Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
In the Midst - Part IV - The Return of the King - by Randy Nettles - https://www.rev310.com/2020/06/in-the-midst-part-iv-the-return-of-the-king
In the last three parts of this series, In the Midst, I have given many plausible timelines for the upcoming seven year Tribulation. Of course, these are just hypothetical examples based upon Jesus returning to the earth on one of the Feast of the Lord days known as Trumpets. He will appear in all of His glory as King of kings and Lord of lords at the Battle of Armageddon and defeat all of His enemies; including the Antichrist, false prophet, Gentile militaries of the world, and Satan himself. The three great judgments of God (Seals, Trumpets, and Vials) will end at this time, having lasted for 2520 days. 1260 days will have elapsed since the Antichrist committed the abomination of desolation in the Jewish 3rd temple and started his campaign of persecution and genocide against the Jewish people. "And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days." (Revelation 12:6). During this future day of the Feast of Trumpets, Jesus will come to the earth as "the" king, riding on His white horse and accompanied by a vast army of saints and angels. "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 does 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 robe 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 goes a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written; KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:11-16). Jesus Christ will save the remnant of His chosen people, the Jews, from total annihilation at the hands of the evil and possessed Antichrist. There will also be Gentile survivors from every nation that will survive the 7 year Tribulation as well. Jesus will then judge the nations and peoples of the earth (for their faith or lack of) to determine who is eligible for citizenship status in His "new world order" known as the Millennium Kingdom. This is known as the sheep and goats judgment. (Matthew 25:31-46). I thought the hypothetical example in part III would be the last one, but.there is truly just one more that needs mentioning. Although I have given several 7 year timelines, I still haven't mentioned the obvious "800 pound gorilla" in the room. I am talking about the Tribulation occurring in the years 2026-2033. If Jesus returns in 2033 it will have been 2000 years since he was last seen on planet earth, as He was crucified in A.D.33. The Church will have been raptured for at least 7 years prior to 2033. More than likely, there will probably be a gap of time of several years between the Rapture and the official start of the Tribulation. It will take some time for the Antichrist to gain power and then "subdue" three of the ten kings (kingdoms/regions) that rule the earth at this time. For this hypothesis to have merit, the year of AD 33 needs to be substantiated as the year Jesus was crucified. Although this can't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt by any written documentation or scientific analysis, there are several truths that lead to this conclusion: 1) According to Luke 3:1-6, John the Baptist began his ministry in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Tiberius began his official reign (not co-reign) in the fall of AD 14; so the fifteenth year would be AD 29. It is believed, therefore, that John and Jesus' ministry began in the spring of AD 30. There are three definite mentions of Jesus observing the Passover feast in the gospel of John: John 2:13, John 6:4, and John 13:1. This would account for two years of ministry, which puts us at AD 32. Many scholars suspect there was another Passover that wasn't recorded in the gospels or perhaps the "feast" mentioned in John 5:1 was the fourth one. If this is the case then that places us in the year AD 33. 2) In my view, the late Bible teacher and scholar, Jack Kelley, proved (according to the gospel scriptures) that the crucifixion occurred on a Thursday. Here is the article he wrote back in 2016 explaining his reasoning: https://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/holidays-and-holy-days/solving-the-three-day-three-night-mystery/ . The only year that works (for a Thursday Passover) within the possible five year timeline of AD 29-34 is AD 33. For proof of this, you can use the Jewish calendar and simply count backwards using the seven days of the week (Saturday, Friday, Thursday, Wednesday, Tuesday, Monday, Sunday, etc.) until you come to Nisan 14, 33 on the Jewish calendar. This might take a while (lol) so I would just suggest going to the calendar convertor web site and let it do the work for you: https://www.360calendar.com/360-days-Calendar-Converter.html . The first full moon of spring always occurs on Nisan 14th during the Feast of Passover. As you can see from the calendar convertor, the full moon of Passover (Nisan 14) occurred on the following dates: Tuesday in AD 30, Sunday in 31, Sunday in 32, Thursday in 33, and Sunday in 34. AD 33 is the only date that meets the criteria for a Thursday crucifixion. You can also use NASA's web site to trace full moons in the past and ancient past. Hypothetically, in the year 2033, Jesus will return physically to the earth after a 2000 year absence. 2000 years is as two days for the Lord; for Peter said, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8). The Old Testament prophet, Hosea had this to say about the subject (in my opinion): "After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: His going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth" (Hosea 6:2-3). It has been 2000 years since Jesus was on the earth and 4000 years of mankind existed before that which adds up to 6000 years of human history. According to my article Epochs in Bible Chronology - 6000 Years of Mankind - http://www.rev310.com/2018/12/epochs-in-bible-chronology-6000-years-of- mankind, we are currently (AD 2020) 20 years away from the 6000 year anniversary of mankind. By my reckoning, in 2033 we will be 7 years shy of the benchmark 6000 years of human history. Of course, human error always figures into the equation and could account for the seven year discrepancy. As mentioned in my last article, the years of AD 2026 and 33 are an exact match on the Jewish and Gregorian calendars. For instance, the feast of Passover /Nisan 14 occurs on March 31st of the Gregorian calendar and April 2nd on the Julian calendar for both years (2026 and 33). In this example, 2026 would be the start, 2030 would be the "in the midst" middle, and 2033 would be the end of the Tribulation and start of the glorious 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ. So in this hypothetical example, the start of the Tribulation (confirming of the covenant with the many) will occur on Kislev 20/November 29, 2026. The "in the midst" event of the "abomination of desolation" will occur 1230 days later on Nisan 10/April 12, 2030. Jesus will return to the earth at the battle of Armageddon 1260 days later on Tishri 1/September 23, 2033. The actual end of the Tribulation and start of Jesus' millennium kingdom will occur 30 days later (1290 days after the abomination of desolation) on Heshvan 1/October 23, 2033. During this time, the prophecy of Daniel 9:24 will have finally been fulfilled regarding the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem: "Seventy sevens (490 years) are determined upon your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most Holy" (Daniel 9:24). These words of Gabriel, to Daniel, point to a future time when all iniquity shall be restrained, sin will be atoned for, and Jesus Christ will be anointed as our High priest and King. He is the Most Holy! I believe the double marriage ceremony of God the Son to His saints, and God the Father to His chosen people (the believing remnant of the sons of Jacob), will occur 45 days after Jesus Christ begins his millennium kingdom. "Blessed is he that waits and comes to the thousand three hundred and thirty and five (1335) days" (Daniel 12:12). Blessed indeed! Gabriel told Daniel the words he spoke were to be closed up and sealed until the time of the end. That time is now, as we are living in the end times before the Great Tribulation, otherwise known as Jacob's trouble or the day of the Lord. "Many shall be purified and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand" (Daniel 12:10). Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus! Randy Nettles nettlesr@suddenlink.net 24 hours of war in the Middle East leaves region shaking - Seth J. Frantzman - https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/24-hours-of-war-in-the-middle-east-leaves-region-shaking-632909 A raid on Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, Houthi rebels in Yemen attacking Saudi Arabia, Russia and Turkey squaring off in Libya, the aftermath of airstrikes in Syria and Turkey and Iran coordinating attacks on Kurdish militants all served as a backdrop for an unprecedented 24-hours in the Middle East. The region is undergoing a half-dozen wars at the same time that pit Iran and its proxies against the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia; and also Iran and Turkey against Kurdish militants; as well as proxy groups in Libya fighting each other and various Syrian groups fighting each other. Overnight between Thursday and Friday, an unprecedented raid by the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service struck at Iranian-backed militias in Iraq. Iran has accused the US of involvement. The US and Iraq are in the midst of strategic dialogue. There have been calls on the new Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi to crack down on these groups. Kataib Hezbollah, the key Iranian-backed group, has carried out dozens of rocket attacks on US forces in Iraq, killing three members of the Coalition and a contractor. The US carried out three rounds of airstrikes on this group, in December, January and March; and killed Iran's IRGC Quds Force head Qasem Soleimani. The raids led to a protest at the Green Zone and arrests. The full details of what happened is not clear but Iraq may have stoked tensions with Iran and US forces could be targeted. At the same time a large gas storage tank reportedly exploded near Tehran in Parchin just after midnight, leading to rumors of airstrikes on Iran. The massive explosion looked like it was a serious accident. Iran's media and regime cannot be trusted to provide the full details. The massive explosion led to many false social media reports about the incident, including claims it was some kind of attack on Iran. Iran's Ministry of Defense says the incident is under control. Iraq has also called on Turkey to stop airstrikes in Iraq. Over the last weeks Turkey claims it has been carrying out operations against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), but many have critiqued Turkey for bombing areas where Kurdish, Yazidi and Christian minorities live. An airstrike near a holiday resort in Sulimaniyah province on Thursday came close to killing children. Iraq is outraged and wants Ankara to stop. Meanwhile Iran is also targeting the PKK in cooperation with Turkey. Iran wants Turkey to boost trade around US sanctions and has agreed to partner with Turkey to "fight terrorism." Hamas and other Palestinian groups are also threatening violence over Israel's annexation plans. Iranian media is highlighting the Hamas threats and Iran clearly wants to heat up tensions in the West Bank and Gaza. Iran is trying to stir many things up. It has slammed Israel on Press TV for honoring Israelis involved in a "Cyber attack" and Iran says that Syrians near the Golan are protesting to "liberate Golan." Meanwhile Saudi Arabia has slammed Iranian-backed Houthi rebels for attacks on the Kingdom over the last week. The Houthis have told Iranian media that they will carry out deeper attacks inside Saudi Arabia using drones and missiles. Both Saudi Arabia and Iran have highlighted the war in Iran. In Libya another proxy conflict between Turkish-backed Libyan groups and Egyptian-backed Libyan opposition continues. Egypt has threatened to intervene after Turkey's support for Tripoli resulted in set backed for the Benghazi-based Libyan National Army. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Russia all support Benghazi and want to stop Turkey from taking Sirte with its Tripoli-based militias. The US, France and Italy are all closely watching the outcome of the Libyan battles. Reports indicate Russia and Turkey are sending more equipment. All these conflicts, from Libya to Yemen, Iraq and Syria, show a ring of wars around the region, fueled by regional powers that oppose each other. Turkey and Iran appear to be working more closely together. But it is not so simple because many of these battles are compartmentalized. For instance Israel opposes Iran's presence in Syria. The Syrian regime reportedly supports Russia in Libya, whereas the Iranians who support the Syrian regime apparently back Turkey. The overall picture is one of impunity, where Turkey, Iran or Saudi Arabia can carry out airstrikes in conflicts near their countries, whether Yemen or Libya or Iraq and there is little that the international community cares to do. There are no peace processes or peace talks or ceasefires. In fact these conflicts appear to be growing. They essentially involve certain areas that are unstable and lack full national governance, whether Idlib in Syria or parts of Yemen, Iraq or Libya. This is a ring of instability. It is bisected by an Iranian corridor that links the "axis of resistance" from Yemen to Tehran and then via Baghdad to Beirut. Turkey has a crescent of control from Libya to Idlib, Tel Abyad and northern Iraq, and troops in Qatar. Turkey and Iran benefit from these conflicts, growing in control over neighboring states. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and their allies are not increasing their influence much. Russia stands above it all, working with Turkey on some issues such as S-400 air defense, but also supporting Benghazi in Libya and the Syrian regime. Russia also holds discussions with Hamas in Doha and also with Israel. The US is seeking to withdraw slowly, but still wants to have influence in eastern Syria, parts of Iraq and with Israel. The last 24 hours show what happens in the long-term withdrawal of US influence and as other powers rise. Really Bizarre Things Are Happening All Over The Globe - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/really-bizarre-things-are-happening-all-over-the-globe Just when you think that 2020 has been filled with enough trouble, even more stuff starts happening. Coming into this week, we were already dealing with a new COVID-19 surge which has pushed the number of daily cases to the highest levels we have seen so far, a global economy which is in the process of imploding all around us, massive civil unrest in U.S. cities from coast to coast, and giant swarms of locusts that are wiping out farms all the way from eastern Africa to parts of India. Unfortunately, now we have several more items to add to our growing list. Let's start by talking about an alarming new outbreak of locusts. The following comes from a British news source... Dramatic footage captures an "astonishing" swarm of locusts swarm through farmland and destroy crops. The short-horned grasshoppers are capable of devouring the same amount of crops as 2,500 people would each day. Some of you may have just read that paragraph and come to the conclusion that this is "old news". After all, we have been hearing about the colossal armies of locusts in Africa for months, and I have published numerous articles about that unprecedented plague. But the news story that I just quoted wasn't talking about those locusts. Instead, that report was about a brand new infestation that has erupted in Argentina, and one local official is saying that he has never seen anything like it ever before. Just like on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, these little critters are voraciously gobbling up everything in sight, and countless farms are being destroyed. Now these swarms are heading for Brazil, and Brazilian officials are definitely extremely alarmed. One of my readers in Brazil sent me an article about this emerging crisis from a Brazilian news source, and the following is a quote from that article which has been translated into English... In approximately one square kilometer they can have up to 40 million insects, which in one day consume pastures equivalent to what 2,000 cows or 350,000 people eat, Argentine agronomist Héctor Medina told Reuters. What would you do if 40 million locusts suddenly descended on your farm? Of course the truth is that there would be very little that you could do that would make any sort of a difference. Just like so many other farmers around the globe, you would simply watch as all of your hard work is completely wiped out. Meanwhile, an absolutely gigantic plume of dust from Africa has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and is about to hit the United States. The following comes from CBS News... A massive plume of dust from the Sahara desert in northern Africa has been traversing the atmosphere, thousands of feet above the tropical Atlantic Ocean, and is now cloaking the Caribbean and closing in on the southeastern United States. Every once in a while a dust plume from Africa can cross the ocean like this, but the monstrous one that we are witnessing right now is truly unusual. In fact, one expert says that this is "the most significant event in the past 50 years"... "This is the most significant event in the past 50 years. Conditions are dangerous in many Caribbean islands," Pablo Méndez Lázaro, from the University of Puerto Rico's School of Public Health, told the Associated Press. As this plume travels across the U.S., air quality in some areas will drop precipitously. Some of the dust has already arrived, but a "thicker layer" is projected to starting hitting Texas on Friday... On Wednesday, the dust is forecast to move across the Gulf of Mexico toward Texas. Thursday morning, people in places like Brownsville in Texas and Houston will likely wake up to a beautiful sunrise and a hazier than normal sky. Forecast models show the thicker concentration blanketing most of Central America and Mexico Thursday. This thicker layer is likely to reach Texas by Friday and then take a turn to the east. If the forecast model is right, it will move over most of the Southeast and MidAtlantic states over the weekend. On top of everything else, the west coast is starting to shake in a major way once again. On Wednesday, southern California was struck by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake... California residents received an emergency alert on their phones which read: "Earthquake! Expect shaking. Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect yourself now. - USGS ShakeAlert". The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck 17km south-southeast of Lone Pine. The tremor originated at a depth of 2.9km, with an epicenter around 17 kilometers south-east of Lone Pine. According to a USGS interactive shake map the impact of the earthquake could be felt in the Death Valley National Park. The earthquake has since been downgraded to 5.8 magnitude. That quake was followed by numerous sizable aftershocks, including one that was measured to be magnitude 4.6. Overall, there have been 2,267 earthquakes in California and Nevada over the last 7 days, and that is definitely alarming. Farther south along "the Ring of Fire", Mexico was hit by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake on Tuesday... A powerful earthquake struck Mexico's southern Oaxaca region on Tuesday, killing at least five people and shaking buildings hundreds of miles away. The 7.4-magnitude quake struck mid-morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Its epicenter was off the Pacific coast about seven miles southwest of Santa María Zapotitlán, near the beach resort of Huatulco. Very large seismic events are happening so frequently now that they barely make a blip on the news these days, and that is unfortunate because people need to wake up and understand that our planet is becoming increasingly unstable. Here in the United States, scientists have been strongly warning us for years that we are way overdue for "the Big One" to hit California, and this is one of the things that I will be addressing in the new book that I am currently working on. At some point there will be no more sand in the hourglass, and an unprecedented disaster will strike the west coast. Let us pray that we still have quite a bit more time before that happens. But nothing can stop the inexorable march of time, and the deeper we get into 2020 the crazier it gets. Unfortunately, the truth is that this "perfect storm" is just getting started, and that means that what we have experienced up to this point is just the tip of the iceberg. Are You Ready? - By Mark Susswein - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/06/23/are-you-ready-by-mark-susswein/ In the Prophet Isaiah's day, the people were building altars of worship dedicated to various so-called gods. Idolatry, along with all kinds of evil, was rampant. There was one king in particular who saw to it that the stomachs of pregnant women were ripped open. Another king went as far to sacrifice his own son by way of having that child burned alive as an offering. There was also the matter of discarding the Lord's commandments. Is it any wonder God became angry? Please take the time to read chapters 15-20 of 2nd Kings, and you'll know the "why" of God's holy and righteous anger. The world today is no different in its behavior either. Nothing has changed. There is, as Scripture tell us, nothing new under the sun. And guess what? The Almighty God hasn't changed either. The world has been foolishly provoking the Creator God to anger. It would be much wiser for the unbelieving world to wake up and fear Him instead of provoking Him. And, like Isaiah, we too are called to be that special messenger. Jesus commanded us to be active in carrying out the Great Commission. And, again like Isaiah, we can't do it in our strength, but we certainly can in His. Amen? Isaiah was steadfastly obedient when it came to delivering a message of repentance to kings, priests, leaders and right on down to the common people. Imagine, wherever Isaiah went crying out to the people to "come back to the Lord your God." Plus, He was prophesying the coming of the Messiah. Not so easy. But Isaiah, with God's power and authority, delivered. Let's be the Isaiah of the cities, towns, and neighborhoods we live in. Amen? Isaiah was given a great vision. With it he went on to speak a "far" prophecy which was the first coming of the Messiah spoken some 800 or so years before it was perfectly and completely fulfilled to the letter. What an awesome God! We believers and followers of Jesus are messengers as well. We are to continue to proclaim the message: Jesus is coming again! A great question for the lost in this world is a pretty good one. Are you ready? A few weeks ago, a brother in the Lord spoke at our Men's Prayer Breakfast. He brought up the subject that seems to be a pretty popular one these days... the Rapture. He threw out a question for the men that morning, "Are you ready for the rapture?" That brother went on further with another question, but this one was specifically aimed at the "lost." It was and is much more significant than the first. That question was, "Are you 'death' ready?" Let's be an Isaiah carrying a message that, for the most part and quite sadly, doesn't want to be heard. What the lost does not want to hear is overridden by the fact that we believers are commanded by our Lord to deliver it. We are to be just as obedient as Isaiah was. And bonus... we will receive the crown known as the crown of rejoicing. Look at 2nd Thessalonians 2:19. "For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy." Let's remain active in asking those "lost" friends, loved ones and whomever God puts in our path, with questions relating to their eternal destiny. The answer they give will guide us in how to proceed. This is a matter of great consequence. It's a matter of where they will spend eternity. Without knowing the Savior, for them it will be an eternity in the Lake of Fire. Like I said earlier, that message is not an easy one to deliver. Isaiah had the mission of relaying the hard truth to a rebellious people. REPENT! That message has been handed off to us to deliver. Nothing has changed, just the faces. Let's not be distracted from telling the lost of what God desires for them which, of course, is eternal life; "for God so loved the world." Let's pray sincerely and faithfully to the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us in our words and actions to that lost person He puts in front of us by way of Divine appointment. Yes, we will more than likely be mocked and scoffed; after all, that's to be expected according to 2nd Peter 3:2-3. "That you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires." Brothers and sisters, stand firm knowing they are rejecting God, not you. When Jesus comes again, He won't be riding on a donkey as the "Suffering Servant" like He did the first time. He will be coming an entirely different way according to Revelation 20:11. "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war." The lost best get ready... the King is coming. As for the believers, the question is this: Are we ready to be that "Isaiah" to the lost? Be Blessed! Mark Susswein: msusswein@comcast.net Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: Wooden shoes and friendship - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com It was the spring of 1967 and the grass at the farm was starting to green up. There were still gentle winds blowing through the Northeastern Ohio woods and fields, but they were warmer winds. Summer was on its way, brief as it would be. My buddy, Sonny, and I had made our first few trips to the woods, pioneers that we were. We checked in on the fort to see how it weathered the winter. The fort was a mighty log structure that we built beneath an old beechnut tree that probably still has our initials carved in it. We spent all day building that fort, falling mighty timbers and notching them to fit together. The roof was some old tin, probably blown off from a barn. That mighty fort had wintered well-all three feet high of it. The battery in the old fallen tree had made it through the winter, too. There was this huge fallen tree not far down the path from the fort. Sonny and I took these barrels, filled them with rocks and rolled them out on a couple of the branches. They were strategically placed in case of any bad guys, or wolves tried to get us. Of course, there were no wolves in that part of Ohio, but we were prepared if ever they came. Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett had nothing on us. On down the path a little further was the creek. We would often make little river boats out of scrap wood with the back cut out to put a paddle wound by a rubber band. We dropped them in the creek and guided them with sticks downstream for hours. Sometimes the creek was too shallow so we had to pick them up and move them across. After all, we did live in Portage County. Mom and Dad had decided to take a couple of days during Easter break to go visit Holland, Michigan. They had asked Sonny's parents if he could go along. We were so excited that we were going to travel together. We really didn't care about going to Michigan-we were Buckeyes all the way. But it was a chance to take another adventure. On the way there, we got into this thing of using our plastic straws for shooting paper wads instead of drinking soda. We would wet up some Kleenex, load it into the straw and blow it out-kind of like the Pygmies. It didn't go over so well when we shot the officer inside the toll booth, but we got away with it. Dad was smacking the back of his head a few times, but was having fun with it. Mom wanted nothing of it and was ordering us to quit-which made us even more sneaky about it. Holland, MI., was OK. There were tulips in bloom everywhere. There were windmills. And the best part was they sold wooden shoes with our names burnt into them. Sonny and I walked in those wooden shoes all day. Clunk, clunk, clunk everywhere we went. We walked up and down the hotel hallway at night before we went to bed. First thing in the morning we were Clunking down that same hallway. I'm sure people were annoyed, but we were having fun in our wooden shoes from Holland, until our feet were so sore we could hardly walk. Proverbs 18:24 says, "A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." That is my friend Sonny. I have often called him my brother, but it's true, he is closer than a brother. I hope you have a friend like Sonny, wooden shoes, spit wads and all. Daily Devotion: As Easy As the Door - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. -1 Corinthians 10:13 As a very young man, I memorized 1 Corinthians 10:13, and I still remember it today: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (NKJV). In other words, there's always a way out of every temptation. In what we often call the Lord's Prayer, Jesus tells us to pray, "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Luke 11:4 NKJV). The "evil one" refers to Lucifer, or the Devil. And we cannot overcome him in our own strength. When we pray, "Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one," we're saying, "Lord, don't allow me to walk into a situation that would overwhelm me and cause me to sin. But deliver me from temptation and any trap the Devil has set for me." It's really an acknowledgment of human weakness. We're saying, "I know I could sin. Lord, help me." We cannot completely remove ourselves from temptation. Otherwise, we would have to leave the planet. And even if we managed to do that, we still wouldn't be able to get away from it. That's why we need God's help. The Devil is powerful, but he needs our cooperation. So, don't tell me that you can't get out of the trap you're in. Don't tell me you can't stop doing whatever it is that you're doing. Don't tell me that, because there's a way out-if you want to take it. Temptation will follow us wherever we go, but there is always a way out. And sometimes, the way out is as simple as walking out the door. 
FROM THE HEART
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