Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Who are the "Sons of God" in Genesis Chapter 6? (Part 1) - Steve Schmutzer -
http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8661 Part 1: Properly Engaging the Scriptures A curious portion of Scripture is found in Genesis 6:1-4. For most of my life these verses struck me as a little odd, and I know others who still see them that way. But after studying these verses for a few years, I'm fascinated with this divinely-inspired text. I feel its message provides clarity to other passages within the Old Testament and the New Testament. I am also quite sure that one's grasp of the prophetic Scriptures will fall short if the implications of Genesis 6:1-4 are not properly understood. I want to back up a few paces to lay a foundation, and that calls for some personal history. About ten years ago, the Lord led me to teach a class at my church that I still teach. My life is a busy one, but that class is a huge blessing to me and I'm humbled to hear it's the same for so many others. If the Lord wills it, I'll continue to teach it as I have been doing. "....as I have been doing." There is weight to those words. There are standards I try to maintain as I teach. These are convictions I have that shape how I do what I do. Properly handling the Word of God is an immense responsibility whether I am speaking about it or writing about it. With the subtitle of this article in view, and with the premise that Genesis 6:1-4 deserves the same reverence as any other portion of the Bible, here are my standards as I teach God's Word. I offer them in no particular order: I believe in expository teaching. I define this to mean that, whenever possible, it's important to explain the precise meaning of a given portion of Scripture. As I maintain this standard from one verse to the subsequent one, I'm most enabled to receive and declare the message God intended those specific passages to communicate. And because I believe the Bible was intended to be read and understood literally - with legitimate figures of speech having their proper place - then I believe it says what it means and it means what it says. If I choose instead to assume the Bible is vague and unclear, then I have stained its Divine Author with the same brand. It takes discipline and humility to yield to the intentions of any Biblical text, and this is especially true if its message conflicts with my individual partialities. I've learned this expositional discipline is a two-sided coin. As one side of it adheres to teaching what IS there, the other side avoids teaching what is NOT there. I'm convinced that efforts to extract an alternate derivative from a passage that is plainly moving in a different direction are unwise at the least and apostate at the worst. This process of investigating the intentions of Scripture with the goal of arriving at its proper interpretation is commanded by the Bible itself. In 2 Timothy 2:15 it says, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth" (NASB). This says there's an accurate way to communicate God's Word which also means there's an inaccurate way to do the same thing. Imposing my own biases upon a specific Biblical passage would be a serious mistake. It is disconcerting that the habits of cults and many churches are not too dissimilar since both groups deliberately massage and manipulate the Scriptures to mean something other than what's really being said. Both groups find it necessary to limit the Bible's divine power and impact to achieve their own agenda. I believe in avoiding political-correctness. The crux is this: I cannot properly teach the truth of God's perfect Word without crossing the grain of man's imperfect condition. If the intent of the Scriptures somehow offends the preferences of some people, so be it. This issue acknowledges the one-cannot-serve-two-masters principle. To be right with God has generally meant to be wrong with man, and that's seldom been more evident than now. Political correctness has a problem stating the plain truth plainly and so it's not an ally of sound doctrine. Since God's truth is measured by divine parameters, the chasm between pleasing man and pleasing God is immense. When handling the Word of God, I must give constant effort to answering an important question, "Whom do I really serve?" The Bible deals with delicate issues forthrightly, which means God's standard is to teach those things the same way. Tip-toeing around uncomfortable themes or leap-frogging sensitive passages may satiate the crowd that doesn't want to "rock the boat," but these are lukewarm stances to God and I believe He detests them. Whenever man's methods are esteemed, God's message is eroded. Placating the world's passions to the compromise of Biblical truth is a slippery slope, and this conduct has no place in the intentional fellowship of the Body of Christ. I believe we should let the Bible interpret itself. This rule emerges, once again, from a Biblical reminder. In 2 Peter 1:20 we read, "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation." (NASB) Two points emerge here: first, be convinced of the veracity of Scripture, and second, take your own biases out of the mix when handling God's Word. Let me boil this down to the basics as I see it for myself. I must not interpret the Word of God according to my personal preferences and my comfort tolerances. I should not rest on any position just because it's my pastor's or my alma mater's view. I must not teach what I - or others - may wish the Scriptures said instead. Finally, I must not let the limitations of my reasoning ability override the limitless nature of God's revelation. There is only one right approach to Biblical interpretation. I must expend my best efforts to make clear what God's Word is trying to say. This is a very high standard, but it's the right one. Division arises when the comprehensive revelation of God's Word is not permitted to speak. Unity is a 'du jour' theme of many churches, but it must be Spirit-led unity around a proper Biblical standard. Forced unity for conformity's sake is always a dangerous and irresponsible pursuit. I believe there are some common sense guidelines for letting the Bible interpret itself which are manifest within the Scriptures themselves, and I try my best to be faithful to them. Concerning this article's question about the Sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4, here are three very important guidelines to consider: Passages must be understood in light of their original Biblical meaning Passages must be in harmony with other passages on the same subject Passages must be in compliance with the development of the context The proper interpretation of Scripture ALWAYS accommodates these three guidelines at the same time. No accurate interpretation of any Biblical passage has ever violated any of them. It's just like a stool with three legs. If one leg is compromised, you are at risk if you sit on it. As one is foolish to depend on a stool with a bad leg, so one is unwise to accept any position that diminishes any of these three standards of interpretation. This naturally reinforces the fact that serious personal study is a prerequisite to proper Biblical interpretation, and for too many people this is a big hurdle. They claim they don't have enough time, ability, resources, knowledge, or whatever. Really - they don't have enough reverence. It's easier to parrot something the way you first heard it or because someone you like taught it that way. This mindless choreography of simply regurgitating what one reads or hears somewhere receives no praise in the Word of God. The opposite is lauded instead. In Acts 17:11, Paul commended the Bereans for returning to the Scriptures on their own and evaluating what he'd said against what they found there. The takeaway is diligent personal study should always play a role in determining Biblical truth. I believe that tensions in our theology keep us faithful. This point yields no ground to stopping short of quality Bible study. Rather, this premise concedes that some doctrines are less clear than others, and some are so removed from the capacities of human comprehension that they must be accepted by faith alone. Consider a couple of examples for illustration's sake. True or false: God chooses us for salvation. True or false: We choose to receive salvation. If you answered "true" on both counts you deserve a star because both positions are emphasized in the Scriptures. By the measures of human understanding, this makes no sense for these two statements seem disparate. Each one is saying something which feels against the other, yet both are integral to the proper total perspective. It's the humble heart that ceases to rage against this arrangement and accepts this tension as evidence of God's matchless character. Let's look at another example. There is only one God, right? Yes. But there are three distinct entities that comprise that God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each reflects the fullness and equality of God, yet not one of them is fully inclusive. Go figure. Better yet, don't - because you can't. Just accept that this doctrine of the Trinity is a vital element of the only faith that truly redeems a lost soul. Sometimes we need to understand that we are not required to fully understand. We should not strive against any tenants of Scripture just because they defy the parameters of conventional human experience. Consider some of the things we accept in the Bible that make zero sense to the unregenerate heart. The universe emerged from a spoken Word and will disappear the same way. People once lived for more than 900 years. The whole earth was drowned in a flood while the human race was rebooted in a boat. A donkey spoke, a fish vomited a live man, and the sun stood still. People were not burned by fire, but water was. Water also came from a rock, floated an axe head, turned into blood, and changed into wine. Jesus was born without a human father, lived free of human sin, died by human hands for the human condition, came back to life apart from human power, returned to heaven in human view, and He's coming back the same way to receive all humans who fully believe every bit of all that. A classic reaction to Scriptures that tax our understanding or our tolerances is to question the plainly-stated intentions of the text. Knowing it's unconscionable to exclaim, "That's not true!" some people pontificate with, "It likely means something other than what it is saying." Give me a break! It's the same irresponsibility either way. Neither reaction accepts the text at face value. The Word of God is infallible and complete, and it requires our absolute acceptance and belief. The right relationship with God is in every way an all-or-nothing proposition. There is no defensible option that permits a middle ground here. Choosing to disregard the statements of Scripture or to discount the basic rules of interpretation, in order to arrive at a meaning which is more palatable to individual tastes, is disrespectful to a sovereign God and dangerous to one's spiritual well-being. Let's get super honest here. Too many of us have become callous to the Bible. We move through it like we are at a buffet: "I'll take a little of this, but not too much of that. Ooh! I really like that over there - I'll have another helping! Yuck! What's this? I can't believe they put that here!" Smile (or grimace) if you will, but that analogy pretty much defines how many people manage their approach to the contents of the Word of God. Having established these issues as an introduction, we will return to the original question in Part 2 of, "Who are the "sons of God" in Genesis 6?" Our focus will be the first four verses of that chapter. We'll see if the rules and guidelines which we've reviewed here will help to clarify the right answer. What do the North Korean talks mean for Iran? - By Herb Keinon - https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/What-do-the-North-Korean-talks-mean-for-Iran-559741 There will be few places in the world where you will find people paying closer attention to the Trump - Kim Jong Un meeting than in Tehran. The eyes of the world will be directed toward Singapore on Tuesday when US President Donald Trump sits down for historic talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. And there will be few places in the world where you will find people paying closer attention than in Tehran. Because what happens in Singapore - whether Trump succeeds or fails to broker a deal to dismantle North Korea's nuclear arms arsenal - will have huge ramifications going forward if the US turns its full attention from disarming North Korea of nuclear capabilities, to doing the same for Iran. An argument can be made that whatever emerges from the Singapore meeting will actually be good for Israel regarding attempts to denuclearize Iran. That, at least, was an argument put forward last week by former US deputy national security adviser Elliott Abrams in an interview with The Jerusalem Post, though he did not frame it precisely in that manner. Rather, Abrams said that if Trump succeeded in getting a deal - something he acknowledged is unlikely, though not inconceivable - "I assume Trump would turn around and say this is the kind of deal we want with Iran." And, Abrams said, it is most likely that if he does do a deal with North Korea, it will be a better deal than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was negotiated with the Iranians, and which Trump has repeatedly said was simply a "horrible" deal. According to Abrams, it was no coincidence that Trump decided in May to withdraw from the JCPOA, just before beginning the negotiations with the North Koreans. "I think withdrawing from the JCPOA was the essential predicate for negotiation with North Korea," he said. "What did Kim really want? He wanted a JCPOA: a deal that says 'we legitimize your nuclear program,' you can have it, you can enrich, and you can develop missiles." Abrams said that the deal with Iran, and the deal that the North Koreans wanted, also put an end to a conventional arms embargo and ensured that eventually all the sanctions would disappear. "That is what Kim wanted, and the president had to make clear to him at the outset that nothing remotely like that will be available," Abrams said. "Trump said in his campaign the JCPOA was the worst deal ever - he had to act on that. Once he did, he could start the negotiation process with North Korea." Abrams said he did not know if an eye on the North Korean situation may have been one reason Trump ditched the JCPOA, but that it was crucial for the Americans to make clear to Kim that the type of deal former US president Barack Obama worked out with the Iranians was not anywhere near the table. "The Iranians must be concerned about one thing," Abrams said. "What if the US strikes a deal with North Korea that is a denuclearization deal." According to Abrams, if such a deal were indeed reached - a deal which stipulated that North Korea would really denuclearize - "I assume Trump would turn around and say that this is the kind of deal we want for Iran." If Trump could get this type of deal with the North Koreans, then it would be difficult for the Europeans or anyone else to say it is not possible to achieve the same thing with the Iranians. And all of that, of course, would be good for Israel. But what if Tuesday's meeting in Singapore is a colossal failure? What if the two leaders leave without any deal or agreement, and are at even greater loggerheads after they shake hands than they were before? That too, Abrams said, would not be lost on Iran. What this would mean, he said, is that "Trump isn't kidding when he says that he won't sign a bad deal. It means that he got out of the Iran deal, and won't sign a bad deal with North Korea." And if he won't sign a bad deal, Abrams said, the Iranians will have to be asking themselves what the unpredictable US president will do to stop their nuclear drive. And although under the Obama administration they were not really concerned about an American military strike, under Trump they will never be able to be sure - a situation of uncertainty that, at least from Israel's point of view, is also not all that bad. Nearing Midnight: Stage-setting for Prophetic Protest - Terry James - http://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ In thinking on what is going on to Jerusalem's north, with Israel's primary enemy, Iran, coalescing with Russia and other nations, I was looking through some of the documents in my computer. I wanted to get some sense of developments in prophetic stage-setting regarding Ezekiel 38-39. I'm referring, of course, to the Gog-Magog assault predicted for "the latter days." I found some quotes by some prophecy observers, their names with which you will be familiar. Two of these well-known men are now with the Lord, and the third has probably one of the most-watched television programs at the present time. Hal Lindsey is the man, of course, who has a weekly TV program. He continues to analyze and present matters involving prophetic stage-setting all these years later after writing the foundational book on current issues and events in light of Bible prophecy-The Late, Great, Planet Earth, published in 1970. I found in my documents surprisingly up-to-date forewarnings of things to come. Some might even call Lindsey's words prescient in their analysis. I must admit that I've not thought too highly of the briefing service known as DEBKA-Net-Weekly Briefing over the years. I've found the information this service dispenses prone to be hyperbolic, that is, greatly exaggerated in many instances. However, Hal Lindsey's own intelligence briefing from some years ago shows the source as having value I missed. Hal wrote: For students of Bible prophecy, even the title of this communiqué should set off alarm sirens. I just received some electrifying intelligence data - first, from the DEBKA-Net-Weekly briefing, and second, from some personal intelligence sources (which I carefully guard) that confirm Debka's report. Russia, Iran and Syria have entered a defense pact that is in the process of altering the balance of power in the entire Middle East. Russia's part in the pact has been kept relatively secret for a long time. But the facts reveal a long, steady Russian commitment to the Iranian nuclear program and arms supply to Syria. ("Russian-Syrian-Iranian Axis" by Hal Lindsey, September 2006, Personal Update News Journal) That information, presented in 2006, has proven to be extremely accurate. We have watched this relationship between the key Gog-Magog players blossom into the next major diplomatic crisis. President Trump has said that Iran will not develop a nuclear capability, and Iran has declared that it will destroy both Israel and America. Russia's government, under a Gog-like leader, Vladimir Putin, has declared it will consider an attack on Iran as a most serious violation of Russia's own interests in the region. So, the tension builds. Two prophetic factors, when brought into the mix of unfolding history, present interesting questions, some of which we've considered previously. 1) The Gog-Magog attack on Israel as given in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 indicates a most basic, conventional, not nuclear attack. Question: What happened to Iran's nuclear program presently under development and so hotly contested? 2) The nations of the presently powerful Western alliance, according to the Ezekiel prophecy, do nothing to try to stop the Russian-Iranian and coalition partners attack against the small Jewish state when it occurs. Why is this so? Certainly there appears to be no president of the unwavering mindset like that of Mr. Trump on the scene. The other prophecy experts I mentioned had the following observations, as I discovered when delving into my computer documents. Chuck Missler: God apparently sends 'fire' down, not only upon Magog and his allies, but on some distant people living in the 'isles' or 'coastlands.' Who are they who dwell carelessly [securely} in the Isles? The word for isles could be an idiom for remote continents. Could this be an allusion to the United States? Is the 'fire on Magog'-and these others-a result of a nuclear exchange? (2) Grant R. Jeffrey: When Russia is defeated by God's miraculous power, the newly united European Union will emerge as the greatest economic, political, and military power on the planet. These pivotal events will set the stage for the rise of the new European super state and the emergence of the new leader who will ultimately assume the role of the Antichrist, the final world dictator who will rule the planet during the last seven years leading to the climatic battle of Armageddon. (Duck, Daymond R., and Richards, Larry Ph.D, God's Word for the Biblically-Inept Series, Starburst Publishers. 2000. p 89) The possibilities exist, based upon the prophecy by Ezekiel, that nuclear "fire" will fall upon, perhaps, the nations of the western alliance, while the attack on Israel is taking place. The destruction of the Gog-Magog forces (all but one-sixth completely destroyed) would create a power vacuum for Antichrist. My own thought is that the one who will be Antichrist will know and believe the Ezekiel prophecy. He will perhaps be content to watch these forces be destroyed, knowing that the world will be "easy pickins'" after the Russian threat is gone. But, we know that tidings out of the east will soon add to his worries (kings of the east). It is all fascinating to consider as we watch these things shape in rapid fashion toward the climax of the age. Now, we look at the latest addition to matters involving that future attack from the hordes to Israel's north. The prophecy is most interesting in light of the news item that follows it below. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?" (Ezk. 38:13) The head of NATO said the alliance would not aid Israel in the event of an attack by Iran, according to reports. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary-general, told the German magazine Der Spiegel that because Israel is not a member of NATO, its "security guarantee" doesn't apply to the country, according to the Associated Press. NATO is also not involved in conflicts in the Middle East or peace efforts there, Stoltenberg added.("NATO Chief: No Assistance for Israel if Iran Attacks," by Melissa Quinn, Associated Press, June 02, 2018) It looks as if the international community is already setting up for the mere diplomatic protest that will be issued when the much-hated Israel is assaulted. But, the God of Heaven-and of Israel-will have the last word. Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. (Ezekiel 39:1-4) More Volcanoes Starting To Wake Up? Yellow Alert For 2 More Major Volcanoes - By Michael Snyder - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2325 Massive eruptions of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano and Guatemala's Fuego volcano have captivated the entire world in recent days, and now it looks like even more volcanoes are starting to wake up. In fact, yellow alerts were just issued for Mexico's Mt. Popocatepetl and Alaska's Great Sitkin volcano. Mt. Popocatepetl and Great Sitkin both sit along the "Ring of Fire" that roughly encircles the perimeter of the Pacific Ocean, and many are becoming concerned that we may be witnessing some sort of "chain reaction" as volcanoes all over the globe begin to exhibit signs of increased activity. This even includes some unusual happenings at Yellowstone, and we will cover that near the end of this article. But to start with, let's take a look at the yellow alert that was just issued for Mt. Popocatepetl. The following comes from a government website in Mexico... In the last 24 hours, through the monitoring systems at Popocatépetl volcano, were registered 30 exhalations with emissions of steam and gas. At night was possible to observed incandescence that increase with some exhalations. At the time of this report the emission are dispersed to the south-southwest direction. CENAPRED emphasizes that people SHOULD NOT go near the volcano, especially near the crater, due to the hazard caused by ballistic fragments and in case of heavy rains leave the bottoms of ravines by the danger of landslides and debris flows. The Volcanic Traffic Light Yellow Phase 2. The scenarios foreseen for this phase are: 1. Explosive activity of low to intermediate level. 2. Ash fall in nearby towns. 3. Possibility of short range pyroclastic flows and mudflows. Any signs of activity at Mt. Popocatepetl should always be taken very, very seriously. It is known as the most dangerous volcano in North America for a reason. Experts tell us that centuries ago this volcano actually "covered entire Aztec cities" with super-heated mud... Historians tell us that Popocatepetl had a dramatic impact on the ancient Aztecs. Giant mud flows produced by massive eruptions covered entire Aztec cities. In fact, some of these mud flows were so large that they buried entire pyramids in super-heated mud. But we haven't witnessed anything like that in any of our lifetimes, so it is hard to even imagine devastation of that magnitude. In addition to Mexico City's mammoth population, there are millions of others that live in the surrounding region. Overall, there are about 25 million people that live in the immediate vicinity of Popocatepetl. Thankfully, we haven't seen a major eruption of the volcano in modern times, but at some point that will change. In a worst case scenario, Mt. Popocatepetl could absolutely devastate Mexico City, kill countless numbers of people and collapse the Mexican economy overnight. So let us pray that we don't see a major eruption there any time soon. Meanwhile, a yellow alert has also been issued for Alaska's Great Sitkin volcano. The following comes from the Alaska Volcano Observatory... AVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice Volcano: Great Sitkin (VNUM #311120) Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY Previous Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW Previous Aviation Color Code: GREEN Issued: Sunday, June 10, 2018, 1:26 PM AKDT Source: Alaska Volcano Observatory Volcanic Activity Summary: Earthquake activity at Great Sitkin Volcano has been elevated over the past five days, and earlier today at 11:39 AKDT (19:39 UTC), a signal that may represent a short-lived steam explosion was detected by seismic data. AVO is thus raising the Aviation Color Code and Alert Level to YELLOW/ADVISORY. Remarks: Great Sitkin Volcano is a basaltic andesite volcano that occupies most of the northern half of Great Sitkin Island, a member of the Andreanof Islands group in the central Aleutian Islands. It is located 43 km (26 miles) east of the community of Adak. Great Sitkin erupted at least three times in the 20th century, most recently in 1974. That eruption produced at least one ash cloud that likely exceeded an altitude of 25,000 ft above sea level. A poorly documented eruption occurred in 1945, also producing a lava dome that was partially destroyed in the 1974 eruption. A seismic swarm occurred from July 2016 through the end of 2017. Unlike Mt. Popocatepetl, Great Sitkin is located very far away from any large population centers, and so even a full-blown eruption of that volcano would not be that catastrophic. Of course the same cannot be said about Yellowstone. As I have written about many times, a full-blown eruption at Yellowstone could potentially change all of our lives in a single moment. That is why the unusual activity that is happening there right now is such a concern... Yellowstone's Steamboat Geyser, the largest in the world, has now erupted eight times in less than three months, in a geological puzzle that has fascinated scientists working at the site. The most recent Steamboat eruption occurred Monday just after 9 a.m. "It was unbelievable," Jamie Farrell, a geologist at the University of Utah who happened to be at the geyser during the eruption, told Newsweek. He's seen plenty of other geysers go off--but not Steamboat, which is capable of the largest eruptions of all currently active geysers. Eruptions of Steamboat do not happen that often. As Mac Slavo has noted, the last one was in September 2014... Until this recent series of eruptions, the last time Steamboat blew was in September 2014. Steamboat's latest eruption was Monday morning when the geyser shot boiling hot water hundreds of feet into the air. Steam billowed from the geyser for hours longer. Steamboat is located in the Norris Geyser Basin, known to have the hottest and most changeable thermal area in nearly 3,500-square-mile wilderness park that sits on a volcanic hot spot called a caldera. That accounts for the geyser's towering columns of steam (it's very, very hot underground) but leaves a major fear-provoking question unanswered: Why now, and is it a sign the giant volcano is waking up? We better hope that Yellowstone is not awakening. In a previous article, I described what a full-blown eruption of Yellowstone might look like... Hundreds of cubic miles of ash, rock and lava would be blasted into the atmosphere, and this would likely plunge much of the northern hemisphere into several days of complete darkness. Virtually everything within 100 miles of Yellowstone would be immediately killed, but a much more cruel fate would befall those that live in major cities outside of the immediate blast zone such as Salt Lake City and Denver. Hot volcanic ash, rock and dust would rain down on those cities literally for weeks. In the end, it would be extremely difficult for anyone living in those communities to survive. In fact, it has been estimated that 90 percent of all people living within 600 miles of Yellowstone would be killed. Experts project that such an eruption would dump a layer of volcanic ash that is at least 10 feet deep up to 1,000 miles away, and approximately two-thirds of the United States would suddenly become uninhabitable. The volcanic ash would severely contaminate most of our water supplies, and growing food in the middle of the country would become next to impossible. In other words, it would be the end of our country as we know it today. Throughout human history, great societies have been taken down by natural disasters, and despite all of our advanced technology we are extremely vulnerable as well. So the fact that our planet is becoming increasingly unstable is a major concern, and I believe that this is going to have major implications for our future. Daily Jot: Undoing the deadly deeds - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com AP reports that President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un concluded an "extraordinary nuclear summit" Tuesday with the US president pledging unspecified "security guarantees" to the North and Kim recommitting to the "complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula." AP reports that In a very choreographed ceremony on a Singapore island, "Trump and Kim came together for a summit that seemed unthinkable months ago, clasping hands in front of a row of alternating U.S. and North Korean flags, holding a one-on-one meeting, additional talks with advisers and a working lunch." Trump is undoing what President Clinton did some 25 years ago. President Bill Clinton's long-held belief on nuclear weapons was that if everyone had them, nobody would use them and the world would be a safer place. On June 11, 1993, the US agreed to not use force or nuclear weapons against North Korea if it remained in the nonproliferation treaty. North Korea continued to develop its nuclear weapons program. On October 18, 1994, after 17 months of negotiations, Clinton signed a deal to give North Korea light water reactor nuclear technology if it stopped building nuclear weapons, saying, "Today all Americans should know that as a result of this achievement on Korea, our Nation will be safer and the future of our people more secure." In his commitment to communist North Korea, Clinton is quoted as saying, "This US-North Korean agreement will help to achieve a long-standing and vital American objective: an end to the threat of nuclear proliferation on the Korean peninsula." Heritage Foundation archives document in an October 20 letter to North Korean strongman Kim Jong Il, (father of current dictator Kim Jong Un) Clinton vastly expanded America's commitments under the formal agreement to finance fuel shipments and reactors, ease its long-standing trade embargo and move toward first-ever diplomatic relations with North Korea. North Korea went on to develop nuclear weapons and to assist Iran in its nuclear weapons program. Instead of having a safer future, the world is far more dangerous because of Clinton's reckless shenanigans. A very similar situation exists with Iran because of the immediate past "president." The situation with Iran is far worse at this stage of the game because the ex-"president" gave Iran billions of dollars in untraceable cash, further funding nuclear ambitions and global terrorism-all in the name of peace. Romans 12:18 says, "If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men." Peace is a two-way street, especially when millions of lives are at stake. Sadly, Trump is dealing with a very dangerous world created in a big part by wrong-minded Democrat American presidents. Daily Devotion: The Problem with the Word Love - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. -1 John 4:16 We have one word in the English language for love, and we use it for everything from "I love my job" or "I love my car" to "I love my dog" or "I love tacos." In the Greek language there are multiple words for love. It isn't just one word. There is eros, which mainly refers to physical attraction. There is phileo, which speaks of brotherly love, the love between friends and family. Then there is agape, which is most commonly translated as love in the New Testament. Now, every one of these loves has its place in a relationship. Eros is not always bad. It's a Greek word that speaks of physical and sexual attraction, and eros is just fine in the right place. If eros is in marriage, where it can be righteously fulfilled, it is a good thing. But outside of marriage, it becomes problematic and even sinful. While eros wants something from someone, phileo will give you something but expects something in return. Agape, on the other hand, will give you something, wanting nothing back. If we were to compare these three loves to gift giving, eros would say, "I just want the gift from you now." Phileo would say, "I will give you a gift, but what are you giving me in return?" And agape would say, "Here is a gift you could never pay for, ever, but I'm giving it to you because I love you." Tragically, many relationships today are built on eros. People go from relationship to relationship, saying they're falling in and out of love, when in fact they have never really experienced genuine, lasting love that will last a lifetime. Although there is a place for phileo love and eros love, we want to build our marriages on agape love. 
FROM THE HEART
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt - non-profit organization, and all your donations are tax deductible. If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 
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