Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The World is Captive to Wickedness - Joseph Chambers - http://www.pawcreek.org/the-world-is-captive-to-wickedness/
2 Corinthians 2 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices. Our entire life is either driven by our emotions or, if converted, by the Holy Spirit. Sadly many supposedly converted souls are still driven by their emotions and not the Holy Ghost. Our flesh and our emotions are basically one and the same. The world system has developed a school of thought called psychology or psychiatry. You cannot separate human emotion from this school of thought. A person that is emotionally an alcoholic is told they cannot be delivered but must be counseled until they can control their emotions. Consequently, churches that know nothing of Holy Ghost power are hiring psychologists or else the pastor has been trained to be one. Without a question, this idea is the work of deceiving spirits. I know that sounds radical and it is radical, but it is also the plain truth. The Devil and his world system have taken charge of the school systems, the media world, the government, and most churches. Satan is called in the Bible, "the god of this world." (II Corinthians 4:4) It disturbs the world leaders to call their thinking and actions the work of demons but it is certainly that. It is just what I am explaining. The work of the Holy Ghost certainly has an emotional element but it is under the control of the Divine Power. It is easy for the church to revert to the thinking and actions of the world instead of surrendering to the Highest Power of the Lord. Churches that fail to discipline themselves to the Holy Spirit are spiritually impotent. Their work has no lasting powers and people that live by human emotions will be up and won at best and have a short life in the faith. This is the churches greatest failure. It takes consecration to grow and yield one's self to the higher plan and power of God. Let's look at the whole truth of the psychology mindset and weaknesses. Our world is full of unhappy people pursuing happiness. With such a distraught populace the church is looking for programs, schemes, and methods to meet these hurting individuals where they hurt. The hearts of most pastors and lay leaders are sincere. They want to help those who come to them. The problem in not sincerity. Most churches, even of the liberal philosophy, have no deviate design to deceive. Pastors, as a whole, are not in league with the devil to lead our world to hell. Of the hundreds of Christian leaders I personally know they are normally hardworking, sincere, and devoted to the task they have accepted. Then, what is wrong in our church and society that causes our best efforts to be so utterly fruitless? The most we can claim for today's church is a few mega buildings and programs where religion is celebrated with great fanfare and the counseling centers are full from dawn to day's end. If this is the Book of Acts, then I'm greatly disappointed. Christianity and Psychology Don't Mix The church world has been psychologized and in the process defeated. They Holy Ghost, speaking through Saint John, said, "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son" (1 John 5:8-9). (In your King James Bible the word "Spirit" is not capitalized. The original Greek, according to the Texus Receptus, was capitalized and means the Holy Spirit, not the human spirit.) Every pure source of spiritual energy is confined to this trinity of power. The Holy Ghost, operating by the Word of God and by virtue of the vicarious blood, is the totality of the church's need. Anything added to this life-changing, world-changing authority destroys its effect. God will not honor the arm of the flesh operating in His sanctuary. Consider how He judged David when he numbered Israel. Victory was turned to defeat when the king depended on His strength instead of God's program. The entire root of psychology is completely foreign to the "truth of God." There are seven basic premises to secular psychology. Please notice that each of them destroys one or more of the powerful principles of the Holy Scripture and Biblical theology. Psychology is a sociological effort by man to find himself without surrendering himself to the Creator. Many human designs of this caliber have evolved over man's history, and this is probably the most devious. Secular psychology is premised on Darwin's theory of evolution. Here are the words of the authors of Basic Psychology, as they describe the relationship between psychology and evolution. "Darwin's theory of evolution, which states that any plant or animal species developed through modification of preexisting species, was highly controversial, but it had a tremendous effect on the study of human behavior and experience. It promoted all sorts of speculations about continuity from the animal to the human mind and about the nature of animal mental life. Furthermore, the idea of animal instincts, which was well accepted, led to speculation about human instincts and to the study of human motivation." (Basic Psychology) Any idea based on Darwin's theory of evolution is evil and false. The entire basic model of Psychology is premised on the development of man's personality rooted in evolution. Since we developed slowly from the tadpole to the human species, then the healing of man's problems must follow that pattern. The created marvel of man has only one problem and this is the root of every other problem. It is the root of every other problem. It is sin. When you bypass this problem, the cure is faulty. Revelation 12 7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. Secular psychology says that man is basically good and does not possess a depraved or adamic nature. Robert Schuller had made this false idea acceptable with his spurious teaching of positive thinking. The constant drum of today's preaching is about human potential, how to be successful, relationship techniques, and self-esteem. The Biblical idea of self-crucifixion, sanctification, and the total renouncement of fleshly living doesn't even earn second place. Such preaching cannot succeed. Every man has a spiritual button in his chest and the only person who can find it is the Holy Ghost. Confession of complete human bankruptcy is the only first step to redemption. The Bible calls it "confession of sin." In the psychological man there is no need of a Savior because we are not lost. Of course, this also eliminates heaven or hell because there are no judgments or rewards where there are no transgressors or servants to sin. The new psychological savior is a positive attitude. The mind of the educated elitist is a picture in stupidity. While denouncing sin and replacing it with a negative attitude, they reduce man to an animal subjected to the control of his elitist peers. The truth is that all of this is preparation for Antichrist domination. B.F. Skinner was quoted in Time Magazine as saying the following, "But Skinner insists that autonomy is a myth, and that belief in an 'inner man' is a superstition that originated - like belief in God - in man's inability to understand his world." "Our task is not to encourage moral struggle or to build or demonstrate inner virtues. It is to make life less punishing." (Time Magazine, September 20, 1971, p. 48.) Fourth, the psychologist has stolen the human soul and replaced it with a subconscious mind. All of America and the civilized world has heard talk of a subconscious mind until it's natural to believe it. It is an invention of psychology and is totally contrary to Biblical truth. Don Matzat in his book, Inner Healing; Deliverance or Deception, described Jung's theory as the following: "The central theory of Jungian psychology, that which is often associated with the name Carl Jung, is the theory of the collective unconscious. On the basis of his experience with patience (evaluating the content that often erupted from the unconscious), Jung theorized that there was a deeper level of unconscious content beneath the Freudian personal unconscious. Within this 'deep mind' were the memories of the race: its cultural, religious, spiritual, mythological development. Religion for Jung was innate, inbred. He defined the collective unconscious as impersonal and transpersonal, transcending one's own personal experience." (Inner Healing: Deliverance or Deception? Don Matzat, p. 69.) It's easy to see the transition into the occult from the basis of a subconscious mind. Preaching on the fourth dimension is a product of this spurious thinking. Reincarnation is also becoming a dominate idea in the Western world and is a natural result of the "subconscious mind theory." Man was given a soul (personality) by the divine act of our Creator. The soul is eternal and possesses will, emotions, and conscious. This God's imparted conscious is what psychologists have mistakenly called subconscious. It's that deep sense of self (myself or yourself) and certainly possesses the spiritual capacity of both obedience and disobedience to God and toward man. While in obedience, it has great capacity for God; in disobedience, it carries itself into the depth of destruction and, finally, eternal hell. Remember the question, "Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:37). The psychologists have exchanged it for a subconscious and a bad one at that. Don't forget, the whole industry of psychology exists to free men of his bad subconscious. Self-serving is an understatement. The natural next step was to replace the spirit of man breathed by God with something psychological. The word psychic was their invention. Making these comparisons is not easy because of the different theories of the psychological world. They all do agree that man has what they call a psychic. This appears to represent to them the connection between our conscious existence and the unconscious data in our subconscious mind. It's easy to see this as their replacement of the God-breathed human spirit. Jesus made an incredible announcement in His ministry about our spirit as given by God. "The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light" (Luke 11:34-36). This recalls to memory the old song, "I saw the light. I saw the light. No more in darkness, no more in night. Now I'm so happy, no sorrow in sight. Praise the Lord, I saw the light." The redemption of man by the Holy Spirit is the regeneration of the human spirit. The light comes on in our heart. We suddenly know that God is our God, Jesus is our Saviour and forgiver of sins, and that we are sons of God by grace. The human spirit - put out by sin - is ignited. It then witnesses by the Holy Spirit that we are sons of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:16-17). Romans 16 20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. No wonder this new religion of psychology hates Biblical Christianity. They don't mind dead religion in dead churches. It is only when revival and redemption by the sovereign work of the Holy Ghost breaks forth that they lose their hold on the population. The human dilemma to the secular psychologist is a repression of bad experiences in the subconscious. This is the entire structure of their theories of solution. All techniques, ideas, counseling styles, and methods are geared to discover and release this bad data and create healing in the subconscious. They theorize that this will result in the external healing of the individual. They have only one simple problem, it does not work. It's easy to see that every method of psychology is regressive, not liberating. They must - by their own thinking - go backward into the individual's life and dredge up everything (plus) that has ever happened. In the process they create a maximum amount of fantasy and fear based on nothing but wild speculation. The person being counseled becomes a slave to the fears discovered and to the new priest or priestess who is saving them from these fears. It's a marvelous plan by old Lucifer to enslave mankind. The healing ministry provided by Jesus Christ is the exact opposite. He cleanses from all past experiences, forgives us from every sin we have committed, and renews us body, soul, and spirit by His sanctifying grace. Paul said it clearly, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). All old things have passed away. We are new creatures, created in the image of the Second Adam named Jesus Christ. When Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed. Churches with classes on alcohol addiction, drug addiction, twelve-step programs, phobias, eaters anonymous, etc., have simply replaced the old-fashioned gospel with the lie of psychology. One lady called our radio program angry because of this kind of content and blurted out the question, "Do you think the Bible, the blood, and the Holy Spirit is some kind of cure all?" I almost screamed, "Lady, you said it better than I could. Yes, yes, yes, I do!" The last promise of Secular Psychology is that all human action is relative. There is no right or wrong. That's why the Ten Commandments have been removed from public school classrooms and the Bible is the only book we dare censor from the unsuspecting students. It is the number one enemy of our modern social reformers. It is also the reason that the Bible is being translated into less threatening terminology and its infallibility is under great attack. Psychology has caused many of our ministers to take a new look at what we used to call sin. It's no longer acceptable to preach, "Don't." Zechariah 3 3 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. Subtly, our western mindset has developed a new way of thinking. Very few people have any sense of the danger. We know something is wrong, but we don't know what it is. This last idea of the psychological mind is the beginning of our total collapse. When the concept of distinction between light and darkness is lost, darkness becomes our master. The two cannot co-exist. One leaves when the other becomes king. Will The Church Survive? Yes! The invisible church will survive the deception that is now almost complete. Out of every dark period a remnant has emerged who refuse to be assimilated in the leaven. Any man, woman, or church congregation that returns to the Holy Bible, the Blood, and the Holy Spirit has the trinity of spiritual success. There are no powers that can resist the fresh visitation of the power of God. Right now, God is choosing this remnant to visit for revival. Give yourself to the Word of God. Learn complete dependency on the Holy Ghost. Every day and every hour depend on the Blood of Jesus to deliver you from sin, both known and unknown. When we humble ourselves under His authority, quit kicking against the commandments to live holy and separated lives, and find the joy of His complete sovereign will in daily obedience; incredible results will follow. His chosen will experience an awakening of power and holiness as we watch for His sudden appearance. He's coming any moment and the holy, sinless saints will ascend to meet Him in the air. We will follow Him to the Father's throne and return to reign on this earth with Him. Trust only in the power of God and make a consecrated effort to cast out every thought or idea that does not exalt the knowledge of God and the name of Jesus Christ. Here is Paul's commandment given by the Holy Ghost to the first church, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Sons of Oil - A Bible Study by Jack Kelley - https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/sons-of-oil/ Then the angel who talked with me returned and wakened me, as a man is wakened from his sleep. He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. Also, there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." I asked the angel who talked with me, "What are these, my lord?" He answered, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I replied. So he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. "What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!' " Then the word of the LORD came to me: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you. "Who despises the day of small things? Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. "(These seven are the eyes of the LORD, which range throughout the earth.)" (Zechariah 4:1-10) The Hebrew word for plumb line can also mean chosen stone and I think both meanings are in view here. The plumb line in Zerubbabel's hand signifies his supervision of the Temple's construction. The chosen stone represents the Messiah (1 Peter 2:6) and the seven eyes mean He sees everything. This tells us the Lord Himself is the project manager. Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?" Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?" He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I said. So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth." (Zech 4:11-14) What Time Is It? It was February 15, 519 BC. Twenty years earlier the Jews had come back to Jerusalem after 70 years of captivity in Babylon, and following several abortive attempts had given up trying to rebuild their Temple. To justify quitting, some had speculated that the reason for their difficulty was that the time wasn't right (Haggai 1:2). So God sent them two prophets, Haggai to admonish them and Zechariah to encourage them, and it had worked. On the day Haggai spoke his 2nd message to them, they had begun work on the Temple again. But the task seemed so intimidating. The older ones could still remember Solomon's Temple, destroyed in the siege of Jerusalem some 90 years earlier after standing in the city for nearly 400 years. In Solomon's time the nation was wealthy beyond measure and they were at peace with all their neighbors. But now they were just a rag-tag group of ex-captives, constantly harassed by their enemies. How would they ever hope to replace their beautiful Temple, so costly and magnificent? And The Answer is ... During that long February night in 519 BC, Zechariah had a series of visions, eight in all. The one above was the Lord's answer to their questions about the Temple. Yes, they had possessed much wealth and had many resources during Solomon's time, and now they had precious little. But this temple would be built just the same. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit," said the Lord (Zech. 4:6). Three years later the Temple was completed, and while it couldn't compare to the splendor and glory of the earlier Temple of Solomon, Haggai had promised them that the glory of this Temple would exceed that of the first one (Haggai 2:9), and he was right. It was modified and renovated beyond recognition, first during the Hasmonean period that followed the Maccabean revolt, and then again by King Herod. Of this Temple, the rabbis would say, "One who has not seen the Temple from the time of Herod has never seen a magnificent building." But more than that, it was the Temple visited by the Lord during His time on earth. Got Oil? And with what symbolism did the Lord represent His Spirit in Zechariah's vision? Oil. Oil from the olive trees, sustaining the only source of light in the Temple, the seven-branched lampstand called the menorah. It's from verses like these that oil has come to stand for the Holy Spirit when used symbolically. Often the Holy Spirit's work is accomplished through men and women set apart for the purpose, also explained in the vision. Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?" Again I asked him, "What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?" He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I said. So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth." (Zech 4:11-14) In Israel, the High Priest and the Ruler were always anointed with oil symbolizing their calling. In Zechariah's time, they were Joshua and Zerubbabel. In the Church today, we anoint with oil those we believe the Lord has called to minister to us or govern over us. The oil signifies our belief that the Holy Spirit has set them apart for this purpose and is working through them. When we anoint the sick with oil, as instructed in James 5:14, we're symbolizing the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit to perform a healing miracle in them. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well (James 5:15). Oil, the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Double Vision Frequently the messages of prophets concerned events far in the future. In those cases the Lord arranged a double fulfillment of the prophecies He gave them. The first one was only a partial fulfillment and took place fairly soon. Its purpose was to validate the prophecy so the people would know it truly came from the Lord. This protected the credibility of the prophet (Deut. 18:21-22) and verified the accuracy of the long-term fulfillment for the generation that would experience it in the future. A good example is the prophecy of the virgin birth given by Isaiah (Isa. 7:14). In giving it, Isaiah used a Hebrew word that could mean either a virgin or young woman. This was to permit a partial fulfillment in his time that would validate the prophecy. And sure enough, a short time later Isaiah's wife became pregnant and gave birth to a boy the Lord called Immanuel. As he had prophesied, before the boy was old enough to speak, the Northern Kingdom was overrun by the Assyrians. (Isa. 8:1-10) The partial fulfillment had come to pass. Six hundred years later, after Isaiah, his family, and the Assyrian invasion were ancient history, Jewish scholars translating Isaiah's writings into Greek saw the future Messianic fulfillment in the prophecy. They chose a word that could only describe a woman who has never experienced sexual intercourse because they believed it spoke of a virgin birth. One hundred fifty years after that, the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus. While both fulfillments contained specific outcomes that were important in Israel's history, a young woman giving birth was hardly the unique event that Isaiah needed to show the nation that God was with them ("Immanuel" in Hebrew). That would take nothing less than the only virgin birth in human history, which by the way also fulfilled a prophecy given to the serpent in the Garden. The "Seed of the Woman" (a biological impossibility) would bring about his downfall. Two More Sons Of Oil In Zech. 4:11-14 we have one of those double fulfillments. First, the immediate one; Zerubbabel the Governor and Joshua the High Priest would be God's two anointed ones (literally sons of oil), charged with completing the Temple construction. In the vision they were the two olive trees from whom the oil flowed, signifying the Holy Spirit working through them. In the process, Zechariah's appointment as a prophet was confirmed as promised in verse 8 of his vision, since Zerubbabel, who started the project, also completed it. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you." But the use of the phrase "Lord of all the Earth" in verse 14 is a clue to another later fulfillment. It's used only four times in scripture, twice in Joshua 3 where the Lord stopped the flow of the Jordan River so the people could cross on dry ground, here in Zech. 4, and in Revelation 11:4 the only other place where it's used in conjunction with two men called by God for extraordinary service. (Four is often called the number of the earth because on the fourth day the creation of earth itself was complete. Then it was populated. Day five brought fish and birds, and on day 6 animals and man were created.) These men are the two witnesses who will be sent to Israel to display signs and wonders during the Great Tribulation. Performing the miracles of Moses and Elijah and preaching the sermons of Peter and Paul, they too will be "sons of oil," set apart for miraculous work, anointed with the Holy Spirit for extraordinary service, and supernaturally protected by Him till their ministry is complete. "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth." (Rev. 11:4) The wording is straight out of Zechariah's vision. Beginning just before the Great Tribulation and lasting for 1260 days, their ministry bridges the two halves of Daniel's 70th week. Their purpose is to prepare Israel for the coming Messiah in the ultimate fulfillment of another dual prophecy. This one appears throughout the Old and New Testaments, and is the two comings of the Messiah. When their ministry is complete, the Lord will remove His supernatural protection and they'll be killed in the streets of Jerusalem. In the ultimate sign of contempt, they'll be denied burial, their bodies left in the street where they fall. But in one final unmistakable message, they'll rise from the dead three and a half days later, ascending into heaven in full view of an astonished world. Shortly afterward, the Spirit of grace and supplication will sweep over God's people and their eyes will be opened to the Messiah, the one they have pierced (Zech 12:10). Once again two sons of oil will have accomplished their mission. 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty. Russian Statements on New Cruise Missile Indicate First Strike Intentions - Reuben F. Johnson - https://freebeacon.com/national-security/russian-statements-on-new-cruise-missile-indicate-first-strike-intentions/ Putin highlights new hypersonic cruise missile in state of the nation address News reports from Russian media over the weekend indicate that the hypersonic cruise missile highlighted in President Vladimir Putin's Feb. 20 state of the nation address is being contemplated for use in a first strike against targets in the continental United States. This was the second year in a row that the Russian leader used the occasion of his annual presentation to a joint session of the Russian state parliament to threaten the use of nuclear-capable, "doomsday" weapons against the United States. Putin highlighted the NPO Mashinostroyeniya 3M22 Tsirkon missile. It has a range of about 620 miles, which means it would have to be launched from a ship or submarine very close to the U.S. east or west coast if it were to be fired at targets in the continental United States, according to Russian weapons design specialists who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon. "In a wartime situation, no Russian naval vessel could approach this close to the U.S. and still survive, so the only interpretation is that Tsirkon is now being planned as a first strike weapon. The only plausible scenario is one in which these ships or subs would approach an unsuspecting U.S. coastline and then the Tsirkons would be launched in a surprise attack," said one expert. Dmitry Kiselyov, host of Russia's "News of the Week," outlined the targets that the missile would be used against on his weekly TV show. Kiselyov has garnered international attention for a series of bombastic statements, which include telling his audience in March 2014 that the world should be grateful for the fact that "Russia is the only country in the world that is realistically capable of turning the United States into radioactive ash." The targets, according to Kiselyov, are some of the main U.S. strategic command centers, as well as those installations where in a time of crisis senior U.S. government staff would be relocated in order to maintain the continuity of government. These include the Pentagon, Camp David, and Fort Ritchie on the east coast and McClellan Air Force Base and Jim Creek, a central U.S. Navy communications station in Washington, on the west coast. Kiselyov said the Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile could hit these targets in less than five minutes if launched from submarines. It is unclear how realistic the statements of Putin or Kiselyov are-and how soon the Tsirkon missile could be prepared for deployment. Putin said the development costs for the Tsirkon would be minimized because it is compatible with the Novator-made Kalibr cruise missiles already installed on Russian ships and submarines. However, Novator are made at a completely separate design facility, so claims of "compatibility" between the two missile systems are dubious. Some observers say the decision to highlight the Tsirkon being employed against high-value targets is not a new and bold move by the Russian military. One former Russian military aerospace designer said, "these sites have long been on the first priority target lists for the Russian ICBM fleet and have always been set for destruction by Russia's nuclear forces." "But, Kiselyov now waving the flag and publicly identifying these command centers makes it look like Russia is now safer and more capably defended-as well as on the offensive-in a way not previously seen," he continued. "It is another example of this Kremlin propaganda team pumping up Putin's image-and making it look like these wonder weapons that do not even really exist were only capable of being built because of Putin's 'decisive and fearless leadership.'" Mark Schneider, a former Pentagon policymaker involved in nuclear arms, said the threat by Putin was unprecedented. "This is Putin's first nuclear targeting threat directed specifically against the U.S.," Schneider told the Washington Times. Dmitry Peskov, Russian presidential spokesman, sought to clarify Putin's comments following the Russian television report identifying targets. The comment, however, appeared to confirm the Russian leader's threat. "The president said that if our country is under threat and intermediate and shorter range missiles are deployed near its borders, a proportionate response will have to be made and our missiles targeted not only at the launchers, but at the territories where the center of decision-making is located. Please remember that the president did not mention a single geographic name in this connection," Peskov said on Monday, according to the state-run TASS news agency. Peskov made the comment when asked about the Rossiya-1 television report identifying targets. "We never intervene in the editorial policies of our television channels, even government-run ones, and we cannot do so," he added. The Russian leader in his address made the threatening comments stating that Russia would take proportionate and asymmetrical measures if the United States deploys intermediate-range and short-range missiles in Europe and insisted Russian would not be the first to deploy this type of weapon. The United States has withdrawn from the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia based on Moscow deploying a new ground-launched cruise missile, the SCC-8, in violation of the treaty that bans missiles with ranges of 300 to 3,400 miles. Was Today's Technology Foretold in the Bible? - By Nathan Jones - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2989 Did you know that the Bible is just filled with technology? [Technology, from the Greek tekhnologia] The Bible records that since the most ancient of times, humanity has practically applied their knowledge to fix their problems and make things. [Agriculture (Genesis 2:15), Textiles (Genesis 3:7), Weaponry (Genesis 3:24), Tools (Genesis 4:2), Construction (Genesis 4:17), Mining (Genesis 4:22), Ship Building (Genesis 6:14-16), Fermenting (Genesis 9:20-21), Medicine (Genesis 50:2,26), The Wheel for Transportation (Exodus 14:25), Writing (Ex. 17:14), Tentmaking (Exodus 28:3; 35:31), Musical Instruments (Psalm 150)] And, did you know that many of today's technologies were foretold in the Bible more than 2,000 years ago? And, have you noticed with each passing advancement technology has been climbing faster and steeper up an exponential curve? Where is all this going? Let's explore just eight of the end time signs related to technology foretold in the Bible. Sign #1 -- Knowledge Over 2,500 years ago, the prophet Daniel was given a vision of the future. Confused, Daniel asked the messenger angel for its meaning. The angel replied: "But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." (Daniel 12:4) Daniel just couldn't possibly understand these end time prophecies because certain events and advancements in technology would have to happen first that would greatly increase our knowledge. Today, a world of information is available at our fingertips. What technologies have helped facilitate our massive growth in knowledge? Sign #2 -- Transportation The Bible also revealed that, besides knowledge, travel would also greatly increase (Daniel 12:4). Stop and think of where we were just a single century ago when people traveled on horseback and rarely left their hometown. Today, people travel all over the world, and beyond. Sign #3 -- The Mark of the Beast The Bible prophesied that the entire world will eventually become integrated into a one-world system of commerce. "He also forced everyone... to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark..." (Revelation 13:16-17) Those loyal to the State will be allowed to eat, and those who are not, will starve. What kind of technology would make this Mark possible? Sign #4 -- Evangelism Jesus foretold that just before He institutes His Kingdom the whole world will have heard the Gospel. "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." (Matthew 24:14) The Good News of Jesus Christ has reached almost every remote place on the planet. What technologies have helped make this rapid spread possible? Sign #5 -- The Image of the Antichrist The coming one-world ruler will command the world to worship his "living" image. His False Prophet will enforce the worship with seemingly miraculous acts involving fire. "And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down... He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak..." (Revelation 13:13-15) What technologies appear as fire falling down from space? And, what technologies make an image appear alive? Sign #6 -- Population Explosion The Bible foretold of a 200 million man army marching from the east, prophesied at a time when the whole world's population was barely that number. "The number of the mounted troops was two hundred million. I heard their number." (Revelation 9:16) What technologies would allow the human population to grow into the billions and so create such a massive army? Sign #7 -- Nuclear Weapons The Bible also describes how in the end times the world's nuclear arsenal will finally and tragically be released. "The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place..." (Revelation 6:14-15) While God's restraint has so far kept those weapons at bay, these verses -- Isaiah 17:14; Zechariah 14:12; Luke 21:26; Revelation 6:14-15; 8:7; 9:18 -- foretell a nuclear holocaust will be unleashed that will destroy much of the earth. Nuclear weapons require the most advanced levels of technology. Sign #8 -- Limitations At the war to end all wars -- Armageddon -- the Bible describes how all of humanity will be gathered to fight in one place -- Israel. "All the nations of the earth are gathered against her." (Zechariah 12:1-3) To gather all people means there cannot be people living in space stations, or on the moon, or other planets, which means we've gone as far as we were meant to go in space travel. And, tied to the fact that the rare earth metals we use to construct today's technologies are running low, we've just about reached the upper limit of our technology. Reflection What's so remarkable about the tremendous advancement in technology and the exponential pace at which it has developed? Today's technology heralds the soon return of Jesus Christ. Are you ready for the return of the King? Daily Jot: House witch-hunt begins - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The newly-elected Democratic Party controlled House of Representatives is rolling out their first public testimony with the ostensible intent to reveal the "truth" about President Donald Trump. Everyone knows that the goal, however, is to remove the President, as has been the Party's intent since before he was sworn into office. Giving it their best shot, Trump's former lawyer and "fixer" Michael Cohen is taking the stand before the Committee on Oversight and Reform. His prepared testimony has been released to the public. It reads like a Democratic campaign commercial, attacking Trump with perceptions, hearsay, and the revelation of no new details, but repackaging them for greater impact. Cohen begins his prepared testimony by stating: "I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing Mr. Trump's illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience. I am ashamed because I know what Mr. Trump is. He is a racist. He is a conman. He is a cheat. He was a presidential candidate who knew that Roger Stone was talking with Julian Assange about a WikiLeaks drop of Democratic National Committee emails. I will explain each in a few moments. I am providing the Committee today with several documents. These include: A copy of a check Mr. Trump wrote from his personal bank account - after he became president - to reimburse me for the hush money payments I made to cover up his affair with an adult film star and prevent damage to his campaign; "Copies of financial statements for 2011 - 2013 that he gave to such institutions as Deutsche Bank; A copy of an article with Mr. Trump's handwriting on it that reported on the auction of a portrait of himself - he arranged for the bidder ahead of time and then reimbursed the bidder from the account of his non-profit charitable foundation, with the picture now hanging in one of his country clubs; and Copies of letters I wrote at Mr. Trump's direction that threatened his high school, colleges, and the College Board not to release his grades or SAT scores. I hope my appearance here today, my guilty plea, and my work with law enforcement agencies are steps along a path of redemption that will restore faith in me and help this country understand our president better." Cohen goes on to give an "insiders' view of the details of each of the topics he lays out. Certainly, the next few days of testimony and questioning will focus on all the things that the Democrats believe Trump did that were unethical or what they believe to be illegal. It will be amplified by the news media. Amidst all the grandstanding, there may be some truth. If what Cohen says is even partially true, it is damaging to Trump, but it is not anything we already didn't know. Underlying this circus show is the very fact that Trump was not the choice of the Democrats or the establishment Republicans, and they are using every means to remove him from office. Beware of what you read and hear for as written in Isaiah 59:14, "justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter." A little bit of truth makes a better lie and deception from an evil word tips the scales of justice. Daily Devotion: Never Alone - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. - Isaiah 43:2 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood out like three sore thumbs. King Nebuchadnezzar had erected a giant, gold-covered statue of himself and demanded that everyone worship it. Those who dared to disobey would be thrown into a furnace of fire. Everyone bowed except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So Nebuchadnezzar decided to give them another chance. But they told him, "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up" (Daniel 3:17-18 NLT). The king was so incensed that he gave an order for the furnace to be heated seven times hotter. It actually killed the soldiers who brought Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to the brink of it. The king thought that was the end of them. He couldn't believe it when he spotted four shadowy figures walking around inside like it was a Sunday stroll. He said, "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the furnace? . . . I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!" (verses 24, 25 NLT). In fairness, this also could be translated "a son of the gods." I believe it was Jesus Christ walking around with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in that furnace of fire. God said in Isaiah, "When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you" (Isaiah 43:2 NLT). He walks with us through our trials. Maybe you're in the midst of a fiery trial today. The Lord is with you. 
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 
|
|