The Force

IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER... 
 
 

• Featured Article: The Force 
• Their Endgame For The Flag, The National Anthem, The Declaration Of Independence And The Constitution
• Nearing Midnight: The Left’s Fixation with Tucker Carlson 
• Americans ditch biblical worldview for 'fake Christianity' 
• Daily Jot: Are ministries submitting to the IRS dancing with the devil? 
• Daily Devotion: Caught Away 

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The Force - By Steve Meehan - https://www.raptureready.com/2021/07/04/the-force-by-steve-meehan/
 
The year was 1985. A TWA 727 had been hijacked in the Middle East. The Islamist hijackers had forced the flight crew, over a three-day period, to fly between Beirut and Algiers. Passengers were held hostage for two weeks. A US Navy diver passenger aboard the plane was shot and his body dumped on the tarmac in Beirut. The hijackers had a list of demands that included the releasing of 700 Shia militants held as prisoners in an Israeli security compound. The situation was at a stalemate for almost half a month.
 
The Pentagon, early on in the ordeal, issued a directive to send in the Delta Force to the region to, if need be, storm the aircraft, free the hostages and crew, and “dispatch” the hijackers. I was part of a USAF C-141 transport crew that was tasked with flying from Charleston AFB SC, to pick up that elite commando unit from Fort Bragg NC, and under cover of darkness, in the dead of night, secret them away across the Atlantic, down through the Mediterranean and into a staging point at Sigonella Air Base in Sicily. There, our crew stayed for two weeks with those guys in case they had to be transported to another locale in that region of the world. Fortunately for all involved, their services for that incident were not employed, and the situation was eventually resolved somewhat peacefully.
 
The Delta Force is a highly trained, very skilled group of service members, who at any time, can be covertly moved throughout the globe and put in harm’s way to try to quell a sudden uprising or hotspot, usually in an effort to secure the freedom of individuals held captive in a dire situation. Their lives are constantly on the line when the orders come from on high, putting them in a very compromising position to reach an almost “no other option” choice and to hopefully effect a positive outcome.
 
Those men on our flight were very tough-looking hombres, physically fit individuals, and had a determined, purposeful look about them. They were not open to small talk and probably sensed, as in most of their operations, that not all may make it back on the return trip to the US. Can you imagine living a life where yours is constantly on the line, never knowing what a day may bring, in the hopes of saving other lives?
 
A force can be a positive thing. We have police forces to protect citizens from harm, although recently, some on the left have ridiculously called for defunding some police units throughout the USA. The US Air Force is a military service branch that protects our country against threats from enemy aircraft invading our airspace and our bases overseas. A show of force is usually a military tool implemented to try to make an evildoer think twice before acting irrationally. There are forces for good, but conversely, there are forces of evil in this world.
 
You and I, as believers in Jesus, are members of the Body of Christ. His Holy Spirit indwells each true believer. We can be a force for good in this world with Christ abiding in us. Military groups like the Delta Force operate in a purely physical sense to hopefully ensure a positive outcome in their theater of operations. We, with Christ acting through us, make up His Alpha/Omega force, if you will, to make a difference in this world as we conduct our operations, both in the physical realm of life as well as in spiritual campaigns throughout the globe.
 
The Delta Force squads are comprised of both commissioned officers and enlisted men who have made themselves available to the country’s call of duty. As part of Christ’s body, we have been commissioned to carry His gospel throughout the world in hopes of saving the lost from a disastrous eternity. We are trained through the Word of God to be aware of the enemy’s tactics and are strategically maneuvered to be at the right place at the right time, as we are positioned by the Holy Spirit to attempt to rescue a lost soul from the enemy’s grasp.
 
Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:18-20: “All power is given unto me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
 
This is what we have been commissioned to do. These are our orders from on high. And the last part of that commissioning is where we find ourselves today: “even unto the end of the world.” We are at the precise moment and time when things on this side of His soon 1,000-year Millennial reign are wrapping up. The world will soon be in the dark days of the Tribulation hour. We have been tasked with getting out the gospel just before the end of the Church Age.
 
Have you ever considered why we are here on this planet at this precise time, instead of maybe living during some other period over the past 2,000 years of the Church Age? We are here to see the finish and hopefully make a huge difference in the lives of those around us. It is exciting to think that we have been planned to have our existence take place in this world at this present time, but also, it is a huge responsibility on our shoulders to fulfill our role now in His ranks. We must be a force for good, especially now, as we see end-time events starting to jump from off the pages of scripture and land squarely on the globe around us in these exact days and times that we are living in.
 
But the enemy, Satan, and his contingent of fallen angels comprise the forces of evil and are hell-bent to see that we are not successful in our attempts to save people for Christ. He has most of the people of this world right where he wants them: blinded from the truth of the Gospel and firmly on their way to an eternity without Christ. His forces will throw up a gauntlet in every direction we turn to try to witness to others the love of God and how Jesus went to the cross for their sins. He is not very appreciative of our efforts to try to win the lost. In these end times, he is pulling out his complete arsenal of spiritual weapons to impede our mission.
 
But Jesus again confirms to us in His Great Commission that He is with us unto the end of the world. In 1 John 4:4, we also read that the One who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. His force for good triumphs over the enemy’s forces of evil. As we see the world around us getting darker with each passing day, it appears that not only are we drawing ever closer to the start of that dreadful last seven years of end-time events, but that Satan and his forces seem to be running completely roughshod across the planet. But ultimately, it is Christ and His forces that will triumph, and we will be co-heirs with Him and His creation.
 
So, will we go out in a blaze of glory – “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14) – or just sit on the sidelines and watch it all transpire without reaching out to a lost soul?
 
I remember a sermon I heard years ago from the late Adrian Rogers. He tells of a father and his little girl looking at a painting in a museum depicting a rescue boat getting ready to help people out of the tempestuous waves of a roaring ocean after their vessel had capsized. The little girl, seeing one of the men in the boat extending his hand to a person in the water, asks her father if the man is trying to save them or to just shake their hand.
 
We have been put here in this world, at this particular time, to be a force for good. Christ wants us to reach out to a lost and dying world with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know and sense that the time is at hand for when Christ will call his Body of Believers out of this world and for prophesied end-times events to unfold. Many souls are lost, and only a few, relatively speaking, will make it into Heaven.
 
While these are exciting times to be alive – because we know what is coming – it is also a bit disconcerting to know that not all our friends or loved ones are going to make it. They will be here enduring suffering after the Church is removed, and some will wind up in a Christ-less eternity.
 
We can each make a difference. Praying for our lost family members or unsaved friends; reaching out to them in an email, a phone call, a text or even a letter to inform them what lies ahead and how to avoid it; writing an article like this or on other topics in the hopes that people will see it and heed its warning; leaving Bible tracts where people can find them; or even inviting them to your local church worship service and praying the Holy Spirit will inspire them to take the free gift of salvation that only Christ has to offer.
 
Let us be a force for good. Let us make an impact for the Kingdom of God. Let us bring souls with us. Reach out and grab onto someone’s hand and rescue them from the fate that they would otherwise have to endure. Time is short. We are here for a reason. We must do what we are called to do. We have to live out the Great Commission. Christ could have called us home immediately after our conversion, but we were left here to further His Kingdom. He left His Body of Believers here to thwart the enemy’s desire to ruin as many lives as he could.
 
When we flew the Delta Force guys into Sigonella, our crew was ushered into a room, and we were forced to sign a non-disclosure form. We were ordered by a Major at the base not to discuss who we had just flown in. We could not tell loved ones or friends about the group of guys that were now in striking distance of the enemy.
 
The Lord’s Great Commission is somewhat opposite of that. We are to go out into the world with the news of the gospel. We are not to hide our light under a basket. The Lord is with us; He is watching us. Conversely, the enemy is also watching. He is not unaware of our attempts to get people saved. The more of an impact that you are making, the more that he will attempt to trip you up. IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) of doubt and discouragement will be laid before you. Grenade launchers of ridicule and scorn will be fired your way by family members and friends who will be whispered to by the enemy to stop you in your tracks. Timed explosives will be set off at just the right time to try to derail any good intentions that you are attempting to carry out.
 
These types of things do upset us and totally blindside us at times. They can render us immobile and not effective at all in witnessing to people. But we our told not to be ignorant of his devices. We are on a mission, and the enemy’s goal is to subvert that. Let us not faint from what we are to carry out. The end is near, and glory awaits. That does not mean that it will not get painful during the time left. But any suffering endured now cannot compare to the glory that awaits us.
 
You might be the only person that can present the gospel to a particular individual. Maybe they have never been exposed to it before by anyone else, and maybe no one else after you will come their way. You could be the difference-maker.
 
Let us be about the Lord’s business. Join forces with your brothers and sisters in Christ to offer a lifeline to those who are perishing. Steal away from the enemy what he thinks is now his. Storm his strongholds with prayer. Secure the freedoms of those around you. And when Christ ultimately returns to this planet, you will be included in His host and forces and will witness Jesus dispatching the enemy with the “spirit of His mouth and the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).
 
“And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the World” (Matthew 28:20).
 
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Their Endgame For The Flag, The National Anthem, The Declaration Of Independence And The Constitution - by Michael Snyder – http://endoftheamericandream.com/their-endgame-for-the-flag-the-national-anthem-the-declaration-of-independence-and-the-constitution/
 
A huge national debate about our most important national symbols has erupted, and it is rapidly becoming one of our hottest political issues. But what most people don’t realize is that this isn’t really a debate about our past. Rather, it is a debate about what our future is going to look like. Those that are demonizing the American flag, the national anthem, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are not doing so for the purpose of winning a historical debate. Their true goal is to “cancel” those symbols and replace them with new ones, because our existing national symbols represent values and principles that are diametrically opposed to the values and principles that they wish to impose upon society.
 
If they ultimately get their way, the United States will eventually become an extremely repressive high tech dystopian society where absolutely no dissent is tolerated. In other words, we would look a whole lot like communist China does today.
 
When I was growing up, the “godless communists” on the other side of the globe were the “bad guys”, and I was raised to greatly love the flag and the freedoms that it represented. But now our flag is regularly demonized by the corporate media. For example, the New York Times just published an article in which the flag was described as “alienating”…
 
What was once a unifying symbol — there is a star on it for each state, after all — is now alienating to some, its stripes now fault lines between people who kneel while “The Star-Spangled Banner” plays and those for whom not pledging allegiance is an affront.
 
And it has made the celebration of the Fourth of July, of patriotic bunting and cakes with blueberries and strawberries arranged into Old Glory, into another cleft in a country that seems no longer quite so indivisible, under a flag threatening to fray.
 
At one time, it would have been unthinkable for a major newspaper to publish such a statement, but times have changed.
 
And calls for our existing flag to be replaced with a new one are starting to grow louder. The following comes from a widely circulated opinion piece that singer Macy Gray authored last month…
 
President Biden, Madame Harris and members of Congress: the American flag has been hijacked as code for a specific belief. God bless those believers, they can have it. Like the Confederate, it is tattered, dated, divisive, and incorrect. It no longer represents democracy and freedom. It no longer represents ALL of us. It’s not fair to be forced to honor it. It’s time for a new flag.
 
Of course it isn’t just the flag that they want to replace.
 
Right now, there is a Change.org petition that is calling for a new national anthem…
 
The petition, started by Lawrence Johnson, cites three reasons why the national anthem should be changed:
 
The “Star Spangled Banner” contains “racism,” elitism and even sexism embedded in its third and fourth stanzas, which have no place in the national anthem of a democracy that claims that all men (and women) are created equal, the petition says.
 
That particular petition is suggesting that “American The Beautiful” should be the new anthem, but a lot of people are also now referring to “Lift Every Voice And Sing” as a “national anthem”…
 
PBS has sparked tense backlash with its decision to have Vanessa Williams perform the “black national anthem” during its July 4 coverage — with critics blasting the move as divisive and un-American.
 
Williams’ performance on the station’s annual Capitol Fourth program Sunday evening is intended to celebrate the recognition of Juneteenth’s establishment as a federal holiday.
 
In the end, they aren’t going to be satisfied with changing just one or two things.
 
The goal is for all of the symbols of our founding era to be “canceled”, and this even includes our most important founding documents.
 
Earlier today, I was stunned to learn that NPR is now publicly claiming that the Declaration of Independence is filled with “flaws and hypocrisies”…
 
In an online article, NPR stated: ‘Over the past 32 years, Morning Edition has broadcast a reading of the Declaration of Independence by NPR staff as a way of marking Independence Day.
 
‘But after last summer’s protests and our national reckoning on race, the words in the document land differently.’
 
In reference to the ‘flaws and hypocrisies’ within the historic document, NPR wrote: ‘It famously declares “that all men are created equal” even though women, enslaved people and Indigenous Americans were not held as equal at the time.’
 
And Congresswoman Maxine Waters is publicly attacking it as well…
 
July 4th… & so, the Declaration of Independence says all men are created equal. Equal to what? What men? Only white men?
 
“All men are created equal” is a phrase that has been a beacon of hope for men and women all over the globe for more than two centuries, but now Maxine Waters would like us to believe that it is actually an insult.
 
Sadly, I am certain that it won’t be too long before someone out there comes up with a “new Declaration of Independence” to replace the old one.
 
Of course the U.S. Constitution is under relentless assault as well. When I was in law school, my liberal professors taught me that it was a “living, breathing document” that could be changed to make it say anything that we wanted it to say.
 
But these days that is not enough for many on the left. A lot of them now want to get rid of that “flawed” document entirely and start over.
 
The endgame is to create an entirely different country from the one that our founders originally established, and every year they make a little bit more progress toward that goal.
 
Of course there are still millions of patriotic Americans that are absolutely determined to keep them from winning, but the other side has far more money and far more power at this stage.
 
This is a point that Victor Davis Hanson made very well in one of his recent articles…
 
Name one mainline institution that the woke left does not now control — and warp. The media? The campus? Silicon Valley? Professional sports? The corporate boardroom? Foundations? The K-12 educational establishment? The military hierarchy? The government deep state? The FBI top echelon?
 
The left absorbed them all. But this time around, members of the left really believe that “by any means necessary” is no mere slogan. Instead, it is a model of how to disrupt or destroy American customs, traditions and values.
 
All throughout our history, Americans have sacrificed so much so that future generations could live free.
 
But now all of our precious freedoms are on the line, and the other side is absolutely determined to permanently destroy everything that our founders worked so hard to build.
 
We have reached such a critical moment in our history, and America’s future hangs in the balance.




 
Nearing Midnight: The Left’s Fixation with Tucker Carlson – Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/
 
I rarely watch the Tucker Carlson show on Fox News. My TV viewing time is down to about five minutes each day when I watch the national news. It deeply concerns me that dozens of liberal media outlets and the Biden administration are fixated on everything Tucker has to say.
 
Tucker Carlson Tonight is the top show in cable news, averaging 2.81 million total viewers, followed by Hannity with 2.59 million, and The Five with 2.53 million. The closest show from the left is The Rachel Maddow Show with 2.27 million.
 
Carlson has weathered waves of ad boycotts by the efforts of other networks to badger companies to stop running ads on Carlson’s show. CNN openly supports efforts to boycott its rivals and does not see a problem with using mafia tactics to control the flow of news.
 
Ad boycotts won’t work because ads only bring in a portion of major networks’ income. Unlike advertising revenue, cable fees are more guaranteed and split among channels carried by providers like Comcast or Spectrum. Those proceeds for Fox come from cable subscribers regardless of whether they ever tune in.
 
While cable fees continue to fall as more Americans cut the cord, Carlson is at the center of the network’s streaming strategy with his new talk show “Tucker Carlson Today” and long-form documentary series “Tucker Carlson Originals,” both of which are behind a paywall on the FOX Nation app.
 
Tucker has addressed the topic of “cancel culture” several times. “In January, Simon & Schuster — the gargantuan publishing house — canceled a book by a senator from Missouri, Josh Hawley, because a mob of democratic activists told them to,” said Carlson.
 
Salon.com tried to argue that he undermined his own argument and should be canceled for misrepresenting the truth. I think salon.com should be canceled for stupidity. Democratic activists have gotten all types of books banned or canceled because they differ from the leftist ideology. The Nazis banned books, but at least they were mostly honest about their reasons.
 
Tucker Carlson is often called a White Supremacist. And He’s giving Fox viewers exactly what they want. Carlson is labeled a white supremacist because he rejects replacement theory, Black Lives Matter, and a host of other racist leftist organizations.
 
When the Mayor of Chicago Lori Lightfoot said she would only do interviews with reporters from minority races, Carlson was right to call out her bigotry. Lightfoot claims that 99 percent of her critics are motivated by racism or sexism.
 
With nearly 2,000 people shot so far, 2021 is Chicago’s deadliest year in more than a decade. Lightfoot deserves to be criticized because she has been a horrible mayor. She’s too busy looking into the past to see the problems of today:
 
“Look at my predecessors. Did people say that Rich Daley held tea sessions with people that he didn’t disagree on? Rahm Emanuel was a polite guy who was a uniter? No. Women and people of color are always held to a different standard,” Lightfoot said.
 
Last week, Carlson said that The National Security Agency (NSA) has been monitoring the communications between members of his crew with the intention of getting the show canceled. An NSA Whistleblower revealed to Carlson that the Biden Admin was spying on him. The NSA responded to the claims with a blanket statement:
 
“NSA has a foreign intelligence mission. We target foreign powers to generate insights on foreign activities that could harm the United States. With limited exceptions (e.g., an emergency), NSA may not target a US citizen without a court order that explicitly authorizes the targeting.”
 
It is troubling that the NSA is a secret organization that allows no replies to any allegations. The NSA has used this same deceit for years: they can spy on US citizens’ communications without “targeting” the American. The NSA has extremely broad authorities to collect communications without “targeting” a person.
 
When Biden won and we lost control of the senate, I thought the Democrats would quickly turn America into a Soviet-style Gulag. God has kept the Democrats in a perfect state of confusion, which has kept things amazingly stable. People like Carlson are being used to hold back the darkness that the enemy craves to operate in. The only reasonable answer to “Why is God still restraining?” is the rapture.
 
“I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you” (Exodus 23:27, New King James Version).

 


 
Americans ditch biblical worldview for 'fake Christianity' - By Rachel Bratton - https://www.wnd.com/2021/07/shocking-poll-shows-americans-ditched-biblical-worldview-fake-christianity/
 
American Christianity has fallen. Thanks to cultural corrosion and a lack of biblical literacy, a new “fake Christianity” has raked the dry ground of the American church.
 
This counterfeit religion is moralistic therapeutic deism, a worldview that has quickly gained prominence and given many Americans a theology that looks nothing like historical Christianity, despite what they may claim.
 
George Barna, director of research at Arizona Christian University, said MTD -- or "watered-down, feel-good, fake Christianity" -- is “the most popular worldview in the United States today,” according to Christianity Daily. A recent poll conducted by ACU found that 38 percent of adults hold this view.
 
What's more, three out of four people who hold to MTD still consider themselves Christians.
 
The poll was conducted in February among 2,000 adults with a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points.
 
“The fact that a greater percentage of people who call themselves Christian draw from [MTD] than from the Bible says a lot about the state of the Christian church in America, in all of its manifestations,” Barna said.
 
"Simply and objectively stated, Christianity in this nation is rotting from the inside out."
 
What Is MTD?
 
Barna explained to The Western Journal what MTD is and how it affects the way Christians engage in culture.
 
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“MTD is essentially what I would call fake Christianity. Because it has some Christian elements in it, but it's not really biblical, it's not really Christian,” Barna said.
 
He then went on to explain each element of this worldview.
 
"The moralistic perspective is we're here to be good people and to try to do good,” Barna said. “That’s really what life is about. I’ll be good to you, you be good to me, it'll all work out.
 
"The therapeutic aspect is everything is supposed to be geared to making me feel good about myself, ultimately to make me happy."
 
Deism is the idea that God created the world but has no direct involvement in it. Basically, according to MTD, there is a distant God who just wants everyone to be nice, and the purpose of life is to be happy.
 
American "Christians" who have adopted this philosophy have borrowed heavily from the modern secular world, which elevates personal definitions of right and wrong above any objective standard of truth -- like the Bible.
 
According to a study conducted by Lifeway Research, a little more than half of Americans would describe the Bible as a “good source of morals.” Only 38 percent said it was an historical account and 37 percent said it was helpful today.
 
The study was conducted from Sept. 27 to Oct. 1, 2016, among 1,000 Americans with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.
 
MTD is a cake-and-ice cream theology for those who want to feel good about themselves without sacrificing cultural relevance.
 
Why Is MTD a Problem?
 
MTD distorts the God of the Bible in an attempt to make him bless all the dissipations and vanities of the modern world.
 
“It’s one of those models that says -- and there are a number of worldviews that say this -- you gotta live in the moment. This is all you’ve got, and you’ve gotta make the most of it,” Barna said.
 
It makes sense that “Christians” who embrace MTD are hesitant to criticize the culture. How can anyone pass judgment if everyone’s just trying to be happy? The only sin is getting in the way of someone's personal "truth."
 
Without a firm foundation in the Truth, increasing numbers of Christians are ill-prepared to fight the moral battles being waged in our country. That's why so many are siding with groups like Black Lives Matter and the LGBT movement. They’ll listen to the loudest voice on either side.
 
Enter the screaming woke mob.
 
Some "Christians" have tried to argue for secular trends using biblical language. And while it is true that the Bible condemns racism and hatred, progressive agendas certainly do not reflect Christian values. They promote sin under the guise of “loving everyone.”
 
Followers of Christ have forgotten that Jesus didn’t come to tell people to be nice. His message has always been a stumbling block, and it's especially hard for 21st-century Americans to accept.
 
There is no such thing as “your truth”; there is only the Truth and deception.
 
What Is the Solution?
 
If the church does not train up believers in the Truth, they will find themselves floundering in a culture that desperately needs Christ.
 
In essence, Christians need to return to a competent state of biblical literacy.
 
Churches must focus on shepherding their sheep instead of obsessing over numbers. And believers must take the initiative to read and learn the Bible in order to apply it to their daily lives.
 
Barna said that conservative Christians were the least likely to talk to others about candidates and issues during the last election cycle. This was because they did not know what they believed or how to put it into words.
 
“Christians have to be clear about why they believe the Bible is trustworthy, why they would say it’s reliable for their own life, and then to be able to articulate that to other people,” he said.
 
“Secondly, we’re gonna have to have churches that are willing to bring the Bible into the real world.”
 
“We found that two-thirds of conservative Christians said they were dying for their pastors not to tell them who to vote for, but how to think biblically about the issues so that they could make up their own minds based on biblical principles,” Barna added.
 
Having a solid understanding of what the Bible teaches will help Christians engage confidently with the culture. They need to be prepared to give a defense of what they believe, because challenges to their faith are guaranteed.
 
America needs a firm foundation on which to stand. The Truth is the only one that will not sway with the ever-shifting sands of our sinful culture.

 


 
Daily Jot: Are ministries submitting to the IRS dancing with the devil? - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com
 
There has been much written about how conservative and religious affiliated groups were singled out and harassed by the IRS. During the Obama Administration, many groups who were critical of the occupant of the Oval Office were fingered for extra IRS harassment. Red State reported in May 2013, “Among the ministries targeted are the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Samaritan’s Purse and the Biblical Recorder–the newspaper of the North Carolina Baptist State Convention. The revelations seem to indicate the IRS was targeting more than just Tea Party groups and conservative political organizations.” Did these groups set themselves up for such harassment?
 
The IRS is one of only a couple of government “agencies” that have the unconstitutional power to suspend the presumption of innocence and force the victim to prove his innocence–meaning you are guilty until proven innocent. The Constitutional guarantees of presumption of innocence are found in the Fourth Amendment that prevents the government from unreasonable searches and seizures of personal property without a warrant and probable cause. Presumption of innocence is also found in the Fifth Amendment when it says that you cannot be forced to testify against yourself, and also the Sixth Amendment that juries must be impartial and witnesses are allowed on behalf of the defendant.
 
I would contend that the IRS is an unconstitutional agency of the government that could not exist if the Constitution was strictly followed, and most certainly its actions of harassment and seizure of personal property, even houses, is specifically prohibited by the Constitution. If religious organizations, especially church-affiliated ministries, know that the First Amendment guarantees their tax exemption and freedom of speech, why would they submit to and invite the IRS authority over them? They do so by establishing 501C3 and 501C4 government-regulated corporations and operating their ministries from them. They are voluntarily submitting their ministries to IRS controls on their speech and actions.
 
When the government violates their First Amendment rights, they cry foul. Have they not given up many of those rights by becoming a legal entity of the government? Notwithstanding, they can raise lots of money with those government designations. It is a trade off. Do you do and say what God leads you to, or do you put government imposed limits on that and raise more money? People should be demanding IRS reform or even abolished. But religious groups ought to embrace their First Amendment rights that prevent government interference in their ministries–people will still give according to what the Lord lays on their hearts. Jesus said in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and innocent as doves.”

 


 
Daily Devotion: Caught Away - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org
 
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. —1 Thessalonians 4:17
 
https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/caught-away/ - Listen
 
Some people say the teaching of the Rapture is escapism.
 
Yes, that’s exactly what it is. Christ will come for His Church and take us off this earth.
 
In 1 Thessalonians 4, we find probably the most definitive passage on the Rapture: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (verses 16–17 NKJV).
 
The term caught up is an interesting one because there are many shades of meaning. One way to translate it is “to catch away quickly.” This is the same translation in Acts 8:39, where we read that after Philip led the Ethiopian official to Christ, “the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away” (NKJV).
 
In the same way, the Rapture will take place in a quick period of time. The Bible says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:52 NKJV).
 
In fact, “the twinkling of an eye” reportedly lasts about one thousandth of a second. That means if you’re a Christian, one moment you’ll be going about your life on Earth, and the next moment you’ll find yourself the presence of Christ Himself.
 
The Rapture could take place so rapidly that we wouldn’t even know it, except that we’d be hurtled into God’s presence. In light of this, we should live each day in expectation of the Lord’s return.

 


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

IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT  
 
WORTHY OF YOUR SUPPORT?
 
One of the most reliable ways to determine if a ministry is worthy of your financial support is to examine its fruits. If Prophecy Update is keeping you informed, and if that information inspires you, and causes you to draw closer to the Lord, if Prophecy Update equips you with valuable information and knowledge to share with and encourage other believers, and open the eyes of non-believers, and if Prophecy Update keeps you connected to current events relating to Bible Prophecy, then you are partaking of the fruit produced through this ministry. None of this would be possible without the Lords blessings and your support. I believe where the Lord guides, the Lord provides, and most of the time He provides through the willing and generous hearts of believers just like you and me.
 
Humbly Seek Your Support
 
Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks!
 
If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now!
What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake?
"Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!"
 
"Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey
 
1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack.
2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others.
3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know.
4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update.
 
I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks!
 
Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13
 
If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to:
 
 DONATE NOW 
 
 
 
Or write us at:
 
Prophecy Update
P.O. Box 40516
Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 
 
 
We are very pleased to offer all our readers this FREE download on Bible Prophecy from the Evangelical Bible College of Western Australia - Just download and enjoy and be blessed! Feel free to share it with all your friends and family members.
 
Click below to download!
 
"AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING"
 
 
 
 
If You Died Today, Would You Go To Heaven?
Find out, visit:
www.thegoodtest.net
www.gotquestions.org
www.wayofthemaster.com 
How to know God
 
 
 
DID YOU KNOW?
You can submit an article, leave a comment or praise report at email:
[email protected]
 
 
Maranatha! (Lord Come Quickly)
 
 "On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand."
 
 "Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!"
 
 YBIC-Randy