Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Move Out, Draw Fire - Pete Garcia -
http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8461 What is destined to be one of my more unpopular articles ever is centered on the idea that we should be cautiously optimistic about 2017. The key word being...cautiously. Since I began writing for the Omega Letter back in 2011, I've tried my best to follow Jack's sage counsel. I was probably only 40 articles in when I had a bad case of writers-block. I had even considered giving up writing because I felt like I wasn't contributing anything of value to the collective conversation. I told him that every topic that I wanted to write about, had already been written about sixteen different ways by people way smarter than I am. I asked Jack how do I get over this, and he gave me the best advice any writer could give another writer. He said, yes, every topic you want to write about has already been written. But it's never been told by you until you write it. From then until now (with almost 300 articles published) I've never looked back. With that said, I want to throw a few things together and hope they come out smelling like a sweet aroma of praise and fellowship to our heavenly Father concerning the signs in the sun, moon, and stars. September 23, 2017 I've tried my best not to throw the baby out with the bathwater concerning the events surrounding September 2017. Like most watchers, when I first heard about the September 23rd 2017 alignment, I approached it with an abundance of caution. I mean, haven't we already danced this kabuki dance already over the last few of years? Why I am cautiously optimistic concerning this coming Feast of Trumpets, is not so much centered on Revelation 12 Sign, nor even the convergence of years and Jubilees for 2017. But when you take them in all together, that for me was just too much to ignore. Could 2017 turn out to be a fizzle-dud year? Sure it could. As I've said in the past, my hope is still a blessed hope and while I may get the timing wrong, God's timing is not. This still leaves me with a mental hurdle I am having a hard time jumping over. If 2017 is a fizz-dud year, why are so many things seemingly pointing to it? Honestly, I don't know. But what I do know is that none of us who study eschatology, are islands unto ourselves. We all stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us (Darby, Larkin, Scofield, Pember, Bullinger, Anderson, Ironside, Walvoord, Lindsey, Missler, etc.) and build off of the things God had opened in their understanding during their day. And I'm fairly certain they all didn't agree lock, stock, and barrel on every issue either. So it is with the new group of scholars, thinkers, writers, teachers, and pastors who aren't afraid to go out on a limb on certain topics. I applaud men like Daymond Duck, Randy Nettles, Chuck Missler, Gary, and Scott (to name a few) for their deep dives into Scripture, history, and astronomy while at the same time not being dogmatic about what they have found when it approaches the realm of speculation. IF we are being honest with ourselves, anytime we teach on Scripture, we all, to varying degrees, speculate. We speculate because none of us can see thousands of years into the past, so we will take certain liberties with filling in the blanks. Nor can we see into the future. The future is God's domain. The Bible may give us a broad outline and some specifics on certain things to come, but it usually doesn't specify who, when or how. God keeps those details to Himself. The important thing to remember is that if we do speculate, we call it for what it is and do so in a forthcoming manner so as not to lead anyone astray if we are wrong. It's not wrong to speculate. However, it is wrong when you expect others to treat your speculation as infallible. And if we are really being honest with ourselves, we would realize that 99% of the world thinks we Christians are already crazy for even believing in the Bible in the first place, and to an even greater degree, the Rapture. Why then are many respected prophecy teachers, experts, commentators, and pastors so quick to form a circular firing squad on our own at the first whisper of something they don't understand? As Chuck Missler was fond of quoting.... He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him. Proverbs 18:13 When I say they "don't understand it", what I mean is I don't think they have really taken the time to study it. It is either dismissed out of hand or studied so superficially, that when they come out against it, they do more damage to their own reputation than what it is they are trying to refute. There are probably many reasons why they come out against it, but at least one of those reasons is that it challenges a long-held view they don't want to admit they got wrong. And I will admit that with as much as I thought I knew, I am still learning a thing or two (or more) that surprises me. I am by no means the expert on Scripture or Prophecy, but I do consider myself fairly well read. So the same guy who really got the internet abuzz with the Revelation 12 Sign, is the same guy who opened my eyes to some things I had always taken for granted as being what everyone else was parroting. This put Acts 2 and Revelation 12 in a whole new light that tweaked and peaked my understanding of everything else. Consider the following logic: 1 -The Church was not "born" at Pentecost. But rather, was conceived. (I had mislabeled this for a long time) 2 - If the Church is the body of Christ (we are), then we should be modeled after the birth of Christ. If this is true, then Jesus wasn't born the moment the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary. She went through the normal pregnancy time frame until He was born in Bethlehem. (She conceived in Nazareth, delivered in Bethlehem) 3 -The giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost then is simply a corporate representation of that singular moment with Mary's Immaculate Conception. 4 - Both Israel and the Church are often referred to in both the singular and corporate sense throughout scripture. The Church is referred to both in the male sense (we are members of His body), and figuratively as a chaste virgin or like a bride. If 1, 2, 3, 4 are correct, then Revelation 12 is simply following that same model of singular/corporate representation in its symbolism. No crazy conspiracy or wild theological reconstruction. It is simply staying consistent with our hermeneutics. Woman Male Child Dragon Mary/Israel Christ/Church Satan/Beast system Some of the eschatological greats of the 19th and 20th centuries like Darby, Blackstone, and Ironside also believed that Revelation 12 supported the Pre-Tribulation Rapture position. Michael Svigel, who is being presented here as one who brought this position back into the mainstream states this about chapter 12: So, to sum up, the catching up of the male child and the resulting war in heaven both take place at the beginning of the seven-year tribulation. The war in heaven and casting down of Satan, followed by the earthly invasion, attempted attack on Israel, and the flight of the woman, all take place in the first three-and-a-half years. Then the reign of the Beast take place in the second half of the tribulation. Therefore, the catching up of the male child (the rapture) takes place before the seven-year tribulation. For my sense of well-being, if men like John Darby and H.A. Ironside could hold this view, and I have tremendous respect for their biblical knowledge and understanding, why is it so difficult for others to do the same? Is it because chapter 12 is nestled snuggly in the middle of chapters 6-19, for which many Pre-Tribulation scholars, pastors, and even I, had cordoned off as "tribulation territory?" Dr. Andy Woods once called the veranda views within Revelation as non-chronological, parenthetical insertions, and likened them to scenic views along the way a hiker would stop at to enjoy the view of the mountain he was climbing. Revelation 12 then is simply a one chapter overview of the entire seven-year Tribulation from God's perspective as much as chapter 13 is from a human perspective. We see this in Daniel's book when comparing man's view (the multi-metallic statue) with God's perspective (the chimera animals). They both represent the same thing. Conclusion Have many within the Watcher community guilty of becoming the very things we so often rail against? Are we becoming like the skeptics and mockers out there who ridicule everything they don't understand? Nobody who is seriously discussing 23 September is saying the Rapture is happening on that day. What they are definitively saying, is that a sign in the heavens will appear on that date, which happens to fall on the Feast of Trumpets. So what does that mean? Nobody knows. None of us can see into the future. What does it mean for me? I look at all the convergence of historical events, this astronomical anomaly and I am admittedly curious. But I am not quitting my job or telling my boss to take a hike whilst simultaneously moving me and the family to the top of a mountain. For me, I will keep doing what I have been doing...occupy until He comes. I am going to do what I feel the Lord has called me to do, first and foremost, is to be a Godly, loving, husband and father. I will keep writing. I will keep teaching and preaching. I will keep being used wherever and to whomever, God puts in my path. When we do this, we will inevitably draw criticism and skepticism from various factions, to include those within our Christian community. In the military we call this moving out and drawing fire. We stay busy. When we do this and we are doing what God has called us to do, we cannot be wrong, even if the entire world tells us we are. The question then becomes, what are YOU going to do? If the Rapture happens on 21, 22, 23, 24 September...AWESOME! It could happen before or after that time. All I know, is that with all the significant events surrounding this year and next, something will happen. President Trump, Israel, Russia, Iran, North Korea, CERN, etc....too many wheels are spinning for this not to be a prophetically significant year. Let me conclude by saying this...and I hope you share my sentiment. My hope is and will always be, that Christ WILL return. My hope is not in WHEN He will return. There is a long, long list of failed dates from every religious and secular group out there that predicts every kind of doomsday or apocalypse imaginable. Failed dates are not just unique to Edgar Whisenant or Harold Camping. Just ask Al Gore. I think he said the US was supposed to be underwater last year. Yet, in the meantime, I'm not committing friendly fire without first doing a topic or subject its due diligence. Let's not do the circular firing squad routine again. Yes, there will be teachings that stretch our understanding. But until we be Bereans, and actually see if these things be true...well, don't take my word for, just read Proverbs 18:13 again. Maranatha! Ominous Words - By Daymond Duck - http://www.raptureready.com/2017/06/18/ominous-words/ In early June 2017, my good friend and excellent prophecy teacher, Mike Hile, shared some of his opinions with me in an e-mail about the recent terrorist attacks in London. Mike said, "Terrorism may be the major justification for the mark of the beast so that Antichrist can control all buying and selling, including bomb making materials. The elimination of cash will facilitate the monitoring of credit cards, debit cards, etc. in order for Antichrist to control the anarchy that is coming our way before he takes over and imposes martial law. The person who can stop terrorism will be a global hero." Two or three days later, on June 6, 2017, I read that British Prime Minister, Theresa May, said she "would be willing to weaken human rights protections to make it easier to deport or curb the movements of suspected terrorists who there is not enough evidence to prosecute" (Reuters, June 6, 2017). According to the report, the Prime Minister May said authorities need "to be able to do more, including to restrict the movements of suspected terrorists when police had enough evidence to suspect they presented a threat, but not enough to prosecute them. If our human rights laws stop us from doing it, we will change the laws so we can do it." To be clear, I believe God is allowing the world to experience terrorism because world leaders keep pushing the two-state solution. Their so-called solution is a position that exposes Israel to terrorism. Forcing Israel to give up land that her enemies will use for terrorist bases to attack Israel is something that God doesn't like. He clearly said, "For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head" (Obad. 1:15). Many terrorist attacks such as those that have occurred in London, Paris, Brussels, the U.S., etc. are the result of what world leaders are doing, and trying to do, to Israel. Their choice is a judgment that God will allow to return upon their own head. The real solution is to recognize that Israel is surrounded by terrorists and to stop pressuring Israel to give up land to her violent neighbors. Unfortunately, those in charge have decided it is not politically correct to do that. Rather than go after the one group that is launching almost all of the terrorist attacks, they prefer to change the laws and restrict the freedom of their law abiding citizens; to monitor what their own citizens buy and sell; to monitor what their own citizens view and post on the Internet; to monitor what "other extremists" (aka conservatives, veterans, Christians, etc.) are doing; and to even be able to arrest and incarcerate them by labeling them as suspects that might commit a crime. I am sure that some will think this looks good. Many will probably say, "Our leaders are only trying to deal with extremism and terrorism. We can afford to give up some of our freedoms for that. It is a good thing." But changing and passing laws to do that will create bigger government, more government employees, more centralized power, more grounds for arresting people, more grounds for holding people, etc. Even more ominous is the Bible teaching that a Satan worshipper that Christians call the Antichrist will gain control of all of that and he will decide to kill all those that don't do what he says, In this writer's view, Mike Hile nailed it and Theresa May's recent speeches confirm it. Terrorism will lead to the enactment of new laws, the mark of the beast, the cashless society, and a man that will start out as a hero and wind up in the lake of fire. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond & Rachel Duck [email protected] Jared Kushner to travel to Mideast to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts - By Raphael Ahren - http://www.timesofisrael.com/jared-kushner-to-travel-to-mideast-to-advance-israeli-palestinian-peace-push/ President's son-in-law and senior adviser, along with envoy Jason Greenblatt, to meet with Netanyahu, Abbas this week Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner is to travel to the Middle East this week to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials in an effort to advance peace efforts pursued by his father-in-law US President Donald Trump. Kushner will travel along with special envoy Jason Greenblatt to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas separately in the coming days, to discuss "their priorities and potential next steps," a senior White House official told The Times of Israel. "It is important to remember that forging a historic peace agreement will take time and to the extent that there is progress, there are likely to be many visits by both Mr. Kushner and Mr. Greenblatt, sometimes together and sometimes separately, to the region and possibly many trips by Israeli and Palestinian negotiators to Washington, DC, or other locations as they pursue substantive talks," the senior official said. Greenblatt is expected in the region on Monday, followed by Kushner on Wednesday. "Even while working behind the scenes to advance direct, bilateral negotiations between the parties, we will continue to communicate with the relevant constituencies throughout the region," the senior official said, "to remind all that peace is possible and to demonstrate the many positive benefits that would arise from a successful negotiations." The official said the two will "continue conversations" with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, following their trip last month to the region with the president himself. Trump met with both Netanyahu and Abbas and a host of other officials in pursuit of what he has called "the ultimate deal." Kushner and Greenblatt have been tasked by Trump with relaunching the peace process and have indicated that the president would advance quickly on the matter. The White House indicated Sunday that no major breakthroughs were expected but that "the president has asked some of his most trusted advisers to spearhead the peace effort." "President Trump has made it clear that working toward achieving a lasting peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians is a top priority for him," the White House official said. "He strongly believes that peace is possible." Trump, in a keynote speech at the Israel Museum on his last day in the region, pushed for peace between Israel and the Palestinians, calling on both sides to put aside the "pain and disagreements of the past" and declaring his belief that both Israeli and Palestinian leaders are "ready to reach for peace." Kushner was a key architect of Trump's trip to Israel and Palestinian areas on May 22-23, which the White House hailed as a success. In concluding the trip last month, a White House official also said the US would be working on building strong relationships in the Middle East between Israel and its Arab neighbors that would create momentum for a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians. The official said at the time that "the first step [toward peace]... is to bring relationships that are warm and strong privately and bring them more public and also set forth a common set of principles that everyone wants to abide by." Split Jerusalem for Peace? Not So Fast, Warns Proposed Bill - By Abra Forman - https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/89808/new-bill-obstruct-splitting-jerusalem-palestinian-peace-deal/#YOzjcJEgWJgmJ6JP.99 "Yerushalayim, that art builded as a city that is compact together." Psalms 122:3 (The Israel Bible™) Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) has proposed new legislation aimed at preventing the separation of Jerusalem for purposes of peace negotiations with the Palestinians. The bill would require a supermajority - 80 members - of the Knesset to approve any measure touching on the division of Jerusalem, a move many expect to be a component of any "peace" deal between Israel and the Palestinians. "I am convinced the entire coalition and sensible opposition will join forces behind this important legislation," Bennett said at the start of Sunday's cabinet meeting, adding that such a bill must be passed before any new talks begin. "Timing is crucial, since it is important to make clear, before the start of a diplomatic process, that Jerusalem will never be divided under any circumstance," he vowed. Normally a bill requires only 50 votes to pass. If Bennett's legislation is approved, it would be much more difficult to attain the number of votes needed should the Knesset ever debate a move to cede part of Jerusalem to the Palestinians. Bennett pointed out that several former prime ministers had proposed giving up part of Jerusalem to the Arabs, but that the notion was "obsolete." "The ideas put forward by Ehud Barak in 2000 and Ehud Olmert in 2007 to hand over the Old City, Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives to the Palestinians - are obsolete. I am certain the bill will easily pass." Left-wing opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) said that Bennett's bill would "destroy the chance for peace." "Whoever presents such baseless initiatives doesn't really care about Jerusalem but only about destroying the diplomatic process and the chance of guaranteeing a Jewish and democratic Israel," Herzog tweeted. Bennett replied on Twitter, "The opposite, Herzog. The only way to real peace is to make clear from the start that Jerusalem is not a subject for negotiation." U.S., Russia, Iran draw new red lines in Syria - By Tom Perry and Babak Dehghanpisheh - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-idUSKBN19A21A Russia, Iran and the United States are drawing new red lines for each other in Syria, with Moscow warning Washington on Monday it would treat any U.S.-led coalition planes in its area of operations as potential targets after the U.S. air force downed a Syrian jet. Tensions escalated on Sunday as the U.S. army brought down the jet near Raqqa and Iran launched missiles at Islamic State targets in eastern Syria - the first time each state has carried out such actions in the multi-sided Syrian war. A pro-Damascus commander said Tehran and Washington were drawing "red lines". Russia, like Iran an ally of President Bashar al-Assad, issued a warning of its own to the United States in response to the downing of the Syrian jet, saying on Monday it would view as targets any planes flying west of the Euphrates River, though it stopped short of saying it would shoot any down. The incidents reflect mounting competition for areas of Syria where Islamic State (IS) insurgents are in retreat, leaving swathes of territory up for grabs and posing the question of what comes next for U.S. policy that is shaped first and foremost by the priority of vanquishing the jihadists. The United States said the Syrian army plane shot down on Sunday had dropped bombs near fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters battling to capture the city of Raqqa from IS. Russia's Defense Ministry responded on Monday by suspending cooperation with the United States aimed at avoiding air incidents over Syria, where the Russian air force is bombing in support of Assad's campaigns against rebels and IS. The Syrian army said the jet was shot down while flying a mission against Islamic State. The SDF however accused the Syrian government on Monday of attacking its positions using planes, artillery and tanks. "If the regime continues attacking our positions in Raqqa province, we will be forced to retaliate," SDF spokesman Talal Silo said. The Syrian government this month marched into Raqqa province from the west but had avoided conflict with the U.S.-backed SDF until the latest incident. "The SDF is getting big-headed," said the pro-Damascus military commander, a non-Syrian who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. "There could be problems between it and Soheil Hassan," said the commander, referring to the Syrian officer leading the government offensive in Raqqa province. IRAN SENDS "CLEAR MESSAGE" The United States has said its recent actions against Syrian government forces and allied militia have been self-defensive in nature, aimed at stopping attacks on U.S.-led coalition forces or their local allies. These have included several air strikes against pro-government forces that have sought to advance towards a U.S. military base in southeastern Syria near the border with Iraq, where the U.S. military has been training rebels to fight IS. The area is of strategic significance to Tehran as it seeks to secure a land corridor to its allies in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon and establish a "Shi'ite crescent" of influence that has long concerned U.S.-allied states in the Middle East. The missiles fired by Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Sunday targeted IS in Deir al-Zor province, fast becoming the jihadists' last remaining foothold in Syria and a declared military priority of Tehran's allies in the Syrian government. The attacks have showcased the depth of Iran's military presence in Syria: Iranian drones launched from areas around Damascus allowed Revolutionary Guard commanders to assess the damage done by the missiles in real-time. Two top Revolutionary Guard commanders said that the strikes were intended to send a message to the perpetrators of militant attacks in Tehran last week - claimed by Islamic State - that killed 18 people, as well as their supporters. "I hope that the clear message of this attack will be understood by the terrorists as well as their regional and international supporters," said Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace unit, according to the website of Iranian state television. Six missiles with a range of between 650 to 700 kilometers (400-435 miles) were fired from western Iran, soaring over Iraqi territory and striking the targets in Deir al-Zor. State TV posted black and white aerial video on their website on Monday which they labeled as the moment of impact of the attack. A projectile can be seen hitting a building followed by thick black smoke billowing out. State TV repeatedly aired video footage of the beginning of the attack Monday, showing several missiles streaking across a dark night sky. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif defended the attack in a Twitter post on Monday. "Iran's missile capability protects its citizens in lawful self-defense & advances common global fight to eradicate (IS) & extremist terror," he wrote. Other Iranian officials were more blunt in their assessment of the attack. "This attack, before being a message for the terrorists, is a message for the supporters of terrorism in the region which are symbolized by the Saudi regime and the Americans," the state television website quoted Iranian parliamentarian Javad Karimi Qoddousi as saying. Analysts say that more robust U.S. military action in Syria since President Donald Trump took office in January has resulted from his decision to give the military more autonomy in how it pursues the war on Islamic State. "The (Syrian) regime is always testing and pushing the boundaries," said Yezid Sayigh, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. "I don't think the Americans are testing the red lines. They are saying 'we have a red line here and if you are going to test it we will respond, but it doesn't mean we are now shifting strategy' because they also want to reassure the Russians." After Iran fires missiles at IS in Syria, Netanyahu warns it not to threaten Israel - By Judah Ari Gross and Marissa Newman - http://www.timesofisrael.com/after-missile-launch-netanyahu-warns-iran-against-threatening-israel/ Tehran boasts strike meant to send message to enemies; PM says Israel is 'watching their actions and words' Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran not to threaten Israel and to watch its own back Monday, hours after Tehran launched missiles into Syria in what was seen, in part, as a challenge to Israel. "I have one message for Iran: Don't threaten Israel," Netanyahu said. On Monday, Iran said it fired missiles against the Islamic State in eastern Syria in response to a terror attack carried by the group earlier this month in Tehran, in which 12 people were killed. Netanyahu said Israeli forces were "constantly tracking ... the activities of Iran in the region." Israeli concerns about Iran in Syria have mostly centered around Tehran exploiting unrest in the civil war-plagued country to set up a base to attack Israel, as well as transferring missile systems and other advanced arms to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah terror group. "We are watching their actions and watching their words," Netanyahu added. Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary force in charge of the country's missile program, said it launched six Zolfaghar ballistic missiles from the western provinces of Kermanshah and Kurdistan. State television footage showed the missiles on truck missile launchers in the daylight before being launched at night. While the Iranian missile attack struck a blow to the Islamic State in particular, the strike was seen as a threatening message to other enemies. "The Saudis and Americans are especially receivers of this message," Gen. Ramazan Sharif of Iran's Revolutionary Guard told state television in a telephone interview. "Obviously and clearly, some reactionary countries of the region, especially Saudi Arabia, had announced that they are trying to bring insecurity into Iran." Speaking at his Yisrael Beytenu faction meeting on Monday, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Israel was not concerned by Iran's missile strike. "Israel is not worried. Israel is prepared for every development. And we are prepared, we have no concerns or worries," Liberman said. The missile attack was the first by Iran outside its own territory in nearly 30 years, since the Iran-Iraq war of 1980-88. General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, who heads the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace wing, told state television: "The missiles were fired from Iran and they passed over Iraq and landed in Syria." Hajizadeh boasted that "firing these missiles from 600 or 700 kilometers away onto a small building... demonstrates Iran's capacity and intelligence capabilities" against jihadist groups. Daily Jot: Where are the peacemakers? - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com My brother- and sister-in-law recently spent some time in Gettysburg exploring the historic battlefield. We were talking about their experience last night at dinner with my wife and son. We talked about how it is difficult to imagine that Americans turned on one another in a Civil War. That neighbors fought neighbors, brothers were against brothers and the deep emotional, physical, and spiritual toll that war exacted on the country, the effects still lingering after 150 years. The death toll of Americans in the US Civil War is estimated at approximately 700,000. We asked ourselves if there wasn't some way to have avoided that, to have worked it out? Then the conversation turned to the hostile environment of today. The rhetoric is visceral. The radical left is relentless in trying to undermine and render ineffective a duly elected President. They are using foul and vulgar language, hiding behind "art" to depict beheading and assassination of the President. They are using words that fan the flames of hate, painting the image that if anyone disagrees with their dark view of the world that those people are hate mongers, racists, bigots, and worse. They have driven the narrative of the nation to an extreme level. The news media is part and parcel to amplifying the message of hate and rebellion. The politicians are pointing fingers and elevating accusations. The comedians and entertainers are joining the chorus with their star power. Then we have a guy from the most gun-controlled state, Illinois, who hops in a van to another most gun-controlled area in Washington, DC, who somehow buys a semi-automatic weapon and manages to find an obscure baseball field where Republican Congressmen are practicing, and opens fire on them. Come to find out, he had a hit list of conservatives to kill. The question that remains is: Did he act alone, or is he part of a larger movement? Certainly, with all the rhetoric that has hatefully hit the news media since the shooting, it begs the question of what is really going on in this country. Many experienced with observing government overthrows believe we are witnessing a coup in the making. Many others believe we are on the verge of another Civil War. The violence associated with the leftist groups against those who rally in support of the President is their confirmation. Folks, we do not need Americans killing Americans as what happened in the 1860s. We do not need to become a third world nation with communists and anarchists trying to overthrow our form of government. We need to pray for peace. We need to stand for righteousness and accountability. Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." We need peacemakers to speak into this charged atmosphere. Let's use our conversations to calm down the rhetoric. Daily Devotion: Before a Watching World - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. -Acts 2:47 Show me a church that doesn't have a constant flow of new believers coming in, and I will show you a church that is stagnating. The church needs new believers to remind us of what it is all about. And new believers need the church to stabilize them. When mature believers are around young believers and they see them discover for the first time what it means to know Jesus, it can revive them. It's like the difference between going to Disneyland with adults and going with children. We see things differently as adults. But when we go to Disneyland with children, everything changes because we see it all through their eyes. The Bible tells us "the generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself" (Proverbs 11:25). New believers will replenish us. The first-century church had new believers continually coming in. As we read in Acts 2:47, "And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." What an attractive church this was to a lost and watching world as these believers learned, loved, cared, worshiped, and prayed. They looked out for each other. As a result, the world watched and paid attention-and people came to faith. Witnessing is not just something we do; it's something we are. Jesus said, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8). There was regular, even daily, growth in the first-century church. Evangelism wasn't a periodic event here and there. They were engaging in it continually. And every church ought to be. Every week we should be giving people an opportunity to come to Christ. 
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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