TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
All Things Everywhere All At Once???? – A.V. Rauf - https://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2023/03/18/everything-everywhere-all-at-once/
As we head towards the end of the first quarter of the year 2023 A.D., seasons are changing and we are ready for the Spring. (I’m ready for the summer as it is 14 degrees outside as I am writing this!!!) The title of this post is not referencing a movie that just recently won Best Picture of the Year at the Oscars but rather it is referring to current events in regards to the end times and how they are occurring at breakneck speed. It is apparent that the events that are to unfold in this next quarter, leading to the summer may very well indeed make this year a pivotal year. I am not even sure where to begin but I will highlight several situations that clearly need to be monitored and prayed about: In lieu of the current war in Ukraine, the International Criminal court in Hague has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes. Putin is the third serving president to be the target of an ICC arrest warrant. Omar al-Bashir of Sudan and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya were the other two. This move would obligate the 123 member states of the ICC to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he were to set foot on their territory. I am not fear mongering, rather simply stating facts. With Putin poised to send an additional 500,000 troops into Ukraine, how. NATO responds can be a potential catalyst for WW3. How this all pertains to the War of Ezekiel 38-39 remains to be seen. Speaking of arrests, it is now being reported that there may be an arrest made of former president Donald Trump. Whether this is related to alleged charges over hush money to an adult entertainment celebrity remains to be seen. Keep in mind that Trump is a candidate for the Republican Party nomination for next year’s presidential election. In the history of the U.S., no U.S. president has ever faced criminal charges, while in or out of office. How the country reacts to this if it happens and whether or not it may lead to some sort of civil arrest (remember January 6th? ) remains to be seen. Tension between Iran and Israel (two key participants of the war of Ezekiel 38-39) has reached a fever pitch. For decades, Israel has considered the Islamic Republic of Iran to be its chief adversary. Israel has fought Iranian proxies on two borders—a 34-day war with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 and sporadic tensions with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad since the 1990s.Over the last 10 years or so, Israel has been widely linked to a least a dozen attacks—involving cyber, covert operations, and assassinations—on Iran’s nuclear program. Israel has reportedly penetrated deep into Iranian territory and its most secure facilities in two waves. The first wave, mainly cyberattacks and assassinations, was between 2010 and 2012 before the launch of nuclear diplomacy with Iran. The second began in 2018 and has included a Mossad raid, sabotage and an assassination. In May of 2022, just less then a year ago, for the first time, the Israeli Air Force conducted large-scale maneuvers simulating an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites.At an event for graduating Israeli Air Force pilots on Dec. 28, 2022, Defense Minister Benny Gantz addressed the graduates saying : “Israel has significantly increased its preparedness in recent years and is preparing for the possibility of an attack on Iran… You may cross the sky to the east in two or three years and take part in an attack on nuclear sites in Iran, for which we are preparing.” ( https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/israel/defense/1672240216-israel-s-dm-benny-gantz-hints-at-possibility-of-attack-on-iran ). Much more can be said, but the point here is that from an eschatological standpoint, this is not a matter of “if,” rather it is a matter of “when.“ While all this is happening, it is now being the reported that the location of the Temple Ark of the Covenant is under the Temple Mount. The Temple Institute in Israel is even publicly admitting that they know exactly where the Ark of the Covenant is on their own website! So why is this important? If it is indeed in a cave under the Temple Mount, and it will stay there until the time comes for it to be revealed…………..it will just be a matter of time before Jewish leaders start conducting sacrifices. In fact, the Temple Institute says that such offerings could actually begin before the building of the temple itself. (https://templeinstitute.org/frequently-asked-questions/ ). Do keep in mind that the red heifer(s) that are needed to be used in the temple rituals as of today are apparently still kosher and will be ready for slaughter this year if needed. There are five of them. I referred to this in a previous post a few months ago.(https://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2022/09/18/another-harbinger-to-the-building-of-the-third-temple-arrival-of-the-red-heifers/ ) Keep in mind that the new Israeli government is the first religious government in the history of the modern state of Israel. Given the various political parties in Israel today, this is the exact coalition you would expect to be in place for rebuilding the Temple and stewarding the nation as it enters the tribulation. It is not a coincidence that there have been recent protests against this very government in Israel which is much more conservative then ts predecessors. ( https://www.vox.com/world-politics/23629744/why-israelis-protesting-netanyahu-far-right-government-judiciary-overhaul ) Care for more???? About a month from now, Space X will be ready launch their much awaited Starship. With SpaceX, CEO Elon Musk is pushing his dreams to build a city on Mars. What this upcoming Starship rocket test means for the future of space travel and humanity itself remains to be seen. That being said, just a few days ago Pentagon officials stated that an alien mothership could indeed be surveying the earth! American officials have been developing units to investigate strange phenomena for quite some time. The Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) launched in July 2022, track unidentified objects near and on Earth. In 2005, Pan-STARRS telescopes were created for NASA to locate 90 percent of objects in Earth’s orbit larger than 140 meters — which is how the potential alien mothership was said to be detected. (https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2023/03/09/pentagon-ufo-chief-says-alien-mothership-in-our-solar-system-possible/ ) I explain the UFO/UAP phenomena in my book Bible Prophecy for Today: Examining Current Events from through the lease of Scriptures–see link on the top right of page)) I am convinced that when the Rapture of the Church occurs, this phenomenon will be the secular explanation for the mass “disappearance” of many. Keep in mind that countries in which Christians are persecuted, won’t be severely affected by the Rapture at all, because in these countries many Christians don’t have important political, societal, military and business positions. The Western nations in which Christians face no or a little persecution, will be significantly weakened by the Rapture. Remember the title of this post. It seems as if everything everywhere is indeed beginning to come to fruition at once. I haven’t even covered the current crisis between China and Taiwan, the aftermath largest Middle East earthquake in at least 83 years that has shaken the whole Middle East and thousands of aftershocks that have continued across the region ten (btw another 6.9 magnitude occurred today in Ecuador!) , tensions between India and Pakistan again beginning to escalate, the continued moral decay of society, the Federal Reserve Bank launching Phase One of the CBDC, which many perceive as the imminent globalist digital currency matrix beginning in July of 2023 ,the announcement by the Tri-Lateral Commission that 2023 is YEAR ONE of the New World Order (https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Indo-Pacific/Trilateral-Commission-calls-2023-Year-One-of-new-world-order ) ……………….and the list goes on and on. But remember this: this was all written in the Bible. The answer to all of this is in two words: Jesus Christ. So, in closing, the signs that are now emerging just in the last month are absolutely ominous. They are growing exponentially more obvious and closer together the closer to “catching away” of the Body of Christ. The question now is, “Are you ready to go?” Or will you be one of the many left behind to experience the coming Tribulation period? If there was ever a “time” that you needed to pay attention and make sure you are one of those who shall be counted among those who escape, it is now. “Time” is of the essence. Matthew 24:1-44–And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.25 Behold, I have told you before.26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. I ask you to prayerfully look at these events and be like the Bereans of Acts 17:11: Acts 17:11–These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Remember this: No Jesus NO Peace…KNOW Jesus…KNOW Peace!!! John 3:16–For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. MARANATHA!!! FedNow Instant Payments Coming This Summer - 1st Step To Digital Currency? – Daisy Luther - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5972 There's absolutely no doubt that our financial system is in flux right now. We're watching a storm approach, and it's about to envelop the entire nation in chaotic conditions. If you think things are crazy now, just hang on to your halo...it's about to get a whole lot worse. Remember how we talked about CBDCs a few weeks ago, and lots of people in the comments said never, no way, and heck no? Well, unfortunately, it's being rolled out and soon. Of course, they're not calling it CBDCs. Not yet. It's under another name, and it's not quite a federal digital currency. I'm sure this, too, will be called a conspiracy theory, but the Federal Reserve is launching FedNow, an instant digital payment system. This in itself is not a Central Bank Digital Currency, but it puts into place the framework needed to make the idea a reality. FedNew will be launched in July, according to a press release from the Federal Reserve. What is FedNow? On March 15th, in the midst of the banking collapses, the Federal Reserve issued a press release detailing a new instant payment system that will be launched in July. That system is called FedNow. Here's what they said about it. The first week of April, the Federal Reserve will begin the formal certification of participants for launch of the service. Early adopters will complete a customer testing and certification program, informed by feedback from the FedNow Pilot Program, to prepare for sending live transactions through the system. Certification encompasses a comprehensive testing curriculum with defined expectations for operational readiness and network experience. In June, the Federal Reserve and certified participants will conduct production validation activities to confirm readiness for the July launch. "We couldn't be more excited about the forthcoming FedNow launch, which will enable every participating financial institution, the smallest to the largest and from all corners of the country, to offer a modern instant payment solution," said Ken Montgomery, first vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and FedNow program executive. "With the launch drawing near, we urge financial institutions and their industry partners to move full steam ahead with preparations to join the FedNow Service." Many early adopters have declared their intent to begin using the service in July, including a diverse mix of financial institutions of all sizes, the largest processors, and the U.S. Treasury. This has all the hallmarks of a government strategy. First, they offer it as a "convenience" or a "safety measure." Lots of people will jump on board in order to take advantage of this. Of course, we've heard this song before. Next, it will be pushed harder, and those who don't adopt it will be mocked, thought of as backward, and treated with suspicion. After that, it'll be darn near impossible to do anything without it. Sound familiar? The Federal Reserve Banks are developing the FedNow Service to facilitate nationwide reach of instant payment services by financial institutions -- regardless of size or geographic location -- around the clock, every day of the year. Through financial institutions participating in the FedNow Service, businesses and individuals will be able to send and receive instant payments at any time of day, and recipients will have full access to funds immediately, giving them greater flexibility to manage their money and make time-sensitive payments. Access will be provided through the Federal Reserve's FedLine(r) network, which serves more than 10,000 financial institutions directly or through their agents. You can find more of the Fed's sales pitch at FedNowExplorer.org. This is NOT the digital dollar...yet. So let me be perfectly clear. This, in itself, is not the implementation of CBDCs. Instead, it's the payment network needed to implement CBDCs. An infrastructure, in a manner of speaking. There's a clear benefit to the system that will make people want to participate, especially those who do business online or who transfer large amounts of money. Who wouldn't want the proceeds from the sale of their home to be instantly available? This is just the system that allows payments to be made via a federal government network using existing banks. FedNow could quickly lead to FedCoin and it wouldn't take much effort at all. There is a precedent for federal payment networks turning into federal digital currency. Just last week, Marie wrote about the digital identity service that is funded by the US and is being used in Ukraine. It's a mechanism of digital control, plain and simple, being portrayed as something to make the lives of Ukrainians easier. But that's not the only digital program out there we need to be concerned about as a precedent. A writer for the website BeinCrypto reported several other incidences that could show us our future: According to global data, the instant payments ecosystem was valued at $100 trillion in 2021. And Asian countries like India and China are leading the sector, with the U.S. slightly late to join the club. India employs a payment infrastructure based on the Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and Unified Payment Interface (UPI) to offer instant payment services to customers and merchants. Global data show India is the most active market, with transaction volume hitting $39.8 billion in 2021. With that, India has expanded its e-rupee pilot as part of its CBDC trials. China, which ranks second in that category, has widely used Alipay and WeChat for instant mobile payments. The nation has also pushed to adopt a digital yuan as its centrally-backed digital currency. So, to be clear...they instituted instant payment services, then a federal digital currency followed shortly thereafter. Infrastructure. Introduction. It's a pattern. Here's what The Department of the Treasury says about CBDCs. The Department of the Treasury has a "CBDC Working Group" exploring the feasibility of the project. It is coming. And they're being completely open about it. Here's some information from the Dept. of Treasury website: CBDC is one of several options for upgrading the legacy capabilities of central bank money. Another is real time payment systems: The Federal Reserve has indicated that it expects to launch the FedNow Service this year, which will be designed to allow for near-instantaneous retail payments on a 24x7x365 basis, using an existing form of central bank money (i.e., central bank reserves) as an interbank settlement asset. In contrast, a CBDC would involve both a new form of central bank money and, potentially, a new set of payment rails. Both real time payment systems and CBDCs present opportunities to build a more efficient, competitive, and inclusive U.S. payment system. In the United States, policymakers are continuing to deliberate about whether to have a CBDC, and if so, what form it would take. The Fed has also emphasized that it would only issue a CBDC with the support of the executive branch and Congress, and more broadly the public. Even as policy deliberations continue, the Fed is conducting technology research and experimentation to inform design choices so that it is positioned to issue a CBDC if it were determined to be in the national interest. The entire article bears reading. You will have no further doubt this is the plan when you do. They also mentioned that this will help us to do business with other countries that have CBDCs. ...jurisdictions around the world are exploring CBDCs. According to the Atlantic Council's tracker, 114 countries, representing over 95 percent of global GDP, are exploring CBDC. 11 countries have fully launched CBDCs, while central banks in other major jurisdictions are researching and experimenting with CBDCs, with some at a fairly advanced stage. The Bank of England (BOE) and HM Treasury (HMT) recently published a consultation paper assessing the case for a retail CBDC and outlining a proposed technological model. BOE and HMT now are entering the design phase of their work, estimated to take two to three years, after which the BOE and the UK government will decide whether to build a "digital pound." In addition, there are multiple cross-border CBDC pilots, which involve central banks, international organizations such as the Bank for International Settlements, and private financial institutions. Global currency, anyone? Here's what has to happen to make this widely accepted. The banking crisis of the past few weeks feels like part of the plan to me. While I know we had many poor economic decisions that have led us to this point, pulling the plug now seems rather timely. To make CBDCs widely accepted and even welcome, a few things have to happen first. 1.) Cryptocurrency has to fail. Several of the banks involved in this crisis have been highly invested in crypto. Silvergate, which hasn't been mentioned as much, advertises itself as having "industry-leading banking and payments solutions for innovative digital currency and fintech companies." The banking crisis is devastating cryptocurrency, which is one of the most anonymous and regulation-free payment methods in the modern world. Anything outside of government control has to go. 2.) Inflation has to continue. Keeping the "value" of digital dollars stable would be a way to "fight inflation." Do you want to buy a box of mac and cheese for $3 cash? Or would you rather pay 1 FedCoin instead? Making a FedCoin an option that "fights inflation" would get a lot of people to adopt it voluntarily. 3.) People have to be desperate. If your bank account was suddenly emptied and you had nothing left - no retirement fund, no savings, no checking, nothing - what would you agree to in order to restore it all? What if you were offered a bailout but it was in the form of a different kind of dollar - a CBDC to replace the dollars you lost, but that you can only use digitally? I'd say yes, and I think that most of us would. We've got bills to pay, we owe on our mortgages and our taxes, we need groceries, our kids have tuition due...hell, yes, we'd nearly all say "yes" no matter how grudgingly. If those three things happen, we're in a perfect position for CBDCs to be forced upon us. It could very likely turn into our only legal tender, as I've written before. Steve Forbes shares his rather terrifying thoughts on the potential abuses in a country based on CBDCs in the video below, calling it a "formula for tyranny." WATCH: https://youtu.be/SdIb9_I-kkA And if it's our only legal tender, we're looking at a cashless society and all the controls that such a thing allows. It would affect nearly every facet of our everyday lives, and every dime we spend would be subject to surveillance. The potential for abuse of power and lack of privacy is breathtaking. The government would literally hold a monopoly on money and financial transactions. Sounds like something right out of the Book of Revelation doesn't it? Prophecy Update Videos Must Watch Videos! Videos You Can Trust
The Global Banking System Is Truly In Uncharted Territory, And They Are Making Up The Rules As They Go Along - by Michael Snyder - http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/the-global-banking-system-is-truly-in-uncharted-territory-and-they-are-making-up-the-rules-as-they-go-along/ Fear is in the air. In recent days we have seen a level of panic that we have not witnessed since 2008, and in such an environment people just want to make sure that their money is safe. But there are very few places in our financial system that are truly “safe” at this point. The cryptocurrency industry has already experienced an absolutely disastrous crash, collapsing bond prices have blown a 620 billion dollar black hole in bank balance sheets, residential real estate prices have started to plummet, and now the largest commercial real estate crisis in the entire history of the United States is looming. The good news is that stock prices are holding steady for now, but that can only last for so long. Just like we witnessed in 2008, a major banking crisis will inevitably hit the stock market really hard. I wish that it wasn’t true, but without the banks we don’t have an economy. And right now we are “in the midst of a nationwide banking crisis not seen since The Great Recession”… Americans are in the midst of a nationwide banking crisis not seen since The Great Recession, leading many to wonder if the country’s current woes are as dire as they were back in 2008. The frightening saga has transpired over the course of just two weeks, and has spurred the demise of now four major banks – Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank, Signature, and, most recently, major global lender Credit Suisse. But even though our leaders have had 15 years to figure things out since the last financial crisis, their response to this new crisis has been a complete flop so far. Despite already being “rescued”, shares of First Republic fell another 47 percent on Monday… First Republic saw its shares plummet about 47% during trading on Monday, leading losses among regional banks. The stock – which hovered around $115 per share on March 8 – was trading around $12 per share on Monday, the lowest level in a decade and down about 87% from just one month ago. This wasn’t supposed to happen. When the biggest banks in America poured 30 billion dollars into the troubled institution that was supposed to be the end of it… The prolonged slump came amid fears First Republic may need to raise more funds despite an unprecedented $30 billion rescue deal announced last week by some of the nation’s biggest banks. As part of the deal, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America and Wells Fargo will each contribute $5 billion; Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley will deposit about $2.5 billion each, according to a news release from the banks. Truist, PNC, U.S. Bancorp, State Street and Bank of New York Mellon will kick in about $1 billion apiece. But that obviously didn’t work, and so now JPMorgan Chase and the other big banks are working on a new “solution”… The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that JPMorgan and its CEO, Jamie Dimon, were working with others in the industry on a solution for the bank, whose shares are down 87% this month. The sad truth is that they don’t know how to handle what we are facing, and so they are just making things up as they go along. Of course the same thing is happening over in Europe. Shares of Credit Suisse are down 67 percent over the past month, and in recent days a purchase of the bank by UBS was hastily arranged. Unfortunately for those that were holding “additional tier-one bonds”, the value of those securities “will be written to zero as part of the deal”… One section of Credit Suisse’s bondholders is set to be wiped out following the struggling bank’s takeover by UBS, causing them to see investments worth 16 billion Swiss francs ($17 billion) become worthless. The Swiss regulator FINMA announced Sunday that the so-called additional tier-one bonds, which are widely regarded as relatively risky investments, will be written to zero as part of the deal. This isn’t what those bondholders were anticipating. Normally, shareholders are subordinate to bondholders, but in this case shareholders will get paid while AT1 bondholders literally get nothing… The move has angered Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders as their investments have seemingly been lost, while shareholders will receive payouts as part of the takeover. Usually, equity investments would be classed as secondary to AT1 bonds. Therefore, the decision “can be interpreted as an effective subordination of AT1 bondholders to shareholders,” Goldman Sachs’ credit strategists said in a research note published Sunday. They just changed the rules of the game on the fly, and as a result the entire market for AT1 bonds is crashing like a house of cards… Not surprisingly, this morning the entire universe of riskiest bonds of European lenders – those in the AT1 tier – plunged after UBS agreed to buy the bank in a historic, government-enforced deal aimed at containing a crisis of confidence that had started to spread across global financial markets. It was the biggest loss yet for Europe’s AT1 market, which was created after the financial crisis to ensure losses would be borne by investors not taxpayers. The financial world is supposed to operate based on a very predictable set of rules. But if authorities are just going to make things up whenever a new crisis erupts, that is only going to create even more fear. As I discussed yesterday, one recent report determined that there are 186 more banks in the United States that are “at risk of failure”. So if the failure of a couple of banks has already caused so much drama, can you imagine what conditions will be like if dozens more start going belly up? I would encourage everyone to do whatever you need to do to get prepared for the chaos that is coming, and that includes putting your money in places that are relatively safe. Unfortunately, the list of safe places to put your money is getting narrower with each passing day. Cryptocurrencies have already crashed, corporate bonds are clearly a danger, government bonds have lost value, real estate is a huge gamble, and anyone that has more than $250,000 in a single bank in this environment is not being wise at all. We really are in uncharted territory, and things are only going to get crazier from here. Revelation 10: The little book that is sweet and bitter - By Mark Creech - https://www.christianpost.com/voices/revelation-10-the-little-book-that-is-sweet-and-bitter.html Many years ago, Christianity Today shared a remarkable true story about a drug-store security guard in Washington, D.C. Louie D. Hairston always kept a small copy of the New Testament in his breast pocket for reading in his spare time. One day, a masked bandit intent on robbing the store lunged at Hairston with a foot-long butcher knife. The little book, however, absorbed what otherwise would have been a fatal thrust. In the struggle, the assailant was slain. Hairston said he would have been killed except for that little Bible in his pocket. The knife had gone through its pages and front and back hardcovers, but he was saved. Hairston also said there was a police officer who was shot in the same town and spared from a bullet piercing his heart by the Bible that he had in his pocket. “I’ve never forgotten that,” said Hairston. Revelation 10 says the Apostle John saw a mighty angel (likely an archangel) come down from Heaven. In verses 1-2, it says this angel was clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was around his head. His feet were like pillars of fire, and a “small scroll” was opened in his hand. Some translations say a “little book.” In a symbolic gesture of total conquest, this angel placed one foot on the sea and the other on land. Then he raised his hand to Heaven and swore by God that there would be no further delay. God’s plan of the ages would be finished with the seventh trumpet. Ed Hinson, in Revelation: Unlocking the Future, notes: “Angels play a prominent role in the Apocalypse. They are mentioned sixty-six times. They are involved in serving, worshiping, and praising God, announcing messages, delivering judgments, and battling evil forces … These angelic beings are the servants of God Almighty.” In his classic work, Angels, Dr. Billy Graham wrote: “Just as millions of angels participated in the dazzling show when the morning stars sang together at creation, so will the innumerable hosts of heaven help bring to pass God’s prophetic declarations throughout time and into eternity.” Some have speculated this magnificent angel might be the archangel, Michael. An archangel has a much higher standing than other angels and is chosen for the more critical tasks in God’s service. They possess considerably more authority and power. John Walvoord, in his commentary, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, says: “In chapter 12, Michael the archangel is mentioned by name as contending against Satan and the wicked angels and casting them out of Heaven. Some have concluded that the conclusion in chapter 10 must be a reference to Michael as the chief of all angels. Though the angel is presented as one having great majesty and power, there is no clear evidence that his function or his person is more than that of a created angel to whom has been entrusted great authority.” After this impressive angel made his appearance and uttered his splendid message of hope and assurance, John said this happened: “Then the voice from Heaven spoke to me again: ‘Go and take the open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land. “So I went to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. ‘Yes, take it and eat it,’ he said. ‘It will be sweet as honey in your mouth, but it will turn sour in your stomach!’ So I took the small scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it! It was sweet in my mouth, but when I swallowed it, it turned sour in my stomach. “Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.’” It needs to be understood that this “little book” or “little scroll” is not the same as the one described in Revelation 5. Only Christ was allowed to take the scroll with seven seals. Hinson says the designation of the Greek word, biblaridion, “distinguishes this scroll from the one in chapter 5,” whereas the scroll in chapter 5 is designated biblion. “This is not the title deed to the universe. Rather it is a smaller document that John is now told to eat,” writes Hinson. The voice from heaven instructs John to take the small book and consume it. In doing so, he will undoubtedly find it sweet to the taste but bitter to the stomach. M.R. De Haan in his work, Revelation, provides perhaps one the simplest and most succinct explanations of this text: “Many and varied have been the interpretations of this passage. I believe, however, that we will find the explanation simple if we remember what the little book is. It is the book which contains the glad news of creation’s coming deliverance but also the doom of the wicked. Ezekiel 2, I believe, will aid us in interpreting the passage correctly. Ezekiel is commanded to preach to the nation of Israel the Word of the Lord. This word, as in every other instance, was a two-edged sword. It was both a message of salvation and a message of damnation. The Gospel sword always has these two edges, a fact which is too often forgotten. We are told today not to preach judgment, hellfire, and brimstone but, rather, the love of God, his mercy, and his goodness. The people of Isaiah’s day made a similar request. They said: “Prophesy unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits” (Isaiah 30:10). [How strange people who are not in a right relationship with God and living in sin would rather hear lies than the truth. But this is how it is.] “God is love, but he is also justice. He is merciful, but He is also righteous. He loves the sinner, but He hates sin. The Gospel is pleasant to the saint but a terrible prediction of judgment to the unbeliever. The message is both bitter and sweet — bitter when we realize it increases the damnation of the unbeliever who hears the Gospel but deliberately rejects it. The Word of God not only promises Heaven to the believer but threatens Hell to the unbeliever. It is a two-edged sword. It cuts two ways. It is both sweet and bitter. “That is undoubtedly the meaning here when John eats the little book. [Figuratively speaking] It is sweet in the mouth and bitter in the belly. Ezekiel 2, referring to the same book, declares: ‘Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not join them in their rebellion. Open your mouth, and eat what I give you.’ Then I looked and saw a hand reaching out to me. It held a scroll, which he unrolled. And I saw that both sides were covered with funeral songs, words of sorrow, and pronouncements of doom’ (Ezekiel 2:8-10). “John’s responsibility, as well as Ezekiel’s, was tremendous, and no less important is the responsibility of every preacher whom God calls to preach the Gospel. His duty is not to preach what he likes or what the people like, but he must preach what God commands him to preach. That includes the message of salvation to those who believe and judgment to those who reject it – the sweet message of hope and the bitter message of condemnation and judgment.” There is one final truth here, which is of the utmost importance. Perhaps the saddest mistake anyone can make is to have the truth in their head, never moving it to the heart where it has a bearing on their life. Countless are those who find the teaching of the second coming of Christ sweet and attractive and a matter of much curiosity and interest. However, when they consider it deeply and discover God’s great program makes demands and requirements, calling for a change of heart, mind, and direction in life, it becomes quite bitter and they shrink from committing to Christ. H.A. Ironside has beautifully stated the principle: “If one professes to hold the second coming of Christ, and yet lives like the world, it but evidences the fact that, whatever he may hold mentally, the truth of the Lord’s coming does not hold him.” Only when the Word of God is willingly taken, placed in the breast pocket nearest the heart sweetened and humbled by God’s grace, can one ever be saved. Otherwise, it is the bitterness of the blade and bullets of spiritual ruin and death. We mustn’t ever forget that. Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: World Court arrest warrants - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com On Friday, March 17, a very serious and somber Piotr Hofmanski, president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) publicly announced that the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for “alleged war crimes of deportation of children from Ukrainian occupied territories into the Russian Federation.” The ICC states in a release that “The crimes were allegedly committed in Ukrainian occupied territory at least from 24 February 2022. There are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. Putin bears individual criminal responsibility for the aforementioned crimes.” Of course, Russia and Putin are shaking in their jack-boots upon hearing such news from the toothless ICC tiger. Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said, “We do not recognize this court; we do not recognize its jurisdiction.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova echoed Peskov, saying, “The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view. Russia isn’t a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and is under no obligation arising from it.” Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was a little more colorful: “No need to explain WHERE this paper should be used.” Nations concerned with sovereignty feel much the same way about the UN’s attempt at a world court. There are about 123 participating countries, but the ones that count—Russia, Israel, China, the United States–are not members. Most of Europe is. As is the “State of Palestine.” The International Criminal Court was developed by the United Nations in the late 1990’s under the concept that those who commit atrocities against humanity could be brought to justice by a group of nations. President Bill Clinton resisted signing the treaty that authorized the court until December 2000. But then, in a gesture to express unity with the concept of an international court, Clinton signed the treaty which was never put before the Senate for a vote. President George W. Bush, fearing backlash against American soldiers and policymakers in the war on terror, sent a letter to the International Criminal Court rescinding Clinton’s signature and making clear that the United States did not recognize the court. Any participation by the US in such a court is unconstitutional based on Article III of the Constitution which directs how American citizens are to be tried. But for those who are curious how a one world government would arrest innocent people, such as Christians practicing their religion, one only need to look at the International Criminal Court—one country, one vote. Unrighteous countries—or even non-countries like the “State of Palestine”–can overrule other countries to condemn innocent people. Revelation 13:7 says, “And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds and tongues and nations.” We are seeing before our eyes types and shadows of how the beast government will conduct its business. Not even Putin will fall for such, say it with me…Stupidocrisy. Daily Devotion: Dearly Loved - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. —Ephesians 1:5 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/dearly-loved/ - Listen When John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, a voice came from Heaven saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy” (Matthew 3:17 NLT). Then we read in Ephesians 1 that “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (verse 5 NLT). The next verse continues, “So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son” (verse 6 nlt). Or, as the New King James Version renders it, “To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” This means that as Christians, God loves us as much as He loves His own dear Son. Here’s what Jesus said to the Father: “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me” (John 17:22–23 NLT). Before knowing Jesus Christ, we were without hope. But through Jesus, God has adopted us as His own beloved children. And now we are precious and dear to Him. Yet God doesn’t love us because we are lovable. Rather, God loves us because we are in Christ. We have been made “accepted in the Beloved.” God loves us unconditionally, has accepted us, and has given us all that we need to effectively live the Christian life. And because we have this special relationship with God, it should impact us in the way that we live. PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY 3/22/23 http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php
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