TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
A Fallen Civilization - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/10/09/a-fallen-civilization-by-daymond-duck/
In one of my past articles, I wrote that I believe America is in a spiritual war because we have thrown God:
I decided to repeat this on Sept. 30, 2022, when an evil and immoral world leader, Russian Pres. Putin announced that Russia was annexing four areas of Ukraine. Putin called the West a fallen civilization because the West has:
Sadly, Putin is right. Here are some recent events that appear to indicate that the Rapture is close. One, concerning the rise of godlessness and the decline of America: on Sept. 15, 2022, Cal. Gov. Newsome launched a billboard campaign in several states that misused Scriptures to support abortion. On Sept. 29, 2022, a famous Cal. pastor, John MacArthur, responded to Newsome in an open letter saying:
MacArthur ended his open letter to Newsome by saying MacArthur’s church and many Christians are praying for him and urging him to fully repent. Two, concerning the impact of godlessness on America: on Sept. 30, 2022, it was reported that America’s weapons stockpiles are “dangerously low” because our government has used a “presidential drawdown” 20 times since Aug. 2021 to send military equipment to Ukraine. According to the report, Dept. of Defense officials have indicated that our low inventory “would be considered problematic during wartime.” Many citizens have family in the military, and all of us are counting on our military to defend our nation, but they can’t do it without weapons. We need to understand that our strategic oil reserve and our weapons inventory are very low at a time when wars and rumors of war are common. Three, on Sept. 26-29, at least 4 very large underwater leaks (perhaps caused by explosions) were detected on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 Pipelines. Several world leaders said the leaks appear to be sabotage, but no one offered proof. One prophecy teacher said only 2 nations (Russia and the U.S.) have the ability to blow up a pipeline in water as deep as the Baltic Sea, where the presumed explosions occurred. If the pipelines were sabotaged, it is unclear who did it, but many officials believe the U.S. is the most likely suspect (and Tucker Carlson believes U.S. Sec. of State Tony Blinken has admitted that the U.S. did it). Some refer to these statements by U.S. officials:
It will take many months, if ever, to repair the pipelines, and their being out of service is costing Russia a fortune. Four, concerning the return of Jews to the Promised Land: on Sept. 23, 2022, it was reported that Russia’s calling up 300,000 reserve troops to fight the war in Ukraine has caused a surge in requests by Jews wanting to immigrate to Israel. Because of the war, the EU has placed sanctions on Russia, and only 2 airlines are still flying out of Russia. It is unclear how the Jews will get out, but Israel is preparing for a large wave of immigrants. Five, concerning the division of Israel: on Sept. 21, 2022, Pres. Biden endorsed the Two-State Solution in a speech at the UN. On Sept. 22, 2022, Interim Israeli Prime Min. Lapid endorsed it at the UN, and Pres. Biden spoke out in agreement with Lapid’s statement. On Sept. 28, 2022 (exactly one week later), a very large and powerful hurricane named Ian took the lives of many and heaped great damage on Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and other parts of the U.S. It seems normal for a natural disaster to strike the U.S. when America’s leaders publicly express support for the division of Israel. Six, concerning pandemics and food shortages: on Sept. 30, 2022, it was reported that a virus has killed about 100,000 cows and buffaloes in India, and it has sickened more than 2 million more that will die if left untreated. The disease is contagious, it is spreading to other countries, and it causes sick animals to give less milk. Seven, concerning an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters: at the time of this writing, the death toll from Hurricane Ian was 105 (101 in Fla.; 4 elsewhere), thousands of people had to be rescued; 2.6 million people were briefly without electricity (down to 440,000 on Oct. 2), some areas got more than 31 inches of rain, only about one-third of the people have flood insurance, and some have lost everything. Eight, concerning perilous times: Russian Pres. Putin said he will use every weapon (including nuclear weapons) at his disposal to win the war with Ukraine. On Oct. 4, 2022, it was reported that Ukraine is sending potassium iodine pills to evacuation centers for public distribution in case Russia follows through on the use of nuclear weapons. Nine, concerning hyperinflation and a global economic collapse: on Oct. 4, 2022, America’s gross national debt topped 31 trillion dollars for the first time in history. The U.S. Federal Reserve keeps increasing interest rates to try to slow the increase in inflation, but higher interest rates are causing America’s national debt to keep soaring. Biden could help by slowing his spending, but that is not likely to happen. (More: On Oct. 4, 2022, OPEC announced plans to cut oil production by two million barrels per day. Biden tried to stop this, but Biden’s effort to give Iran billions (perhaps a trillion dollars) to sign a worthless nuclear weapons agreement has angered the Arabs who want Iran’s nuclear weapons program stopped. Biden is ignoring Arab desires on the Iranian nuclear weapons issue, so they are ignoring him on the oil production issue. Biden has almost emptied America’s strategic oil reserves, so we will likely see the price of gasoline and everything else soaring again. It is sad to contemplate, but Biden may be deliberately trying to collapse the U.S. economy to justify a global currency. He has deliberately destroyed America’s oil independence and refuses to change that policy. Millions of poor and middle-income Americans are struggling to pay their bills, but Biden doesn’t seem to care.) Finally, are you Rapture Ready? If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this. [email protected] God’s Greatest Reset Will Destroy Satan’s Great Reset – By Dean Dwyer - https://harbingersdaily.com/gods-greatest-reset-will-destroy-satans-great-reset/ As we approach the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ to rapture His church, we also see the darkening shadows of the tyranny to come and we must warn people of them. For believers, perhaps between now and then God will allow more intense persecution for the express purpose of refining those who wish to follow Him more closely. Abraham Lincoln once said, “I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” If persecution be our plight then it is good and proper to live on our knees in submission to God. But I do not believe it is incumbent on us to beg before tyrants as if their power was more than that of the Almighty. But perhaps William Penn was right when he said, “If we will not be governed by God, we must be governed by tyrants.” Perhaps this current age is merely the manifestation of Penn’s belief – for as Psalm 2 proclaims, rebellious men see God’s dominion as slavery, but in their misguided search, they find not freedom but the iron fist of tyranny. Satan tempted Adam and Eve to believe they could have freedom without authority – they essentially chose death over life and I am sad to say that most of the world makes the same choice today. If mankind chooses to stand not with God but without God, it will find itself in the grip of those who are motivated by evil, and, having given up both freedom and authority, will find themselves largely powerless. We cannot support tyranny because it discards the values upon which God founded civilisation. No matter how well intentioned their system is, it remains radically different from the design God has for each man, woman and child. And while they proclaim that they are freeing us from the mistakes of the past and cataclysmic events of the future, their solution is not to encourage mankind to turn our eyes upon Jesus but to hand our freedoms over to them. Yes, let us pray for the salvation of those who lie in the darkness of their own tyrannical ambitions – pray that they will discover the joy of following the Saviour who died for them. But unless and until they do, let us declare that while they preach the tyrannical domination of all peoples on the earth, we will continue to preach the truth that Jesus Christ is coming back to this Earth to rule and reign in righteousness. But if the Lord delays His coming, we must ask ourselves what type of world will be left to our children. Will they know the same freedoms as we did or will they grow up in a world in which every move they make, every transaction they undertake, every thought they have will be tightly controlled and monitored. Thomas Jefferson once said that “The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time”. And look at what evil minds are doing with those God-given gifts. They want to destroy both life and liberty to implement their nefarious goals. In 1 Peter 2, we read about the mandate of civil government – it is “for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good”. But as we see so often with evil, that is now inverted – they punish the good and praise those who carry out evil. For a long time now, Satan has sought to weaken the church and weaken its influence in the world. And perhaps the events of the last two and a half years have worn us all down. But if more dangerous events are to come, will we stand? Perhaps the enemy already knows what our answer will be. Why? Because he has already heard the pleading from our side – he has heard it in hushed tones and in the privacy of our prayer closets – whatever we need to do, we will do it, as long as things can go back to normal – as long as our comfortable lives are returned to us. But comfort does not equal blessing. What we have learned from the persecuted church is that persecution has made them strong and our prosperity has made us weak. So what do you think will happen when a greater ultimatum comes? The enemy senses that our surrender will be voluntary because by then we will have been so weakened from within – spiritually, morally, physically. That is why the sermon I delivered on the church at Sardis (Revelation 3 – The Dead, the Dying and the Dedicated) was so important because the message is so desperately needed across the church today – wake up! Strengthen what remains. Remember our original text of inspiration – watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. In the words of Ronald Reagan, “evil is powerless if the good are unafraid”. Yes, the words of evil men are the loudest but they are not the truest. Here (the Word of God) is what is true – and we must continue to preach it and stand upon it. And before you question whether you are up to the task let me remind you church, it is no accident you are here, for you are here for such a time as this. God has put you in this place, in this time for a reason – not to be a co-conspirator to the lies of the enemy but to be a witness to God’s truth. So they may preach a Great Reset, but we will preach a greater reset. Satan is pulling out all the stops as he gets closer to the day when God will sovereignly allow one final act of global tyranny through the establishment of the one-world political, economic and religious system prophesied in Scripture. But if you find yourself anxious about the Great Satanic Reset that is advancing, let me encourage you to stop and contemplate the greatest reset that is yet to come. Because the true King is coming and He will defeat the enemies of God and inaugurate the long-awaited Kingdom of peace, justice and righteousness throughout all the Earth. But friend, if you want to be there – if you want to be part of the greater reset, you need a personal reset. As Jesus said to Nicodemus: unless oneis born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. But Nicodemus said – how can this be so? Can a man enter the womb and be born a second time? No – to be born again is to be washed clean by the blood of Jesus – to be justified fully by faith in Him. And in verse 36 of John 3, the message is very clear: He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. Friends, the unbeliever looks at the world and believes everything is falling apart. The believer who understands Bible prophecy looks at the world and sees that everything is falling into place. What a day that will be when God’s greatest reset destroys Satan’s Great Reset. And do you know the best part? The greatest reset is permanent, for Daniel 7:14 declares: Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and language should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed. Watch What They Do Instead Of What They Say - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/watch-what-they-do-instead-of-what-they-say/ Actions speak louder than words. Let me put it another way. Most of the time, what people do is so much more important than what they say. This is especially true when it comes to government officials, because many government officials lie as easily as they breathe. Over and over again, we are being told that there is nothing to be concerned about and that our leaders have everything under control. But then we keep getting more signs that more war is coming. In fact, it appears that preparations are being made for scenarios that would have once been unthinkable. Let me give you an example of what I am talking about. On Thursday, we learned that the U.S. government is spending almost 300 million dollars to buy radiation sickness drugs… The US has stocked up on radiation sickness drugs just weeks after Vladimir Putin threatened to use nuclear weapons against the West. Officials said the deal — worth $290 million — was ‘part of ongoing work’ and ‘has not been accelerated’ by the Kremlin leader’s escalating rhetoric. The drug that is being purchased is known as Nplate, and it is used “to reduce bleeding caused by acute radiation syndrome”. This is not a cheap medication at all. It is being reported that a single dose can cost “between $1,000 and $2,500”… However, the timing will likely raise questions given that this is the first time the US Government has bought Nplate. It is unclear how many doses the order covers, but the drug normally fetches between $1,000 and $2,500 per dose. A nuclear war would be the only reason why we would ever need such a high number of doses. So why is such a large purchase being made if Biden administration officials are assuring us that there is almost zero chance of a nuclear conflict with Russia? Something doesn’t add up. Meanwhile, both sides continue to escalate the conflict in Ukraine. The mainstream media keeps telling us that the “Ukrainian Army” is whipping the Russians right now, but that is not exactly accurate. The Ukrainian Army that existed at the beginning of the war was largely decimated as the Russians steadily gained territory for months. But now a new “Ukrainian Army” is pushing the Russians back, and it turns out that this new “Ukrainian Army” has a very high percentage of foreign mercenaries… Mercenaries from Eastern Europe account for 60%-70% of the Ukrainian army’s manpower near Lugansk, an aide to the LPR’s interior minister, Vitaly Kiselyov, said on Wednesday. “In practice, 60%, in some cases, 70% of Ukraine’s military personnel are mercenaries from Eastern Europe,” he said on Russia’s TV Channel 1. A lot has been made of the fact that there are English-speaking mercenaries involved in the offensive against the Russians, but the truth is that most of the mercenaries are not from wealthy western nations. Our money is certainly paying for them, but most of the troops are actually coming from the poor countries of eastern Europe. If you can believe it, some are actually making as much as $3,000 a day… Kiselyov also added that Albanian mercenaries were paid $2,000-$3,000 a day and mercenaries from European countries, $35,000-$40,000 a month. If you can stay alive, it is a way to make a lot of money in a short period of time. And to a large extent, the American taxpayers are footing the bill. Another thing that we are being told that is not exactly true is that we are not likely to go to war with China. We are being told this over and over again, but meanwhile it is being reported that U.S. officials “are intensifying efforts to build a giant stockpile of weapons in Taiwan”… American officials are intensifying efforts to build a giant stockpile of weapons in Taiwan after studying recent naval and air force exercises by the Chinese military around the island, according to current and former officials. The exercises showed that China would probably blockade the island as a prelude to any attempted invasion, and Taiwan would have to hold out on its own until the United States or other nations intervened, if they decided to do that, the current and former officials say. Why would we build a giant stockpile of weapons in Taiwan if there was no threat of invasion? Actually, by arming Taiwan so heavily we are making an invasion more likely. The Chinese are getting angrier and angrier, but we just keep provoking them. Before I end this article, I want to talk about the rising tensions between North Korea and South Korea. The North Koreans really do not like the new South Korean leader, and on Thursday there was an incident that made international news… An unusually large number of South Korean fighter jets were scrambled today in response to reported air-to-surface firing exercises flown by North Korean warplanes, on the other side of the border. The incidents add to tensions around Korea, where a tit-for-tat campaign of surface-to-surface missile launches continues, as part of potentially provocative exercises on both sides of the Korean Demilitarized Zone as well as in the waters off the peninsula. The South Korean Yonhap news agency reported that a formation of at least 12 North Korean warplanes “presumably conducted a firing exercise” today, with aerial activity “north of the inter-Korean air boundary.” The location of the drills took the North Korean aircraft from Koksan County to Hwangju County in North Hwanghae Province, a process that took around an hour, according to the Korea Herald. North Hwanghae Province is situated on the western end of the border between the two Koreas. Of course this wasn’t the first time that the North Koreans have done something provocative this week. On Wednesday evening, they fired a ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan… North Korea fired a ballistic missile that likely flew over Japan, the militaries of South Korea and Japan said Wednesday evening. The unidentified ballistic missile was fired into the Sea of Japan, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed to NBC News. Things with North Korea seemed to be getting better during the Trump era, but now there has been a complete reversal. The North Koreans have conducted dozens of missile launches in 2022, and there are rumors that they may soon resume their nuclear tests for the first time in quite a few years… As for the North Korean missile launches, these are only the most recent within a growing total, with the tally for this year so far having reached around 40, including a “super-large” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), back in March. At the same, there are continued concerns among officials in both Washington and Seoul that North Korea could be poised to conduct a nuclear test — its first since 2017. I do not believe that a North Korean invasion of South Korea is imminent. But if China invades Taiwan, I think that the North Koreans will be extremely tempted to make a move. While the U.S. is preoccupied with Russia and China, it would be a golden opportunity for the North Koreans to pour across the border. The South Korean military would be completely outmatched, and only massive U.S. intervention could save the day. Hopefully such a scenario will not play out any time soon. But without a doubt, more war is coming. A war between Israel and Iran is far closer than most people would dare to imagine, the Russians will be moving a lot more troops into Ukraine to bolster their existing forces, and I am convinced that the Chinese will move against Taiwan at some point. There is no peace on the horizon. The third world war has begun, but for now it is still only in the very early stages. Unfortunately, politicians all over the globe are determined to show how tough they are, and that is really bad news for all of us. On Being Rapture Worthy – Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Author’s note: With most every indicator of the advance toward the Tribulation era in view upon the prophetic horizon, Christ’s call to the Church stands brightly against the darkening gloominess. Thus it is time to again consider what God’s Word has to say about being Rapture ready–to be worthy of Christ’s call to that great event. This article, written some years earlier, stands more than ever as a reminder of the fact we might at any moment appear before our Lord to give an account for our lives spent here on this fallen planet. Lately, emails and articles I’ve been receiving are trending toward the thought that Christians not living exemplary lives as believers will miss being taken in the Rapture of the Church, should they not be fully “repented up” and ready to go. These will be “left behind,” as the LaHaye and Jenkins novel title puts it. First, it is perhaps best to consider what is meant by the “exemplary life” in terms of prerequisites for making it to Heaven in the Rapture. Those who insist that one must be living the exemplary life usually frame that as “living a life of holiness” or “living righteously.” By this, I presume they mean for the most part that one must be doing “good works” rather than living life in the “broad way” along which the pedestrian world moves. I would, of course, agree that the born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ should be doing exactly that every day. There’s no question that God’s Word calls us to that model for life while upon this fallen planet. However, the question is now raise—and it is closely akin to the question raised whenever the declaration is made that one can lose one’s salvation: At what point does one “lose” his or her salvation? What particular “sin-point” is reached that causes the salvation meter in Heaven to go “TILT,” removing the sinner’s name from the Lamb’s Book of Life? Or, for our purposes here, at what point does one sin enough to be taken off the list of those who hold tickets into Heaven, who will be lifted to be with Jesus Christ in that millisecond of time known as the “twinkling of an eye” when Jesus calls: “Come up hither!” (Revelation 4:1–2)? Those who believe that the names of the redeemed can be removed from the Lamb’s Book of Life, of course, use the following Scripture as one that prove their position is true: “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels” (Revelation 3:5). This is proof, say the “conditional security proponents,” that one’s name can be removed from the Book of Life. But, let’s have a closer look to examine whether this is true. Those who hold that believers’ names can be erased from this blessed Book of Life insist that the born-again must “overcome” sin. In their belief dictionary, this means we must stay sin free—that is, either live above sin or stay continually “repented up” in order to keep our names in the Book. They miss the point entirely as to who actually does the overcoming. It isn’t the believer who overcomes all sin, but the Lord Jesus who died in order to take sin away from those who believe so that we are no longer separated from God the Father in the eternal sense. This is seen, for example, in the following: “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5). It is simple belief in the Savior who takes away the sins of the world that makes us overcomers. We still sin and come short of the glory of God, but His precious blood shed at Calvary covers all of our sins—past, present, and future. We overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil–all sin in this earthly sphere—only by belief in the only begotten Son of God (John 3:16). Our overcoming is only through God’s great grace, through faith. We can never overcome by our own power. When we sin, we break fellowship with our Lord, but we never break the eternal, family relationship. We do the following to take steps toward making right the sinful break in fellowship that we have caused. First, we must realize and admit that we are not sinless, because repentance cannot truly be made unless we confess that we have sinned. Upon such confession and repentance there is given blessed remedy: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). God’s Word shows us that our salvation and our ability to overcome is totally based on what Christ did for us and our faith in Him alone. This brings us to the matter of being “Rapture Worthy.” Going to Christ when He calls, as Paul outlines in 1 Corinthians 15:51–55 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and given by John in Revelation 4:1–2, is a salvation matter. We know that from the overall gospel message and from the total context of God’s dealing with His family. Remember when Jesus prayed that beautiful prayer to His Father, as the Lord faced the cross (John 17)? Read it again, and you will see that it is absolutely clear that born-again believers are forever secure in the Father’s hand, based upon what Jesus did on the cross. We know with absolute certainty that we are once and forever in God’s family because of the words of the One who created all that exists: “My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father’s hand” (John 10:29). Paul confirms that the Rapture is a salvation matter as follows: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do” (1 Thessalonians 5:9-11). The Rapture will be Christ keeping us from the hour of temptation or Tribulation (read Revelation 3:10). The Tribulation is the time of God’s wrath–to which Paul tells us we are “not appointed.” However, there are many who insist that Christians who haven’t properly confessed their sins will go through that time of God’s wrath (and the entire seven years of the Tribulation will be God’s judgment and wrath). These use the following verse to make their case: “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). The key word they hold forth as relevant here is the word “worthy.” Does this word not mean that we as born-again believers must be good enough to stand before Jesus in that raptured throng? Does this word not mean, therefore, that if we fail to live up to God’s standards while on this Earth, we will (at some point in God’s holy view of what it takes to fall from being Rapture ready) lose our ticket in that translation moment, thus not be taken when the shout is heard, “Come up hither!”? Like in examining the issue of salvation, in looking at the term “overcoming,” we now look at the word “worthy.” What does it mean to be “worthy,” as given in this Rapture example? Again, the answer is wrapped up in the same name as before: “Jesus.” Jesus is the only person “worthy,” in God’s holy eyes, to be in the heavenly realm. Remember what Jesus said to a man who addressed Him as “Good Master”? “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God” (Luke 18:18). Jesus, the second person of the Godhead, was not seeking to chastise the man for addressing Him in this way. The Lord was confirming through this question that He is indeed God, the only good, the only righteousness. Righteousness is the only ticket to Heaven–either through the portal of death, or through the Rapture. Only through Jesus–being born again into God’s family through belief in Him–can a person enter the heavenly realm. Jesus spoke to this all-important matter by addressing Nicodemus: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). God’s Word says about fallen mankind: “As it is written, There is none righteous no not one” (Romans 8:10) and, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 8:23). So, Jesus is the only person “worthy” to enter Heaven. It is through Him that any of us are worthy to stand before Him in that heavenly realm. That is the truth found in the Scripture in question. On a less magnificent scale, the word “worthy” in this passage means that we should be in a constant mindset of prayerful repentance. We should always want to be found “worthy”–cleansed of all unrighteousness, as stated in 1 John 1: 9, so that we will hear our Lord say to us on that day, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:23). Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: The cellar of refuge - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com The farmhouse of our family homestead was built around 1818. The original structure was a 1 ½ story with a main room that served as a multipurpose kitchen and dining area and another room that might have been a living area. A rough stairs reached up to the loft above the kitchen, where my ancestors slept. Around 1840 an addition was made to add rooms and a second story with bedrooms. Beneath was a dugout cellar which supported the house with a stacked stone foundation and rough-hewn beams. The cellar was no special place. The stairs from the kitchen down to the cellar were narrow and steep, seeming like an afterthought. Along about the 1940s, Dad added an outside entrance and a cement floor. The one corner of the house was sagging and needed to be shored up. So Dad and his buddies dug out the cellar so it was more than a crawl space and you could stand up in it. They poured a concrete floor and put steps up to the outside. Legend has it that at one point in the construction, the corner in question started giving way and Dad squatted down and held up the corner of the house until the others got it supported. The cellar then housed the fuel oil furnace and a back up wood burner. But it was a pretty creepy place. Water seeped in around the old stone walls. There were boards on the floor to walk on so as to not get your feet wet. There was an old roller washing machine that Mom used. There were ancient jars of fruit on shelves, even whiskey bottles that were from the 1800s. It was a creepy kind of Wilson archeology. It was cold and damp in the cellar. You didn’t really want to go down there unless you were feeling your Lewis and Clark exploration groove. But on one night that cellar played a particularly important role, probably one that it had been designed to fulfill many times in the history of the homestead. It was along about two o’clock in the morning and Dad woke us all up. The wind was howling and it was storming. He told us we needed to hurry up and go to the cellar. I remember rushing down the steps hearing tree branches scraping against the side of the house. Mom had a lantern and we huddled together on a small bench we found beneath the steps. The flickers of light showing the worry in her face. The wind growing louder and the house groaned in the night above us. Suddenly, there was a rush like a locomotive running over us. Then silence. We looked at one another and Mom was trying to reassure us that everything was going to be all right, but you could tell she was hardly convinced of her own words. We prayed. After what seemed like an eternity, Dad said we could go back to bed. When the sun rose the next morning, it was a war zone. Trees down everywhere, but nothing hit the house and that old cellar took on a new meaning to me as a place of safety and refuge. Psalm 91:2 says, “I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” And I also will say, “Thank God for creepy damp cold cellars in times of tornados.” Daily Devotion: Keep It in Your Heart - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. —Ephesians 6:17 It’s interesting that the apostle Paul referred to God’s Word as the sword of the Spirit. Writing to the believers in Ephesus, he said, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17 NKJV). A sword can be a defensive weapon, but it’s primarily an offensive weapon. A Roman soldier in ancient times used it when he was attacking, when he was stepping in and gaining ground. The same is true of God’s Word. Speaking to the prophet Isaiah, God said, “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10–11 NKJV). On the Day of Pentecost, Peter’s message was effective because it was scriptural. He quoted from a number of Old Testament passages, including Joel 2:28–32, apparently from memory. He didn’t have a scroll that he rolled out. Rather, the Scriptures were in his heart and mind, and he quoted freely from them. In the same way, we should commit God’s Word to memory. What shape is your spiritual sword in? Is it polished from daily use as you study the Scriptures on a regular basis? Is it sharpened on the anvil of experience as you apply its truth and obey it in your life? Or is your sword rusty or dulled by disobedience? Keep your sword sharp and ready. Know the Word of God, and keep it in your heart. FROM THE HEART Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left, Count for ALL of Eternity! 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 WORTHY OF YOUR SUPPORT? One of the most reliable ways to determine if a ministry is worthy of your financial support is to examine its fruits. If Prophecy Update is keeping you informed, and if that information inspires you, and causes you to draw closer to the Lord, if Prophecy Update equips you with valuable information and knowledge to share with and encourage other believers, and open the eyes of non-believers, and if Prophecy Update keeps you connected to current events relating to Bible Prophecy, then you are partaking of the fruit produced through this ministry. None of this would be possible without the Lords blessings and your support. I believe where the Lord guides, the Lord provides, and most of the time He provides through the willing and generous hearts of believers just like you and me. Humbly Seek 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 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 write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 We are very pleased to offer all our readers this FREE download on Bible Prophecy from the Evangelical Bible College of Western Australia - Just download and enjoy and be blessed! Feel free to share it with all your friends and family members. Click below to download! "AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING" If You Died Today, Would You Go To Heaven? Find out, visit: www.thegoodtest.net www.gotquestions.org www.wayofthemaster.com How to know God DID YOU KNOW? You can submit an article, leave a comment or praise report at email: [email protected] Maranatha! (Lord Come Quickly) "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand." "Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!" YBIC-Randy
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