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We are Living on Borrowed Time! - By Dr. David R. Reagan - https://christinprophecy.org/articles/jesus-is-coming-soon/
Many people believe there is nothing that can be known about the timing of the Lord’s return because Jesus said He would return like a “thief in the night” (Matthew 24:42-44). But Paul makes it clear in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6 that Jesus’ statement does not apply to believers: “But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief…” He then proceeds to explain why: “for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.” Paul is referring, of course, to the light of the Holy Spirit who indwells all true believers and who can enlighten us through our study of Scripture to know the season of the Lord’s return (1 John 2:27). God’s Attitude As a matter of fact, God is obligated by His character to warn the world of the imminent return of His Son. The reason is that Jesus is returning in great wrath to “judge and wage war” (Revelation 19:11), and God never pours out His wrath without warning. God does not wish that any should perish, but that all should be brought to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, God always warns before He executes His wrath. He warned the world through Noah for 120 years. He warned Sodom and Gomorrah through Abraham. He sent Jonah to warn the pagan city of Nineveh, and He sent Nahum to the same city 150 years later. Likewise, God is warning the world today that His Son is about to return. He is calling the world to repentance. The message of the hour to unbelievers can be summed up in these words: “Flee from the wrath that is to come by fleeing into the loving arms of Jesus now.” Jesus came the first time as an expression of God’s love; He came to die for the sins of Mankind. But when He returns, He will come in vengeance to pour out the wrath of God on those who have rejected God’s love and grace. The soon return of Jesus also carries with it a message for believers. Lukewarm Christians and carnal Christians are being called to commit their lives to holiness: “The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Romans 13:12-14). God’s Method of Warning God is alerting believers of the soon return of His Son through what are called “signs of the times.” These are prophecies concerning world events that we are told to watch for, prophecies that will identify the season of the Lord’s return. The Bible is full of these signs. There are about 500 prophecies in the Old Testament that relate to the Second Coming of the Messiah. In the New Testament, one out of every 25 verses is concerned with the return of Jesus. In fact, there are so many signs that it is difficult to grasp all of them. The best way I have found to do this is to put them in categories: 1) The Signs of Nature — We are told to watch for earthquakes, famine, pestilence, and signs in the heavens (see Matthew 24:7 and Luke 21:11). This is the least respected category of signs for several reasons. For one thing, many people simply shrug their shoulders and say, “There have always been natural calamities, so what else is new?” Note that Jesus says these signs will be like “birth pangs” (Matthew 24:8) — that is, they will increase in frequency and intensity as the time draws near for His return. In other words, there will be more intense earthquakes and more frequent ones. That is exactly what is happening today. Another reason these signs are given little respect is because most Christians are so rationalistic that they do not really believe in the supernatural, and they therefore find it difficult to believe that God speaks to the world through signs of nature. Yet, the Bible teaches this principle from start to finish. God dealt with the world’s sin through a great flood in the days of Noah (Genesis 6). He called the nation of Judah to repentance through a terrible locust invasion (Joel 1). In like manner, He called for the nation of Israel to repent by sending drought, wind storms, mildew, locusts, famine and pestilence (Amos 4:6-10). The prophet Haggai pointed to a drought as evidence that God was calling the people to get their priorities in order (Haggai 1:10-11). The New Testament begins with a special light in the heavens marking the birth of the Messiah (Matthew 2:2). On the day that Jesus was crucified, there was three hours of darkness and an earthquake (Matthew 27:45-51). And when Jesus returns, the earth will experience the greatest earthquake in its history as every mountain is lowered, every valley is raised, and every island is moved (Revelation 16:17-21). God has always spoken through signs of nature, and He continues to do so today. We had better pay close attention to them. 2) The Signs of Society — Jesus said that society will become increasingly lawless and immoral as the time approaches for His return. In fact, He said it would become as evil as it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:12,37-39). Paul paints a chilling picture of end time society in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. He says it will be characterized by three loves — the love of self (Humanism), the love of money (Materialism), and the love of pleasure (Hedonism). He then points out that the payoff of this carnal lifestyle will be what the philosophers call Nihilism — that is, a society wallowing in despair. Men’s minds will become depraved (Romans 1:28), and people will call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). We are seeing these prophecies fulfilled before our eyes today as we watch our society reject its Christian heritage and descend into a hellish pit of lawlessness, immorality, and despair. Even worse, we are exporting our nihilism around the world through our immoral and violent movies and television programs. 3) The Spiritual Signs — There are both positive and negative spiritual signs that we are to watch for. The negative ones include the appearance of false christs and their cults (Matthew 24:5,11,24), the apostasy of the professing church (2 Thessalonians 2:3), an outbreak of Satanism (1 Timothy 4:1), and the persecution of faithful Christians (Matthew 24:9). These negative spiritual signs began to appear in the mid-19th Century when Christian cults started forming. First came the Mormons, then the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and then a great variety of spiritualist groups like the Church of Christ Scientists and the Unity Church. The apostasy of the mainline Christian denominations began in the 1920’s when the German school of higher criticism invaded American seminaries and undermined the authority of the Scriptures, teaching that the Bible is Man’s search for God rather than God’s revelation to Man. During the 1960’s Satanism exploded on the American scene and has since been exported worldwide through American movies, books, and television programs. Dabbling in the occult has become commonplace in the form of astrology, numerology, crystal gazing, transcendental meditation, and channeling. The whole trend has consummated in the appearance of the New Age Movement with its teaching that Man is God. As society has secularized, true Christianity has come under increasing attack. Judeo-Christian values, once the foundation of Western Civilization, are now openly mocked, and those who still adhere to them are castigated as “intolerant fundamentalists” by the media. The positive spiritual signs include the proclamation of the Gospel to the whole world (Matthew 24:14), a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32), and spiritual illumination to understand prophecies that have been “sealed up” until the end times (Daniel 12:4,9). As with the negative signs, we are seeing these positive signs fulfilled in our day and time. Through the use of modern technology, the Gospel has been proclaimed throughout the world in this Century, and the Bible has been translated into all major languages. The great end time pouring out of the Holy Spirit that was prophesied by the prophet Joel has also begun. Joel called it “the latter rain” (Joel 2:23), and he said it would occur after the Jews had returned to their land. The state of Israel was re-established in 1948. In 1949 God anointed two ministries that would have a worldwide impact — the ministries of Billy Graham and Oral Roberts. Then, in the 60’s, came the Charismatic Movement which prompted renewal in worship and gave emphasis to the continuing validity of the gifts of the Spirit. The acceleration in the understanding of Bible prophecy began in 1970 with the publication of Hal Lindsey’s book, The Late Great Planet Earth. It seemed to open up to popular understanding many prophecies that had been “sealed up” until the end times (Daniel 12:4, 9). Remarkably, it became the number one best seller in the world — with the sole exception of the Bible — for the next ten years! 4) The Signs of Technology — The book of Daniel says that there will be an explosion of knowledge in the end times and that people will move about quickly (Daniel 12:4). There are many Bible prophecies that cannot be understood apart from modern technology. For example, how can the whole world look upon two bodies lying in the streets of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:8-9)? Modern television satellite technology makes it easy. How can the False Prophet build an image of the Anti-Christ that appears to be alive (Revelation 13:15)? The answer, of course, is the science of robotics. How can the False Prophet require all people on earth to take the mark of the Anti-Christ in order to buy and sell (Revelation 13:16-17)? It would not be possible apart from computers and lasers. Jesus said that the Tribulation will be so terrible that all life on earth would cease to exist if He did not cut the period short (Matthew 24:21-22). How could all life be threatened prior to the advent of nuclear weapons? Another reference to nuclear power is likely contained in Luke’s statement that men in the end times will “faint from fear” because “the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Luke 21:26). That certainly sounds like a reference to the splitting of the atom. 5) The Signs of World Politics — The Bible prophesies that there will be a certain pattern of world politics that will characterize the end time geopolitical map. The focus will be the re-established state of Israel (Zechariah 12:2-3). It will be besieged by a menacing nation from the “remote parts of the north,” the nation of “Rosh” — or modern day Russia (Ezekiel 38:2,6). There will also be a threatening nation to the East that will be capable of sending an army of 200 million — namely, China (Revelation 9:13-16 and Revelation 16:12-13). A third source of danger to Israel will be the Arab nations that immediately surround it. They will covet the land and will try to take it from the Jews (Ezekiel 35:10 and 36:2). Another key player on the world political scene in the end times will be a coalition of European nations that will form a confederation centered in the area of the old Roman empire (Daniel 2:41-44, Daniel 7:7,23-24, and Revelation 17:12-13). This confederation will serve as the political base for the rise of the Anti-Christ and the creation of his worldwide kingdom (Daniel 7:8). Other international political signs include wars and rumors of wars (Matthew 24:6), civil wars (Matthew 24:7), and general international terrorism and lawlessness (Matthew 24:12). 6) The Signs of Israel — The signs related to the state of Israel are prolific and very important. The most frequently repeated prophecy in the Old Testament is the prediction that the Jewish people will be regathered from the “four corners of the earth” in the end times (Isaiah 11:10-12). The Bible states that a consequence of this regathering will be the re-establishment of the state of Israel (Isaiah 66:7-8). The Scriptures say that once the Jews are back in their land, the land itself will experience a miracle of reclamation (Isaiah 35). The desert will bloom and people will exclaim, “This desolate land has become like the garden of Eden” (Ezekiel 36:35). Another end time miracle will be the revival of the Hebrew language (Zephaniah 3:9). Most people are not aware of the fact that when the Jews were dispersed from their land in 70 A.D., they ceased to speak the Hebrew language. The Jews who settled in Europe developed a new language called Yiddish — a combination of German and Hebrew. The Jews who migrated to the Mediterranean basin created a language called Ladino — a combination of Hebrew and Spanish. Other significant signs of Israel that we are told to watch for in the end times include the re-occupation of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24), the resurgence of Israeli military strength (Zechariah 12:6), and the re-focusing of world politics on Israel (Zechariah 12:3). All these signs have been fulfilled in this century. The nation has been re-established, the land has been reclaimed, the ancient language has been revived, the Jews are back in Jerusalem, and Israel is the focal point of world politics. Jesus says in Luke 21:28 that when these signs begin to happen, we should “straighten up and lift up our heads” because “our redemption is drawing near.” The Key Signs The most important signs are the ones that relate to Israel because God uses the Jews throughout the Scriptures as His prophetic time clock. By this I mean that very often when the Lord is revealing an important event that will take place in the future, He will point to the Jewish people and state that when a certain thing happens to them, the important event will also occur. A good example of this principle can be found in Daniel 9 in the famous “Seventy Weeks of Years” prophecy. The prophet tells us to watch for a decree to be issued that will authorize the rebuilding of Jerusalem. He then says that the Messiah will come sixty-nine weeks of years (483 years) after that decree is issued to the Jewish people. There are two key prophecies which relate the return of Jesus to events that have occurred in Jewish history since 1948. These two events clearly established the period in which we are now living as the season of the Lord’s return. The State of Israel The first is the re-establishment of the state of Israel which occurred on May 14, 1948. Jesus singled out this event as the one that would signal His soon return. His prophecy is contained in the fig tree parable (Matthew 24:32-35) which He presented in His Olivet Discourse. The day before He delivered this speech, He had put a curse on a barren fig tree, causing it to wither (Matthew 21:18-19). This was a symbolic prophecy that God would soon pour out His wrath upon the Jewish people because of their spiritual barrenness in rejecting His Son. The next day Jesus reminded His disciples of the fig tree. He said to watch for it to bloom again. In other words, He said watch for the rebirth of Israel. He indicated that when the fig tree blooms again, He would be at the gates of Heaven, ready to return (Matthew 24:33). Equally significant, He added an interesting observation: “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place” (Matthew 24:34). What generation? The generation that sees the fig tree blossom. We are that generation. The fig tree has blossomed. Jesus is at the gates. The City of Jerusalem The second key event was prophesied by Jesus in the same speech, as recorded by Luke: “[The Jews] will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). The first half of this prophecy was fulfilled in 70 A.D., forty years after Jesus spoke the words. In that year the Romans under Titus conquered Jerusalem and dispersed the Jews among the nations. Jerusalem remained under Gentile occupation for 1,897 years — until June 7, 1967, when Israel won the city back during the Six Day War. The Jewish re-occupation of the city of Jerusalem is proof positive that we are living in the season of the Lord’s return. Jesus said it would mark the end of the Gentile Age. A Call to Action There is no way to escape the conclusion that we are living on borrowed time. The signs of the times are upon us, and they are shouting for our attention. Are you ready? If Jesus were to return today, would He be your “Blessed Hope” (Titus 2:11-14) or would He be your “Holy Terror” (Revelation 6:12-17)? If you have never received Him as your Lord and Savior, now is the time to act. Repent of your sins, and call upon the name of the Lord that you might be saved (Acts 2:14-39). And if you are a Christian, are you living as if Jesus might return any minute? Have you committed your life to holiness? Are you praying for the lost and witnessing for the Lord when you have an opportunity? Are you yearning for the Lord’s return? Can you say with Paul that you are a candidate for a “crown of righteousness” because you have lived your life “in the love of His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8)? The Left Has Been Trying To Come Up With Wild Conspiracy Theories About The Trump Shooting, But They Are Failing Badly - by Michael Snyder - https://endoftheamericandream.com/the-left-has-been-trying-to-come-up-with-wild-conspiracy-theories-about-the-trump-shooting-but-they-are-failing-badly/ Ever since the moment that Donald Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, the left has been pushing wild conspiracy theories all over the Internet. Unfortunately for the left, their conspiracy theories are so ridiculous that most rational people immediately see right through them. Yes, there are legitimate questions that need to be asked about what really happened at that rally, and I have been writing about many of those questions. But to suggest that the assassination attempt was staged or that Trump was never hit by a bullet is just nuts. As you will see below, the stuff that the left has been coming up with is straight out of crazy town. It has been less than a week since Trump was shot, and already “false assassination narratives” have been viewed more than 100 million times on X, and many of those false narratives are being classified as “Blue Anon” conspiracy theories… So-called ‘BlueAnon’ conspiracy theories — levelled by Left-wingers — have clearly been thick on the ground this time, compounding the confusion spread by similarly paranoid or just trouble-making Trumpites. According to research group Institute for Strategic Dialogue, references to false assassination narratives amassed more than 100 million views on X in just 24 hours. So what are some of the most common “Blue Anon” conspiracy theories that the left has been pushing? Well, one of the most popular theories is that the shooting was staged, and an Associated Press photo that was digitally altered is being offered as “proof” of that theory. The following comes from CNN… To bolster the “staged” conspiracy theory, an image began to circulate that had been altered to make it look like one of the Secret Service agents who rushed to Trump’s aid was smiling during the incident. An influential anti-Trump X user who has almost 250,000 followers on the platform shared the image with the message, “Everyone here seems to be having a good time, laughing and smiling for the cameras.” The image was soon debunked by the fact-checking organization Lead Stories, which said it was a digitally manipulated version of an Associated Press image. “The officers cannot be seen smiling with their teeth as seen in the original, nor in any other news outlets photos of the event,” Lead Stories explained in a blog post. CNN has often been fooled in the past, but even they were able to see right through this one. Another theory that is floating around is that a BB gun was used to shoot at Trump… “Donald Trump continues to play in our faces!! This was SO staged!!! If someone REALLY wanted to take him out, they wouldn’t use a BB Gun!!” one person posted on X a little more than an hour after the shooting. Seriously? Where does the left come up with this stuff? Others are suggesting that Trump was never hit at all. In fact, some on the left are actually claiming that Trump used “a gel pack containing fake blood” to spread blood on his ear and face… According to some fanciful social media interpretations of photos of the moment when shots were fired, Trump was holding a yellow object in the hand he used to touch his bloody ear. They have even claimed it was a gel pack containing fake blood — routinely used in films and TV — that Trump burst the moment he grabbed his ear. If this was true, where did the damage to Trump’s ear come from that we could clearly see in the footage after he was hit? Of course there are some on the left that believe that Trump’s ear was not even damaged. A photo from a rally that was conducted on September 17th, 2022 is being used to “prove” that Trump’s right ear is perfectly fine… CLAIM: A photo taken on Monday shows former President Donald Trump with no damage to his right ear, contrary to reports that it was injured in an attempted assassination on Saturday. THE FACTS: The photo was taken on Sept. 17, 2022, at a rally in Youngstown, Ohio, for then-U.S. Senate candidate JD Vance. Trump appeared at the Republican National Convention Monday night with a large, white bandage on his right ear. Myriad photos show his ear bloodied after a shooter opened fire at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, over the weekend. It is hard to believe that there are people out there that actually fall for this stuff. As crazy as this may sound, right now there are people on social media that are discussing the “fact” that the entire incident was orchestrated by Trump, his team and the Secret Service in order to stage the iconic photographs which we have all seen by now… Almost immediately after Trump was injured during a shooting at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally Saturday evening, a conspiracy theory emerged that the assassination attempt had been “staged” – that Trump and his campaign had set it up to orchestrate the iconic photos of a resolute Trump surviving an attempt on his life. The term “staged” began trending on X as soon as an hour after the shooting. The mainstream media is not stupid enough to fall for such nonsense, but there is a push to get news outlets to stop using those photographs because they are helping Trump so much… An editor at a major news outlet wants the press to stop using the iconic photo of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump because it represents ‘free PR’ for his campaign. The unnamed editor told Axios that sharing the historic photo of the former president standing after he survived the attempt on his life is ‘dangerous despite how good it is.’ After everything that has happened, they are still out to get Trump. The rest of this campaign season is going to be so intense, and if Trump actually wins there will be even more chaos. Our country is about to go over the edge, and one of the big reasons for this is because people are so easily fooled. The crazy conspiracy theories that I just discussed above are completely and utterly absurd, but many on the left really want to believe that they are true. Conservative content creator James Klug recently interviewed random folks in the street, and he quickly encountered someone that truly thinks that the Trump shooting was staged… James Klug: What is our evidence for suggesting that it was a staged, a fake assassination attempt? Old Dem: I think that he walked away alive with perhaps a scratch on his ear at most… Of course, behind the scenes, that was fabricated… some noise. They put a little scratch on his ear, threw a little blood on his face. James Klug: Now, so you think that they planned from 130 yards away to shoot off the corner of his ear? Old Dem: They never shot off the corner of his ear. That was all done by the people hanging around him. Nobody ever shot off his ear. Sadly, Klug also interviewed quite a few others that believe some very questionable things… WATCH: https://youtu.be/iwEssxReZIc It can be very entertaining to watch interviews like this, but we should also be deeply saddened by what has happened to our country. What would our founders think if they could see us today? We live at a time when much of the population seems to have lost their critical thinking skills, and that is extremely unfortunate. PROPHECY UPDATE VIDEOS
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Donald Trump Is Not An ‘Existential Threat to Democracy’… But His Accusers Are – By Robert Gottselig - https://harbingersdaily.com/donald-trump-is-not-an-existential-threat-to-democracy-but-his-accusers-are/ This past Saturday, at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a shooter less than 150 yards away on a nearby rooftop opened fire at former President Donald Trump, piercing his right ear and narrowly killing him. Police forces immediately killed the shooter while the Secret Service provided cover for President Trump and eventually proceeded to lead him to safety off the stage. Later, the shooter was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks. There is much investigation into his motive and how the Secret Service failed so badly in protecting the 45th President. Of course, President Trump, like so many of us, attributed the failed assassination attempt on his life as a miracle from God, saying, “It was God alone who prevented the unthinkable from happening.” God spared Trump’s life on Saturday. A mere millimeter one way or the other, depending on how he moved his head, would have resulted in much different headlines today. To be honest, many of us feared that this day would come as those in opposition to Trump have tried everything possible to oust this man from office and even prevent him from ever running again. The Deep State has continuously lied, cheated, and spread disinformation against Trump, and time and time again, Trump has been acquitted of the charges they’ve laid against him—and praise God for that. The Biden Administration has also continued to sow seeds of division and hate in the United States by repeatedly accusing Trump of being an existential threat to democracy. Biden wrote last month on X, “Donald Trump is a genuine threat to this nation. He’s a threat to our freedom. He’s a threat to our democracy. He’s literally a threat to everything America stands for.” He has further drawn comparisons between Donald Trump and Hitler. Is it any wonder, then, why a mentally ill person would seek to kill the former president as we saw on Saturday? Yet, when you look back at the track record, it’s not Trump that is an existential threat to democracy. Instead, it is his accusers that are guilty of that charge. Like Trump or not, his policies were good for America because they aligned with godly principles. Simply look at the US Southern border. Trump wanted to secure the border and eliminate illegal immigrants from entering the country. Why wouldn’t you want that for your nation? Without Law and Order, without Borders, you have no country. It is vital to note that it is God who has established borders, as we read in the Book of Acts, “God that made the world and all things therein… And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation” (Acts 17:24, 26). To eliminate borders and have the door wide open for many evil individuals and terrorists to enter—even seeking to attain the votes of these illegals—is not only irresponsible and treasonous but is itself a threat to democracy. It’s the opposite of what Trump was trying to do. Trump is also pro-family and pro-life, while his accusers actively continue to seek the destruction of the traditional family and life in the womb. The Biden administration has repeatedly called out Trump for “interfering in women’s health” and “not caring about women,” while the left champions the so-called “right to abortion.” However, God is the creator of family and the creator of life. Genesis 2:4 says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” That is the definition of marriage and the institution of family. God, speaking of the prophet Jeremiah, said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jer. 1:5). In the New Testament, in the Gospel of Luke, we read, “And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” These are amazing portions of scripture! When it comes to Israel, Trump was the most pro-Israel president in American history. He moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem. He ripped up the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. He instituted the Abraham Peace Accords, which paved the way for normalization agreements between Israel and her Arab neighbors. Trump even acknowledged Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. The list of pro-Israel actions is extensive. President Trump was a solid advocate for Israel and the Jewish people—and that, of course, lines up precisely with the godly principles that we read in God’s Word, the Bible. Those who hate Trump accuse him of the bad actions they themselves are doing. The Deep State has done everything in its power to smear, destroy, and ruin the life of this man. They want to eliminate him from running again as a president—that’s not what they do in a Democratic society, and that is an existential threat to democracy. I find it reminiscent of the accusation King Ahab, one of Israel’s most wicked kings, brought against Elijah. 1 Kings 18:17-18 states, “Then it happened, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, O troubler of Israel?’ And he answered, ‘I have not troubled Israel, but you and your father’s house have, in that you have forsaken the commandments of the Lord and have followed the Baals.'” I want to remind you, friends, that as troubling as all of this is, the God of this universe is still on His throne, and He alone will determine who sits in the Oval Office. I pray that President Trump has learned that fact as King Nebuchadnezzar did. We read in Daniel 4:34-35, “And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?'” I also want to remind you that elections have consequences as they determine the heart of a nation and where they are spiritually. God sees it all, and this fall in November, America is at a Crossroads. For Canada it will be the following year. The question is, will the people continue down a path of turning away from God and embracing evil and calling it good? Or will they turn to God and pray that He heals their land? I’m not saying that Trump, or Pierre Poilievre here in Canada, are perfect or that everything they think, do, and say is pleasing to God. However, their policies and their platforms better align with God’s principles than those of their opponents. The same thing is true in Israel. They are not perfect, but if we can’t see the difference between them and their accusers, then we are blind, and we need to ask God to help us. I believe God spared Trump’s life, and I pray for him and his family’s safety and security. I pray for a fair and honest election where people will get out and vote for the candidate who better aligns themselves with godly principles and values. If a nation turns its back on God, it is doomed for destruction. Let’s pray for our current leaders, and for those who will yet come to power in the future, that they will turn to God and ask Him for the wisdom to lead people and make godly decisions. God said to His People, Israel, and I believe this is what He’s saying to us today as well, “If My people who are called by My Name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Peace in the Midst of Chaos - Nathele Graham - [email protected] As I write this, I’m trying to process the events of the last few hours. There was an attempt to assassinate Mr. Trump. Thank God he survived! The bullet hit Mr. Trump’s ear, and that was very close to his head. It was still attempted murder. I’m very thankful the bullet didn’t kill him, but saddened that others were killed and wounded. I’ve listened to many news reports, and my spirit is grieved by what many headlines say. The liberal media downplayed it as nothing more than Mr. Trump overreacting to a noise. Other headlines lament the fact that the shooter missed. There is so much evil in America. This evil has been getting stronger and is snowballing out of control. I remember a time when news reports stated facts. When President Kennedy was assassinated, the news reported what was happening, when there was an attempt to assassinate President Reagan, the facts were reported, but now it seems news reports are more designed to sway public opinion rather than report truth. It even seems that the liberal news sources would have us believe that everything that is Godly, good, and virtuous is evil, and that all sinful things that are opposed to God are good. “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20. I will not call evil good or darkness light. God is still God and He is not the God of chaos. Satan seeks to destroy and he was the evil power behind the assassination attempt. All of this has caused me to take a hard look at my own thoughts and feelings. I would like to tell you that I have a very loving and generous spirit, but in all truth my first reaction to this horrid news was not very kind. God forgive me. After I got my thinking straight, I realized that other people were killed and wounded, including the young man who did the shooting. I’m sure he isn’t in a very happy place right now, and will spend eternity in the lake of fire. Only God can judge, but seeing his actions tells me he didn’t know Jesus. That’s sad. Brothers and sisters, there is a very evil and demonic presence over America. The battle cannot be won with weapons of the natural world. Good, strong spiritual weapons are needed and those can only come from God. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. The evil that is oppressing this nation is not new. It is an old evil that has harassed humanity since the beginning of creation. In our anger and shock, we must remember that we are Christians, and our first defense is prayer. We cannot force anybody to turn from the evil they embrace, but we can be sure that our own words and actions are in agreement with God. Christians must live according to God’s truth letting Scripture be our guide. When a thought that is contrary to Scripture enters our mind, we need to pray. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth, For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” 1 Timothy 2:1-6. Prayer is our way to talk with God. Then we need to listen to His reply. Could it be that this is how we can find peace in the midst of chaos? Prayer? It’s not easy to pray for someone you don’t like, but Scripture doesn’t say you have to like a person, just pray. What if we earnestly prayed for God’s hand upon the president and Congress? Do you think our prayers could make a difference? I know that there are God-fearing leaders in this nation, but there are some who don’t honor Him. Brothers and sisters, we must pray. God hears prayer and will answer. When He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah because of the evil found there, it was in answer to prayer. These cities were evil beyond repair, and had to be destroyed. There was an outcry against the evil in Sodom and Gomorrah, and God heard. “And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.” Genesis 18:20-21. The evil there was great, but the sin in America is much like the sin in Sodom and Gomorrah. Do we cry out to the Lord against the evil found in America? Maybe God will drain the swamp, but Christians must earnestly cry out to Him. We must pray that our leaders all come to serve Jesus. We must pray against sin, and that people will come to repent and turn away from sin. The Apostle Paul was a man who prayed. He prayed for people and he prayed for situations. When he and Silas were in Philippi, they got in trouble for casting a demon out of a woman. Paul and Silas were beaten and put in prison. Did they spend their time having a pity party and lamenting the evil there? No, Paul and Silas sang and prayed. “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God; and the prisoners heard them” Acts 16:25. Now that was a witness. Suddenly there was an earthquake, and all of the prisoners could have escaped, but didn’t. Because of the witness of Paul and Silas, they all stayed. The jailer would have been put to death if they had escaped. Because Paul and Silas prayed and praised God in song, the jailer came to faith. Paul established a congregation in Philippi and later wrote a letter to them. In that letter he encouraged them to stand fast in the Lord and not have divisions. He wrote words that are sometimes hard to remember in times of chaos. When times get tough, we forget to pray and praise God. “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4-5. Rejoice! Whether things are going your way or not. Rejoice. Even if a mentally disturbed person takes a shot at a political candidate, rejoice in the Lord. God can see tomorrow, so why should we worry about it. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Philippians 4:6. Here’s one of those words that we would understand if we lived when the King James translation was created. The word “careful” means “anxious”. We aren’t to be anxious about anything, but are to pray about everything. Anxiety doesn’t solve any problem, but it does cause turmoil in our hearts. What if we rejoiced and prayed over things instead of fretting ourselves into a depression? “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7. Is that how we are able to find peace in the midst of chaos? I would say yes. Remember Paul admonished the Christians in the wicked city of Corinth “…bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”. We need to heed that advice. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8. Take your thoughts captive unto the Lord and think on things that are pure, lovely, good, and virtuous…things of God. That’s how to find peace in the midst of chaos. God bless you all, Nathele Graham [email protected] Recommended prophecy sites: www.raptureready.com www.prophecyupdate.com www.raptureforums.com All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed. If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” Psalm 122:6. Daily Jot: A word about Christianity and politics - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com Many conservative Christians are upset about the Republican Party Platform softening its stance on abortion and sexual depravity. Some even have vowed not to vote in this year’s presidential election because they see no candidate that upholds the sanctity of life and marriage between a man and a woman. As Christians, are we so wrapped around the political axel, that we forget who we are in Christ and our responsibility as his disciples? What defines us? Are we defined by political stances or spiritual truths? Where do we put our faith? Is our faith in a political party or some candidate, or is it in Christ? These are pertinent questions to ask when it comes to the moral issues with which we are faced as a society. America seems to be a lot like the Roman Empire. In ancient Roman civilization, child sacrifice to the gods was not practiced and was considered barbaric. Infanticide, however, was not only legal, but encouraged. Fathers were allowed to kill their offspring without reprisal. In “The Rise of Christianity” Rodney Stark writes: “Not only was the exposure of infants a very common practice, it was justified by law and advocated by philosophers.” Table IV of the Twelve Tables of Roman Law—the basis of the Roman Constitution—stated “an obviously deformed child must be put to death.” This law justified the killing of any baby that was unwanted, especially females when Romans wanted perhaps only one daughter and many sons. Apologist Christopher Price points out in his paper “Pagans, Christianity, and Infanticide” that if not for Christians, infanticide would have continued as common practice in Roman society. Price writes that early Christian documents such as the Didache and the Epistle of Barnabas expressly prohibited infanticide and abortion as murder. It was Christians in ancient Rome who converted pagans one heart at a time and changed the world’s perspective on abortion and infanticide. Even though infanticide was legal in Roman society, Christians worked to end it. How? They converted pagans one heart at a time. In other words, they held accountability to God’s law not to Roman law. In contemporary America, Christians are still a substantial majority. Yet a large part of Christianity and the “Church” have embraced the world on moral issues. Neither abortion nor sexual depravity would be an issue if the “Church” and Christians were holding accountability—even just to ourselves as a majority. The mess with abortion and sexual depravity began when the “Church” acquiesced its authority to the body politic rather than leading, teaching and holding accountability to the precepts of God. And now we are angry when a politician doesn’t meet our specific expectations. 1 Peter 4:17-18 says, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” Yes, this is a hard message. It’s not meant to offend, but to exhort. We have a lot of work to do and we need to choose leaders that best reflect our values. Daily Devotion: A Call for You to Answer - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. —2 Corinthians 4:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-call-for-you-to-answer/ - Listen Although the apostles were gifted and dedicated, they also were ordinary. Jesus did not call them because they were great. Their greatness was the result of the call of Jesus. As followers of Christ, we recognize in ourselves that we were sinners separated from God. But we also recognize that when Christ came into our lives, He gave us value. The Bible tells us, “We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT). With a new confidence and boldness, we have something to offer. But it isn’t self-confidence; it’s God-confidence. It isn’t self-esteem; it’s God-esteem. We were sinners who rebelled against God, but God graciously forgave us and took us into His kingdom. Each of the apostles was so different. They were holy men of God, but they also messed up sometimes. They had their great accomplishments and victories, but they also had their shortcomings and defeats. But God used them anyway. The great Simon Peter was a man of bravery, courage, and deep conviction. He stood by his Lord. But he also could be impulsive and hotheaded. He was so utterly human. In contrast to Peter’s impulsiveness, Thomas was steady. He has been wrongly characterized as a doubter when, in reality, he was more of a skeptic. He was the kind of a person who didn’t let others do his thinking for him. He wanted to know things for himself. Then there was John. He was sensitive and compassionate, but he also had a temper. Jesus nicknamed John and his brother, James, the “Sons of Thunder” (Mark 3:17 NLT). The apostles were people we can relate to. And they were valuable because of what Jesus did in their lives. God wrote His name on you when you gave your life to Christ. He has invested Himself in you, giving you gifts and abilities. That is where your value comes from. And that is why you can make a difference. Sadly, it seems as though the church today could be compared to a professional football game with sixty thousand people watching in the stadium while twenty-two people do all the work. We stand cheering from our seats, but meanwhile, God is saying, “I want you down on the field. I want you to carry the ball. I want you to be a part of what I am doing.” You may be a Peter, a Thomas, or a John. But God wants to use you. And He has a place for you, a part for you to play, a seed for you to sow, and a call for you to answer. God may call you to cross the sea as a missionary, or He may call you to cross the street and share the gospel with your neighbor. But what you need to say is, “Lord, I am available.” PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY 7/18/24 http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php
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