Prophecy Update Newsletter
January 10, 2017
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Betrayal of Israel - by Pastor Mike Taylor - http://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-betrayal-of-israel.html
1 "The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, 2And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 3And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. 4Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. 5Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:" (Ezekiel 37:1-5) The prophet Ezekiel was writing of the destruction of the house of Israel some two hundred years after the political subdivision called the "Kingdom of Israel" was destroyed by Sargon II , and the southern Kingdom of Judah was sent into exile by King Nebachadnezzer of Babylon. When the northern half of the land of Israel was destroyed by Sargon II, he did what most conquerors did in that day. He would take the captives and disperse them through out the kingdom and replace the captives with other subjugated people transplanted from other areas of the empire to the land he had just captured. As time passed those subjugated people assimilated to the new country they were taken to, and this country became their country. The point was to keep the captives and those conquered docile, because when you are a people without a country, there is not much reason to fight. This is how the Ten lost Tribes of Israel were lost to history and from the beginning of the 7th century BC, there was no place in the world called Israel. The surviving kingdom of Judah, known as the Jews, were eventually captured and partially assimilated by the Babylonians in the 5th century BC. They survived their captivity in Babylon and later by the Medo-Persians, only because they were allowed to return to their own land by Artaxerxes. In Ezekiel's day, there way no land called Israel, and had not been a place called such for 150 years and would not be a place named "Israel" for another 2520 years, for the time of the Jewish people being returned to their land, they were ruled by Rome, and the land was called Palestine. But Ezekiel's prophetic writing speak of a future land of Israel, one that he describes as "the people that are gathered out of the nations" (Ezekiel 38:12) 11 "Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. 12Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. 13And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, 14And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD." (Ezekiel 37:11-14) Here Ezekiel writes of the regathering of Israel to her own land in the last days. In Ezekiel 37, the prophet is shown a valley full of dry bones. God prophesied to Ezekiel that these dry bone would be restored to their ancient land in the last days. At the time of this writing, it would be six hundred years before the remaining Jews were scattered again by the Romans, but the Lord said Israel would be restored. 21 "And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: 22And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all:" (Ezekiel 37:21-22) THE RESTORATION OF NATIONAL ISRAEL The fulfillment of this prophecy could not be more obvious with the restoraton of Israel as a nation in May, 1948. The Jews of the Diaspora have indeed come from among the heathen from every side and returned to the Promise Land. Historically, in 1897, the first Zionist Congress petitioned the British Crown to allow the in-gathering Jews to set up a state in what was the British colony of Uganda. At the time, Palestine was in the hands of the Muslim Ottoman Empire. The British told them they should ask the Ottomans to let them have their historical homeland and turned the Uganda request down. Ezekiel prophesied that they would return to their own land, not a land in Africa that was not their ancient land, but return to the land God had given them by a promise made to their forefather , Abraham. 8 "After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them." (Ezekiel 38:8) Abba Ebban, one of Israel's Founding Fathers, wrote in his book, 'Personal Witness' that, right up until the last moment before issuing their 1948 Declaration of Statehood, they were quibbling about what to name the new Jewish State. Some liked 'Zion' others 'Judea' -- and it was only at the last minute, AFTER Ben-Gurion had already requested the new state be recognized by Washington, that they decided on the name 'Israel'. Ezekiel foretold all this two and one half millennia before it happened. He said his prophecy was for "the latter days." (38:16) Some will look at a passage in Ezekiel that says that the people of Israel will be in a " land of unwalled villages" and wonder about the wall that Israel has built to protect themselves from terrorist of the PLO. In Ezekiel's day, moats and walls to protect against invaders was a common strategic option. For this reference to a "land of unwalled villages" was a generally interpreted as a metaphor for a condition of peace, rather than a literal condition, although in Israel the peace is fragile as they have Muslim terrorist that fracture the national peace. The only other modern equivalent would be the Berlin wall but was built to keep people in, rather than keep people out. But Ezekiel's walls are clearly defensive -- the whole 38th chapter is about a war of invasion against Israel. And today, 2500 years after Ezekiel foretold it, and more than sixty years after Israel's restoration, the Israelis are building a defensive wall around their country. Most of it is complete, but Israel continues to build. It is proving its worth, as the threat of terrorism has been drastically decreased, but it equally certain that the wall will come down during the coming Tribulation. The entire world community opposes it (although they are having a hard time explaining why) and is why Israel did prepare to mount its defense at the trial before the World Court in The Hague to justify its continuation. And so at the present, the wall stands. THE INTERNATIONAL MADNESS POINTED AT ISRAEL 2 "And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 3And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12:2-3) In recent weeks, a new chapter in the madness of the World Community concerning Israel has flooded the news with its continued insanity. With all the problems we see in the Middle East with the civil war in Syria, the rise of ISIS killing Christians, and anyone that doesn't line up with their hateful ideology including Sunni Muslims, nuclear aggression by an insane leader in North Korea, Iran building nuclear facilities to manufacture a nuclear weapon to control the whole Middle East and still threatens Israel with annihilation, the U.N. has condemned Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria as illegal and demanding they return to their pre-1967 borders that are indefensible, giving up East Jerusalem, the Temple Mount and the Wailing Wall to the likes of the so called "Palestinians". Where are their world political priorities to single out Israel? What makes a true Christian supporter of Israel's sovereignty and right to the land God gave them thousands of years ago completely baffled, is the traitor in the White House who refused to veto a resolution that condemned Israel for their "illegal" settlement activity in the West Bank which they captured in the war with the Jordanians. Israel was first attacked first by their Arab neighbors and captured these Biblical areas of Judea and Samaria, along with the Temple Mount, part of their ancient homeland. This has put Israel in a very precarious situation that the incoming Trump administration realizes, and unable to do anything about it at the moment, but the damage is not over. The present POTUS is showing his true anti-Semitism by continuing to abandon Israel and making their position in the world more precarious. Many feel the aforementioned betrayal that this present "idiot in chief" was a collusion between the USA White House and the U.N. To demonize Israel and bring sanctions against her by the international community. But remember, the damage is far from over. Our fleckless commander in chief is not done with his betrayal of Israel. Coming this January 15th, there will be seventy countries that have requested to attend a Paris Summit and have their say at the high-level get-together over the stalled two-state solution of Israel and the Palestinians. Yet the two parties whose fate the meeting is aimed at deciding, have only been invited to meet separately at the conference's conclusion. Over the course of 2016, France had doggedly tried to kick-start the flailing peace process, hosting an "opening summit" on June 3, 2016. While the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), United States and a number of Arab countries attended the meeting, neither Israel nor the Palestinians were invited. Following the June get-together, the French vowed to persist in their reconciliation efforts and host a follow-up conference before ushering in 2017. I remember reading in their last attempt that Paris was flooded with the level of flooding that had not been seen for many years. In a news report is was written: "The conference ended and a divine reaction was almost immediate as the Seine River rose 20 feet overnight. Parts of the Metro system shut down, as did major landmarks. The Louvre museum was also closed as staff worked desperately to move 250,000 priceless works of art to safety. The Orsay Museum also scrambled to save its collections. Four people died and 4 were injured in France in the worst flood the country had seen in 30 years. More than 20,000 people have been evacuated in France since the weekend and 19,000 homes in and around Paris remain without electricity. The capital city remains under the second-highest alert, which warns of a "significant impact". Experts say it will take at least ten days for the flooding to return to normal levels." (Breaking Israel News) Every time that the world thinks they are going to divide God's land or take punitive measures to unilaterally punish Israel in a "Land for Peace" initiative, tragedy has struck every time, and it is aimed primarily at the leader of the free world, the USA for its involvement in attempting to come against Israel. What will happen this time, should this Paris fiasco condemn Israel by redrawing the borders of Israel and awarding land that belongs to God's Chosen people? In the past, environmental damage have happened each time the attempt was done... -1991 31 October President George H. Bush promoted the Madrid Peace Conference, where he attempted to divide the land of Israel in exchange for "peace" with the Palestinians. The next day, the perfect Storm came with 30 foot tidal waves and destroy Pres. Bush's Maine home. -1992 23 August The Madrid Conference was not successful the first time around, so a year later President Bush tried it again. Evidently, God's opinion of a "land for peace" deal had not changed in the preceding 12 months, and disaster struck again...on the very same day. Hurricane Andrew visited Florida and caused billions in damage. -1993 13 September , the Oso Peace Accords: President George H. Bush promoted and proudly signed the infamous Oslo Accord. The same day Hurrican Emily slammed the Outer Banks with 115 MPH winds. -1994 16 January, Talks to give up the Golan Heights by Slick Willy Clinton. A devastating 6.9 earthquake hits southern California and was the second most devasting earthquake to hit the USA in it's history. -1998 21 January , Impeachment. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is coldly received by Pres. Clinton and the Monica Lewisky scandal broke out, and resulted in impeachment proceedings for Clinton. -1998 28 September, Attempt to divide Israel again by Madeline Albright and Clinton, Two days later, Texas is hit with devasting tornados and heavy flooding. -I could number each one of the attempts to divide God's land and each time, disaster has struck, but the worst was in 2005, America pressured Israel to give up the Gaza Strip. When Hurrican Katrina slammed into the New Orleans gulf coast. It was the worst natural disaster in our history..the news report said it like this: "Katrina raced directly toward New Orleans, harnessing deadly strength every moment. Literally recording wind strength "off the scale" On Monday, August 29, the nation watched in horror as deadly Katrina slammed and slaughtered the fragile Gulf Coast. Destructive Katrina left beautiful homes as piles of worthless rubbish. Deadly Katrina tossed bodies like litter along the highway. When Katrina ended her deadly mission America suffered the worst disaster in her storied history. As I saw the thousands of homes destroyed, my mind kept going back to those U.S. ordered bulldozers destroying the Jewish homes in the Gaza Strip. As I saw the thousands and thousands of United States citizens being evacuated from their land, my mind could not keep from remembering the Jewish people crying and literally begging to stay in their land. America found no mercy for the Jewish people. The God of Israel is neither slumbering nor sleeping, America should remember that." Back in Israel Ariel Sharon, the Prime Minister at the time, suffered a massive stroke and lay in a vegetative state for many years before finally succumbing to his massive brain bleed...no matter if you're an American, or a faithless Israeli commander of the armed forces of Israel, you mess with God's land or His people, bad things seem to happen. There are many tragedies associated with Israel and the international community attempting to divide God's Land. Obviously, the present administration thinks they are exempt and again are attempting to try and divide God's Land...I pray God will view this as a product of a godless regime and take out His anger on those who precipitated this act of being a traitor to the only democratic ally we have in the Middle East. What will become the next story that will add to the reprisal of an angry God messing with His land or His people?? I see major environmental flooding and record snow falls in California into Nevada...A product of this last U.N. vote...? The U.N. coming against Israel will only isolate Israel even further, unless a Trump administration stalls that eventual slide. We have to stay attentive to that development and see what a POTUS Trump will do about the treachery done to God's people. THE WORLD BORDERS ON THE TRIBULATION The prophet Daniel, and both Paul and John foretell a peace agreement with Israel that kicks off the Tribulation Period. Daniel says that a leader of the revived Roman Empire confirms a peace covenant between Israel and her enemies, which he breaks halfway through. In context, one could assume the covenant involves a mutual defense agreement, since, after the walls come down, Ezekiel says this Russian-led Islamic alliance launches a sneak invasion against Israel. Ezekiel 38:13 says Israel's 'allies' launch what amounts to little more than a weak diplomatic objection. ...You see the Dominos lining up and each are beginning to fall, as the world flies head long into the coming Tribulation and the removal of God's church from this planet. The political news is moving so fast, that is hard to keep up. Russia in the Middle East making nice to Iran, fighting in Syria and the possibility of the Oracle of Damascus being fulfilled, the isolation and treachery heaped upon God's land and people....a coming war prophesied of the Gog-Magog invasion, and most likely bringing about a 7 year treaty with Israel because of the total devastation that rained down upon the invaders. Thus rushing in the coming 7 year tribulaton that looms larger, as the puzzle pieces are ushered into place waiting for their act in world history to be orchestrated by the God of the universe. The literal fulfillment of prophecies penned tens of centuries ago continue to unfold in our generation. Right down to details such as Israel's Tribulation status as a 'land of unwalled villages'. The same Guiding Hand responsible for Ezekiel's unwavering accuracy and attention to detail also guided those prophecies that yet remain to be fulfilled. Don't let anybody steal away your excitement! We are that special, chosen generation who 'shall not pass away, until all be fulfilled." The time of Jacob's trouble is in the near future as the picture grows plainer and more into focus as time passes... WHEN THE TRIBULATON COMES, WHERE WILL YOU BE? If anything, those reading these passages can see that a war could break out any minute between Israel and the God of the Universe in this corner...and the Gog-Magog coalition in the other corner...when fighting starts, it will be a mass suicide of those who dare come against God's ancient people who He has gathered on the mountains of Israel. If I'm right, and this signals the coming treaty of 7 years, the wrath of God will fall on this planet and the Tribulation will begin as our Lord Jesus breaks the 1st seal and each seal of the title deed to this earth, which He created and bought with His blood. But just prior to that historical event, another most important event will take place, as all hell will break loose and the devil and his evil host will attempt to destroy all of mankind, and to secure worship for himself, as he has lusted for power reserved only for God Almighty, when he brings the Anti-Christ upon the world scene. 7 "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And THEN shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:" (2nd Thessalonias 2:7-8) This is a prophetic warning that when the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel begins, most likely with the aforementioned "peace treaty" with Israel, the Anti-Christ will step front and center stage. But I see the Church being removed prior to this is you take a careful reading of scripture, when the man of sin is revealed the Holy Spirit is removed from this earth in its fullness and we who have His Spirit residing in each of us, will leave with Him. Why? Because Jesus said He would never leave us alone, or comfortless and my God cannot lie...We are leaving..and possibly soon...Some people scoff and think we are grasping at straws. But fear them not, we are not grasping at straws, or following vague and ambiguous prophecies that can be explained away by calling them 'interpretations.' This is the real thing. "And when these things BEGIN to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28) And brothers and sisters, the signs are all around us, screaming of their coming fulfillment. Be not those who slumber, but keep alert and watching, for our Lord will come when they least expect it. This is Pastor Mike Taylor, proclaiming the nearness of our Lord. If you need prayer, counseling, or just a listening ear, contact me at [email protected] , or visit me online for more biblical messages at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com . God bless you all. TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET. 
US Jerusalem embassy - only foundations - http://www.debka.com/article/25881/Exclusive-US-Jerusalem-embassy---only-foundations
The appointment of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, 35, as senior adviser in the future White House on Middle East affairs is part of a broader plan taking shape in the president-elect's transition team for bringing forward a resolution of the Israel-Palestinian dispute. This plan has not yet jelled into concrete policy, but is still a set of ideas under consideration by the team's insiders, in the light of Trump's comments past and present. On Nov 22, the president elect said that Kushner "could be very helpful" in reconciling the longstanding dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians. "He would be very good at it" and "He knows the region." He also said: Many people said "you can't do it. I disagree. I think I have reason to believe I can do it." The incoming US president's appointment of David Friedman as ambassador to Israel also mentioned the drive for peace and reiterated his campaign pledge to move the US embassy to Jerusalem. This week, Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas warned that transferring the embassy would be tantamount to a US declaration of war on the Palestinians. King Abdullah of Jordan said it would be "a red line" for his government and "inflame the Islamic and Arab streets," while Secretary of State John Kerry said, days before he leaves the post, "You'd have an explosion, an absolute explosion in the region - not just in the West Bank - and perhaps, even in Israel itself - but throughout the region." Those dire warnings went without response from the president elect and his designated secretary of state. However, they appear to have had some effect. debkafile's exclusive sources report that the transition team is examining a number of proposals, one of which is to make a start on clearing the ground at the future site of the US embassy in Jerusalem and then wait. The US government purchased the site some years ago for this purpose. The plot, known as the Allenby Camp, which served as a British military compound after 1917, is large and stands empty in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Talpiot, adjacent to the Palestinian district of Jabal Muqabar and the mixed neighborhood of Abu Tor. Another idea is to conduct a cornerstone-laying ceremony at the site - and then suspend construction. The Palestinians would have to reciprocate by calling off their international campaign for vilifying and delegitimizing the State of Israel at the UN as well as in world capitals. Construction of the US embassy would then remain on hold. But if the Palestinians continued their anti-Israel campaign, construction of the Jerusalem embassy would go forward. Our sources report that the embassy transfer is just one item on a broad program President-elect Trump is putting together on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, including its territorial aspects. 
Our World: Netanyahu, Congress, AIPAC and the PLO - By Caroline B. Glick - http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Our-World-Netanyahu-Congress-AIPAC-and-the-PLO-477940
It is not in the least surprising that the PLO-controlled Palestinian Authority did not condemn the terrorist attack on Sunday. It is not surprising because the PLO-controlled PA encouraged the attack. As Khaled Abu Toameh wrote for the Gatestone Institute, in the aftermath of last month's US-enabled passage of UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which criminalizes Israel, the PA went on the warpath. Among other things, Muhammad Abu Shtayyeh, who serves as a close adviser to PLO chief and PA leader Mahmoud Abbas called for an intensification of terrorist attacks against Israelis. Shtayyeh said that now is the time to "bolster the popular resistance" against Israel. As Abu Toameh noted, "'Popular resistance' is code for throwing stones and petrol bombs and carrying out stabbing and car-ramming attacks against Israelis." Sunday's terrorist murderer probably was inspired by Islamic State, and its adherents' recent truck ramming murder sprees in Nice and Berlin, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. But Sunday's 28-year-old cold blooded killer hailed from Jerusalem, not Nice. His brain was washed since he was five years old by the PLO-controlled PA's steady cycle of jihadist incitement. From the time he was in preschool, the killer was indoctrinated to aspire to commit the mass murder of Jews he carried out on Sunday. For 23 years, Israel and the US have empowered the PLO. During this period, the terrorist group never took any concrete steps to promote peace. At no point in the past generation has a PLO leader ever told the Palestinians or supporters abroad that the time has come to bury the hatchet and accept Israel. Instead, for 23 years, the PLO has openly supported Israel's annihilation. Often that support has been stated in code words like "popular resistance" which everyone understands means murder. To make it easy for Americans and Israelis to continue funding, arming, training and of course, recognizing the PLO as a "moderate" organization despite its continued sponsorship of terrorism, PLO members are always happy to talk about a "two-state solution" with Westerners that wish to be lied to. But they do not hesitate to threaten anyone who rejects their lies about Jews and Israel. For instance, Abbas reacted to US President-elect Donald Trump's plan to abide by the US law requiring the State Department to move the US embassy to Jerusalem by threatening him. Trump's plan will have "serious implications" for the US, Abbas told a group of visiting Israeli leftists. PLO Executive Committee chairman Saeb Erekat said that if Trump moves the US embassy to Israel's capital, the PLO will lobby Arab states to expel the US ambassadors from their capitals. Jebl Mukaber, the Jerusalem neighborhood where Sunday's terrorist lived, used to be just an Arab neighborhood in Jerusalem. It wasn't particularly friendly. But it also wasn't particularly hostile. But then for about five minutes in 1993, the PLO pretended it wasn't a terrorist group. To the delight of the US, Israel responded by giving it operational bases in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. The PLO then went about indoctrinating residents of the areas under its control as well as throughout Israel that they must reject all forms of coexistence with Israel and work toward its destruction. These acts of war on the ground have always been complemented by PLO efforts to destroy Israel in the court of world opinion through its unrelenting and ever escalating worldwide political war against the Jewish state. In keeping with this state of affairs, following 2334's passage, at the same time its members called for intensifying terrorist attacks against Israel, the PLO Executive Committee decided to escalate its international economic boycott campaign against Israel and ratchet up its campaign to convince the International Criminal Court to convict Israelis of imaginary war crimes. Like Sunday's terrorist attack in Jerusalem, it ought to go without saying that these actions are all acts of war against Israel. The reason it is necessary to state what ought to be the self-evident fact that the PLO is a terrorist organization engaged in a total war against Israel and the Jewish People is because the people that are supposed to act on this reality insist on denying it. The Netanyahu government, the US Congress and US Jewish organizations led by AIPAC still refuse admit the truth about the PLO and draw the necessary conclusions. Those necessary conclusions are similarly self-evident. Israel and the US should cut all ties to the PLO. The PLO should be re-designated as the terrorist group it never stopped being and treated accordingly. Last week, the US House of Representatives passed non-binding Resolution 11, which condemned resolution 2334. Resolution 11 was shepherded through the House by AIPAC, with Prime Minister Netanyahu's support. The House resolution, which is set to be followed by a nearly identical Senate resolution in the coming days, is based on the proposition that 2334 is bad not because, as the Simon Wiesenthal Center rightly said, it was the worst antisemitic act of 2016. Rather, the congressional resolution rejects 2334 because it harms the chance of Israel and the PLO reaching a negotiated peace that will lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Resolution 11 is marginally helpful because it rejects economic and political warfare against Israel. But substantively, in regard to the PLO and its legitimacy, the greatest difference between Resolution 11 and 2334 is that while 2334 embraces the PLO's anti-Jewish rejection of all Jewish ties to Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, Resolution 11 recognizes Israel's right to the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter. Beyond Jerusalem's Old City, Congress's resolution accepts the pro-PLO position that it is a good idea to work toward the forcible expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Jews from their homes in Judea and Samaria to make room for a Jew-free Palestinian state led by PLO terrorists. To credit its position, the House resolution states that 2334's refusal to distinguish between Jerusalem's Old City and Judea and Samaria means it equates "these sites with outposts in the West Bank that the Israeli government has deemed illegal." The problem with this wording is that it ignores the fact that the Knesset is about to pass a law that would effectively cancel that delineation. Similarly, it ignores that the delineation of Israeli communities built since 2000 in Judea and Samaria as illegal was done by a radical Justice Ministry attorney who now heads the post-Zionist New Israel Fund. In other words, Congress's resolution reflects the view of the far-left fringes of the Israeli political spectrum. Supported by Netanyahu, AIPAC shepherded this resolution through the House, despite harsh opposition from the House Freedom Caucus whose members wish to end US support for the PLO and for a PLO state. Although AIPAC condemned the Obama administration's refusal to veto 2334, it continues to fervently support the PLO and Palestinian statehood. Indeed, just days after 2334 passed, AIPAC officials and missions were meeting with Erekat and other PLO operatives in Ramallah, as if there is anything pro-Israel about meeting with people who just got the Security Council to resolve that Israel is a criminal state. AIPAC's continued support for the PLO no doubt stems in part from its desire to keep the Democratic Party inside the pro-Israel tent. Unfortunately, that ship seems to have sailed. Nearly 40% of House Democrats including minority leader Nancy Pelosi and assistant leader Jim Clyburn voted against the PLO state supporting resolution. Rep. Keith Ellison, who is the front-runner to be elected Democratic National Committee chairman later this month, also voted no. Two thirds of the 95 Democrats supported by J Street opposed the resolution. Most of the Democrats that supported Resolution 11 may well have supported it even if it had left out the goal of giving the PLO a state. It cannot be credibly argued that Reps. Elliot Engel and Steny Hoyer would have opposed Resolution 11 if it had simply stated that 2334 was antisemitic. Certainly it is hard to argue they would have opposed it if the vote was delayed until January 21. Indeed, it is hard to understand why it was necessary to pass the resolution while President Barack Obama - who partnered with the PLO to pass 2334 - is still in office. Resolution 2334's passage must be viewed as an inflection point. It is no longer possible to credibly argue that the PLO is remotely interested in peace with Israel. Sunday's murderous terrorist attack Jerusalem was further testament of this truth. The time has come for Israelis and Israel's supporters in the US to demand that our leaders - from Prime Minister Netanyahu to AIPAC to members of Congress - finally recognize and act of this truth. The whitewashing of the PLO must end. 
11 Numbers That Connect the Year 2017, Israel and Donald Trump - http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/62296-11-numbers-that-connect-the-year-2017-israel-and-donald-trump
Is 2017 going to be the most important year we have seen in a very, very long time? Because of the work I do, I am constantly immersed in research, and lately I keep coming across very strange "coincidences" regarding the year 2017. The numbers I am about to share with you certainly appear to be quite remarkable, but there will be many out there who will question their significance. To the naysayers, I would suggest that from the very beginning, God has always put a lot of emphasis on numbers. For example, He created the world in precisely seven days, and on the seventh day He rested. Throughout Scripture, we see certain numbers showing up over and over again, and God has a purpose in that. So please keep this in mind as you consider the following 11 numbers that connect the year 2017, Israel and Donald Trump. 1. On Nov. 29, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that called for the creation of a Jewish state as part of an overall partition plan for the Middle Eastern territory that was occupied by Great Britain at that time. 2017 will mark the 70th anniversary of that agreement, and many believe that this will turn out to be quite significant. If you are not familiar with this U.N. resolution, here is some info on it from Wikipedia: The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a proposal by the United Nations, which recommended a partition of mandatory Palestine at the end of the British Mandate. On 29 November 1947, the U.N. General Assembly adopted the plan as Resolution 181(II). The resolution recommended the creation of independent Arab and Jewish States and a special international regime for the city of Jerusalem. The Partition Plan, a four-part document attached to the resolution, provided for the termination of the Mandate, the progressive withdrawal of British armed forces and the delineation of boundaries between the two states and Jerusalem. Part I of the plan stipulated that the Mandate would be terminated as soon as possible and the United Kingdom would withdraw no later than Aug. 1, 1948. The new states would come into existence two months after the withdrawal, but no later than Oct. 1, 1948. The plan sought to address the conflicting objectives and claims of two competing movements, Palestinian nationalism and Jewish nationalism, or Zionism. The plan also called for economic union between the proposed states and for the protection of religious and minority rights. So why would 70 years be important? Well, the Babylonian captivity lasted for a period of 70 years, and as the Daily Crow explains, the number 70 just keeps popping up throughout the Bible. Moses appointed 70 elders, and the gospels record 70 parables by Jesus. A total of 70 Israelites began their nation in Egypt before it would grow to over 2 million by the time of the Exodus. 70 elders made up Israel's Great Tribunal which would later become the Sanhedrin. 70 disciples were sent out by Christ to preach the gospel in Luke 10. Therefore 70 means complete and perfect judgment or perfection made complete through judgment. 2. The number 50 is also a very important biblical number. And even though 2017 will not be a Jubilee year, it is fascinating to note that 2017 will be exactly 50 years from the reclaiming of Jerusalem in 1967. 3. If we go back another 50 years from 1967, that brings us to the 1917 Balfour Declaration, which was also a very significant landmark in the history of the Jewish people. 4. It turns out that there was also exactly 50 years from the Zionist Congress of 1897 to the U.N. resolution in 1947 that called for the creation of a Jewish state. 5. As I stated in a previous article, Donald Trump was born precisely 700 days before Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948. 6. The nation of Israel was 77 days old precisely 777 days after the birth of Donald Trump. 7. Israel's 70th birthday will come precisely 700 days after Donald Trump's 70th birthday. 8. Donald Trump's shocking election victory just happened to fall on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's seventh year, seventh month and seventh day in office. 9. Donald Trump will be 70 years, 7 months and 7 days old on his first full day in the White House. 10. Donald Trump's first full day in the White House will also come during year 5777 on the Hebrew calendar. 11. Many are pointing to a very unusual celestial arrangement that will take place on Sept. 23, 2017. It is being called "the Revelation 12 sign," and some claim this is the first time in 7000 years that we will see the scene described in Revelation chapter 12 actually being depicted in the heavens. The following is what Revelation 12:1-2 says: A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. You can learn more about this very unusual event right here on YouTube. And of course, just because the stars are lining up a certain way does not mean something specific will happen on that day. Some have suggested that it could be the birth of something, and others have suggested that it could be the beginning or the end of a countdown. The truth is that I don't know if anyone knows what it might mean at this point, but Jesus did tell us to watch for signs in the sun, moon and stars in the last days, so we should be alert. Throughout history, God has always liked to use numbers to get our attention. And as you just saw, there are lots of unusual numbers that seem to connect 2017, Israel and Donald Trump. And even without any of those numbers, many have long had a feeling that 2017 is going to be an extremely significant year, and so we all need to be ready for whatever God has in store for us 
Nearing Midnight: Verify but Trust - Terry James - http://raptureready.com/rap16.html
Russian/American relations are front and center in the news at the moment of this new year's dawning. Conflicting approaches to these relations are also very much in the headlines. The outgoing Obama administration, it is offered for public consumption, wants Russia punished for hacking into the presidential election process. The incoming Trump administration, mainstream news purveyors put forth, wants to cozy up to Russia and its President Vladimir Putin, because Mr. Trump is--they claim--Mr. Putin's pal. The perception they want to create is that Trump doesn't trust U.S. intelligence sources who, according to the mainstreamers, all agree that Russia hacked into the Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails, etc.--thus in order to help Donald Trump get elected. Fact is, however, all the U.S. intelligence services aren't in complete agreement. They neither are of consensus opinion that Russia did the cyber-hacking, nor that Putin's intention was to help Trump's election effort. But, as we all know, the facts have little to do with mainstream reporting within today's reality. The president-elect has embraced many of President Ronald Reagan's thoughts, particularly with regard to Russia--in Mr. Reagan's case, the Soviet Union. "Trust but verify" was perhaps the most famous statement/position stated by Reagan that best frames his position in dealing with the Soviets. Reagan signed the Intermediate range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on December 8, 1987. He used the phrase "trust but verify" to explain the in-depth procedures that would be in place to make certain the treaty stayed on the up and up. The statement was from the Russian proverb Doveryai, no proveryai, taught him by a Russian translator in preparation for the meetings with Gorbachev. This requirement for dealing with the Russians will be highly necessary when Trump takes the oath on January 20. It is a precautionary thought that hasn't been followed by Barack Obama for the last eight years and the present state of disarray with regard to the cyber-hacking hubbub proves the statement's worth. Besides Israel, there is no more relevant nation than Russia in view for Bible prophecy yet to unfold. Let's pray that some within the new president's close circle of advisers can add prophetic understanding in Mr. Trump's dealing with the Russians. With that trust-but-verify relationship between America and Russia as a foundational premise for the further thoughts I hope to present, I would like to get into the reasons the title of this commentary has Mr. Reagan's statement reversed--"verify but trust." I wish to try to apply this reversal to the personal relationship each of us--you and I--has with our Lord. If you might indulge me for a brief time, I will, in order to hopefully make the point I wish to convey, reveal a small bit of relational goings-on in my own life at present. Realization of what all is involved in those goings-on completely escaped me until I began thinking on and praying about this commentary. The Holy Spirit was clear and to the point in whispering to my own, more often than not dull-of-hearing spiritual ears. When the epiphany struck, it was so obvious that its simplicity sort of stunned me. My uncomfortable relationship of the moment with the uncertainties of life wasn't mere chance. It involved the things I have believed--have taught and written about most all of my Christian life. My wife, Margaret, had just had a car accident. It was one in which only she was involved, but it was a bad one, so far as the damage done to the car was concerned. Thankfully, Margaret had only her heel badly fractured as a result of the big sedan rolling over and ending right side up. The state police officer who worked the wreck said it could have easily been a deadly accident. The car was totaled. So, needless to say, we are grateful to the Lord for His protection--and to the car manufacturer for the sixteen air bags that deployed during the violent rollover. However, I've nevertheless been lamenting ever since that accident that happened on the Monday leading up to Christmas. Poor me. I've been so inconvenienced by it all. Christmas this year was, in my commercially minded self-centeredness, a disaster. Plus, I've been called into service as caregiver for Miss Margaret--and me a poor, old, blind guy. The epiphany, that hit just this morning, is that this was no accident in the purest sense. This was a faith- and character-tester--to my own life, at least. It was a test to see how I would react to an occurrence allowed, not caused, by the Lord. His only involvement in the accident itself was that of protecting Margaret's life. What part Satan and his minions had in it, I have no way of assessing. I failed the test miserably, dwelling only on how deleteriously it affected my daily routine--which I do not under any circumstance want to be disrupted. Well, that routine is continuing to be disrupted. I still don't like it, but the Lord has most assuredly spoken to me and let me know that it is sinful indulgence to expect the world to revolve around one's self. I would hope that from this point forward, for however much time I'm allowed in this life, I would--after this lesson--at the very outset of life's such disruptions, understand the spiritual implications. I hope that I will immediately verify in my spiritual understanding that nothing happens in the believer's life in which our Lord is not intimately interested. We do not believe in and serve an existential God. Then, I would hope that I would always apply this primary "trust" Scripture to my life: "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). Verify but trust. That's my prayerful New Year's wish for you as well when you face life's sometimes unpleasant surprises. 
My Review of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Over the last 35 years, I have literally read hundreds of books on Bible Prophecy and End Time signs. I especially enjoy books on the Rapture, and I have read almost every Rapture-related book published. In all those years, devouring thousands of pages, and millions of words, I have not read a better book on the Rapture than, Rapture Ready...Or Not? Terry James might be physically blind, but he is spiritually sharp and well discerning beyond most authors. In "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Terry has nailed the pre-trib Rapture, and removed any doubt what so ever about the Church going through the Tribulation. With great insight and Godly discernment, Terry explains with simple, yet profound words, why and how that he has come to believe the ways he does about the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the End Times scenario. I think after reading "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" you too will believe as Terry does, and be Ready for the Rapture like never before! - Randy Thomas - Publisher / Editor - Prophecy Update For more information and or to get your copy of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" use this link: http://www.raptureready.com/terry/book35.html 
Apostasy Defined (Part II) - A.V. Rauf - http://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2017/01/02/apostasy-defined-part-ii/
After being born, a new baby consumes milk for much of his/her diet, and the progression moves from milk to soft baby food to bread and ultimately meat as the child grows. This can also apply to the spiritual growth and nourishment of a new believer in Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-2-2 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: 1 Corinthians 3:1-2-And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. Hebrews 5:12-14-For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. If you notice the play of words used by the Apostle Paul, you see that he was very concerned about the spiritual condition of the believers. The concept of feeding on "milk" and "meat" and "strong meat" all pertaining to what the believers were learning through Scriptures. Jesus Himself made it clear how important it was for a Christian to study and apply what was being written in the Bible: Matthew 4:4-But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17-All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. The last verse makes it clear that the Bible is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction and in instruction in righteousness. Remember in the previous post, the meaning of apostasy is defined as "to fall away from," and in this case to fall away from the truth of God's Word. I believe the Church must revert back to the basics. Many people have simply lost sight of the foundational doctrines such as repentance, baptism, forgiveness of sins, eternal judgment, and the very return of Christ, to name a few. Again notice the 14th verse of Hebrews Chapter 5: 14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. You see, if people do not even have an effectual knowledge of God's Word, then they cannot be discerning. If they are not discerning, then they may be gullible enough to believe anything they are being fed. Ultimately, when you are hungry, you will eat anything. When there is a void, it has to be filled with something. That "something," can be another gospel, another Jesus, another message if you will. 2 Corinthians 11:1-4-Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. 2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. Paul goes on in the same chapter to warn the Church of another phenomenon: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. The root cause for this stems from the very spirit of Anti-Christ. I discussed this matter in the following posts which I strongly recommend you read before moving forward: http://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/02/21/the-spirit-of-antichrist-part-i/ http://bibleprophecyfortoday.com/2015/02/25/the-spirit-of-antichrist-part-ii/ Let's go back and look at 2 Thessalonains Chapter 2: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13- Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Notice the verse 13. In this verse we see those saints who truly experienced a genuine salvation in Christ. This was accomplished through a sanctification by the Holy Spirit in faith and in truth. In other words, as the apostasy unfolds, those who turned away from the truth will succumb to the Spirt of AntiChrist, which replaces the Christ. This in itself the result of not receiving the truth so as to be saved. I have said before that as the Holy Spirit is preparing the true Church for the return of the Lord, in like fashion, the spirit of lawlessness is paving the way for the man of Lawlessness to be revealed. The challenge for the Church is to remain in the tuth, to be sanctified by the truth, and to endure until the end. Matthew 24:10-13-And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 
Daily Jot: Foundations are important - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
1963 was a magical year for me. My dad had bought a new stake-bed International pick-up truck in the fall of 1962 and spent the winter building a camper for it--2X4's and plywood, cabinets and a sink from an old camping trailer, outdoor carpet, windows from a mobile home, two-tone white and aqua paint on the outside. By May, we were ready to start our trip West with the McCarthy's-Warren, Sue, Bill, and Kathleen. Warren was a bit more particular. He bought his camper. It was pretty sleek in comparison. I was 8 years old, going into second grade. Bill and Kathleen were several years older than me. But they treated me like a little brother. Our families toured all the states West of the Mississippi that summer. We saw America as it was during a time when things weren't quite so complicated. There were a lot of stories and a lot of pictures that came from that trip. I remember looking out over the Grand Canyon and my mother was really concerned that I would fall off one of the cliffs as back in that time, there were no fences to keep you from just walking off the edge. I guess the people in charge thought you would have enough common sense not to do that. At Yellowstone, we walked across the small pools of boiling "pots", little geysers and some other dangerous looking pools. There were no sidewalks or handrails. We walked across these dangerous pits on 2X8 planks with the ends layered on top of one another. A lot of funny things happened. Warren, a World War II hero of Normandy, was an avid photographer. One time bears trapped him in his camper while he was changing film. It says not to feed the bears, but those bears cleaned us both out of our scraps before they finally left and Warren could get back in the truck. Another time, he saw a moose he wanted to photograph. Now Warren was about 6'6" tall. He started across that swamp eyeing up the moose in his Nikon camera. All of a sudden he was about 4'7". He had fallen in a deep marshy soft spot up to his waist. But he got the picture! On July 4, we had a snowball fight in our T-shirts at Glacier Park. We saw a rodeo in Cody; Buffalo in Montana; Ghost towns in New Mexico and Arizona. One of the coolest wonders of nature I remember was the giant sequoias-the biggest trees I had ever seen. There was one tree so big that a tunnel was carved through its center and cars could drive through it. A lot of great memories and history remain with me from that trip. 'Sad to report that the "Tunnel Tree" was toppled by high winds and rains this week. The tree's foundation could no longer support it. Let us pray that this magnificent centuries-old sequoia is not symbolic of our nation. Let us seek to strengthen our foundation in Christ that our families, our communities and nation would be once again strong. As Isaiah 28:16 says, "I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that has faith will not rush here and there (shall be steadfast)." 
Daily Devotion: The Pull of Heaven - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace. -1 Chronicles 29:15 When we're young, life seems to go slowly. But as we get older, we can't believe how quickly life goes. We can't believe how quickly a week goes-then a month, then a year. The Bible says this about our lives: "We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace" (1 Chronicles 29:15). Yet the Bible also says that God "has planted eternity in the human heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We are not highly evolved animals; we are uniquely made in the image of God with a soul and a desire to know the God who created us. For those of us who have put our trust in Christ, we are citizens of a different place. You might say that we have dual citizenship. We are citizens of the planet Earth, but we are heavenly citizens as well. Philippians 3:20 says, "We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior." I heard the story of a little boy who was flying his kite, which had gone up so high, he could no longer see it. Someone saw him tugging on the string and asked, "Where is your kite?" "Up there," he said. "I can't see your kite. How do you know it's there?" "It's there," the boy said. "I feel its tug." We feel the same thing. We feel the pull of heaven deep down inside. As Augustine wrote, "Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it [rests] in Thee." There's a desire in us, a craving in us, that nothing on this earth will ever satisfy. 
FROM THE HEART
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