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Control: The Issue Since Before Time Began - By Gene Lawley - https://www.raptureready.com/2019/01/02/control-issue-since-time-began-gene-lawley/
In eternity past, when Lucifer launched his warfare against the Sovereign of the Universe, God Almighty, control was the issue. Lucifer, that one some call the angel of light and worship him instead of God, being thus deceived, is the influence behind all efforts of mankind to deny the existence of God. The question is highlighted by that question implied by the attention-getter mentioned in prior articles: "God is no-where," or, "God is now-here." Which is it, and which is it going to be? Isaiah 14:13-15 tells us this: "For you have said in your heart: 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.' Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit." "I will, I will, I will," Lucifer said. But God, who sees the end from the beginning, has the final say. The atrocities of mankind are largely, perhaps totally, from person-to-person and all the way to people-to-people and nation-to-nation. One of the readings in Scripture recently told of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah at Jerusalem in those days, who was noted as one who honored God. He was followed by his son, Jehoram. This one had several brothers but he was left the kingdom, as the eldest. Jehoshaphat gave treasures and cities to each of his six other sons. When Jehoram became king, he immediately murdered all of his brothers to solidify his kingship. What an act of atrocity, but that story was repeated before and after, over and over. Establishing certain control; that was the purpose. Let's go back to the time of Moses and recall the situation that brought about his being salvaged from murder by his mother putting him in a basket that would end up in the hands of Pharaoh's daughter, while her father had all the boys two years and younger of the Jews killed because the Jews were becoming so numerous that he thought his throne would be in danger. Or, again, when the kings of the east came to Bethlehem to see this King of the Jews whose star they followed, King Herod was much afraid this new King would challenge his own rule. He ordered that all boys two years old and younger be killed, just as the Pharaoh had done. But Joseph took Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt and escaped. The urge to control or the fear of losing control: Where does it end? That is the ongoing story of the ages. Is there a parallel with this generation, where over 60 million babies have been aborted in America, not to ignore the many others so done in the whole world? The issue is allegedly about the rights of women, but the issue of control is borne out in the essential issue the opposition had against the nomination of Brent Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Aside from the fact of his expected conservative voting record on other issues, the reduction of population is one of the goals of the shadowy planned New World Order, for who can control over seven billion people, as well as nations which still retain their sovereignty? In America, at least, it seems there is the surface give and take of politics while the subsurface quietly glides forward toward the state-control philosophies of Karl Marx and Saul Alinsky, among others. Recently Hillary Clinton remarked, "You cannot be civil with a political party that wants to destroy what you stand for." That is a principle right out of Alinsky's playbook, "Rules for Radicals." Pretend with subtle tones of authority that what you are doing in rebellion is what the opposition is doing. It was a ruse that Obama used regularly during his administration and even now. It is no wonder, however, in Clinton's case. She worked in Goldwater's campaign in 1964, we are told; whether it was to help or to hinder is not mentioned. However, in 1969 her political science term paper was entitled, "All That Is Left Is...the Fight" (An Analysis of the Alinsky Method). So it was a great disappointment when the recent election did not forward their planned destruction of American sovereignty and "what (we) stand for." Obama's statement I have reported many times, but it is strategically important in regard to the issue of control: "The end of the Republic has never looked better!" [1] His reference to the coming 2017 Dinner that might not happen once "she," the president, gets in office indicates much more is expected in regard to the "end of the Republic" than just a change in the occupation of the oval office. Apparently, had Hillary Clinton been elected, quick work would have been done to take full control of the nation for its destruction. Where were the "watchers on the wall of the city," and why have we not heard from them? However, God heard and upset their apple cart! It is an echoing truth that God is now here. To the believer, Psalm 46:1 gives great comfort and confidence: "God is our refuge, a very present help in time of trouble." After all, if a people have a Declaration of Independence that tells them they have God-given rights of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," how will they give up those rights in order to be controlled by the state that is headed by an elitist bureaucracy? Not likely, at all. It is an astounding fact that his statement has not been in the news, up front, at least, - throughout the nation, even around the world; for it is laced with treasonous tones, even blatantly so. But, it was said before a roomful of news correspondents, the cozy lap-dogs of the left, who never want to be caught with having revealed any truth about President Barack Obama. They would not repeat that phrase at all. Behind the scenes, though, there is another force that seeks control, and has made major strides in that accomplishment. The history of money reveals some interesting developments that are readily denied, but results speak louder than words. (One of the Rothschild family in the early 1800's is reported to have said, "Give me control of a nation's money supply and I will not care what its laws are!") The Federal Reserve System in America is unique in that it is not Federal and has no Reserve. It is true that the president appoints a chairman to it, but there is no ownership of the system or any of its "funds" by the United States Treasury. To whom does the US owe its national debt of now almost $22 Trillion, and to whom does it pay interest to each year of one-third or more of our annual budget? It is a collection of independent international bankers. Any attempt to take away that relationship and have America's financial needs met through the US Treasury department is quickly squashed in whatever manner is deemed necessary. Control, control, control! Even the Golden Rule has been changed, updated to fit the reality of the day. Now it is, "He who has the gold rules." (And the likelihood of any being in Fort Knox is a fantasy. Remember, President Reagan was not allowed to inventory the contents of Fort Knox.) The kingdoms of this world are controlled by Satan. He so offered them to Jesus at that time of temptation if Jesus would fall down and worship him. The heads of the Beast of Revelation are identified by Daniel and John as kingdoms of power over the earth from its earliest history. Revelation 13:2 tells us, "The dragon (named in chapter 12 as Satan) gave him his power, his throne, and great authority." We have come almost full circle from the beginning of the warfare told of at the beginning of this article. Prophecies of the Bible are right on track with what is happening in the world today. The predicted "falling away" from the faith by many and related lawfulness by others is to come before Jesus comes and the world is left to the terrors of that evil one. As the "times and seasons" seem to indicate, Jesus will return soon, not in years but possibly in months. Luke 17:26-30 and its following context indicate that the Son of Man, Jesus, will be back during a time of economic revival. That is why "today is the day of salvation," for there may not be a tomorrow for many-even without regard to the Lord's return. After a thousand-year reign over the earth by Jesus the Christ, from Jerusalem, a final confrontation with that seeker of total control, Satan, the unrighteous ones, both alive and dead, who did not want God in their lives, will be cast into the lake of fire, along with Satan, to be tormented forever. It is simple to avoid that endless plight, for God has said that He "does not desire that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). In Philippians 2 the Scripture says that eventually, "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord." It is an issue of control-will you let Him have control now and be on the winning side or will you continue to resist Him to your doom? That is the question for non-believers. Believers, also, must let Him have control so that He may use us to get the Word to those outside of His grace. Proverbs 10:22 tells us, "The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and adds no sorrow to it." End note: [1] Obama at DC dinner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRuqj8aY-lQ Contact email: [email protected] Iran Sees A New Opportunity To Build A War Machine To Encircle Israel - By Yaakov Lappin - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2862 If it goes ahead, Iran likely will view U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American forces from eastern Syria as a green light to build a new war machine in the region. But Iran also received a red light recently, apparently reminding it that Israel is standing guard against Tehran's takeover plans. That red light came on Dec. 25 in the form of an alleged Israeli airstrike on an Iranian weapons' depot in Syria. The strike looks like the latest signal of Israel's determination to block Iran's path into Syria, with or without an American ground presence. According to media reports, including a report by the Israeli satellite-image company ISI, the strike destroyed a warehouse that contained Iranian Fajr-5 rockets. The warehouse was just 40 kilometers, about 25 miles, away from Israel. Israel's military says Fajr-5 rockets are produced in Iranian weapons factories and have a range of 75 kilometers, or just under 50 miles. In past years, Iran smuggled these types of rockets to terrorist organizations that are ideologically committed to attacking Israel, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Now, Iran is trying to flood Syria with them. So far, the Fajr-5s that have been in the inventory of Israel's enemies were unguided rockets. That does not stop them from posing a serious threat. Hamas fired a Fajr-5 rocket in November 2012 in the midst of an eight-day conflict, severely damaging an apartment building in Rishon Letzion, south of Tel Aviv. Residents survived due to an air-raid siren, which sent them scurrying into a safe room before the rocket struck. In February 2017, reports emerged saying that Iran's defense industry has begun manufacturing a new, guided version of the Fajr-5. These can be fired quickly and in succession from a multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS). The arrival of such weapons would present terrorists in Syria seeking to attack Israel with new precision abilities. It remains unclear whether the Fajr-5 rockets destroyed in the alleged Israeli strike were guided, but Israel has drawn a clear red line that forbids the arrival of Iranian guided projectiles in the area. Once in Syria, precision weapons can be given to Shi'ite militias under Iran's command, or be used by Iranian military forces themselves, which are operating on Syrian soil. That's what happened last May, when Islamic Republican Guards Corps (IRGC) used a truck-mounted rocket-launcher to fire on the Golan Heights. In other cases, batches of Iranian weapons that have made their way into Syria are subsequently smuggled into neighboring Lebanon, where Hezbollah has built up one of the world's largest arsenals of surface-to-surface projectiles. Hezbollah's estimated 130,000 rockets and missiles are pointed at Israeli cities, power plants, ports, airports and military installations. Thus, Iran has already turned Lebanon into a forward military post against Israel. Its goal now is to do the same in Syria. Although the U.S. forces stationed in Syria are there exclusively to combat Salafi-jihadist Sunni ISIS terrorists, their presence in the strategically important Al-Tanf region, on the Syria-Iraq border, also helps block the expansion of the radical Iranian-Shi'ite axis. The U.S. presence has helped stop Iran from trying to use the Al-Tanf border crossing as a gateway for land convoys carrying Iranian weapons and Shi'ite militias, from Iraq into Syria. The Al-Tanf border area is one of two ground corridors that Iran is hoping to use in its Syrian expansion project. The second main land "entrance" to Syria is located further north, at the Albu Kamal border crossing. This area has been the scene of repeated Iranian and Hezbollah-controlled traffic of militias and weapons. But this site also drew at least one major alleged Israeli strike in June, resulting in dozens of casualties, including Iranian military officers and Iraqi Shi'ite militia members. Currently, Israel and Iran remain locked in a shadow war over Syria's future. Israel is employing preventative force to stop Iran from converting Syria into second front, alongside Lebanon. Tehran's takeover efforts are being led by the IRGC, which acts as the "long arm" of Iran across the region, particularly through the overseas expeditionary elite unit, the Quds Force, commanded by the notorious General Qassem Soleimani. With Israel "covering" the northern Albu Kamal crossing, the U.S. had been "covering" the southern Al-Tanf crossing, meaning that Iran's ground expansion scheme had run into some difficulties. Iran was forced to rely on its more traditional trafficking method (cargo flights), though this, too, had become increasingly difficult with Israel monitoring suspicious flights around the clock and reportedly taking action when intelligence called for it. A U.S. withdrawal from Al-Tanf, however, would be seen by the Iranians as a gap in the fence. This can be seen from a statement made by Jaafar al-Husseini, the military spokesman of Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iraqi Shi'ite militia backed by Iran, which maintains a presence in the Albu Kamal region. According to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, al-Husseini said his militia "is willing to take part, along with the Syrian Army, in protecting the Syrian Kurds along the border with Iraq," following Trump's withdrawal announcement. The Kurds in eastern Syria would become vulnerable to Turkish attacks if the U.S. leaves, and they would likely reach out to Assad and perhaps even the Iranians in desperation. Al-Husseini's remarks are really an expression of an Iranian intention to fill a vacuum. Al-Husseini told the Hezbollah-affiliated Lebanese Al-Mayadeen television station that "we have an ongoing and highly active relationship with Kurdish commands in northern Syria. We have the full picture regarding what is happening in northern Syria, including the movement of the American [forces]." Such comments reflect a keen Iranian appetite to move into eastern Syria. Russia will be equally keen to fill in the vacuum, but since it still depends on the Iranian axis for help in stabilizing the Assad regime, Tehran and Moscow can be expected to try and reach an agreement over how to proceed. 'An achievement that would reverberate in history' Comments made last week by the outgoing Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eizenkot reflect just how central the threat of an Iranian takeover of Syria has become in the eyes of the Israeli defense establishment. "The main topic over the past years for the IDF has been the Iranian entrenchment in Syria," said Eizenkot during one of his final public addresses in uniform. In Syria, he said, Iran has been trying to build an army of 100,000 Shi'ite militia members, including Hezbollah operatives. It has tried to construct missile bases, and a create chain of attack positions on the Syrian border with Israel. Hundreds of Israeli strikes prevented this from happening, the Israeli military chief added. In next-door Lebanon, Iran and Hezbollah planned for a ground invasion of a strip of 5 kilometers in northern Israel, using attack tunnels to "create an achievement that would reverberate in history," said Eizenkot. The IDF exposed and demolished Hezbollah's cross-border attack tunnels in recent weeks, foiling that dangerous plan. Iran and its Lebanese proxy have also made "a very big effort to create precision firepower and level the playing field with what Hezbollah perceives to be Israeli military superiority," stated Eizenkot. "The security challenge is like a very big iceberg. Some of it is visible to public and media, [but] most of it is hidden from view. In the hidden part, the IDF is very busy with the multi-dimensional Iranian threat, and the Hezbollah threat. The War Between Wars [Israel's preventative campaign] has turned into a central effort," he added. Iran has invested $16 billion in rescuing Assad and deployed 2,000 IRGC military advisers to the country. It has reportedly sustained more than 1,000 casualties and mobilized around 10,000 Shi'ite militia members, most from Iraq and Afghanistan. These fighters have been joined by 8,000 Lebanese Hezbollah members. Hezbollah, too, has paid a heavy price in Syria, losing an estimated 2,000 casualties. The scale of this investment suggests that the Islamic Republic is not about to give up on Syria. At the same time, Iran faces major financial pressure from re-imposed American sanctions. So far, Iran has been able to suppress domestic protests, and navigate the sanctions, while remaining committed to expansion in Syria. Iran likes to pretend that it is in Syria at Assad's invitation, but in reality, the Damascus regime owes its existence to Iranian life support, and has little choice but to grant every Iranian "request" to use its territory. Iran's ultimate goal is to encircle Israel with bases of missiles and terrorist armies, a sentiment made clear by comments made Sunday by Tehran's Palestinian proxy group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is the second-largest armed faction in the Gaza Strip. Speaking from Tehran, PIJ secretary-general Ziad Nakhla said, "In any future war, the resistance axis will act as one man, from north to south. Israel must understand that the resistance axis today is one." Nearing Midnight: The Recession is Coming Our Way - Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ There are growing signs that the global economic community is headed for a financial slowdown. Many economists are predicting that it is only a matter of months before we slip into a recession. The last time the US was in this type of slowdown was the end of 2008, which makes the current period of growth the longest in US history. The greatest indication that we are headed for a recession is key financial indexes being down more than 20% from their January all-time highs. The global stock market has lost $8 trillion in market value since the beginning of the year. The sudden loss of all this market-cap wealth has people wondering if we are in a correction, or the beginning of a bear market that would pop the current financial bubble. As great as the downturn has been, the stock market is still up massively from the lows of the last recession. The stock of Amazon hit a high of $2,050 per share and currently trades at $1,470. Its low in 2008 was $42. Apple had a high in 2019 of $233 and $156. Its low in 2008 was $22. Graphic-card maker NVIDIA has been down sharply from its high of $292. It now trades at $133 and it would have to drop to $7 to reach its 2008 low. The acting Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, tried to quash worries over plunging stock markets by calling all the big-banks. Mnuchin tweeted late Sunday afternoon that he'd called the chief executive officers of the nation's six largest banks and that those chiefs "confirmed they have ample liquidity available for lending to consumers, business markets, and all other market operations." His action was so unusual it triggered panic selling on Christmas Eve; the 650-point drop was the largest ever. The markets have become so wild, the day after Christmas the Dow Jones rose 1,086 points. Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers says not to panic... yet. Still, he's increasing his prediction of a recession from "a bit less than 50%" to 60%. He also said, "Trump was wrong to treat euphoric markets as validating his policies. And his critics should not suppose that weak markets mean economic disaster is around the corner." I have kept my eye on the ten 10-year bond for well over a decade. I wrote last year that the Fed simply cannot allow this bond to go any higher than 3%. The current rate on the 10-year bond is 2.80%, which is what it was four years ago. Since the Fed has raised rates two full percentage points in the last three years, basic math should have the 10-year bond at around 6%. The bond market has been suppressed at low rates because normalized rates would create massive budget deficits. If bonds have an interest rate of about 5%, we would have $2 trillion-dollar shortfalls. The Treasury is starting to have great difficulty in finding buyers for the current amount of debt. The day after Christmas, the Treasury sold $41 billion in 5-Year notes in what could only be called an abysmal auction. It has been the worst auction since July 2009. If we reach a point where the Treasury has to step in and have its primary-dealer banks buy its own debt, it will become clear that America is a Banana Republic. There have been as many as 47 recessions in the United States, which averages a recession every five years. We are currently in the longest time-period without seeing negative growth in the economy. If I had no knowledge of Bible prophecy, I would say that our chances of having a recession in the near future are very high. We have a massive financial problem that I've listed in detail in previous articles. They fester and will eventually result in an economic meltdown. The one thing that I find the most amazing is that recession is a constant threat to us, but it hasn't arrived. I think the rapture is the only explanation for the record period of financial tranquility. The storm is coming, but God has predetermined that it would be marked by a time of "think not" peace. I believe we are currently in that window. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Mat. 24:44). Today - Nathele Graham - [email protected] There. I've written it. 2019. A new year and new challenges. Many people like to look at the new year ahead and resolve to make big changes in their life. Maybe you have a bad habit you need to break, or you want to better yourself in some way and choose this time of year to promise to make those changes for the whole year. If so, I hope you're successful. I've made many such resolutions over my 66 years and have never kept one. I start out with good intentions then I forget for a day or two, and before February comes around I'm right back doing the same things I resolved to stop doing. Does that sound familiar? Because of past failures I've resolved not to make New Year's resolutions! Maybe you feel the same way. A full year is a long time to look at when making big changes, so maybe it would be better to take it a day at a time. Here's a few suggestions as to where to start. TODAY, PRAISE GOD. "Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being." Psalm 146:1-2. It's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and forget to praise God. This shouldn't be something we have to make an effort to do, but it should be a natural part of our Christian life. Everybody faces struggles and it's easy to get distracted, but there never should be a time when we forget to praise God. Too often we get blinded by the problems we face and dwell upon them. The problems become the focus of all our thoughts and we stop praising God. Even when we have a mountain of worries we can find a reason to praise God. Did your child give you a hug "just because you're the best"? Praise God. Did you find a flower hiding in the weeds? Praise God. There are many little things for which to give Him praise, but we overlook them while looking at our cares. The sun comes up each morning and gives us warmth. God created the sun and placed it perfectly in the universe to benefit us. A soft breeze on a summer's day is worthy of giving God praise. Even when things seem to be going wrong, praise Him. Remember, He sees tomorrow and knows how the turmoil of today will end. The most important thing to praise Him for is His love. Because He loves us He went to the cross to purchase our redemption. If you've accepted that sacrifice then no matter what happens in this life you'll live forever with Him. Praise God that He will never leave you. TODAY, SEEK GOD. "Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart." Psalm 119:2. We all have hopes and dreams, but too often we chase after the wrong things. It's not wrong to desire the perfect spouse with whom to share your life and raise a family. It's not wrong to seek a better job (Scripture tells us that if we don't work we aren't entitled to eat). Problems start when we desire good things for wrong reasons, or do wrong things to obtain our desires. That's because we stop seeking God's perfect will for our life. Today, instead of seeking your own pleasure, seek God. Pray that today you will be more Christ-like in your words, actions, and attitudes. The things of this world will always leave you unsatisfied. If you seek after the world you'll never find satisfaction. Today, seek God. Look for Him in Scripture and get to know Him. Apply Scripture to your life and live for God rather than for yourself. Seek ways that you can show His love to others. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33. Today, seek the things of God. TODAY, DO GOD'S WILL NOT YOURS. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Matthew 6:10. Too often we only look at things from our human perspective. We forget that God loves us, but He loves other people too. As I reflect back on my life I can remember many prayers I prayed begging God to do things my way. Many of those prayers were answered "No" and some were answered "Wait". Much unhappiness would have been avoided if I would have submitted to God's will instead of thinking that I knew better. Instead of telling God what He needs to do for you, listen for His guidance today and submit to His will. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:1-2.We can be quick to ask God to do our will, but slow to do His. Today, turn that around and do His will. TODAY, TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Matthew 7:12. It's easy to be short tempered with people who annoy you. Anger feeds on itself and before you know it a misunderstanding will grow into an all out battle. Anger will always make a bad situation worse. We never really know what another person is going through and the person you're angry with might need a friend. If you reach out in Christian love you may win a soul to Christ. Don't take joy in another person's failure, but show compassion. They are human beings with feelings. If the situations were reversed wouldn't you like compassion rather than condemnation? Instead of gossiping about a co-worker or an acquaintance, be the one who shows kindness and forgiveness. Just as a bad attitude is catching, so is a good attitude. Today, put backbiting and thoughts of revenge behind you and treat others in the same way you would like to be treated. TODAY, CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY. "A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger." Proverbs 15:1. Words can hurt or they can be gentle. They can praise God or they can curse. Today, resolve to speak only words that don't cause anger and aren't vulgar. "Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks." Ephesians 5:4. Compliment a person instead of criticizing. Choose pleasing words rather than vulgar ones. God hears everything you say. When you stand before Him, will you tell Him the same joke you told your friends? Will you use His name to cuss or to praise? The words you speak today are known to Him, so choose them wisely. Lighthearted talk can ease a tense situation, but there are many jokes and jesting that should never be spoken. It would be better if today you use words to share the Gospel with someone rather than assuming they'll learn of salvation from someone else. Just for today, speak in a way that is pleasing to God. TODAY, THANK GOD. "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18. There are many things to thank Him for, but it's so easy to forget to say those three words "Thank You, Lord". Maybe a loved one was driving through a storm and made it home safely. That's a reason to thank God. Did you get that much needed raise? It's God who deserves your thanks. If your bills have all been paid this month that's reason to give thanks. There are many things throughout the day that we should be thankful for, but just don't think to tell Him thank You. Thanking Him is akin to praising Him. TODAY, REPENT FROM YOUR SINS. We think of repentance happening when we first meet Jesus and then we don't have to do it again. It just doesn't work that way. No matter how long we've been walking with the Lord we still sin. We were justified when we first accepted Jesus, but the sanctification process takes time. Repentance means to change your mind. When you recognize something in your life as sin, repent and then stop doing that sin. You may be so blind to a sin which you continually commit that you think God's OK with it or you twist Scripture to make your sin acceptable. Study Scripture to learn God's ways and conform your life to Him. Pray as you read and let the Holy Spirit show you things you need to repent of and change. "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Psalm 139:23-24. Even though we make excuses for our own sins, God sees sin as sin. Instead of making excuses about why it's OK for you to continue to live in opposition to God, allow Him to search you and reveal any wickedness within you. Even a "small" sin can hinder your walk with the Lord. Today, turn from sin and live for God. This is a short list of suggestions of things to work on daily. I'm sure you can think of others. If you resolve each day to make one change before you know it you will have been walking closer to Jesus for a whole year. Take it a day at a time, but resolve to walk closer with God today. God bless you all, Nathele Graham [email protected] www.straitandnarrowministry.com [email protected] Ron and Nathele Graham's previous commentaries archived at http://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html 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 disruption begins - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The gavel has hardly called to order the new Democratic Party-controlled House of Representatives and the disruption of American society got off to a fast start. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, told TODAY's Savannah Guthrie that indicting the president is an open discussion and said she will wait and see about impeachment. Pelosi said, "We have to wait and see what happens with the Mueller report. We shouldn't be impeaching for a political reason, and we shouldn't avoid impeachment for a political reason. So we'll just have to see how it comes." She said there was no amount of persuasion that will convince Democrats to support a border wall and other stories signaled fights on the entire White House agenda. In a preview of the year ahead, conservative radio host Michael Savage had to go into hiding at a secret location due to death threats. The Washington Times reports "City, state and federal agencies are taking a look at a vicious, hateful email sent a restaurant frequented by talk radio icon Michael Savage that threatens to shoot up the establishment if he's not denied future service." The writer of the profanity-laced email said that the Jew Savage would be killed and the restaurant would turn into a shooting gallery if it allowed Savage to eat there again. The Times' Cheryl Chumley wrote, "It's a dangerous world out there, and apparently, speech--more to point, conservative speech--has become the shoot-to-kill target." Chumley wrote: "Maybe now the left will start to tone down its rhetoric? Maybe now the Nancy Pelosis of the country and the Maxine Waters of the nation will start to understand that calls for summers of resistance and cries to confront conservatives--particularly those tied to this Donald Trump administration--in the streets, in restaurants, at their homes, are all examples of uncalled-for rallies that can indeed spark the mentally unstable or viciously partisan to actually get physical?" Chumley and others must understand that the radical left has no intention of toning down rhetoric or calming those who would incite violence. Discouraging free speech and religious expression is just part of the overall agenda. Now that the radical left has a foothold on the national stage in Pelosi and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, Americans can expect that the most radical of them will be emboldened to do the things they were thinking, but afraid to do; say the things that they were holding back. The result of this new-found aggression likely will be more disruption, division, and violence. It is a limit on free speech and religious freedom--Michael Savage is an example: he is a conservative commentator and a Jew. Many may not think this is anything on which to sound the alarm, but it is the beginning of a new era in America. As Christ said in Matthew 24:9, "And you shall be hated of all nations for my names sake." If you stand and speak for the tenants of God--of what is moral, just and right, you will be hated by this crowd. Daily Devotion: Someone to Stand in the Gap - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org "I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one." -Ezekiel 22:30 Every Christian is called to serve God-not just preachers or missionaries or evangelists. Romans 12:4-5 says, "Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other" (NLT). We're all part of this one body of Christ, and each of us has a different work to do. Because we are all one body in Christ, we belong to each other and need each other. And each of us has been given the ability by God to do certain things well. God is looking for people to use in that capacity. In Ezekiel 22 God said, "I looked for someone who might rebuild the wall of righteousness that guards the land. I searched for someone to stand in the gap in the wall so I wouldn't have to destroy the land, but I found no one" (verse 30 NLT). "I looked for someone. . . ." Think about that. God is searching. Right now, God is searching for someone to use-a man, a woman, a boy, or a girl. He is looking for someone who will raise their hand and say, "Here I am. Send me." You may not be a preacher, but you do have a pulpit. A pulpit is a platform. A pulpit is opportunity. A pulpit is your sphere of influence, no matter where you are. If you flip burgers, you have a pulpit. If you're an executive, you have a pulpit. If you're in some other field, you have a pulpit. God is asking, "Who wants to be used by me?" Will you raise your hand and say, "I do"? God will use you if you will make yourself available to Him. 
FROM THE HEART
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