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Do We Have Time to Make America Great Again? – Jan Markell - https://harbingersdaily.com/jan-markell-do-we-have-time-to-make-america-great-again/
For now, the whole country has dodged a bullet. God surely had mercy. But will He allow time to make America great again? It’s a catchy campaign slogan, but is it reality in light of God’s end-time planned scenario? The Left has a terribly dark heart—driven by the god of this world. And they are driving the out-of-control spirit of the Antichrist that has been unleashed in America and the world. It is the same spirit that invaded Israeli kibbutzim on October 7, 2023. It is merciless. You have to wonder how half of America will vote for this agenda to continue. How on earth did this happen? Because evil and Leftism control the media, academia, entertainment, and even the religious left. But is there still time in God’s economy to make America great after years of unspeakable wreckage? Have you noticed the calamities throughout the planet that affect all of America’s policies?
These and two dozen more bullet point issues will be difficult to reverse! We have all been sickened by what we’ve seen in the last few years. Conservatives are portrayed as deplorables. Trump himself is repeatedly compared to Hitler. Endless rhetoric portrays Christians and conservatives as the fascists from the 1930s. Pro-lifers and Republicans are mocked and vilified as dangerous. The liberal media suggests that you and I will be the end of democracy. Gov. Mike Huckabee made a profound statement that this near catastrophe—this assassination attempt—is a “spiritual issue.” America has a spiritual problem. It’s that spirit of the Antichrist. I think that’s what Mike Huckabee sees. Donald Trump is not the Antichrist. That man is waiting in the wings. And, make no mistake, the globalists are cheering today. They must have instability and uncertainty. They want the world to look to them to provide both. There is a seven-year period when they will get their wish. I’m not sure if we can make America great again, or if it is actually time for a trumpet to blow and for this age to wind down. But can you imagine a world that is reeling from a televised assassination attempt to suddenly experience the absence of millions of people? Is this the one-two punch that is needed for the installation of Daniel’s Seventieth Week? Is this a scenario that will push a Mr. Fix-It onto the world stage? Perhaps so. Perhaps today. Are you ready? Did DEI Almost Get Donald Trump Killed? - by Michael Snyder - https://endoftheamericandream.com/did-dei-almost-get-donald-trump-killed/ All throughout human history, leaders of nations have been guarded by elite warriors. That only makes sense, because there is so much to lose if a king or a president is killed. So considering the fact that we are currently the most powerful country on the entire planet, you would think that the people that are protecting our national leaders would be extraordinarily impressive. But actually the opposite is true. On Saturday, we had a bunch of obvious DEI hires trying to protect Donald Trump, and he almost died. Somehow, a 20-year-old amateur with a rifle was able to scale a building on to a roof that had a direct line of sight to the platform where Trump would speak, and he was able to stay up there for nearly 30 minutes without anyone from the Secret Service doing anything about it. Members of the crowd could see a man with a gun up there, but the Secret Service didn’t take action and they allowed Trump to speak anyway. Either this was incompetence on a level that is difficult to comprehend, or something else was going on. Once Trump was hit, Secret Service agents rushed to the stage. But as Christopher Rufo has pointed out, the female agent that was attempting to shield his torso was way too short, “leaving his head and neck exposed after he stood up”… He said: “Scene one: after President Trump ducks, a group of agents leaps to him and protects him with their bodies. A female agent who rushes to the stage acts bravely, without a doubt, but the point of the ‘huddle’ is to protect the president. The agent was much shorter than President Trump, leaving his head and neck exposed after he stood up.” If a second shooter had been ready to shoot at that point, Trump would have been in grave danger. But at least that first female agent was trying to do the right thing. Another female agent on the stage appeared to be cowering behind Trump. It took the Secret Service an eternity to get Trump off the stage and to his vehicle. After finally arriving at the vehicle, three female agents appeared to be very frightened and very confused… Then, he added, “Scene two: as Trump enters the escape vehicle, a female Secret Service agent fumbles her gun and cannot find her holster; another female agent appears confused and, in the moment of crisis, decides to use both of her hands to put on her sunglasses; a third looks frightened and uncertain.” On Twitter, Michael Yon did not hold back as he criticized these agents… Absolute humiliation for this gaggle of female Secret Service Agents. Look at the disorder: – Can’t holster weapons – Gear falling to the ground – Erratic, fearful movements – No show of force, composure DEI Secret Service make Presidents LESS Safe Look, I am sure that these women are very nice people. But they are not suited for this sort of work. Let’s not fool ourselves. Not everyone is suited for every type of work. Personally, there are many jobs that I would be terrible at. Why is it so hard for our society to admit this? Everyone is good at something, and those that are good at particular tasks should be hired to perform those tasks. Needless to say, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle should not be serving in her current position. According to the New York Post, she was hired because Jill Biden personally pushed for her… Embattled Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who is facing congressional outcry and calls to resign over security lapses leading to former President Donald Trump’s near-assassination Saturday, landed her role thanks largely to a close relationship with first lady Jill Biden, The Post has learned. After everything that has happened, Cheatle says that she has no plans to resign. So she is going to continue to have an opportunity to reshape the Secret Service. It is being reported that her goal is to have 30 percent of all Secret Service agents be women by the year 2030… In a statement Monday, which did not acknowledge the agency’s failings in any way, the Secret Service chief touted “changes” would be coming to Trump’s security apparatus for the duration of the campaign. But the lukewarm missive did little to quiet the doubters, who have lambasted Cheatle for prioritizing woke “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” initiatives — like pledging to make the Secret Service 30% women by 2030 — over providing robust and effective security. If a woman is the best candidate for the job, then hire that woman. But the women that were attempting to protect Trump on Saturday should definitely be doing something else. Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker was absolutely horrified by their performance… On the day of the shooting, Trump’s security detail included three women, who former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker told The Post appeared totally ill equipped when Crooks opened fire. “The women I saw up there with the president — they looked like they were running in circles. One didn’t know how to holster, the other one didn’t seem to know what to do, and another one seemed not to be able to find her holster,” he said. “DEI is one thing, competence and effectiveness is another, and I saw DEI out there.” This is not about giving everyone a chance. Personally, I would love to have the chance to play in the NFL. But if I was given the opportunity, I would be the worst player in the league by a very wide margin and I would probably get very seriously hurt. Of course the Secret Service is far more important than the NFL. If a competent sniper had been targeting Trump on Saturday, the ultimate outcome would have been very different… In an interview with KJRH in Oklahoma, former SWAT sniper Maj. Nate Norton of the Sapulpa Police Department lays out the scary reality: “I’m glad they’re calling him a shooter because he ain’t a sniper,” Norton said. “If he was a sniper, President Trump would be dead on the very first shot. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about this. This is somebody that has some weird, sick agenda and did at best mediocre train(ing) in my opinion. Because at 130 yards, 190 yards, that is piece of cake gravy range for somebody that shoots.” At this pivotal moment in our history, we desperately need all of our national leaders to be protected from those that would seek to do them harm. And we need the very best people possible doing that job. Interestingly, on Monday Trump was “surrounded by an almost all-male security detail” when he arrived at the Republican National Convention… Donald Trump arrived at the Republican National Convention on Monday surrounded by an almost all-male security detail – a dramatic change from the Secret Service team he had Saturday when an assassin’s bullet nearly killed him. Two days after surviving the assassination attempt, Trump made a triumphant appearance at the RNC’s opening night in Milwaukee. He sported a large white bandage over his right ear – a stark reminder of how close shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks came to fatally shooting the former president. I am glad that some changes have been made. But it is probably only a matter of time before someone else tries again. When that day arrives, hopefully competent professionals will be protecting Trump. PROPHECY UPDATE VIDEOS
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DONATE HERE Your can also mail your support to: Prophecy Update PO Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384 The Israel/Hamas War: The Strategic Balance So Far & What Comes Next – Eitan Shamir - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=7099 Ten months after Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel, it is possible to evaluate the achievements of the two parties to date. Unlike the State of Israel, which officially declares its war aims, we can only estimate what Hamas's aims were before the Oct. 7 attack. In addition, a war's wider effects are sometimes uncontrollable, not always predictable and can last a long time. Sometimes the indirect effects are more significant than the goals defined by the combatants. There are many examples: The United States overthrew Saddam Hussein in Iraq, but did not expect its victory to result in Iran's taking advantage of the opportunity to become a regional power. Israel did not define a peace deal for Sinai as one of the goals of the Yom Kippur War, but that is what the war eventually led to. Israel succeeded in realizing its main war objective when it went into Lebanon in 1982, which was to remove the Arafat-led Fatah organization from Lebanon--but it did not take into account that that war would lead to the rise of the Shi'ite element in Lebanon, led by Hezbollah. In view of all this, caution must be taken in assessing the balance of achievements and failures of each side in the current war. Another difficulty is the matter of quantifying achievements--that is, how to determine the "value" or strategic weight of each achievement compared to the failures or achievements of the other side. Without the ability to give such a value or weight it is difficult to make an overall assessment. Nevertheless, it is advisable to conduct an examination of the balance of achievements. Let's start with Hamas and its allies--Iran and its proxies. The achievements of Hamas and the resistance axis Hamas managed to take advantage of the crisis in Israeli society in the months before the war to prepare and carry out a surprise attack that shocked and traumatized Israeli society to a degree comparable to the Yom Kippur War. Some believe that due to the massacre of civilians and the taking of hostages, the trauma is even deeper. As a result of the Hamas attack, the Israeli towns around the Gaza Strip were evacuated. Fear of a Hezbollah ground attack in the north led to the decision to evacuate the northern border towns as well, resulting in the total evacuation of some 200,000 people. A small number of residents of the south have been able to return and a slow reconstruction process has begun, but in the north, not only are the residents unable to return to their homes, but Hezbollah has spent the months of the war systematically destroying Israeli homes and property through precise fire. It is difficult to exaggerate the magnitude of the achievement of the axis of resistance in forcing the evacuation of entire swaths of land and shrinking sovereign Israel, something that has not happened since the declaration of the state. The fact that the army was caught by complete surprise resulted in many casualties on Oct. 7. The hard fighting to occupy the Gaza Strip and destroy Hamas caused fewer casualties than estimated, but still, Israel's casualties have been high. Since Oct. 7, the Israel Defense Forces has lost the equivalent of an entire brigade in casualties and wounded, among them skilled special-unit fighters and prominent field commanders. The Hamas attack succeeded in mobilizing a broad and diverse international anti-Israel and indeed openly antisemitic front. The fight against Israel is being waged by states, NGOs and international institutions such as the United Nations and the Human Rights Council. Huge demonstrations against Israel and supporting Hamas have been organized in major capitals throughout the free world. Another campaign being waged against Israel is the legal campaign being conducted in the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, where lawsuits against Israel and its leaders are pending. These measures are damaging and have long-term consequences for Israel's position. Another arm of this campaign is the mobilization of students in the United States and Europe for anti-Israel protests the likes of which have not been seen since the protests against the Vietnam War in the 1960s. At the same time, there is a strengthening of BDS organizations and a rising economic boycott of Israel by countries and companies. Various countries have banned military aid or even the transfer of aid as a stopover, as did Spain, which refused to allow an Indian ship loaded with military equipment destined for Israel to dock in its territory. As an immediate result of the war and the many expenses that accompany it, Israel's economy is facing difficult challenges. This was reflected by the leading rating agencies' downward revision of Israel's economic strength and growth forecast. The downgrade not only reflects the difficulties caused to Israel's economy by the war but also makes it harder for Israel to obtain loans to finance war-created deficits. The Hamas attack also brought the Palestinian issue back to center stage. It is no longer possible to talk about progress toward a regional settlement without addressing the Palestinian issue, which means Israeli concessions. As part of the global support for the Palestinian cause, several countries have announced their recognition of a Palestinian state. The Hamas attack mobilized several Iranian proxies to attack Israel. These attacks are primarily by Hezbollah on the northern border and by Yemen's Houthis, who attack ships in the Red Sea and have fired missiles and anti-aircraft missiles at Eilat. Iraqi Shi'ite militias also occasionally shoot at Israel. While it chose to conduct a limited campaign, Hezbollah has nevertheless caused a great deal of damage to Israel by exposing its weaknesses and inability to effectively stop Hezbollah's fire. The Houthi attacks on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the massive Iranian attack on Israel in response to the assassination of one of its senior officials in Syria drew relatively weak responses from the free world. This is worrying in and of itself and has consequences for the free world's deterrence. This weakness of Israel's allies reflects back on Israel. The continuous attacks by Iran and its proxies on Israel expose a state of erosion of Israeli deterrence since Oct. 7. Despite the success of the military operation in Gaza, Israel has not restored its regional deterrence. Ten months after the attack, the internal divisions and struggles in Israeli society are reemerging around issues that create a fault line between supporters of the coalition and the government and the opposition and its various groups. To the previous issues of controversy has been added the issue of the hostages and the cessation of the war versus continuation of the war and military pressure. These issues are being debated in an atmosphere of acute crisis of confidence among large contingents of citizens, who do not believe the existing leadership is doing enough to free the hostages. Ten months after the attack, Hamas, even if greatly weakened and without its grip on parts of the Gaza Strip, remains the only ruler in the Strip. Yahya Sinwar and his deputy Mohammed Deif are still in Gaza, even if only partially functioning. They are still in control, and are still holding dozens of living hostages. Israel's main achievements Despite a high price in casualties (albeit much lower than early estimates), Israel's main achievement in the campaign is the destruction of Hamas's military capabilities. Hamas as a significant military system no longer poses a threat to Israel. Israel took away its rocket capabilities and ability to carry out large cross-border ground raids. The broader meaning is the termination of a central arm of the Iranian "ring of fire" around Israel. In the next confrontation against the "axis of resistance," Israel will have one less front to worry about and will be able to focus its efforts on the remaining theaters of operation. Another important Israeli achievement that should not be underestimated is the breaking of the psychological barrier of the IDF commanders and the political echelon against a ground maneuver and the use of ground forces. At least since the Second Lebanon War in 2006, there has been a reluctance to use maneuver as a decisive tool due to considerations of casualties and international pressure. As a result, Israel lost an important tool in its military arsenal and essentially gave up decisiveness, thus damaging deterrence. In this context, it is important to mention the role of the reserve forces and their return as a central force in the IDF, without which a major operation cannot be carried out. The occupation of Gaza and accompanying destruction in the Strip created a severe trauma for Palestinian society that will undoubtedly reverberate in the Palestinian and regional consciousness for many years to come. The Palestinians as well as other parties in the region understand the price they will pay if they attempt to repeat the Oct. 7 attack. Israeli society has proven once again that it has healthy foundations and is committed to life. The widespread recruitment into the reserves, the return of many Israelis from abroad expressly to enlist and the mobilization of civil organizations for the war effort once again proved the resilience and solidarity of Israeli society, which enable it to face difficult challenges. The subject of the hostages is sensitive and painful. Many people see the half-empty glass--the dozens of hostages still being held alive in Gaza. But it should also be noted that about half the hostages, most of them women, children and the elderly, were released during the military operation at a relatively low price. Another significant achievement is the coalition led by the United States and specifically by U.S. Central Command to thwart the massive Iranian missile attack on Israel. Israel trained for several years and prepared with its partners for such a scenario, but until put to the test, it was hard to know whether and how such a coalition would be activated on Israel's behalf. Stopping the Iranian attack was a major success and proof of the existence of a coalition that knows how to function together on the operational level. In addition, Israel proved that its Arrow missile defense system is capable of intercepting dozens of ballistic missiles and that the Jewish state is equipped with a unique capability in this regard. American backing, and the standing of the United States on Israel's side, is a critical asset for Israel's national strength. However, the sending of U.S. aircraft carriers to the region after Oct. 7 signaled Israeli weakness. Also, the uneven messages of the Americans over the past months, such as the pressure not to enter Rafah, the halting of arms shipments and other statements, did not add to and even weakened Israel's perceived strength. The United States supports Israel, but with many reservations and limitations. The Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, Jordan and even Saudi Arabia also participated in repelling the Iranian attack. This marked the peak of another Israeli achievement: the maintaining of the Abraham Accords and the potential for a settlement with Saudi Arabia, which is still on the table. The importance of this development should not be underestimated. At the same time, Israel achieved something else: curbing the eruption of additional arenas that Hamas hoped would be dragged into the conflict. Following the Oct. 7 attack, Hamas hoped the West Bank as well as the Arab-Israeli sector would join the riots, as happened during "Operation Guardian of the Walls" in 2021. In fact, the opposite happened. For the most part, the Arab-Israeli public was shocked by the barbarity of the attack (in which quite a few Arabs were also murdered) and expressed solidarity and a shared fate with the Jewish public. What's next Israel is in an ongoing and difficult campaign, the end of which is hard to discern. The Israeli success story of projecting regional, military, economic and political power suffered a severe blow on Oct. 7. The "axis of resistance" recognizes this weakness and is looking for another opportunity to strike Israel and weaken it further. In the background is Iranian nuclearization, which adds another dramatic dimension to the regional conflict centered on Iran, Israel, and the Sunni-Shi'ite struggle. Israel is faced with a dilemma. It has two alternatives. The first is talks to end the war and withdraw from Gaza, as demanded by Hamas. In exchange for this and the release of all Palestinian prisoners, Hamas says it will release the hostages. Taking this option would make it possible to reach a settlement in the north, because Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has said he will stop firing if there is a ceasefire in Gaza. Israel would be free to rehabilitate itself internally and improve its international position, and would also be able to prepare for the next campaign after a thorough learning of lessons and re-equipping. Israel would be able to resume the promotion of normalization with Saudi Arabia, which would open the door to a security and economic partnership and a regional alliance that would stop Iran and its proxies. Some believe the main purpose of the Hamas attack was to prevent just such an alliance, which would be a regional game-changer. On the face of it, this alternative has many advantages. It is a tempting idea and many support it. But it carries many risks. The withdrawal of the IDF from the Gaza Strip and the release of thousands of terrorists would in fact be an Israeli surrender and a relinquishment of most of the gains of the war. It would represent a tremendous victory for Hamas and the resistance front. It is not at all certain that Hamas would in fact release all the hostages it holds. An Israeli withdrawal (including from the Philadelphi Corridor) would mean a rapid restoration of Hamas's military capabilities, with Iranian help. Israel, whose deterrence has been severely damaged, would find it difficult to gather legitimacy and support either domestically or internationally for a ground campaign aimed at destroying Hamas. It would be difficult to convince evacuated Israelis to return to their homes under Hezbollah's umbrella. Israel may find itself losing in every direction. In the second alternative, Israel continues to "mow the grass" in Gaza while putting pressure on Hamas and trying to reach a hostage deal. At the same time, Israel builds a governmental alternative to Hamas. Israel would be forced to reach a settlement in the north, and if this does not succeed, would have no choice but to launch a limited attack to drive Hezbollah away from the border. This alternative is also full of risks and is far from simple. It has no clear resolution, and Israel could find itself in a regional war while immersed in a long-standing guerrilla war in Gaza. Its advantage would be the extinction of Hamas in Gaza and the guarantee of its non-return to power. In both alternatives, Israel will not return to the reality of Oct. 6, and faces difficult years of prolonged existential struggle. To this end, it is imperative for the public to have broad trust in its leadership. One more thing to remember: History is full of unexpected turns and twists. The impact of events far from the Middle East, such as the identity of the next American president, can affect Israel's ability to operate in Gaza and Lebanon and can greatly affect deterrence vis a vis Iran. Regarding the Islamic Republic, a development that leads to regime change there could be a game-changing turn. A change in other areas of crisis in the world, such as around Taiwan and the South China Sea, or continued Russian advances on the Ukraine front, could also change the picture dramatically. In those cases, we are likely to see a shift in global attention toward those crisis centers and a tightening of ranks among the countries of the free world, and as a result, more significant support for Israel and its policies. Winking At Sin: To Deny God’s Wrath Is To Reject His Holiness – By David Reagan - https://harbingersdaily.com/winking-at-sin-to-deny-gods-wrath-is-to-reject-his-holiness/ Back in the mid-1990s, a popular radio talk show host on an Oklahoma City secular station interviewed me live on the air via telephone. He had seen an article I had written about the financial accountability of Christian ministries, and he had liked it. He began the interview by graciously giving me the opportunity to talk non-stop for about ten minutes about the way God had transformed my life and called me into the ministry. We then moved on to a discussion of the scandals that had recently rocked the Christian community nationwide. The Unmentionable Word Everything went well until the host asked me to summarize the fundamental message of my ministry. I responded by saying that God had called me to proclaim “the soon return of Jesus in wrath.” Before I could proceed with my explanation, the announcer cut me short. “What do you mean, ‘wrath’?” he asked. “I mean that Jesus is going to return very soon to pour out the wrath of God upon those who have rejected God’s love and grace and mercy.” “Your God is a monster God!” he snapped. He then added, “I happen to be a Christian, and I can tell you that my God wouldn’t hurt a flea!” That was the end of the interview. He hung up on me. I was not given an opportunity to respond to his misrepresentation of our Creator. Satan’s Grand Deception The radio host’s vehement response to the wrath of God did not surprise me. It is characteristic of both Christians and non-Christians, and I have encountered it many times. Satan has sold the world a bill of goods concerning the nature of God. Most people, both Christian and non-Christian, tend to view God as being a sort of Cosmic Teddy Bear. They see Him as big and warm and soft, full of infinite love and forgiveness. He couldn’t hurt a fly, and He certainly wouldn’t be so cruel as to condemn or harm any beings created in His own image. On the Day of Judgment, God will simply give everyone a big hug and wink at their sins. The only problem with this wonderfully comforting image is that it is a lie straight from the pit of Hell. The True God Yes, the Bible teaches that God is loving, patient, caring, and forgiving (Psalms 86:15 and John 3:16). As the apostle John put it, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Two of my favorite passages in the Bible emphasize the personal loving nature of God. One was penned by the apostle Peter. In 1 Peter 5:6-7 he says that we are to cast all our anxieties upon God “because He cares for you.” That is a very comforting thought. The other passage that I love to read over and over consists of words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations 3:22-24: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.” But the Bible also clearly teaches that there is another aspect of God’s character that is equally important. It is the aspect that Satan wants us to ignore, and he has been very successful in prompting ministers to overlook it. After all, it doesn’t produce popular sermons! I’m speaking, of course, of the holiness of God (Leviticus 11:44; Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:16). Grace or Wrath? The Bible teaches that God is perfectly holy. Because of this attribute of His character, He cannot tolerate sin (Numbers 14:18). The Bible says God must deal with sin, and He does so in one of two ways — either grace or wrath. All of us seem to know John 3:16 — a very comforting verse about God’s love for us. But few of us seem to be aware of the words recorded a few verses later in John 3:36 — words taken from a sermon by John the Baptist: “He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him”. The apostle Paul emphasized this point in his preaching and teaching. In Ephesians 5 he warns against immorality, covetousness, and idolatry, and then he adds this observation: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:6). We come under God’s grace by placing our faith in Jesus and appropriating His atoning sacrifice for our lives (1 John 1:7). There is no salvation apart from Jesus (Acts 4:10-12). Those who have rejected God’s free gift of grace in Jesus are under God’s wrath (John 3:36), and they have no one to blame but themselves. The Unchangeable God Despite the Bible’s clear teaching that our Creator is a God of both love and wrath, I never cease to be amazed at the number of pastors I run across who argue that the God of wrath is the Old Testament God and not the God of the New Testament. In the process they ignore another clear teaching of the Bible that is found in Malachi 3:6 where God, speaking of Himself, says, “I, the LORD do not change…” The New Testament confirms this important point in Hebrews 13:8 where it says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” Nonetheless, Jesus seems always to be presented in sermons as the meek and gentle Savior who is full of grace and forgiveness. That statement is true, but it is not the full picture. Jesus castigated the Pharisees, calling them “hypocrites,” “serpents,” and a “brood of vipers.” Likewise, in His letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor, Jesus condemned the church at Thyatira for tolerating a false prophetess. He called upon the church to repent, and then He warned that if they refused to repent of their immorality, He would cast the offenders “upon a bed of sickness,” killing them with pestilence (Revelation 2:22-23). Types of Wrath The Bible reveals several different aspects of the wrath of God: Consequential Wrath — This is what might be called “sowing and reaping wrath.” It is the wrath we bring upon ourselves when we reap what we sow through sinful living. Cataclysmic Wrath — As evidenced in disasters, either natural or man-made, like the 9/11 attacks. God allows these as a way of calling people and nations to repentance. Abandonment Wrath — The wrath exhibited by God when He turns His back on a person or a society, allowing self-destruction. Eschatological Wrath — The wrath God will unleash on all the world during the Great Tribulation. Eternal Wrath — The ultimate punishment God will inflict upon those who are consigned to Hell. Abandonment Wrath God’s wrath of abandonment is what our nation is experiencing today. Again, this type of wrath can fall on an individual as well as a society. A biblical example of it in the life of an individual can be found in the story of Samson. Although he was mightily anointed by God to protect Israel from the Philistines, he persisted in sexual sin to the point that the Scriptures say that “the Lord departed from him” (Judges 16:20). As a result, he was captured by the Philistines and ended up committing suicide. In Romans chapter one, the Apostle Paul strongly warns of God’s wrath of abandonment concerning nations. He asserts that “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…” (Romans 1:18). He then proceeds to tell how God does this when dealing with a nation that is in rebellion against Him. First, God steps back and lowers the hedge of protection around the nation, allowing evil to multiply. The result is an outbreak of sexual sin (Romans 1:24-25), which is what happened in the nation in the 1960s. If the nation refuses to repent, God takes a second step back and lowers the hedge even further (Romans 1:26-27), producing a plague of homosexuality. Again, this nation has experienced this second phase ever since the 1990s, but it gained momentum in 2003 when our Supreme Court struck down all sodomy laws. If the nation persists in its rebellion, God will take a third step back and abandon the nation to “a depraved mind” (Romans 1:28). This depravity was manifested in this nation when our Supreme Court sanctioned same-sex marriage in June of 2015, and our President celebrated the decision by having the White House lit up in the rainbow colors of the Sexual Perversion Movement. The Coming Wrath God’s eschatological wrath will fall on all the world when Jesus returns (Jude 1:14-15). The passage in Revelation which pictures the return of Jesus says that He will return in righteousness to “judge and wage war” (Revelation 19:11). The first time Jesus came, He came in loving compassion with eyes filled with tears. But when He returns, He will come in vengeance (Revelation 6:12-17), with eyes like a flame of fire (Revelation 19:12). He will come to destroy the enemies of God (Revelation 19: 11). The presidents and kings and prime ministers of the world will get on their knees and cry out for the rocks and mountains to fall upon them, so great will be the terror of the Lord (Revelation 6:15-17). The unrighteous will stumble about like blind men, and their blood will be poured out like dust (Zephaniah 1:17). The Meaning of Wrath Does this make God a “monster”? No! On the contrary, it proves His goodness, for how could a good God ignore the evil of sin and allow it to go unpunished? His wrath against evil will demonstrate His righteousness. The prophet Nahum summed it up best. Writing of the love of God, he said, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him” (Nahum 1:7). But a few verses earlier Nahum had also spoken of the holiness and wrath of God: “God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.” God’s wrath is never motivated primarily by a desire to punish. Rather, it is designed to bring people to repentance so that they might be saved. Even in His wrath, God remembers mercy. God demonstrates His mercy in wrath by never pouring out His wrath without warning. He tried to warn Sodom and Gomorrah through Abraham. He warned Noah’s world through the preaching of Noah for 120 years. He sent both Jonah and Nahum to warn the pagan city of Nineveh. Consider too how He sent prophet after prophet to call the nations of Israel and Judah to repentance (2 Chronicles 36:15-16): “And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy.” God’s mercy in wrath is also manifested in the fact that He always leads up to His final outpouring of wrath through a series of progressive judgments. These judgments are outlined in detail in Deuteronomy 28:15-57. This characteristic of God’s wrath is demonstrated in the prophecies concerning the Tribulation. Rather than simply pouring out His wrath on the rebellious nations of the world, destroying them in one instant of overwhelming catastrophe, He subjects the world to a series of judgments that sequentially increase in scope and intensity (Revelation 6,8-9,16). Although most people refuse to repent in response to these judgments (Revelation 9:20-21), there is “a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues” who do repent and respond to Jesus in faith (Revelation 7:9). These radically different responses to the wrath of God illustrate the point that is often made by Billy Graham: “The same sun that melts the butter also hardens the clay.” The wrath of God melts some hearts in repentance, but it has the effect of hardening the hearts of many others. Wrath and the Redeemed Many Christians respond negatively to Bible prophecy. It’s not at all unusual to hear a Christian say something like this: “I don’t want to hear anything about prophecy because it’s too full of gloom and doom.” Well, there is a lot of gloom and doom for those who refuse to respond to God’s gift of love in Jesus. But there is only good news for the Redeemed. The Old Testament ends with a passage that presents both the gloom and the joy of end time prophecy. Malachi says that when the Lord returns, the day will be “like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff” (Malachi 4:1). That’s the bad news. But consider the good news: “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall” (Malachi 4:2). There is no reason for any child of God to fear the wrath of God. Paul wrote that since we have been justified by the blood of Christ, “we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him” (Romans 5:9). And in a most comforting verse, Paul told the Thessalonians that Jesus will “deliver” the Redeemed “from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10). The reason, Paul explained, is that “God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). A Plea Are you under grace or wrath? The choice is yours. Jesus is coming soon. When He appears, will He be your Blessed Hope or your Holy Terror? Will you cry for the mountains to fall upon you? Or, will you go forth leaping with joy like a calf released from a stall? God loves you and He wants you to accept His Son as your Savior so that you will come under grace and can participate in an event that will occur when Jesus returns (Isaiah 35:10): “And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Trusting the FBI and DOJ - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com With all the vitriol spewed toward Donald Trump over the last decade by the Clinton-Obama-Biden Democratic Party machine, how can anyone trust the FBI or the Department of Justice (DOJ) to do an investigation into the Trump assassination attempt? The FBI and the DOJ have been instrumental in fabricating charges against Trump and using the full power of democrat-held legal positions to conduct lawfare against Trump. Now Joe Biden is saying with a straight face that “the FBI is leading this investigation.” This is like the fox guarding the chicken house. The FBI has been a central player to most every false accusation that the Democrats have thrown at Trump. Let’s recap a bit. In December 2018, it The Daily Jot reported about a conspiracy to end the presidency of Donald Trump, even before it started. The Democrat-motivated “Special Counsel” to investigate whether Trump and the Russians conspired to defeat the scandal-tainted Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton could have been just part of the conspiracy by the Obama-Biden administration and the Clinton campaign to defeat Trump. Any collusion with Russia was actually evidenced by the Clintons’ pay-for-influence scheme over US uranium transfers to Russia. The use of the secret court FISA by Obama to spy on Trump, was also part of the conspiracy. Information at the time indicated that Obama, his Attorney General, Justice Department, the FBI, and the Clintons were all working various schemes to derail Trump before he even got started. For example, smoking gun electronic messages, via email or text, were “accidentally” revealed between anti-Trump/pro Clinton FBI officials Peter Strzok and his mistress Lisa Page fueling a fake Russian dossier. House Homeland Cybersecurity Chairman Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) tweeted that the thousands of FBI texts that he reviewed, “revealed manifest bias” against Trump and referenced a “secret society” of FBI officials that met the day after the election to plot against the newly-elected President. In February 2019 media reported, FBI agents Page and Strzok both were working on ways to oust Trump if he was elected. The web of coup-making continued to develop as evidenced with then FBI Director Andrew McCabe telling CBS News “60 Minutes” that Attorney General Rod Rosenstein suggested recording Trump and eventually using the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to drive Trump out of office. The ensuing Mueller investigation spent millions to find nothing about Russian collusion. And what about the FBI authorized to use deadly force against Trump if he resisted confiscation of documents from his home? Proverbs 26:26 says, “[He] Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shown before the whole congregation.” Let’s hope all of America can see this. The FBI and DOJ are no qualified to investigate this assassination attempt. It’s, say it with me…Stupidocrisy. Daily Devotion: A Different Kind of Influencer - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. —Colossians 4:5 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-different-kind-of-influencer/ - Listen Sometimes Christians see non-Christians as the enemy: “Those sinners. Look at what they’re doing. Look at the lifestyle they’ve chosen.” Preachers rant about particular sins and certain things people are doing. But let’s remember something: Behind those sins are empty, searching, lost people whom God loves. Let’s also remember that we used to be those people, and someone lovingly reached out to us. We are not called to condemn. Rather we are called to appeal to unbelievers with the message of the gospel. And we need compassion to do so. Compassion overflowed from the life of Jesus. He was always moved by the needs of people. When Jesus saw Mary and Martha weeping over the death of their brother, Lazarus, even though He knew that He was about to resurrect him, the Bible says that He “was deeply troubled” (John 11:33 NLT). This phrase carries the idea of physical as well as emotional and spiritual anguish. And as Jesus watched them weeping over their brother, His heart went out to them. He was in anguish too. He hurt for them and with them. And He wept. Then, when He raised Lazarus from the dead, He was deeply moved because He cared. That’s our Savior. Later, when He came to the city of Jerusalem, instead of feeling anger for the people, He had compassion on them. Being God, He knew exactly what they were about to do. He knew the same crowds who were crying out, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (John 12:13 NLT) soon would be shouting, “Crucify Him!” Yet Jesus looked at Jerusalem and had compassion on the people, saying, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me” (Matthew 23:37 NLT). As Jesus hung on the cross, despite all of His excruciating pain and anguish, whom did He think of? Whom did He pray for? He said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NLT). When one of the criminals being crucified with Jesus appealed to Him, He said, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43 NLT). First, He prayed for those responsible for His crucifixion. Then, He prayed for someone in pain. And then He looked down, and seeing His mother standing next to John, said, “Dear woman, here is your son” (John 19:26 NLT). In other words, “John, take care of My mom.” He always was thinking of others. Jesus cares. And so should we. We can reach many people far more effectively than preachers can sometimes. That’s because they work with us. They live next to us. God has given each of us a group of people whom we influence. And God wants to use us right where we are. So, let’s make ourselves available to Him. PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY 7/17/24 http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php
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