason or the other. The same devices are used today in modern literature, of course. And, there are other factors involved in why such pseudonym devices were employed, but that's not relevant here. The point is that very meticulous scholarship examining the writers of that ancient period has proven beyond doubt--to me and many others who study Bible prophecy--that there were many students of God's Word amongst the early believers who held to a pre-Tribulation Rapture of the church. Yet the blogger calls the writings by Ephraem the Syrian (A.D. 306 to 373) "false witness" and refers to the writer as a "forger." This he does without actual proof of his charge, but with high-sounding, pseudo-scholarly phraseology, in my opinion. The danger in all this is that these assaults on the Rapture deflect the study of many of the true children of God who have a desire to look into Bible prophecy these days. Believe me, these seem to constitute a group that is diminishing in number. The bloggers that are virulently against the truth about the pre-Trib Rapture brought to us by Paul the apostle in his letters to the Thessalonians and the Corinthians, and indeed by Jesus Himself as given in John 14:1-3, send their seemingly well-studied dogma in mass mailings on an ever-increasing basis. People are all too quick to take the sophistry thus delivered, usually unsolicited, as factual. Like those who get their news from cyberspace venues who twist truth that is not news at all, but fable, those marginally interested in Bible prophecy often take the lazy way and choose the blog presentations from the purveyors of anti-pre-Trib Rapture propaganda. This is a primary reason I wrote my latest book, Rapture Ready...Or Not: 15 Reasons This Is the Generation That will Be Left Behind. My prayerful desire was and continues to be to get the book into the hands of as many as possible in order to counter such satanically spawned attacks. My special prayer is that we get the book to as many pastors and teachers within churches that are still of the Philadelphian rather than of the Laodicean sort. My thanks to all who have seen to it that your pastors and teachers now have this book in their possession. For those who haven't yet seen to it that these ministers of your acquaintance have copies, I ask that you consider providing each a copy. Time looks to be running out in this Age of Grace. Pray, if you will, that these will begin using their pulpits and teaching opportunities to deliver truth about Christ's imminent coming for all believers. As chapter 1 of Rapture Ready...Or Not puts it: "The end isn't near, it's here."
My Review of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Over the last 35 years, I have literally read hundreds of books on Bible Prophecy and End Time signs. I especially enjoy books on the Rapture, and I have read almost every Rapture-related book published. In all those years, devouring thousands of pages, and millions of words, I have not read a better book on the Rapture than, Rapture Ready...Or Not? Terry James might be physically blind, but he is spiritually sharp and well discerning beyond most authors. In "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Terry has nailed the pre-trib Rapture, and removed any doubt what so ever about the Church going through the Tribulation. With great insight and Godly discernment, Terry explains with simple, yet profound words, why and how that he has come to believe the ways he does about the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the End Times scenario. I think after reading "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" you too will believe as Terry does, and be Ready for the Rapture like never before! - Randy Thomas - Publisher / Editor - Prophecy Update For more information and or to get your copy of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" use this link: http://www.raptureready.com/terry/book35.html Church Apostasy Grows Worldwide - Tom Olago - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=669
With virtually every passing day, it's becoming clearer and clearer that the Christian church worldwide is faced with a serious moral decline and seems to be losing the battle to retain its purity and integrity. One of the persistent areas of concern is the acceptance and celebration of homosexuality in the church. A recent wnd.com report by Bob Unruh noted that Biola University, once considered one of the most conservative evangelical Christian universities in the nation, has announced the creation of a "purposeful, community-focused program" for students with same-sex attractions. The Web page for the new program, called Sustinere, explains that students with same-sex attractions typically don't feel free to talk about their experiences and feel unsupported in their community. The program "will seek to provide a caring and supportive community where students can journey together to live authentically and lovingly with same-sex sexual attractions, orientations, and identities." Yet a spokesman told WND the program does not in any way conflict with the doctrinal statement that, in italics and bold-face type on its website, affirms, "Biblical marriage consists only of a faithful, heterosexual union between one genetic male and one genetic female, and Biblical marriage is the only legitimate and acceptable context for a sexual relationship." "We're not compromising at all our position, the Biblical position of marriage," he told WND, so while the "community" reaches out to those with same-sex attraction, the message will be abstinence and rejection of the lifestyle. That position however still seems to contradict the stated objective of helping students "...journey together to live authentically and lovingly with same-sex sexual attractions, orientations, and identities." The university's approach is certainly not an isolated one. The Archbishop of Wales has argued that taking the Bible seriously can lead to supporting same-sex marriage as he defended his acceptance of LGBT relationships. Dr. Barry Morgan, who will retire in January, used his last address to the governing body of the Church in Wales on Wednesday to deliver a parting shot to conservative critics who said he had been "swayed by the liberal culture of our age" and "ignored Holy Scripture". He argued the Bible had more than one view on LGBT relationships as the authors' stances evolved. He said it was necessary to look at the texts as a whole, and especially at the ministry of Jesus, to understand God's will. "Taking the Bible as a whole and taking what it says very seriously may lead us into a very different view of same-sex relationships than the one traditionally upheld by the Church," he said. The Archbishop concluded his address by quoting from Amazing Love, a book that urges Christians to embrace LGBT relationships. He said people flourish in committed relationships with one other person. "Those of us who were or are married have found that to be the case," he said. "Why would we want to deny such a possibility for those who are attracted to their own gender?" Ian Paul, a prominent conservative blogger and member of the Archbishops' Council, told Christian Today Morgan's comments were "really quite extraordinary". He said: "Very many scholars of the Bible, including those who do not agree with the Church's traditional teaching on sexuality, would be astonished by his statement that 'the Bible has more than one view on homosexuality'. The few texts that are directly relevant are uniformly negative. And even the Bible texts themselves don't even matter anymore in some quarters. A report in early September by Michael Koziol of the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Anglican Archbishop Philip Freier in a letter to Anglican Bishops: "If the plebiscite does happen it will be important that Christians - and others - vote according to their Conscience and their view of what is best for society...should the vote be in favor of same-sex marriage, as suggested by the opinion polls, the Church must accept that this is now part of the landscape". For those who prefer to stick to the Bible script, though, there's still some bad news: even the sanctity of the original Biblical texts themselves is under threat. Some Bible translators are now reportedly revising Bible translations in ways that alter the original meanings and interpretations of scripture. Are these simply praiseworthy attempts to correct or improve the accuracy of the current versions, or do these efforts actually water down or misrepresent the original meanings and intent of the Scriptures? According to a recent report by Brandon Showalter for the Christian Post, a debate is stirring over revisions made to the final translation of the English Standard Version Bible regarding gender, with one Biblical scholar saying the changes are "potentially dangerous." The Crossway Board of Directors and the ESV Translation Oversight Committee said in a statement that the 52 words revised in 29 verses were "the culmination of more than 17 years of comprehensive work by the committee, as authorized and initiated by the Crossway Board in 1998... the 2016 edition is a "Permanent text of the ESV Bible [and will remain] unchanged throughout the life of the copyright." "One of the controversial changes can be found in Genesis 3:16 which originally read, 'Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you'. The verse has now been edited to read, Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you." Northern Seminary New Testament professor Scot McKnight believes the word changes in the newly revised ESV Bible have profoundly negative implications. "This new translation of Genesis 3:16 suggests the curse against the woman is an act of God (a curse) that seals estrangement, alienation, and tension between females and males," McKnight said in an interview with The Christian Post. "Some think they make women rebellious and men authoritarian in response. That is a sad and potentially dangerous interpretation for it gives the wrong kind of males a ready-made excuse for domination," he added. Other symptoms of spiritual malaise and growing apostasy are being reflected in other ways around the world. In Sweden, for instance, leaders of the Church of Sweden which is the official government-endorsed religious body say that wearing a cross necklace is "un-Christian." This development was recently reported by WND's Bob Unruh. The story also carried the Church of Sweden view that God has a pro-immigration and open-borders philosophy, and that homosexuals should be low-key so they don't "provoke" Muslims. The stunning positions taken by the Swedish church group were uncovered by Nima Gholam Ali Pour, who warns in a report for the Gatestone Institute International Policy Council that the nation is very close to having a "new religion." "In Swedish Christianity, Jesus has been reduced from being the son of God, to an activist fighting for multiculturalism and open borders. According to Archbishop Antje Jackelén of the Church of Sweden, Jesus has clear political positions on both migration and integration policies," Pour wrote. "The leadership of the Church of Sweden no longer wants to lead a Christian community; they want to lead a general ethical association for humanistic values," Ann Heberlein, doctor of theology and lecturer at Lund University, said in the report. "If Christianity in Sweden begins to embrace a doctrine that has nothing to do with the universal world religion of Christianity, Sweden has then invented a new religion," Pour reasoned. Regarding Islam, the message is clear, too. The report continued: "After a French priest, Jacques Hamel, was murdered by ISIS sympathizers in Rouen, France, on July 26, 2016, an initiative started in Sweden in which Swedish Christians took 'selfies' with a cross to show solidarity with persecuted Christians. The initiative, called 'Mitt kors' ('My cross'), was started by three priests from the Church of Sweden. The Church of Sweden, however, criticized it. Gunnar Sjöberg, Head of Communications for the Church of Sweden, wrote on his Facebook page: 'I really do not know about that. This thing about Christians suddenly wearing a cross as a sign for or against something. It is actually nothing new, but the call seems seditious and un-Christian in the conflicts that already exist.'" Pour added, "So now, according to a senior official in the Church of Sweden, the call to wear a cross to show solidarity with persecuted Christians is 'un-Christian.'" Pour, who is a member of the board of education in Malmo and linked to several think tanks, continued: "This is the state of Swedish Christianity today, and it is not certain that Christians around the world would recognize the religion in Sweden called Christianity. Christian leaders in Sweden have taken Christianity and made it into a religion that serves the political agenda of an establishment whose extreme liberal ideology lacks popular support among the Swedish people. "If the Swedish establishment wants multiculturalism, then Christian leaders will declare that God says multiculturalism is good. If the Swedish establishment wants a liberal immigration policy, Jesus says that he has always been for a liberal immigration policy, despite the fact that he was born more than 2,000 years ago. Swedish Christianity has become a mixture of madness and deception." Finally, a Church of Sweden magazine in Malmo recently stated, "The rainbow in the Pride Flag is also a sign of the promise between God and man.'" "Really?" questioned Pour. "Not even the most radical gay activists believe that the rainbow in the gay pride flag is a sign of the promise between God and man. For many influential Christian leaders in Sweden, it does not matter what it says in the Bible anymore. In fact, if you take a step back and look at the overall picture, it is clear that many Christian leaders in Sweden do not worship God; they worship the romanticized, multicultural utopia they want Sweden to become." Are all these deviant practices bedeviling Christianity around the world simply a coincidence? From a prophetic standpoint , we read what God predicted about these last days: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron"(1Timothy 4: 1-2). Daily Jot: Who's who of the terrorist fix we are in - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
The terror attacks in Minnesota, New York and New Jersey have peaked the interest of Americans who are finally waking up to the situation we are facing because of bad leadership. Tens of Thousands of Somalis, Syrians, Afghans and others from radical Islamic states have been resettled in the US by the policies of the current and past presidents. Moreover, the current Democratic Party nominee for President, Hillary Clinton, has vowed to bring even more of these so-called "refugees" into the nation. It is the policies of the current Democratic leadership and those Republican Party leaders who follow along, who have brought this destruction upon America. For Hillary Clinton, however, ties to radical Islam run deep. Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman, released a statement in June saying that the Saudis fund 20% of Clinton's campaign. Federal Election Commission reports indicate Clinton has raised some $211.8 million. 20% of this sum is $42.4 million. It is against US law for a foreign entity to fund a US candidate. But Clinton's ties to terrorist-sponsoring Saudi Arabia have a long history. In 2008, for example, the Saudis gave up to $20 million to the Clinton Foundation, which oft has been accused of laundering money to Clinton political causes. The Podesta Group, led by Clinton's Champaign Chairman John Podesta, also receives some $200,000 a month from the Saudis for "public relations services." Breitbart reports that records verify Hillary Clinton's foundation has taken between $74.5-87.8 million from Algeria, Brunei, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates, all Islamic nations. Some, Clinton publicly admitted, sponsor terrorism. And there is more. Add in that Huma Abedin, whose family is foundational to the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organization, is Clinton's top aide. Clinton's running mate Tim Kaine also has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Breitbart reports, "He appointed a Hamas supporter to a state immigration commission; spoke at a dinner honoring a Muslim Brotherhood terror suspect; and received donations from well-known Islamist groups." Breitbart documents that In 2007, Kaine was the Governor of Virginia and, of all people, chose Muslim American Society (MAS) President Esam Omeish to the state's Immigration Commission. In the 2008 Holy Land Foundation trial, federal prosecutors named MAS as an overt arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in America. Omeish is also an officer of the Muslim Students Association, the Islamic Society of North America, and Dar al Hijra Islamic Center-where al Qaeda operative Anwar Al Awlaki is Imam. This is a terrorist front. Christ said in Matthew 24:4, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Does anyone believe that this influence will not continue? Oh, this just in...AP reports that a Homeland Security audit found that the Administration "mistakenly" granted citizenship to 858 immigrants from "countries of concern to national security." Daily Devotion: People Reaching People - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
"So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ." -Romans 10:17 It is worth noting that no person in the New Testament came to faith apart from the agency of a human being. Have you ever stopped and thought about that? We can find example after example of God using people to reach people. There was the Ethiopian (see Acts 8:26-39). There are many ways that God could have reached this man from a distant country. He could have sent an angel to meet him. Instead, the Lord sent an angel to Philip and told him to go. So Philip went and proclaimed the gospel to that man, and he believed. Then there was the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:27-34. God could have reached him in many ways. Instead, He allowed Paul and Silas to be incarcerated and to ultimately proclaim the gospel, bringing that man and his family to faith. We can think of Cornelius, a man who was searching for God (see Acts 10). An angel spoke to him and told him he needed to meet a man named Simon Peter. The angel explained where to find him. The angel could have given him the gospel. But God chose to use Simon Peter. What about Saul? While it is true that he was converted through an encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road, his conversion was sandwiched between experiences with two people who influenced him. First, it was the witness of Stephen that softened Saul's heart and made it receptive to the seed of the Word when he was confronted by Jesus Christ. Afterward, God sent Ananias to follow up on Saul and pray for him to receive the power of the Holy Spirit. So you see, God used people. And He wants to use you. FROM THE HEART
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt - non-profit organization, and all your donations are tax deductible. If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 |
|