Prophecy Update Newsletter
March 3, 2017
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Israel - Don't Go There - Alf Cengia - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8399
Israel - don't go there. When it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, nearly everyone will have an opinion and solution. Is it wise to interfere in Israel's political affairs? Zech 12:3 and Zech 14:3 should echo strongly in everyone's ears. I recall having a vigorous conversation with someone regarding the conflict. He assumed that a great place to begin resolving it would be to stop the "settlements." In his way of thinking, Israel is rubbing them into the Palestinian face. My friend hadn't followed the history of the Arab conflicts following Israel's return to the land as a nation. Neither was he aware of the Camp David Summit and Gaza withdrawal fiascos. It didn't prevent him from having an opinion. The land-for-peace "solution" has a history of failure. Why? Just read the Hamas Charter. Furthermore, anyone carefully reading the writings of activist Palestinian Christian leaders would also note the assiduous avoidance of mentioning Jesus' Jewish identity. Christ is invariably portrayed as a Palestinian. His Jewish identity is anathema. Even so, the delusion that the solution to the Middle-East conflict is somehow connected to correcting Israel's behavior is hardwired into many brains. It's difficult to come to terms with the reality that no square inch of Israeli-occupied "Palestine" is acceptable to its Muslim neighbors. Having an opinion about the Arab-Israeli conflict is fine. Having an informed on-the-ground one is even better. Journalist Hunter Stuart's opinion-changing-experience should be read by everyone. Here's an excerpt: ...even the kindest, most educated, upper-class Palestinians reject 100 percent of Israel, not just the occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank. They simply will not be content with a two-state solution, what they want is to return to their ancestral homes in Ramle and Jaffa and Haifa and other places in 1948 Israel, within the Green Line. And they want the Israelis who live there now to leave. They almost never speak of coexistence; they speak of expulsion, of taking back "their" land. So now Mr. Trump has arrived on the scene. After eight years of being treated as a pariah by an Islamist-appeasing White House, Mr. Netanyahu has been welcomed back. People are getting excited and we've heard the "One State or Two State solution" chatter. Let's not kid ourselves. Mr. Trump's best intentions of brokering peace will collide with an immovable wall of anti-Jewish resistance. Israel is only tolerated in the region when it's politically expedient. The current concern over Iran has seen Israel enjoy concessions from some of its neighbors. But ultimately the only acceptable long-term solution to the "conflict" is a Palestinian State, sans Israel. Despite the appeasement fantasies, some people do get it. Timon Dias argues that Israel's and Europe's fates are intertwined. I think he's right. He writes: If Israel falls, the road to Europe would not physically be open for "The army of Mohammed" as was the case with Vienna. But in the Islamist experience, which is relevant, Europe is a soft target compared to Sparta-like Israel. In their line of thought applies: 'If Israel can fall, Europe will fall'. God had a lot to say about Israel and its future. Unfortunately, even among Bible believing Christians, prophecy has been dumbed down by Replacement Theology. For example, the Blessing and Cursing of Gen 12:3 is often re-interpreted in order to move the attention off national Israel and onto the church. Such a position leads to the denial of God's involvement in the reestablishment of Israel. Blame the Zionists for creating the Middle East Conflict. It may also deny the satanic origins of anti-Semitism. Blame the Jews for their own miseries. Yet if we allow Scripture to speak plainly, Israel's fate is not only intertwined with Europe, it's also inexorably connected to the world. Alva McClain (The Greatness of the Kingdom) observed that past attempts to aid Israel, on the part of England and the United States, only raised storms of irreconcilable protests from Arab nations and interest from Russian Communism. Nothing has changed. And nothing will by the hand of man. McClain notes that true and lasting peace will only come about with the inauguration of God's Millennial Kingdom on this earth. Here are two scriptural examples: It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong. Zech 8:13 Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." Zech 8:23 Isaiah 61:9-11 informs us that Israel will perform a ministerial function and that it will eat the wealth of the nations. See also Exod 19:6; Isaiah 60:18 and Zeph 3:20. But before this occurs, Israel will be refined in the fire by God (see Hos 5:15; Zech13:9). The fact that Israel's future is in God's hands should be a sober warning to take Gen 12:3 seriously. The best way to bless Israel is with prayer and the gospel of salvation. Israel's allies may also bless it through military and political support. Note: This is not to say that it should be above honest criticism. However, when it comes to political meddling with Israel - don't go there (Zech 2:8). Finally, many are rejoicing in the Trump administration's enthusiasm to help Israel. It's a welcome change. But remember that it will one day pay the price for trusting man rather than God (Dan 9:27; Matt 24:14-15, 21; 2 Thess 2:4). For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.' Matt 23:39 Could we be nearing a time when Israel will put its trust in a peace-broker? Lord, come quickly! 
Fruits of peace? - Joel C. Rosenberg - https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/fruits-of-peace-israel-has-started-exporting-natural-gas-to-jordan-also-developing-export-deals-with-egypt-greece-cyprus-turkey-heres-the-latest/
Israel has started exporting natural gas to Jordan. Also, developing export deals with Egypt, Greece, Cyprus & Turkey. Here's the latest. It's not just talk. If you look closely, there are tangible signs of peace and economic cooperation between Israel and her neighbors. Taken Jordan, for example. The Hashemite Kingdom signed a peace treaty with the Jewish State in 1994. While there remain many political sensitivities in the relationship, the two countries continue to develop ever closer security and economic ties. This week, we're learning how the quiet cooperation between the two countries has taken another important step. "An Israeli company said Thursday it has started exporting gas from an offshore field to Jordan, marking the country's first ever exports of natural gas," reported the Times of Israel. "The exports to Jordan began in January, Delek Drilling - part of a consortium leading the development of Israel's offshore gas reserves." With almost no oil or gas resources of its own, Jordan currently imports 97% of its energy needs. I'm encouraged that the Israeli government and the Israeli and American companies drilling for natural gas off the Mediterranean coast were willing to make their first export deal with Jordan, a good neighbor and partner for peace. I'm also encouraged by the fact that the leaders of Jordan want to cooperate with Israel on such an important energy project, despite some political opposition. But Jordan isn't the only story. For many years since the 1979 Camp David accords, Egypt has been selling natural gas from the Sinai to Israel. Recent reports indicate Israel and Egypt are looking for new ways to explore for more gas and cooperate in exporting natural gas. Israel and Turkey are also working on a natural gas deal that could be finalized in 2017. Israel, Greece and Cyprus are reportedly developing plans for a natural gas pipeline. Let's keep praying for peace - but let's also be grateful for the tangible progress that has been made already. Excerpts from the Times of Israel article: There was no formal announcement at the time but it is the first-time Israel has ever exported natural gas, a company spokeswoman said. Jordanian firms Arab Potash and Jordan Bromine signed a deal in 2014 to import 2 billion cubic meters (around 70 billion cubic feet) of gas from Israel's Tamar field over 15 years.... Jordan is one of only two Arab countries to have a peace deal with Israel but the 1994 agreement is unpopular among Jordanians - almost half of whom are of Palestinian origin. Detractors of the gas deal, including Jordan's main opposition Islamist party, reject any cooperation with a country they regard as an enemy.... In September 2016, a larger deal worth an estimated $10 billion was signed to export gas from the Leviathan offshore field to Jordan. In the face of protests, Jordanian Information Minister Mohamed Momani defended the deal, telling state television it would cut $600 million a year from the state's energy bill. Deliveries from Leviathan are expected to begin in 2019. 
Hezbollah lists targeted Israeli "nuclear sites" - www.debka.com
Hezbollah's latest round of threats against Israel reached a new peak Thursday, March 2, with the release of a videotape claiming to expose nine locations allegedly tied to the production and assembly of Israel's nuclear weapons, debkafile reports. The Lebanese Shiite terror organization said it possessed precise missiles for wiping out Israel's nuclear infrastructure and attached addresses to all its targets. Five locations topped the list, starting with the nuclear reactors at Dimona in southern Israel and Nahal Soreq on the Mediterranean coast. "Revealed" next are three secret locations for the production, assembly and storage of nuclear missiles and warheads. Kfar Zacharia near Beit Shemesh in the Jerusalem Hills, defined as the main depot for the Jericho Series I, II and III, of three-stage ballistic missiles, which can reach ranges of up to 6,000km. Two others were a factory in Beer Yaakov near the central Israeli town of Ramleh, the alleged production site for nuclear warheads; and the "Galilee Wing-20" plant at the Tefen Industrial Park, 17km from the town of Carmiel, a facility where the Rafael Advanced Defense System Authority was said to mount nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles and prepare them for launching. The video stresses that Hezbollah now possesses precise missiles able to pinpoint and destroy every single facility. Just two weeks ago, Nasrallah "advised" Israel in an aggressive speech, to dismantle its large ammonia tank in Haifa and the nuclear reactor in Dimona before they were hit by Hezbollah rockets and caused massive casualties. He and his associates have repeatedly warned in recent weeks that their Lebanese terrorist group has acquired weapons capable of deterring Israel as well as the capability to catch Israeli intelligence unawares by "surprises." In previous articles, debkafile accounted for the heightened bellicosity of Hezbollah's leaders by the permission Bashar Assad recently granted Hezbollah to launch missiles against Israel from Syrian soil as well as from Lebanon. Our military and counterterrorism sources draw a straight line from Hezbollah's latest stance and the newfound aggressiveness displayed this week by the Palestinian extremist Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip. Thursday, March 2, Hamas spokesmen stated that the group would no longer exercise restraint in responding to the heavy Israeli air and artillery strikes that are conducted in retaliation for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. Henceforth, it would conduct a policy of "military position for military position" - meaning that for every Hamas position destroyed by Israel, the Palestinian extremists would swipe at a comparable Israeli military site. The new Hamas posture challenged Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman"s strategy of holding the Hamas government of Gaza responsible for any attacks coming from the Palestinian enclave - whether the work of Hamas or the extremist Salafis running loose there. On Feb. 27, the Israeli Air Force smashed five Hamas targets in the northern, central and southern regions of the enclave after a rocket from Gaza exploded in Israel. The IDF did not respond to the rocket fired subsequently at the Hof Ashkelon region. But then, after a round of fire from Gaza to shoot up IDF military engineering equipment, the IDF knocked over two small Hamas look-out positions in the north. Hamas had in fact given the defense minister an ultimatum: either exercise restraint, or continue the policy of massive retaliations for every rocket coming from the Gaza Strip - at the risk of a fresh round of fighting with Hamas. Lieberman appears to have settled for the first option for the time being. 
Revealed: The Obama administration's support for Hamas was not passive - By Caroline B. Glick - http://www.jewishworldreview.com
In the next inevitable confrontation with the terror group, the lessons of the Hamas War must not be ignored Israel's State Comptroller's Report on Operation Protective Edge, the Jewish state's war with Hamas in the summer of 2014, is exceedingly detailed. The problem is that it addresses the wrong details. Israel's problem with Hamas wasn't its tactics for destroying Hamas's attack tunnels. Israel faced two challenges in its war with Hamas that summer. The first had to do with the regional and global context of the war. The second had to do with its understanding of its enemy on the ground. War between Hamas and Israel took place as the Sunni Arab world was steeped a two-pronged existential struggle. On the one hand, Sunni regimes fought jihadist groups that emerged from the Muslim Brotherhood movement. On the other, they fought against Iran and its proxies in a bid to block Iran's moves toward regional hegemony. On both fronts, the Sunni regimes, led by Egypt under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the Saudi regime and the United Arab Emirates, were shocked to discover that the Obama administration was siding with their enemies against them. If Israel went into the war against Hamas thinking that the Obama administration would treat it differently than it treated the Sunni regimes, it quickly discovered that it was mistaken. From the outset of the battle between Hamas and Israel, the Obama administration supported Hamas against Israel. America's support for Hamas was expressed at the earliest stages of the war when then-secretary of state John Kerry demanded that Israel accept an immediate cease-fire based entirely on Hamas's terms. This demand, in various forms, remained the administration's position throughout the 50-day war. Hamas's terms were impossible for Israel. They included opening the jihadist regime's land borders with Israel and Egypt, and providing it with open access to the sea. Hamas demanded to be reconnected to the international banking system in order to enable funds to enter Gaza freely from any spot on the globe. Hamas also demanded that Israel release its terrorists from its prisons. If Israel had accepted any of Hamas's cease-fire terms, its agreement would have constituted a strategic defeat for Israel and a historic victory for Hamas. Open borders for Hamas means the free flow of armaments, recruits, trainers and money to Gaza. Were Hamas to be connected to the international banking system, the jihadist regime would have become the banking center of the global jihad. The Obama administration's support for Hamas was not passive. Obama and Kerry threatened to join the Europeans in condemning Israel at the UN. Administration officials continuously railed against IDF operations in Gaza, insinuating that Israel was committing war crimes by insisting that Israel wasn't doing enough to avoid civilian casualties. As the war progressed, the administration's actions against Israel became more aggressive. Washington placed a partial embargo on weapons shipments to Israel. Then on July 23, 2014, the administration took the almost inconceivable step of having the Federal Aviation Administration ban flights of US carriers to Ben-Gurion Airport for 36 hours. The flight ban was instituted after a Hamas missile fell a mile from the airport. The FAA did not ban flights to Pakistan or Afghanistan after jihadists on the ground successfully bombed airplanes out of the sky. It took Sen. Ted Cruz's threat to place a hold on all State Department appointments, and Canada's Conservative Party government's behind-the-scenes diplomatic revolt to get the flight ban rescinded. The government and the IDF were shocked by the ferocity of the administration's hostility. But to his great credit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu surmounted it. Netanyahu realized that Hamas is part of the Muslim Brotherhood nexus of jihad and also supported by Iran. As a result the Egyptians, Saudis and UAE rightly view it as a major enemy. Indeed, Egypt was in a state of war with Hamas in 2014. Gaza serves as the logistical base of the Salafist forces warring against the Egyptian military. Netanyahu asked Sisi for help in blunting the American campaign for Hamas. Sisi was quick to agree and brought the Saudis and the UAE into an all-but-declared operational alliance with Israel against Hamas. Since the Egyptians were hosting the cease-fire talks, Egypt was well-positioned to blunt Obama's demand that Israel accept Hamas's cease-fire terms. In a bid to undermine Egypt, Obama and Kerry colluded with Hamas's state sponsors Turkey and Qatar to push Sisi out of the cease-fire discussions. But due to Saudi and UAE support for Sisi and Israel, the administration's attempts to sideline the Egyptians failed. The cease-fire terms that were adopted at the end of the war contained none of Hamas's demands. Israel had won the diplomatic war. It was a strange victory, however. Netanyahu was never able to let the public know what was happening. Had he informed the public, the knowledge that the US was backing Hamas would have caused mass demoralization and panic. So Netanyahu had to fight the diplomatic fight of his life secretly. The war on the ground was greatly influenced by the diplomatic war. But the war on the ground was first and foremost a product of the nature of Hamas and of the nature of Hamas's relationship with the PLO. Unfortunately, the Comptroller's Report indicates that the IDF didn't understand either. According to the report, in the weeks before the war began, the then-coordinator of government activities in the territories, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eitan Dangot, told the security cabinet that the humanitarian situation in Gaza was at a crisis point and that hostilities were likely to break out if Israel didn't allow humanitarian aid into the Strip. On Wednesday we learned that Dangot's view continues to prevail in the army. The IDF's intelligence chief, Maj.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, told the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Israel must send humanitarian aid to Gaza to avert a war. There is truth to the IDF's position. Hamas did in fact go to war against Israel in the summer of 2014 because it was short on supplies. After Sisi overthrew the Muslim Brotherhood regime in Egypt the previous summer, he shut Egypt's border with Gaza because Gaza was the logistical base of the insurgency against his regime. The closed border cut off Hamas's supply train of everything from antitank missiles to cigarettes and flour. The problem with the IDF's view of Hamas is that providing aid to Gaza means supplying Hamas first and foremost. Every shipment into Gaza strengthens Hamas far more than it serves the needs of Gaza's civilian population. We got a good look at Hamas's contempt for the suffering of its people during Protective Edge. After seeing the vast dimensions of Hamas's tunnel infrastructure, the then-OC Southern Command, Maj.-Gen. Sami Turgeman, told reporters that Hamas had diverted enough concrete to its tunnel project to build 200 kindergartens, two hospitals, 20 clinics and 20 schools. Moreover, the civilian institutions that are supposed to be assisted by humanitarian aid all serve Hamas. During the war, three soldiers from the IDF's Maglan unit were killed in southern Gaza when they were buried in rubble of a booby-trapped UNRWA clinic. The soldiers were in the clinic to seal off the entry shaft of a tunnel that was located in an exam room. Hamas had booby trapped the walls of the clinic and detonated it when the soldiers walked through the door. All of the civilian institutions in Gaza, including those run by the UN, as well as thousands of private homes, are used by Hamas as part of its war machine against Israel. So any discussion of whether or not to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza is not a humanitarian discussion. It is a discussion about whether or not to strengthen Hamas and reinforce its control over the population of Gaza. This brings us to the goals of the war in Gaza in 2014. At the time, the government debated two possible endgames. The first was supported by then-justice minister Tzipi Livni. Livni, and the Left more generally, supported using the war with Hamas as a means of unseating Hamas and restoring the PLO-controlled Palestinian Authority to power in the area. There were four problems with this notion. First, it would require Israel to reconquer Gaza. Second, the Obama administration would never have agreed to an Israeli conquest of Gaza. Third, Israel doesn't have the forces to deploy to Gaza to retake control of the area without rendering its other borders vulnerable. The final problem with Livni's idea is that the PLO is no better than Hamas. From the outset of the war, the PLO gave Hamas unqualified support. Fatah militias in Gaza manned the missile launchers side by side with Hamas fighters. PLO chief Mahmoud Abbas represented Hamas at the cease-fire talks in Cairo. He led the political war against Israel in the West. And he financed Hamas's war effort. Throughout the war Abbas sent a steady stream of funds to Gaza. If PLO forces were returned to Gaza, they would behave precisely as they behaved from 2000 until Hamas kicked them out in 2007. That is, they would have acted as Hamas's full partners in their joint war against Israel. 
News from Hal Lindsey Media Ministries - Hal Lindsey - www.hallindsey.com
As I've told you several times in the last few weeks, I believe the real battle for America has now begun. The election of Donald Trump as our 45th President didn't end the struggle. It started it. Even though he is an imperfect man, and will be an imperfect President, it is daily becoming more obvious that President Trump is committed to restoring to America the values and strengths that the previous administration worked so hard to destroy. And almost succeeded. That's why former President Obama has remained in Washington, unlike any other President in the past century. He is working to build an organization to oppose President Trump every step of the way. In fact, rumor has it inside the Beltway, that Obama is committed to driving Mr. Trump from office through resignation or impeachment. Is that rank arrogance or narcissism? Or is it something deeper? I believe it is something deeper. I believe that in the coming weeks, months, and years, we will see struggles and battles unlike anything we have witnessed in American politics before. Why? Because the powers of the air are locked in combat. This is supernatural, folks. I have often observed on this program that we are seeing supernatural forces at work in these end times. How else could a politician with so few accomplishments, no real-world job experience, and so much baggage as Barack Obama have even made it out of the Democratic primaries even just a few years ago? Governor Howard Dean ruined his chances with an enthusiastic scream. Michael Dukakis looked silly in a tank commander's helmet. George Muskie shed a few unmanly tears. Gary Hart was photographed with a girl sitting on his lap. Both fully clothed! All of them lost because of it and all were quite qualified. Even George W. Bush's campaign was almost derailed because he got a single DUI ticket (and a small fine) decades before -- when he was a young man! And how could a candidate like Hillary Clinton, who the FBI Director admitted had committed felonious offenses while Secretary of State, even win the Democratic nomination, much less almost win the Presidency? This is a woman who was fired from her first job on Capitol Hill by her Democrat boss for lying and fabricating evidence against Richard Nixon. And who was the subject of numerous investigations for scandals she instigated while First Lady. Even a couple of decades ago, the Democrat Party would never have allowed either of these two candidates to see the light of day as their nominee. But as we've grown closer to the end of this Age of Grace, the battle has heated up. I think that is why we are seeing unprecedented rage over the loss of the election still being expressed by the Left. It seems many of them are becoming psychologically unhinged. It's unreasonable. And so much of it is factually baseless. But I can't blame all of it on the mindless, often clueless, "millennials" and feminists and illegal immigrants who make up the bulk of the endless protests. I believe they are being used by the globalist-elites. When President Trump promised to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), then honored his campaign promise and issued an Executive Order to start the withdrawal, I think it threw a wrench in the works for the globalists. And when he encourages other nations, especially in the EU, to recover their national sovereignty and dignity, it inflames them all the more. Why else would known globalist billionaires like George Soros, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Carlos Slim, and the list goes on and on (many of them most of us have never even heard of), dedicate so much wealth and political capital to defeat Trump's agenda? And why would the European Union threaten to refuse to accept Trump's ambassador to the EU? Because restoring America's sovereignty and returning it to its strength and prominence stands in the way of their one-world-government aspirations. And I think it's more than safe to say that Satan plays a great hand in this. Delaying the rise of one-world governance delays the building of the apparatus the Antichrist will later use to govern the world. Nationalism is the enemy of one-worldism. One-worldism is necessary for the Antichrist's rule. And the multi-national trade organizations are the deceptive vehicles to one-world government. So, folks, opposition to President Trump and his agenda goes deeper than fake news, fake claims of racism, fake claims of misogyny (By the way, Donald Trump chose a woman contractor to build Trump Tower in New York, making her the first woman in history to build a skyscraper. Some misogyny!), fake collaboration with the Russians, fake Hitlerism, and the list goes on! These may be just the opening skirmishes in the battle to prepare the way for the Antichrist himself. And if that's not enough, last week the Democrat Party almost chose a known anti-Semite and supporter of radical Islamic causes as their new party chairman. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the first Muslim elected to Congress, was narrowly defeated by President Obama's personal choice, former Labor Secretary Tom Perez (also rather far-Left). This week, I'll tell you a little more about Keith Ellison's history, his associations, and the people he holds in high regard. You will be shocked. But, you may ask, why am I concerned? Ellison lost the party chairmanship to Perez. Because Ellison was endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. That means that he is realistically next in line to lead the nation's Democrats. And if Obama's popularity wanes, and Chairman Perez loses his patron, that may happen sooner rather than later. Friends, this should be a clarion call to all believers to intercede daily for our President and the leaders we chose to help restore America's values, sovereignty, and strength. The Bible tells us that as the end of the Age approaches, the "birth pangs" would increase in frequency and intensity. I think they're coming fast and furiously now. Please pray earnestly for God to continue extending His mercy and grace to our beloved nation. Only He, not President Trump or a Republican Congress, can save us. Finally, this week I am going to continue my brief discussion of what lies ahead for the blood-washed believer. Last week, I discussed the joy that awaits us in eternity. This week, I'll tell you a little about the "New Jerusalem." You will want to know. You'll be living there! Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com . Check your local listings. A NOTE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WATCH "THE HAL LINDSEY REPORT" ON TBN: Remember, the Report is now seen 30 minutes later, beginning at 6:00 pm Pacific/9:00 pm Eastern each Friday. 
My Review of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Over the last 35 years, I have literally read hundreds of books on Bible Prophecy and End Time signs. I especially enjoy books on the Rapture, and I have read almost every Rapture-related book published. In all those years, devouring thousands of pages, and millions of words, I have not read a better book on the Rapture than, Rapture Ready...Or Not? Terry James might be physically blind, but he is spiritually sharp and well discerning beyond most authors. In "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Terry has nailed the pre-trib Rapture, and removed any doubt what so ever about the Church going through the Tribulation. With great insight and Godly discernment, Terry explains with simple, yet profound words, why and how that he has come to believe the ways he does about the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the End Times scenario. I think after reading "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" you too will believe as Terry does, and be Ready for the Rapture like never before! - Randy Thomas - Publisher / Editor - Prophecy Update For more information and or to get your copy of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" use this link: http://www.raptureready.com/terry/book35.html 
Chief Rabbi Sets Value for Biblical Half-Shekel, Paving the Way for the Temple's Comeback - By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/84485/chief-rabbi-sets-value-biblical-half-shekel-paving-way-temples-comeback/#5fiCDFZmgpRfic7H.97
"The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Hashem, to make atonement for your souls." Exodus 30:15 (The Israel Bible™) In another essential step forward towards practically bringing the Third Temple, the Chief Sephardi Rabbi of Israel has set the current value of the Biblical half shekel every Jewish male was required to give to the Temple. This mitzvah (Torah commandment), performed in a merely symbolic manner for 2,000 years, is making a rapid comeback in many ways. Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef issued a letter on Wednesday in response to inquiries from the public as to what sum to give to charity as a gesture symbolizing the Biblical commandment. In the days of the Temple, every male in Israel was obligated to donate a half-shekel of silver in the beginning of the month of Adar, which began on Wednesday. Based on the present market value of silver, Rabbi Yosef set the value of the Biblical half shekel at 23 NIS, or $6.23. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary-the shekel is twenty gerahs-half a shekel for an offering to Hashem. Exodus 30:13 The rabbi addressed the modern tradition of giving charity in place of this donation, which in Biblical times was used to pay for the operating expenses of the Temple. "Wise men throughout the generations have been accustomed to commemorate this mitzvah," Rabbi Yosef wrote in the letter. "But it is important to say that the money is a donation and not an atonement. Similarly, when giving the money, it is important to emphasize that it is in memory of the mitzvah, and not the actual mitzvah. As such, the giving of this money in our times is not a requirement or a mitzvah." This mitzvah has re-appeared in more than a symbolic incarnation. For 20 years, Reuven Prager, a tailor specializing in Biblically-styled clothing, has minted silver coins adhering to the Biblical requirements for this mitzvah. The mitzvah requires the coin be donated to the Temple. Prager sells the coins, and the purchaser then returns them to Prager. Once donated, the coins have the status of being sanctified for the Temple and may not be used for any purpose other than the Temple. Prager deposits them in a vault, saving them for the Third Temple. To date, he has collected over 200,000 coins. Rabbi Yosef explained in his letter how he had arrived at the value of the half shekel. "In the times of the Temple, every Jewish male was required to bring two dinar of pure silver, which is nine grams," Rabbi Yosef said. At the time of his announcement, silver was valued at 69 cents per gram. The chief rabbi cited Rabbi Chaim Palag, the chief rabbi of Turkey in the nineteenth century, who wrote extensively on this custom. "Whoever gives a donation of a 'half-shekel' is promised a portion in the Next World, and he will not come to harm that entire year, and if God forbid a harsh decree has been sentenced over him or his family, it is nullified. He will not become poor in the coming year and he will see success in all his endeavors. He will be beloved from up High and liked below. And one who is careful to fulfill this mitzvah each year will merit to see offspring and live a long life." The rabbi concluded by blessing Israel, saying, "May God merit us to see the building of the Temple, the Kohanim (Jews of the priestly caste) doing the Temple service, very soon, amen." 
Daily Jot: No outcry back then - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
Does anybody remember the ex "president's" Attorney General Eric Holder? You know, the AG who refused to enforce the laws? It started with refusing to allow off shore drilling, a law that Congress passed to open up energy exploration off the Gulf Coast. Then there was the Defense of Marriage Act that the "president" and the AG decided not to enforce or defend. Also call to memory that Black Panthers were allowed to intimidate white voters from casting their Constitutionally guaranteed right to vote. And there was the contempt of Congress by Holder for refusing to testify on his gun running scheme that ended up getting border agents killed. Nothing to see here. No one could get the media interested. On September 7, 2011 Holder told reporters that reports were untrue linking his department and the White House with the decision to sell guns to Mexican drug runners through Operation Fast and Furious. He claimed they were politically motivated, saying, "The notion that somehow or other this thing reaches into the upper levels of the Justice Department is something that. ... I don't think is supported by the facts. It's kind of something I think certain members of Congress would like to see, the notion that somehow or other high-level people in the department were involved." This is an outright denial that he (Holder) or any other high official knew about the operation, but it was boasted about even on the DOJ website. On April 2, 2009, Holder gave a speech to the Mexico/United States Arms Trafficking Conference in Cuernavaca, Mexico. His remarks at the time were actually posted on the US Department of Justice's website. He said, "Last week, our administration launched a major new effort to break the backs of the cartels. My department is committing 100 new ATF personnel to the Southwest border in the next 100 days to supplement our ongoing Project Gunrunner..." Project Gunrunner and Operation Fast and Furious were synonymous. CBS News, for example, reported on February 23, 2011 the murder of border agent Brian Terry by a drug cartel thug using an assault rifle traced to Holder's operation. The Daily Jot detailed several reports of Holder's illegal/unethical antics. 'Didn't hear a peep from the mainstream news media calling for his resignation. Today AG Jeff Sessions has recused himself from 2016 campaign investigations because he met with the Russian Ambassador as part of his job as Senator. Democrats used this fake news story to call for Sessions' ouster. Romans 16:18 describes these people: "For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." Indeed they are deceiving the hearts of the simple. There must be more to the Democrats and Russia that Democrats fear will come out with Sessions on the job. Meantime, the news media is showing its inability to report real news, a failure of its First Amendment right. 
Daily Devotion: Life's Second Greatest Joy - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. -Ephesians 2:10 When I started going to church, it was a whole new world to me. I had no knowledge of the Bible or church in general. I wasn't raised in the church as a child, although I had been to church a few times. I was unfamiliar with the way Christians thought and reasoned. And I was certainly mystified by the rather cryptic language they used with one another. They spoke of blessing and conviction, and burdens and discernment. I wanted to learn the language. I wanted to learn more about the Lord. And, most importantly, I wanted to have this relationship with God. I just couldn't get enough. Then there were my old friends. I wanted to be a Christian, I wanted to learn the Bible, and I wanted to know God, but I still wanted to fit in with my friends. To be thought of as a fanatic was the one thing I dreaded above all things. For a short time, I tried desperately to live in both worlds. But I quickly found out that just didn't work. God was changing me, and I wanted to reach out to other people with the message of the gospel. I wanted to be used by Him. And as I have often said, next to being a Christian, the greatest joy that I know in this life is serving the Lord. It's having God direct your steps. It may be preaching, or it may be a one-on-one conversation where the Lord is guiding and directing. But it amazes me that the Creator of the universe, the Almighty God, would condescend to work in our lives and say, "I want to direct you to go over here and do thus and so." It is the highest privilege conceivable that God would want to use us. 
FROM THE HEART
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