Revelation 7 Tribulation Believers (Part 3 of 3)

IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER... 
 
 

• Featured Article: Revelation 7 Tribulation Believers (Part 3 of 3) 
• Passover: Prophetic Fulfillment or Ancient Jewish Tradition? – Part 1 
• Warmonger Joe Biden Seems Quite Eager To Start A War With Russia 
• The Standard of Measure 
• Daily Jot: The moral and Constitutional duty of border security 
• Daily Devotion: The Dreamer Who Changed the World 

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Revelation 7 Tribulation Believers (Part 3 of 3) - By John Chandler - https://www.raptureready.com/2021/03/16/revelation-7-tribulation-believers-part-3-of-3-by-john-chandler/
 
Returning to My Initial Position. I Concede a Good Outcome
 
As it relates to the individuals of the Innumerable Host of Rev 7:9-10, in the finality of events for this group, the result overall is a good one. Instead of also suffering an eternity of tormented existence in a place called the Lake of Fire, the mercy and goodness and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ rescues each member of the group when each one trusts God and His Word.
 
While this outcome for these individuals is a good one, it represents the second-best outcome in actuality. These individuals could have obtained the Optimal outcome if they had chosen to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ today, during this current and active Dispensation of Grace.
 
2 Corinthians 6:2 “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
 
Don’t put off until tomorrow what one should and must do today. Don’t put off one’s salvation until the Tribulation period. There is no guarantee one will survive long enough to call upon the Lord Jesus Christ and to trust Him for salvation. Today is the day of Salvation!
 
Why Are Church-Age Believers Exempted & Spared the Sufferings of the Tribulation?
 
Because during this time of the Dispensation of Grace, those who became Church-Age Believers literally took the Lord Jesus Christ at His Word and believed Him, chose Him, trusted Him. We abandoned the gods of this world and the god of human self. We chose the Lord Jesus Christ alone as the sole means of salvation.
 
To those people who choose the Lord Jesus solely at His Word, He extends incredibly rich promises that He absolutely will fulfill. Two such promises the Lord Jesus extends to us are to exempt and spare us from the unique cut-out time period of His wrath, the wrath of the Lamb, the Tribulation.
 
Revelation 3:10 “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”
 
1 Thessalonians 5:8-9 “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
Romans 1:18-21 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
 
Romans 2:5-10 “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds…. but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
 
John 3:36 “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.”
 
Romans 5:8-10 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”
 
1 Thessalonians 1:10 “and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
 
Called to Encourage or Comfort One Another, For We Are Spared His Wrath
 
Scripture is clear on the fact that we Church-Age Believers are not destined to experience the wrath of God or the wrath of the Lamb, and scripture advises us to encourage or comfort one another with this thought of being spared His wrath.
 
Which of these two scenarios brings you the most encouragement or comfort?
 
One: Hey, Church-Age Believer, you are going to see and experience and suffer some of the most horrible calamities the world has ever encountered. You will likely see family and friends die in the most brutal manner after they have suffered the most deprived conditions. Yep! What you suffer personally and what you observe your loved ones and friends suffer will suck the life right out of you. Even though you suffer a miserable, agonizing death, no worries. So be encouraged.
 
Or does this next approach resonate in your heart and mind while bringing you relief, joy, and contentment?
 
Two: Hey, Church-Age Believer, because the Lord Jesus promised that you were not destined to wrath, He is going to evacuate you from the world before the Tribulation begins. The Rapture is one of the most phenomenal supernatural events the world has ever witnessed, and the Lord Jesus has promised you will participate as one of His evacuees. You and your family will experience no unnecessary horrors or sufferings. And if your loved ones and friends are Believers in the Lord Jesus, they will travel with you. You and they are spared the suffering, pain, and misery. So be encouraged.
 
Check out these scripture verses designed to encourage.
 
1 Thessalonians 4:17-18 “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
 
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 “For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”
 
Our Lord Jesus Himself encouraged us when He told His disciples about the Rapture during the Upper Room Discourse.
 
John 14:1-4 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
 
Titus 2:11-13 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.”
 
I like the way Jan Markell of Olive Tree Ministries sees it: if Church-Age Believers are dragged through any portion of the Tribulation period, then the blessed hope quickly becomes the blasted hope. Encouragement for the Church-Age Believer quickly fades.
 
The Innumerable Host we saw in Rev 7:9-10 standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb, they came out of the Tribulation after suffering horrible conditions, then they died and were brought to heaven. In the verse that follows, we see that not all Church-Age Believers will die a natural death (sleep), but the dead are changed first, then those who are still alive are changed, and they never see death.
 
These Church-Age Believers being changed while alive are not the same as those Tribulation Believers who come out of the Tribulation after having died. So be encouraged. Chances are good that you may find yourself among a group of people who never experience natural death and who certainly never experience the ravages and death in the Tribulation.
 
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
 
Perhaps the thought of suffering needlessly and horribly brings you encouragement and comfort, but as for me and my house, the idea of suffering horribly and watching those I love and value suffer horribly brings me absolutely no encouragement or comfort.
 
But the idea of being evacuated in the Rapture before all the horrible suffering of the Tribulation, the hour of trial that comes on all the world, so that neither I nor the ones I love ever experience any moment of it… now that brings me incredibly great encouragement and comfort.
 
Maranatha! Our Lord, come! Lord Jesus, come quickly. Come fetch us home in the Rapture, and today is a good day for You to do that!
 
BTW: This is the very thing we should hope and desire and pray for today, right now, for those we eventually see before the throne of God and the Lamb in Rev 7:9-10. We want them to experience salvation today so that they are also evacuated in the Rapture and never experience the horrors of the Tribulation. Being evacuated in the Rapture represents the optimal scenario for Believers.
 
The Work That You Do Is for Today.
 
The missionary work that we all do or should do: preaching, teaching Sunday school and Bible study, evangelizing the lost, planting churches, acts of salvation-focused kindness and generosity, Bible translation, scripture use and engagement, mobilizing people, praying, giving, using media arts to portray and deliver the gospel of Jesus Christ, helping other Christ-followers figure out where and how they can minister, etc.
 
The individuals of the Innumerable Host that we see in Rev 7:9-10 are likely alive today, right now. The work you do, the fruit, and the product of your hands should primarily focus on and strive to bring them to our Lord Jesus Christ today, right now!
 
Do not put off the life-transforming works of our Lord Jesus until the period when the individuals of the Innumerable Host of Rev 7:9-10 stand before the throne of God and before the Lamb. Do not relegate them to a second-best salvation. Help them achieve the optimal outcome today.
 
Scripture is clear in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “For He says, ‘In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.’ Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
 
The lost peoples of the world need their lives transformed by the forgiveness, mercy, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Most High God, right now, today!
 
The work that you do today will likely play an important future role in the discipling of the nations (Matthew 28:18-19). Hopefully and prayerfully, it will. In the midst of the Tribulation Period, when each person of that Innumerable Host decides to choose the Lord Jesus, to trust Him alone, each one will need good informative resources to help that one grow and mature to the degree possible. Those works that you completed in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit, that you created for people today to induce them to come to salvation and to more intimately know our Lord Jesus Christ, those previously existing works will play key roles to help in the transformation of future lives, but those completed works must first exist today for the people of today.
 
The work that you do today is about the outcomes of today; it’s about transformed lives today.
 
It’s Not About A Second-Best Salvation.
 
Trust the Lord Jesus to bring salvation to each person today so that each one may experience and enjoy that optimal scenario with the optimal results and outcome. Work in a manner that helps them believe in our Lord Jesus and trust Him now. Help them praise, bless, and extol our Lord Jesus because each one received His very best salvation today.
 
Difference Between Church-Age Rewards and Tribulation Saint Rewards
 
IF we were to place Church-Age Believers with the Innumerable Host in the Tribulation, it makes us forfeit most of the rich blessings and promises and rewards our Lord Jesus has offered to Church-Age Believers.
 
The individuals of the Innumerable Host suffered, at least partially, through God’s wrath and through the hour of trial. Church-Age Believers are spared from suffering through the wrath of God. They are kept out of and spared from the hour of trial.
 
The individuals of the Innumerable Host are apparently limited to their place of service and their role of service. Scripture in Rev 7:15 indicates this group of individuals are before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple, evidently in a servant role.
 
Church-Age Believers are promised to rule and reign as kings and priests on the earth, in addition to having specific places awarded to us in heaven. New Jerusalem is written upon us, denoting our citizenship of this great holy city. We are awarded the best of both realms.
 
Indeed, Scripture promises Church-Age Believers will sit on Christ’s throne with Him. In Revelation seven, there is neither promise to the Innumerable Host to rule and reign with the Lamb nor to sit with Him on His throne. They are not awarded crowns; Church-Age Believers are promised crowns.
 
Concluding Thoughts
 
Caveats and Qualifiers
 
What one believes overall about the last days and eschatological events also determines how one believes about the myriad of details of last days’ events. What one believes determines and positions the who, what, where, when, why, and how details of the time of the end.
 
Obviously, one may easily derive from my positions in this essay that I am a pre-tribulation Rapture Church-Age Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I believe the Rapture happens first. The Rapture serves as THE trigger event. My other last days’ beliefs hang on that event, and what I believe logically follows.
 
Another key trigger event is when the Tribulation Period begins. And because I believe the Rapture happens before the start of the Tribulation Period, I believe that Church-Age Believers are evacuated before it comes hugely, mega-bad in the world.
 
But after Church-Age Believers are evacuated, other pieces of last days’ events will begin to fall into their proper place with the corresponding timing and outcomes.
 
Perhaps the reader takes some other position as to what event is key to when it falls and how it triggers other events. Maybe one holds the position of a mid-tribulation Rapture which determines how one believes events will play out. Or maybe the reader believes in a three-quarters tribulation Rapture or a post-tribulation Rapture. What one believes about the big picture drives how you believe other details will play out.
 
Maybe one believes there is no Rapture of Church-Age Believers and believes only in the second coming of the Lord Jesus to establish His kingdom on the earth.
 
Maybe you believe something just because that belief is popular in the circles in which you run, but in reality, you don’t know what you believe or why. In actuality, you’ve not given last days’ events or their timing or their triggers much thought.
 
Perhaps this essay may cause the reader to reconsider primarily hoping for the second-best outcomes and to pray and work for people in our day and age to attain optimal outcomes of salvation.
 
Possibly, the reader rejects my position entirely, or at the least, a number of elements of this essay because you believe in different trigger events or a different timing of events. I get that and understand that concept: what one believes has consequences.
 
Taking Shots
 
An essay of this type that is so wide in its scope is open for discussion, dispute, and alternate arguments. I’m okay with that. Let the dialogue begin.
 
As I wrote trying to address the main point – that Tribulation Believers of Revelation chapter seven received a second-best outcome, that it’s a good thing, but not cool – I heard in my head a series of peripheral questions that I believed needed answers to bring a fuller level of understanding to my main point. It was not my goal to tackle every point in exhaustive detail.
 
Finishing Where I Started
 
In my assessment, the individuals of the Innumerable Host that we see in Revelation chapter 7:9-10 experience a good thing for themselves, especially in view of the alternative, but how they travel to and arrive at that point is not cool. Had they chosen differently, they could have received a much better outcome, the optimal outcome. That optimal outcome is still within reach. It’s not yet too late for them. Today is the day of salvation. Right now!
 
This ends the 3-part series on Revelation 7 Tribulation Believers.
 
If you would like to see a chart comparing second-best outcomes to optimal outcomes, you can email me at [email protected]
 
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Passover: Prophetic Fulfillment or Ancient Jewish Tradition? – Part 1 – Olivier Melnick - https://www.newantisemitism.com/antisemitism/passover-prophetic-fulfillment-or-ancient-jewish-tradition-part-1
 
Passover 2021 is just around the corner, and very soon, Jewish people all over the world will gather around the family dining table– the best they can in the age of Covid restrictions–to celebrate the traditional Passover Seder. This ancient Jewish tradition is found in the Bible (Exodus 12, Leviticus 23) as it pertains to the departure of the children of Israel from Egyptian captivity and the journey to the Promise Land through the wilderness wanderings.
 
From one family to the next, one country to the next, and across the spectrum of Jewish religious practice, Passover is celebrated religiously, traditionally and creatively, and yet some things never change.
 
I remember the first few Passovers I attended in France over 50 years ago. Much was happening in front of my eyes as I sat bewildered and overwhelmed by the various elements we touched, smelled and ate. Much of what was happening, punctuated by prayers, storytelling and songs, was very foreign to me. All the ancient traditions of our forefathers were being reenacted around the table with many parts of them remaining obscurely unknown – even to the leader of the Seder. It was beautiful and sad at the same time.
 
Could the Passover Seder have a deeper meaning than what is taught on the surface in a Jewish home? I am not speaking of a mystical meaning that only the most enlightened spiritual people could grasp, but could there be a prophetic meaning within the Feast of Passover for people through the ages and especially today? I believe there is, and I also believe that it isn’t until we unpack the prophetic meaning of Passover that we can truly appreciate the full, rich message of provision and redemption God is trying to share with us throughout the entire Bible.
 
Our God is a God of order (Deuteronomy 7; Proverbs 7, and we can really appreciate that aspect of Him as we navigate through the different steps of the Seder; much of them having remained untouched throughout the ages and around the world. All Jewish people used a booklet that contains the order of the service (seder means “order” in Hebrew), and helps us to move forward with the celebration, all the way to the final “La Shana Haba B’Yerusalaim! “Next year in Jerusalem.” The booklet is known as a Haggadah, meaning the “story” or the “telling”.
 
At first glance, the many steps of the Passover Seder take us through the story of redemption from slavery in Egypt, provision and protection through the wilderness wanderings and blessings in the abundant Promise Land. The original requirements, as found in Exodus 12, were pretty basic. Our ancestors were to acquire a lamb, apply its blood on the doorposts of their homes, stay inside as the destroyer passed through their villages. The lamb was roasted and consumed, with bitter herbs, unleavened bread and four cups of the fruit of the vine were drunk throughout the evening.
 
Much was added by way of traditions over the years, and the Haggadah was born to guide Jewish families through the rich celebration of redemption. What if the Passover was a type of something or someone greater than the sacrificial lamb and various elements? Let us go through the main parts of the Seder and discover how they are connected and how they all point to a specific part in the redemptive career of Yeshua the Messiah.
 
Bedikath Chametz (Search for the Leaven): Before Passover can take place, a Jewish home must undergo a thorough search for anything containing leaven, and it must be cleansed of it all (Exodus 12:19-20Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)). Interestingly enough, when used symbolically, leaven in the Bible represents sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-8Open in Logos Bible Software (if available), 11:28Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)).
 
Brechat Haner (Blessing over the Candles): The official starting point of the Seder is the lighting of the Passover candles to separate the mundane from the holy, much like what takes place every Friday night for Shabbat. It is the role of the woman to light the candles, say a prayer and invite the presence of God into the room.
 
The Kiddush (Cup of Blessing): The first cup of Passover, or kiddush or “Cup of Sanctification” is filed to the point of overflowing (a symbol of joy in Judaism). It is one of four cups based on Exodus 9:6-7Open in Logos Bible Software (if available). We recite a prayer and drink the cup leaning to the left, sitting on pillows for comfort to symbolize that we are no longer slaves. Incidentally, no one really knows why we lean to the left.
 
The Urchatz (First Handwashing): One of two hand washings now takes place, where young children go around the table with a pitcher, basin and towel to ceremonially wash the hands of all guests, starting with the leader of the Seder. This symbolic handwashing takes us back to the cleansing of the priest and Levites at the Temple. This is the time that Yeshua chose to wash the feet of all the disciples (including Judas Iscariot) as He knelt down in a powerful display of humility and servanthood (John 13:1-11Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)).
 
The Karpas (The Parsley): Now comes the time to grab a sprig of parsley, dip it in very salty water and eat it after a prayer is recited. The parsley is known as a symbol of the green of springtime (Passover season) and the saltwater symbolizes the tears shed in Egypt and possibly the water of the Red Sea. Looking at Exodus 12:21-22Open in Logos Bible Software (if available), the parsley more powerfully symbolizes the hyssop used to dip in the basin filled with the blood of the lamb and to apply on the doorpost for protection. Believers in Yeshua–The Lamb of God– have symbolically applied His shed blood on the doorpost of their own heart so that when the time comes for judgment of all mankind, we will be passed over.
 
The Yachutz (Breaking of the Middle Matzah): At the onset of the Seder, three sheets of Matzah are carefully placed in a pouch (matzotash) divided into three compartments. Now comes the time to take the middle matzah, break it in half, place one half back in the matzotash and wrap the other half carefully in a white linen napkin. We then proceed to hide it in the room and forget about it until a later time when we send children hunting for it. More on the middle matzo later.
 
The Maggid (The Retelling of the Story of the Exodus): Guests around the table take turns in retelling the story of the Jewish exodus by reading various passages in the Bible. Exodus 12:1-13Open in Logos Bible Software (if available) being the main passage. Some of Psalms are also read throughout the evening (Psalm 113-118, the Great Hallel) as they were in the days of Yeshua and before.
 
Ma-Nishtanah (The Four Questions): The youngest child able to do so, rises and asks four traditional questions about why we eat matza, why we eat bitter herbs, why we dip our food and why we lean as we drink the cups. The leader explains why. The four questions are traditionally done in a song reminding us of the reasons why this night is so different from all the other nights. It is usually followed by the story of the four different sons to whom Jewish fathers retold the Passover story, symbolizing four different kinds of people (wise, wicked, innocent and simple-minded.)
 
The Makkot (The Second Cup or Cup of Plagues): Remembering that a full cup is a cup of joy and since we shouldn’t rejoice over the fate of our enemies (Deuteronomy 32:35Open in Logos Bible Software (if available); Matthew 5:43-48Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)), a tradition was developed where we fill the cup and then take a drop out with a spoon for each of the ten plagues, thus symbolically reducing the cup and making it one we won’t rejoice over. This second cup is then placed back on the table to be consumed later, slightly before the dinner is served.
 
Dayenu (It would have been Enough): Time to be creative and sing the Dayenu. This is a joyous song describing all the things that God did for His chosen people and how a couple of miracles would have been enough, but He kept adding many more.
 
The Rachatz (Second Hand Washing): Once again, the guests are invited to do another symbolic handwashing.
 
The Maror (The Bitter Herbs): As we remember how bitter our lives were made during the slavery in Egypt, we all dip a piece of matzah in the bitter herbs (usually grated horseradish) and that makes us cringe and even shed a tear from the strong taste. It also reminds us, believers, of the time we were slaves to sin before Messiah Yeshua redeemed us
 
The Korekh (Bitter Herbs with Sweet Mixture): We all then break two small pieces of matzah from the matzotash and put bitter herbs on one side, charoset or “sweet mixture” on the other and close it in a small sandwich. The sweet mixture is overly sweet to overpower the bitterness of the maror and remind us of the sweetness of redemption and dwelling in the Promise land. It also reminds us believers of the sweetness of redemption from our sins by the sacrificial death and resurrection of Yeshua the Lamb of God (John 1:29Open in Logos Bible Software (if available)).
 
The Shulchan Orech (The Set Table): Finally, comes the time for a festive dinner for the whole family. Everyone sets their haggadot aside and rejoices in the fellowship and sharing of a copious dinner (made without yeast).
 
After dinner is finished, the second liturgical part of the Passover celebration takes place. It is definitely the time when all the parts of the Seder come together, and this is also the time when Yeshua chose to institute a very important ritual that continues to take place to this day. As we will see, Passover is both a Jewish tradition and an event filled with prophetic significance.
 
This will be the topic of Passover Part 2, published next week.

 

 
Warmonger Joe Biden Seems Quite Eager To Start A War With Russia - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/warmonger-joe-biden-seems-quite-eager-to-start-a-war-with-russia/
 
If you are the president of the United States and you want to have a positive relationship with another country, it is probably not a good idea to call the leader of that other country a “killer” that “doesn’t have a soul”. Also, it is probably not a good idea to accuse the other country of directly interfering in our elections or to threaten them with cyberattacks. Unfortunately, Joe Biden seems to think that the American people want him to “get tough” with Russia, and he just told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that Vladimir Putin “will pay a price” for messing with the 2020 election…
 
President Joe Biden said Vladimir Putin “will pay a price” for his efforts to undermine the 2020 US election following a landmark American intelligence assessment which found that the Russian government meddled in the 2020 election with the aim of “denigrating” Biden’s candidacy.
 
“He will pay a price,” Biden said of Putin in an interview that aired Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America”. “We had a long talk, he and I, and relatively well. And the conversation started — ‘I know you and you know me. If I establish this occurred, be prepared.'”
 
After the 2016 election, we had to endure years of baseless claims that Donald Trump “colluded with the Russians”, and those claims were eventually completely discredited.
 
But now here we go again.
 
Even though Trump lost, Biden and the Democrats are once again convinced that the Russians interfered with the election. In fact, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is claiming the the Russians have interfered with our elections “for many years”…
 
‘President Biden has been clear that the United States will also respond to a number of destabilizing Russian actions,’ she continued, adding there are several new investigations related to relations with the Kremlin.
 
‘The Russians have intervened, or attempted to intervene, in elections for many years – I mean, long before 2016. We certainly are eyes-wide-open about that and fully aware of that,’ Psaki said.
 
Long before 2016?
 
How far back do they think this goes exactly?
 
When George Stephanopoulos pressed Biden on specifically what he planned to do to Russia, Biden responded by saying “you’ll see shortly”…
 
When pushed on what the consequences would be, the president said: ‘The price he’s going to pay, well, you’ll see shortly.’
 
Let us hope that what Biden means is that more sanctions will be imposed. After all of the sanctions that have already been slapped on Russia, there isn’t much more damage that can be done in that area.
 
Unfortunately, it appears that Biden is preparing to go way beyond just imposing sanctions.
 
In fact, the New York Times recently reported that the Biden administration is preparing a series of cyberattacks against Russia…
 
Russia has expressed its alarm after it was reported the United States was planning a series of covert counterattacks on Russian networks, saying such strikes would amount to cybercrimes.
 
The report by The New York Times on March 7 said the planned US move would be in response to the hacking of SolarWinds software that US officials say was conducted by Russia, something Moscow denies.
 
“This is alarming information,” Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said on Tuesday. “This would be pure international cybercrime.”
 
Actually, a cyberattack is an act of war, and everyone needs to understand that.
 
If the Russians were conducting cyberattacks against us, they deserve to be hit back.
 
But so far I have not seen any evidence at all that indicates that this is the case.
 
During his interview with Stephanopoulos, Biden also decided that it would be okay to directly insult Putin several times…
 
‘So you know Vladimir Putin. You think he is a killer?’ Stephanopoulos asked Biden.
 
He responded: ‘Uh-huh, I do.’
 
A bit earlier, the ABC anchor pointed out: ‘You said you know he doesn’t have a soul.’
 
‘I did say that to him, yes,’ the president affirmed.
 
That is not exactly the way to promote a positive relationship between our two nations.
 
In fact, this is the kind of language that often leads to war.
 
In response to Biden’s interview, the Russians have called their ambassador back to Moscow…
 
Russia on Wednesday called its ambassador to the United States back to Moscow for consultations on the future of U.S.-Russia ties after U.S. President Joe Biden said Vladimir Putin would “pay a price” for alleged election meddling.
 
Biden made his comments after a U.S. intelligence report supported longstanding allegations that Putin was behind Moscow’s election interference in the United States, an accusation Russia called baseless.
 
That is a pretty dramatic step, but it is probably only the beginning.
 
If the U.S. starts hitting the Russians with cyberattacks, the Russians will have a decision to make.
 
They could just sit back and absorb the cyberattacks, or they could choose to strike back.
 
Personally, I believe the Russians would choose the latter of the two options.
 
If that happens, then the Biden administration will have a choice to make.
 
Needless to say, things could eventually escalate to the point of no return.
 
Meanwhile, the Biden administration is also pushing us toward war in the Middle East. The Russians are still heavily engaged in Syria, and now that U.S. troops have rolled into the country things could spiral out of control very easily. This is something that I covered in a previous article entitled “9 Signs That Chess Pieces Are Being Moved Into Place For A Major War In The Middle East”.
 
Many Americans have assumed that since Biden has so much “foreign policy experience” that he must be well qualified to deal with the leaders of other nations.
 
But the truth is that Biden has always been a hothead with a violent temper that can erupt at any moment. This is something that we witnessed repeatedly on the campaign trail.
 
He is definitely not the kind of man that we need in the White House, and his warmongering is going to push us closer to war with each passing day.

 


 
The Standard of Measure - Nathele Graham - [email protected]
 
Measuring things has always been important. Through the years, there have been various standards of measure, which can make some things not exactly clear. For instance, when God told Noah to build the Ark, He gave the dimensions. "And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it." Genesis 6:15-16. It was the perfect proportions to float without sinking through the storm of judgment, because God’s standards are always perfect. The question is, how long is a cubit? Most people say it's the measurement from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, which is somewhat of a standard of measurement, but people have different length of arms. Also, what happens if you measure from a different spot on your elbow? Even a small difference could make a big difference! Historians say that a cubit is approximately 18 inches to 21 inches in length, but I measured my cubit and it’s 15 inches. That doesn't sound very exact since Noah's cubit may not have been the same as his son’s cubits. Had Noah used his standard of measure while Shem, Ham, and Japheth used their individual cubits, that Ark would have been wonky and probably would have sank. There had to be a standard by which to measure.
 
Another Old Testament reference to a cubit is used when describing King Og. How tall was he? We don't know, but his bed is described as being huge. "For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon? nine cubits was the length thereof, and four cubits the breadth of it, after the cubit of a man." Deuteronomy 3:11. Assuming that the cubit is around 18 inches, and using that as a "standard", the bed was 162 inches, or 13 1/2 feet, long, and had a width of 72 inches, or 6 feet, wide. If that cubit was 21 inches instead of 18, the measurement would have been larger. This verse qualifies it as being the cubit of a man, so it wasn’t Og’s cubit, which would have been much larger. Basically, we know the bed was very big so Og must have been a big guy, but without a definite standard for the length of a cubit it’s impossible to know exactly how big he was.
 
Do you remember Goliath? If you attended Sunday school when you were a child, I’m sure you heard about the epic battle between David and Goliath. The young boy, David, went up against the giant Goliath and won. We aren't told how tall David was, but when King Saul put his own armor upon David it was too big. Scripture does give us Goliath's height. "And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span." 1 Samuel 6:2. If this is based upon an 18 inch cubit then that totals about 9 feet. Of course, he was "six cubits and a span" so you need to figure out how big a span is. It's described as "approximately half-cubit, or the distance from the thumb to the little finger of an outstretched hand". That pins it down, doesn't it? Based on an 18-inch cubit a span would be 9 inches, which means Goliath was nearly 10 feet tall. What if the cubit was 21 inches? Well, going through the calculations he would be over 11 feet tall. The next question is, was it a “standard” cubit, or was it Saul’s cubit, David’s cubit, or Goliath’s cubit? Whatever standard was used, Goliath was very big. God was bigger though and was David’s help in slaying that giant.
 
Life has a measurement also. There’s one used by the world and one that’s of God. A Christian must measure life by the standard of God’s word. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105. God’s standards are clear and need to be honored. Parents need to teach their children to honor God and give them a firm foundation upon which to build their life. I’ve heard Christian parents say that they won’t force their child to go to Sunday school and will allow the child to decide if they want to be a Christian or not. On the other hand, they send that child to public school run by secular humanists who pound the ways of the world into that child’s mind. Evolution is not Biblical. “Gender choice” is not Biblical. “Two mommies” is not Biblical. Parents, if you’re allowing your child to be brainwashed into Satan’s lies, then you are not training your child in the ways of God. “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. This is a standard of Biblical measurement which every parent needs to use in raising children. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul commended Timothy’s mother and grandmother for their faith that they passed on to Timothy. “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” 2 Timothy 1:5. Because of their faith, Timothy was raised to follow God’s ways and Paul recognized that fact. Obviously, Lois and Eunice measured their ways by God’s standards and Timothy was taught God’s ways.
 
Secular people have no guide to follow through life and are very lost. They stumble around in the darkness of this world, never finding truth but always seeking the Light. Jesus is the Light of the world, and by following Him we will never be overtaken by the darkness of Satan’s evil ways. “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12. That’s the standard of measurement for a Christian…following the light of life. When God created Adam there was only one rule…don’t eat the forbidden fruit. When Adam sinned by disobeying God, the entire world was engulfed by sin and death. God’s standard was compromised by sin. The standard remained the same, but sinful man choses to interpret God’s standards in various ways. Mostly the variations allow sin to rule rather than obey God. God’s love never changed, and He made a way for mankind to be redeemed. First, He gave the Law in order for a standard to be established. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” Galatians 3:24. The Law was only a hint of the standards of God, which mankind will never be able to attain. Only through the blood of Jesus can we be redeemed.
 
When Jesus began His ministry on earth, He showed us the standard by which to build a life that is pleasing to God. The Law, the schoolmaster, showed a basic standard of life that, through works and animal sacrifice, could cover sin for a while. This Law was given to Israel, which meant that Gentiles would need to “become Jewish” in order to be right with God. Jesus Christ, God incarnate, changed that. God’s standard is still perfection, but salvation is open to all people. Peter, who was a Jewish man who walked with Jesus and became a leader of Christians after Jesus’ resurrection, confirmed that Gentiles don’t have to first be put under the Law in order to find salvation. “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” Acts 15:8-11. God’s perfection has always been the standard of measurement in life. God’s standards haven’t changed, but the Law has been fulfilled. The standard to follow is Jesus. His life is our example. In Christ, salvation is available to everyone no matter what ethnic group a person is born to. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28.
 
Unfortunately, the world has no set standard. Whatever whim of man is accepted at the moment, that’s the way to follow. For example, some religions encourage men to beat their wives, or even have multiple wives, but God’s standard for marriage is very different. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.” Ephesians 5:25-28. Loving your wife as Christ loves His church is a very high standard. That means you honor your wedding vows. You love your wife in sickness and health, for richer or poorer, until death do you part. Remember, Christ loved us enough to give His life. Husband, that’s how you are to love your wife. Wives, you are also to honor your wedding vows and you submit to your husband. Like it or not, God’s ways are the standard. Adam was created first, then Eve. Adam was given the “rule” to not eat the forbidden fruit and Eve was to follow Adam’s lead and use God’s truth as the standard. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.” Ephesians 5:22-24. Secular humanism teaches we evolved from pond scum, which leaves out God’s truth of creation. By ignoring God’s hand in creation, it’s easy to believe there’s no right way of living and everyone does what is right in their own eyes. God’s standard of a one man/one woman marriage is ignored, and even marriage is considered unimportant. Brothers and sisters, use God’s ways to measure your life and don’t compromise by following the ways of the world.
 
Today we have people saying "All roads lead to heaven". Is that the truth? Absolutely not! That way of thinking leads to destruction, not to eternal life with Jesus. If you use a varied standard to measure morality, you’ll live a lopsided life that doesn’t lead to salvation. You’ll have no guide for truth. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6. That’s the standard. Jesus is our example in all things, and if you desire eternal life then you must accept His death, burial, and resurrection. Once you’ve done that, then you need to use His example to guide your words, actions, and choices. Faith brings salvation, and a changed way of living is the example you show to the world. If you don’t desire to follow His standard today, what makes you think you will want to follow Him throughout eternity?
 
Sometimes the choice of which standard to follow isn’t easy to make. The world does try to pull us away from Christ. If you make choices using various standards you will have a wonky life, just as using various standards of the cubit would have made a wonky Ark which would have sunk rather than give refuge to Noah, his family, and the animals. The good news is that once you’ve truly accepted Christ’s fee gift of salvation, His grace continues to cover you. “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." Ephesians 4:7. Use Christ as your standard and be thankful for His grace.
 
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
[email protected]
[email protected]
                        
All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed.
 
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Daily Jot: The moral and Constitutional duty of border security – Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com
 
There are a myriad of depraved, immoral sins connected to the dismantling of border security by President Joe Biden and his henchmen, now including many in the Republican Party. From a national security standpoint, this open border policy is an unconstitutional high crime against the country. Deeply troubling also are the ramifications of increased drug cartel activity, murders, kidnapping and human trafficking, especially against children. Yet another consequence of this reckless nonsense is that these people will be assimilated into society without legality and will be the pawns of politicians seeking their illegal votes by incentivizing them with benefits paid by your hard-earned tax dollars.
 
The preamble to the Constitution is the evidence of what the Founding Fathers intended for they wanted the Constitution to achieve. It reads: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” In short—keep the peace, provide for the national defense, promote (not provide) for the general welfare, and secure freedom. Open borders are a violation of all these founding precepts. Yet almost all Democrats, some Republicans and the president are supporting this crime.
 
At a news conference about how Biden’s policies are impacting Texas, Governor Greg Abbott (R) said, “President Biden’s reckless open border policies have created a humanitarian crisis that is enriching the cartels, smugglers, and human traffickers who often prey on and abuse unaccompanied minors. Americans deserve to know what the Biden Administration is doing to investigate the surge of unaccompanied minors crossing the border and to protect those who are victims of human trafficking.” That’s not going to happen because Biden has placed a gag order on the news media. Breitbart reports a senior-level Department of Homeland Security official saying, “We have been advised not to speak on immigration issues at the border and to rely on DHS’s Office of Public Affairs and the Whitehouse Press Office to handle messaging.”
 
Democrats have introduced the US Citizenship Act of 2021 which expedites citizenship in three years for all 11 million “undocumented immigrants,” who crossed the border illegally, including Dreamers, and some farm workers. All other illegal immigrants who pay taxes and pass a background check can have citizenship after eight years. Led by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Rick Scott (R-FL), many Republicans are jumping on the amnesty bandwagon. They all hope to woo the votes of people who came to America illegally. Responsible and legal immigration is key to border security. In Leviticus 24:22, the Lord says, “You shall have the same law for the stranger and for one from your own country.” This is God’s wisdom and it’s a Constitutional and moral duty. But none of that seems to matter to the power hungry.

 


 
Daily Devotion: The Dreamer Who Changed the World - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org
 
The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. —Proverbs 4:18
 
https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/the-dreamer-who-changed-the-world/ - Listen
 
We live in a culture that’s in search of real heroes. In fact, I’m not sure whether we know what a hero is anymore. We use the term very loosely. I think we live in a culture that has a lot of celebrities but very few heroes.
 
As historian Daniel J. Boorstin pointed out, “Celebrities are people who make news, but heroes are people who make history. Time makes heroes but dissolves celebrities.”
 
That is certainly what we have before us in the life of Joseph. He was a true hero, and he changed his world. There are a lot of things we can learn from Joseph, including how to overcome adversity.
 
In Joseph’s story, we discover how we can overcome envy, face adversity, resist sexual temptation, have faith in the promises of God, and forgive those who have horribly wronged us.
 
Joseph’s life showed very little promise. As the 12th of 13 children, he was a bit on the pampered side and given to visions of grandeur. But God gave him dreams. In the beginning, his dreams got him into trouble. In the end, however, other people’s dreams got him out of trouble.
 
If Joseph were alive today, his life verse would be Romans 8:28: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (NLT).
 
If anyone could have had an excuse for turning out badly, it was Joseph. He lived in a family dominated by lying, deceit, immorality, manipulation, and even murder. He could have blamed his parents for all the problems of his life.
 
Yet amazingly, Joseph turned out to be a very godly young man with a sterling character. And he changed the world because God changed his world first.

 

 
FROM THE HEART
    
Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left,
Count for ALL of Eternity!

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