Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Jesus is Coming, Will He Find Faith on the Earth? - By Pastor Mike Taylor -
https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2020/03/jesus-is-coming-will-he-find-faith-on.html 6"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." (John 14:6-7) 9"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11) 11"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:11-12) 7 "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:7-8) Of all the names written or spoken of in all of man's history on this earth, none has caused as much division among men, than the glorious Name of JESUS Christ, my Lord. Jesus was a historical, real person who lived in the occupied land of Israel by Rome some 2000 years ago, and since His birth, life, death, and resurrection, the secular world has tried unsuccessfully to marginalize the blessed Name of this God/Man who came into the world for one reason, to die for your sins and mine. The secular world has a real problem with the only sinless man that ever lived and established His Church on this earth on the Day of Pentecost in every believer that receives His Holy Spirit. I know this is a broad subject, so let me in a few words try and express why the Name of JESUS causes so much conflict in this world and makes unrepentant mankind angry just at the mention of His Name and why YOU need Him in your life. BELIEVE IN AND FOLLOW JESUS, OR ALLAH? Note that there are two monotheistic religions that dominate the so called "modern" earth we live on, that being Christianity and Islam. Christianity in all its forms, some true, some not so true, comprise nearly 2.2 billion or 31.5% of the population and Islam (totally untrue) 1.6 billion or 22.3% of the population according the numbers posted on Wikipedia. Since Jesus ascension into heaven, men have attempted to suppress the "faith once delivered" to our fathers, but if you say the name of Allah, there is not even a peep from the secular world and they promote it as a religion of "peace and love". Really? The world and its leaders take great pains to forward this message about Islam even as the adherents of this so called "religion" murder and rape all who will not follow their beliefs and embrace the false god, Allah. Right off the bat, there is a clue that this "religion" is not about peace and love, as all men claim God is love. But understand that religion is not God. Religion is man's attempt to explain what they think God wants, or their attempt to make themselves acceptable to God. I"ve often said that religion would be a great thing, if man were not involved in it. Why? Because men pervert the message to their own self interest and make a mockery of Who God really is. The so called religions of this world are man's attempt to get to God, but Jesus Christ is God's attempt to get to man. WHAT GOD DO YOU FOLLOW? You can make anything your religion in this life. Any old god will do. Just pick one and make it your focus of worship. The world is full of false religions or man's attempt to justify himself, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, or about every "-ism" you can name or you can just make up one of your own to suit yourself. You can even worship humanity. But its not about religion, as even the Lord Jesus emphasized when He met the Samaritan woman at the well. "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. . . But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." (John 4:21.23-24) Jesus came to change all the religious traditions that had distorted the true worship of a Holy God and when on earth, although He was a God of love, His message did not promote "peace and love". He came not to bring peace, but a sword.' "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household." (Matthew 10:34-36) Why is that so? Because mankind's flesh wars with his spirit to follow the true God of the Bible and sinful men just don't want someone telling them how they should live their lives. They revel in their unrighteousness, much to their own damnation. During His ministry on the earth, Jesus railed at the established religion of His day when He blasted the religious authorities for their hypocrisy and their "traditions". 9"And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban ( sacrifical offering: my explanation), that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.. (Mark 7:9-14) 27" Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity" (Matthew 23:27-28) Followers of Jesus Christ are anything but a religion or traditions. It is a personal relationship with THE God that created the universe, based on the knowledge that all men are sinners are in need of a Savior. But religion is a practice of trying to make yourself acceptable to God by your own endeavors by balancing the scales of good and evil by doing more good than evil. So when religious or political leaders use the phrase "peace and love" when they speak of Islam, they reveal they don't know what they are speaking of. ISLAM IS HOLY??? During the past administration of the "usurper in chief", he never failed to promote the "religion" of Islam. He could say that Islam is holy and the Koran is holy legitimizing "Allah" as holy and his "prophet" Muhammad as this "god's" messenger. Even with the belief of "separation of church and state" you didn't hear not a peep out of the ACLU. All the organizations that battle Christianity and the mention of the very word "Jesus" in our schools and the Ten Commandments on any government property, promote Islam all day long without fear of lawsuits. Indeed, there exist in the American school system, MANDATORY curriculum that amount to immersion courses in Islam, complete with the taking of an Islamic name, studying the Koran, and practicing Islamic rituals. but goes bananas when they attempt to profess America "One nation under God". Why is that? Well, the obvious answer to that question why Jesus and anything or anyone that mentions the God of the Bible producing a visceral response, is that Allah is nothing but a false god and its "religion" is nothing but a political movement. It doesn't really make much sense, when you realize that this false religion of Islam is promoting murder and mayhem all over the world, but you mention the name of Jesus and you get immediate revulsion that you even breathed His Name. Muslims world wide are planning at this very moment their next murderous attack on the infidels that they hate so much for not bowing the knee to their hateful ideology. Further, because Islam and its god is false, there is no threat from speaking or teaching about Islam...not to the world, and especially not to Satan as they are on the same side. Not so with the Name of Jesus, because Jesus is real and the True God of the Bible. To the secular world all the different gods are more or less the same, so who cares? Except for Jesus. There is something about Jesus and they can't stand it. JESUS IS THE ONLY WAY True blood washed Christians are condemned by the political and secular world, because we make Jesus and the salvation He provides as exclusive. Since we know that is their reason, "I can identify with that condemnation on their part" because I concur with their assessment. Men don't like that Jesus as the only Way, and being so exclusive. They want to have many different ways to justify themselves. They push the idea, just like Oprah Winfrey did on her now canceled show, when she expressed that there were many ways to come to God. She likened it to a hub with its many spokes on the wheel. Just as there are many spokes, or ways to come to the center of the hub, there are many ways to come to God, "Just be a good person" she quips. Problem is with her analogy, is Jesus (for lack of a better explanation) is an exclusive way to God, or an "exclusive club". As the opening verse so aptly explains: "....I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6b) That's exclusive. There is no other way. No amount of good works, no belief in some other god or spoke in that wheel, no amount of giving to the church, no amount of confession before your priest, so exclusively there is NO other way, but Jesus. The apostle John explained is so easily and completely when he wrote in his Gospel of John beginning with the 1st verses: 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 1:2 The same was in the beginning with God. 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 1:5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:1-5) The apostle Matthew tells us that Jesus was raised from the dead and showed Himself to about 500 people at one time, and after His resurrection, the rocks were rent and many who had fallen asleep arose and went into the city...Did these people just die again? No, I believe they were given new bodies that Jesus took with Him when He presented Himself to God our Father on the first Sunday morning after Passover and became the "First Born of the dead" on what was called the "wave sheaf offering" given in the temple on that day. And Jesus paid for sins by shedding His own blood, and sprinkled on the Mercy seat of the Tabernacle in heaven as payment in full for the sins of the world, and all who believe and come to repent of their sins and put their trust in the One who was raised from the dead. 50 "Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost. 51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; 52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, 53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. 54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God."(Matthew 27:50-54) Even a pagan Roman Centurion believed that this was the Son of God, as no One could have done what Jesus did on that day, or the days that followed. Paul spoke of this glorious event in his letter to the Corinthian church, as Paul saw the glorified Jesus on the road to Damascus and it was revealed to him, that Jesus had risen from the dead. 4 "And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." (1st Corinthians 15:4-8) THE GOSPEL OF JOHN DECLARED THE DIVINITY OF OUR LORD The root and the trunk of the born again doctrine found in the bible is found in John's Gospel and centers on chapter 3. The other gospel writers do not expressly say it, but provide supporting evidence of this essential truth. In this gospel, John proclaimed the divinity of Jesus Christ, as Jesus talks of light, darkness, baptism, and the Temple of God in the first three chapters of the Gospel of John. Symbolism is used to illustrate the spiritual with the physical. Many of the symbols Jesus uses are understood by the people Jesus spoke to. Then came the Apostle to the point of the whole of your Bible, when he wrote what Jesus said to Nicodemus in John chapter 3: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosover believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life" God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but the world through Him, might be saved." (John 3:16-17) When Jesus proclaimed the spiritual truth in a physical way to the masses in the synagogue at Capernaum , some couldn't grasp what He was saying: "Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides [or "lives," or "dwells," or "continues"] in Me [That is, He is saying that it is a life-giving substance.], and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven-not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever."(John 6:54-58 ) Thinking in physical terms, this idea repulsed most of the disciples and those who heard and many left Him, as they didn't understand the spiritual application of the New Covenant of His death and resurrection and symbolized when we take the bread and the wine at the Lord's Supper and commemorating this act of total surrender for our redemption. If you want to know the man, Jesus Christ, you need to start at the Gospel in the New Testament that proclaimed His divinity, His earthly ministry, and His death leading to His resurrection, as the first born of the dead. That Gospel is John. John uses the last days of Jesus ministry leading to the cross to illustrate who Jesus was, and what He did for all mankind. If you wish to understand how God the Son came down from glory and became a man with only one mission, to save mankind, then you must start at John and study the witnessed account of the life and ministry of Jesus the Christ up close and personal. Then read the surrounding gospels that support it, and read into the Pauline epistles of the man Saul who became Paul, who met Jesus in His glorified state and how it changed his life. COMPARE THIS WITH ISLAM If you start dissecting the "religion" of Islam, you quickly discover that the basic concept is a "god of war", death and destruction. Led by an evil man who proclaimed this false god from all the polytheistic gods of the Arabian deserts and narrowed it down to one "feminine" moon goddess and made Allah male and a book of the Koran was written many years after Muhammad's death containing war verses of jihad, or holy war against infidels, or non-believers. Logically, if this "allah" is "holy" then how does one, being a mortal man come into his presence? By committing hideous acts of murder and conquest and becoming a abomination in front of other men? How does that logically compute? If "allah" is sinless and holy, then how does a murderer enter into his presence? Show me one place where this Allah was just, loving, or showed himself divine? Can't think of one? Neither can I, because there are none. Point being, Islam is not a true "religion", but a political ideology of evil men on a quest for domination of other men. What one entity that is described in your bible would compare to this description of Allah? 12"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;" (Isaiah 14:12-16) 8"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (1st Peter 5:8) You see, Satan hates anything that belongs to God. He hates Jesus because He saves men because of their trust and faith in what Jesus did for them on a Roman cross. It was Satan's biggest victory, that became his greatest defeat. So Satan inspired a false religion to lead men astray and gave them the ability to embrace their sinful lifestyles, all in the "name of religion". 7 "But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1st Corinthians 2:7-8) THERE IS COMING A DAY For 2000 years, the Holy Spirit of God has been dealing with mankind, through all the false christs, all the false religions such as Islam and drawing a select remnant of the world's population to Him, those that heard the call of God and responded in human repentance and a broken and contrite heart, but as we see the world crumbling around us, that call for repentance during this Age of Grace we live in, will be cut off without warning. 51"Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1st Corinthians 15:51-55) These describe the coming of our Lord JESUS, the One true God that will come and remove His church from this earth. Then will begin the most horrible time that mankind will ever experience. I have talked about that seven years of the coming Tribulation repeatedly and I won't go over the ramifications of missing the trumpet call that Paul speaks of in the preceding verses in this message. I have numerous messages covering that subject, so go there to get an explanation of what those years will bring to sinful mankind. But the Name of JESUS, one day will be Lord over all the earth. My God, my Savior will come again to reign and rule for 1000 years, but not before He crushes all rebellion upon this earth with just a spoken word, the bible calls the sword of His mouth. My Lord Jesus will come in two different times appearing, claiming those who put their trust in Him, at the rapture of the Church, and those who have faith in Jesus during the awful coming time, known as the Tribulation. As mentioned in both times, that opened this message, when Jesus comes, will He find faith on the earth? 16 "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. 18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. 20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galations 2:17-20) Jesus will claim all who have put their trust in Him, and in Him alone, and all who have pleasure in unrighteousness, there will be righteous indignation when my God will bring to bear the sword of His mouth on all who have no faith in the Only Way to salvation found in the Name that is above every name. The bible is most descriptive of what Jesus will do at that time: 11 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (sign of the saints, my explanation) 15And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 20And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." (Revelation 19:11-21) My God, the blessed Name of Jesus in person will come and destroy all false religions, all evil men who have taken the "mark of the beast" that I spoke of in past messages, and destroy the Anti-Christ who proclaimed a "false god" and his messenger, the false prophet. Just as the prophet Isaiah spoke of in the book that bears his name, the prophet wrote down what those who remain and are fortunate to escape alive through the coming Tribulation will proclaim: 20 "Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. 21Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. 22Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." (Isaiah 45:20-23) 9 "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11) The two passage speak of the same glorious Person, Jesus Christ...one in the Old Testament and another in the New Testament, to God the Father's glory as God has proclaimed "JESUS" a Name above every name. WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THIS GOD/MAN, JESUS? I have briefly shown you that Jesus is God, that all other religions are false, including Islam. In comparison, there is no other God. Make no mistake about it. Jesus is coming, and may come very soon. Will you continue to ignore the drawing of the Holy Spirit and reject the free offer of salvation to your own eventual destruction, or will you humble yourself and call out to the only Person who ever lived that can free you from the bondage of sin and the penalty of eternal death and separation from God Almighty? God calls all people, but only a few will submit willingly to the call of God to repentance and turn around from their evil ways and follow "the Way, the Truth and the Life" ...the glorious name of JESUS. The Bible clearly states, that those who believe in Jesus and confess with their mouth that Jesus was raised from the dead, these will be saved. 8 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."(Romans 10:8-13) This is Pastor Mike Taylor, proclaiming to you Jesus, in no other is there found salvation but through Him...if you need counseling, prayer, or just a friendly, listening ear, email me at [email protected] , God bless you all TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET How the European Union Turned the Coronavirus into a Pandemic - by Con Coughlin - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/15761/european-union-coronavirus The emergence of Europe as the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic has as much to do with the European Union's inept handling of the crisis as it does with the resilience of the virus itself. When the world first learned about the existence of coronavirus in China at the start of the year, the EU's response, like much of the rest of the world's, was to adopt a wait and see approach as to how it developed. The problem for the EU, though, is that it has maintained this lackadaisical approach long after it became clear that the virus was going to develop into a global, rather than a specifically Chinese, issue. More pertinently, the EU's failure to raise its game, after the rapid spread of the virus resulted in much of Europe coming to a standstill, means that the EU is now trying to play catch-up in terms of asserting a leadership role. After weeks of prevarication, the EU finally imposed measures to ban travelers from outside the bloc for 30 days. The measure is expected to apply to 26 EU states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. The ban will not apply to citizens from the UK and Ireland. "This is good," commented European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as she announced the new measures earlier on March 18. "We have a unanimous and united approach [where] the external borders are concerned." That it has taken until now for the EU to act, when so many major European countries such as France, Italy and Spain are already in lockdown, illustrates the inadequacy of the EU's response to the crisis. It also helps to explain why Europe has replaced Asia as the main epicenter of the pandemic. By the time Mrs von der Leyen finally got around to announcing at the start of this week that the EU was planning to impose its travel ban, most member states had already taken matters into their own hands and made their own arrangements to restrict border access. Moreover, by undertaking their own unilateral actions, the decision by some EU member states, such as Austria and the Czech Republic, to specifically ban citizens from other EU states, such as neighboring Italy, represents a flagrant breach of one of the EU's key founding principles, namely the free movement of its citizens across the borders of other member states. Consequently, the EU's failure to address the coronavirus issue earlier has resulted in the Schengen Agreement, which stipulates that the citizens of any EU state can travel freely throughout the union, becoming null and void. The EU's commitment to Schengen was one of the key factors that persuaded U.S. President Donald Trump to impose his initial travel ban on continental Europe, claiming -- correctly -- that the EU was being far too complacent in its response to tackling the virus. Now, thanks to the EU's ineptitude, the union has entered a new era in which the precedent has been established whereby it is the governments of the various constituent member states, and not Brussels, that decide who can, and who cannot, cross their borders. The sudden imposition of new border controls in Europe is already having a serious impact on the trading arrangements between different EU member states. This week, for example, trucks trying to enter Poland from Germany have been subjected to a tailback dozens of kilometers long, as Polish border guards insisted on checking the temperatures, health and documentation of drivers seeking to enter the country. Moreover, the EU's inability to provide effective leadership in terms of responding to the coronavirus challenge has led to an increase in tensions between key member states, tensions that could ultimately threaten the survival of the EU in its current manifestation. Perhaps the most shameful episode concerning inter-EU relations since the start of the coronavirus outbreak was Germany's refusal to allow the export of much-needed face masks and ventilators to Italy after the Italian government made a direct appeal to the rest of the EU for help. Instead of demonstrating the so-called solidarity that is supposed to underpin the EU's founding ethos, the German government issued a ban on the export of the equipment to Italy. It was left to the Chinese government to provide the Italians with 31 tons of urgent medical supplies. The EU's handling of the coronavirus has not just been incompetent. It raises serious questions as to whether it is about to become yet another victim of the deadly pandemic. Nearing Midnight: Joe Biden is the Democratic Front Runner. How is this Possible? - Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Former Vice President Joe Biden has long been known for his gaffes. Reporters that have known him long enough would say they're just part of who he is and they're kind of harmless. Now that Biden is a 77-year-old, it has become obvious that these mistakes are so numerous and profound that they fit a pattern of mental senility. During a New Hampshire campaign event in December, Biden said that he would consider a Republican running mate. Biden said he anticipated getting "clobbered by the press" after he answered a woman who asked if Biden would consider a Republican running mate. "The answer is, I would, but I can't think of one now," Biden said, in a clip from CNN. Washington, DC, is so divided, there is no way that the Democrats would stand for a Republican on their ticket. The ability of a woman to lead Biden into considering a VP from the other party just shows how dangerous it is to have someone in office that doesn't have his full mental facility. During a Las Vegas town hall in November, the former vice president said he would not legalize marijuana nationwide without further research. "The truth of the matter is, there's not nearly been enough evidence that has been acquired as to whether or not it is a gateway drug," he said, according to Business Insider. Biden's remarks led to criticism from other Democrats. "Marijuana should be legalized, and drug consumption should be decriminalized. These are matters of public health," congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted, hours after his remark. Crazy Joe likely made that comment on marijuana out of memory. His brain can't remember the current party view on pot, so it found views from the past. I'm hoping at a future campaign stop, Joe will say we're never going to allow gays to get married or serve openly in the military. A key indication that Biden is losing it are the awkward fights he has with random people at campaign stops. A young woman asked Biden about electability given his poor showing in Iowa, and he replied her, "You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier." He cursed at an autoworker who challenged him on second amendment rights. Then Biden says "Wait, wait, wait, wait, I'll take your AR-14s" - a gun which doesn't exist. His frequent use of profanity is what happens when someone loses the ability to thoughtfully debate with other people. I could go on and on in describing his many gaffes. Here are several one-liners that further prove that something is not right upstairs with the man:
President Ronald Reagan was hammered over similar issues during the 1984 election. The press has rewritten history to make Reagan's final years in office as a nation lead by a man with reduced mental capabilities. One network planned to produce a sitcom that featured a Reagan character with dementia. Joe Biden's status as the frontrunner in the Democratic presidential race highlights the party's hypocrisy when it comes to attacks on Donald Trump. CNN has interviewed a series of so-called medical experts that all declared Trump mentally unfit for office. If the liberal media wants to protect us from crazy politicians, now is their chance. The candidate Joe Biden is so confused that he has trouble remembering where he is, why he's there, and what day it is. "Biden's cognitive issues have been evident for some time, but just watch the same media who for four years have been declaring Donald Trump mentally and physically unfit for office have a collective meltdown when Biden's mental faculties are questioned," said SKY News Australia "Outsiders" host Rita Panahi. I think it is an improvement to go from a hardline communist to Biden. The Democrats are still offering a dangerous choice to Americans by having a candidate that can't even a give seven-minute speech without going off track. It amazes me that few people see the mental issues with Biden. The liberal media have done a good job in covering up most of his gaffes, but there are still enough in the news to show that Biden is not well. The key problem here is the lack of spiritual wisdom. If you are not seeking God's guidance, the enemy will easily blind you to the truth. "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed" (Proverbs 13:20). "Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction" (Proverbs 10:14). Peace, Be Still - Nathele Graham - [email protected] "The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea." Psalm 93:4. It's easy to get caught up in the hysteria of today. The news media is driving a frenzy that is causing a crisis of its own. The coronavirus is something we need to take seriously, be cautious, and take steps to stay as healthy as possible. An important step we need to take is to read God's word. Reading Scripture is the way to calm our own fears as well as help us to give answers to others who are fearful. During times of turmoil we need to remember that God is mightier than anything that comes our way. He won't necessarily remove the turmoil, but He will give us peace as we face the dangers. Today the news media doesn't seem to have enough time to keep up with all of the reports of this coronavirus spreading, and because of this there are many empty shelves in stores as people rush to stock up on items needed, just in case we are all quarantined. We need to take care to wash our hands and cover our sneezes and coughs, but the panic and fear need to be soothed. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah." Psalm 46:1-3. This psalm goes on to remind us to look to God. He is with us whatever may befall. In the midst of war, earthquakes, famine, and pestilence, every Christian needs to understand that God will never leave us and we can always find His peace. "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." Psalm 46:10-11. If we allow His peace to rule in us, we can share that peace with others. In times like these, the door for sharing the Gospel is wide open. We need to be ready with answers. Fear can cause a person to act irrationally. Over the last week or so I have heard some stories about how people are reacting to this crisis, and it is ridiculous how fear is causing people to react in unreasonable ways. Unless we truly know that Jesus is with us and "...is mightier than the noise of many waters..." we will be just like the world and allow fear to control us. The disciples were men who faced fears and when troubles came along, they would sometimes forget that Jesus was with them. Maybe they didn't truly know exactly who Jesus was (God Almighty) or understand His power, and like us they sometimes lacked faith. Once when they were all in a boat at sea a storm hit. Many of the disciples were fishermen and understood about storms at sea and knew how to handle a ship. In spite of that, they allowed the storm to confound them. Jesus was sleeping peacefully at the time, and the disciples thought He didn't care if the storm sank the ship and they all drowned. Wrong. Even when we feel as if God has forgotten us, or is sleeping on the job, He's right there with us. The disciples awakened Him in panic and He took care of the situation. "And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?" Mark 4:39-40. Those are two questions we all need to ask ourselves. Why are we so fearful? Where is our faith? Instead of running to Him in panic and fear, turn to Him in faith. Jesus spoke the same words found in the Psalms, "Peace, be still". This command was to the storm. In calming the storm, Jesus calmed His disciples. We need to turn to Scripture for words of comfort because it is God's word. Satan uses fear as a means of drawing Christians away from our Lord. How many of us are keeping our eyes glued on TV waiting for more news about where the virus is and how many people have died? They never tell us how many have lived. Shouldn't we be more tuned in to God? People are dying, and that fact is heartbreaking. Actually, people are dying because of many things, such as car accidents, heart failure (often caused by poor eating habits), war (people want what others have), AIDS (because most people won't turn from their sin), murder (men's hearts are cold), abortion (men's hearts are cold), lung disease (people smoke), and many more causes. Part of the panic caused by the coronavirus is the fact that most of the world is afraid of death. That's normal. Death is final and there's no reversing it. An advantage Christians have and need to cling to is the fact that Jesus Christ conquered death. Everyone who is born into this world will, at some point, face eternity. Heaven is real, but so is Hell. Only faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus will allow you to spend eternity in Heaven. We need to tell people about Jesus and give them hope. We are all born once, but then there needs to be a second birth, a spiritual birth. Jesus said so. "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3. Our first birth isn't a choice on our part. It's the second birth that is a choice. It's been said that God has no grandchildren. Nobody can make that choice for another person, not a parent for a child or husband for a wife. Christians need to share the Gospel with those around us who are so afraid of death right now and tell the lost about life in Christ. I've heard people say that there will be a lot of friends in Hell to socialize with, so it will be like a party. Oh, how wrong that statement is. At the end of days there will be a final judgment before the White Throne of God. "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Revelation 20:11-12. This is not the judgment that Christians will face. Our sins have been forgiven at the moment we accepted the blood sacrifice of Jesus for salvation. The White Throne judgment will be where those who have rejected Christ will stand having their works judged. Sadly, there will be a lot of "good people" there...ones who have been kind and gentle, but have never put their faith in Jesus. Works cannot earn you a place in Heaven and human kindness cannot come close to God's standards. If you haven't asked Jesus into your life, then after the White Throne judgment you will face your second death. "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged everyman according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:13-15. That doesn't say anything about an eternal party, but it shows eternal suffering. God loves you and doesn't want anybody to face this second death. You have the choice. Accept His free gift of salvation and you will be born again and won't face eternity in the lake of fire. Nobody can make the decision for you. There is a healthy fear. That is the fear of the Lord. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7. When you fear the Lord that means you will respect Him. You will desire to live to please Him instead of saying a few words at an altar, then stepping right back into your sin. Instead of fearing the coronavirus, turn to God. Respect Him and gain knowledge of Him. The way to do that is to talk to Him daily and study your Bible. The more you learn about Him the less fear will control you. God's love is perfect love and He is mightier than all fear. "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." 1 John 4:18. We are made perfect in God's perfect love. That perfect love was manifest in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Turn to Him for peace in these troubling times and share your faith and hope with others. Though the world is in turmoil and chaos, remember that God isn't sleeping. "Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:4. Not only does He keep Israel, but He keeps all who trust Him. He knows what's happening all around us, but His love never fails. Though storms rage around us and the world is in panic, find peace in Him. Remember, even the storms are under His authority. Remember the words that Jesus used to rebuke the storm. "Peace, be still." Don't allow the turmoil to overwhelm you. God bless you all, Nathele Graham [email protected] www.straitandnarrowministry.com [email protected] Ron and Nathele Graham's previous commentaries archived at http://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html All original scripture is "theopneustos" God breathed. If you'd like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know. Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles-Fighter or pushover? - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com My dad was a farmer, a cowboy, and a husband, father, and businessman all rolled into one. Born during World War I, he survived the Great Depression, grew food during World War II, was part of the Portage County Mounted Patrol, was a township constable, loved sports, especially football and basketball (he played semi-pro), and I can't say enough good things about him. His mother was killed when he was 10 years old. She had gotten out of a car to help with an accident and someone hit her with another car. He lost his oldest son, my brother, to a drunk driver. There was a fair amount of tragedy in his life. He kept it all inside him and didn't burden others with it. He was a man's man with a code of honor. There are so many stories I could share about my dad, and as I remember them, you may see them pop up in The Farm Chronicles. One was when my dad and mom were dating. My mom's sister was getting married the next day, and dad was in the wedding party. So he and the guys were out celebrating at the Wayland town hall dance on Friday night before the wedding. It was time to leave, so he and mom were walking out of the hall, when dad stepped in front of her, showing off that he had a hot dog in each hand and was eating one of them. That's when the trouble began. There was a world-class boxer outside the door of the town hall. For Friday night fun, he was cold-cocking all who walked through the door. There were several of dad's friends laid out outside the door from the boxer's punches, which dad didn't see. He was hit so hard that he swallowed the hot dog whole. What ensued was a sight that would have made the nightly news if there was a nightly news back then. Dad picked himself up off the ground and proceeded to beat that boxer within an inch of his life. It was so bad, that the boxer's doctor called my dad into his office and wanted to know what he used to hit the boxer. Dad just showed him his two fists. The boxer never fought again. No charges were pressed. And the story was told often about how my dad had a black eye at the wedding-and how he got what he deserved for not being a gentleman by walking out of the dance in front of my mother! He would just smile. Mom knew it could have been her getting punched. People either loved dad or hated him because he was pretty much a "let your yes, be yes and no, no" kind of guy. By the lines at his calling hours and funeral, there were more who loved him. Point is, he led his life by his own standards, the basis of such are found in Matthew 7:12, "Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them." The Golden Rule. Dad had a fuel oil delivery business. There were many a frigid night he got a call, got dressed and went into the dark cold to deliver fuel to someone in need. He sold that business in 1973, in clearing the books, there was over $20,000 in uncollected fuel bills-he had given that fuel to those families in need. At say, 25 cents a gallon, that's a lot of fuel. But that's the type of man he was. A fighter when need be, a pushover when in need. Daily Devotion: What Jesus Said about Worry - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. -Matthew 6:34 The great theologian Charlie Brown made this statement about worry: "I've developed a new philosophy. . . I only dread one day at a time." Now let me quote an actual theologian, the late Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who said, "If I allow my concern about the future to cripple me in the present, I am guilty of worry." There are so many things happening in our world today that could cause us to worry. Fears about the spread of the coronavirus may keep us up at night. In some ways, I think the viral fear about it may be worse than the virus itself. Then we have our personal problems too. There are problems with work . . . problems with our families . . . problems with our health. How can we overcome fear and worry? The Bible has something to say about this. Jesus himself addressed it in the Sermon on the Mount: Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33 NKJV). Believers should not worry. Jesus is not saying that Christians shouldn't be concerned about the necessities of life. He is not saying that we shouldn't think about them or plan for the future. The Bible encourages us to work hard, to save our money, and so forth, but what Jesus is saying is that we shouldn't worry about these things. Worry doesn't make your life longer; it just makes it more miserable. 
FROM THE HEART
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