Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Angel of the Lord: Part 6 - By Randy Nettles -
https://www.raptureready.com/2020/04/02/the-angel-of-the-lord-part-6-by-randy-nettles/ Moses brought the children of Israel from the Red Sea into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. "Now when they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, What shall we drink" (Exodus 15:23-24). This was the first of many murmurings against Moses by the people. Moses cried unto the Lord about this situation. The Lord told Moses to cast a certain tree into the water, which made the water good to drink. They left Mariah and came to Elim where there were twelve wells of water, and they encamped there by the waters. They departed from Elim and came into the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the 15th day of the 2nd month after their departure from Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. "And the children of Israel said to them, Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger. Then the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not" (Exodus 16:2-4). "Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see the glory of the Lord; for He hears your complaints against the Lord. But what are we, that you complain against us? Also Moses said, This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord. "Then Moses spoke to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints. Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud" (Exodus 16:6-10). The "cloud" was a theophany of the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jehovah "appearing in a cloud" is similar to the "burning bush" event of Exodus 3:2-5, where two Persons of the Triune God are involved, Jehovah and the Holy Spirit. At this time, Moses did not want to look into the burning bush to see the Lord, for he was terribly afraid. The Angel of the Lord (who was in the cloud) turned His Shekinah glory on and lit up the "cloud." All the people could see was a bright form inside the cloud. No human can see the glory of the Lord face to face and live. The Lord told Moses that he heard the murmurings from the people and would take care of their needs. Then they would know He was the Lord their God. "So it was that quail came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay all around the camp. And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was a small round substance, as fine as frost on the ground. So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, What is it? For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat" (Exodus 16:13-15). The Lord gave instructions to Moses regarding the gathering of the manna. It appeared on the ground each day as thin flakes like frost. The people ground it like grain and cooked it like a pancake. They were to eat all they gathered and not save any for the next day, or else it would stink and breed worms. On the 6th day, they were to gather twice as much manna, and were allowed to keep some for the next day. Moses instructed the people about this allowance: "Then he said to them, This is what the Lord has said: Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning. So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. Then Moses said, Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none" (Exodus 16:23-26). Unfortunately, some of the murmurers disobeyed this commandment, so the Lord told Moses to make sure all the people obeyed and not gather any manna on the 7th day (Sabbath). "And the house of Israel called its name manna. And it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey" (Exodus 16:31). This commandment to rest and do no work on the 7th day is reminiscent of the one God gave Moses (during the Passover event in Egypt) regarding the 7th day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The children of Israel ate manna for forty years until they came into the borders of the land of Canaan. God rested on the seventh day of creation and blessed it. He made sure His chosen people, Israel, did the same on the Sabbath day. Resting on the Sabbath was not a suggestion; it was a commandment. For the Hebrews, it was a capital offense to work on this special day of the Lord. The people journeyed to Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. "Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, Give us water, that we may drink. So Moses said to them, Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord? And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst? So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!" (Exodus 17:2-4) The Lord told Moses to gather the elders of Israel (and take his rod that he smote the Red Sea with) and go to where He would direct them. "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us or not?" (Exodus 17:6-7). The Amaleks came and fought in Rephidim. Moses told Joshua, his lieutenant, to choose men and go out and fight them. Amalek was a descendant of Amalek, a grandson of Esau. Joshua obeyed Moses and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of a hill. "And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword" (Exodus 17:11-13). Moses gave thanks to the Lord. He built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissis, for he said, "Because the Lord has sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." The children of Israel came to Mount Sinai in the third month (Sivan), on the same calendar day as their departure from Egypt (14th day of the month). The date would have been Sivan 14, 1446 B.C. "And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel" (Exodus 19:3-6). Moses relayed this message from the Lord to the Israelites. All the people answered together and said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do." "Then the Lord said to Moses, Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people" (Exodus 19:10-12). The Lord also told Moses to inform the people to keep a safe distance from the mountain and base. If they touched the mountain they would be killed. "Then it came to pass on the third day [Sivan 17, 1446 BC], in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly" (Ezekiel 19:16-18). This is reminiscent of the theophany during the covenant between Abraham and God where "the smoking furnace" and the "burning lamp" passed between the pieces of the sacrifice. This was a spectacular theophany of Jehovah in his glorious, Godly form. He was accompanied by the Holy Spirit in the form/s of a cloud and smoke (like a furnace). The children of Israel were looking from a safe distance because of their great fear. They couldn't make out any details of God, but they saw the accompanying elements that surrounded Him... fire, dark clouds, lighting, thunder, and a loud sound of a trumpet. Trumpets were always played upon an arrival of the king in ancient times. This sound, however, was the sound of a trumpet played by a heavenly being and not by an earthly man. "And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. And the Lord said to Moses, Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them" (Exodus 19:19-22). Moses did as he was told and went down the mountain and warned the people once again. He then went back up the Mount again and talked with God. The Lord God verbally gave Moses the Ten Commandments, laws concerning people and property, and general laws for living as a people and nation of the Lord... He stressed the importance of the 4th Commandment (no work on the Sabbath). The Lord also informed Moses that the land should rest every 7 years. That meant the people and work animals were not to sow the land every 7th year. If they obeyed God, He would make the 6th year so bountiful that it would last for the next couple of years. The Lord instructed Moses that three times in a year all Hebrew adult males would gather and keep a feast unto the Lord. These three events were known as the feast of Unleavened Bread, feast of harvest (later called Pentecost), and the feast of ingathering (later called Tabernacles). Jehovah told Moses, "Behold, I send an Angel (Angel of the Lord) before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him. But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. "For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days" (Exodus 23:20-26). Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all His laws and commandments. The people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words which the Lord has said, we will do." Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and then built an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. The children of Israel offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings to the Lord. "And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, This is the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words" (Exodus 24:8). After the blood covenant, Moses, Aaron and his two sons, and 70 of the elders of Israel went up the mountain. There they saw the God of Israel, "and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank" (Exodus 24:10-11). Seventy four children of Israel saw a theophany of Jehovah on this day. This was probably the Angel of the Lord in an angelic body, but not the glorified Jehovah in His Shekinah glory. "Then the Lord said to Moses, Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone (the Ten Commandments), and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them. So Moses arose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them. "Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain. Now the glory (Shekinah) of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights" (Exodus 24:12-18). This time Moses wanted to see the full glory of the Lord, unlike when he was too afraid to look into the "burning bush." [email protected] COVID-19: Two Truths, One Caution, One Challenge - By Joe Southerland - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/04/01/covid-19-two-truths-one-caution-one-challenge-by-joe-southerland/ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9; scriptures KJV). "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure" (Isaiah 46:10). In my first message on COVID-19, I stated the obvious; we are in a pestilence of global proportions. Then, I further stated that there is no doubt in light of Matthew 24:3-8. We are indeed living through one of the birth-pain sorrows prophesied by Jesus Christ, which will occur before His second coming. I also stated that while we CAN KNOW the Biblical prophetic timeline which God has provided in His Word, the LORD GOD has and will intentionally veil the details of prophetic events from Mankind. Then, I cautioned Believers to be on guard, warning them that we must know the difference between people's speculation, illumination, inspiration, and revelation. Since these are very different ways of hearing from God, we must demand of preachers and teachers clarity on what they are proclaiming. Lastly, we MUST arm ourselves with the knowledge of God, God's Divine Word, so we may rightly judge truth in this time of global turmoil. Delving into the Truth Behind COVID-19 As a lifetime Prophecy Watcher and student of God's Word, and a Bible Teacher, like many of you, I keep my finger on the End-Times' pulse. Now, more than I have ever, I have seen a tremendous amount of speculation out there in the secular world, as well as in prophetic circles. Is the COVID-19 virus the result of: - eating wild exotic animals which contained the virus? - a Chinese biological weapon lab experiment gone bad? - an intentional release by Communist China in order to reduce their aging population and/or attack or weaken the West? - the US Army generating a bio-engineered virus to thwart the inevitable rise of the great People's Republic of China? - Bill Gates creating a "eugenics" virus to kill off the world population to a sustainable level and implant a vaccine with a personal marker within the COVID-19 survivors? - the "Illuminati" releasing a bio-engineered virus to collapse world governments and economies to bring in the New World Order...and the Antichrist's rise? I WILL NOT and CANNOT address the validity of any of the current speculations and theories out there... and believe me, these are just a sampling. Undoubtedly, there will be many more theories, conspiracies, and speculations coming from the secular world, from Satan and his deceivers, and from fellow Believers. As Believers we must apply the gifts we have been given by God to judge what is truth. God has given us: His Holy Word, the guidance of the Holy Spirit, rational and logical minds, and fellow Bible Believers to consult and commune with (using prescribed social distancing, of course). Thusly armed, Believers can discern the difference between true teachers/preachers and false teachers/preachers, and their speculations, illuminations, inspirations, and revelations. For we must become End of the Church Age Bereans (Acts 17:11) for those around us. And always remember...TRUTH is NOT about what or how you feel; it is about what the WORD OF GOD SAYS! Truth Behind COVID-19 - Number One Regardless of which COVID-19 speculation/theory/conspiracy you may be judging on validity, know that whether or not any may be true...there is but one root cause... SIN!* For SIN is the source of all destructive acts of nature: earthquakes, volcanoes, asteroid strikes, tsunamis, floods, tornadoes, mudslides, firestorms - and yes, this includes plagues, pestilence and pandemics. That goes for whether COVID-19 is man-made or Satan-made or not. For every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, lying, insolence, arrogance, boastfulness, disobeying of parents, and faithlessness... and all heartlessness, ruthlessness, rape, incest, anger, theft, covetousness, sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness, and swindling are the result of sin; and the source of all death, decay, illness, disease, and sickness. Scriptural Proof behind SINs reign on earth "And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:17-19; emphasis mine). "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12). If you do not know what occurred in Genesis Chapter 3, you will never make any sense of the world we live in! A CAUTION: I am compelled to provide this CAUTION because there is a huge misperception that I have seen among Believers in the internet/blogosphere, and it goes like this: "COVID-19 came from the LORD GOD." We must be very careful what we lay at the feet of the LORD GOD; blessed be His name! And that goes for any type of natural or man-made disaster... for there is a huge, Biblical difference between these two statements... "COVID-19 came from the LORD GOD" and "COVID-19 is being allowed by the LORD GOD." There are two types of disasters which come upon the earth: one is "God initiated" and the other, as we just discussed, is loosed due to the fallen nature of our world because of sin. God's initiated disasters are specific judgments directly generated by Him for specific purposes. The next specific plagues and pestilences found in the Bible are found in Revelation Chapter 6 and onward in the seal, and bowl, and trumpet judgments. We are not there yet, even though we are experiencing COVID-19 as a major birth pain. Believers CANNOT presume to know which events, like COVID-19, can be laid directly at the feet of the LORD. Therefore, we should be very cautious attributing these calamities to anything other than the result of the post-Adam fallen nature of the world. We know from Job that God hedges Satan's actions, and He may have done just that by allowing these things, which were once held back, to come forth. Mere mortals can but speculate. The Truth Behind COVID-19 - Number Two Events like COVID-19 always leads to the question, "Why does God allow such horrendous things, like COVID-19, to happen?" To answer that timeless question, we are going to turn to Acts 17:26-27, where the Holy Spirit gave the Apostle Paul the answer we seek while he addressed the Athenians on Mars Hill. Scriptural Proof for "Why God Allows Disaster?" Acts 17:26 "And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation:" Notice here the underlined bounds of their habitation. God has set forth many bounds/boundary-lines within Mankind's habitation**, and loosed within Mankind's habitation are disasters, like pestilence and plague we are living through. As previously stated, these are historically part of the fallen world which Mankind has inherited as children of Adam. So why does God allow these disasters according to the scripture? Acts 17:27 "That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him (grope/search), and find him, though he be not far from every one of us." The Greek word here, "feeling after," implies much more...as a person groping around in the darkness, reaching out desperately for the light. Here is the answer we seek. So that in these times of turmoil and strife, caused by the boundaries within our habitation, Mankind will reach out and seek their LORD GOD Creator. Why is that necessary? Because God knows the fallen, sinful, self-centered nature that Mankind inherited from Adam. God knows in times of good health and plenty that Mankind believes their conditions are the result of their works and wisdom. It is often only when the predictable and controllable are shaken that many people will seek spiritual answers to explain their changing, tumultuous new reality. But why does God include Christians? Invariably this leads to a question I get from Believers: "But why does God include Believers in these tribulations?" Scriptural Proof for Believers Facing Tribulation "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" (Matthew 5:45). These disasters occur to all Mankind because we all share the same habitation, Christians included. Christians are in this world, but not of this world. God never declared Christians a safe physical harbor, but a secured spiritual one in heaven. Our earthly bodies can die and our souls can be attacked even though they will live eternally. However, our quickened spirits are sealed for eternity. We, children of our Father, are here for a purpose. God allows Christians to go through trials not only to refine us, but because... We are Christ's light in this world. We are Christ's salt of this world. We are Christ's sons and daughters of grace and love unbounded in this world. For who better than God's children to help this fallen world deal with this situation. Mankind needs Christ to shine through His children now more than ever! So shine forth with the truth, light, passion, mercy, grace, and love of GOD! Leverage the gifts God has given you. Therefore, work in the unique and specific field which God specifically has planted you for this season. I pray that God may richly bless you for the works he has planned for you in advance. Time is short! The harvest fields are ripe! Come, Lord Jesus, come! Nearing Midnight: End-times Storm Steering Mechanism - Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Hurricane season brings the phenomenon known as a "steering mechanism." I'm no meteorologist, of course, but know enough to understand that, in the United States, winds aloft blowing from west to east have an effect on hurricanes approaching our mainland from the Atlantic. These winds can "steer" those massive storm systems away from the continent and back into the Atlantic. This is usually the case. News media play these things for all they're worth. They, with wind-blown reporters standing with their microphones on the shoreline, paint the worst-case scenarios each time there is a huge hurricane being generated by warm Atlantic waters as the storm heads eastward from the Horn of Africa or somewhere over that way. More often than not, then, the storm has less effect on our coasts than anticipated. The steering mechanism-these winds aloft-have done their job and lessened the severity of the hurricanes. However, sometimes these steering currents can force storms up the coast. They then do severe damage to places in more northern latitudes rather than on the lower coastal areas where they initially were expected to make an impact. It seems we are now in the middle of the most severe moments of an end-times storm. This isn't the case, however. We are in the process of watching the Tribulation storm out in the proverbial roaring sea as it threatens to land full-force. The full-blown hurricane will come. Bible prophecy makes that forecast abundantly clear. But there are winds aloft, so to speak. They are the steering mechanism that will determine when the storm will become full-blown and where it will make its full impact upon the generation that will endure the storm and all the wrath its power will generate. I think we can look at COVID-19, or coronavirus, if you prefer, as a major steering mechanism in this end of the Church Age. It is like that powerful wind aloft in meteorological terms, shaping things to come not only for America, but for the entire world. One example of the way this pandemic is steering the great, incoming Tribulation storm is its movement being used by the globalists who are attempting to force America and the world into the model the globalists elite have been trying their best to bring about. A news excerpt or two perhaps will illustrate. A Rockefeller Foundation report produced 10 years ago imagined a viral pandemic as the perfect catalyst to implement "tighter top-down government control and more authoritarian leadership," eerily similar to what's unfolding during the current coronavirus outbreak. The report, entitled, "Scenarios for the Future of Technology and International Development," outlines several possible future global scenarios, including a "Lock Step" vision in which a "new influenza strain...infects nearly 20 percent of the global population...killing 8 million in just seven months..." "In 2012, the pandemic that the world had been anticipating for years finally hit," the scenario begins. "Unlike 2009's H1N1, this new influenza strain-originating from wild geese-was extremely virulent and deadly." "The pandemic also had a deadly effect on economies: international mobility of both people and goods screeched to a halt, debilitating industries like tourism and breaking global supply chains," the scenario continues, describing almost the exact events of 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak." ("Globalist Think Tank Laid Out Scenario Where Virus Outbreak Prompts Authoritarian Crackdown," Rapture Ready News, March28, 2020) Another news item further illustrates the effects the pandemic-steering mechanism is having in this present hour, eight years after the Rockefeller Foundation Report's scenario for their globalist ambitions. The United Kingdom's former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called on world leaders to form a "temporary" global government to resolve both the medical and economic crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic reports the Guardian. The ex-Labour prime minister stressed the need for a task force comprised of world leaders, health experts as well as leaders of the international organizations that could enjoy executive powers to execute the response. A virtual meeting of the G-20 group of both developed and developing countries, chaired by Saudi Arabia, is scheduled to take place on Thursday. Brown lamented that the meeting didn't include the UN security council. "This is not something that can be dealt with in one country," he said. "There has to be a coordinated global response." (David Sidman, "Ex British Prime Minister Calls on World Leaders to Form 'One World Government'," Breaking Israel News, March 26, 2020) Yet another excerpt of today's news even more dramatically illustrates the steering mechanism's effects. It is a more profound example of the supernaturally generated winds aloft, I propose, because God's prophetic time clock, the nation Israel, is directly in the path of the incoming, apocalyptic storm. [Israel's Prime Minister] Netanyahu put out a direct public appeal while dealing with an escalating coronavirus crisis on Tuesday, saying, "Benny Gantz, this is a moment which tests leadership and national responsibility. The citizens of Israel need a unity government that will work to save their lives and their livelihoods. This is not the time for a fourth election. We both know that the gaps between us are small, and we can overcome them. Let's meet now and establish a unity government. I am waiting for you." (Dov Lipman, "Unity Government Formed: Netanyahu Stays in Charge...For a Half Term," Breaking Israel News, March 27, 2020) The prime minister, in addressing the Israeli people, urged all to stay home, because, he said, "one who infects one person is akin to infecting the whole world." He said he doesn't know when the pandemic will end. He reminded the people, however, that during past plagues, the Jews were stuck in exile. He said: The coronavirus joins the family of other deadly plagues throughout history-the Black Plague, cholera, and the Spanish flu. When those plagues ran their course in previous centuries, we (the Jews) didn't have a state. But today we do have a state. He encouraged his audience by saying, "This gives us unlimited options to control our destiny," adding, "we are one people, one country and now is the time for unity." He concluded: [The Jewish] month of Nisan that begins tonight is the month of spring and of exodus from Egypt. It reminds us that our nation withstood intense storms. It gives us strength. It gives us hope. We overcame Pharaoh. And although the battle is difficult and challenging, we will overcome the coronavirus with God's help and with your help, people of Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu is correct; with God's help, the Jewish people-a remnant-will get past the storm to come. The storm the Israeli prime minister seems to anticipate isn't yet here. It will be horrific, to be sure. The steering mechanism-the strange, supernatural winds that are blowing-are shaping things prophetically, precisely as God's Word has foretold. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, you won't experience the most terrible storm ever to rage upon this fallen planet. Again, the following is the prescription that will protect you from the Tribulation pandemic storm to come: 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10: 9-10) For A Glimpse Into Your Dystopian Police State Future, Just Visit Walmart - By Michael Snyder/End of the American Dream - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=3956 Things are really starting to get crazy out there. All over the country, "non-essential" businesses have been forced to shut down, but because Walmart sells food and other basic supplies it gets to be one of the "essential" businesses that stays open. However, a trip to your local Walmart now will be far different from what you remember previously. When you arrive, you will find that a very narrow entry corridor has been taped off with yellow security tape, and only a very limited number of shoppers are being allowed in at any one time. And once you get inside, you will discover that there are very strict limits on what you are permitted to purchase. I know that all of this sounds incredibly bizarre, but it is really happening. The following is what one of my contacts reported when she visited her local Walmart... Wow, so we just got back from walmart in Pine Bluff, AR....they herded us in, like cattle...I kid you not....we had to go through a taped-off line and they had only one door open instead of the two they normally have. They have a 5 person limit in Magnolia, AR.....and security guards at the door as well...armed security guards. You can only buy one loaf of bread and the store closed at 7PM...normally open 24 hours. It is CRAZY....someone opened a side door by accident and alarms started going off. I joked to the lady next to me "Oh crap, someone must have taken more than a dozen eggs!" And it is also being reported that very creepy social distancing instructions are being repeatedly broadcast over the speakers as shoppers circulate through the stores. Just days ago, Walmart stores all over the nation were operating normally. But then on Friday, draconian new restrictions were suddenly announced... Starting Saturday, we will limit the number of customers who can be in a store at once. Stores will now allow no more than five customers for each 1,000 square feet at a given time, roughly 20 percent of a store's capacity. To manage this restriction, the associates at a store will mark a queue at a single-entry door (in most cases the Grocery entrance) and direct arriving customers there, where they will be admitted one-by-one and counted. Associates and signage will remind customers of the importance of social distancing while they're waiting to enter a store - especially before it opens in the morning. Once a store reaches its capacity, customers will be admitted inside on a "1-out-1-in" basis. Once shoppers do get inside, they will find that their choices have been significantly narrowed. In fact, in some Walmart stores entire aisles have been completely sealed off... Walmart stores in New England are sealing off entire aisles with products deemed "unnecessary" in attempts to combat the scourge of shoppers wandering around to relieve coronavirus quarantine fatigue. According to CBS Boston, Walmart in addition to Home Depot and BJ's Wholesale stores in the town of Chicopee, Massachusetts, worked with the city health department to "reduce unnecessary roaming around aisles and putting others at risk." Unfortunately, in some stores garden seeds have actually been deemed "non-essential", and so many that were hoping to grow their own food during this time will be out of luck. Hopefully once this pandemic is behind us we will see these ridiculous restrictions at Walmart locations go away. But as we have seen during other moments of crisis in the past, once "emergency measures" get implemented they have a way of sticking around. And right now many Americans seem to be in the mood to sacrifice their liberties and freedoms for an illusion of safety. If you can believe it, one recent survey actually found that 67 percent of us actually want restrictions put on interstate travel... Although America has a reputation for being rather libertarian with regards to personal rights and one's freedom of movement, a new opinion poll by Rasmussen Reports shows that Americans are turning hardline in the face of the new and deadly Chinese coronavirus. Two out of three want to ban interstate travel and fine those who violate social distancing guidelines. To be precise, 67% of likely U.S. voters say they want to ban all out-of-state travelers from entering their state -- except for emergencies. A mere 21% are opposed, 12% are undecided. As for fining those who break social distancing guidelines: 68% support such a measure, while 20% oppose it and, again, 12% are not sure. Yes, we should all work together to defeat this virus, but once we lose our most cherished liberties and freedoms they will be exceedingly difficult to get back. So we should definitely take common sense precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but we must also diligently guard our rights wherever they are threatened. As this pandemic stretches on, people all over the world are going to be clamoring for a "solution", and without a doubt the elite will gladly give us one once it is ready. We are being told that life will not get back to "normal" until a vaccine arrives, and we are also being told that the elite are feverishly working toward that goal. In fact, it is being reported that Bill Gates is spending billions of dollars building seven different vaccine factories... Bill Gates is plugging money into building factories for seven promising coronavirus vaccine candidates, even though it will mean wasting billions of dollars. On Thursday's episode of "The Daily Show," the Microsoft billionaire told the host Trevor Noah that his philanthropic organization, the Gates Foundation, could mobilize faster than governments to fight the coronavirus outbreak. Gates also suggested that mass gatherings might not return until we get coronavirus vaccine. Our society is being transformed at a pace that is absolutely breathtaking, and life as you have known it will never be the same again. These are perilous times, and things are only going to get stranger from this point forward. So work hard, pray hard and hold on tight, because the road ahead is going to be really bumpy. Daily Joy: Part of the problem or part of the solution - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com In watching and reading about the daily Presidential Coronavirus Task Force briefings from the White House, there is often two differing viewpoints-what I actually saw during the press conference and what was reported. The two are not the same. The view of the reporters is so jaundiced against the President and his team, that they are not even able to get the facts right. Their opinion on the commentary has become in their eyes, the facts. They continue poking holes, distributing fake news, and guiding the people of this country toward fear and hopelessness. The leadership of the Democratic Party do the same. Hollywood "stars" also say horrible things. They all should be ashamed. How many times have you read about some actor or actress saying that Trump is a murderer because of his response on COVID-19? Reporters know that Trump is not a murderer. He is not premeditatedly killing American citizens. So, the story has no credibility, yet they write it anyway. Democrats have said Trump's response was slow and resulted in many deaths. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) likened Trump to Nero watching Rome burn. She said that "As the President fiddles, people are dying." When Trump first banned travel from China in January, however, Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden attacked Trump's "record of hysteria, xenophobia and fear mongering," and Bernie Sanders said he wouldn't shut down the borders and condemned the President's xenophobia. Other Democrats joined in their criticism. At the same time, the mainstream media, including the Washington Post, the New York Times, Vox and others said that Trump's travel ban would not work, was emotional and political, and began printing stories sympathetic to China. Then they criticized Trump for not closing down travel sooner. Another example is the Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General issuing a report that there was a shortage of COVID-19 tests. The HHS Secretary said this was the first he had heard of it when asked by a reporter. President Trump questioned the reporters who were circulating the story and found out that the Inspector General that issued the false report was appointed by the immediate past president. The reporters knew the source was not credible and was following a political agenda but reported the story anyway. Either you are part of the problem or part of the solution. Hollywood, the news media, or the Democratic Party leadership has not made one suggestion of how Trump and his team could do a better job. Just that he is a murderer, xenophobe and worse. Calling people names, writing stories with no credible sources, saying hateful things, stirring hopelessness and fear, does not help us solve this pandemic. We need to be working together as one body, as described in 1 Corinthians. Verse 25 says, "There should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another." This is exhorting believers in Christ, but it is also how we as Americans should behave during this time of crisis. This holds for all of us. We are either part of the problem or part of the solution. Daily Devotion: Is It Time for Some Cleaning? - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. -1 John 1:9 There was a time when pet stores sold bunnies and little fuzzy chicks at Easter. And as I recall, some of the chicks were even dyed different colors. People apparently thought these were cute gifts to get for a child. And while it seemed like a great idea at the time, what about nine months later when full-grown rabbits and chicks were roaming around the house? Little, cute things turned into big things. In the same way, little sins can turn into big sins. Then you have a problem. By nature, I'm a messy person. But my wife, Cathe, is the neatest person who perhaps has ever walked this earth. I think the only person who was tidier than Cathe was her mother. Cathe is always tidying, always cleaning things up. When a mess begins to build up, her philosophy is to get things sorted out right away. On the other hand, my approach is getting to it later. Not long ago, my office got so messy that Cathe and a friend cleaned it out. They did an amazing job of getting rid of all the clutter. But then Cathe came into my office awhile later and said, "Greg, look. That book is out of place. You're starting to pile these things up over there. You're doing it again." And she started straightening things up. We can do the same thing spiritually. Sometimes we'll let little sins into our lives. We'll say, "I'll get to it later," and then we let a few more things in as well. Then the next thing we know, it's a huge problem that we don't even know how to approach. That's why we want to go to the Lord on a regular basis and ask Him to cleanse us of our sins. Because we sin more than we think we do. 
FROM THE HEART
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