Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Last Hour - Pete Garcia -
http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8498 Throughout scripture, we take note of the different statements from Christ, the prophets, and the apostles regarding time in the last days. One could easily note that the prophets and apostles viewed themselves as being in the last days even in their day. This nearness (as we would call it) has been the cannon fodder for the skeptic, Preterist and Amillennialist alike and have used it for centuries to try and beef up their eschatological positions. But seeing as how they (apostles and prophets) viewed themselves as being at the end of all things, how much closer to the Lord's return are we now than they were then? Well for a minimum, 2,000 years closer. This then begs the question of how long the last days actually are in terms of bible prophecy. Here is a sampling of how the end-times are viewed in regards to time itself. Jesus "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near-at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Matt. 24:32-34 And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled...Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." Luke 21:24-28 "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last." Revelation 22:12-13 Peter Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:19-21 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9 Paul 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. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:4-5 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. Romans 11:25 John Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. 1 John 2:18 James Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:7-8 Assessment There should be several takeaways we see in reading this assortment of passages regarding time and our Lord's return. 1. God does not view time as we do (i.e., linearly) but rather, in an all-encompassing manner. He sees past, present, and future simultaneously (ex. Isaiah 46:9-10). Since humans cannot do this, and God uses men to dictate His revelations (i.e., thoughts and intentions) via Scripture which they conveyed as impending or imminent. 2. God exists outside of time, but created time for man. Time then is measured by the sun, moon, stars, and seasons (Gen. 1:14). While we have rough estimate of how long man has existed on earth (genealogical and historical calculations), we do not know how long Adam and Eve existed in the Garden of Eden prior to their fall from innocence. We assume 6,000 years, but man's time on earth could be much longer. 3. If we regard the totality of man's existence on the earth being six thousand years (from Adam until now), we, those of us who have lived after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (circa 1st century A.D.) have inhabited the last third of that 6,000 years. 4. Scripture records that God has had His plan for man's redemption, Israel, and the Church at, from, and before (respectively) the foundation of the world (Genesis 3:15, Matt. 25:34, Ephesians 1:4). This speaks to the longsuffering nature God and His desire to save as many as would be saved (2 Peter 3:8-9). 5. Christ's first coming was timed perfectly to arrive at critical juncture in time which would allow for the maximum exposure and opportunity for the Gospel to spread abroad (Gal. 4:4-5). His second coming return has been imminent, impending, and has only been held back by this same longsuffering God has toward mankind. According to Paul, there is a 'fullness' of the Gentiles that will one day be reached (Rom. 11:25), and will mark the final turning point of God from the Church back to the nation of Israel. So if we have been in the last hour since John's day, and Christ's coming was at hand in James' day, how close is the Lord's return actually? We all know that of that day and hour, no man knows (Matt. 24:34), but we also know that both Jesus (Rev. 3:3) and Paul (Hebrews 10:25) told us to be watching as we see that day approaching. There are several points I would like to address in terms of knowing definitively when we are on God's time table. The first definitive marker that we can take note of, is something my good friend Matt Ward pointed out in his terrific article regarding technology and Revelation. There is a coming point in which man's ambitions exceed God's intentions; The Bible talks of a time soon to come when there will be a one world economic and political system under one single ruler, as well as a time when each and every person on earth will be required to take a "mark" so that they can buy or sell; those without this "mark" will be excluded from all forms of commerce, even from the most basic survival food stuffs. Mankind stands on the brink of a series of technological breakthroughs that will change this world dramatically and forever. These breakthroughs will begin to occur within the next decade, even the next few years. The problem, though, is that these future technologies predicted for just the end of the next decade seem to exceed the technology predicted in the book of Revelation. This can therefore only lead us to one logical conclusion; that the Tribulation period the Bible speaks so much of, the Time of Jacobs Trouble, lays just ahead, in the near future. We are already making huge gains in technological breakthroughs in many areas: Artificial intelligence (which some hope [or fear] leads to the singularity), RFID chips and genetic storage for implantable tech, and gene-editing programs such as CRISPR technologies. This author believes that these breakthroughs are necessary for the mark of the beast program to be effectively implemented globally. But other things such as time travel, teleportation, space colonization, and super-soldiers seem to be beyond what the bible states is available at the end. However, there will be a resurgence of supernatural phenomenon as the dark spiritual forces descend upon a world without Restraint. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 2 Thess. 2:7-10 The second point is with what John noted in his passage (1 Jn. 2:18) pertaining to the coming of the Antichrist. He states that little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. Furthermore, he continues they went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. Think of how fractured Christianity has become over the past four centuries. How many have strayed from the simplicity of the Gospel? How many sects, cults, and denominations have broken away to follow unorthodox and unbiblical teachings and traditions? How many have remained behind in Roman Catholicism which follows the teachings of men rather than sola scriptura? The one issue that Jesus reiterated repeatedly in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24:3-5, 24-25) was of false teachers and false messiahs. ...Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many... ...then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. Conclusion There are numerous signs converging in our day that point to this coming fullness of times. Just as there was a fullness of time for Christ's first advent (Gal. 4:4-5), so too will there be another fullness of times for Christ's second. Just as Christ's first coming took the Jewish people by surprise, so too will His second appearing catch the world off-guard. Even many from within the Church will be caught off guard as they are not looking for His return (Rev. 3:3). We are currently inhabiting a small window of time in which Christendom has become exactly as the Bible predicted it; weak, watered down, lukewarm, and ruled by everyone's opinions (Rev. 3:14-22). Christendom is ripe for the coming apostasy that will sweep all the world's religions into one giant melting pot whose nauseating fragrance reaches the heavens triggering increased judgment. For the first time in human history, man now has the ability to destroy all life on the planet. But not to outdo ourselves, we have also developed the systems that will eventually allow one man (the coming Antichrist) to have complete power to rule over the world. No other leader has ever had that type of control at his disposal before. At the height of their power, Alexander the Great, Augustus Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, and Hitler were never able to wield true global power and authority because they all lacked the same things: the technology to control all buying and selling, and the people's dependency on the same system to survive. All the aforementioned leaders also lacked the key ingredient as it pertains to biblical eschatology, which is a revived and reborn nation of Israel back in her historic homeland. Psalm 83; Isaiah 17; Ezekiel 38-48; Zechariah 12, 14, Isaiah 2, 11, 66; Matthew 24/Mark 13/Luke 21; 2 Thessalonians 2; and Revelation 6-19 all require a national Israel back in her land. Most of these passages also require a newly rebuilt third Jewish temple which is only possible if Israel is in control of Jerusalem, which is why the world has been so fervently trying to divide her capital for the past 40 years. All of these issues point to one inescapable fact, that if John was (according to the Holy Spirit's inspiration) in the last hour, we are in the last seconds of the last minute of that hour. So... Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming-in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch! Mark 13:33-37 Hamas, Palestinian Front Leaders: Jared Kushner's Mideast Peace Efforts Will Fail - by Ali Waked - http://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2017/08/28/exclusive-hamas-palestinian-front-leaders-rail-jared-kushners-mideast-efforts/ The Trump administration's efforts to secure an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal will fail, members of Hamas and the National Front for the Liberation of Palestine stated in interviews with Breitbart Jerusalem. The Palestinian spokesmen were responding to last week's visit to the region by a U.S. delegation led by Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser. Hamas official Husam Badran claimed to Breitbart Jerusalem that, "This administration is like those before it, standing with the Israeli occupation against the national Palestinian project." "We don't trust or place hope in the American delegation for what's called the Middle East peace process. All these attempts will fail because of the extremist right-wing government in Israel and because of the extremist American administration and its delegates who actually belong to the Israeli occupation and consistently support it," he claimed. Badran's statements do not comport with reality. Israel has offered the Palestinians a state numerous times, including during U.S.-brokered talks, only for the Palestinian leadership to turn down the successive offers. Badran's Hamas claims the entire state of Israel is "occupied" territory. Badran, however, warned that, "The only option to deal with Israeli machinations is through resistance in all its forms in order to achieve an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital." In order to achieve such a state, he said, the Palestinian Authority must "return to national reconciliation and summarize the agreed methods of resistance, since it has been proven that the entire political project has failed." "Resistance" is a euphemism for terrorism against Israelis. An official with the National Front for the Liberation of Palestine, meanwhile, blamed the Palestinian Authority for pursuing "illusions" about the possibility of a political solution in meetings with American officials. Kayed al-Goul called on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to give up the negotiating process and return to the option of achieving national unity. According to al-Goul, "The American administration is part of the effort to establish the occupation in the region by trying to market a regional initiative at the expense of the Palestinians. There are Arab countries that, under the auspices of the American effort, are trying to normalize their relations with the Israeli occupation, something that the Palestinian factions oppose and we expect the Palestinian Authority to also take a clear stance on the issue." Al-Goul warned the PA that "the American administration will try to impose regional political deals on it, with the intention of protecting the interests of Israel in the area and in order to create alliances with which Israel will be part as if this country were a friend of the Arab countries and not their enemy." Al-Goul urged Abbas to end the Palestinian divide, "and to adopt a national strategy and rebuild PLO institutions with the cooperation of the factions led by the Hamas movement with the intent to draft a new national document that includes the political process and supports the full rights of the Palestinian people." Iran in Syria - http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Iran-in-Syria-503556 Israel has proven its readiness to act in Syria over the last five years. It may need to continue doing so. Russian President Vladimir Putin is well aware that Iran's influence in Syria is a major concern in Jerusalem. The question is whether Putin can do anything about it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu conveyed the extent of Israeli concerns to the Russian leader when he traveled to Putin's summer holiday resort in Sochi last week. He made it clear to Putin that Israel would not tolerate the establishment of a permanent and significant Iranian presence in Syria that includes military bases and missile launcher sites. Unfortunately, a number of factors have come together to make the extraction of Iran from Syria particularly complicated. The nuclear agreement implemented in 2016 between Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers - the US, UK, France, China and Russia, plus Germany - has made it more difficult to act against Iran. By negotiating and signing a pact with Iran the signatories were giving the Islamic Republic international legitimacy. Too many countries have too much invested in ties with Iran to turn back the clock. Iran is abundantly aware of this and is leveraging its newfound legitimacy to maintain a strong presence in Syria as the civil war there gradually winds to an end. Russia is one of the countries that has enjoyed renewed economic ties with Iran. Those who supported the deal and now voice concern over Iran's presence in Syria should have known that this would happen. The deal paved the way for Iran to do what it wants. It gave it money and legitimacy and Israel is now potentially going to pay the price. Meanwhile, the foreign policy of the US is in disarray. Besides a single missile strike launched against the Assad regime for using chemical weapons, the Trump administration seems to have no desire to get involved in Syria, let alone bring to bear the military force needed to remove the Iranians. In theory, Russia has an interest in the removal of Iran, which it sees as a competitor. In post-civil-war Syria, Russia would like to see a diplomatic solution that allows it to remove most of its troops from the area, while maintaining its military influence from the seaport it has established in Tartus. Russia also wants a piece in the lucrative deals to be made as part of the rebuilding of Syria. Continued Iranian influence in the country complicates matters for Russia. It increases chances of conflict with Israel and could eventually lead to turf wars between Tehran and Moscow. In contrast, Iran has a cardinal interest in maintaining a presence in Syria. Iran's mullahs see an opportunity to expand Iranian influence in the region and take advantage of being on the winning side in the Syrian civil war. Iran paid a hefty price in lost Shi'ite lives, as well as destroyed equipment and arms, not to mention the enormous risks Tehran took in meddling in Syria's internal affairs and fighting Sunni forces there. Now Iran has an opportunity to establish a new center of influence, not through proxies, as is the case in Gaza, Lebanon or Yemen, but directly by having Iranian forces on the ground. From there, it could establish air force bases, deploy tanks and divisions and amplify, in an unprecedented way, the threat it already poses to the State of Israel. Under these circumstances, Netanyahu is smartly maneuvering between Washington and Moscow. It is still not clear if he can succeed in getting a commitment, from either party, that Iran will not be allowed to stay, but there are other goals that might be attainable. Aware that a direct conflict between Israel and Iranian forces in Syria could endanger the Assad regime, Putin might be able to distance Iran from Syria's southern border with Israel and Jordan. There can also be a Russian-Iranian understanding limiting Iran's deployment of missiles in Syria. The Russians can justify this by claiming to be interested in maintaining stability and preventing Iran from endangering the Assad regime by opening a front with Israel. The problem with any deal of this kind is that the Iranians are not a party that can be trusted. They see themselves on the cusp of a historic conquest and will fight to ensure it succeeds. In the end and like in the past, this may be a case of Israel not being able to rely on anyone but itself. Israel has proven its readiness to act in Syria over the last five years. It may need to continue doing so. Iran, Turkey and Russia Seek a New Triangle for the Region - Amir Taheri - https://english.aawsat.com/amir-taheri/features/iran-turkey-russia-seek-new-triangle-region A high-level Turkish military-diplomatic delegation is expected to visit Tehran soon to "put final touches" to a strategic accord between Ankara and Tehran to help stabilize the Middle East, Iran's Chief of Staff General Muhamad Hussein Baqeri revealed on Monday. Speaking at the end of a visit to the Iran Border Force headquarters, Baqeri said the Turkish team, to be headed by Turkish Chief of Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar, will be a follow-up to Baqeri's "historic" visit to Ankara last week. Almost at the same time, a spokesman for the Turkish military announced that Russia's Army Chief of Staff General Valery Gerasimov would soon lead a high-level delegation to Ankara to discuss tripartite cooperation with Iran, among other things. Tehran sources said Baqeri may later visit Moscow to prepare the ground for a more formal level of military-security cooperation by the three nations. Details of the preliminary accord reached between Iran and Turkey during Baqeri's Ankara visit have not been revealed, ostensibly at the demand of the Turkish side which may want to first inform its NATO allies. Nevertheless, based on statements made by Baqeri on Monday, the Ankara accords cover three domains. The first concerns the security of the sensitive triangle that forms the borders of Turkey, Iraq and Iran in a plateau were ethnic Kurds form a majority of the population. At different times and on different levels all three nations have had to face the challenge of the Kurdish quest for identity, autonomy and, in some cases, even secession. With brief periods of ceasefire, Turkey has been engaged in a war of attrition against the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) for almost three decades, a war that has claimed some 40,000 lives. Iraq is currently facing the challenge of an independence referendum that the Kurdish autonomous government in Irbil wants to organize next month. For its part, Iran has experienced a rise in armed attacks by Kurdish groups based in Iraqi Kurdistan on Iranian security forces along the border. Concern about Kurdish "hostile action" has risen in Iran as a result of a recent decision by the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran, to publicly commit itself to fighting for regime change in Tehran. Hitherto, only smaller Kurdish groups such as Komalah, a Marxist outfit and PJAK, the Iranian branch of PKK, had pursued a policy of warmed struggle against the Islamic Republic. Turkey is trying to apply three plans to deal with its Kurdish problem. The first is the building of a 65-kilometer long wall along its borders in the Kurdish triangle with Iran and Iraq. Tehran strongly supports this because it also makes it more difficult for Iranians fleeing into exile to reach Turkey. The second plan is to carve out a glacis inside Syrian and Iraqi territories to deprive the PKK from a fallback position in those countries. That plan, tacitly backed by the Iraqi autonomous Kurdish authorities and the remnants of President Bashar al-Assad's regime in Damascus, is opposed by the Syrian Kurds backed by the United States. The third Turkish plan is to promote a regional alliance that could eventually include Iran, Russia and Iraq. The idea is that such an alliance, though limited in scope, would leave little space for the US-led Western powers and their regional Arab allies to regain the influence they had enjoyed in the Middle East since the fall of the Ottoman Empire over a century ago. That, in turn, would give Turkey a big voice in the Levant as a springboard for a greater projection of power across the Middle East. It is not clear whether Ankara is seeking a formal alliance with Tehran or would only work for a more dynamic application of the existing accords. Under the Shah of Iran and Turkey enjoyed close military relations that included joint staff conversations at a strategic level. Those relations were severed by the late Ayatollah Khomeini who accused Turkey of acting as "a lackey of the Americans." It now seems that the current "Supreme Guide" Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wants to revive at least part of those relations in a new context. At a meeting in Ankara in 2014, Iran and Turkey reached a border security cooperation accord signed by the governors of Chaldaran and Maku in Iran and of Agri and Igdir provinces in Turkey. The accord envisaged three joint security meetings each year, plus a mechanism for exchange of information on the movements of terrorist groups and smuggling networks. What the accord did not permit, reportedly to Turkey's chagrin, was the right of hot pursuit of armed terrorists, something that Turkey had obtained from Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Judging by the composition of the high-level team that accompanied Baqeri to Ankara, it is possible that the issue was part of the broader discussions. Deputy Foreign Minister for Asia and Oceania Affairs Ebrahim Rahimpour, chief of IRGC's Ground Forces Mohammad Khakpour, Deputy Chief of Iranian Armed Forces Brigadier General Gholam Reza Mehrabi, Deputy Minister of Defense for Education and Research of the Armed Forces Mohammed Hassan Bagheri, and several other high-ranking officials accompany Baqeri in the visit to Turkey. The second domain covered during the Baqeri visit concerns the future of Syria which Tehran believes must be determined by Iran, Turkey and Russia to the exclusion of the US and its Arab allies. According to Tehran sources the issue is still causing "some friction" with Turkey because President Recep Tayyip Erdogan still insists that Assad must at some point be scripted out of the equation to allow the "new Syria" to emerge. A sign that Tehran may be flexible regarding Assad's future came on Monday when general Qassem Soleimani, the man in charge of running Iranian policy in Syria and Iraq, said in a speech in Tehran that Iran's interventions linked to "our own interests, and not any support for any particular person." Don't be surprised if Iran presents the new informal alliance as Russia and Turkey joining "The Resistance Front" led from Tehran. Baqeri's historic visit evoked a third plank of what Tehran hopes would be a credible plan to stabilize the Levant and exclude the US and its allies. That plank consists of "regional economic cooperation" to give the Iran-Turkey-Russia alliance some tangible moorings. Last week, the Iranian Ghadir Investment Holding, controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) signed a $7 billion deal with the Russian state-owned Zarubezhneft and the Turkish holding Unit International, controlled by people close to Erdogan, to develop new oil and gas fields in Iran for export to global markets. Iran and Turkey are also engaged in talks to double transit by Turkey through Iran and aimed at markets in the GCC area, notably Qatar and the UAE. Turkey which has the biggest construction firms in the region also hopes to secure the lion's share in future contracts to rebuild Syria and Iraq with the IRGC's Khatam al-Anbia conglomerate in tow. Turkish construction firms have sustained heavy losses, especially in Libya, Tunisia and Egypt, as a result of the Arab Spring and regard the rebuilding of Syria and Iraq as a second life. Preliminary talks have also taken place between Russia and Turkey to develop supply lines for the Caspian basin energy exports through Turkish ports. Is an Iran-Turkey-Russia triangle really taking shape? Judging by noises made in Tehran, Ankara and Moscow the answer must be yes. However, the trio remains strange bedfellows with contradictory positions and conflicting interests. In other words, between the cup and the lip there may be many a slip. Things That Nobody Wants to Say - By Daymond Duck - http://www.raptureready.com/2017/08/27/things-that-nobody-wants-to-say/ On Aug. 15, 2017, President Donald J. Trump stepped out of the elevator in the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City to deliver a speech on rebuilding America's infrastructure. The room was full of reporters. President. Trump delivered a very brief message and asked for questions. Someone asked, "Why are the CEOs leaving your manufacturing council?" The question had nothing to do with America's infrastructure, but President Trump responded. Someone else asked, "Why did you wait so long to denounce neo-Nazis?" President Trump responded, but several bad-mannered reporters were interrupting, yelling and shouting over him like a bunch of mean-spirited juveniles with no self-control. They were deliberately rude. The contempt of these reporters for President Trump and for the office of the president of the U.S. was on full display for all of America to see. President Trump soon asked, "How about a couple of infrastructure questions? It was obvious that the reporters weren't interested in America's infrastructure because the reporters ignored him and continued their rude uncivilized assault. The yelling continued and the biased reporters were clearly trying to push President Trump into blaming the alt-right (short for alternative-right and sometimes used to include patriots, Christians, conservatives, TEA Party, etc.) for the rioting and beatings at Charlottesville, Virginia on Aug. 12, 2017. President Trump blamed both sides (alt-right and alt-left). Then he said, "You had a group on one side that was bad. And you had a group on the other side that was also very violent. And nobody wants to say that." Over the next few days, it was obvious that half-truths were all that the public was going to get from the majority of media reporters, most Democrat leaders and many Republican leaders (Nancy Pelosi, Tom Perez, John McCain, Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney, to name just a few). Half-truths are misrepresentations of the whole truth and they are often revealed to deceive people. Deceit, lying and little respect for the truth such as the public has received from the media and many of America's leaders in recent days is a well-known indicator of the approaching Tribulation period. The majority of the media, most Democrat leaders and many Republican leaders rightly condemned the KKK and Nazis. But the problem is what they ignored not what they condemned (and I urge you to Google these things). And some of these self-righteous individuals spewed their selective half-truth horror for days. · It takes two or more people or groups to fight. In this case the two sides are called the alt-right and the alt-left. · The KKK, Nazis and so-called white supremacists had a court-ordered permit to demonstrate, but most of the alt-left groups didn't have one. · George Soros (widely accused of being a former Nazi, Nazi collaborator and major contributor to Democrats) gives large sums of money that winds up in the pockets of some of the alt-left groups (Antifa, Anti-Racist Action, Black Lives Matter, etc.) that were violent. · George Soros and the Democrats admit that they want to bring down President Trump and many of the violent paid demonstrators in the alt-left groups arrived in busses and caravans. · Some of the alt-left thugs came prepared for a fight (wearing helmets, carrying baseball bats, carrying two by fours with nails, carrying ice chests containing balloons filled with urine, feces, paint and chemicals). The KKK often wears hoods and masks, and some of the alt-left wore hoods and masks, but many commentators and politicians wouldn't say it. · Black Lives Matter and Antifa demonstrations have turned violent on other occasions. Several police have been killed by avowed black nationalists within days of Black Lives Matter demonstrations. President Trump's critics seemed eager to condemn white nationalists, but they wouldn't say the words black nationalists. · Many researchers say in the 1800s the KKK supported slavery, was associated with and perhaps founded by, the Democrat Party. For years, many of the southern states that once fought to keep slaves were dominated by Democrats, but people won't say it. · A statue of former Democrat Senator Robert Byrd is displayed at the West Virginia state capitol. He started a chapter of the KKK, was a mentor of Hillary Clinton and once filibustered civil rights legislation, but none of this seems to bother the majority of the media, Democrat leaders and Republican leaders. At least, they weren't mentioning it. · Although Black Lives Matter people were involved, some of the so-called Fake-News Media showed only white people fighting and rioting on TV. The majority of the media, most Democrat leaders and some Republican leaders rightly found the violence of white people repugnant and wrongly ignored the violence of black people. This distortion of facts exacerbates the situation. These things are harming America. People need to tell the truth. President Trump told the truth when he said there was blame on "many sides." On the other hand, the majority of the media, most Democrat leaders and some Republican leaders have not told the truth, they have harmed the U.S. and therefore, they are just as despicable, or perhaps even more so, than the violent demonstrators. George Soros and others that provide funds that go to people that are rioting, destroying property and saying things that lead to killings should be jailed. The swamp truly needs to be drained, but it may be too much for one person. God may have to do it. Woe unto the world when He does. One must wonder what President Trump's critics would have said if some of those urine and feces loaded, filthy, smelly unsanitary, alt-left balloons had been hurled at them. Why did they criticize those that were being bombarded and ignore who was bombarding them and with what? Why are the media and many of our leaders silent? Is this a real case of collusion by the Trump haters? Is their hatred so intense that they are willing to harm America? Finally, as I understand the Word of God, lying and deceit originate with Satan and they are characteristics of the Antichrist. The day will come when the Antichrist and his False Prophet will put up a statue and they will try to force the whole world to worship it. Those that tear it down and stomp on it will lose their head. Be careful lest America's current leader is replaced with one the world will deeply regret. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond & Rachel Duck [email protected] Watchman Warning: The Google Gate - By Hal Lindsey - http://www.hallindsey.com/ww-8-27-2017/ Tucker Carlson of Fox News recently called Google, "The most powerful company in the history of the world." That's an amazing statement, but hard to argue with. There are dozens of internet search engines, but Google controls 81% of the market. The internet holds the world's data, and the world uses Google to access it. Early on, the company promised "unbiased and objective" search results. But Google has a point of view. This month, their biases were exposed to the whole world. It started when Google sent a young engineer, James Damore, to a diversity seminar in China. He later described it as "a lot of just shaming." On the flight back to the U.S., he wrote a memo about diversity at the company. To its credit, Google encourages employees to speak up in various internal forums. Damore shared his memo with colleagues, and it quickly spread across the company. Then someone leaked it online, and it went viral. The tech industry, particularly in Silicon Valley, is under constant pressure to hire and promote women. But there are fewer female candidates for such jobs than male candidates. Some blame the firms themselves, including Google. Others blame education or residue from a patriarchal past. Damore suggested that one of the contributing factors might be inherent biological differences between males and females. For most people, the idea of differences between the sexes is obvious - not controversial. But, while true, companies have to be careful with that idea. Applied with a broad brush, it can lead to discrimination. So, Damore released a memo saying that Google may not be as guilty of gender-discrimination as the numbers might indicate, or as Google itself seems to believe. Even so, Google fired him. Damore explained the firing like this. "I committed heresy against the Google creed by stating that not all disparities between men and women that we see in the world are the result of discriminatory treatment." I have a slight difference with him there. He didn't just commit "heresy against the Google creed." It was deeper than that. He committed heresy against political correctness. Damore is a really smart guy. A child chess prodigy, he served as a researcher in Biophysics and Systems Biology at MIT, Computational and Mathematical Biology at Harvard, and Computational and Experimental Biology at Princeton. Pete Singer, Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, wrote, "Damore put forward a view that has reasonable scientific support, and on which it is important to know what the facts are. Why then was he fired?" University of New Mexico psychology professor Geoffrey Miller wrote that Damore got "most of the science right." Miller also said that Damore showed "pretty good judgment about what we know and what we don't know." Google stands as the gatekeeper of the world's knowledge - and it fired a man for merely questioning PC orthodoxy. This shows how deeply the current academic climate has embedded itself into corporate America. Tucker Carlson said he believes the U.S. Congress should take immediate action. "Since it has the power to censor the internet," Carlson said, "Google should be regulated like the public utility it is, to make sure it doesn't further distort the free flow of information to the rest of us." I like Tucker and share his concerns. But his remedy would make things worse, not better. Suddenly, government bureaucrats would become the gatekeepers of knowledge. Regulate Google, and you have to regulate all Internet search companies. There would be no more competition. Government would control them all. Government regulation would give us inferior search engines, and a less free society. Google is the biggest because - for now - they make the best product. If we keep government out of it, a competitor may come along with a better product still. Be that as it may, I'm fascinated that Tucker Carlson, a well-known, small-government conservative would want to concentrate such power in the hands of government. If he, of all people, sees the need for such enormous government reach, it's easy to see how a future government could step in, and decide what Internet search results are "fair." But which government? When I said 81% of searches used Google, I didn't just mean in the United States. I meant in the whole world. How can the U.S. Congress presume to regulate what people in India see when they search the internet? The only way such control could be effective is for it to be global. Imagine the selling points for a global commission regulating internet search results. In addition to "fairness," they would promise to screen out terrorist propaganda, fake news, misleading ads, and other "dangerous ideas" (including alternative medicine). The internet is a morass of scams and misinformation. The modern terrorist movement thrives because of the internet. A commission with real enforcement powers would promise to change all that - and it would be a powerful step toward a one-world totalitarian, Antichrist-led government. For the Antichrist to rule the world, he must control the World Wide Web - starting, perhaps, with Google. Daily Devotion: When politics takes precedent over life - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com Hurricane Harvey has passed through Houston, leaving devastation in its wake. Now the finger pointing begins. Already the news media is saying that President Donald Trump didn't do enough. But there is also a little feud brewing between Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, a Democrat, and Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott. It seems that Abbott wanted at least the low laying flood-prone areas of Houston to be evacuated and Turner didn't want any of the city evacuated. The Wall Street Journal reports Turner urged people to stay in their homes as the hurricane blew into Houston, leaving five dead and more than 3,000 in need of rescue, with another 30 inches of rain forecast over the current 24 inches. The Journal reported that Retired Army Lt. General Russell Honore, who led the Department of Defense response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita said, "I'm not trying to be critical of the mayor and history will prove whether they guessed right or they guessed wrong, but I do not believe we should leave people in a place we know is going to flood. It's counterintuitive." Turner said in a TV interview that there was "no question" in his mind that he made the right decision. Abbott said he had left several messages on Turner's cell phone offering assistance, but hadn't heard back. Keep in mind that cell phones always show the number of the person calling. Turner would know that it was the governor. Harvey had hardly hit the coast before the news media began ganging up on Trump for not doing enough. Reuters gave some insight into the shark-fest with White House Homeland Security advisor Tom Bossert's response to a question. Referring to the President, he said, "His questions aren't about the geopolitical issues or about large political consequences. His questions are: 'Are you dong what it takes to help the people that are going to be affected by this storm?'" The story went on to recall that the "flawed response" to Katrina by Republican President George W. Bush in 2005 "tainted the remainder" of his presidency. Of course, it never mentioned the incompetence of the New Orleans Democratic mayor whose blundering had a rippling impact on rescue and aid efforts. The media and the Democratic Party minions blame Republican governors and presidents for anything that goes wrong in natural disasters. In reality it is often Democratic mayors who make the wrong decisions which prevent Governors and Presidents from appearing to respond appropriately. The mayors, who make the call for state and federal assistance, usually get a pass. It all seems so political-in this case the Houston mayor won't take calls from the Texas governor. The media is insinuating that President Trump is playing politics with the response. Meanwhile, lives are on the line. These political lapdogs in the media and Democratic mayors like Turner should be ashamed of themselves. But mark these words: The media will blame Abbott and Trump. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:4, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Daily Devotion: The Power of Integrity - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org "I will be careful to live a blameless life - when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity in my own home." -Psalm 101:2 What is integrity? It is having character-not being a character. (A lot of us would qualify there.) One definition suggests that integrity is what you are in the dark. In other words, who are you when you're all alone and no one is watching? Maybe our character could be determined by what kind of television programs catch our interest or the type of websites we might visit when no one is watching. What kind of thoughts would be in our heads if we knew that no one would be aware of them? Of course, God is always watching and aware, but we often forget that. I like how Will Rogers put it: "So live that you would not mind selling your pet parrot to the town gossip." I heard the story of a pastor who boarded a bus one Monday morning. He paid his fare and took his seat, but then he realized that the bus driver had given him a lot of extra change. At the next stop the pastor went up to the bus driver and said, "Excuse me, sir, but you gave me too much change. I wanted to give it back to you." The bus driver said, "Pastor, I didn't make a mistake. I was at your church yesterday, and I heard you preach on honesty. I wanted to see if you would live it." Compromisers reach no one. There is power in conviction. There is power in integrity, in godliness, and in standing up for what we believe. Many times we don't realize that people are watching us. They are paying attention to what we do. They may not tell us they are watching us, but they want to see if we are the real deal, if we are men and women of integrity. 
FROM THE HEART
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt - non-profit organization, and all your donations are tax deductible. If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 
|
|