Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
COVID-19: But the Calm Before the Storm - By Joe Southerland -
https://www.raptureready.com/2020/04/19/covid-19-but-the-calm-before-the-storm-by-joe-southerland/ "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see" (Revelation 6:1). "And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices" (Revelation 10:3). "And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps" (Revelation 14:2). "And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great" (Revelation 16:18). A Time Like No Other Throughout the world, Mankind's overly busy, hectic lives have come to a screeching halt. In a time like no other in history, nearly half of the world's population of now over seven billion is in a forced lock-down imposed by their governments. Vast swaths of humanity are now in a mandatory, isolated pause relegating us to small groups and social distancing. They are also being told the best thing they can do is stay isolated. It is a time like no other, when we are almost all individually forced to stop and reflect. People are reassessing their lives amidst the backdrop of an ever-lurking invisible killer which is bringing forth random death and chaos about us. COVID-19 is a global event which is occurring to nearly all Mankind simultaneously, and its lingering impact is yet to be determined. This pandemic is unlike any other before. Due to the interconnected global community sharing entertainment, commerce, and transportation, the virus has rapidly spread more quickly than any previous pestilence in history. Pestilence Allowed to Unfold If you believe that GOD is sovereign LORD over His creation and is actively involved in shaping the course of history, it is evident that GOD is allowing COVID-19 to occur for His greater purposes. Furthermore, He has loosened his mighty, controlling hand but a fraction and allowed a single, deadly, natural force bounded upon earth to run its course. We are now experiencing the largest rippling birth pain in generations. Jesus warned us this would come before His return. "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows" (Matthew 24:3-8). Is the Bubble about to Burst? Within God's timeline we reside in the Church Age or Age of Grace, which is a period where God has endured longsuffering as He has patiently prepared His Bride, the Church. For eternal salvation He only requires of Mankind that we make a free-will decision of faith in His Son, who died for our sins and rose from death to life after three days. He wants none to perish but all to obtain salvation (2nd Peter 3:9).* Beyond the ultimate gift of His Son, God further graced Mankind with two other mighty gifts: The Holy Spirit to dwell in us and guide us in all things, and the mind of God, His Word. We are in an age truly blessed because we need but to believe in order to become Children of God. However, according to the scriptures, this magnificent Age of Grace shall end. That is not an IF, but a WHEN. Beyond any doubt, COVID-19 is awakening many in Mankind from their deadly spiritual slumber. This is in preparation for what shall come upon the face of the earth before He Returns in Triumph. Accordingly, COVID-19 is but the calm before the storm. As a Believer and teacher of God's Word, I can neither dismiss nor ignore what Jesus has told us shall come to pass before He will return. According to the scriptures, far more calamitous and miraculous events shall unfold, for the heavens shall peal back and the full glory, power and majesty of the Son of God, the Lamb of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ shall arise from His heavenly throne. Then His mighty thunders shall roll forth as the time of the great unleashing of the supernatural begins upon Mankind. It will be a time like never before in all God's creation. During the Church Age, the Lord God has been consciously restraining the fullness of His almighty supernatural power and miraculous works. In terms of the supernatural, the Age of Grace can be categorized by "blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." However, God soon shall unveil His supernatural, almighty powers, which have been sealed in a Seven-Sealed Scroll from creation, for a time of great unleashed judgments upon Mankind! Church Harvest Nearly Complete As the last soul is sealed into the Church (Romans 11:25), the Lord God will reintroduce the world to His supernatural omnipotence by removing all born-again Believers at the Rapture. Thus, the Lord God will begin reclaiming and cleansing the world of Satan's lies, shaking Mankind's perception of their universe; a universe in which man falsely claims he is the measure of all. In the split second after the Rapture occurs, all Mankind shall fall into complete spiritual darkness for the first time in history (I shudder at the thought). The Lamb will leave Mankind utterly naked in their corruptions and abominations; there will be absolutely none left who do good. All those who are left are those who say in their hearts, "There is no God." This unparalleled supernatural event will throw the world's people into chaos as they experience a phenomenon that shatters their man-made perception of reality. This unleashing of the supernatural begins as God lifts His mighty, restraining hand and Satan's dark forces are unleashed upon the earth. The Lamb of God Unleashes... Surrounded by His Church, the Lamb who was slain shall step forth as the only one found Worthy to open the Lord God's great Seven-Sealed Scroll. As he opens the first seal, thus begins the Seven-Year Tribulation period, Daniel's Seventieth Week. In ripples like the birth pains which preceded this time, the Lamb shall unleash a series of supernatural seal, trumpet, and bowl judgments upon those who dwell on the earth. The judgments are sequential and shall come with power and flashes of lightning, rumblings, and peals of thunder, all proclaiming to the earth that God alone is to be feared, glorified and acknowledged as their Creator.** Unleashing the Seal Judgments In Revelation chapter six, God begins by unleashing five of the seven seals judgments. In the first four, God loosens the restraints on Satan. His son, the False Christ/the Antichrist/the Beast shall ride forth bringing the promise of peace by war. On his heals shall follow starvation, plague and death over one fourth of the earth. At first Man will say: it is just another war, it is just another famine, it is just another plague. However, it shall bring the bloodiest death toll the world has ever seen. As the grim bloodbath's toll mounts, many people will start to question if it is something more. Is the new world leader's promised utopia to come true? Or is the hand of God in this? In the sixth seal, the Lord God answers those who will listen, as he shakes the earth in his mighty hand. Mankind will then experience an earthquake like no other, accompanied by the sun shrouded in thick darkness, the moon turned blood red, and meteor showers filling the skies and falling to earth. At that point Mankind will say, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!" But many will refuse to repent and glorify him. Unleashing the Trumpet Judgments In Revelation chapters eight and nine, prior to God allowing six of the seven trumpet angels to announce their judgment, there is reverent silence in Heaven. God and all heavens sorrow over the righteous wrath about to be unleashed against rebellious man. On earth there will also be a gap of time following the great earthquake as Mankind recovers. People will ask, "Was it a divine act of God or was it Mother Nature responding to Man's continued misuse?" God will answer by unleashing four successive unparalleled judgment blows against earth and those remaining in it. Hail and fire mixed with blood will fall upon the earth. A blazing huge mountain will plummet from the sky. A great star blazing like a torch will then be thrown into the sea. Finally, the skies shall be darkened over the earth. The remaining people on earth will reel, regroup, and try to recover as one third of all the life-sustaining plants, animals and water are destroyed. On whom shall they turn for their life-giving water and daily bread? God or government? The Antichrist will answer he is one and the same. Many will follow Satan's son. God's answer comes by opening the shaft of the Abyss, where Satan's long-imprisoned minions are unleashed upon the earth for five months. They will then mentally and physically torment those who will choose to worship the Beast and take his Mark, yet will not torture those who do not bow to the Beast.*** With these five supernatural judgments complete and man still in rebellion, God's angel will blast the sixth trumpet, and the largest army man has ever seen executes His judgment upon man. A third of mankind's eternal fates will be sealed in death by this evil army. The second death will await those who refused to repent and glorify God. Unleashing of the Two Witnesses In Revelation chapter eleven, God sends two great messengers of His Word, empowered with supernatural abilities for nearly three and half years. Fire will come from their mouths and devour their enemies. They will be empowered to cease the rain, turn the waters into blood, and unleash upon the earth every kind of plague as often as they want. Some shall call these witnesses tools of evil. Others shall correctly attest that they are part of God's attempt to awaken remaining Mankind on earth, to topple his arrogance and stubbornness. Unleashing the Bowl Judgments In Revelation chapter sixteen, God will complete the period of wrath by unleashing five bowls of judgment upon the remaining God-haters and inhabitants the earth. Angels will pour bowls causing supernatural judgments: ugly and painful sores break out upon those with the mark of the Beast and Beast worshipers. The seas, rivers and springs will turn to blood; the sun will painfully burn and scorch people. The world will plunge into utter darkness. Despite men gnawing their tongues in agony, they will curse God because of their pains and refuse to repent, fear and glorify God and acknowledge Him as their Creator.** The Lamb of God, The Lion of Judah The sixth angel will pour out his bowl, which prompts Satan's minions and hordes to gather in a place called Armageddon. Now is the time for one of the most magnificent passages of Scripture in the Bible: "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. His 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. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And 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. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:11-16). It Is Done! And the seventh angel will pour out his bowl into the air; and there will come a great voice out of God's Heavenly throne, saying, "It is done!" The intense time of great unleashing of God's long-awaited supernatural power onto a God-denying world will be completed. They demanded proof. They demanded a sign. The Lord God gave them sign, after sign, after sign; yet countless multitudes did not repent, and therefore shall spend their eternity in the lake of fire. But also from this time, a great multitude, whom no man can number, out of every nation and tribe and people and tongue, shall stand before the throne and the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands; and they will cry out with a loud voice, saying "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb!" Thanks be to you our Lord God Almighty! The One who is, who was and who is to come! Come for us, our Lord Jesus, come. Come and reign over us in victory, and in power, and in glory! We, your Bride, await you! Alleluia! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth! J&J Ranch Ministries "But as for me and my <ranch>, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15) * "Becoming Born Again - Born of The Spirit" - V9 in the "Taking 10 Minutes" Series https://youtu.be/52z3AGMoL98 ** "God's Final Message to Mankind Before Returning to Earth" https://youtu.be/aJApTQdllHY *** "There is But One Mark of the Beast" https://youtu.be/u8_h2NJYkho Iran's new frontline with America in the Gulf and Syria - Seth J. Frantzman - https://www.jpost.com/international/irans-new-frontline-with-america-in-the-gulf-and-syria-625319 Iran wants to remove the US from Iraq and Syria while also carrying out pinprick threats in the Gulf. Iran is threatening the US in the Persian Gulf through new harassment of US naval vessels and messages demanding the US leave the region. It is part of Tehran's Middle East game plan to try to remove the US from Iraq and Syria while also carrying out pinprick threats in the Gulf. Iran has harassed US ships in the Gulf for decades but the new rhetoric is designed to turn up the heat on this front. In Syria Iranian media is also messaging against the US, claiming the US "trains terrorists." With oil prices declining, the Gulf has less strategic value, but Iran nevertheless wants to stir up tensions. Last week eleven Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fast boats approached several US ships, including a ship conducting helicopter drills and a destroyer. The IRGC fast boats made dangerous maneuvers with 10 yards of the US navy and America released details about the incident. Over the next days IRGC said that US "terrorists" are the source of regional instability. Then Iran announced new armed drones and new long distance radar. It also unveiled new anti-tank rounds that it says can be dropped from drones. This was designed to up the pressure. Iran went further over the weekend, announcing new naval missiles it says can reach 700km and also urging "foreign forces to leave after incident." Iranian President Hassan Rouhani phoned his Kuwaiti counterparts and informed them of Iranian anger about the US presence. This is a full court press by Iran. The IRGC threatens the US and the Iranian foreign ministry also releases statements against the US "illegitimate" presence. "We want them to leave the region as soon as possible," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi. The IRGC warns the US that even the slightest mistake will be "the last one." The IRGC Navy accuses the US of "adventurism" and Iran claims the US has interdicted 550 oil tankers in the Gulf. To show off its willingness to confront the US the Iranian website Tasnim published videos of US warships taken at night on April 7. In Syria Iranian media is also on a full-court press, claiming the US is "training terrorists" at a base where US troops are located called Tanf. This narrative asserts a conspiracy theory that Iran and Russian media have pushed in the past. Tasnim news claimed over the weekend that the US was training ISIS. As part of the rhetoric against the US presence in Syria Iran claims that Syrian regime members found US ordnance in Quneitra's countryside, a remnant of US support for Syrian rebels during the civil war. To undermine the US presence in Syria Iran's media spreads rumors about the Syrian regime's successes. Press TV claims that "members of the last remaining US-backed military group in Syria have fled an occupied American military base...defecting to the Damascus army that is on the verge of winning the war against Takfiri terrorists." At the same time Iranian media pushes reports that the US is paying Syrians in eastern Syria up to $350 a month to guard oil wells. These oil fields now are less relevant due to declining oil prices. However, Iran has a sophisticated information warfare department that pushes various rumors about the US presence in Iraq and Syria. All of this is designed to undermine the US presence. To cement its close relationship with the Syrian regime, which Iran has backed, Tehran sent foreign minister Javad Zarif to Syria on Monday. Wearing a facemask to hide his usual smile he met with the Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad. They slammed US sanctions on Iran as inhumane. Zarif's visit was marred by airstrikes that occurred in on the night after his visit. Otherwise, he and Assad basked in the feeling that Iran is slowly rolling back the US presence in the region and able to threaten US forces at a time of their choosing over several thousand miles of frontline from the Gulf to Syria. Nearing Midnight: "If" Is for Children - Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Reading through a news article today, the title of an old song sung by Roger Whittaker came to mind, and then the melody of it running through my head caused me to listen to it on YouTube. "I Don't Believe in 'if' Anymore" begins with a driving beat, telling all the fearsome things of war and trouble the youth of this world face-how they fight the battles to save their nations, etc. The song then gets into a haunting rendition of how the dreams of children are built on "if". But the lyrics and melody state that "if" is for children. "It's an illusion," the lyrics say. "If's an illusion. If is for children, building daydreams....I don't believe in if any more..." the song goes on to conclude. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a grandfather's heart for children. Some even think I, myself, am under an illusion by thinking that the Heavenly Father's great plan in the Rapture is to include all children under the age of accountability-those who are too young to make the decision to accept or reject Christ for salvation. But despite those who think I'm a bit too soft-hearted (and even some think, "soft headed") in this regard have it wrong. In this case, I'm not thinking with my emotional heart, but with my belief that God's Holy Word explains His Holy character. The God who has given His love letter to mankind deals one on one with each person He has determined to be born into this fallen world. Salvation is an individual matter. It is not a corporate matter, in which He "grandfathers in" all who are born under a certain religious system or to a certain Christian parent or family and brings them into His heavenly family. The only way we go into eternity to be in God's heavenly presence following this earthly life is by accepting God's Son and His sacrifice on Calvary's cross. When we believe in Jesus Christ's death, burial, and resurrection, then confess that belief with our mouths, we are instantaneously brought into God's heavenly family forever (Romans 10: 9-10). The Rapture is only for those who have made that simple commitment. Nonetheless, those who have never had the opportunity to believe, whether because of mental incapability or because they are too young to understand, will instantly go to Christ when He calls believers to Himself (Revelation 4: 1). Otherwise, God's very character would be in question. His righteousness would be impeachable, and that is absolutely impossible. So it was that I was cogitating a bit on all of this after reading some really depressing headlines, and I thought of that word: "if." What "if" the Rapture might, in large part, be about to take place for the sake of the children below the age of accountability of this world? Their suffering is unbelievably great in some parts of this increasingly evil sphere. The news headlines can deflate the spirit of even the most optimistic. Some of them follow: New, Larger Wave of Locusts Threatens Millions in Africa Weeks before the coronavirus spread through much of the world, parts of Africa were already threatened by another kind of plague, the biggest locust outbreak some countries had seen in seventy years. Now the second wave of the voracious insects, some twenty times the size of the first, is arriving. The Virus Vaccine Fetal-Tissue Question It's enough to make your head spin. In the midst of the worldwide deaths from the coronavirus, we find ourselves in the midst of another killing issue-that of abortion. Giant Asian Hornets That Can "Kill with a Single Sting" to Invade Virus-Stricken US-The US Sun Giant Asian hornets that have begun to invade the coronavirus-stricken US may cost the economy millions of dollars a year. Awakening Volcanic Region in Iceland "Could Cause Disruption for Centuries" There are other news headlines even more spirit-deflating. However, the above are some immediately surrounding the headline story that pushed my buttons on the "if" matter, in regard to children below the age of accountability. Here is that headline: Coronavirus: The Children Struggling to Survive India's Lockdown The sudden imposition of a twenty-one-day lockdown in India to stop the spread of the coronavirus has thrown the lives of millions of children into chaos. Tens of thousands are calling helplines daily while thousands are going to bed hungry as the country shuts down to battle the pandemic. With 472 million children, India has the largest child population in the world. The number is staggering. There are more than 472 million children in India, alone! Many, the story tells, are totally on their own. Many are very young kids, having to find scraps of food when and where they can. These have little hope of salvation of their souls through the process given in Romans 10:9-10. Some who confute my belief that these will go to Jesus when the Rapture takes place would say that these little ones will go to Him if they die under that age-of-accountability rubric. After all, millions have died in wars, and God hasn't intervened. Thus they went to Him when they died. The argument holds no spiritual water whatsoever with me. We are talking about two entirely different scenarios: physical death vs. spiritual separation forever. We are talking about one thing more-the most important matter: the very character of God. God has promised to keep believers from that hour of testing -the Tribulation that will follow the Rapture of the Church. These will not face that terrible time of God's judgment and wrath. Yet children don't have the capability to "believe." The argument I've heard is that children below the age of accountability, like all other people, will have to come to the point that they can "believe." If they don't believe, they can't be "saved." They can die during the time following the Rapture and then go automatically to Heaven. Nonsense, I say-and totally out of character for the God of our Bible. If children of this young age go to be with God in Heaven when they die-and we know they do, as King David related upon the death of his and Bathsheba's child-without first "believing," why must the child first "believe" before being Raptured? David's infant son never came to the point of "believing" for salvation. Every child during the Age of Grace in this accountability category will go to Jesus at that glorious moment of Rapture. "If" the children are too young to believe for their individual salvation, they will be rescued from the Tribulation storm that is coming. That rescue will include every child just conceived and those in the womb, including the millions on the very brink of being aborted. People currently are in near-panic over fear generated by a microscopic virus. Just imagine, tragically, the "crisis" the disappearance of billions of children, even those yet unborn, will create for those left behind! Lutherans Publish New Version of Bible Without the Word 'Israel' in It By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - www.breakingisraelnews.com "For Torah shall come forth from Tzion,The word of Hashem from Yerushalayim" Micah 4:2 (The Israel Bible™) A recently published translation of the New Testament has one glaring omission: it has excised all references to the place and the people of the Bible. Rabbi Tuly Weisz, who recently published a Hebrew-English version of the Torah, noted that omitting 'Israel' from the Bible is equivalent to failing to mention God. 24NYT, a Danish news service, reported on Sunday that the Danish Bible Society just published a revised translation of the New Testament. The new edition has many surprises, including a new name: the New Agreement. But even more shocking is that the "New Agreement has all but removed any references to Israel, whether it describes the land or the people. The new edition was reviewed by Jan Frost on YouTube who reported that the word 'Israel' is only used once in the "Bible 2020", which is the name of the new edition. In all other passages, the word 'Israel' is either replaced with 'Jews', 'the land of the Jews, or not replaced with any alternative term. Frost reported that the publishers justified the change by claiming that the 'Israel' referred to in the Bible is not the same as Israel today. Frost noted that this explanation does not apply to the term 'Egypt' which remains in the Bible 2020 despite ancient Egypt having significantly different borders and ethnic composition than modern Egypt. Posts on social media suggested that the change may have been politically motivated as an anti-Israel statement. In a recent interview about the Bible 2020, Elaine Duncan, Global Council Chairperson of the Bible Society, noted that the new edition has already been downloaded to more than 90 countries, which she considered to be a great success at moving towards what she described as a "global church." Rabbi Tuly Weisz, the founder of Israel365, an organization that promotes the significance of the Land of Israel to the nations, disagreed strongly with the approach of the Danish Bible society. "This translation of the New Testament is an important reminder that replacement theology is not a problem of the past," Rabbi Weisz told Breaking Israel News. "Some segments of Christianity still have a replacement theology problem. The notion that Israel can be scrubbed from the Bible is as ridiculous as removing 'God' from the Bible." Christian replacement theology, also called supersessionism, holds that the Christian Church has succeeded the Israelites as the definitive people of God. Supersessionism requires reading the term Israel, referring to either the people or the land, as an allegory for the Christian Church. It should be noted that the Danish Bible Society is run by the Evangelical Lutheran Church, a strong proponent of supersessionism. In 2018, Robert O. Smith, a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church and a stalwart in the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation, addressed a conference at St. Olaf Institute for Freedom and Community. Smith was seated before a Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) banner and made these declarations: "The ancient Israelites are not linked in any substantive or material way to the contemporary, modern state of Israel. . . . The biblical narrative of Israel has almost nothing to do with contemporary Israel other than the intentional manipulation of sacred texts to justify a political project." At the same conference, Palestinian Lutheran pastor, administrator, and theologian Mitri Raheb stated, that "it wasn't the Lord God who promised Israel the land; it was the Lord Balfour." Raheb also claimed that "Jesus was a Middle Eastern Palestinian Jew." Rabbi Weisz believes that Israel is one of the basic tenets of the Bible and towards this end, published The Israel Bible, a Hebrew version of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings with a linear English translation. As its name implies, The Israel Bible focuses on the land in which the Biblical events took place, the people of Israel, and the relationship between them, and the modern state that is the manifestation of God's eternal covenant. "Each of the 929 chapters of The Israel Bible features a different aspect of the land of Israel, the people of Israel, and the God of Israel," Rabbi Weisz said. "The term Israel encompasses all three and they are inseparable. If you remove Israel from the Bible, you have removed God from the Bible." It should be noted that the term "Israel" is used a total of 73 times in the New Testament, the term "Israel" is used a total of 73 times in the New Testament. The term is first used in the Torah as a name given to Jacob after battling the angel of Esau, meaning "You have striven with beings divine and human, and have prevailed." (Genesis 32:29). Israel became synonymous with his descendants, the Children of Israel, and the land God promised to them. The word ' Israel' appears over 2,200 times in the Torah, Writings, and Prophets. It is also interesting to note that 'Jerusalem' and its alternative Hebrew name 'Zion' appear 850 times in the Old Testament. Daily Jot:The post COVID-19 new world - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com There will be new normal because of COVID-19 with long-term prophetic implications. The extent of how that will play out is yet to be seen. The entire episode has set a precedent for overreaching government strong arming people and using fear to get folks to voluntarily abandon their freedoms. Governments have quickly cooperated resulting in people around the world being locked down in their homes. This is a radical departure from the ideals of freedom of assembly and freedom of privacy, among others. It demonstrates that in some cases, such as a worldwide virus, governments can suspend normal freedoms and rights to do what they want. And they can do it very quickly in the name of benevolence. In America, we already have seen that when the government benevolence goes into action during a crisis, the "little foxes that spoil the vines (Song of Solomon 2:15)," use the crisis to advance their agenda, debating nonsense while people suffer and die. While the act itself has been done by politicians for decades, the precedent has been set that chips away at the Constitutional Republic. Every chip, being a piece of freedom, leaving in its place a sculpture of socialism, the demise of American exceptionalism. While the government grabbing of authority over the people at times may be necessary to protect the population, the lack of sunset provisions to do away with the authority when the crisis passes is telltale of future intent. Another new normal is the use of technology. People are using video systems like Zoom and Facetime to communicate and do business. Family meetings, business meetings, happy hours, church services are all using technology to gather and connect. Technology will continue to play a large role in societies around the world, but COVID-19 advanced the use of technology. With this use, comes yet another single point of control. Companies like Google, Yahoo, and other big tech firms are able to exercise more control over what people hear and see through their influence by just the mere use of these platforms that are also gateways for collecting personal information. This is an acceleration of control disguised as freedom. COVID-19 has caused people everywhere have had to slow their lives down and spend time with their families. Hopefully, through all this, we have relearned patience, empathy, compassion and kindness and how to apply that to others. It would be a good new normal because with all the other aspects of the post COVID-19 new world, we are going to need more love between us. We are seeing how a one world order, with all of its trimmings, quickly can be established. And as Christ said in Matthew 24:12, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." We, the people of the WAY, must learn to lead by the example and exhortation of Christ in love, discernment and wisdom. Daily Devotion: Storm Survival - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org So, we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. -2 Corinthians 4:18 There are two kinds of people in the world: those who are going through a crisis, and those who will go through a crisis. These days, it seems you'll encounter more of the former. Jesus, at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, talked about two men who built houses. One built his on a solid foundation of rock, while the other built his on an unstable foundation of sand. Then Jesus said this about both houses: "And the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house" (Matthew 7:25, 27 NKJV). It is not a matter of if the rain descends; it's a matter of when. I wish I could say that we'll reach a point in our lives when all our problems go away. In reality, some problems simply replace other ones. If we're not pulling into or out of a storm, we'll face one eventually. Worse yet, storms can seemingly come out of nowhere. It might be a hardship. It might be anxiety. It might be a tragedy. But it's something that came up pretty quickly, and it's had a major impact on you. Sometimes those trials and hardships in our lives seem random, but they never are. Matthew 5:45 tells us, "For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike" (NLT). The apostle Paul wrote, "For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! (2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT). Storms have a beginning, middle, and end. And something will come out of them: an immeasurably great glory. We cannot control circumstances. Nor can we control what people say to us or about us. We cannot control everything that comes our way, but we can control our reaction to it. 
FROM THE HEART
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 
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