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The Real War Has Not Yet Begun – By Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/amir-tsarfati-the-real-war-has-not-yet-begun/
(Galilee, Israel) — Shalom from a land at war. “But, Amir, how can you have peace when there are enemies to your north and south?” First of all, we’ve always had enemies to our north and south. They are just more active now. But second, my peace does not come from the crazy or calm that surrounds me. That kind of situational peace is temporary and has no real foundation. My peace is of a permanent kind because it is built upon the strong footing of Scripture and finds its backing in the character of a promise-keeping Creator. While I love and support the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and I am thankful for the help that the U.S. is giving to us, I recognize they are just tools in the hand of the One who is truly in control. Some trust in jet planes and some trust in Iron Domes, but I will trust in the name of the Lord our God. That being said, this is not a peaceful land right now. I used to tell tour participants who were worried about safety in Israel, “You’ll be in more danger on your drive to the airport than you will be here in Israel.” That is no longer the case. There is an unease in my country that you can feel everywhere you go. The first source of that anxiety comes from being in a nationwide post-trauma. Parents no longer let their kids go out on their own. Children sleep in the beds with their parents, certain that tonight will be the night the men come bursting into their homes. We are a small nation, which means that every citizen of Israel was and is within striking range of the genocidal terrorists who perpetrated the October 7 attack. So many cannot close their eyes at night without asking, “What if that had been my family,” then picturing the horrific scenario playing out. This is a wounded society, and those wounds will take years to heal. The other source of our unease is the knowledge that the real war has not yet begun. The ground war in the south is prepared, but the invasion hasn’t yet occurred. The IDF is holding back for a couple reasons. First, every day that passes allows Gaza to be softened up even more. Civilians have been warned for well over a week to leave the border regions and head south. The expectation is that all those still left behind are Hamas and Islamic Jihad who are hiding out in their deep and intricate tunnel systems. The more the IDF can deal with these terrorist organizations from the air, the safer it will be when ground troops march in. The second reason for the delay is that the U.S. has asked Israel to hold off on the ground attack. They are still in the process of preparing their military so that it is fully primed and protected for the next phase of the war. There is nothing binding in their request, but the Israeli government is honoring it. First, because America has been a good military friend and a great supplier of weapons and materiel. Second, because it’s the right thing to do. When the IDF feels they have weakened Gaza enough for invasion and the U.S. military is ready for the next step in the war, then Israel’s military will cross the southern border to root out the terrorists. But it is not just the war in the south that has yet to begin. In the north, Hezbollah hasn’t begun their attack. When they do, it will launch with tens of thousands of rockets fired across the border from Lebanon into Israel. All you need is basic math to understand Israel’s unease. If Hezbollah fires only 25,000 of their rockets and the Iron Dome takes out 90% of them, that means that 2500 missiles will still land in the cities and towns of Israel with devastating effect. That’s just the air attack. Hezbollah claims that they have 100,000 suicide bombers prepared to cross Israel’s northern border. These are terrorists brainwashed in a culture and religion that celebrates death. This zombie-like horde is excitedly anticipating their opportunity to invade Israel so that they can kill Jews and become martyrs for Allah. How must our culture which loves and respects life confront such a violent death cult? With devastating force. Words our military can’t worry about in times such as these are “proportionality”, “moderation”, and “compromise”. What’s taking place in Israel is still in its beginning stages. The situation remains volatile and ever-changing. As the days move forward, there are certain areas to which you should direct your attention: The Northern Border The IDF will take care of Gaza in the south. Hamas has been battered and will soon be no more. But Hamas is to Hezbollah what a schoolyard bully is to Mike Tyson. Hezbollah in Lebanon has finances, training, weaponry, and organization that Hamas could only dream of. They also have a close and direct relationship with the especially violent Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC – Iran’s military). When the northern war begins, Israel will face a force far stronger and just as ruthless as the one that invaded from the south. The Houthis in Yemen Already this Iran-allied rebel group has fired a major air assault toward Israel. Four cruise missiles and fourteen drones were launched at the southern Israeli city of Eilat. Thankfully, an American guided-missile destroyer, USS Carney, shot them down before they could reach their destination. Iran has well-supplied the Houthis in their fight against Saudi Arabia, and it appears that the ayatollahs are ordering these terrorist rebels to begin directing some of their weaponry Israel’s direction. Iran At the center of it all is Iran. This Islamist regime has spent many years and countless dollars recruiting, training, and arming thousands upon thousands of terrorist warriors in a network of proxy militias. Mostly located in Iraq and Syria, they also extend south to Yemen, southwest to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and west to Hezbollah. The ultimate goal of Iran, and thus of the militias, is the destruction of Israel and the eradication of the Jews. This is why it is so frustrating to see the current US administration release $6 billion to Tehran. That money will not be spent on the welfare of the Iranian people. It will be funneled into more of what we saw take place on October 7. It will also be directed at the increasing attacks on US troops in Syria. Just last week alone, two dozen US personnel were injured by drone attacks. And yesterday threats were made by another of Iran’s armed militias against American bases in UAE and Kuwait. The United Nations (UN) Already the nearly global support of Israel after the attacks is beginning to wane. The bellwether of international sentiment has always been the UN. On Tuesday, Secretary-General António Guterres made a comment at a Security Council meeting that the Hamas attacks “did not happen in a vacuum.” He went on to give justification to the butchering of babies and burning of families by claiming that the Palestinians live “under a suffocating occupation.” That anyone can provide a rationale for what was perpetrated is appalling. But his sentiment is spreading wider with each passing day. Once the southern attack begins and the northern front opens up, expect debate to begin on resolutions condemning Israel for disproportionality. It will not be too long before the first resolution censuring Israel is passed, and the world slips back into its default state of antisemitism. The Liberal Media One week after Hamas falsely claimed that the IDF targeted a hospital killing hundreds, the New York Times is still desperately trying to prove that it might have happened. On Monday, the paper apologized for relying on Hamas information and getting the story wrong. Then on Tuesday, they were back with a new investigative report entitled “A Close Look at Some Key Evidence in the Gaza Hospital Blast”, in which they essentially say, “Actually, we really can’t tell who did it.” For the cable news networks and major newspaper outlets to report stories in which Israel is good and Palestine is bad is so against their nature that it can’t last for long. Once the media feels that enough time has passed for them to go back to anti-Israel stories, expect public opinion to revert with them. The Palestine Protests Europe is waking up to the truth that there are many within their countries that want to overturn their governments and replace them with Sharia law. By opening their borders to a flood of immigrants from Northern Africa and the Middle East, western nations have invited in a sleeping giant. In the mass pro-Palestinian protests following October 7’s butchery, many are seeing that giant beginning to stir. Radical Muslims are no longer hiding in the shadows planning random terror attacks. Now they are marching in the streets of London and Paris and other major cities shouting their Nazi slogans of “Death to the Jews”. There is still time for nations to deal with these radicals now. But if they are left to deepen their ideology, there will soon be blood in the streets of Western Europe. I recognize that this is a very pessimistic article this week. Normally, I will include the good news at the end. A “let’s celebrate this” or a “see how God has worked here”. But I have been immersed in this story for two weeks now. There are things that I could never have imagined one human being doing to another. But now I know that they are possible because I’ve seen photographic evidence of them being perpetrated on my own people. I do know that God is in charge. My faith has not wavered at all. Because I’ve studied the Scriptures, I know how this story ends. But as King Solomon told us, there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4). This is not the time for laughing and dancing. It is a time for weeping and mourning. It is also “a time of war” (v. 8). Please join me in praying that God leads His armies to fight this battle, so that the enemy will soon be defeated and we in Israel can once again return to “a time of peace.” We Are About To Witness One Of The Most Pivotal Moments In Modern History - by Michael Snyder - http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/we-are-about-to-witness-one-of-the-most-pivotal-moments-in-modern-history/ Most people don’t seem to realize that one of the most important moments that any of us have ever witnessed is about to happen. When the Israeli invasion of Gaza officially commences, nothing will ever be the same from that point forward. The entire Middle East will erupt in flames and the global economy will go completely haywire. But Israel doesn’t have a choice in this matter. If our babies were killed, our women were raped and our grandmothers were kidnapped, we would be going to war with Hamas too. Unfortunately, much of the Islamic world is uniting behind Hamas, and so Israel could soon find itself literally fighting a war of national survival. I know that Israel does not want to fight a multi-front war against multiple Islamic enemies. But once again, after what Hamas just did to Israeli women and children, there is no choice. Hamas must be destroyed, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that the timing of the ground invasion has been decided… “We are preparing for a ground incursion,” he said in a televised address to the nation. “I won’t specify when, how, how many. I also won’t detail the range of considerations, most of which the public is not aware of. And that’s the way it is supposed to be. This is the way, so that we protect our soldiers’ lives.” However, Netanyahu said the war cabinet and chief of staff had reached a decision on the timing that was unanimous. He added that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Unity Government partner Minister Benny Gantz, the security cabinet, the chief of staff and heads of the security organizations were “working around the clock” to achieve the main war aims of “eliminating Hamas by destroying its military and governance capabilities and to do everything possible to get our hostages back.” Of course it is entirely possible that whatever date they have set could be pushed back again. The Israelis really want to rescue the hostages if possible, and they desperately want to prevent Hezbollah from attacking from the north. But without a doubt, an invasion is coming. In fact, the IDF just moved troops and tanks into northern Gaza temporarily in a raid that was designed to “prepare the battlefield” for the coming invasion… Israeli troops and tanks briefly raided northern Gaza overnight, the military said Thursday, engaging with Hamas fighters and targeting anti-tank weapons in order to “prepare the battlefield” before an expected ground invasion. The third Israeli raid since the war began came after more than two weeks of devastating airstrikes that have left thousands dead, and more than 1 million displaced from their homes, in the small, densely-populated territory. It is being reported that these forces went about a kilometer deep into Gaza territory, and there were no casualties. So the raid was a success. The following is what the IDF had to say about the raid on Twitter… In preparation for the next stages of combat, the IDF operated in northern Gaza. IDF tanks & infantry struck numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts. The soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory. Sadly, the civilians that remain in northern Gaza appear to be trapped there. According to one account, Hamas is literally shooting at those that attempt to evacuate south on the main road… The report explains, “In the call, the IDF officer tells Muhammad that to ‘ensure your personal safety, I’m asking you to urgently go towards Khan Younis’ in the south.” The Gazan says, “All roads are blocked.” “When asked if Hamas is blocking the roads, he answers in the affirmative, saying that Hamas was preventing passage south through Salah al-Din Road, the main north-south highway running through the Gaza Strip,” the report says. And, the Gazan adds, “They are shooting at people.” Hamas is so evil. They even hate their own people and want to use them as human shields. And now more evidence has emerged that appears to directly link the Iranians with the Hamas attacks on October 7th. The following comes from the Wall Street Journal… In the weeks leading up to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, hundreds of the Palestinian Islamist militant group’s fighters received specialized combat training in Iran, according to people familiar with intelligence related to the assault. Roughly 500 militants from Hamas and an allied group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, participated in the exercises in September, which were led by officers of the Quds Force, the foreign-operations arm of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the people said. Senior Palestinian officials and Iranian Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani, the head of Quds Force, also attended, they said. If this is true, the Iranians need to be held accountable. Groups that are “affiliated with Iran” have also attacked U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria “more than a dozen times” during the past couple of weeks… U.S. forces based in Iraq and Syria have been attacked more than a dozen times by Iranian proxies in the Middle East within the last two weeks, according to the Department of Defense. Between Oct. 17 and Oct. 26, U.S. and coalition forces have been attacked at least a dozen times in Iraq, while troops in Syria have been attacked four times in that period via a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Thursday. He declined to name the group or groups responsible for the attacks specifically but said they are “affiliated with Iran.” The Iranians are either really stupid, or they are trying to spark an apocalyptic war. Once the IDF starts storming Gaza, events are going to start moving very rapidly. And the Biden administration continues to prepare for a worst case scenario. Earlier today we learned that the Pentagon will be sending 900 more U.S. soldiers to the region… In the Pentagon’s latest move to bolster US defenses in the Middle East against the ‘Iran threat’ – given the increased instances of Tehran proxies attacking US troop installations in Iraq and Syria over the last week – some 900 more Americans soldiers will be dispatched to the region. A CBS correspondent has cited Pentagon Press Secretary, Gen. Patrick Ryder, who says 900 US troops have deployed or in process of deploying to bolster missile defense in CENTCOM’s mideast region of operations. They are expected to man Patriot, THAAD and Avenger missile systems. Earlier this week US defense officials said these extra missile batteries are being deployed to the theatre ahead of an expected Israeli ground offensive in Gaza. The CBS reporter noted “This comes as Iranian-backed groups continue to attack US miliary in Iraq and Syria.” Fears are growing that a major IDF push into the Gaza Strip would unleash broader retaliation strikes on US bases in the region. There are some that believe that Hezbollah and Iran are bluffing and that a wider war will not erupt once the Israelis invade Gaza. I wish that I could believe that. Sadly, there is no turning back now. The IDF really is going to conduct a massive ground operation in Gaza. Then Hezbollah and other parties will start joining the conflict. We really are on the verge of the unthinkable, and so I would encourage you to prepare accordingly. 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 Looking At the Big Picture - America's Adversaries Are All Connected – Joshua Arnold - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=6462 A day after murderous terrorists invaded Israel, critical infrastructure connecting frontline NATO allies was shut down as a "result of external activity" -- possibly foreign sabotage -- according to Finnish President Sauli Niinisto. "Russia sympathizes with us," senior Hamas official Ali Baraka said in a Sunday interview on the government-controlled Russia Today TV. "One war eases the pressure in another war." While Finnish and Estonian officials are still investigating the disruption of a pipeline and communication cable, the timing is likely no coincidence. If it resulted from foreign action, then the foreign agents took advantage of the fact that world attention was focused elsewhere to carry out an operation they had likely already planned. Did Russia have prior knowledge of Hamas's invasion plan? Russia has long weaponized its monopolistic position as Europe's oil supplier to extract political concessions from dependent neighbors by cutting off energy supplies. The Baltic connector Pipeline began operations in 2020, connecting Finland to the rest of Europe via Estonia and reducing Russia's oil leverage over both countries. Russia would clearly benefit from disabling the pipeline. Both countries are pro-western states on Russia's border and view the USSR's primary successor state as their greatest threat. In April, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland officially joined the anti-Russian NATO alliance, which Estonia joined in 2004. Yet, according to Baraka's interview in a Russian propaganda outlet, Russia was notified prior to the assault. "In order to keep the attack secret and successful, the different factions and our allies did not know the zero hour," he said. But Hamas did update Russia after they inquired about the Hamas attack and its intention. If Russia is responsible for the Baltic connector sabotage, they implemented the plan opportunistically. Russia was not the only ally Hamas informed of its plans on Saturday. "After half an hour of commencing the attack, all the Palestinian resistance factions were contacted, as were our allies in Hezbollah and Iran," said Baraka. He added that they even notified Turkey -- an increasingly rogue member of NATO -- and met with them only three hours into the operation. "Our allies are those that support us with weapons and money," explained Baraka. "First and foremost, it is Iran that is giving us money and weapons." For years, Western intelligence officials have known that Iran was providing military training and logistical help. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said last year that Iran had provided the group with $70 million in military assistance. On Thursday, the U.S. government and Qatar agreed to block Iran from accessing $6 billion in funds the U.S. had unfrozen as an appeasement measure. Baraka also pointed to Hamas's close affinity with Hezbollah, another radical Islamic terror organization funded by Iran, but which is based in Lebanon instead of Gaza. Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel on Tuesday, in an effort to divide Israel's forces and limit the safe places where refugees from southern Israel could be temporarily relocated. Baraka also boasted that "the Arab and Islamic people ... are standing by us." Even if he presumes too much when speaking for all people who identify as Muslims, these are not idle words; on Sunday, Palestinian sympathizers staged demonstrations in support of Hamas' barbarous tactics across the West. "Even Russia sympathizes with us," added Baraka. "Russia is happy that America is getting embroiled in Palestine. It alleviates the pressure on the Russians in Ukraine. One war eases the pressure in another war. So, we are not alone on the battlefield." He said that Russia, a major exporter of weapons, even gave "a Russian license to produce Kalashnikov bullets in Gaza," allowing Hamas to procure additional ammunition for Russian-made machine guns despite international sanctions. Some experts believe Putin is already attempting to form a 'new axis of terror against the West', after the Russian despot invited Hamas and Iranian representatives to Moscow. In a photograph released by Hamas, two of its senior leaders were pictured alongside Ali Baheri Kani, the deputy foreign minister of Iran, for talks in the Russian capital. Bassem Naeem, its head of international relations, and Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of the Hamas politburo, met with Putin's special envoy in the Middle East Mikhail Bogdanov. The move should be treated with 'extreme concern' as it could 'spell trouble for a new alliance brewing', experts have claimed. But Kasra Aarabi, the director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, said Russia and Iran were united by 'hostility towards the West, the liberal rule based international order and liberal values'. He told the Telegraph: 'A new and looming axis of terror against the West centred around the Iranian regime's IRGC and Putin's Russia may very well be on the horizon.' A spokesperson for the Israeli foreign ministry said Israel 'sees the invitation of senior Hamas officials to Moscow as an obscene step that gives support to terrorism and legitimises the atrocities of Hamas terrorists'. But Jonathan Harounoff, of The Jewish Institute for National Security of America, believes the meeting could 'spell trouble for a new alliance brewing, and a growing global splintering between East and West'. He told the Telegraph it 'could also signal Moscow's readiness to abandon its longstanding ties with Israel in order to spread and benefit from chaos and conflict.' Consequently, Hamas' attack did not happen in isolation. "We have been preparing for this for two years," Baraka said. In other words, Hamas began preparing to launch a major assault against Israel in the immediate aftermath of America's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Some unconfirmed reports have even suggested that Hamas used weapons U.S. forces left behind in Afghanistan, which evidently made their way across the Middle East through illicit arms trading. When America's foes see us as weak, they calculate that it is time to strike. The same actors -- and even more of them -- are aligned on Russia's side of the conflict in Ukraine. After Ukraine stalled Russia's first assault and ground down its war machine with Western aid, Russia turned to other bad actors to restock its supplies. There have been reports that Iran, China, Cuba, North Korea, and even South Africa are supplying Moscow with military equipment and personnel. In October 2022, the Pentagon said they knew that Russia was using Iranian drones in Ukraine, and they believed Iranians were on-site to help the Russians operate them. In February, the Biden administration considered releasing intelligence that showed China was supplying arms to Russia. Customs records obtained by Politico this summer show that China has shipped body armor and other military munitions to Russia. In May, the U.S. ambassador to South Africa accused the allegedly neutral country with supplying weapons and ammunition to Russia, via a sanctioned cargo ship it allowed to dock at a naval base near Cape Town in December. In September, the White House said North Korea and Russia were "actively advancing" arms negotiations, and satellite photos last week detected a near-quadrupling in rail traffic along the North Korea-Russia border. Even distant Cuba has gotten involved, smuggling hundreds of soldiers to fight in Russia's war. In addition to military assistance, American rivals on the world stage also cooperate economically. An organization of second-tier economic powers, known as BRICS (for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) will more than double its membership in January 2024 when it officially admits Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E. The organization, which includes some of the largest economies in Africa, Asia, and South America, is actively discussing ways to move international trade away from the U.S. dollar and towards other national currencies. BRICS expansion is significant because it indicates that even U.S. military allies, like India, or economic partners, like Saudi Arabia, are increasingly willing to cooperate with adversaries the U.S. has tried to isolate. Such interconnection in foreign policy is not a new development. Independent powers have combined into military coalitions since at least the time of Abraham (see Genesis 14:1-2). In the century between Napoleon and World War I (1814-1919), international politics particularly focused on the alliances between five to nine so-called "great powers," which were ever-changing to maintain a precarious balance of power. This provoked a string of conflicts, culminating in two devastating world wars. After World War II, only two great powers remained (the U.S. and the Soviet Union), which spearheaded two worldwide coalitions (countries not aligned with either side were dubbed the "third world"). Due to the invention of nuclear weapons, the two great powers did not risk an all-out war, but they still struggled together in an economic Cold War and a series of proxy wars over influence in other countries -- Korea, Vietnam, Cuba, Nicaragua, Afghanistan. When the Soviet Union collapsed after four decades, the U.S. found itself in the rare position of a global hegemon -- a world power with no equal. The conflicts of this period -- two Iraq wars, Afghanistan, Serbia -- reflect America's ability to go anywhere in the world and do whatever we wanted, always dealing with asymmetric opponents. In the early 2000s, President Bush could call out by name an "axis of evil," consisting of three countries, for the whole world to shun. But shifting alliances and changing power balances have changed the global situation once again. China's decades-long buildup and Russia's resurgence have placed the U.S. on the defensive in far-flung zones of influence. Part of this is from not recognizing the threat. America has largely let China's military buildup and global friend-buying projects go unanswered, and the U.S. has become consumed with internal divisions, which other nations may have played a role in aggravating. We stopped playing the game, while everyone else was playing harder than ever. Whatever the reason why a growing coalition of global adversaries is arrayed against America, a world in which the U.S. is not the all-dominant power is actually just a return to equilibrium, from a historical aberration. Most Americans today can't remember anything different, but for most of history geopolitics has been a delicate balancing act, or very bloody. American ingenuity and freedoms can go a long way, at least with good leadership. But we can't count on always being the unchallenged champion in an adversarial arena that incentivizes the rise of challengers -- especially when those challengers can combine together. The takeaway is that America cannot afford to view one hostile power or one national crisis in isolation. What is currently happening in Israel will affect the war in Ukraine, the security of Taiwan, and even the possibility of major terror strikes against American targets. It’s Time To Sound The Alarm: Prophecy Is Coming To Life Before Our Eyes – By David Jeremiah - https://harbingersdaily.com/its-time-to-sound-the-alarm-prophecy-is-coming-to-life-before-our-eyes/ We are closer to the end of the world than ever before. That might be an obvious statement, but even many who don’t believe in the Bible will tell you the world will one day end and that we are getting closer to that time. We don’t know when the time will come, but the Rapture will be the triggering event. I believe the Church, those who have placed their faith in Jesus as Savior, will be taken to heaven in the Rapture before the world is thrown into the thick of God’s judgment, known as the Apocalypse. And it’s not until seven years after the Rapture that the Bible describes the return of Jesus and an end to the world as we know it. 1. The Sign of Deception Many people will claim to be the Savior and to have the answers for a troubled world. People will search desperately for leaders to deliver them and seek mystics and religious leaders who claim to have hidden knowledge. Jesus tells us He is the only salvation for this world and to watch out for counterfeits. 2. The Sign of Disputes Among Nations Wars and tension among people groups will rise. There will be the constant talk of conflicts, border skirmishes, race wars, and national battles. 3. The Sign of Devastation There will be more and more famine, “earthquakes in various places,” and pestilence, the rise of disease (Matthew 24:7). 4. The Sign of Deliverance Into Tribulation Just before Jesus returns at the Second Coming, there will be an explosion of antagonism toward God’s people. Christians will experience betrayal and persecution at unprecedented levels. Although God’s people will avoid the seven-year Tribulation, many will pay a high price for proclaiming the name of Jesus in the End Times. Recognizing the Signs of the Apocalypse The underpinnings of our culture are weakening. We need only watch the news to see signs of the Apocalypse looming. The Bible says we can’t know the date or time of the Rapture that will trigger the End Times, but we know these issues will grow exponentially in the End Times. Jesus has called us to interpret the signs of the times and anticipate His return. We cannot live by lies, or fear, or hatred. But we can no longer ignore the warnings or sleep in beds of ignorance. We must live by our biblical convictions. It’s time to sound the alarm. Prophecy is coming to life before our eyes. But this is no time to be discouraged! Christ will return as surely as He rose from the dead. Jesus is Lord, and history belongs to Him. Even as the world collapses, the Lord is building His Church. We can say something, do something, pray something, preach something, and live by the convictions of Christ. We’re privileged to represent Him in these perilous times. God’s people are more than conquerors. We have a way forward. At any moment, Jesus Christ will descend from heaven for His people, preparing the stage for the Apocalypse. We haven’t long to wait. But until then, we need to do as the Lord commands and understand the signs of the times. As the Apocalypse draws near, may the Lord find us faithful. There is no reason to be fearful or allow the signs of the End Times to overwhelm us. This world will not end in rubble but in His return! Our risen and exalted Lord Jesus Christ, our enthroned Savior—He knows the way forward. He will show us where to go from here. Daily Jot: The American Chronicles: Ironies of Salem and the Witch Trials - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com Every October nearly a million people visit Salem, Massachusetts, infamous for the Salem Witch Trials, where 19 people were accused, tried and hanged—one was pressed to death—because they were thought to be witches. A main feature of Salem is the Salem Witch Museum (located in a church no-less), deemed by USA Today as the 2nd top tourist trap in the World. Indeed, it is light on history, heavy on wokeness, and evades a concrete reason behind the phenomena that swept through this small village in 1692—all this for $17.50. The interesting irony is that the greatest issue the residents of Salem were trying to prevent in 1692 became its most celebrated and famous reputation. But that’s not why we visited. My connection to Salem is from my 8th great grandfather John Pease who was one of the original families that settled Salem. Even more so, his brother Robert’s wife, Sarah Pease (my 7th great aunt) was accused and convicted of being a witch. According to the historic transcripts, Sarah was convicted by the testimony of 16-year old John Derech, who claimed, “Sary Pese afliceth me at several times. She came to me after the fast day last at Salem. She pinched me, then I have not seen her since.” Somehow, Sarah was not sentenced to be hanged by the judges, who sent 15 people to the gallows in the days after her conviction. By late fall of 1692, public appetite for executing witches had subsided. She survived the harsh jail conditions through the winter and a year later was released in May 1693. To Chris and I, there was no doubt of the “spiritual” presence in Salem. It can be sensed. Interesting that this historical horror began with Tituba, the Caribbean-born slave of Reverend Samuel Parris, telling stories of the occult to Parris’ 9-year-old daughter Betty and his 11-year-old niece Abigail Williams. Parris’ wife, distraught over the loss of a family member also sought Tituba’s help in channeling the dead relative. Then Betty and Abigail started doing weird things like rolling around on the floor and barking. Then they claimed that disembodied spirits were afflicting them. Then they started naming names. This phenomena spread to others and soon the named people were brought up on trial under the witchcraft laws of England. In a witch frenzy, 15 women and 5 men were executed as witches. There are some 100 Bible verses about witchcraft, many like Leviticus 20:27, “A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromance shall surely be put to death.” These devout people, however, didn’t see what was in front of them. Here a slave-owning pastor’s wife is necromancing with the slave. Her daughter and niece appear to be overtaken by spirits and it spread to the community. Instead of looking at the situation from its beginning, Salem was so caught up in what these adolescents and teens were experiencing and their interpretation of isolated verses in the Bible, they were overrun with fear. When they finally realized what was happening, 20 people were dead and there was no more appetite to continue the persecution. In 1692, Salem was trying to rid itself of a perceived abomination and now today, amidst the somber graves and memorials, the denial of the devil and the sin of witchcraft is lost by those who celebrate witchcraft and the people of Salem who now embrace it. It seems the devil ultimately had his way. This was the most sobering stop on our tour of the New England states. When people celebrate witches in today’s society with holidays, movies, and parties, they don’t often realize that there were real people whose lives were severely torn apart by the actual history beneath the celebration. What is fun to many today wasn’t so much fun to the innocent victims back then. The visit to Salem underscored that we should be careful of what we embrace and thankful that knowing history helps us not to repeat tragic mistakes of the past. Daily Devotion: What God Values - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. —Luke 10:1 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/what-god-values/ - Listen It was a critical time in the ministry of Jesus. His ministry in Galilee was over, and His journey to Jerusalem had begun. So Jesus selected seventy-two disciples in addition to the Twelve who already were following Him. He gave these new disciples a special commission to work like an advance team going into various communities and cities. He also gave them these instructions: “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields. Now go, and remember that I am sending you out as lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:2–3). Clearly Jesus cared about people. In Matthew’s treatment of the same story, we read, “When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36 NLT). Jesus felt compassion for these people. He loved and cared about them. Everywhere Jesus went, people mobbed Him. And not only did He take time for the people who wanted a touch here or a word there, but He also sought out hurting and empty people. For instance, there was the woman at the well in Samaria. Because of the tension between the Jews and Samaritans, it was highly unusual for Jesus to go to a city in Samaria. Not only that, but He sought out an immoral woman who had been married and divorced five times. Then He engaged her in conversation. He went out of His way to meet with her. He also went to Jericho and met the tax collector Zacchaeus. He called Zacchaeus to come down from the tree where he was sitting and said, “I must be a guest in your home today” (Luke 19:5 NLT). People criticized Jesus for talking to someone who made his living off the misery of others. But Jesus said, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (verses 9–10 NLT). In the original language, the word Jesus used for “lost” speaks of something with value that is broken. And people are broken because of sin. Yet Jesus sees behind the facade. He sees behind the defense mechanisms and hears the real cry of their hearts. We need to see people the same way. They are people for whom Christ died. These are critical times for getting the gospel out. There are open doors today that may not remain open forever. Jesus, speaking to the last days church, said, “I have opened a door for you that no one can close” (Revelation 3:8 NLT). We need to recognize how valuable souls are to God. Jesus said there is rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents (see Luke 15:7 NLT). God cares about souls. And we need to care about them as well. PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY 10/27/23 http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php
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