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TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
WMD (Weapons of Mass Distraction) – Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.net/post/wmd-weapons-of-mass-distraction
The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie...2 Thessalonians 2:9-11 (my emphasis) Something I've overlooked for years is found at the very beginning of this passage by Paul in his second letter to the Thessalonians. Notice it doesn't say at the arrival of, or after the arrival of the lawless one, but at his coming (Greek- parousia) as in prior to his arriving fully) in conjunction with his future arrival. With his (the antichrist) coming, or in the process of his coming/manifesting, the lawless one will do so according to the supernatural outworking or power (Greek- energeia) of Satan. I like to think of this supernatural process of manifesting as that of a plough wind or outflow boundary that precedes a major storm front. It kicks up the wind something fierce and drops the temperature so you know that a storm is on its way. This is what we're seeing today with regards to this Luciferian zeitgeist sweeping the planet. Common sense and reasoning are tossed out the window for those who did not receive the love of the truth. They are being given over and will come to embrace the great delusions when it arrives. As I've often said, a global-level crisis requires a global-level distraction. And Satan intends on putting on one heck of a light show in the moments after the Rapture of the Church. But before we get to that, let us do a quick overview of the differing, yet overlapping constructs which presently exist, and upon which this great delusion will be placed. Geopolitical The times of the Gentiles The times we are in now were called by Jesus, the times of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24). This would speak to the ongoing Gentile domination which would basically control the earth in the interim between Christ's first and second coming. However, it also includes the following major gentile powers that preceded the days of Christ, according to both Daniel chapters 2, 7-8, and Rev. 17:10. These are Egypt, Assyria (included in Rev. 17:10's 'eight'), Babylon (gold/lion), Persia (silver/bear), Greece (bronze/leopard), Rome (iron/ferocious beast), and a future revived Roman empire (iron mixed with clay). Rome was the dominant world power in Jesus' day, and in truth, has never fully lost its power and influence. Western Rome collapsed politically/culturally /militarily/economically around 476 AD, but Eastern Rome (vis a vis the Byzantine Empire) continued on until the 15th century. Western Rome was revived under the guise of the Holy Roman Empire in 800AD (the Frankish king Charlamagne), and has since morphed into varying colonial empires until it culminated with the founding of the United States of America, which is a product of the English, Dutch, French, Italian, and Spanish. It's interesting to me how invested Satan is in keeping this particular empire intact. Birth Pangs Addressing the question of the last days, Jesus referred to the horrendous lead-up to the final moments of human history as being similar to that of 'birth pangs' (Matt. 24:8). Paul uses a similar metaphor in 1 Thessalonians 5:3. Since the signs Jesus mentions pointing us towards the end are fairly common main-stays throughout the human drama (earthquakes, wars, rumors of wars, pestilences, deception, etc.) what He was referring to was not that they happen, but how they happen. He said they would increase in both frequency and intensity like birth pangs until reaching a crescendo point at the very end of time. One could conclusively argue that the 20th century certainly achieved that crescendo status as being the most violent and transformative century in history. Spiritual The fullness of the Gentiles Paul spoke of national Israel's spiritual blindness being in place until the fullness of the Gentiles has fully come in (Rom. 11:25). While Jesus' comment regarding the Gentiles was referring to the geopolitical domination, Paul here is referring to the populations which Jesus would use to build His Church from (i.e., the Gentile populations) as the Gospel continued to spread around the world. Like a beautiful mosaic, the Church is being built into a singular, yet corporate body of believers from all tribes and tongues during this particular age. The fullness will continue until the fullness is complete and reaches a point known only to God. Perilous times Here there is a paradoxical relationship of sorts, where on the one hand, Jesus refers to these as the 'days of Noah' and 'Lot,' speaking to the seeming normalcy bias which will be prevalent upon the earth. On the other hand, Paul referred to these same days as perilous times (2 Tim. 3), meaning wickedness would continue to escalate globally until it reached unprecedented and unbearable levels. So the evil and wickedness that would continue to fester would be so commonplace, is to be accepted as normal, or just "the way things are." But even then, it would rise so noticeably toward the end, that it becomes unbearable to the righteous (similar to how Lot's soul was vexed daily in 2 Peter 2:7). The other writers of the New Testament make similar sentiments about the rising tide of evil in the last days (James 5:1-6, 2 Peter 3:3-7, 1 John 2:15-19, Jude 1:14-19). The truth is, we are at the tail-end of this two-thousand-year stretch since Christ first walked the earth. It should not surprise us that we are seeing the escalation in both wickedness and entropy as we draw near to the conclusion of the convergence of Bible prophecy. Technology Having briefly discussed both the geopolitical and spiritual conditions of the world upon reaching the last days, let us move on to events now that are moving us even faster into the final moments. Now, think about all of the recent 21st-century concepts that have been introduced into our modern lexicon of common knowledge through pop culture, academia, science, and even government sanctions. These are things that are redefining reality for many people and are expanding (IMHO) the venues upon which Satan will use to introduce delusion and confusion.
Now, most of these things are not necessarily evil in and of themselves. But they are tools that will be used to enslave humanity. Prior to the year 2000, I would venture to say none of these things on this list were either commonly known or understood outside of a small, select group of either military, scientific, or academic professionals. Even then, it was almost always in the theoretical sense, never as an 'actual' or 'physical' reality. For instance, we've known about Quantum physics since Albert Einstein walked the earth, but it was only a theory that seemed plausible. It wasn't until 1998 that there was an actual, physical, quantum computer, even if that computer was a rudimentary version of what we have today. The term "Internet of Things" (IoT) was first coined/defined in 1999, but wouldn't begin any kind of real implementation until 2002-03. Again, its beginning was embryonic. Blockchain technology (as a reality) was unheard of until 2008. If you'd gone up to someone prior to the advent and development of smart devices and asked them about cloud services, very few (if any) would understand what that meant. Graphene was discovered to be a by-product of graphite in 2004. They found it to be harder than steel, thinner than paper and conducted electricity extremely well...even presumably for the three18 GHz pulse blasts (see my ZAKS article for further clarification). Artificial Intelligence was popularly known long before the year 2000, but only as a category of science fiction, never in reality. Certainly, things like "Singularity" were theoretical concepts prior to the turn of the century, but its reality seemed about as distant as putting men on Mars. Now it is within man's reach. The same idea goes with things like the Gray Zone. Obviously, people knew what irregular, guerrilla, and hybrid warfare meant prior to the turn of the century, but the Gray Zone definition (the space between peace and war) took on a whole new meaning when multidomain operations came to be. It expanded conflict beyond simply land, sea, and air. The multi-domain operations now include space, cyber, information, and the subterranean for which we must contend with and in. Now mankind must also contend with the very real cyber world of the metaverse (adds complexity), as well as the fictional yet delusional concept of the multiverse (adds confusion). Speaking of confusion, UAPs (formerly known as UFOs) became the official government definition that describes the unknown entities gallivanting across our atmosphere while breaking the laws of physics, unchallenged. Clearly, the presence of UFOs had been common knowledge during the mid-late 20th century but was a thing the government either profusely denied existing, or at least denied admitting publically until 2017. Now that the governments of the world have officially acknowledged their existence, you can bet this information will be used in the future to muddy the waters surrounding the Rapture of the Church. Assessment Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” Revelation 13:1-4 What do all of the aforementioned 21st-century technologies and realities have in common? Well, as Dr. Andy Woods has often said, these things always point toward the fulfillment of bible prophecy; never away from it. Just as the geopolitical unwinding and cultural wickedness points mankind toward the end of the age, so too has the rise of these advanced digital, economic, scientific, and military concepts and technologies thrust us into the conditions necessary for the final week of years to manifest- the dreaded 70th Week of Daniel. When that final Gentile kingdom (aka...the Beast) comes to power, it will be the first since Nimrod who is able to physically control the entire human population all at the same time. Many powerful empires have come and gone, but none were able to do that. In Nimrod's day, his absolute control was due to the limited population (descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth) and the confined geographic location (plains of Shinar) in which the entire human population lived that enabled him to do it. In our day, it will be the aforementioned technologies that will entrap humanity under an authoritarian system so brutal and wicked, that there will be no escape (save death) for those who seek freedom (Rev. 13:7). Indeed, people around the world will marvel at the power of this final kingdom and ask, "who is able to make war with him?" As with this particular scenario, we are going to focus on the brief period of time between the Rapture of the Church and the start of the 70th Week of Daniel. We don't know how long that gap of time is, but knowing what will need to transpire, may help us better understand a general time frame.
These are things that must happen and yet, don't seem to fit wholly within the confines of the 70th Week proper. We know (or at least, strongly presume) that the Rapture event itself will throw the world into chaos. We know (or presume) that the Ten Kings, the False Prophet, and the Antichrist (whoever that may be) will use that time to consolidate their power. While chaos in and of itself is a powerful enough catalyst to consolidate power, it's not enough to assuage the growing panic that will consume the nations of the world, particularly those with Christians in them. For example, there is presumably more residual knowledge of what the Rapture is in say, Australia, versus Nepal. The reason is fairly simple. One nation has more Christians talking/discussing/arguing about the Rapture versus a nation with hardly any Christians at all. For those nations that had a decent-sized population of born-again Christians, there needs to be a satanic excuse prepared for what just happened. Whether that excuse is extra-terrestrials, Gaia cleansing the earth, or a zombie apocalypse (or a combination of the three), those reasons cannot exist in a vacuum. There is required both the preparatory groundwork (where we are now), as well as a sufficient enough illusionary façade or charade to deceive the left-behind masses. It doesn't need to be enough to overwhelmingly convince everyone, but it needs to be enough to either introduce enough reasonable doubt or confusion into the situation that nobody really knows what to believe. Whatever deception it ends up being, as long as it's not the Rapture, Satan will use it. This confusion/deception will become particularly exacerbated if this can also coincide with a Singularity-like event. Imagine the following scenario. The Rapture of the Church happens on a particular day. In the hours following the event, city and state law and emergency officials quickly become inundated and then overwhelmed with calls and responses to fires, vehicle crashes, and looting. The states appeal for federal aid, but the federal government is thrown equally into the chaos as numerous politicians, judges, and federal officials are missing. The executive branch approves a hasty Dept. of Defense request to initiate martial law, which is quickly adopted by each of the fifty states. In the interim, the United States government shuts down and moves its executive branch operations to Camp David. Simultaneously, nations around the world begin to initiate varying forms of martial law, lockdowns, and complete news blackouts. Within a week of the event, most major cities are burning and had been looted to the point of insolvency. The government (or what remains) initiates its ZAKS program in predetermined locations (with 5G access) to neutralize/minimalize the lawlessness in those major urban areas. They hand over much of the day-to-day functioning to the new Quantum AI program that keeps the major nuclear and other highly sensitive facilities running unmanned. The remaining government also institutes safe havens at hundreds of newly built FEMA camps strategically located outside of major urban areas. Military bases, which have suffered significant loss of personnel already, have been converted to housing for any survivors that can make it there. The Internet is not entirely shut down but is being throttled and censored to such a degree that it makes its use impractical. Meanwhile, network communications (radio, broadband, and even some satellites) are either not working, or are being so heavily censored by the backup Artificial Intelligence 'bots' that communicating is at a standstill. Information is the new currency and no one seems to know what really happened, or is happening. A new broadcast, designed to calm the masses, begins to make hourly reports that a new regional government is forming and nations around the world are signing on. Information was still forthcoming but it appears that people are moving toward the coasts and being resettled into sanctuary communities. In the meantime, the skies overhead have turned kinetic, with a marked increase in frenzied activities of UAPs and other anomalous events causing people to become panicked and increasingly frightened. The rural areas have been given over to the gangs and criminals, who have set up mobile 'Mad Max' fiefdoms with cruel efficiency. However, as locations begin to run scarce with food and fuel, the gangs move on spreading like locusts. Those who have chosen to remain in the country, are increasingly faced with the rapid entropic effect of both nature's reclaiming of towns and the increase and brazenness of wild animals. Cities and states less impacted by the Rapture (the Pacific Northwest and North Atlantic) remain more intact for longer than those in what was dubbed, the "Bible Belt." Still, everywhere is impacted equally by the loss of children and babies causing immediate and profound angst and misery amongst the left-behind communities. Utah and other heavily Mormon areas are regions that seem both the most perplexed, and yet, best prepared for the ensuing lawlessness as they declare their independence from what was the United States of America. As the United States rapidly disintegrates along ethnic and racial lines, tribalism sets in, and once-vibrant communities quickly escalate both violence and threats of violence. Likewise, this disintegration also becomes evident at the national level as Europe, Africa, and Asia quickly succumb to tribalism as their respective governments collapse economically. The United Nations calls a number of emergency meetings and it is decided that the most-intact nation for each of the ten regions is given charge to begin reorganizing into a regional authority. Satan realizes several things up front. First, he has no idea when the Rapture will happen, so he must always maintain a heightened state of readiness at all times. This is a tremendous argument in favor of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture, since, if the Rapture were to occur within the confines of the 70th Week itself, it could be figured out rather easily. All Satan would have to do is wait for the mid-point, or this Seal, Trumpet, or Bowl Judgment, and then it would happen. But since it happens prior to any of the 70th Week, and the crisis which the Rapture produces serves as the trigger for the rest of the ensuing events to occur, Satan doesn't know. Neither does anyone else, except God Himself. That is why John writes in his epistle, Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 1 John 2:18 John distinguishes between The Antichrist who is coming, and the many antichrists who have already come because again, Satan doesn't know. He has to continually put forth antichrist candidates that turn out not to be The Antichrist because the time was not yet. But the moment the lightning-fast Rapture occurs, Satan will have to have his man in a position to assume authority quickly. That is why even now, he is wasting no time in prepping the world to be ready for his final kingdom. He is enabling mankind to speed up technology. He is opening Pandora's Box of the occult, supernatural, and the metaphysical so that mankind is desensitized to its presence once it manifests. He is darkening men's minds to embrace and normalize wickedness so that its arrival will seem normal and commonplace, instead of shocking. Secondly, Satan must frontload (or preload) as much of this final kingdom into our current construct today, so that he can save time on the back side (post-Rapture). The problem he is continually running into is the Restrainer (the Holy Spirit-infused body of Christ upon the earth) who is serving as salt and light in an increasingly darkening world. As soon as Satan has some major gain in one part of the world, revival breaks out in another. Satan rushes in to crush or corrupt that movement and another divine event happens that disrupts his plans. In other words, Satan has been stuck in the "whack a mole" business for the past two thousand years which has been effectively disrupting and slowing down his plans of global domination. Conclusion Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” Luke 4:5-7 (my emphasis) Although Satan spoke truthfully (albeit selectively) in his conversation while tempting Jesus in the wilderness, his ability to control the flow of kingdoms is still at the discretion of God's timing and purpose (Dan. 4:17, Acts 17:26). God determines their times and boundaries and has decreed through divine judgment (the Flood, Babel, Babylon, etc.) the who, what, when, where, and why humanity progresses or stalls in its inevitable march towards the end. To this point, Satan has overplayed his hand over and over with regard to rushing ahead of God's timing. But the fact it is all seemingly coming together now, in our day, reinforces this idea put forth by Paul of being eyewitnesses to the Antichrist's parousia (coming) and the level of preparation requires for this final kingdom to become a reality. This is why it is not just the threats of violence and the wickedness that is skyrocketing now, but the distractions of pop culture and modernity as well. In the US Army, almost every command is made up of different sections that handle everything from personnel and logistics to operations and information. The operations cell is usually broken down into two components- Current Ops and Future Ops. Current Ops is everything within the next 48 hours. Future Ops is everything beyond that. The world right now (to include you and me) is being so inundated with Current Ops (work, family, bills, careers, news, politics, etc.) that we can't really see the forest for the trees any longer. It's moving from crisis to crisis without really being able to connect the dots. As watchmen though, we are peeking beyond the daily grind to the big picture of what is transpiring. We are seeing the Luciferian mosaic coming together and are doing our best to warn our lost family and friends about what is coming. The sad truth is, while most will admit that something is not right in the world, most are either not willing to hear, while others are not ready to hear what is coming upon the earth. People have become addicted to this reality and to this world that is quickly passing away. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 2 Thess. 2:5-8 (my emphasis) If God is not actively handing over the domains and nations of this world to Satan in the present, then He is at least, tacitly allowing the Antichrist's kingdom to come to fruition in so much as the Restrainer allows it. Nevertheless, as ominous and encroaching as this Antichrist kingdom appears on our horizon, it cannot come into its full manifestation so long as the Church physically remains on the earth. While that is encouraging news, it is also news that hearkens us to ramp up our evangelism efforts to share the Gospel and the prophetic truths with a lost and dying world. Yes, salvation is the chief aim here, but if they will not listen, or heed to the Holy Spirit's persistent drawing to Christ, then they should at least know what's coming. They should know what's coming in the same vein as Christ's foretelling of coming events to His disciples so that when it happened, they would believe (John 13:19, 14:29, and 16:4). I do not think it's any mistake or coincidence that at precisely the same time the Antichrist's kingdom is on the verge of physical manifestation, the Gospel has found its greatest avenue in the form of the Internet. One preacher now is able to minister not just to those in his congregation, but to people around the world. Bible teachers are finding enormous online audiences around the world who are starving (locally) as a spiritual famine comes upon the land. This article will be shared by many, and reach many more people around the world far beyond what even I know. I tell you all this not to woo you with my intelligence, knowledge, or writing skills, but to urge you to get busy sharing the Good News of not just salvation, but of Christ's soon return. Get busy in your own circles of influence, whether that be at work or home. Be bold(er) and do not care what the world says. If the world had its way, the Gospel, the Bible, and Bible Prophecy would be banned entirely from every channel and every pulpit. Don't wait for permission, because the world will never give it...or if it gives it, will come with strings attached. Be bold for the sake of Christ, because we are quickly running out of daylight. And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil. Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it. 1 Thess. 5:12-24 Mideast Review: Struggle To Fill The Power Vacuum Reaches Epic Proportions – Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/mideast-review-w-amir-tsarfati-struggle-to-fill-the-power-vacuum-reaches-epic-proportions/ If you follow my Telegram channel, you know that the actions in and around the Israeli Knesset continue to be interesting. Following the collapse of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government last week, the struggle to fill the power vacuum has reached epic proportions. So much of the discussion centers around who the various parties will not back, instead of who they would. Chief among those vilified is former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. So many of the actions of Bennett’s government were to prove that they weren’t Netanyahu. They hate the man passionately and want the world to know that they are doing all they can to change Israel into a non-Netanyahu state. The problem is that by reversing so many of the previous prime minister’s policies, they have left the nation much weaker – focused more on social justice than on military strength. That may be fine if you are sitting in western Europe where everyone thinks the same as you do. It doesn’t work if you are surrounded by enemies who want to push your whole nation into the Mediterranean. Whether Netanyahu has enough sway to get back into the Prime Minister’s seat remains to be seen. His enemies are so concerned that he might sweep in even before the November 1 elections and steal the government away, that they even put forward a controversial bill that blocks any politician under criminal indictment from forming a government. Netanyahu remains under indictment for some politically motivated corruption charges. The only bill that could have been more transparently directed at the former Prime Minister is if they put one forward that banned anyone with the initials “B. N.” from holding the office. Not surprisingly, the legal counsel of the Knesset shot the bill down immediately. It’s too important of a precedent just to rush it through during an election period, particularly since it is so blatantly not against something but someone. Still, in their efforts to ensure that Netanyahu doesn’t get near the office any time soon, they have rushed in about as unqualified an interim prime minister as one can find, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. This is a man who has no true military background and never even received his high school diploma. He has more skills in the application of hair gel than he does the making of public policy. For a government that for the past year has put the priority on form over function and feelings over strength, the liberal, progressive Lapid fits right in. It will be interesting to watch as the “government of change” is changed. Through it all, however, we don’t fear or worry. God is in control in this, as He is in all governments in all parts of the world. Sometimes He intercedes; sometimes He leaves nations to their own devices. But no matter what, we know that it is all under the great umbrella of His plan for His creation as He leads us forward to the time when we will be with Him forever in the new heavens and the new earth. Revelation 21:1-4 KJV – “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Right across the border from Eilat, where we just had our Young Adults Tour out enjoying the Red Sea, is Aqaba, Jordan. In Aqaba’s port on Monday, a crane loading storage tanks of chlorine let one slip. When it landed, it exploded shooting toxic yellow smoke onto the dock. Thirteen people were killed and at least 250 were sickened. It was an up and down week for our Iranian friends. On the upside for them, their terrorist militias are scoring some points, particularly on the Emirati Dana oil company. Saturday saw the third attack on the facility in four days, this one landing in a housing area. So far, there have been no casualties. In other good news for Tehran, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, announced that Iran has begun to install their new IR-6 centrifuges, which are needed for weapons grade uranium, at their Fordow nuclear facility. They are also increasing the number of these centrifuges at the Natanz facility. On the Iranian downside, there is a purge taking place in the IRGC following Israel’s success in their attacks against the Iranian nuclear program and the embarrassing failed kidnapping and assassination attempts of Israeli citizens in Turkey by Quds Force assassins. First, Hossein Taeb, IRGC Intelligence Chief was removed. Then, on Tuesday, Ebrahim Jabbari, head of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s personal protection unit, was given the boot. Other personnel changes are taking place within the IRGC, as well. The second major blow to Iran was a cyberattack on the country’s steel industry. Relatively unknown activist group Gonjeshke Darande – Persian for “Predatory Sparrow” – shut down the Khuzestan Steel Co., a leading steel production plant, leading to a major upheaval in the industry. It is unclear the extent of the physical and economic damage, but it is significant. There are rumors that the Mossad could be somehow connected to the Predatory Sparrow. If this is true, I would like to apologize to our Iranian friends for Israel getting in the way of your weapons and missile production. We know how much you enjoy passing them on to your proxy militias to shoot at us. In a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, the Belarus president expressed his concerns that Lithuania and Poland were getting a little too aggressive in their policies. Putin responded by promising to send Iskander-M tactical missiles which, as the Russian president is quoted as saying, “can use both ballistic and cruise missiles, both in conventional and nuclear versions.” Russia has defaulted on its external debt for the first time since the Bolshevik revolution in 1918. The Kremlin, however, denies the default, saying that they have the money from their gas and oil revenues. They complain that they are being kept out of the world financial system as part of the sanctions for their actions in Ukraine. Alexei Moiseev, Russian deputy finance minister, complained last week, “I believe that a financial nuclear bomb was used against us, no country in the history of mankind has experienced such sanctions pressure as Russia is now.” An official reply from the rest of the world read, “Cry us a river.” In a classic move of tit-for-tat, Germany is nearing a point where they will have to implement gas rationing due to Russia cutting back supplies. “There’s no point pretending – the throttling of gas deliveries amounts to an economic attack on us by Putin,” said German minister for economic and energy affairs, Robert Habeck. In NATO news, Turkey has lifted its objections to Finland and Sweden joining the alliance. This opened the door for an official invitation to be issued to the two Scandinavian countries yesterday from NATO’s summit in Madrid. Vladimir Putin warned the two countries to not avail themselves of the invitation, saying there will be a response if they do. Meanwhile, NATO has decided to increase their “high alert” troops sevenfold from 40,000 to 300,000. In other NATO news, the alliance issued an official document on June 14 in which it presented China as a threat, writing, “China’s stated ambitions and assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to Alliance security.” Meanwhile, the G7 countries have implemented a rigid line against China manipulating global markets. Spanish and Moroccan border police opened fire on African immigrants killing 37 and wounding hundreds more. The immigrants were trying to get into the Spanish enclave of Melilla, located on the Moroccan border. The videos are horrific and clearly depict the tragic overreaction by authorities. The irony is that, as I mentioned earlier, Madrid is currently hosting a NATO summit. The purpose of NATO is to defend those countries that are too weak to defend themselves. Yet, here is the host country opening fire on defenseless immigrants. Imagine the reaction if those slaughtered had been Palestinians storming an IDF position. The hypocrisy is overwhelming. Food for Flame - by Bill Perkins - https://compass.org/food-for-flame/ …“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or upon his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; Rev. 14:9b God is very emphatic regarding not taking the Mark of the Beast during the 7-year post-Rapture Tribulation. In no uncertain terms He clearly states that if you take the Mark you will receive His undiluted wrath on earth and go to hell…forever. “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Rev. 14:11 …there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matt. 13:42a Well, “forever” is a long time to gnash your teeth. But with all the Believers having been whisked away in our Rapturous Great Escape, only a few people will be left behind who understand the ramifications of taking the Mark in the Tribulation. And the immediate pressure to take this Mark will be immense. Those left behind after the Rapture will be told that to survive they’ll have no choice but to join the system that controls everything, including food. and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Rev. 13:17 The tribulation begins with mass starvation with billions dying—one fourth the earth (Rev. 6:8). A starving person doesn't think rationally and will do most anything to get food. But the Mark of the Beast not only covers being able to purchase food, it covers purchasing anything! Such complete control will compel most to accept the Mark to get into the system in order to have food, shelter and energy. But taking that Mark will be a short-term solution because if you do, you'll eventually die and split the gates of hell wide open. Why does God make such a big deal about taking this mark in the first place? Why is a tattoo so damning? First, it must be noted that you have to take Satan's mark AND worship him. If someone tackles you and forces the mark on you, but you refuse to worship the Beast/Satan, you’re not automatically condemned to hell. But if you take the mark willingly, and look to the Beast/Satan instead of the Lord Jesus Christ for your substance, you'll burn in an unquenchable fire—forever. … he [Satan] deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; Rev. 19:20a people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image. Rev. 16:2 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Matt. 13:50 So it’s quite clear that God will not tolerate someone who takes this mark and worships Satan. Worshiping another God violates the first of the 10 Commandments. “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Ex. 20:3 That alone is enough to sink your ship, but in addition God intends to mark us with His name one day in the future. ‘He who overcomes [through the blood of Christ], I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. Rev. 3:12 God will also give you a new name—a name that only He and you know. It will be written on a white stone. That's pretty cool. ‘...To him who overcomes [through the blood of Christ] I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’ Rev. 2:17b Since Satan knows all this (he reads the Bible) and since he wants to be God, he’ll try to force people in the Tribulation to take his mark. Unfortunately, those who take Satan up on his offer will be trading short-term food for long-term flame. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power 2Th. 1:9 And those who die refusing the Mark, refusing to serve Satan and trusting the Lord for salvation, will live in glory forever. “They will hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore; nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat;” Rev. 7:16 “…and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” Rev. 21:4 So in the post-Rapture 7-Year Tribulation, it’s far better to die trusting the Lord who will take you to glory forever than to live a little longer and burn in horrible flames forever. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:but the righteous into life eternal. Matt. 25:46 I don’t know about you, but I’m sure grateful we’ll miss all that! ...choose today whom you will serve: Josh. 24:15b Therefore comfort one another with these words [about the Rapture taking us before the wrath]. 1Th. 4:18 CQLJ! BP Quenching the Spirit - Nathele Graham - [email protected] Have you ever been very thirsty? Then you went to the refrigerator, pulled out an ice cold glass of water, and quenched your thirst? Maybe when you were a child you played with matches and one dropped in dry grass. Hopefully you acted quickly and quenched the fire before it spread. Those are two examples of when quenching something is a good thing, but Paul wrote to the Thessalonians “Quench not the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19. The Holy Spirit should be the driving force in our Christian walk, but we have the ability to quench His power in our life. That’s not good at all, but many Christians do just that. We sometimes think that the Holy Spirit was a new concept which began with the birth of the church. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and we first see Him mentioned in Genesis “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2. The Holy Spirit doesn’t draw attention to Himself, but works in perfect harmony with God the Father and God the Son. He works in a very different way today than He did prior to the cross, but He was very active during the Old Testament times. There was much evil during the time of the Judges, but when God called a man to be a judge over Israel, that man was guided by the power of the Holy Spirit. For instance, Othniel was called by God “And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, and his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim.” Judges 3:10. Other judges also had the Spirit of the Lord come upon them. They were all able to accomplish great things because of the Holy Spirit. Even King Saul had the Holy Spirit come upon him. Before the cross, the Holy Spirit would come upon people, but didn’t indwell anybody. Unlike today, the Holy Spirit could be taken away. Christians today need to stop quenching the Holy Spirit and not accept sin. Because we ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit, evil is allowed to be legalized and God’s truth is seen as hatred. Brothers and sisters, stop quenching the Spirit and go to battle with the powers of darkness and sin. First remove the mote from your own eye. When we read the story of King David, we read about a man who loved the Lord and his desire was to serve Him. Nevertheless, David committed a very grave sin, and as usually happens one sin led to another. First, he lusted after Bathsheba, who was married to a very faithful soldier. When David found out Bathsheba was pregnant, he eventually had her husband placed in a position in which it was certain he would be killed. When David was confronted by the prophet Nathan regarding this sin, David was deeply convicted and knew he was in danger of losing his anointing and faced the very real possibility that the Holy Spirit would be taken away from him. So, David did all he could do. He repented and was deeply sorry for his sin. He humbly cried out to God for mercy and asked to be cleansed of his iniquity. He didn’t blame anybody but himself for this great sin against God. We can hear his anguish as he poured out his heart to God. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not they holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” Psalm 51:10-12. David knew he was nothing without God, and the Holy Spirit was his strength. If only Christians today weren’t so swift to live in the flesh rather than living in the Spirit, we would be much better off. Jesus told His disciples that He had to die in order for the Holy Spirit to come to them, and to us. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:” John 16:7-8. After the resurrection, Jesus paid a visit to the locked room where the disciples were hiding in fear. He made sure they understood it was Him, even though they had seen the crucifixion and knew the tomb was sealed. He showed them the scars of the nails and His wounded side. “Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them Receive ye the Holy Ghost:” John 20:21-22. He breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit. As born-again Christians, we have received the Holy Spirit. He is sealed inside of us. “In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14. If you’ve truly placed your faith in Christ, you are sealed with the Holy Spirit until death or the Rapture takes you Home. The disciples were the first to experience the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but they had to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon them. They waited in Jerusalem until the Jewish feast of Pentecost came. “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.” Acts 2:2-3. I have never experienced such a marvelous thing, but I would like to. Study Peter’s life and how he reacted to Jesus being arrested and crucified. Jesus forgave him, and it was Peter who fearlessly stood before a Jewish crowd on that Pentecost morning and spoke words that accused the listeners of their sin, but also spoke of forgiveness. “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:41. Too many preachers today are very afraid of offending sinners so they water down God’s truth to the point that the congregation is starving. Jesus had instructed Peter to feed the flock, and Peter was obedient. Although Peter did the talking that day, the other disciples were also filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. Because they all obeyed Christ and shared the Gospel, Christianity grew and many people have given their lives to Christ since then. Christians today are so afraid of offending someone who is lost in sin that we put stumbling blocks in our own way. Fear keeps us from speaking boldly of the Gospel, and God’s forgiveness. The Apostle Paul was a man who had been forgiven of his sin. It was a very great sin, done in the name of God, but was also opposed to everything God taught. When Paul met Jesus on the Road to Damascus, Paul was totally changed. He wasn’t afraid to share the Gospel of Christ with everyone he met. His letters are instructions as to how a Christian should act. “Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:28-30. How do you grieve the Holy Spirit? Do you put any activity ahead of Jesus? Do you have time to read secular novels, but can’t find time to study God’s word? Do you have plenty of time for sports, television, and building your bank account, but are too tired to pray for the needs of others? Maybe you fly off the handle in anger if someone upsets you, but you can’t find forgiveness in your heart even though your own sins have been forgiven. Maybe you participate in activities that are contrary to God’s truth forgetting that as you sin you take the Holy Spirit with you down the path of wickedness. You are quenching the Holy Spirit, and hampering His activity in your life. There is a glorious life ahead of every Christian. Eternity with Christ will outshine anything of this earth. Don’t quench the fire of the Holy Spirit in your life. Paul had visited Thessalonica and was there for three weeks. In that short time, he established a congregation and schooled them in the Gospel. He also taught them about the Rapture. Has your pastor taught the Gospel or touched on prophecy and the Rapture? Many don’t see the need to equip Christians to be in the world but not of the world. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is filled with some very deep teaching, as is his second letter. He reminded them that the Rapture was coming and that they should be alert. They weren’t in darkness, but were children of light. He encouraged them, and us, to be watchful and have no fear because we aren’t appointed to wrath. Paul encouraged them, and us, in their walk with Christ. “Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that noen render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5:14-23. Live to please Christ not the world. React to situations in a Christian manner, no matter how you’ve been treated. You can let the Holy Spirit revitalize you, or you can quench His power. Remember the change in Peter and in Paul when they allowed the Holy Spirit to guide them. Thanks to these men, and many like them, you’ve come to salvation through Christ. Let the power of the Holy Spirit flow through you. Stop quenching the Spirit by holding tightly to sin and living for worldly things. Let Him live through you. God bless you all, Nathele Graham [email protected] [email protected] Recommended prophecy sites: www.raptureready.com www.prophecyupdate.com www.raptureforums.com All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed. If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know. Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: The sisters I never had - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com I grew up with two older brothers—Chuck was 14 years older than me, Larry is 9 years older. So, it was like being an only child. My brothers were all grown up and mostly out of the house by the time I was old enough to be fun. That’s one of the reasons why my buddy Sonny and I were so close. I always thought it would be cool to have a sister. But that wasn’t in the cards. The Wilson’s did not have a girl born into the family for some 100 years until my niece Jodi, Larry’s daughter, was born in 1965. But there were a couple of young ladies who became like sisters to me and I will never forget the fun we had and the kindness they showed to a geeky, pesky cowboy kid. In November 1965, Chuck was killed by a drunk driver. He was 24, had landed his dream job as basketball coach of the high school we all attended, and he and his wife had just two days before announced they were having their first child. It was a very, very difficult time for all of us. In the spring of 1966, the Heft’s—Bill, Martha and their daughters Jean and Nancy–invited us to their house for dinner. We knew the Heft’s, but not as well as some others in the community, so it was kind of a mystery as to why they invited us. They lived in a beautiful farm house on top of a hill about four miles from our farm. Bill was an executive at Packard Electric and part time farmer. Martha was a well-educated and proper lady. Bill and Martha wanted to take Mom, Dad and I on vacation with them for a week at Myrtle Beach, SC. They felt it would be good for all of us to get away. Jean and Nancy were about nine and five years older than me, respectively. They were beautiful, not only like models on the outside, but the most wonderful people on the inside. They, it seemed, always wanted a little brother. So it was a good match. It brings tears to my eyes when I think of how they were so enthusiastic to meet me and how they talked to me, really made me feel welcomed. I was star-struck by both of them. It was the beginning of a friendship and a several-year tradition of Myrtle Beach vacations. The sisters I never had. Sisters and brothers, I’m told, have that caring, mischievous, adversarial, teasing relationship all rolled into one. Jean, Nancy and I were all that. I must have been a real pest to them, but they gave it all back and then some. We had a lot of adventures. Nancy and I would sneak into hotel pools and swim like we were residents, thinking we got away with something big. I would do ornery things like pour cold water on Jean when she was sun bathing. One time they ganged up on me and dragged me into the outdoor shower in my street clothes. As Christ said in Luke 6:31, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” At the end of the day, I guess we enjoyed all the pranks we did to each other. It was a simpler time then, and at least for a week out of the year, I found out what it was like to have sisters, and Jean and Nancy, had a brother. Daily Devotion: A Spiritual Reboot - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you —Psalm 51:12 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/a-spiritual-reboot/ - Listen Evangelist Billy Sunday said, “They tell me a revival is only temporary; so is a bath, but it does you good.” Periodically, we need a spiritual reboot. Revival is like the spark that starts the engine. We need God to intervene, and we need to keep fuel on the fire. Years ago, I was staying at a friend’s cabin, which had no central heating. That meant getting a fire started in the fireplace and then keeping wood on the fire. Everything was going great, except the fireplace was filling up with ash. And the metal bucket for disposing of the ashes was filling up to the top. A while later, I was sure the embers in the bucket had cooled off. It had been a long time. So I took the bucket outside, where it was very cold and very dark. Then I threw out the ashes. Much to my surprise, a few embers fell out with the ashes. And before I knew it, little fires had started. Thankfully, I somehow managed to put out all the flames before the fires spread. In the same way, revival is the spark that starts the fire we keep feeding. Just as I needed to keep fuel on the fire to keep the cabin heated, we need to feed the fire of revival. And we start by refueling ourselves spiritually. When we’re doing the things we always should be doing as Christians—reading the Bible, having a prayer life, being involved in our church, sharing our faith—it fuels the fire of revival and keeps that fire burning. But we when we neglect those things, we begin to fade. If you want to see a revival, then do revival-like things. Don’t overly mystify it. Just do the things you know you should be doing as a follower of Jesus Christ. FROM THE HEART Let Us Make the Short Time We have Left, Count for ALL of Eternity! 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