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End-Times War in the Mideast: Part 2 - By Steve Ashburn -
https://www.raptureready.com/2020/08/18/end-times-war-in-the-mideast-part-2-by-steve-ashburn/ LEBANON In Part 1 of this series, we saw how Lebanon was destroyed as a nation because of their participation in the Psalm 83 Arab invasion of Israel. This event took place at the beginning of the end times and involved a blitzkrieg assault on the Holy Land by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza, West Bank, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, and Sudan-followed by an equally swift and deadly retaliation by Israel. This iconic war is described prominently in several books in the Old Testament (Ezekiel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Psalms, Amos, Obadiah, Malachi, and Zephaniah). It is notable because it marks the beginning of the forty-year period known as the end times-and of Israel's complete restoration to their ancient land of Canaan. We continue now in our studies of this historic event with end-times prophecies in Ezekiel and Isaiah, which provide additional details of this conflict concerning Lebanon. Tyre is an ancient city in modern-day Lebanon, located twenty-five miles south of Sidon. It was the capital city of the Phoenician empire. With its sister city Sidon, it formed a great commercial empire stretching throughout the Mediterranean, which was prominent from about 1550 to 300 BC. Among other things, it was famous for the production of a purple dye extracted from a rare shellfish, and garments so colored by it were worn exclusively by royalty. Ezekiel 27 lists many other items which Tyre traded:
The commercial activities of Tyre and the Phoenicians indeed were worldwide in their day. Its great wealth and ultimate destruction are described in Ezekiel 26-28. It was first destroyed after a long siege by Nebuchadnezzar from 585-572 BC. The city was subsequently rebuilt by survivors on an offshore island, where it continued in prosperity for another 250 years. This city was finally overthrown by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, after he built a causeway to reach it. Although the destruction of ancient Tyre is well-documented in history and in the Bible, Isaiah 23 also contains prophecies about Tyre relating to the end times. "As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle. Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn" (Isaiah 23:5-7). One immediately becomes suspicious about the timetable for this prophecy when reading verse 5, because "the report concerning Egypt" occurs at the same time as "the report of Tyre." Egypt was not destroyed at the same time as Tyre when Nebuchadnezzar (572 BC) and Alexander the Great (332 BC) made their respective conquests; therefore, this passage must refer to a separate judgment, when both Egypt and Tyre are judged at the same time. In verses 4 and 12, Isaiah actually refers to "Zidon" (Sidon) as the target of this judgment; therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that this particular judgment refers to Lebanon in general. The Hebrew word translated "burden" in Isaiah 23:1 (massa) is only used in Scripture when the vision relates to extremely severe judgment: "The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for it is laid waste." A similar wording is found in Nahum 1:1, which refers to the complete and utter destruction of Nineveh: "The burden of Nineveh." The ships of Tarshish (Western nations) are told to "howl" because of the greatly deleterious effect that the destruction of Tyre has on their commerce. In context, this must refer not only to Lebanon but to the Middle East in general because of the end-times conflagration which will embroil all the nations surrounding Israel. Tyre is referred to as "ye inhabitants of the isle" in verses 2-3. In verse 2 she is identified as "whom the merchants of Zidon... have replenished." In verse 3 she is further identified as "seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations," meaning she traded in wheat ("seed of Sihor") from Egypt ("harvest of the river") and generally speaking was a marketplace for the nations ("mart of nations"). The identification as "ye inhabitants of the isle" probably refers to Tyre post-572 B.C. when the city was relocated to an island a mile offshore from the old city, i.e., modern Lebanon. The inhabitants are advised to flee to Europe ("Tarshish"); they will evacuate Lebanon like a river ("Pass through thy land as a river," verse 6), and then are addressed as Europeans ("O daughter of Tarshish") in verse 10. Tyre also escapes to Cyprus ("pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have no rest") where it is apparent that their cities (Lebanon) have been destroyed and there is no going back ("so that there is no house, no entering in: from the land of Chittim it is revealed to them"). At the conclusion of the war, Israel will be in possession of the Lebanese coast up to Zarephath, which is halfway between Tyre and Sidon: "And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath" (Obadiah 1:20). Tyre also is referred to as "your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days" (v. 7). Isaiah probably would not refer to Tyre as a city of great antiquity because, in his day, it was a very modern city. This description refers to end-times Tyre (Lebanon), where the description as a city of great antiquity is much more appropriate. Isaiah then gives the reason for the destruction of Tyre-and by extension the end-times war that it refers to: "The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth" (Isaiah 23:9). Ezekiel 28 speaks of the same battle: when God "shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered," then he "shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen... and they shall know that I am the Lord their God" (Ezekiel 28:25-26). In fact, the phrase, "they shall know that I am the Lord" is mentioned four times in Ezekiel 28:22-26. Once again, the Lord demonstrates that he alone is sovereign over the earth-and in particular, that Israel is his covenant nation, whom he has regathered back into their land, and that he is preserving and protecting them from their enemies. Mercantile nations like Tyre (and, by implication, Western nations) tend to have relativistic policies based on money and will favor whatever nation is their immediate financial interest (e.g., Arab nations) rather than supporting Israel. Perhaps that is why God says he will "bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth." The ancient covenant that God made with Abraham, "I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee" (Genesis 12:3), is still in effect; Lebanon and other nations involved in this war-including "Tarshish"-unfortunately, learn this the hard way. In addition, an intriguing prophecy about the Antichrist ("the Assyrian") is found here: "Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he brought it to ruin" (Isaiah 23:13). This passage indicates that the Antichrist will be instrumental in rebuilding Iraq after it has been destroyed (Isaiah 13; Jeremiah 50-51), building skyscrapers ("towers') and elegant buildings ("palaces") as the center of world commerce and government, until it is finally destroyed by God ("and he brought it to ruin") at the end of the tribulation (Revelation 18). This places this particular judgment of Tyre (Lebanon) in the end times. Isaiah 23:14 concludes this end-times passage by using the same phrase as in verse 1: "Howl, ye ships of Tarshish." These two phrases sandwich this passage in Isaiah, referring to the battle which begins the end times; Isaiah 23 then skips to the millennium. How long will Lebanon be dispersed among the nations? Verse 15 reads: "And it shall come to pass in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as an harlot." Apparently, Tyre and its sister cities will be desolate ("forgotten") for the rest of the forty-year end-times period-and for thirty years beyond that, stretching into the millennial reign of Christ. Why the additional thirty years? Verses 17-18 give us a clue. "And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord: it shall not be treasured nor laid up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing" (Isaiah 23:17-18). Apparently, faithful refugees from Lebanon who survive the tribulation will be reestablished in their homeland during the millennium and will manufacture food and clothing for other nations ("for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently, and for durable clothing"). It will take some time for the faithful remnant of Tyre to repopulate and establish agricultural and manufacturing industries-thirty years, in fact. Isaiah indicates her activity at that time will be honorable: "And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord." We'll cover more about this Mideast war in Part 3 of this series, including the "dissolving" of Palestine (Gaza Strip) by a "fiery flying serpent"-alluding to the use of enhanced-radiation warheads. So stand by for Part 3! I provide more details of this and many other end-times prophecies in my recently published book, END TIMES DAWNING: Get Ready! (available from www.endtimesrecord.com). Please read it! Also, if you would, please leave a book review on Amazon! Yours in Christ, Steve Ashburn Trump's Mid-East Peace Efforts 'Akin to King Solomon Before Temple Construction' Says Rabbi Glick - by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - www.breakingisraelnews.com "I will bring them to My sacred mount And let them rejoice in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices Shall be welcome on My mizbayach; For My House shall be called A house of prayer for all peoples." Isaiah 56:7 (The Israel BibleTM) Following the remarkable success of the Trump-brokered peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Secretary of State Mike Pompeop arrived in Israel on Monday with an agenda to expand peace in the region. Under the agreement, Israel and the UAE agreed to full diplomatic ties including exchanging ambassadors, starting direct flights, and trading openly. Though many of the details of the agreement have yet to be revealed, it is believed that the agreement with the UAE would require Israel to delay or cancel plans to declare sovereignty over Judea and Samaria. Pompeo has stated in the past that extending Israeli sovereignty was a decision "for Israelis to make." In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, Pompeo said that the issue of Israel's granting sovereignty to Judea and Samaria will "have better clarity" when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed meet with US President Donald Trump to sign the treaty, possibly in the coming weeks. "I'll leave it to those three leaders to discuss," he said. "The commitment that the Israelis made was that they would not extend their sovereignty for a period of time. We are hopeful that the leaders will all be physically together, and will probably have greater clarity and the ability to answer that more clearly." Pompeo plans to continue his visit to the region by visiting Sudan, Bahrain and the UAE. He hinted to the media that more countries are interested in signing peace agreements with Israel though he did not specify which. "I couldn't tell you the timing and I couldn't tell you which countries, but I think as other nations around the world come to see that there is enormous benefit to the relationship - from a diplomatic perspective, an economic perspective, and from a security perspective - I think that other nations will see that it is the right thing to do," Pompeo said in an interview with the J-Post. "I think they will also come to see that building out this set of relationships is the pathway that will lead to stability in the Middle East as well." A historic peace conference Israel Hayom cited "a senior Arab diplomat...who represents the United Arab Emirates" as saying that Pompeo is working to arrange a multi-national Middle East peace conference to be held in the next few weeks in one of the Arab Gulf states. The Palestinian Authority accused the UAE and other Arab nations of being traitors for considering normalizing relations with Israel. PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat published an article titled "The birth of Arab Zionists" in which he blamed Christians, not Jews, for the growing US support for Israel. "Extremist Christian Zionism has appeared in many forms: support for Israel and its advancement as opposed to the backwardness and corruption of the undemocratic Arabs and Muslims. This is one of form of justifying support for Israel. Their use of religion reached the point where US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he was walking with Christ in order to legalize settlements, recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and annex Palestinian territories." Rabbi Glick weighs in Rabbi Yehudah Glick, a former Likud Member of Knesset and head of the Shalom Jerusalem Foundation, noted that just as the First Temple was built during a period of peace following a long period of war, a wave of peace agreements could be a harbinger of a period of peace more conducive to the construction of the Third Temple than the first several decades of modern Israel which were characterized by wars. "One thing I cannot tell you is the future," Rabbi Glick said as a disclaimer. "But if the options are to bring a House of Prayer to the Temple Mount through peace or war, it is certainly preferable to do so through peace like the First Temple which was brought through peace." Rabbi Glick noted that just like King Solomon made peace agreements with King Hiram of Tyre (known today as Lebanon) and with the Queen of Sheba, the current efforts to pursue peace include Lebanon and African nations. It should be noted that according to the Mishnah (oral law), the altar must be made of unworked stones that have not been formed by iron tools. This is because iron is used to make weapons of war and the Temple is meant to prolong life, not shorten it. "The normalization agreement with the UAE is unprecedented and seems geared towards bringing a House of Prayer for all nations. For My House shall be called A house of prayer for all peoples." (Isaiah 56:7) This is the first time that an Arab Muslim country is speaking in terms of inclusiveness. The Temple Mount was always a difficult issue when negotiating with other Arab nations but not so with the UAE." Rabbi Glick emphasized that one of the most significant achievements in this agreement is that this it will bring the Arab Muslim citizens of the UAE to the Temple Mount to pray. It should be noted that last week, the Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, issued a fatwa (religious proclamation) declaring that Muslim citizens of the UAE will not be permitted to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. "There will be direct flights from the UAE,' Rabbi Glick noted. "I expect thousands of Muslims from the UAE who will come to pray on the Temple Mount." Ironically, the fatwa may bring about a situation in which citizens of the UAE who visit the Temple Mount will be prohibited from praying inside and will be forced to pray outside, alongside the Jews. "This is a huge opportunity because, until now, the Palestinian Muslims refused to pray with us," Rabbi Glick said. "That was preventing the prophecy from coming. Now, with Christians, Muslims, and Jews praying side by side, we can have a House of Prayer for all nations." Nearing Midnight: Thief in the Night - Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Authors note: This article was first posted a number of years ago. The Bible Truth here was never more relevant than right this moment. Thus it is timely as a reminder of just how near must be the great event called the Rapture. ----------------- No scriptural proof-text in God's Word more clearly points to the first of the two phases of Jesus Christ's second coming than does the following: "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night" (1 Thess. 5:2). We who hold to the pre-trib rapture viewpoint are often accused of being deceivers. We are condemned by our detractors as leading astray Christians alive now -if they live to see it- who will be required to endure the tribulation, thus to wash their robes clean in preparation for inheriting God's Kingdom. We are castigated for foisting upon innocent, gullible believers a "secret rapture" that will somehow lead these Christians to take the mark of the beast(Rev. 13:16-18). I'm not precisely sure of their "reasoning," but I think they claim this because they are convinced that the ones who fall for the rapture viewpoint won't be able to recognize Antichrist when he comes to power. We who teach the pre-trib rapture, so the accusation goes, would have falsely led these people to think the Church would not be here when Antichrist is on the world scene. Almost all who are antagonistic to the pre-trib rapture doctrine teach that the "elect" will have to endure part or all of the seven-year tribulation era. Those who hold to a post-tribulation rapture, or a no-rapture position, believe that Christ will come back at the end of the tribulation, at Armageddon. They hold to the notion that that is His only return in the second coming. There are other views of the second coming that have Christ returning when the earth is perfected and made ready, but we won't go there in this essay. Let us look at only the pre-trib rapture and the post-trib rapture positions for the purpose of exploring what is meant by the "thief in the night" references in 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 2 Peter 3:10. These two viewpoints-the pre-trib, and the post-trib-offer the greatest contrast to examine in consideration of the second advent of Jesus Christ, within the overall belief that rapture will, according to Bible prophecy, happen before Christ's foot actually touches down on Planet Earth. The pre-trib view of rapture says that Christ's second coming is in two phases, separated by at least seven years. The post-trib rapture view says that the rapture and Christ's coming back to the Mount of Olives will occur almost simultaneously-certainly with no more than a matter of days separating the two events. The post-trib position says there is no "secret" rapture. Christ's coming again will be fully seen in the heavens by all, including Christians who will be watching for Him to break through the darkness of that hour. We agree that the rapture of the Church (all born-again believers in Jesus Christ for salvation since the Church Age began at Pentecost) will be anything but a "secret". The world will instantly go into cataclysmic chaos at the moment that stunning event takes place. The imagination is hard-pressed to fathom the ramifications of what will happen when millions suddenly vanish. Every child below the age of accountability will be gone in that mind-boggling instant of time. I am convinced that all babies (including those in the wombs of their mothers) will be instantly in the presence of Christ in the clouds of glory. Every corpse of every dead Christian will be raised to join with his or her soul to meet Christ in the air in that atomos of time. The rapture will be mystifying, and to some an inexplicable phenomenon, but it will not be a secret. It will happen before the eyes of a stupefied planet of left-behind earth-dwellers. This declaration that Jesus will call His Church to be with Him seems audacious to many. But, it didn't seem so to the Apostle Paul. He was quite confident-even adamant-in his prophecy concerning the "mystery" he had been given by the Holy Spirit to instruct all believers down through the Age of Grace (Church Age). "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Cor. 15:51-52). He explains what will take place next, in that stupendous fraction of a second: "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" (1 Thess. 4:15-17). Jesus himself told of this "mystery" Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 15:51. The Lord explains what happens after believers -both the bodies of the dead and those who are living- are caught up in the air to be with Him: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (Jn. 14:1-3). So, the rapture will take place. Believers and the bodies of those who died during the Church Age will be "caught up" in one single moment of time. "ALL," not "some," will go instantly to be with Jesus, who will then take them into heaven, where He has been preparing their dwelling places since He ascended from the Mount of Olives. Again, the pre-trib position on this joyous event is that it is imminent (could happen at any moment), and will happen before the tribulation period begins. The post-trib position says that it happens at the end of the most terrible time in human history, just as Jesus Christ is returning from heaven at Armageddon. The pre-trib view holds that it will occur at an unknown time. It will be a stunning, sudden, and unannounced-to-the-world-at-large break-in upon business as usual on Planet Earth. The post-trib proclaims that it will occur following all of the horrors of the judgments outlined in Revelation. The pre-trib view says that the world at large (left-behind earth-dwellers) won't see it coming. The rapture will cause all left on earth to wonder what has happened. The post-trib view says that all eyes will behold Christ's coming again to a hellish planet, and the living and dead saints will then be gathered to Christ. The defining thing to consider in thinking on the two diametrically different views of the rapture and second coming is wrapped up in the term "thief in the night". The Apostle Peter again uses this mysterious term, first used by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:2: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Pet. 3:10). Peter is saying here that the day of the Lord-that time when God and His Christ, His Son, takes over this fallen planet-will begin like a thief in the night. It will be a sudden, catastrophic break-in upon a world doing business as usual. (Read Luke 17:26-29 to understand how things will be going along as usual when Christ comes back.) This description hardly fits the post-trib view, or any other view that says Christ will rapture His Church during a time of unprecedented trouble (Jer. 30:7; Matt. 24:21). This indicates that it will be a total surprise, because a thief in the night doesn't announce his coming with great, cataclysmic fanfare. The break-in is swift, stealthy-a totally unexpected event. Peter foretells in these passages that the "day of the Lord" will then run its course, until the remaking of the heavens and the earth. The rapture will begin this "day of the Lord," which will then run at least 1,007 years. This is the first phase of Christ's second coming. The rapture occurs like a "thief in the night". The second advent, when Jesus' foot touches down on the Mount of Olives, is the second phase of His second coming. There are those who say with vehemence that it is blasphemous to equate Christ's coming again as being like the break-in of a thief in the night. How dare we liken their Lord to a "thief"! Really? Here's what Jesus, the Creator of all things, said about this matter: "But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matt. 24:43-44). Looks like a pretty good case for the Lord's sudden intervention into the nefarious affairs of this increasingly wicked world, does it not? That thief-in-the-night moment could happen, literally, at any moment. Certainly, signals of the tribulation are beginning to come to pass. "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh" (Lk. 21:28). We Should Mourn For What Is Happening To America - Michael Snyder - http://themostimportantnews.com/archives/we-should-mourn-for-what-is-happening-to-america This week it was Kenosha, Wisconsin and next week it will probably be somewhere else. Yet another senseless police shooting was followed by more rioting, looting and violence. Of course rioting, looting and violence have basically become a nightly occurrence in America at this point anyway. The protests never seem to end in some cities, and crime rates are absolutely skyrocketing all over the country. Much of what is written about all of this chaos is focused on trying to pin the blame on someone, but even if we correctly identify who is to blame, will that actually stop the violence? I don't believe that it would. In fact, I don't think that anything is going to stop the violence any time soon. I just feel so sad today. We are literally watching the meltdown of our society, and that process is going to continue no matter what happens in November. I have never seen so much anger in America, and the frightening thing is that the level of anger seems to just keep growing. I wish that we could learn to truly forgive one another, love one another and come together as a society. For years I have been telling my readers that civil unrest like this was coming, and there is an entire chapter in my new book entitled "Civil Unrest and Martial Law". So many of the things that myself and others have been warning about are now playing out right in front of our eyes, but there is absolutely no joy in being correct. There is only sadness. I love the United States of America and what I see happening to our nation grieves me very deeply. Whenever I write articles about our need to love one another, those articles tend not to get much attention at all. In America today, we would much rather hate our enemies than love them. The corporate media has trained us to hate those "on the other side", and they have done that job very well. They have been stirring the pot for years, and now much of the population has been perfectly primed to explode. In such an environment, it was inevitable that there would eventually be eruptions of violence. On Sunday night, it was Kenosha's turn... Armed rioters shut down streets in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday night as the city fell into chaos after a police-involved shooting earlier in the evening. A large group of rioters - including at least two armed rioters - blocked a police armored car from proceeding down a street. After a standoff, the police began throwing tear gas canisters from the top of the vehicle to disperse the crowd. Moments later, gunshots rang out after one of the protesters appeared to open fire. The police shooting that caused these riots only happened a few hours earlier. That means that some of these rioters were already armed and were ready to cause chaos on very little notice. And it seems that these sorts of riots are almost always accompanied by widespread looting... The violence quickly spread and eventually large mobs began looting shops and stores throughout the city. Later in the night, vehicles at several car dealerships were set ablaze. Including one at a dealership next to a church which displayed a Black Lives Matter sign. And just like in so many other cities, police officers in Kenosha quickly became targets. In fact, it was reported that one officer was actually knocked down with a brick. Protesters were promising to come back Monday night, but Governor Tony Evers called out the National Guard in a desperate attempt to keep that from happening... In a bid to stave off another night of chaos, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said 125 members of the National Guard would be in Kenosha on Monday night with responsibility for 'guarding infrastructure and making sure our firefighters and others involved are protected.' The Kenosha Police Department declared a state-of-emergency curfew for Monday night beginning at 8pm until 7am the following morning, according to a post on the police department's Twitter feed. Meanwhile, we witnessed yet another senseless riot in Portland on Sunday night... A tumultuous weekend in Portland ended late Sunday night with Portland Police declaring a riot outside of the bureau's North Precinct. Police said they made 23 arrests over the course of the night on various charges like interfering with a peace officer and rioting. During the riot, protesters were literally hurling anything that they could find at the police... Demonstrators lit dumpsters on fire, and threw fireworks, rocks, and "sharp chunks of ceramic" at officers, police said. Just after 10:30 p.m., police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly. Sadly, a similar scene unfolded in Denver just the night before... Dozens of armed Black Lives Matter anarchists descended on the Denver Police Headquarters and damaged buildings, set fires and shot fireworks at cops. The mob, consisting of between 50 to 75 demonstrators, were said to be wielding numerous weapons - from axes to guns - during the incident. Of course the riot in Denver didn't even make many headlines around the nation because this sort of thing has become so commonplace in our major cities at this point. We have basically entered a period of semi-permanent civil unrest. And now that lawlessness has been unleashed in our streets, new eruptions of violence will be easily sparked with each new incident that comes along. I am particularly concerned about this upcoming election season. It is easy to imagine quite a few scenarios which would unleash widespread rage and fury. I just wish that things could be different. Americans should not be fighting other Americans in the streets, and it deeply grieves me whenever I see it happening. If everyone simply treated others the way that they would like to be treated, we wouldn't see senseless police shootings and there wouldn't be rioting and looting in our streets. Unfortunately, the very basic values that this nation was founded upon were rejected by our society long ago, and now we are paying a very great price for that choice. Daily Jot: GOP Convention: positive with a warning - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The first night of the GOP Convention kicked off with an upbeat video about America being a land of promise. The night featured speakers who showed both the promise of America, its goodness, and opportunity AND Democratic Party radical socialism that threatens to remake our country. It was a stark contrast to the negative name-calling of the Democratic National Convention a week ago. But it's all in the eyes of the beholder how the convention is being interpreted. The mainstream news media, which gave the Democrats espousing socialism a pass, are outraged with the Republican characterization of a Biden-Harris America. Republicans focused on freedom, free markets, family values, and God. The opening video, voiced by actor Jon Voight, set the tone for the rest of the night, however, many of the networks didn't show it and they broke away for commercials during important parts of the evening. The opening video text, which the mainstream media essentially censored, reads: "We come together tonight to imagine a future...Determined by the shining light of our hopes and values and faith. A country where we are judged by our character with dignity and respect for all. The belief that all are created equal, that lives matter irrespective of race, creed or color...Committed to excelling beyond our dreams, limited only by our imaginations... where rugged individualism and American exceptionalism inspire the best in each of us. And when we see injustice to one, we act to fix it for all. This is our story. We journey together. "We stand in the breech to preserve a way of life, that while imperfect, has brought prosperity, honor and dignity to generations past and generations to come. Four years ago, we faced a historic crossroad. Career politicians promising change every election, but delivering emptiness...We chose a different path. A man who is not a politician. A man who cares. A man who loves America, AND all Americans. A man who works tirelessly for you, even tonight during this nomination. The results...Jobs were created, embracing the undeniable greatness of diversity. Prosperity. Safe communities. Protecting and serving. Caring for one another. Still, politicians spun their deceptions and obstructed progress. Fanning the flames of lawlessness. We all know that it is easy to criticize. It takes a true leader to solve problems. "COVID 19. While others criticized without solutions. President Trump's swift action saved lives. And as leading Democrats want to keep businesses closed down, our President is leading the way for a full economic recovery. We are America. Despite unpredictable events, we, as Americans, work together to overcome challenges, write our own stories. The legends for our posterity. America. Land of heroes. Land of Promise. Land of Opportunity. Land of Greatness. Join us over the next four nights as we write the next chapter of our journey and share our vision as the greatest country, with the greatest citizens, that attain the greatest achievements." I know very personally that these words were Holy Spirit inspired. The President embraces them. Proverbs 29:2 says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn." Keep that in mind as the mainstream media sides without shame with the socialists. Daily Devotion: Being Good Isn't Good Enough - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. -Acts 4:11-12 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/being-good-isnt-good-enough/ - Listen This may come as a surprise to some, but there will be people in Hell whom others would define as good people. On the other hand, there will be people in Heaven who lived bad lives, but they repented of their sin. You can be a good person, relatively speaking, but you're not good enough. You may think you will get to Heaven on your own good works, but of course you won't. That's how you might end up in Hell. Being good doesn't get you to Heaven. The Bible tells us, "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard" (Romans 3:23 NLT). But it also says, "There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity-the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone" (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NLT). Jesus himself said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me" (John 14:6 NLT). There's only one way to Heaven, and that is being forgiven by God. Heaven is not for good people; it's for forgiven people. So, the real question is this: Are you forgiven? Have you said to God, "I know I'm a sinner. I know I don't deserve to go to Heaven, but you've offered me this wonderful promise that I can go there some day. I want to. So, I want to believe in You"? That's really what it comes down to. You have to admit your sin and believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sin. Turn from that sin. Ask God to forgive you of that sin and begin to follow Christ. When you do, you can know with certainty that you'll go to Heaven. Have you done this? He's just a prayer away. 
FROM THE HEART
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