Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Coming World Leader - By Tommy Stone -
https://www.raptureready.com/2020/06/16/the-coming-world-leader-by-tommy-stone/ All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts - William Shakespeare. Did William Shakespeare really know just how true his words were? I suspect he did, because the world indeed is a stage. The script was pre-written by God, before the foundation of the world, and it's being played out in perfect detail in front of those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. The Bible foretells of two world leaders coming on the scene in the last days. The first will come on a white horse (Rev 6:2) and will be for those who reject God's choice. His kingdom will be short-lived; he will be dethroned and cast into a lake of fire after he destroys the cities of this current world system (Isaiah 14:12-17). The second, God's choice, will also come on a white horse (Rev 19:11) and will be the Lord of lords and the King of kings. He will dethrone the first, and will rule and reign in righteousness. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom. God proclaims in Isaiah 46:9-10: "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." If we back up to Isaiah 9, verses 6-7, we see what God's good pleasure is. 700 years before Jesus was born, God gives Isaiah this two-part prophesy. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." The first part of this prophecy - the child born; the son given - was fulfilled 700 years later when Jesus was born into the world and laid down His life: a sacrificial payment for the sin debt of the world. The second part of the prophecy - "the government shall be on his shoulders" - will come to pass at his return. More specifically, his government begins on the second part of his return, when He physically returns to earth with the believers who were taken up in the rapture of the church seven years earlier at the first part of His return. The second part of Isaiah's prophecy has not yet come to pass, but we know that it shall, and that it will happen exactly as foretold in the Bible. Every detail of His first advent came to pass exactly as foretold. (See Isaiah 53 & Psalm 22). Therefore, every detail of the second part of the prophecy will also come to pass, exactly as foretold. Because we are now far enough through God's script in the history of the world, we know that every word from God in the scriptures is true. Thus, we know the remaining unfulfilled prophecies, of His plan for the world, will also come to pass just as foretold. Many know in their hearts the Bible is true, yet they choose to reject it. The current world-controlling, Christ-rejecting, Satan-worshiping global elites know the Bible is true, yet they are actually attempting to overthrow God's plan by establishing their own global government, one that has complete control over all people. This brings us to Psalm 2: "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel. "Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." Knowing the Bible is true, and that God's plan is coming to pass exactly as foretold, why do world leaders foolishly continue to choose the path of evil that will clearly lead to destruction? Why have societies always chosen evil over good? At the trial of Jesus, the people cried out for the release of Barabba s, a common criminal, and asked that the perfect Son of God, Jesus Christ, be crucified. Why did they do that? Why has the majority always rejected good leadership? Because good leadership always holds people accountable for their actions. This is why the majority will always reject the Lord Jesus Christ. They foolishly think they can escape the righteous judgement of a holy God. They think they can do what they will without being held accountable. They are sadly mistaken. Jesus will return, judge the world, and set up His kingdom. By the way, if you are still not sure about the majority always choosing the wrong path, read the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." We were told in the Isaiah chapter nine prophecy that when Jesus returns to establish His kingdom, it will be with "judgment and justice." Part of the Lord's judgment and justice is allowing the kings of this current world system to try and set themselves, establish their own world government, and choose their own leader. The Bible foretells of a man of sin, a false or counterfeit Christ, entering the world's stage. A man that will appear on the scene of a world in great turmoil. He will be the people's choice and will be received as a great world leader. A peacemaker, a miracle worker, a man that will appear to solve world problems and unite the people as one. Yet, in reality, he will be a conquering evil dictator that brings judgment, death and destruction. The Bible says Jesus releases him, as a judgment on the world, to conquer all those who refuse to believe the truth of God; those that will not receive His plan for salvation. Because they refuse to believe the truth, the Lord sends the man of sin, that they all might believe his lies and be damned. Thank God, the Lord removes His own, those who have repented and believed the gospel, in what is known to be the rapture of the church, before all of this anarchy happens. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 proclaims: "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." This great delusion, sent by God, comes when Jesus Christ takes a book from the right hand of God, opening the book and breaking the first seal of the judgments of God therein, releasing the man of sin on a panic-stricken world. A world in turmoil, a world that has also just experienced the thief in the night, the rapture of the church. The great lie will likely be the false Christ taking credit for the rapture of the church. Revelation 6:1-2, "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." The noise of thunder could very well be the great sudden destruction that follows the rapture of the church as seen in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - 5:2-3: "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." "But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape." From these verses we see that God is a merciful God; he removes his church before the great sudden destruction comes on an unsuspecting world. This is why Paul goes on to say in verses 9-11, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." God truly has declared the end from the beginning; the script is being played out before our very eyes, just as foretold. The final act is about to begin. It will begin suddenly and will end as proclaimed. Jesus will soon come as a thief in the night. Those that understand their need for a Savior and call on the name of the Lord, placing their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, before He comes, will not go through the terrible time the world will soon go through Those still alive and unwilling to put their faith in Jesus, when He comes as a thief in the night, will go through the worst time in history the world will ever know, and will be subject to, or killed by, Antichrist. I urge you, if you have not yet trusted in the Savior for the forgiveness of your sins, "choose you this day whom you will serve." By choosing Jesus, you can know with certainty that you will not only be saved from Hell, but also the great time of trouble the world will soon go through. (See - Do you know for sure where you will spend eternity?) Website: https://truthfellowship.org Is the U.S. Covertly Attacking Iran? - by Shay Khatiri - https://thebulwark.com/is-the-u-s-covertly-attacking-iran/ Mysterious explosions give Iranians new hope for regime change. On Friday, an explosion lit up Tehran's early morning skies-the third such huge explosion in Iran in three weeks. Many details about the explosions remain unconfirmed, but the smart money is betting on the Mossad and maybe the CIA. The exact location of the Friday blast remains undisclosed, but analysts quoted in the New York Times reveal that in the vicinity of the explosion-roughly 15 miles from the iconic Azadi Square in Tehran-there are several facilities for military training and two for military production, one of which is suspected to be the site of chemical weapons development. Of the previous blasts, the first was before sunrise on June 26 at the Parchin missile base near Tehran. The second, on the morning of July 2, occurred about 130 miles to the south, at the Natanz nuclear facility in Isfahan province-a site that the United States had previously attacked a decade ago via the "Stuxnet" cyber offensive. At each turn, state media and government officials in Iran have made contradictory statements, including outright denial of the explosions visible in videos circulating on social media and of the aftermath, despite ground and satellite photos showing it. If you find it hard to believe that all these explosions are just coincidences, you've got good instincts: As the New York Times reported last week, they apparently are the result of joint U.S.-Israeli operations designed to set back Iran's nuclear and military programs. They come following Iran's lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which passed a resolution last month calling out Iran on this problem. Following the United States's departure from the Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) and imposition of sanctions on Iran, Iran has expanded its nuclear activities beyond the terms of the JCPOA. It is important to point out that, despite the U.S. withdrawal, Iran remains a party to the agreement and bound by its terms. (The United States, as long as it was a party to the agreement, didn't violate its terms.) Iran's violations, while not exactly surprising, have alarmed not only American and Israeli officials, but also the three European signatories to the JCPOA (France, Germany, and the United Kingdom), whose governments called for the IAEA resolution. Iran seems to be banking on a Joe Biden victory in November. After all, not only was Biden part of the administration that negotiated the deal, but he pushed wary Senate Democrats to approve of it and even bragged about the deal in his primary campaign ads. His longtime aid and likely national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, was a key negotiator in the talks leading up to the JCPOA. So with the prospect in sight of the United States returning to the JCPOA and lifting the sanctions, the Trump administration and the Netanyahu government in Israel are apparently trying to set back Iran's capabilities while they have the chance. But all parties might be mistaken. Whoever wins in November will have unprecedented leverage over Iran. The regime's popularity is at an all-time low-one recent defector has suggested that it is in single digits, according to internal estimates. Iran's economy is in free fall-both because of the U.S. sanctions and the incompetence and corruption of the regime's leaders. The regime's handling of the pandemic has been catastrophic, with over 200 daily deaths. And the people are only blaming the regime for their problems, not any foreign power. It is difficult to see the Biden administration not take advantage of the situation for a more favorable agreement, especially as the U.N.-imposed arms embargo will soon expire under the terms of the resolution that adopted the JCPOA. So, what lessons can the Iranian regime draw from these three (so far) explosions? First, the explosions show that there are foreign spies within the ranks of the regime, deeper than previously thought, seeking to sabotage its projects. Second, it is noteworthy that-at least based on the chatter on social media and my conversations with people in Iran-there has been no perceivable "rally 'round the flag" effect, despite the certainty of Iranians that Israel is behind these explosions. And the regime has so far shown itself to be hesitant about blaming foreign powers for these explosions, which has long been the first card they played to appear as the victim and mobilize popular support. A regime that for decades has stood on its feet by scaring people about bogeyman foreigners-Saddam Hussein, America, "the Zionists"-has lost its charm. In November of last year, unprecedented and violent protests erupted, which led to the security forces' opening fire on protesters and killing over a thousand of them, with more handed hefty sentences up to capital punishment. Then, in January, the United States killed the infamous general Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran's blood-soaked Quds Force. The Soleimani killing was initially followed by days of mourning and calls for revenge. But savvy observers understood that those protesters after Solomeini's death were not deeply committed but rather motivated by financial incentives or fear. And that proved true when, days later, Iran shot down a civilian airliner, which briefly revived the November protests. Four decades of Western engagement with Iran has failed to modify the regime's behavior, internally or externally. Even the Obama administration's nuclear agreement failed to change Iran's behavior outside of its nuclear program. In fact, the release of Iran's frozen assets as part of the JCPOA led to greater aggression everywhere, from the Middle East to the Americas. It is past due time to accept that to ask the Islamic Republic to stop its aggressive behavior is to ask it to cease to exist. But the good news is that there is an unprecedented opportunity for change in Iran. The regime's legitimacy has hit the rock bottom, while the regime is short on finances and resources to stay in power for long. The regime is not even popular within the ranks of its security forces. Many Iranian young men join the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) because it is the only institution that hires and pays livable wages, and one can see that Mossad agents and likely CIA agents-once viewed as the sources of all evils in Iran-are in the ranks of the IRGC, just based on the sabotage and intelligence operations that have been going on in recent years and have accelerated over the past few weeks. It is fear, not love, that is keeping the IRGC going. Nearing Midnight: End-Times Eye on Israel - Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ These commentaries have mentioned before Satan's sleight-of-hand in diverting attention from what's really going on, like in the old shell game called thimblerig. The pea is placed under the one of three shells and the player is invited to guess which shell the pea is under after the shells are shuffled. The shuffling increases in speed, and soon the human eye can't follow the movement to keep up with the shell concealing the pea. In most cases, the player ends up the loser after betting on being able to pick the correct shell. Like in the matter of globalist activity, where Satan and the demonic and human minions hide their true efforts to bring in their changed world order (with distractions of such activities as those of the cancel culture), the evil one diverts attention from things involving the number-one sign of these end times. He, for example, foments revolution within this nation and others of the Western world. All the while, the nation Israel and the entire Middle East region are being rearranged, setting the stage for the great, end-times play that will see the triumphant return of Christ. The devil, in his sin delusion, believes he is orchestrating the demise of God's chosen people. But it is the Lord who is the master director. His omniscient hand has already written the prophetic script that will soon unfold. So wise observers should keep their eye-their spiritual senses-on what's happening that involves Israel. We must do this despite all of the other troubling distractions that otherwise plague us. And there is more than enough going on in Israel and vicinity to keep us transfixed. For example, Israel is at the center of accusations that Iran's nuclear program has suffered yet another setback. The following explains: Kuwait's Al-Jarida newspaper on Friday reported that Israel was responsible for a Thursday "accident" at an Iranian nuclear facility in Natanz. It is believed that the Natanz facility is used to enrich uranium. According to the Al-Jarida report, the explosion was caused by an "Israeli cyber attack" which targeted the computers which control the pressure gauges inside gas containers. Tehran has allegedly lost 80% of the uranium hexafluoride gas it needs in order to enrich uranium. The report also claimed that Israel is responsible for the Parchin blast which occurred last week. On Thursday, Iran's state news agency IRNA published an editorial warning that "if there are signs of hostile countries crossing Iran's red lines in any way, especially the Zionist regime (Israel) and the United States, Iran's strategy to confront the new situation must be fundamentally reconsidered." ("Natanz 'Accident' Was Israel's Fault," Middle East/Israel National News, Reuters, July 3, 2020) Iran, ancient Persia, is prophesied by Ezekiel the prophet to one day help lead a coalition to assault Israel in the Gog-Magog battle. Israel, as well as President Donald Trump for the US, has vowed Iran will never achieve development of a nuclear weapon. The mountains of the area known in Bible times as Elam is where much of Iran's nuclear program is hidden. Those mountains are prophesied to suffer some sort of catastrophic event. So, it is prudent to keep our eyes on this volatile region. The entire international community, including Israel's future attackers-Russia, Iran, Turkey, and others-are in a froth over Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to annex parts of the Jordanian valley. It's especially interesting that Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church has weighed in on the annexation plan. The following story frames the matter: The Vatican, in a highly unusual move, summoned both the US and Israeli ambassadors to express the Holy See's concern about Israel's moves to extend its sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank. A Vatican statement on Wednesday said meetings with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican's secretary of state, and US Ambassador Callista Gingrich and Israeli Ambassador Oren David, took place on Tuesday. A senior diplomatic source told Reuters that Parolin met the two envoys separately, a detail which was not clear in the Vatican statement. It said Parolin, the Vatican's top diplomat, expressed "the concern of the Holy See regarding possible unilateral actions that may further jeopardize the search for peace between Israelis and Palestinians, as well as the delicate situation in the Middle East." Israeli leaders decided in May that cabinet and parliamentary deliberations on extending Israeli sovereignty to Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, in coordination with Washington, could begin as of July 1. But with no agreement with Washington yet on the modalities of the move under a peace proposal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump in January, and talks with the White House still underway, no cabinet session was scheduled for Wednesday. The Vatican statement reiterated its position in support of a two state solution, saying "Israel and the State of Palestine have the right to exist and to live in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders." ("Vatican Summons US, Israeli Envoys over Annexation Moves," Reuters, July 2, 2020) Pressures are building to produce a two-state solution to what the world of diplomacy sees as a Jewish problem. Just like in Hitler's demented mind, the globalist mindset, infected by luciferian insanity, is to blame Israel for all potential threats of war in the region. The anger against the Jewish state and the Jewish people of the world will get much worse, according to Zechariah 12:1-3. Keep your eye on Israel, no matter what else is going on. Dismantling America - Progressives & Conservatives Battle For The Nations Future - Jonathon Van Maren/Bridgehead.ca - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=4166 Democrat Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota is courting controversy again, stating at an event earlier this week that America must move far beyond simply addressing "racism in policing." It is time, Omar asserted, to begin "dismantling" the American economy itself. "As long as our economy and political systems prioritize profit without considering who is profiting, who is being shut out, we will perpetuate this inequality," Omar stated. "We cannot stop at the criminal justice system. We must begin the work of dismantling the whole system of oppression wherever we find it." Predictably, conservatives have been condemning Omar's calls to "dismantle" the economy, and Omar has responded by claiming that her comments have been taken out of context. She retweeted one comment stating, "Many conservatives allege Ilhan Omar called for 'dismantling' the U.S. economy & political system. But she didn't actually say that. They rearranged her words. And she explicitly cited dismantling 'systems of oppression' **within** gov't systems." So there is some debate as to what Omar meant by "dismantling." But there are good reasons why conservatives are instinctively suspicious of Omar, as her record of radical progressivism is well known and longstanding. Omar is a paradoxical politician. She identifies as Muslim but also as an "intersectional feminist," a supporter of the entire LGBT agenda, and an advocate for legal abortion. The tenets of her alleged religious faith do not seem to be as important to her as the intersectional credibility it lends to her public persona. She is also a member of what is colloquially known as "the Squad," a group of hyper-progressive young politicians (the most famous being Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez) seeking to pull the Democratic Party sharply to the left. Earlier this week, to cite just one example, she condemned the Supreme Court's decision to allow an order of nuns, the Little Sisters of the Poor, to opt out of providing birth control and abortifacient drugs. Noting Planned Parenthood's endorsement of her, she tweeted: "Today's disastrous #SCOTUS decision means that your employer or university can deny you birth control based on religious or moral objections. Grateful to have @PPact's support as we fight back for reproductive justice. We will not relent." The feminist sisterhood, it seems, is a very exclusive club. Interestingly, there has been an internecine debate within conservative ranks on economic policy since the election of Donald Trump, as well as on the left. The National Conservative movement, launched by the Edmund Burke Society, has been suggesting that a new political coalition driven by social conservative values and more liberal economic ideas might be forged. FOX News host Tucker Carlson has been highlighting the fact that the policies of unfettered free-market economics have left many Americans behind and that it may be time to consider economic policies focused on strengthening the family. Despite an increasing willingness by some conservatives to critically examine the shortcomings of free-market capitalism (many of them inspired by the family policies of leaders such as Hungary's Viktor Orbán), Omar's progressive socialism and proposed "dismantling" of the system are something quite different. For conservatives seeking to curb capitalism's excesses and assist those left behind -- the "two cheers for capitalism" crowd -- the American Revolution is fundamental. In the wake of the recent race riots and statue-smashing, many suspect that Omar and her fellow Squad members prefer the French Revolution. It is ironic that both progressives and social conservatives are now often united in the belief that the American experiment is on the brink of collapse. For progressives like Omar, this is because America is a hotbed of racial hatred, homophobia, and injustice that must be razed and rebuilt. For social conservatives, it is the fact that the American Revolution has been poisoned by the Sexual Revolution, with 65 million abortions and counting; religious liberty under fire; and a pornified, sexually dysfunctional culture. Omar and her ilk believe that more of all that will make America a better place. Social conservatives believe that without a course correction, America will die. In some ways, both progressives and social conservatives believe that there is much that needs to be dismantled. But for progressives, it is any trace of the American Founding. For social conservatives, it is the industries killing America's future: Planned Parenthood, PornHub, and progressive academia, to name a few. Only one side can win -- winner take all. Daily Jot: Speaking boldly amid cancel culture - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com In response to Monday's Daily Jot, many readers agreed that Christians and conservatives must reassert themselves in the national dialogue, but many are asking where and how. One Jot reader asked, "Besides writing our government and voting, what more can we do?" These are good questions. They are not easily answered because the "Church" over the past few decades focused itself inward with a mixture of a support group and country club mentality where in most cases relationship building outside of the four walls (or mega buildings) is not done, nor hardly encouraged. The "Church" has left America to itself and has become a self-improvement machine emphasizing emotional, self-indulgence and extra-biblical doctrines. Now when it has become obvious that the American society is no longer following a respect for the Lord and the tenets of the Bible, the church infrastructure and focus must change in order to affect change. For too long, this "club" atmosphere at church has ignored the relational aspects of influence. It has also taught a "bud-lite" version of what it takes to be a Christian. Now, I know that many reading this will get all defensive about their churches and their pastors, but this is also part of the issue. We are more likely to defend, rather than question the approach because pastors and leadership have taught that you are not to question the pastor or the leadership. What is it that Peter and the other apostles answered the high priest and said in Acts 4:29, "We ought to obey God rather than men"? Too much following of men these days and not enough following God as led by the Holy Spirit-just saying. Christians need to get outside the church, beyond the buildings and the parking lots and start making relationships with people that aren't part of the club. We have to lead by the example of Christ, who did not jam religion down people's throats, or try to force a brand of doctrinal morality upon people. He talked to them. He listened to them. He asked questions. He cared about how they felt, their condition in life, their physical and spiritual well-being. This is how one builds relationships and, in turn, influence. What can we do? We have to show the love of Christ to others. In order to do that, we have to get outside the club and be intentional about our mission. The life of Christ was not about improving himself or the wild, crazy stuff that we humans do to make us feel better and to show how spiritual we are, but as he said in John 10:10, "The thief comes not, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." The thief is out there and he is wreaking havoc. We have the answer in Christ. We speak with both our voices and our actions. It's about relationships, heart to heart interaction, and leading by example. The changes we seek won't happen overnight. Daily Devotion: People of Purity - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. -Matthew 5:8 All too often people use the word holy in a negative sense, as in, "Oh, they're so holier-than-thou!" They're basically saying someone is conceited or uppity. This isn't a good trait, of course. But we all should want to be holy men and women. In fact, the Bible says, "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16 NKJV). Now, we may think that being holy means never raising our voices or occupying much space. But that isn't holiness; it's weirdness. Instead, let's spell the word holy this way: wholly, as in wholly committed. If you're wholly committed to Christ, then you'll be a holy person. Jesus said, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8 NKJV). Today people speak of their hearts as their emotional centers. They might say, "My mind tells me one thing, and my heart tells me another" or "I'm just listening to my heart." But be careful, because the Bible says, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV). When we talk about the heart as believers, we're talking not only about the emotional center but about the intellectual center as well. So, to be "pure in heart" means that we're pure in our inner core. It means being people of purity. But is it even possible to be pure today? Just like we easily dismiss the word holy, we also could dismiss the word pure. But "pure in heart" can be translated "single in heart." It means having a single focus in life. It means that you're a focused person-focused on your relationship with God. 
FROM THE HEART
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