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Nowhere to Hide: Part II (Dedicated to the Pre-Tribulation Rapture Haters) - By Pete Garcia -
http://rev310.com/2019/07/nowhere-to-hide-part-ii-dedicated-to-the-pre-tribulation-rapture-haters Perhaps you're a Christian, but you think the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is all a bunch of warm hooey. It is an escapist eschatology; built specifically for weak-spined western Christians who are afraid of a little persecution. You frequently tell anyone who will listen, that the word "rapture" is not even in the Bible. You say the "rapture" was a theological scheme created out of thin air by that evil dispensationalist John N. Darby 150 years ago. And even he didn't invent it you say matter-of-factly, but stole the idea from a teenage Scottish girl. Perhaps you think we are already in the Tribulation, and times are looking bleak for America (see Part I). You say it is time for us Christians dig in, get our hands dirty, and fight for what we believe in when another civil war comes. It is time for Christian's to get our "big boy" pants on and take a stand. I suppose it is the height of both irony and hypocrisy that a professing Christian would hate the idea that their Savior could return sooner rather than later. Essentially, that is what those who despise the Pre-Tribulation Rapture are guilty of, turning the blessed hope (Titus 2:13) into a joke or a byword. Of course, most would never admit to such a thing. They will claim some moral or theological high ground of outing false theology or having to prove our salvation through tribulation. However, is that really true? I for one, cannot see how it could be, especially given the fact we all have Bibles and could sit down together and go through these issues line by line, chapter by chapter, and book by book to see if what we believe actually passes the theological smell test. So what is it then? Why so much angst against a biblical doctrine that shows irrefutably, that Christ will return again for His Church before the 70th Week begins. Why are certain eschatological views hell-bent (literally) on putting the Church (ekklesia) inside the 70th Week of Daniel? There are a few reasons I can think of: 1. Inheriting bad hermeneutics The practice of bad hermeneutics (or how one interprets scripture), began in earnest with Origen (circa 200AD) and his application of allegory to Scripture. His approach was later passed on to Augustine (circa 400AD). Augustine's teachings were later incorporated into the Roman Catholic Church doctrine and dogma (500AD - Present). The allegorical approach became the default position (especially regarding eschatology), which was carried into and through the Protestant Reformation (1517 - Present). The allegorical approach was distributed throughout the mainline protestant denominations for the next three centuries. However, mainline Protestants began protesting again, but this time, against the inherited corrupted RCC form of hermeneutics at the end of the 18th-century and early 19th-century. They returned to a literal, grammatical, and historical understanding of all Biblical doctrines, not just soteriology. This subsequently, resulted in rediscovering dispensationalism, which concludes the Church Age with the Pre-Tribulation (Pre-70th Week) Rapture (harpazo) of the Church (ekklesia). 2. Personality/Event-Driven Eschatology Not that I blame Hal Lindsey for his personal achievements, but shortly after the runaway success of his bestselling book the Late Great Planet Earth, many came after him trying to capitalize on his success. They did so by putting their own particular brand/spin on bible prophecy (ex. Robert Van Kampen). Their motivations may have varied (money, fame, belief, etc.) but the results were the same. It is similar to when a rock band breaks big and ushers in a new genre of music (Elvis, the Beatles, Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses, Nirvana, etc.). What happens every single time afterwards? Only about a million other bands come along behind them riding the wave of popularity. For most of the 20th-century, Biblical eschatology remained relatively unknown to those outside of the academic-evangelical circles. However, Hal's success highlighted an untapped doctrinal treasure trove that many theologians (and would be theologians) sought to cash in on. To be clear, I am not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, because many have and continue to produce solid, biblically accurate eschatological studies. However, many, many others, not so much. This is usually exacerbated when geopolitical/natural events are hyped beyond any reasonable scriptural boundaries (think 88 Reasons, Gulf War, Y2K, 2012, Blood Moons, etc.). 3. Error begets error without course correction If you start with bad theology, you will continue drifting further and further away from true scriptural theology. The Bible only presents one eschatological position. This is presented as objective truth. So if you believe in something for example, like British Israelism or Mormonism as a foundation, you are already beginning on a wrong foundation with faulty presuppositions. It is very much like starting your scientific hypothesis off with Darwinian Evolution or the Big Bang as an origin story. From there, you will only continue into more error because you started off in error. However, as we continue moving further into an time and culture that rejects objective truth and replaces it with subjective reasoning, we will likely see all biblical doctrines, not just eschatology, suffer at the hands of itching ears. 4. Works-based salvation Lastly, if you belong to a group who believes your works are directly related to your level of salvation, you probably believe that the Church must go through some type of refine-through-fire phase, of which, the Tribulation serves as your perfect scenario. Of course, this goes directly against Jesus's own words that He is building His Church (Matt. 16:18). Task and Purpose Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.... ... For I am with you,' says the Lord, 'to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished.' Jeremiah 30:7, 11 It is to that last point (#4), that I find strangely fascinating, particularly when talking to fellow believers who wholeheartedly believe that we are all going into the 70th Week of Daniel (aka...the Tribulation). To be fair, the anti-Pre Tribulation Rapture crowd is a rather large bag of mixed nuts. You have the mid-Trib folks, the Three-Quarter folks (so called Pre-Wrath), the Post-Tribulation (i.e., the post-toasties), the Amillennialists (the sleepy church), the Dominionists (the church militant), the Preterists (the church ignorant), and then you have your garden-variety out and out deniers (they deny everything Biblical). This passage from Jeremiah is also speaking directly to the nation of Israel in the last days, because a) nations are still in existence, and b) the Church was never scattered amongst the nations. To say that would imply that we (the Church) were first together all in one location. The Church is made up of believers who come out of all nations, and the first time we will all be gathered together into one location, is at the Rapture of the Church (John 14:1-3). I suppose my fascination with these wannabe Tribulation Saints, comes from their perception that we are going to become part of some last day's resistance like in the movie Red Dawn. I would specifically like to address those who think that by prepping today and having stored food, weapons, gold, silver, and underground bunkers, that they are somehow going to be prepared for what is coming upon the earth in that day. These would be the same folks who viciously mock us for not prepping now. According to them, we Pre-Tribbers are guilty of leading ourselves and others blindly to the slaughter. They also think for those of us who are not killed outright will collectively fall away from the faith once the Rapture does not happen and the persecution begins. To their points I say, 1. If Church-Age Christians have to go into any part of the 70th Week, then the Bible has some serious communication issues. 2. Since, my first point is impossible (God's word is perfect), then the only other logical conclusion is that flawed and sinful people have mistranslated and misunderstood the Bible. These folks really have no idea how dangerous things are really going to be. Aside from the Antichrist and his military and government forces, there will be a vast array of advanced technological and economic weapons at his disposal. Furthermore, the divinely appointed Seal, Trumpet, and Vial Judgments will wipe out close to one-half of the world's population. I wanted to list a few reasons why there will be nowhere to hide for those who come to faith after the Rapture (tribulation saints). Keep in mind, the Beast is a ten-nation/region confederacy, aligned regionally, economically, and militarily and will govern the affairs of the entire earth in the last days (Dan. 2:41-43, 7, 8; Revelation 13). The Antichrist will then rise to power (having deposed three leaders) and will have the plurality of authority backing him. He will also have the FULL backing of Satan, and will have untold legions of demonic hosts at his disposal: Technology
Economic
Supernatural
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. Revelation 13:7 Conclusion Please understand that I am not saying that being prepared in general is a bad thing. We should all do some preparation for those unforeseen events in our life. Accidents, natural disasters, unplanned financial situations always require us to be prepared for the unexpected. And as we move further and further into the last days, there will be an increase in things like earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, crime, violence, etc. However, there is a huge difference between prudence and militancy. The Church (powered through and by the Holy Spirit) is the last thing restraining Satan's wholesale takeover of the earth. If that were not so, Satan would have taken over the earth a long, long, long time ago. Then the devil, taking Him (Jesus) up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Luke 4:5-6 Satan right now, has the authority (but not the ability) to hand over all the kingdoms to whomever he chooses. What is preventing him, is the restraining force of God (Acts 17:26) through the Church. Once God removes the born-again, blood-bought Church from the earth, He will give the Christ-rejecting earth what they have been clamoring for all these years...a world without God. At that point, the only group the Bible guarantees any sort of divine protection for through the Tribulation, is the 144,000 Jewish male virgins from the Twelve Tribes of Israel (Rev. 7:2-3). The Church is God's pièce de résistance; a mystery hidden in the mind of God before the world began. The Church was conceived in the mind of God before He created the foundation of the earth. We were carefully cultivated from the first Adam (Gen. 3:15) to the Last (1 Cor. 15:45). The Church was forged at the Cross and through Christ's finished work there. Because of His death, we are covered with the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:17-21) and will one day be presented blameless to the Father. Through His burial, we are buried with Him and have died to our old natures (Romans 6:5-11). However, through His Resurrection, the Church is becomethe ultimate weapon against evil. "O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1st Cor. 15:55-57 The Church is not: a religion, a building, an organization, or a business. The Church is the multi-membered, universal, singular, body of believers (both Jew and Gentile) who are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). We are not redeemed by our good deeds, our wealth or poverty, or our personal piety, but only through the shed blood of Christ, which covers us and makes us presentable to God the Father. We are the salt (preventing rotting) and light (preventing darkness) from overtaking the world (Matt. 5:13-14). Once the Church is removed from the earth at the Rapture, this world will be plunged into both rottenness and darkness. As the Apostle stated quite clearly in his second epistle to the Thessalonians, for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first. The falling away (apostasia) being the physical departure of the Church by way of Rapture. So How Can You Know the Pre-Tribulation Rapture is 100% Correct? 1. There is not one mention of the ekklesia inside the 70th Week, either in the Old or New Testament. 2. The Church (the body of Christ-ekklesia) has already been judged at the Cross, and is now made perfect and does not need refinement in the 70th Week (Hebrews 10:10, 14, 12:2; 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Eph. 2:4-7) 3. The 70th Week of Daniel (aka...the Tribulation) is a time specifically set aside for Israel and the Christ-rejecting world (Jer. 30:7-11; Dan. 9:24-27; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:1-3; 1 Thess. 5:1-9; Revelation 4-19) 4. Although Christ warns the Church that they will suffer trials and tribulations in this life (John 16:33) He never warns the Church to prepare for The Tribulation (i.e., that 70th Week). However, He does warn against not looking for His coming at the Rapture (Mark 13:39; Luke 12:37-39, 21:36; Rev. 3:3, 10, 22:20) 5. The Apostles never once warn the Church to prepare for The Tribulation. If the Church were destined to go into it, they (through prompting by God the Holy Spirit) would have warned the Church to prepare 6. Paul specifically states that the Antichrist cannot be revealed until the Restrainer is removed (2 Thess. 2:7-8). He who restrains can only be the Holy Spirit, who infills and seals the Church until the day of redemption (2 Cor. 1:21-22, Eph. 1:14, 4:30) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. 1st Thessalonians 4:15-5:4 Even so, Maranatha! Recent Significant Events - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2019/07/21/recent-significant-events-daymond-duck/ First, as I write this article, Hurricane Barry is bearing down on Louisiana, and I suspect that some people are wondering why is this happening? Among other things, I believe natural disasters are part of the curse that God placed upon the earth because of sin. There will be natural disasters until the curse is removed (Rom. 8:22). I also believe that God sent the Ten Plagues upon Egypt to let Pharaoh know that Israel's God is God, and there are some things that humans can't control (Exodus 7:14-12:30). I also believe that natural disasters come from the heart of a loving God that wants sinful people to repent of their sins and return to Him (II Chron. 12:12-14). We live in a godless world with many Church members (Christians in name only) twisting Scripture to justify their re-definition of sin. Someone said beware of half-truths because the half you believe may be wrong. God may be telling us that repentance in the Church is badly needed. A recent Pew Research poll found that the number of people in the U.S. that call themselves Christian was 86% in the early 90's, 78.4% in 2007 and 70.6% in 2014. God loves people, but He hates sin, and He will judge sin. Second, true Christians are close to losing their freedom of speech and religion. In Jan. 2019, UN Sec. General Antonio Guterres directed one of his advisors to develop a plan to combat hate speech and hate crimes. The plan was presented to the UN in June 2019, and it wants to globally outlaw all speech, writing and behavior that is divisive or intolerant (all speech, writing and behavior that criticizes Muslims, gays, etc.). Third, concerning Pres. Trump's Deal of the Century, his Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt said, "We are aiming for a home run." Pres. Trump believes the peace negotiations have gone on long enough and it is time for a comprehensive, final peace treaty in the Middle East. God is the only One that knows what is going to happen, but it should be noted that the rebellious Palestinian leadership is not so rebellious after all. Three things have spurred them to try to re-establish their relationship with Pres. Trump: 1) Pres. Trump cut off U.S. financial aid, and the PA is hurting financially; 2) The PA has decided that Pres. Trump will get re-elected, and they want to smooth things over with him; and 3) PA efforts to get all of the Arab nations to boycott Jared Kushner's Bahrain conference was ignored by some Arab leaders. Fourth, last week, there was an article about Mark Zuckerberg's desire to create a one-world currency in early 2020. This week, Pres. Trump and Jerome Powell, head of the Federal Reserve, chimed in on the subject. Mr. Trump tweeted, "If Facebook and other companies want to become a bank, they must seek a new Banking Charter and become subject to all Banking Regulations, just like other Banks, both National [and international]." Mr. Powell said America's central bank has "serious concerns" about Mr. Zuckerberg's one-world currency. Notice that discussion of a one-world currency has now moved from the pages of books on Bible prophecy to tweets at the White House and Federal Reserve testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives. Fifth, some people want to deny the existence of King David because they don't want to believe the Bible is the Word of God. If scholars can prove that King David existed, it would make it harder to deny what the Bible says. Several years ago, archaeologists started excavating a site in Israel that appeared to be an ancient town. They have found and carbon-dated many items. On July 8, 2010, they announced that the town they have found is the ancient town of Ziklag. According to the Bible, King David hid at Ziklag when he was fleeing from King Saul. It seems that archaeology keeps proving the Bible right, and it never proves the Bible wrong. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond & Rachel Duck [email protected] War Drums - Hezbollah Deploys Forces Along Israel's Northern Border - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=3346 Hezbollah is reportedly deploying its forces on the Lebanon-Israel border, The Daily Beast reported over the weekend, linking the move by the Iranian-backed Shi'ite terrorist group to the rising tensions in the Persian Gulf. According to the report, while the majority of the deployment has taken place on the Lebanon-Israel border, Hezbollah has also bolstered its forces in the Syrian Golan Heights. A Hezbollah commander The Daily Beast identified only as "Samir" said the group was feeling the bite of the sanctions the United States has imposed on Iran, which he said have cut into Hezbollah's budget. The salaries of Hezbollah fighters have been cut in half, according to the report. Hezbollah is "ready to initiate hostilities--if and when Tehran deems that necessary," said Samir. "The sanctions now have us preparing for dealing with the Israeli front. ... We will fire the first shot this time," he said. He further boasted that Hezbollah has new drone capabilities and new anti-aircraft and anti-naval weapons acquired in Syria, alongside a more seasoned fighting force. He emphasized the importance of the Lebanese terrorist group's positions in the Syrian Golan, which he said give it the ability to open a second front against Israel According to the report, Samir is in charge of 800 fighters on Lebanon's border with Israel. Israeli military intelligence pegs Hezbollah's missile arsenal at 150,000, and estimates that all of Israel is within their range. "Our wish before the war in Syria was to go and open a front in the Golan but [the Syrian government] set a red line," said Samir, referring to the limitations Syrian President Bashar Assad imposed on Hezbollah's activities in Syria prior to the onset of the 2011 civil war. "Now there are no red lines," he said. Blue and White leader Benny Gantz commented on the report, saying that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah "knows well that any threat to Israel will meet a forceful response. He has to understand that this time, he won't be able to make it back to the bunker." Nasrallah has been in hiding since the 2006 Second Lebanon War and is believed to be living in a bunker from which he rarely emerges. In a speech last Friday marking the 13th anniversary of the 2006 Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah boasted of the terrorist organization's expanded military capabilities and threatened that another war would "bring Israel to the brink of extinction." Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded on Sunday by threatening to deal Lebanon and Hezbollah "a crushing military blow" if Hezbollah attacks. The Hamas-Iran Plan to Eliminate Israel - by Bassam Tawil - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14575/hamas-iran-eliminate-israel "There are Jews everywhere. We must attack every Jew on planet Earth! We must slaughter and kill them, with Allah's help. We will lacerate and tear them to pieces." - Fathi Hammad, Hamas senior leader, at a rally near the Gaza-Israel border, July 14, 2019. Haniyeh's statements coincided with a visit to Iran by a senior Hamas delegation. Headed by the Palestinian arch-terrorist Saleh Arouri, the delegation will spend a few days in Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders on ways of strengthening relations between the two sides. If the Hamas arch-terrorist succeeds in his mission to secure more funding from Iran, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip will most likely ratchet up their terror activities against Israel. The most effective way to stop Hamas from carrying out its plan to "slaughter" every Jew is by increasing international sanctions and other means of pressure on Iran -- before it is too late. Has Hamas, the Palestinian terror group that rules the Gaza Strip, finally accepted the two-state solution and abandoned its objective to destroy Israel? The headlines in some Arab media outlets on July 20 created the impression that Hamas has changed its policy and is no longer seeking the annihilation of Israel. More remarkably, the headlines made it seem as if Hamas were presenting a new plan for peace with Israel. Quoting statements by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, several Arab media organizations ran headlines implying that the terror group now favors the two-state solution. "Hamas does not oppose the establishment of a [Palestinian] state on the 1967 borders," the headlines shouted. Haniyeh reportedly made his statements during a video conference interview with Turkish journalists in Istanbul. The interview was organized by a group called the Palestinian Forum for Communication and Media, which describes itself as an "independent media organization aiming to enhance coordination between Arab and international media organizations to support the Palestinian cause." Although the initial impression created by Haniyeh's statements suggest a dramatic shift in Hamas's policy - from seeking the destruction of Israel to accepting the two-state solution - it quickly becomes clear from reading the rest of his remarks that there is no change in the terror group's strategy or ideology. Haniyeh carefully clarified that accepting a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 "borders" does not mean that Hamas would recognize Israel's right to exist. "Hamas is not opposed to the establishment of a state on the 1967 borders, but insists on not recognizing the Israeli occupation of the rest of the Palestinian territories," the Hamas leader is quoted as telling the Turkish journalists. Haniyeh, to his credit, was more honest that the editors who chose the misleading headlines suggesting that Hamas has accepted the two-state solution. Listen closely to what Haniyeh was really saying: "If we are offered a Palestinian state next to Israel, we will not say no. While we will take whatever Israel gives us, we will never recognize its right to exist. We will use the state as a launching pad to liberate all Palestine, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River." Haniyeh's remarks are nothing but a smokescreen, intended, it seems, to deceive the world into thinking that his terror group has softened its position towards Israel and Jews. Yet, the Hamas leader was quite clear about the terror group's stance. He even went as far as assuring the Turkish journalists that his movement will never abandon the "armed struggle" against Israel. "We often resort to peaceful and popular resistance [against Israel]," Haniyeh said. "This does not mean, however, that we have given up our armed resistance against Israel." For Haniyeh, the weekly demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel border, which are being held in the context of the Hamas-sponsored "Great March of Return," as "peaceful" and "popular" acts of "resistance." The protests, which began in March 2018, are anything but "peaceful" and "popular." In the Hamas lexicon, launching rocks and arson kites at Israeli farms and villages near the border with the Gaza Strip is defined as "peaceful resistance." Although the organizers of the protests have been publicly calling on participants to preserve the "peacefulness" of their weekly demonstrations, Palestinians have repeatedly attempted to infiltrate into Israel by knocking down the security fence along the border or hurling firebombs and explosive devices at Israeli soldiers. They are probably doing that because they do not listen to what their leaders tell them, or because they have lost faith in their leaders and believe that violence is the only way to extract concessions from Israel. Last Friday, the protests were held under the banner of "The Friday of burning the Zionist flag." The demonstrators not only burned Israeli flags; they also clashed with Israeli soldiers. Reports from the Gaza Strip said that more than 70 Palestinians were injured during the clashes. In addition, since the beginning of the protests in March 2018, more than 260 Palestinians have been killed, and thousands injured. The number of Palestinians taking part in the Friday protests finally appears to be declining: many Gazans have apparently reached the conclusion that their leaders are using them to advance their own interests. Since the marches started, Palestinians have seen no improvement in their living conditions. If you follow Hamas's logic, it is only a matter of time before the organization declares that firing rockets again and kidnapping Israeli villagers are also "peaceful" and "popular" means of "resistance." The mainstream media in the West will doubtless continue dutifully to rewrite its definitions. Hamas's true intentions were expressed by one of its senior leaders, Fathi Hammad. During a rally near the Gaza-Israel border, he recently said: "There are Jews everywhere. We must attack every Jew on planet Earth! We must slaughter and kill them, with Allah's help. We will lacerate and tear them to pieces." He also urged Palestinians to purchase "five-shekel knives" and "cut the necks of Jews." Haniyeh's statements coincided with a visit to Iran by a senior Hamas delegation. Headed by the Palestinian arch-terrorist Saleh Arouri, the delegation will spend a few days in Tehran for talks with Iranian leaders on ways of strengthening relations between the two sides. In November 2018, the US Department of State offered a five million dollar reward for information about Arouri, who serves as deputy head of Hamas's "political bureau." Saleh Arouri's covert operational activities, including the handling of Hamas terrorist squads, are mainly carried out in Lebanon and Turkey," according to the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center. "In Lebanon, where he lives today, he operates under the sponsorship of Hezbollah with no interference from the Lebanese government, while in Turkey the authorities ignore his activities and those of Hamas." Arouri is one of the founders of Hamas's armed wing, Izaddin al-Qassam Brigades, and is responsible for several bloody terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers, including the 2014 kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in the West Bank. Notably, Arouri is not travelling to Tehran to discuss with Iranian leaders ways to improve the living conditions of Palestinians in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. He is wholly preoccupied with how to acquire more weapons and money for killing Jews. It is no coincidence that Hamas chose a commander of its armed wing to head the delegation to Iran. He is going to Tehran to request weapons and funding for terror activities, his special expertise. The Iranian leaders, for their part, are not about to offer Arouri and his friends cash to construct hospitals and schools in the Gaza Strip. Iran will ensure that its money is earmarked for building more terror tunnels along the Gaza-Israel border and manufacturing rockets that will be used to attack Israel. Iran's leaders never tire of reminding everyone of their desire to annihilate Israel. The most recent threat came from a senior Iranian lawmaker, Mojtaba Zolnour, chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission. "If the US attacks us, only half an hour will remain of Israel's lifespan," he said. In another threat earlier this year, the second-in-command of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that Iran will obliterate Israel if it starts a war, and the Israelis will not even be able to bury their dead. "Our strategy is [to wipe] Israel [off] the world's political geography and Israel seems to be approaching this reality by its mischiefs," Brigadier General Hossein Salami told reporters in Tehran. If Israel "does anything that leads to a new war, certainly it will be [the kind of war] that will result in their elimination, and the occupied territories will be retaken. Israelis won't even have a cemetery in Palestine to bury their corpses." In welcoming the Hamas delegation, the leaders of Iran seem to know something that is hidden by misleading headlines: that Hamas remains committed to its goal of destroying Israel. The Iranian leaders know that Arouri, with his proven record of terrorism and his hands dripping with Jewish blood, is someone Tehran can do business with. Hamas is desperate for cash and weapons. It needs these resources not because it is ready to accept the two-state solution, but in order to prepare for the next war with Israel. It seems that Arouri is seeking to affirm to his Tehran cash-cow that Hamas is still very much on the same page as they are: eliminating Israel and replacing it with an Iranian-backed terror state. If the Hamas arch-terrorist succeeds in his mission to secure more funding from Iran, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terror groups in the Gaza Strip will most likely ratchet up their terror activities against Israel. The most effective way to stop Hamas from carrying out its plan to "slaughter" every Jew is by increasing international sanctions and other means of pressure on Iran -- before it is too late. Daily Jot: A polite political discussion-really? - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com A friend of mine who I haven't seen in many years wanted to strike up a conversation about politics. He was very respectful and was dancing around topics very gently; said he was practicing because people needed to discuss issues and participate in the 2020 election. He started out by saying that he wanted to talk to me about politics. I said that I had been out of politics and didn't really want to get into it. He said how proud he was of the 20 Democratic Party candidates during their debate because there was a range of liberals and conservatives talking about issues. He actually thought that the Democrat debate showed a distinction between liberals and conservatives. This was my second red flag. The first red flag was that he was proud of the candidates for discussing issues. Here ya go. Issues. What are the issues? The Democratic Presidential Debate really didn't discuss issues. They discussed problems. They are very good, in fact excellent, at bringing up problems. There are problems everywhere, especially with people who disagree with them on what the problems are. I told my friend that there can be no "discussion" of issues between him and others or between politicians and anyone else until the labels are dropped and people can talk about issues safely and with respect for one another as adults. He didn't seem to get what I was saying, and acted confused. So in explanation, I said that so long as someone is labeled a racist, bigot, white supremist, misogynist, Islamophobe, homophobe or whatever other "phobe" or "ism," if they disagree with that person on any particular issue, there can be no respectful dialogue. He was nodding his head, but I got the sense that he believed that conservatives were actually doing that to liberals and, to him, that's why there was a problem-especially because President Trump attacked liberals like that. There was absolutely no recognition that there was anything wrong with the labeling by liberals, their political bigotry or ideological intolerance. There was an assumption that the labeling was coming from conservatives. Even when someone from the left wants to discuss politics politely, their idea is that the other side is actually representative of one or more of the "phobes" or "isms" they hate so much. They are immediately judging from the content of their own heart-the bias of their tribal brainwashing. When I said there could be no respectful dialogue so long as one side was going to label the other side, the conversation was immediately changed. My friend was somewhat disarmed. Very few times these days will anyone discuss political issues politely. I have to hand it to my friend to try. But the environment is so acerbic, even the best of intentions is emblematic of the worst of these times. Remember Proverbs 15:1, "A soft answer turns away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger." Perhaps, my words at least made him think. Daily Devotion: Stepping to Destruction - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. Imagine for a moment that you're on a diet, and you've decided to go on a walk every morning for exercise. You settle on a route that takes you right past your favorite doughnut shop just when they're making them fresh. You know it's a mistake to go that way, but you do it anyway. As you walk by the doughnut shop, congratulating yourself for exercising, you glance in the window. Soon you're standing at the window. And before you know it, you're sitting inside-not at a table but in a vat of raw dough. That's how sin works. Psalms 1:1 sums it up perfectly: "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful" (NKJV). Notice the progression. First there is walking, then comes standing, and finally it's sitting. Contrast that with the next verse: "But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night" (verse 2 NKJV). To paraphrase it, he loves to read the Bible. He loves to hear the Bible preached. He loves to hear songs with verses from the Bible. He loves the Word of God and meditates on it, which means that he thinks about it. He ponders it. He considers it day and night. If you want to be a blessed, or happy, person, then you will need to separate yourself from some things and some people and in exchange surround yourself with other things and other people. The problem is the believer does not pull the nonbeliever up; the nonbeliever usually pulls the believer down. If you want to live a godly life, then you will need to separate yourself from ungodly influences. 
FROM THE HEART
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