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It Is Impossible to Come To A Peaceful Agreement When One Side Worships Death – By Olivier Melnick - https://harbingersdaily.com/it-is-impossible-to-come-to-a-peaceful-agreement-when-one-side-worships-death/
Over four months after Hamas murdered 1200 innocent Israeli civilians and took over 200 hostages inside the Gaza Strip, the current US administration is contemplating the idea of recognizing Palestine. Again, they are pushing for the “Two-State Solution” that Elliott Abrams of Tablet Magazine rightfully recently called the “Two-State Delusion.” These days, it seems that most of the world is asking for a Two-State solution, mostly with the hope that it would bring the Gaza War to an end. What are the requirements for Palestine to be recognized and for the region to be split into a Jewish state and a Palestinian state? Is that even possible? • Palestinians must be a real people group: Prior to 1948, the Palestinian narrative was not much of a narrative at all. Those calling themselves Palestinians today were calling themselves Arabs back then, and for very good reasons–This is exactly who they were. The claim that Palestinians are descendants of the Canaanites is a false claim. The Canaanites, along with many other people groups, disappeared a long time ago. Today, Palestinians speak Arabic, not “Palestinian.” Their customs and traditions are Arab traditions, not “Palestinian.” Incidentally, the word Palestine (introduced by emperor Hadrian in the first century to humiliate the Jewish people) was never meant to describe anything but a land mass in the Middle East. It was hijacked by Yasir Arafat and repurposed over several decades to introduce a new politically charged narrative. Palestinian coins from decades prior to 1948 all have the two Hebrew letters aleph and yod (initials for Eretz Yisrael, meaning the land of Israel.) Palestine was nothing but a geographical description of the land of Israel. To be sure, Palestinians are real people with real needs, the first of those needs being a belief in Yeshua for their salvation. What they are not is an indigenous people from the land of Canaan, later known as Palestine and known today as the State of Israel. None of this is meant to devalue their worth as human beings in God’s eyes but simply to assess factual truth. • Palestinians must want peace with Israel: Another elephant in the room is the ongoing desire from most Palestinians to eradicate all Israelis from Israel. I am not saying that all Palestinians have genocidal tendencies, but considering that Hamas does want all Jews dead and that 70% of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip voted for Hamas, one has to wonder what the real agenda is when peace is discussed. Incidentally, about 90% of all Palestinians want more moderate, US-backed Mahmoud Abbas to resign from being the leader of Fatah. While many describe him as a moderate, I question his political integrity simply from the fact that he is in the 19th year of a four-year term as leader of Fatah. As to his academic integrity, I question it even more, considering that his doctoral dissertation covered such topics as anti-Zionism and holocaust denial. Additionally, “from the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free” doesn’t inspire peace but genocide- something that all millennials and GenZs around the world should know as they chant the motto of annihilation, thinking that they are promoting social justice. • Palestinians must properly use funds sent to them for humanitarian reasons: Many countries of the world for decades have sent money to the Palestinian Authority for humanitarian relief. Almost all of the money allocated to Gaza was repurposed to build tunnels–some of those tunnels leading directly to the area of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel. The recent discovery and exposure of UNRWA’s mishandling of funds and even participation in the attack could be a game changer. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency had already lost funding from sixteen countries in light of their involvement on October 7. It might only be 10% of the 12,000 UNRWA employees in Gaza who had ties to the terror attack, but that is still 1,200 people. Frankly, the numbers do not matter as much as the fact that this misuse of funds has probably taken place for a longer time than we realize. Not to mention how Hamas positions their weapons in mosques, hospitals and schools all over the Gaza Strip. History has shown us that the desire for peaceful co-existence is more of a reality on the Israeli side than it is on the Palestinian side. The facts are here in spite of the media bias, the UN bias, the academic bias, and the Hollywood bias. There are a lot more Arabs in Israel today than there were prior to 1948, even though the “Palestinians” call May 14, 1948, the nakba, or “catastrophe” in Arabic. The other side of that coin is that there are still only 15,000.000 Jews around the world today when there were 18,000,000 before the Holocaust, also known as the “Shoah,” also meaning “catastrophe” in Hebrew. Which of these events was a real catastrophe? Let the numbers speak, not the media, and then you can decide when and where the crimes against humanity were committed. It is impossible to come to a peaceful agreement of any sort when one side respects the sanctity of life of all human beings, and the other side worships death. For those who keep demanding a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, let me remind you that there has been a ceasefire since 2005, when Hamas took full control, until October 6, 2023. That ceasefire was broken by Hamas on October 7, 2023, when Hamas murdered 1,200 Israelis and took over 200 hostages. They created a monster that will be very hard to control because as much as the Israelis worked with Palestinians and tolerated a less-than-ideal status quo, the thin trust that existed between the two groups has now vanished. It is going to be a while before Israel trusts the “Palestinians” again, and this is mostly going to hurt the “Palestinians.” Based on these three criteria that appear far from being within reach, a Palestinian state seems very unlikely. This being said, there will be peace in Israel one day. That is when Sar Shalom, “the Prince of Peace,” returns to reign in Jerusalem from the throne of King David. His name is Yeshua (Jesus), and only He has the power to make the two (Arabs and Jews) into one new man (Ephesians 2). Until then, we ought to do the best we can to introduce people to Yeshua and His message of salvation (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). He came 2,000 years ago to die for Jews, Arabs and the rest of humanity. He rose again and ascended to Heaven, and today, He awaits His return to take charge on Earth. All that one has to do is to believe in His atonement as a free gift and become part of God’s family. I have seen Jews and Arabs getting along in Yeshua; it is a beautiful sight, and it should really be one of our main focal points until He returns. The World Is Bracing For An Apocalyptic Future - by Michael Snyder - https://endoftheamericandream.com/the-world-is-bracing-for-an-apocalyptic-future/ When you imagine our collective future, what do you see? Today, most people do not envision a positive future for humanity. Our movies, our television shows, our video games and our talk shows are filled with apocalyptic themes, and there is constant speculation about what is ahead of us on social media. Global events have really started to go haywire in recent months, and faith in our leaders has never been lower. A lot of people are realizing that when things really start hitting the fan nobody is going to come riding along to rescue them. So sales of emergency food and supplies have soared to record levels, and millions of us are planning for life in a world that has gone completely and utterly mad. Even some of the most prominent voices in our society are openly talking about such things. For example, Joe Rogan has suggested that right now would be a really good time for Jesus to come back… “Like if he came back now, it would be great,” Rogan said. “Jesus, if you’re thinking about coming back, now’s a good time. Now’s a good time.” Have you ever heard Joe Rogan talk like this? I haven’t. In another recent broadcast, Joe Rogan admitted that he believes that “something big is coming” and when he thinks about that it scares him. Needless to say, he is far from alone. There are millions of others out there that are feeling the exact same way. At this point, even the wealthiest members of our society are preparing for worst case scenarios. The following comes from a Daily Star article entitled “‘Bible prophecy is coming true’ as claims billionaires build huge underground bunkers”… Podcaster Christina Randall claims that Zuckerberg’s bunker is just the latest of around 15 doomsday shelters being built by billionaires around the globe. “It is definitely very interesting that they’re choosing to build something that sounds like it could be fully self-sustaining, especially if something catastrophic happened to the world and it was no longer habitable,” she said. “Why not just build a regular old mansion or some kind of commercial facility that could generate Zuckerberg even more money?” She stressed: “This building is definitely not cheap, it is estimated to cost over $270 million and it looks like this is going to be the largest private personal construction project in human history. We’re talking about over a quarter of a billion dollars.” The video from Christina Randall that was referenced in that article has already been watched more than 420,000 times… WATCH: https://youtu.be/evz_dixJwAg If everything is going to be just fine, why are so many billionaires building massive survivalist compounds? Can anyone out there answer that question? A very large portion of the general population is deeply concerned about what is coming as well. Billions of dollars is being spent on emergency food and supplies, and I fully expect that 2024 will shatter all previous records. In a recent Fox Business article entitled “Army vet says prepper food company booming as more Americans plan for disaster in 2024”, Jason Nelson explained why it is so important for people to have plenty of emergency food on hand… Americans need to consider the vulnerablity of the U.S. food supply and make plans accordingly, Nelson argues. “I just think a lot of people don’t know where food comes from. They don’t understand the distribution system. If they understood how that works, that there’s about two weeks worth of food in any distribution system around the United States, once those systems start to break down, the availability of food is going to drop to near zero. And so what people think they have in their cabinets that will help them survive is very different than actually sitting down and doing an analysis of caloric intake for your family, what they need for not just survivability, but maybe even thriveability,” he said. What he said is so true. Once our distribution systems break down, the stores will empty out very rapidly. When that day arrives, you will be so glad that you took action ahead of time. The same thing could be said for those that have already chosen to relocate. Over the past few years, many Americans have actually moved to a different part of the country in anticipation of the very challenging times that are ahead of us. In a recent article, Milan Adams laid out some of the things that you might want to consider if you are thinking about making such a move. Here are some of the human factors that she considers to be important when evaluating a new location…
And here are some of the natural factors that she considers to be important when evaluating a new location…
I think that all of that is really good advice. When things start getting really crazy, you don’t want to find yourself trapped in a heavily populated area. As I discussed earlier this week, social order is already breaking down all over the nation. For example, did you know that 90,000 packages a day are stolen in New York City?… WATCH: https://youtu.be/8MI4Byi-cV0 I was floored when I first heard that statistic. That means that there are 90,000 crimes in the Big Apple every single day. Our streets are literally teeming with predators, and many of them show absolutely no remorse for the crimes that they commit. When I was young, I thought that living in a big city was the thing to do. But now that I am much older, I am so glad that I do not live in one of our core urban areas, because they have become extremely dangerous. Over the weekend, a wild mob of young people in San Francisco viciously vandalized a Waymo autonomous vehicle and set it on fire… A Waymo autonomous vehicle was set on fire Saturday night after it was vandalized by a group of people in Chinatown, San Francisco firefighters said. The vehicle was traveling on Jackson Street, between Stockton and Grant, about 9:25 p.m. when it was surrounded by about 10 to 15 people, Lt. Mariano Elias with San Francisco fire said. Several social media videos showed a group of people vandalizing the self-driving car. While another video showed the Waymo vehicle going up in flames. WATCH: https://twitter.com/i/status/1756569968265847043 Why did they do that? Because they could. They couldn’t care less about property rights. They just saw something that they could destroy, and so they did it. If this is how they are behaving now, what will they be like when there is no food in their stomachs and they haven’t eaten for two weeks? The elite definitely want to avoid such confrontations, and so that is why they plan to bug out and go to the survivalist compounds that they have been constructing for themselves. We really are on the verge of an extremely apocalyptic future, and we will soon see things happen that many people never even imagined would be possible. Millions upon millions of people have a gut feeling that really bad stuff is on the horizon, and it won’t be too long before it becomes clear why so many of us have been preparing for the worst. DOWNLOAD THE PROPHECY UPDATE APP Prophecy Update Videos Must Watch Videos! Videos You Can Trust
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DONATE HERE Your can also mail your support to: Prophecy Update PO Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384 Devil In the Details: Socialism— The Wave Of The Future Or A Failed And Bankrupt Ideology – By Tim Moore - https://harbingersdaily.com/devil-in-the-details-socialism-the-wave-of-the-future-or-a-failed-and-bankrupt-ideology/ With our culture ever embracing Socialism and Communism, you might wonder, what in the world is going on? Let’s peel back some of the layers and we’ll discover that the Devil really is in the details. Let’s understand why Socialism has become so attractive. And so, I’d like to take us back to the roots of the ideology and blow away some of the smoke. American students, whether at the public school level or at the university level, are being propagated with ideologies that reject the Judeo-Christian values most of us share. As a matter of fact, studies of Millennials between the ages of 25-30 have shown they believe that George W. Bush murdered more people in the last hundred years than even Joseph Stalin! Can you imagine that? You think, “What in the world is going on? How could they be so misguided?” Well, here is the sad reality — many liberal churches have jumped onto the ideological bandwagon and have embraced what they call Liberation Theology. They began to reject the Judeo-Christian values of the Christian faith, saying that faith amounts to “White Colonialism.” And, they are embracing ideologies that lead toward absolute Atheism. The origins of some of these errant ideologies — Communism, Socialism, and Critical Theory — come, by and large, from a man named Karl Marx. Karl Marx was born in Germany. He was a Jew. He was raised in a family that had become either Catholic or Lutheran by and large. But, at an early age, Marx began to disregard some of the beliefs of his parents and grandparents. When he entered a public university, he met a theology professor who was a strong Atheist. Yes, a theology professor who was an Atheist! Karl Marx gravitated to this man. They launched a newspaper for students and others advocating Atheism and rejecting specifically Christianity. In Trieste, Germany, one of the places where the Church first found a foothold in the nation of Germany, these two mocked Christians, even on their holy days, and they did things to gain attention and advocated for Atheism. In time, Karl Marx developed not just a hatred for the Church and Christianity, but a fascination with the occult. He was drawn to satanic imagery and thoughts, and he became fixated on Hell and the Devil himself. Marx’s friends feared that he had become possessed! He exhibited a deep hatred of humanity in general and women in particular, and an absolute disdain for the Church. His friends worried that he might have had a demon within him. This fact was documented in a great book by an author named Paul Kengor called The Devil and Karl Marx. Kengor documents how Marx embraced, not just the ideology of Atheism, but a hatred of all things specifically Christian. Marx himself admitted that he seemed drawn toward dark and evil thoughts, as if someone inside of him was convincing him to turn away from the true and living God. We all know the rest of the story. Over the last 120 years, the Marxist ideology has caused more human suffering than any other ideology in the history of mankind. Why? Because people who embrace Marxist ideology reject God and they reject any kind of outside structure of beliefs concerning what is right and wrong. To them, mankind should be left to their own designs. Marxists also promote the emergence of a globally-held Humanism that they believe will lead to greater human prosperity. History proves, though, that Marxism inevitably leads to greater death and destruction. Just look to Russia under Joseph Stalin. Look to Cambodia under Pol Pot and the Communists who ruled that nation. Look to every other Communist or Socialist nation that’s ever existed. Even right now, we are witnessing Venezuela, which was once one of the most prosperous nations in South America, fall into abject poverty and a loss of all the people’s liberties under Socialism. And yet, young people in this country seem to want to embrace Socialism as the wave of the future. As Christians, I would urge all of us to contend earnestly against that failed and bankrupt ideology. Look to what Jude wrote in Jude 1:3, “Beloved, I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, but I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” We need to contend earnestly in our culture, in our churches, and in our families. And indeed, if you’re a parent of a student who attends a public school, whether at the secondary level or at the university level, you need to make sure to contend earnestly for their faith because they are going to be hearing from other voices that are telling them to reject their Christian faith. They’re being indoctrinated by their teachers to reject all of the godly beliefs that have been handed down to them. I will close with a word that Jesus Christ shared with the church at Sardis. John recorded in Revelation 3:3 the words of Jesus Christ when he said, “So, remember what you have received and heard, and keep it and repent.” In other words, don’t cast aside the beliefs that God has handed down to us. Don’t follow after the proponents of Critical Theory. Marx advocated criticizing everything, and not for the sake of building up the structures that we have. When he taught to criticize, he meant to tear down all of the structures — specifically socio-economic structures, the family, and the Church and Christianity in particular. Today, concerning those proponents of Critical Theory, whether they be in politics, in theology, or in race relations, realize that their ultimate goal is to tear down all of the structures upheld by Judeo-Christian values so that they can rebuild on an ideology based on total Atheism. Jesus commanded the church in Sardis in Revelation 3:2 to, “Wake up!” It’s time for us to wake up and recognize the threat multiplying around us, and to contend earnestly for the Christian faith. Revelation 21: New Heaven and new Earth - By Mark Creech - https://www.christianpost.com/voices/revelation-21-new-heaven-and-new-earth.html Dr. Wernher von Braun was a German-American aerospace engineer and spaceflight visionary who played a significant role in the development of rocket technology and space exploration during the 20th century. He became a key figure in the early years of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He took center stage in the advancement of the Saturn V rocket, which was used to launch the Apollo missions to the moon. Von Braun once said he had “essentially scientific” reasons for believing in life after death. He explained: “Science has found that nothing can disappear without a trace. Nature does not know extinction. All it knows is transformation. If God applies this fundamental principle to the most minute and insignificant parts of the universe, doesn’t it make sense to assume that he applies it to the masterpiece of his creation — the human soul? I think it does.” However, we fall short of understanding if we think God’s program of redemption in Christ is only about the soul. It’s broader still. While the forgiveness of sins, living a holy life, and going to heaven lie at the core of the Gospel’s foundational message, the good news of Jesus Christ, encompasses every aspect of existence. It isn’t focused only on individual spiritual renewal; rather it encompasses the renewal of families, communities, education, business, society, government, and more. Ultimately, it entails the transformation of the entire universe, Heaven and earth, both the celestial and terrestrial realms. Consider what the apostle John wrote in Revelation chapter 21, verses 1 through 4: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, 'Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.'” The Book of Revelation provides a comprehensive narrative spanning the history of the church, the fate of the world, and the unique role of Israel in God’s plan. It depicts the terrifying Tribulation period, during which the Antichrist and his False Prophet wield power before being cast into the Lake of Fire. Satan is bound and imprisoned for a thousand years, during which Christ reigns literally on the earth for what is known as the Millennial Kingdom. At the end of the Millennium, Satan is released to test the nations, and many join in league with him and plan an attack on God’s people. Those allied with the Evil One face destruction by fire, after which Satan himself is cast into the Lake of Fire alongside the Antichrist and the False Prophet. This marks the beginning of the end. As a young boy laboring for farmers in Eastern North Carolina, I often heard them invoke an old saying that resonates with the themes of Revelation chapter 20. They would say, “We’re getting in the short rows now,” signifying that we were nearing the end of the field. This colloquial expression indicated we were approaching the final rows of crops and our work would soon conclude. In other words, this part of the book of Revelation tells us that its whole narrative has advanced to a critical phase — the resolution of everything God has been doing. We have reached the gateway — the entrance into eternity. Due to its finite nature, the concept of eternity can be challenging for the human mind to grasp. However, the Chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary, Chuck Swindoll, shared a poignant illustration that helps shed some light on eternity’s magnitude. Swindoll suggests that we try to imagine a solid steel ball the size of planet Earth, measuring 25,000 miles in circumference. Every one million years, a small sparrow is released to land on the ball, sharpen its beak, and then fly away, only to return another million years later to repeat the process. Despite this continual abrasion, by the time the ball would be worn down to the size of a BB, eternity would have only just begun. J. Wilbur Chapman, the marvelous Presbyterian evangelist, who at times preached alongside evangelist D.L. Moody, wrote a poem capturing something of eternity’s meaning: “How long sometimes a day appears! And weeks how long they are! Months move as if the years Would never pass away. But days and weeks are passing by, And soon must all be gone, For day by day the moments fly, Eternity comes on. Days, months, and years must have an end; Eternity has none; It will always be as long to spend As when it first begun.” The apostle John describes his vision of a new heaven and a new earth, where the former heaven and earth have vanished, and there is no more sea (v.1). Among Christians, there has been an ongoing debate with questions concerning the nature of this new heaven and new earth. Is the Scripture speaking symbolically, portraying the spiritual realm and the redeemed community of believers? Could these words signify the inauguration of a new order brought about by Christ’s triumph over sin and death? Or, should we interpret the text strictly literally? Will God make an entirely fresh physical universe, obliterating the current heavens and earth to introduce a pristine planet with a new sky and space above? Or, is it more a transformation of the existing cosmos into a state of perfection, devoid of sin and suffering? While it’s essential not to be overly rigid in interpretation, a purely symbolic reading may not fully capture the depth of God’s redemptive work. The symbolic interpretation could, however, complement the literal or renewal interpretations, enhancing our understanding of the latter two. Nevertheless, the most accurate interpretation seems to favor a renewed or transformed creation — a view that aligns more with God’s previous acts of salvation, suggesting continuity with his overarching plan. In his book, Exploring Revelation, John Phillips explains: “The word ‘new’ means not merely new as to time, but also as to kind. It is a new kind of heaven and a new kind of earth, proof of which is found in the fact that the new earth will have no sea. The first heaven and the first earth are not to be annihilated; they are to be purged by fire and regenerated. Satan has defiled both spheres, and God will therefore make them anew. They are made new in the same sense that the believer is ‘a new man’ in Christ, that is, he is another man, quickened and renewed by the Spirit of God. “The eternal state is not simply a spiritual condition destitute of locality. The earth and the heaven are fixed locations throughout eternity. There is something particularly comforting in that for us who, at present, know only mortality. The Lord Jesus promised to go and prepare a place for us of many mansions. ‘If it were not so,’ he said, ‘I would have told you’ (John 14:2, cf. 1-4). The clear implication is that, could we expect to find heaven drastically, shockingly different from the earth, then he would have told us. But it is not. We shall feel as much ease and at home in heaven as we do on earth right now. Heaven contains much with which we are fondly familiar.” Although the sea is beloved by sailors, beachgoers, water surfers, sports enthusiasts, nature lovers, artists, writers, and romantics of every sort, the Bible often depicts the sea as something that separates people from each other and creates barriers. In both reality and symbol, the sea represents a place of considerable danger and peril. Whether fishing, shipping, or recreational boating, innumerable sea-related tragedies result in the loss of human life. In the sea, there are pathogens, pollutants, and toxins that pose serious risks to human health, including waterborne diseases, and the contamination of seafood. Several types of sea creatures have the potential to cause harm and kill humans, either through direct attacks or indirect means like venomous stings or bites. These creatures include sharks, box jellyfish, Portuguese man-o’-war, sea snakes, stonefish, cone snails, and saltwater crocodiles, to name a few. It is on the sea, that horrific storms are born: hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones that cause vast amounts of property damage and loss of life. On this earth, that which is most beautiful can be most hazardous, and such is the sea. Moreover, remember Revelation chapter 13 says the Antichrist comes from the sea, a place of chaos and instability — a place where life is tossed to and fro. In his commentary on Revelation, Leon Morris says of the sea: “For this element of unrest, this fruitful cause of destruction and death, this divider of nations and Churches, there could be no place in a world of social intercourse, deathless life, and unbroken peace. In the end, this seething cauldron, fraught with unlimited possibilities of evil, will disappear. No one lives on the sea. It is something to be crossed to arrive at one’s destination, but there is nothing permanent about it. The sea is one of seven evils John speaks of as being no more, the others being death, mourning, weeping, pain (4), curse (22:3) and night (22:5).” What comfort and assurance for those who have made Christ their Master. On the new earth, there will be no more sea: no more isolation or loneliness, no more separation from friends and loved ones who are also in Christ, no more turmoil, no more danger, no more unpredictability, no more fear, no more dread or anxiety, no more chaos or disorder, no more evil, and no more loss of life. On the new earth, these terrible tortures will be in the past, and God’s people will forever live in a perfect world — never again to be harassed by them. Herein is the endless end of everything that would hurt God’s children. Next, John says he saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband (v.2). Nearly 45 years ago, when my wife walked down the aisle of Tabernacle Church in Norfolk, Virginia, to join her life with mine. I can say with absolute sincerity that as quickly as I caught my first glimpse of her in her wedding attire — her father escorting her — wearing a blusher veil that she had made with her own hands — and carrying a charming bouquet — I was utterly smitten, captivated, enraptured. In that moment, I beheld a beauty so profound that it remains unrivaled in my memory to this day. She looked as if she had just dropped out of Heaven. Better still, heaven on earth was in my heart and she was the cause of it, every adversity and agitation of life fled from me in that moment. Leon Morris says of the apostle’s vision of the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven like a bride: “Perhaps John has in mind that there is already a sense in which God’s people experience the heavenly city. It is this that is their bliss in the presence of a multitude of earthly distractions and difficulties. And this of which they now experience a foretaste will be perfectly realized hereafter. Heaven, will so to speak, come down to earth.” The Bible teaches that there is a tangible city, one substantially real, which is currently under construction by Christ somewhere above, perhaps in outer space. It is to this city all the saints, regardless of the dispensation in which they lived, will ultimately go to live with God. This is the city referenced in Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 10, where it speaks of Abraham eagerly anticipating ‘a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.’ It’s the remarkable place Jesus promised in John chapter 14 and verse 3, saying, ‘When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.’ The apostle Paul also spoke of this celestial dwelling in Galatians chapter 4 and verse 26, affirming, ‘But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother.’ In Galatians, Paul distinguishes between the earthly Jerusalem of his time and the heavenly Jerusalem, present and forthcoming. The New Jerusalem embodies freedom from sin and its consequences, and Paul metaphorically describes it as ‘our mother,’ showing that only those ‘born again’ through faith in Christ are citizens, having made it their source and destination of eternal life. In the end, when God renews and transforms the universe, the New Jerusalem will be brought down toward the earth, maybe to orbit it, and the Bible says a loud voice from heaven announces that from henceforth God will take up residence with humanity – he will live among them (v.3). This is none other than a divine and unceasing embrace of the sons and daughters of Adam. As David Guzik notes in the Enduring Word Commentary on Revelation chapter 21, what is seen in this text is the crescendo, if you will, of everything God has been doing since the Fall of mankind into sin. He writes: “This succinctly states the essence of God’s desire and man’s purpose. Simply, God’s desire is to live in close fellowship with man, and man’s purpose is to be a people unto God. This is the greatest glory of heaven and the ultimate restoration of what was lost in the Fall… ‘I do not think the glory of Eden lay in its grassy walks, or the boughs bending with luscious fruit – but its glory lay in this, that the ‘Lord God walked in the garden in the cool of the day.’ Here was Adam’s highest privilege, that he had companionship with the Most High’ (Spurgeon).” The late globe-trotting evangelist, Dr. Billy Graham, summed up this same principle this way, saying: “Religion can be anything. But true Christianity is God coming to man in a personal relationship.” This is what God wants — a personal relationship with each of us through his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is what living in the New Jerusalem, the Heavenly City is about — God living in our midst. Finally, when there is a new heaven and a new earth, and the New Jerusalem comes down from above and God makes his dwelling with humanity for eternity, it is said that God will wipe away every tear (v. 4). In life, multiple, seemingly unending experiences evoke bitter tears: the death of loved ones, personal tragedies, traumatic incidents, major life transitions, empathy for others, unfulfilled aspirations and dreams, and feelings of disconnection. It might be said that if all the tears that have fallen since the beginning of time were gathered and poured out, it would form an ocean deep and wide enough to replace the sea that will not be on the new earth. Glory to God, there are no tears, not even a remnant of them, in God’s new world — no tears whatsoever! No one will ever weep in sorrow again for any reason and for all of eternity! God cares about every situation that has ever grieved us. He knows every tear shed, and on that day, he will wipe them all away. Who can comprehend the incredible scope of the Lord’s redemption – its height – its depth — its width — its length? Truly, the Lord saves to the uttermost. Former Ambassador Alan Keyes admonished, “There’s not a single thing on offer in this all-too-temporary world for which you should ever sell your soul.” Indeed, eternity is a long, long, long stretch … it’s never, never, never-ending. There is nothing so irresponsible, so neglectful, or so foolish, as to dismiss thinking about eternity and the need to prepare for it — because everyone is either headed for eternal delight or eternal despair. Where will you spend eternity? If you decide for Christ, you can know where you will be in the end. The same person who penned the book of Revelation also wrote, “Believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (I John 5:13). Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Opposites Attract – Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com There is an old adage that opposites attract. There’s a new twist to that saying in that during these past few years a whole lot of people have been attracted to the opposite of truth. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and the Democratic National Party conspired to say that Donald Trump had underhanded business deals with Russia and collaborated with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election. In truth, Clinton and the Biden family were the ones that had underhanded deals with Russia, Ukraine and even China. Biden said Trump unduly threated to withhold aid from Ukraine, when Biden is actually on video bragging about how he made such a direct threat as Vice President. But there’s a whole lot more. Biden, the mainstream news media, and many left-leaning organizations have taken up the talking point that Trump and his supporters are fascist threats to democracy. Now this is an interesting charge that is in almost every campaign segment voiced by Biden and his team. Yet the truth says the opposite. Since 2016, the Democratic Party and its leadership has done everything it can to undermine what most people believe is American democracy, which in reality is the Constitutional Republic. Think about paying for false charges to be brought up on their key political challenger, using the secret FISA court to get a warrant to spy on him, using the FBI to undermine his candidacy and presidency. But it didn’t stop there. Claims that January 6 was an insurrection and using the court system to make examples of not only those who were protesting on January 6, but also bystanders have been ongoing now for three years. January 6 was not an insurrection. Insurrection is a military attack to overthrow a government. That didn’t happen. Not even close. But it is the central case to send the message to anybody opposing the Democratic Party. That message is “We have the court system and the political will to ruin you if you oppose us.” They also said that the 2020 election was the most secure in history. Yet we saw and continue to see how the Democrats used mail in ballots, ballot harvesting, dead people on voter rolls and weaponized State officials to skew the election. There is so much more: Calling parents terrorists that don’t want their kids to be exposed to the radical homosexual/transgender agenda; stigmatizing conservatives and Christians as fascists; saying the border is secure when it is not; saying Trump is the blame for illegal migration across the border; working with businesses to censure opposition. All these acts are an undermining of “American Democracy” and they are communistic, but they are projected unto others as fascists threatening democracy. Romans 2:1 says, “…for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.” These people accuse others of what they themselves do. It is the opposite of the truth. And to be attracted to these opposites is, say it with me…Stupidocrisy. Daily Devotion: Safe in God’s Love - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. —Jude 1:20–21 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/safe-in-gods-love/ - Listen Though God’s love is unsought, undeserved, and unconditional, it is possible for us to be out of harmony with Him. The Book of Jude tells us, “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love” (verses 20–21 NLT). Notice the words “keep yourselves safe in God’s love.” The New King James Version translates it as “keep yourselves in the love of God.” Does this mean we need to keep ourselves in a state where God will love us? In other words, do we need to make sure that we’re very lovable people? That is virtually impossible. No matter how hard we try, we ultimately will fall short of God’s standards. Obviously, there is God’s part: He is ready to keep us. But we must take practical steps to keep ourselves in His love. The Bible isn’t saying that we should do certain things to somehow merit God’s love or earn His approval. Rather, to keep ourselves in the love of God simply means that we need to keep ourselves in a place where God can actively bless us and show His love toward us. Take, for example, the story of the Prodigal Son. His father loved him, but he foolishly took his portion of the inheritance and went to a distant country to live as a fool. Ultimately, he came to his senses and returned home. Here’s the question: While the prodigal was away, was he still his father’s son? Yes, although he was a wayward son and a distant son. But technically, was the prodigal still his son? Yes. Was he keeping himself in a place where his father could actively demonstrate his love? No, he was not. His father probably didn’t even know where his son was at the time. But when his son returned home, he forgave him. The father took off his son’s rags, put a ring on his finger, clothed him, and threw a party for him. So, was the son then in a place where his father could actively show his love toward him? Yes, he was. The same is true when we disobey God and do things we shouldn’t do. It isn’t that God stops loving us. It isn’t even that we have ceased to be true Christians. We are simply wayward children or prodigals. We have essentially taken ourselves out of the love of God. We have removed ourselves from a place where God can actively show His love in our lives. Stay in a place where God can show His love to you. Keep yourself from all that is unlike Him, from all that would violate God’s love and grieve Him. Stay away from the things that would tear you down. Instead, stay close to the Lord and around people who will build you up spiritually. PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY 2/14/24 http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php
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