Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Trump: God's Man of the Hour - Pete Garcia -
http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8574 Unlike Barack Obama's meteoric rise from obscurity to international stardom seemingly overnight, Donald J. Trump has been on the global stage for decades. Well-known for his global real estate empire, the Miss Universe pageants, and his hit television show "The Apprentice," then-candidate Trump's announcement to run for the highest political office in the United States still came as a surprise to many. Even more surprising was his seemingly impossible victory over the queen of the deep-state swamp-things. Many rightly attribute Trump's miracle victory as just that, a miracle. So if this is divine intervention, then why? What purpose does God have for a crude and narcissistic man such as Donald J. Trump in these final hours of human history? "Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:21-22 Still, we wonder that if God truly chooses the leaders (He does according to Dan. 2:21 & Rom. 13:1-7), why then did He allow a lawless man such as Obama to hold office for as long as he did? I believe Obama's run from 2008-2016 not only served as a form of punishment for America's sins (i.e., we get the leaders we deserve) but was also meant to cause the counter-reaction that it did by waking up a sleeping American public. Think about it this way, without Obama, there would have been no Tea Party movement. Without Obama, there would not be majorities in both the House and the Senate. In a normal election cycle, under normal circumstances in America, Donald Trump would not have made it past the first Republican primary. However, such was the angst against the Obamanation-Administration that the average American rose up in one great act of defiance to elect a man such as Donald Trump. Trump broke the rules by calling things as he sees them, and has vowed to undo the past eight years by making America what it once was...a great nation. God's Change Agents I believe that God uses world leaders to accomplish His geopolitical will. That is not my opinion, but Scripture confirms this repeatedly. In our current situation, God will continue to use President Trump to accomplish exactly what He needs to done to set the prophetic stage on this accelerated time-line we find ourselves. The list below are leaders who God used to accomplish specific things that advanced God's prophetic agenda. This is not a list showing Godly men who stood out in history for being righteous or holy.
Status Quo I said our timeline was accelerated not just because of Trump's election, but also with his willingness to stand on the side of Israel. After decades of politicians speaking out of both sides of their mouth, Trump's close relationship with Netanyahu is genuine. Because of that relationship, along with his financial means and insider knowledge is why he was chosen by God to be elected. You got to know that politicians on both sides of the aisle have been cozying up to Trump in an attempt to get financial backing during election cycles. He probably has A LOT more dirt on them; then they ever did on him. Still, what would not have happened in the nineties (or earlier) is now evidence that we are entering a time when the political swings will get wider and wider toward the extremes. Regarding cause and effect, had Ross Perot not entered into the 1992 elections, the Republican base would not have split as it was. That gave an unknown Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton the unexpected victory over the incumbent George H. Bush Sr. Regarding effect, both Clinton and Bush Sr. were globalists, so in that regard, the change would not have been very significant. However, what was significant was that the bar for ethical and criminal activities surrounding the Oval Office had been lowered to such an extent that a man like Barak Obama could run for the highest office in the land in the first place. This is how a virtually unknown state senator from Illinois, with a tightly veiled backstory, became President. So mysterious was his pre-Senate history that even to this day, we do not know much (if anything) from his pre-community organizing and university days. Only three written documents he had authored had ever been published publicly before his "autobiographies." The autobiographies accredited to Obama (Dreams of My Father and The Audacity of Hope) were most definitely the work of a ghost writer(s). He was a committed (and admitted) socialist, pro-Islamic (favoring Shia), and frequently attended a "Christian" church that militantly preached the social-justice gospel for twenty-years. This man then ran the country for eight years. Juxtaposed too and following closely on Obama's heels was the election of president number 45, who was populist, pro-business, pro-security, and pro-family values candidate Donald Trump. Those aside, one can only imagine the level of violent agitation stirring against Trump by the principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this age, and spiritual hosts of wickedness (Eph. 6:12) because of his standing with Israel. Every spectrum of society (minus the average American) has been mindlessly pitted against Trump (TDS) because he is attempting to undo what globalist spent a century putting together. The result reminds me of the William Butler Yeats's poem entitled the Second Coming; Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Apparently, TDS is not just an American thing. The world's reaction at the United Nations against Trump's Jerusalem declaration on December 6th, 2017, was predictably anti-Israel. Less unexpected was the sheer number of nations siding against the US over it. More likely, they were siding against Trump on a personal level because he invokes such extreme reactions to his presidency. Had Obama announced Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel and embassy move, I figure more nations would have followed our lead, albeit, reluctantly. Rest assured that from here on out, whatever the 20th-century geopolitical status quo used to be, it has passed awkwardly into the annals of human history. Great Expectations If one simply watched the news or listened to the "experts" in academia, government, technology, media, etc., one would be lead to believe that we had the rest of the 21st century (and beyond) to figure things out. One would be lead to believe that we were on the cusp of developing immortality in 20-30 years through either advanced technology or genetic manipulation. One would also be lead to believe that all religions were relative and that eventually the world will stamp out fundamentalism and evolve to the point where we just "COEXIST." One would be lead to believe that governments around the world were actively working to establish permanent colonies on the moon (and Mars) in which man could travel to if life on earth somehow didn't pan out. Moreover, if God allowed us the time, I am certain those experts would be correct (Gen. 11:6). However, according to both Scripture and Bible prophecy experts, "the human race has a shelf-life," and it is about to expire. According to Scripture, Israel is God's timepiece, and whatever time mankind has left, is in direct proportion to her status as a nation. Life will simply not continue to go on indefinitely despite what the experts say because none of them (the secular ones at least), ever take Scripture into account. While no one can know the day or hour, our departure (via the Rapture) is coming sooner than we expect. (See 1 Thess. 5:1-11) Therefore, it stands to reason that the elections of both Obama and Trump were two sides of the same coin regarding the extreme natures of their administrations. Perhaps it is better if we see the administrations as transitions rather than causation leading to the final week of years (the 70th Week). In other words, if Trump was the far-right reaction to the leftist Obama administration, how much further left will the pendulum swing after Trump's term comes to an end? Even if Trump does last eight years, we know historically speaking, that public political sentiment tends to move in both directions because the center cannot hold. Put another way, had John Kerry or Mitt Romney won any of the subsequent elections (post-W. Bush), things would have seemingly gone back to the humdrum of politics as usual. However, with the elections of Clinton, Obama and now Trump, American politics have changed forever. Traditional politicians say what they need to say for elections, and then proceed to move to the center after their election. They do this to either build consensus or survive the swamp by not rocking the boat (i.e., the bureaucracy and deep-state agents in the beltway). Both Obama and Trump broke the mold regarding their willingness to buck the system. Obama for his lawlessness and disregard for the Constitution, and Trump for his willingness to 'drain the swamp' and Make America Great Again. Trump's election speaks specifically to God's intentions regarding the speed and gravitas of the issues at hand. If we remember all the prophecies concerning Christ's first coming (108 distinct prophecies), most of them were fulfilled in the final week of His life (the Passion Week). As we see things speeding up prophetically in just about every spectrum, we can reasonably presume to be in the final moments of human history given the rapidity and intensity by which prophetic events are happening. We call this consolidation of signs the convergence. Conclusion This article is not saying that President Trump is a morally perfect and godly leader. Nor is it saying that he has the theological discernment to stay away from the likes of Paula White or Kenneth Copeland. Trump does not strike me as a man who has ever felt the need to be scripturally discerning. What it does mean, however, is that God is using him to accomplish His purposes just like the other leaders listed above have. Because Trump leans in favor of traditional values and Judeo-Christian principles, he seems to be a leader open to the influence of God and has the willingness to move on particular subjects where it concerns Christianity, Israel, and Jerusalem. In fact, his willingness to be influenced by God's agenda is about the same (if not more) than Obama's desire to stand against God. In His omniscience, God uses both types of men; those who support His agenda and those who do not. In the end, they both end up doing what He wants. So what does the election of President Trump mean for Israel and for the prophetic timeline? We know from Scripture that by the time Ezekiel 38's War of Gog and Magog comes to Israel, no other nation comes to her aid. However, a Trump presidency would not turn down aid and arms to our closest Middle East ally. So our absence in this war means that something or someone makes us unable (or unwilling) to come to her rescue. Furthermore, the main actors in Ezekiel 38 (Russia, Turkey, Iran, Sudan, and Libya) all have increasingly complex issues that will force them to act sooner, rather than later. Aging and diminishing populations (Russia), political instability and unrest (Turkey, Iran), and economic starvation (Sudan and Libya) means that Gog/Magog is not something that happens twenty years from now, but much, much sooner. So yes, Trump is God's current man of the hour. Just as Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, and the rest were at their appointed places in history. But what about you? We each are appointed for such a time as this to do something only we could do. More specifically, something we were specifically designed, destined, and appointed to do in our spheres of influence. Are you doing what God called you to do? Are you open to God's guiding hand to lead you in the places He needs you to go? I hope so. Because when you are firmly in the hands of the Creator of the Universe, we become instruments of His righteousness and sovereignty and there can be no higher or gratifying calling than that. Even So, Maranatha!! A Region Turned Upside Down - By Matt Ward - http://www.raptureready.com/2018/01/19/region-turned-upside-matt-ward/ It was a mere fruit seller who was destined to change the world forever, one man, in 2010, who reached breaking point and decided that enough was enough. Despairing at his lack of economic prospects, and disgusted by his humiliation at the hands of a female police officer - she had slapped him in the face in public - he took the dramatic step of setting himself alight. Engulfed in flames, he writhed in agony in front of horrified market holders before finally succumbing to unconsciousness. Tarek el-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi would later die of his terrible injuries in hospital with no knowledge of the profound impact his death would have on the Middle East and the world. This one act of desperate rebellion was to be the trigger for mass protests within Tunisia, and there began what is now widely referred to as the "Arab Spring." The Arab Spring has been a genuine watershed moment. It has been a catalyst for the most fundamental and unimaginable change. In the seven years since the Arab Spring began, there has been a seismic shift in the relationship between traditional Middle Eastern ruling Arab elites and the people they govern. The natural cultural affinity Arab's feel for each other meant that the revolution that began on the streets of Tunisia quickly spread like wildfire throughout the rest of the Middle East. It is a revolution that has turned the region upside down. The consequences of the Arab Spring are immense. The first is the end to the traditional perception of Arab exceptionalism. Ruling Arab elites, who for generations have oppressed their domestic populations, have now come to realize that they are no different from any Western nation when it comes to facing truly mass protest movements. They are just as vulnerable, no matter how big the walls they surround themselves with are, or how vicious their "security apparatus" is. The traditional belief in the Arab world that "societies are weak, but the state is strong," has been proved dead wrong. It was to become the ultimate paradox that the tactics of intimidation Arab State's always previously employed became, to the masses, the final demonstration of the State's ultimate weakness. The violence merely spurred the masses on. Mass protest groups, initiated by middle classes using social media to push them on towards real political activism, sparked huge and widespread protests in streets and city centers of many Middle Eastern states. Like dominos quickly falling, these protests brought established regimes rapidly to their knees. It was the sheer synergy of the masses that in the end brought down even the most entrenched Middle Eastern dictators. There was a feeling of Al shaab yuird, or "the people want," that spread like wildfire across the region. It has left chaos, death and destruction in its wake. The Arab Spring caused the downfall of some of the region's most firmly established and brutal strongmen. Men like Colonel Muammar Gadhafi, the despotic ruler of Libya; Hosni Mubarak, long-time President of Egypt; and Ben Ali of Tunisia. All have lost power and come to ignominious ends. This is especially so of Libya's Gadhafi, who was literally butchered with sharp knives and then executed by his own people in the streets near to where he was captured- all before he could even be taken into any form of official custody and within minutes of his capture. The removal of these strongmen, and the subsequent dismantling of the apparatus they used to maintain personal control, led in turn to vast power vacuums across the Middle East, culminating in widespread lawlessness. That lawlessness today stretches from Libya, through Syria and deep into Iraq. Even in Egypt, one of the oldest functioning nation states in the world, the state system completely collapsed with the removal of Hosni Mubarak; for a period, total chaos ruled even there. The West has only now learned the very bitter lesson that the removal of traditional authoritarian regimes in the Arab world does not necessarily lead to the immediate establishment of democracy thereafter, no matter how much money, effort or lives are poured into these countries. Instead, the removal of these "strongmen" led, in every case and with no exception, to the complete and systemic collapse of once functioning nation states. Popular resistance can force dictators from power, but it does not seem to be enough to bring the power to the people. This swift collapse led in turn to the rapid and frenzied de-Christianization of vast areas of the Middle East. It is no exaggeration to say that Christianity in the Middle East has suffered more in the seven years since the Arab Spring began than it has in the last one thousand years of Middle Eastern history. This is because the Arab Spring itself has not really been a "spring," so much as it has been an Islamic awakening; and Islam has shown over the last seven years that, in the heartland of all major religions, it will accept no rivals. Christianity has borne the brunt of this serious and sustained attempt at religious and ethnic genocide. Once traditional authoritarian rulerships were removed, the Christian communities became vulnerable overnight. They were quickly subject to a severe deterioration in their positions within their Islamic-ally dominated societies and they were massacred while the West looked on, largely indifferently. The power vacuum left when these despots were removed from office was then filled exclusively by Islamic Fundamentalists and criminal gangs. Anti-Christian sentiment increased; and very quickly both the traditional Christian communities and those new Christian converts, who originated from Muslim backgrounds, found themselves dead center of a second wave of sustained and vicious persecution, this time originating not from unorganized mobs, but from the corridors of new power itself. There followed an empowerment of radical Islamist groups, especially by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the Islamic Salvation Front in Algeria and Salafism in general across the region. This has devastated Christian communities throughout the whole Middle East. This was only exacerbated by the trumped-up protests, fueled very publicly by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012, after they knowingly and falsely claimed that an anti-Islam film had been the main cause of the rebellion in Benghazi, resulting in the deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and a number of other US personnel. Such an obviously false narrative, given by the President of the United States and his Secretary of State, effectively gave carte blanche to Islamic communities around the Middle East, who responded by mercilessly persecuting and wiping out the Christian communities in their midst. Some of these Christian communities had existed for nearly a thousand years. They were annihilated in a matter of weeks. Today, as 2018 dawns, the situation for Christians in the Middle East remains extremely tenuous. While it is true to say that in some countries the Islamists have either been removed by the military or lost their positions of power through elections, the influence they wield in the corridors of power, in the military, and amongst the masses remains highly significant. In Egypt, attacks on Christians are still frequent and often deadly. There is no guarantee anymore for the rights of any Christian individual in Egypt in 2018. Libya, at this point, seems to have slipped into outright lawlessness and has witnessed the whole scale, unrestrained persecution of Christians wherever they have been found. Libya in 2018 is a ruined land, a safe haven for all kinds of terrorism and terrorist groups. It has degenerated into the real "Wild West" of the Middle East, a no-man's land of insurgency, criminality and anarchy. It seems to me that the hand of God is recognizable as being all over the events of the Arab Spring. Sometimes events occur in a single day that change the world forever, like 9/11. At other times, as with the Arab Spring, events unfold more gradually over an extended period of time, making their long-term impacts less clear; yet its global and prophetic importance is no less significant for it. The Arab Spring has changed the geopolitical and prophetic landscape irrevocably. The potential for the fulfillment of significant portions of Bible prophecy has lurched forward because of it. The Arab Spring has seen the emergence of the Kurds, those ancient Medes, and their formidable Peshmerga as a force to be genuinely reckoned with in the Middle Eastern theatre. It is my belief that one day soon the Kurds will come to play a pivotal part in another end-times Bible prophecy involving the destruction of Babylon itself, as is described in numerous places in Bible prophecy, (Isaiah 13:17; Jeremiah 51:11; 51:28-29). The Arab Spring has made the fulfillment of the infamous Burden of Damascus prophecy (Isaiah 17:1) an immediate and imminent potential reality. Since the Arab Spring, and the Syrian Civil War it has triggered, Damascus has been flooded not only with weaponry, but with the most entrenched and hardened Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East. Located today right underneath Damascus is what is considered by many Western intelligence agencies, including Israel's, to be the single largest chemical and biological weapons storage facilities on the face of this earth. They sit underneath schools, hospitals and apartment blocks. Bible prophecy seems to indicate that one day soon, some of this arsenal will be used against Israel; and when it does, the Jewish State's response will be as clinical as it will be devastating. "Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap... And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not" (Isaiah 17). The Arab Spring has brought a civilization that once used to lead the world to utter ruin. It is a civilization that is now being superceded by a coalition of nations that was predicted over 2,500 years ago by the prophet Ezekiel regarding Gomer, Beth Togarmah, Magog, Persia, Put and Cush. Today, 2,500 years later, these strange-sounding nations are known by other names: Turkey, Russia, Iran, Libya and Ethiopia. The Arab Spring, and the upheaval it has caused, has crushed nation states and torn down long- established borders in the Middle East. This has allowed Russia, Iran, Turkey and their proxies to flood into Syria using the civil war as cover. In effect they have now succeeded in transforming Syria into one huge, forward-operating base, bringing a plethora of sophisticated weaponry, aircraft and men with them, all of whom will one day soon be used against little Israel. Syria is now firmly in Russian-Iranian-Turkish hands, and they won't be giving it back any time soon. Iran, for their part, continues to actively demonstrate their own intentions by setting up camp mere miles away from their real target, Israel. It would seem to me that "hooks" have already pierced the jaws of Russia and her allies, drawing them inexorably, more and more deeply into Syria and towards the borders of the "beautiful land." The revolution that began in 2010 with Tarek el-Tayeb Mohamed Bouazizi setting himself alight in a market place in Tunisia will soon end on the mountains of Israel in almost complete annihilation. One day very soon Gog and all his hordes will sweep down against Israel to "take a spoil." When they do, they will meet their doom, because mighty is the God who will judge them. "Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:4). "Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: "And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. "Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the Lord. So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, the Holy One in Israel" (Ezekiel 39: 1-7). [email protected] Will Turkish Invasion of Syria Bring About Pre-Messianic Conflict With Russia? - By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/101372/will-turkish-invasion-syria-bring-pre-messianic-conflict-russia/#BjKkIOc6UzZvriiO.99 "And Yaakov called his sons and said, "Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come." Genesis 49:1 (The Israel Bible™) Turkey launched a military incursion into neighboring Syria over the weekend, bringing Russian and Turkish soldiers into closer proximity in an already volatile region, making a 200-year-old prophecy of pre-Messianic conflict between Russia and Turkey appear to be closer than ever before. This 200-year-old prophecy was a closely guarded secret until just a few years ago and details described in the prophecy are strongly consistent with the situation developing to the North of Israel. A massive Turkish ground force crossed into the Afrin region of Syria to fight the Kurdish militia and push them out of Syria. The Turkish government claims their goal is to establish a 19-mile buffer zone against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a militant group based in Syria. If the conflict intensifies, it could pit Turkey directly against Russia, which has boosted its military presence and bases in Syria in an effort to support the Syrian government in the country's nearly seven-year-long civil war. A conflict between Turkey and Russia was predicted over 200 years ago by Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, known as the Vilna Gaon, one of the greatest Jewish scholars of the 18th century who was also a known Kabbalist (mystic). Just before his death, the Vilna Gaon made a two-part prophecy that was kept secret, transferred orally from teacher to student for generations. This prophecy became public for the first time in 2014 by Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch, a great-grandson of the Vilna Gaon. "When you hear that the Russians have captured the city of Crimea, you should know that the times of the Messiah have started, that his steps are being heard. And when you hear that the Russians have reached the city of Constantinople, you should put on your Shabbat (Sabbath) clothes and don't take them off, because it means that the Messiah is about to come any minute." The first part of the prophecy appeared to materialize in 2014 when Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. The second half of the prophecy concerning a conflict between Russia and Turkey is one of many possible outcomes of the current escalation in Syria. Turkey is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) and traditionally, an ally of the US. Russia has permanent military bases in Syria supporting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad in the civil war against rebel forces, which includes ISIS. Russia has also with the YPK in the past in the fight against ISIS, which would pit Russia against Turkey should the superpower choose to stand up for its sometimes-ally. This alliance between Russia and Syria is consistent with a later addendum to the Vilna Gaon's prophecy. The Kloisenberger Rabbi, a 20th-century Hasidic leader and a part of the chain that held onto the prophecy, wrote of an additional aspect to Russia's presence in Istanbul. "The Russians will come, they will come and be together with the sons of Ishmael," the Kloisenberger Rabbi added. The Arab peoples of today are primarily identified to be the spiritual descendants of Ishmael. An alliance between Russia and Syria against Turkey, a non-Arabic country, would conform to the Klosienberger Rabbi's prediction. The current open-ended Turkish military incursion with tangled national alliances and unclear goals is potentially explosive.Turkey has the largest military in the region and is the second largest army in NATO, after the US. Last month, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called Assad a terrorist mass murderer and called for him to resign. Assad responded by referring to Turkey's current military action as "support for terrorism". Rabbi Lazer Brody, one of the first to publicize Rabbi Shternbuch's revelation of the Vilna Gaon's prophecy, cautions that prophetic predictions are far more than just political commentaries. "It's all up in the air and it can go any way right now," Rabbi Brody told Breaking Israel News. "It is tempting to try to understand the prophecy through the intellect as if it was strictly political. But these political events are really about emuna (faith)." For the time being, Russia has merely resorted to expressing its "concern" for Turkey's military incursion. The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that they will demand Turkey to cease its operations in Syria. Should Russia's involvement ever escalate from words to actions, Russian troops may indeed be marching into Istanbul much sooner than expected. Some of the Latest Developments - By Daymond Duck - http://www.raptureready.com/2018/01/21/latest-developments-daymond-duck/ The fulfillment of Bible prophecy continues to advance on all fronts. Several examples are recorded below. Concerning Russia, in early December Russian President Vladimir Putin declared victory over ISIS in Syria and announced the withdrawal of many troops and weapons from Syria. It was deception. He may have pulled some troops and weapons out, but he is actually building up his forces in Syria and most especially his air force. This is significant because the Bible says Gog "shall ascend and come like a cloud" when he attacks Israel in the latter years and latter days (Ezek. 38:9). Concerning Iran, the Ayatollah continues to give about $800 million a year to approximately 80,000 Hezbollah fighters and 10,000 Shiite rebel troops in Syria. Despite warnings from Israel, Iran is shipping advanced weapons and missiles to these forces. There are reports that Iran intends to increase these forces, and even worse, that Iran continues to try to develop nuclear weapons. These developments prompted Israel's Security Cabinet to meet several times in Jan. 2018, and it resulted in a major Israeli strike on Iranian facilities and weapons in Syria on Jan. 9, 2018. Concerning Turkey, Mr. Erdogan continues to destroy his ties with NATO and to move closer to Russia and Iran. There is some speculation that he has already gone too far and that he will wind up fully cooperating with Russia and Iran. Concerning the U.S., Pres. Trump has turned out to be one of the greatest friends Israel has ever had. His Proclamation that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, his financial and military support for Israel and his recent approval of Israel's strike on Iranian facilities and weapons in Syria are examples. These are bold decisions that place the U.S. on the winning side. Several reports say Pres. Trump has reversed his position and he is not going to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. This is a decision he made because Iran is trying to take over Syria, and he has decided not to let it happen. Concerning the PA and a peace treaty, on Jan. 6, 2018, delegates from the Arab League met in Jordan to discuss Pres. Trump's decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. The PA demanded that the Arab League support the removal of the U.S. from the peace process, that the Arab League reject all of Pres. Trump's peace initiatives until he renounces his decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, and that the Arab League support sanctions on every nation that moves their embassy to Jerusalem. All of the PA demands were rejected. By the way, on Jan. 11, 2018, it was reported that the U.S. will probably establish its embassy in Jerusalem at a temporary location in 2018 while it waits on construction at a permanent location. The site of that permanent location will probably be revealed in the coming weeks. Time will tell. The prediction that Pres. Trump's embassy decision would trigger WWIII has not yet materialized. For the most part, the Arab nations have criticized Pres. Trump's decision, but they have kept a lid on most of the extremists that want to start a war. Concerning the capital of a future PA state, Pres. Trump offered the PA a town near Jerusalem called Abu Dis. Mr. Abbas is furious and has rejected the offer. Concerning U.S. contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) that go to the PA, Pres. Trump has done some backtracking. The first 2018 U.S. payment to the UN will be cut slightly more than 50%. Future payments will be contingent upon changes in the UNRWA and they will require the PA to be involved in peace talks with Israel. Concerning the EU, on Jan. 10, 2018, it was reported that the EU has scheduled a meeting for Jan. 31, 2018 to discuss ways to force Israel to speed up the peace process. The EU released a statement that read, "There is an urgent need to bring all parties together to discuss measures to speed up efforts that can underpin a negotiated two-state solution." It would not surprise this writer if the peace process is speeded up, but speeding up the peace process means speeding up the Tribulation Period, etc. It is the EU position that Israel will have to share Jerusalem with the PA. Concerning birth pangs, the natural disasters (drought, wildfire, earthquakes, mudslides, etc.) continue in what is arguably the most immoral state in the U.S. On Jan. 9, 2018, mudslides in Montecito, California killed at least 20 people. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond & Rachel Duck [email protected] Prophetic Update: Is the Great Deception Here? - Hal Lindsey - http://www.wnd.com/2018/01/prophetic-update-is-the-great-deception-here/#lL8JGts3hWEBwkSI.99 Exclusive: Hal Lindsey warns that 'the whole planet is in travail' Some call it fake news. Jesus called it deception. When His disciples asked about the signs of the last days, Jesus began by giving His followers this warning: "Take heed that no one deceives you" (Matthew 24:4). We live in an age of deception - fake news, false advertising, viral lies and clickbait. The mainstream media perpetrate falsehoods regularly, as do various alternative media. But one of the major sources of 21st-century deception can be found in an unlikely place: our schools. For instance, the U.S. Department of Education urges all public schools to teach Islam. It's really just thinly veiled propaganda, though they would certainly not use that word. The DoE says schools should teach Islam "to create an anti-bias learning environment." Many regularly teach the religious doctrine that God and Allah are the same. Forget the "separation of church and state" arguments for the moment. This one teaching alone is a form of gross - and deadly - deception. And the deception is being inculcated in our malleable children, by order of the state! In 2017, truth became even more subservient to political correctness. Isaiah 5:20 says, in part, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil ..." Those words perfectly describe the pervasive spirit of deception that seems to have settled upon our world. Another sign of the end times is an increase in the persecution of those who name the name of Jesus Christ. Christianity Today reported, "For the third year in a row, the modern persecution of Christians worldwide has hit another record high." Fox News said, "Nearly one in 12 Christians across the globe lives in an area where there is high-level persecution against members of the religion." A Yemeni man called "Sam" told CBN News: "Life for Christians in Yemen is very hard. For that matter, across the Middle East, there's not a country where Christians are not suffering for their faith. This is our reality." But 2017 also found the persecution of Christians arise in unexpected places. Canada enacted Bill 89, which gives the state the power to take a child away from his or her parents if they do not agree that their child is transgender. Jack Fonseca of Campaign Life Coalition warned: "[W]e've entered an era of totalitarian power by the state, such as never witnessed in Canada's history. ... Bill 89 is a grave threat to Christians and all people of faith." Even in America, it is becoming dangerous to be a Christian - especially one who is willing to take a stand for Judeo-Christian values. In 2017, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case of Jack Phillips, the Colorado baker who declined to make a wedding cake for a homosexual couple. His story is a reminder that following Christ may soon harm a believer's ability to hold a job or run his own business in a Western nation. Over the last few decades, some Bible scholars have postulated that the "mark of the beast" might be a computer chip inserted under a person's skin. The chip would serve as an identifier and repository of vast amounts of information about the individual. From critical medical information to credit and banking information, the chip would guarantee security and convenience. It would also make possible an amazing Bible prophecy concerning the Antichrist's partner, the False Prophet. Revelation 13:16-17 foretells, "He causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead, and he provides that no one should be able to buy or sell, except the one who has the mark." In July of 2017, a company in Wisconsin implanted tiny computer chips into the hands of about 50 employee volunteers. These chips only allow them to open doors and buy snacks from vending machines without money. In other words, they're to make things more convenient for the busy employees. It sounds harmless enough, but it portends more ominous possibilities in the future. Last year, the New York Times called certain toys "the cybersecurity nightmares of 2017." The paper was referring to the fact that more and more toys contain cameras and microphones that connect to the internet - and constantly gather data. Today, toys spy on us. Cell phones spy on us. Televisions, cars and even refrigerators spy on us. In 2017, TSA began using facial scans at some airports. In October, the liberal Slate magazine reported on legislation pending before Congress. It said, "... an alarming section of the bill would give... a green light to begin using biometrics to identify people in airports nationwide... right now there's only one technology fit for a biometric surveillance system: automated, real-time face scans." On another front, digital currencies - cryptocurrencies - came into their own in 2017. Bitcoin's value rose to unbelievable levels. But from a prophetic point of view, I'm more interested in government-issued digital currency. These cryptocurrencies foreshadow a future world currency that can be completely controlled by the Antichrist. Another development that hints at a "mark of the beast" economic system is happening in China. They are actively building the largest DNA database in the world. For the "mark of the beast" to work, it will need to be made secure using DNA and other biometric identifiers. The Chinese government has also found a way to control the internet within its borders. In 2017, it achieved the ability to erase data and images mid-transmission! In the future, these techniques could go global. That would be a tremendous aid to the Antichrist by allowing his government to absolutely control all communications between people. The year 2017 also saw a marked rise in another hallmark of the last days. 2 Timothy 3 says, "In the last days ... men will be ... brutal." As I noted last week, radical Islamic terrorists continued to brutalize the world with hundreds of terror attacks. But in October, here in America, Stephen Paddock killed 58 and wounded 546 when he shot up a Las Vegas music festival. The next month, Devin Patrick Kelley walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, and killed 26 and wounded 20. In 2017, many people considered it entertaining to present fantasies of President Trump's assassination and even his beheading. It was a year in which human beings became increasingly - and overtly - brutal. Last year saw dramatic earthquakes, catastrophic hurricanes, a thousand-year flood and one of the most destructive fire seasons in history. Jesus compared end times events to a woman going through labor pains. Paul wrote, "The whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now" (Romans 8:22). That means the whole planet is in travail. In 2017, we saw it. Maybe the greatest earthquake of 2017 was the earthquake in American politics. In last year's Prophetic Year in Review, I said, "Compared to what Donald Trump is facing, Richard Nixon had it easy!" Boy, I sure got that one right! Why are people so upset with President Trump? Sure, he rubs some people the wrong way. He says unexpected and, sometimes, inappropriate things. He speaks - or tweets - when maybe he should stay silent. But when you look beyond his bluster and just look at his actions and record, he's mostly a moderate, right-of-center politician - not at all out of the mainstream. I think the real reason so many people are obsessed with destroying President Trump can be found in his resistance to the New World Order. In 2017, he refused to recertify the Iran nuclear deal. He formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord. He's renegotiating NAFTA. He put an end to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He demanded that NATO members pay their own way. He called the United Nations to account and cut some of its funding. He got tough with the Palestinian Authority. He put the Muslim nations on notice that it's their responsibility to confront and curb Islamic terrorism. And more. In other words, he stood up to and fought the globalist elites who were on the brink of cementing their supra-national control of the entire world. And, believe it or not, by doing that and by seeking to return autonomy and sovereignty to the United States - and bring Judeo-Christian values back to the public square - President Trump may have complicated the build-up to the Antichrist's one-world government. And doing that guarantees him some terribly powerful enemies - including Satan himself. That's why, as we enter 2018, it is so critical that all believers follow Paul's admonition: "I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity" (1 Timothy 2:1-2). I would go a step further. I urge you to pray earnestly and daily specifically for our president and vice president. Pray that God will encourage them, give them wisdom and determination, and protect them as they stand in the gap for the America we know and love. Daily Jot: Government god Shutdown - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com In October 2013, Democrats were blaming Republicans for the government. Then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gave a lesson on the essence of socialist health care. CNN's Dana Bash, questioning why the Senate would not pass House bills for temporary funding of various programs during the government shutdown such as children's cancer research, asked, "If you can help one child, why won't you do it?" Reid's response was an emphatic: "'Why, why, why would we want to do that? This time, there is no mention of the consequences of a government shutdown affecting the National Institute of Health and refusing cancer treatment to children. Today's shutdown would do the same, but that disappears when it's a Democrat idea. Republicans now insist that Democrats forced a shutdown of the government over illegal immigration. The general narrative is that the Democrats prefer illegal non-citizens over the national security of legal citizens. It's a classic standoff where this nonsense showcases the ineptitude and hypocrisy among elected officials. At the end of the day, they believe the leviathan called government must be well fed and operational because it is far more important than a mere child's life, illegal immigrants or the security of the nation itself. This is the DNA of the vast majority of Democrats and of many Republicans because they are socialists and communists--not Constitutional Americans. Through their lens, government is god. News reporters and their "go to" people on the street were all weepy that the government was shut down. What were they to do? Just the anticipation of Washington, DC as a virtual ghost town was enough to throw most into a state of shock. I went to the window this morning and looked out. The red outline of the mountains told me that the sun was coming up. The electric was still on. People were driving. Kids were getting ready to go to school. The only threat of communist takeover was if certain politicians came back to work. If millions of people are sitting at home as non-essential government personnel, isn't government too big? Could small business do more for less? Maybe we should move in a different direction. Exodus 20:3 says, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." In 2013, Reid and the Democrats blamed Republicans for the possible deaths of children because closing government would result in a shutdown of the National Institute of Health. Now, these same moral crusaders don't even recognize that possibility because the government shutdown is their idea. Irrespective of political party, most of the politicians in Washington worship government. Now, instead of Reid, it's Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reading from the same script, different page. But the real story is that this is not about health care, immigration, or security. It's about power. It's about government as god, and who has power when god is shut down? Daily Devotion: The Root of the Problem - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? -James 4:1 I think we could safely say that so many of the problems we deal with are because of our selfish human natures. Selfishness is at the root of many sins. It is amazing how even little children have this trait. Have you ever noticed when two children are playing and one child doesn't care about a certain toy until the moment the other child picks it up? Suddenly both children want it. They scream and pull, and they will destroy the toy in the process. It's all because one child wants what the other has. That is just human nature. We are born that way, and we carry this trait with us through life. James pointed out, "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you?" (James 4:1). That's really it. We want our own way. How many problems in our society are because of selfishness? When marriages are falling apart, by and large, it is because of selfishness. People have sex before marriage because of selfishness. At the root of adultery is selfishness. Name a problem, and for the most part you will find selfishness rearing its ugly head. Paul urged the believers at Philippi, "Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3). So don't be controlled by selfishness. Dwight L. Moody once said, "I have more trouble with D. L. Moody than with any other man I've ever met." As Moody recognized, it's our obsession with ourselves that is at the root of our problems. We need to constantly ask the Lord to transform and change us. I know I have a long way to go. And guess what? I know you have a long way to go, too. We all do. 
FROM THE HEART
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt - non-profit organization, and all your donations are tax deductible. If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 
|
|