Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Pilgrims in a Foreign World - Alf Cengia -
http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8499 As Christians, we are pilgrims in a foreign world. We live in the world but we don't belong to it. Our country lies elsewhere. Have you ever gone back to an old childhood neighborhood? Most of us have likely done that. Once, on a whim, I visited my old school. I was eight or nine when we moved. It looked smaller than I expected. Of course, I was a grown up now. There was a time when we could play on the grassy median strip of the adjacent road. We were permitted to safely roam the streets surrounding the school in order to sell raffle tickets. But the strip had long since disappeared due to higher traffic demands. The place felt alien now. All my friends had moved on. On one trip back to Australia, I visited my former home. The street was already undergoing change before I'd left. Many older residents had passed away. New people had moved in and old houses were being remodeled. The formerly quiet street was bustling with cars and construction work. It wasn't the same old neighborhood anymore. Time waits for no one. One of the many ways you know you're getting old is the frequency in which older friends and relatives pass away. It's a constant reminder that our time here is but a brief sojourn. Moreover, our lives are precarious at any age. This year I lost a cousin to a freak accident. She got out of bed one morning, tripped over and struck her head, dying instantly. As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. Psalm 103:15-16 There has been a lot of talk about transhumanism lately. Scientists want to crack the code of immortality for humankind. Is this a good thing, though? I'm reminded of Jadis, the Witch Queen in C. S. Lewis' book The Magician's Nephew. In a scene reminiscent of Adam and Eve's eating from the Forbidden Tree in the Garden, she steals an apple from a Narnian garden and eats it. Although she gains immortality, she is thereby cursed forever. I wonder what would have been the implications if our fallen first parents had also eaten from the Tree of Life. Would they then have become immortal and cursed forever? Would they have watched as their fallen children eventually died of old age while they, themselves, lived on? Perhaps one day we'll know the answers. As an interesting aside, according to Michael Vlach (He Will Reign Forever p 294): Eugene Merrill rightly suggests that Jesus' nature miracles are connected with His role as the "second" or "last" Adam. He says, "there is every reason to believe...that Jesus was exercising the God-given authority of Adam, an authority designed for the human race, forfeited by sinful Adam, and restored in and through Christ." (You can read Dr. Merrill's essay HERE.) We're not fully experiencing this restoration now. God's Kingdom is still future (Rom 8:24-25; Rev 5:10, 20:6). We still pray, "May your Kingdom come and your will be done" (Matt 6:19). Furthermore, we can't usher in the Kingdom - the Lord does this upon His return (Rev 19:15). Christians are aliens on this planet. They attract hatred for rejecting cultural exhortations to embrace homosexuality, transgender issues and abortion. Among other things, this world worships narcissism, vulgarity and sexuality. We're seeing the progression of euthanasia and population control. And also violence justified by ideology. It's hard keeping track of the daily news without becoming overwhelmed with feelings of powerlessness and frustration. Worse, many churches and Christian leaders have joined the culture on these issues. We're seeing an ecumenical movement which questions the process of justification in favor of the Social Justice and Environmental gospel. Who wants to live forever in an increasingly sinful planet? Even if we and our loved ones were immortal, this world would become gradually harder to live in. This is because Christians are citizens of heaven. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. John 15:19 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Phil 3:20-21 In fallen creation, scientifically-engineered immortality must be conditional, anyway. I suspect that this conditionality would likely be controlled by some central governing body. Yet even if an immortal human could survive hurricanes, earthquakes or volcanic eruptions etc, there's still sin to be ultimately dealt with (Rev 20:12-15). Not only are Christians commanded not to love the world and the things in it, but this world is also passing away. On the other hand those who do the will of God will live forever (1John 2:15-17). As the great Christians did in the past, let's keep reminding ourselves of God's promises. Let us look to heaven. This is what saw these Christians through tribulations and even martyrdom. Romans Chapter 8 is full of wonderful promises. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs-- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom 8:16-18 Children of God and joint heirs with Christ! Let these concepts sink in for a while. Paul tells us that even creation groans with earnest expectation for the revealing of the sons of God (Rom 8:19-22). The old heaven and earth will eventually pass away. They will be renovated (2 Pet 3:10; Rev 21:1-2, 5). Hence there's no room for a man-made utopia on earth, or anywhere else for that matter. Finally, when Christ returns, we will be instantly changed to be like Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. 1John 3:2 (see also1 Thess 4:13-18). We are pilgrims in a foreign world. Our Blessed Hope is in heaven. Praise God and Maranatha! Iran/Hezbollah noose tightens around Israel - http://www.debka.com/article/26209/Iran-Hizballah-noose-tightens-around-Israel- Nikki Haley, the US Ambassador to the UN, challenged the international community to hold Iran to account on Thursday, Aug. 31, after the Islamic Republic showed its "true colors" by restoring its ties with the Palestinian extremist Hamas. In her statement, she described as "stunning" the Hamas leader's boast that Tehran is again the biggest provider of money and arms. The breach between them followed the terrorist group's refusal to side with Bashar Assad in the Syrian civil war. "Iran must decide whether it wants to be a member of the community of nations that can be expected to take its international obligations seriously, or whether it wants to be the leader of a jihadist terrorist movement. It cannot be both," Haley said in her statement Islamic Iran has long made that decision, as the ambassador knows very well from the intelligence reports she sees. But her brave words were meant as a wakeup call for the rapid advances made by Iran and Hezbollah during August to impose their will on the Middle East, often with great stealth. Haley will have learned about the Aug. 2 meeting in Beirut between Hamas's military chief Salah al-Arouri and Iranian officials, following which Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah confirmed that the Palestinian rulers of the Gaza Strip were worthy of restored military and financial aid. That deal was clinched at the highest level in Tehran, after Arouri and a delegation from Gaza were received by top Iranian officials, including Revolutionary Guards General Qassem Soleimani. He is not only commander of Iran's Middle East warfronts, but also head of Al Qods, which runs Iran's intelligence, subversion and terror networks. These events and their ramifications were itemized in the latest issue of DEBKA Weekly, out Friday, Sept. 1. It was Soleimani who assigned Hamas and its military arm with its next tasks. Since both parties are dedicated to violent tactics (terror) to achieve their ends, one of which is the destruction of the State of Israel, all that remains to be seen is the precise form the Iranian-backed Hamas-Hezbollah partnership will take - and where. Those practicalities were aired at the secret sessions between Hamas and Al Qods in Tehran Present at some of those sessions were also Soleimani's secret agents and heads of the terrorist networks he runs across the Middle East and in the Gulf emirates. The inauguration ceremony for Hassan Rouhani's second term as Iran's president on Aug. 5 provided a convenient cover for these get-togethers. Nikki Haley's warning to the international community was prompted by these dangerous events. Although her words were powerful, telling and timely, it is hard to see any sign of their being followed up by other parts of the Trump administration. With the southern front against Israel in the bag, Iran and Hezbollah this week put together its northern front, just two or three kilometers from Israel's Golan border with Syria. This could not have happened without the Trump administration submitting to Russia's demand to revise their de-escalation zone project for the Syrian Golan, so that Iranian and Hezbollah forces are no longer required to distance themselves 40-50km from the zone, but only 8km. Iran and Hezbollah in Syria have in consequence been quietly shortening their distance from the Israeli border. But this week, they made a major leap forward, when the Russian monitors brought a group of Iranian and Hezbollah officers all the way to Quneitra. There, they were given a base under Russian protection within sight of the Israeli Golan. Tehran and its pawn therefore used the month of August to climb into position for drawing a noose around Israel and tightening it at will. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu this week boasted that his tenure was marked by relative calm. Israel, he said, had successfully avoided getting embroiled in any major war. That is correct. However, his policy of preserving the calm and maintaining a purely defensive stance has carried a price. That price was totted up on Sept. 1. By then, Iran and Iran had been able to move unopposed into position on Israel's borders with Syria and Lebanon in the north and had crept up to the Gaza border in the south. Seen from the strategic-military angle, Israel can be said to have regressed 11 years to 2006, when two foes were poised menacingly on its northern and southern borders. Israel was then compelled to fight a war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. This time, the conflict could potentially flare up simultaneously on three fronts - Lebanon, Gaza and Syria. Israel Puts World on Notice - Military Action If Iran Moves into Syria - By Yaakov Lappin - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1545 Iran is expanding into Syria, converting the country into a military and weapons base, filling it with heavily armed Shi'a proxy forces, and earmarking it as a launchpad for future attacks on Israel. Israel, in turn, has recently put the international community on notice, warning that a failure to stop the Iranian push into Syria will result in Israeli military action. In this context, Israeli officials have traveled to the U.S. and Russia in recent weeks, to share information on Iran's military moves into Syria, and to sound out the alarm over what may come next. Yet it remains far from clear that either Moscow or Washington can or will pressure the Iranians to stop. According to one report, Russia has placed its advanced S-400 air defense system near Iranian weapons factories in Syria. The factories purportedly produce long-range guided missiles for the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah to use against Israel. Russia has not confirmed the report. In August, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traveled to Sochi, Russia, where he met with President Vladimir Putin at his summer residence for an urgent meeting on Iran's activities in Syria. Iran, which runs the ground war in Syria on behalf of the Bashar al-Assad regime, has become an important regional ally of Russia, which oversees air operations in support of the Iranian-led axis. Together, they have managed to turn the tide in the Syrian war against the Sunni rebel organizations. The Assad regime has been regaining increasing amounts of territory, into which Iran and its agents pour in. Islamic State's collapse is also leaving behind a vacuum that is being filled by Iran. Meanwhile, a senior Israeli defense delegation, made up of the head of the Mossad, Yossi Cohen, and the leader of the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate, Maj.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, landed in Washington in mid-August to discuss what Iran is doing in Syria with U.S. National Security Adviser, H. R. McMaster. Israeli delegation members noted "a kind of embarrassment and lack of a clear position" among Trump administration officials regarding America's commitments in the Middle East, particularly in regards to preventing the spread of Iranian influence in Syria, Yedioth Ahronoth reported. U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman told The Jerusalem Post that "the Americans fully support the Israeli objectives...at least from a macro perspective, the Americans and Israelis are of the same mind." Yet the newspaper reported that Friedman was "unwilling to discuss...how this objective of keeping Iran out of a post-civil war Syria can be reached." According to Professor Eyal Zisser, an expert on Syria from Tel Aviv University, the U.S. is prepared to hand off Syria to Russia. "As part of this package deal, which will free the Trump Administration from the burden of Syria, the U.S. is willing to accept the Russian willingness to grant Iran a grip on Syria," he added. Zisser said that Russia is aware of Israel's concerns, and is willing to move Hezbollah and Iran back from the Israeli border by a few kilometers, but that ultimately, Moscow views Iran as a legitimate force. Moscow also thinks that Israel has to come to accept Iran as such, so long as the Iranian presence does not turn into a missile attack on Israel. "The bottom line is that neither Russia nor the US are accepting Israel's outcry, and are unwilling to push Iran out of Syria. They even view it as a stabilizing factor, and apparently they do not take Israel's threats very seriously," Zisser added. Israel's diplomatic warning campaign is in full swing, but it is reasonable to believe that the real objective is to create legitimacy for future Israeli action, Israel's former National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Yaakov Amidror, told JNS.org. "The Israeli warning regarding an intention to set red lines is important, not because the two powers (the U.S. and Russia) will act, but because when Israel acts, it will have much more legitimacy," said Amidror. Col. (ret.) Reuven Erlich, director of Tel Aviv-based Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, which has been monitoring events in Syria, said that America's goal is to dismantle Islamic State's control in areas of Syria--not to engage in nation-building there or prevent the buildup of Iranian-backed Shi'a forces. "The U.S. policy in Syria is to destroy ISIS's territorial control," he said, explaining that other issues, like the Syrian regime's relations with others, are out of the range of American policy or capabilities in Syria. "So if we suddenly see Shi'ite militias and Hezbollah in the Syrian Golan Heights, they (the Americans) will not be able to do much," Erlich said. He added, "But the U.S. can activate pressure levers that it has with Russia, which is and will continue to be a strong player in Syria, and which can pressure the Syrian regime. The U.S. is not, however, building a position on the ground that would enable it to come to our assistance if we need it." Russia does have a presence in Syria, and therefore, an ability to influence the Damascus regime and Iran, Erlich argued. Still, he said, "The Russians will not enter into a confrontation with Iran because of us. But if they realize that an Iranian presence in the Golan Heights will have a price, the Russians can be a restraining factor. That too, however, is in doubt." Ultimately, Erlich said, Israel must rely on its own ability to defend itself. Quoting Hillel the Elder, he said, "There is a saying: If I am not for myself, who will be for me?" Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman Aug. 24 released a statement that was both unusual and littered with clues about the seriousness of the latest developments. "The fact that Iran is trying to turn the whole of Syrian territory into a forward outpost against the State of Israel, with military bases, with thousands of Shi'ite mercenaries that are brought in from all over the Middle East into Syria, with an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air force base, with an IRGC naval base, the attempt to manufacture precision weaponry in Lebanon--this is a reality that we do not intend to accept," he said. Lieberman said Netanyahu's meeting in Sochi was part of an attempt to use every available diplomatic avenue, hinting heavily that military action would follow if diplomacy failed. "All that we are trying to do right now is to use all of these avenues to solve the problem," he said. In a clearly veiled warning, Lieberman added, "I hope that we can solve it through the diplomatic channels, through the international community, with vigorous activity in every direction. I hope we will not have to think otherwise." US, Israel of 'same mind' on stopping Iran in Syria - By Yaakov Katz & Herb Keinon - http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Friedman-to-Post-US-Israel-of-same-mind-on-stopping-Iran-in-Syria-503809 US envoy says Netanyahu and Trump enjoy a "phenomenal" relationship. The US and Israel are "of the same mind" when it comes to opposition to any Iranian military presence in Syria, US Ambassador David Friedman told The Jerusalem Post in an exclusive interview this week. Friedman, in his first wide-ranging interview with the Israeli media since taking up his position in mid- May, said the US was "extraordinarily receptive" to Israel's concerns about Iranian penetration into Syria when a high-level security delegation led by Mossad head Yossi Cohen went to Washington to discuss the issue two weeks ago. "They're obviously unanimously of the view that the vacuum created by the defeat of ISIS cannot result in the presence of Iranian military bases," Friedman said, adding that the issue of how to get "the right result" was still a work in progress that involves a number of other players, including the Russians, Jordanians and Syrian President Bashar Assad. "I think that the Americans fully support the Israeli objectives," he said, unwilling to discuss, however, how this objective of keeping Iran out of a post-civil war Syria can be reached. "But at least from a macro perspective, the Americans and Israelis are of the same mind." Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic process, Friedman said that the Trump administration was "trying very hard not to repeat the mistakes of the past." Rather, Friedman said that the Trump administration was trying to approach the issue "from a forward- looking perspective, and we're just trying to create something that would be a win-win for Israel and the Palestinians. "If it is not good for both, it's not going to get done, so we're trying to find ways to make sure that each side looks at the opportunity versus the present and concludes that the opportunity is better than the present," he said. "We're very sensitive to all the things that go into the calculus, and we're trying to find the right place where both sides can say, 'We're better off jumping into this pool than staying where we are.'" Asked about the regional dimension that could be in play in reigniting a diplomatic process, Friedman said Trump's senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner "has established extraordinary relationships among the Gulf states and other Sunni countries. I think those relationships are extremely important to this process." He would not, however, delve into any more detail. Friedman had harsh words for the Obama administration, saying that its enabling of the passage of anti-settlement UN Security Resolution 2334 last December was an "absolute betrayal of Israel," and as "sharp a betrayal" as any US president has ever inflicted on the Jewish state. He said that President Donald Trump's decision to name him ambassador to Israel was a signal that "America is going to be a better friend to Israel than it had been over the past eight years." Part of this friendship starts at the top, and Friedman characterized as "phenomenal" the relationship between Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The chemistry between the two men "is just excellent," said Friedman, who has sat in on a number of meetings between them. "It's fun to be with them," he said. "It's not a formal meeting. They're not on edge. They're not sitting back in their chairs in a formal way. They're kind of talking like a couple of friends, and it's fun to be in the room with them, because the conversations are really pleasant. They're funny. They're cordial. As someone who cares so much about both countries, it's great to see the leaders of both countries getting along so well." The two leaders are expected to meet in late September in New York when they travel there to address the UN General Assembly. Asked about the recent events in Charlottesville and Trump's response to them, Friedman said the president has condemned the neo-Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups "in the strongest terms on numerous occasions, and anyone who thinks the president is racist is either not paying attention or is willfully blind to the facts." According to Friedman, the real "takeaway" from Charlottesville is that a few hundred neo-Nazis and white supremacist hit a jackpot they could never have dreamed of, "because the left-wing media is so obsessed with destroying the president that they are willing to elevate these fringe groups onto the front page day after day after day just to hurt the president. That to me is astonishing." Lawlessness Labels Ludicrous Leftists Losers - Gene Lawley - http://www.raptureready.com/2017/08/27/lawlessness-labels-ludicrous-leftists-losers/ (Signs of the Times in Focus) Without question there is a decided intention to do whatever seems necessary to destroy President Trump and his administration. The obvious fact that the 2016 election was ripped out of the hands of the left in such a surprising turn of events has left that side of the political spectrum in total dismay and extreme anger. The threads of anti-Trump hatred continually surface on both sides of the aisle in Congress and the Senate. The entrenched professional politicians in both camps are enflamed at the meaning, for them, that Donald Trump has vowed to "Drain the swamp" in Washington, D.C. It is not hard to see how, over the years, there has been a tacit understanding that "they get to have their turn for eight years, then it is our time again." The promise of the Republicans about the Obamacare fiasco spells that out. "Give us control of the House, then the Senate, then the White House, and then...then...we will overturn that awful legislation, once and for all," they promised. Along with that were the crashing sounds of silence for eight years about the efforts of President Obama to destroy the American sovereignty. He was so sure of having done most of that in his drive to "fundamentally transform America" that he confidently muttered, totally out of the context of his conversation, at the Correspondents' Dinner on April 30, 2016, "The end of the Republic has never looked better!" It was like a word of reassurance to Henry Kissinger, who had rejoiced that he had been elected president in 2008, saying, "He has been primed to lead us into a New World Order." Hillary Clinton was set up to complete that long-standing goal of the globalist elite. There are two words that have made the difference in the direction of history over the centuries: "But God...." A man named Donald J. Trump, an outsider, not one of those anywhere in the swamp, one who could look into it and rub shoulders with its inhabitants as a builder of an empire in real estate without being a part of that inner circle of elite shakers and makers. He had no mission from God burning in his soul; he just saw the hypocrisy and deceitful duplicity that was underlying those whose combined intent was to create a New World Order for their own benefit. It is no longer a hidden secret that a New World Order is the intension of the global elite. Anyone who wants to learn about it can easily find relevant information about who, what, where and when of that desired goal. Put simply, it will not be pleasant for many people. Following are some signs of the times that have been foretold in the Bible and are now being displayed before our eyes almost on a daily basis. And, there is no let-up but an exponential mushrooming of events that allude to end-time developments, if not directly pinpointing them. When Jesus told us, in Luke 17:26 and following, how it would be when the Son of Man returns He said, "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be then." He gives us new insight that is not mentioned in the Genesis account of Noah, saying there would be booming activity in the economy and in social life. But in the Genesis account, we are told that "the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). And then He instructed Noah to build an ark, (for the judgment of a flood was coming). We can take Jesus at His Word with great confidence-as it was then, so will it be in the day of His coming. Paul writes that "evil men will become worse and worse" in those last days (2 Timothy 3:13). He told the Thessalonians that the "day of Christ" would not come until first there would come a falling away before the lawless one would appear and proclaim himself as God, demanding that all must worship him (2 Thessalonians 2:2-4). For a long time I looked on that passage as a reference to believers turning away from the Lord, which is truthful, but it is in reference to the whole of mankind turning away from God and turning toward lawlessness and eventually, into the very arms of that one man of sin and total evil. He will eventually demand that everyone take a mark of solidarity to His purpose. Otherwise, they will be killed, as it is described in Revelation. There is something different about the protester we see in news videos. Protesters seem to be more openly violent, hateful, threatening. And the mainline media seem to look the other way, especially in regard to the actions and attitudes of those on the left. I recall a time some years ago when I was at a traditional event and two young men got into a fight. It was vicious, mean and animal-like as they grappled and slugged it out. One of them went down and the other began kicking him viciously and with a killer instinct. Others then broke it up, but I was struck with how intentionally brutal their anger motivated them. A news video of young people engaged in destroying a historical statue in a current event revealed a young man viciously kicking the downed statue with the same kind of anger, it seems, as those two men I told of above. He could not have been much over legal voting age, if that old. The question is obvious, I think. How did he come by that anger, and why did he exhibit such hatred? He was a white man, as well. These generations of younger people are victims of the goal of dumbing down Americans, it seems, that is threaded in the fabric of plans the New World Order secretly holds. It is rather surprising who is on the list of membership in that organization. It is also surprising that a segment of the governmental body in Washington, D.C. was labeled "The Establishment" during this last election. They, and the Democratic Party, apparently have a solitary goal of destroying the Trump presidency. For them, draining the swamp means oblivion. It does not matter if America is also destroyed in the process. So where does this make sense in regard to the "times and seasons" to which Bible prophecy is pointing? In the prophetic words of John in Revelation 13 God essentially says, I will give you a one world government but it will be on My terms and timing, and it will look like the seventh head of a beast. You will have it only for a short time when an eighth head will take over in the hands of one person-the Satan indwelt Antichrist (Revelation 17:10-13). He will give you much more than you planned for-turmoil, destruction and death. And his destination is that lake of fire that will burn forever and ever. Those who do not want that destiny must seriously consider the alternative offer that Jesus gives-"he who comes to Me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). Think again on what Jesus said in Luke 17. "As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the day of the coming of the Son of Man." God has pulled the nation and the world back from economic oblivion, as it was headed to under Obama's administration. The conditions are now ripe for His coming, not only for the economic rebirth, but also in regard to the obvious breakdown of society with nose-to-nose hateful confrontation, injustice and lawlessness. One event that figures specifically in the timing when the Son of Man comes is the prophecy in Daniel 9:27 that predicts the confirmation of a covenant that would bring peace to Israel and that region for seven years. Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3, "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night, for when they shall say, 'Peace and safety,' then sudden destruction will come upon them...." Bring together the total context that includes 1 Thessalonians 4:16 to 5:4 with the Daniel passage and the details match with the Luke 17:26 and following passage and with current events, and it appears that we are on the brink of that coming of the Son of Man. Quietly without fanfare, U.S. envoys from the Trump White House are visiting several Middle East nations with the mission of arranging a peace conference that would result in a covenant of peace. (The article appeared in the Jerusalem Post on August 13, but apparently is no longer available on line.) One of Donald Trump's campaign promises was to see that accomplished. It may well be the greatest negotiating coup of the century. Its possibility bears watching closely for that cry of "Peach and safety." Anyone with an ounce of objectivity can see the blatant display of one-sided justice being played out in the "investigations of Russian collusion by the Trump campaign." No such concern is evident regarding the very open transgressions of other groups and individuals. High level crime is overlooked, but a mere private citizen had better beware of the least offense. Evilness draws God's attention; continuance in evil will certainly bring his judgment, and quickly. How can there be any winners among those who only want to "steal, kill, and destroy?" (See John 10:10.) They are all losers. The winner is God. The losers are the anti-God left, the New World Order promoters and the radical terrorists, by whatever name they call themselves. Contact email: [email protected] Now Is the Special Biblical Time to Come Close to the Creator - By Tsivya Fox - https://www.breakingisraelnews.com "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." (Song of Songs 6:3) The Hebrew month of Elul (אלול), which began on August 23, is the ordained time when Jews all over the world strive to repent and improve on their actions of the past year as the the New Year approaches. Elul is the last month in the Hebrew calendar. The next month, Tishrei, contains the holiest days in the Hebrew calendar: Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Repentence. Jews begin to spiritually prepare for the holidays a month in advance. "The acronym for Elul is 'anee l'dodee v'dodee lee - אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי - I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine' from Song of Songs. This refers not only to the love between a couple but also the love between God and His children," noted Roni Segal, academic adviser for The Israel Institute of Biblical Studies, a company which offers Biblical language courses online, to Breaking Israel News. Though connecting to God is attainable all year round, the sages teach that during Elul, "the King is in the field". This means that one may more easily reach and feel closeness to God at this time. Anee l'dodee v'dodee lee is the idea that there is a reciprocal relationship between man and God. When man awakens his heart and actions towards God, greater Godliness in revealed in this world and a relationship with Him is more accessible. The Song of Songs compares man's relationship to God to a couple's relationship. Just as there are times when couples are struggling and they appear to be "gav el gav - גב אל גב - back to back" to each other, during Elul, there is a special opportunity to become "panim el panim - פנים אל פנים - face to face" with the Creator. Rabbi Schneur Zalman explains that when a person is hurt, angry or feels abandoned, they often turn their back on the one causing them pain. This act allows people to believe that the other's back is also turned against them. Elul, he teaches, is the opportune time to turn around towards the One most loved, God. God is always waiting to greet man with His open, loving arms. In fact, it is human misperception that God turns His back on people. This month is the easiest time to humble oneself and return back to the Creator with a full heart and soul, said the rabbi. "The insights reaped by studying in depth the Hebrew language, and even each Hebrew letter are fascinating," said Segal. "We learn just from the name of the month, Elul, that this is the most apropos month to turn around towards God and man to improve our relationships with others and ourselves. It is the time to realize that God is always facing us, waiting for us to turn towards Him with our full heart." To learn more about the Hebrew language, please visit here. Daily Jot: You are the heart of our nation - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com A nation lives through the hearts of its people. America is an ideal as much, if not more, than a nationality. The American ideal traditionally has been to live free and do no harm to others. In that ideal, we become Americans by assimilating to the values of our nation-freedom, equality, respect for others, rule of law. Founded in the principle that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us, we have the freedom to own land, to enterprise with our skills and dreams, to worship how we see fit, and, as Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:13, to "enjoy the good of all his labor, it is the gift of God." This is America. If you hold to these principles, you are an American. It's an ideal that lives in your heart. Lately, especially in the last nine years, the American ideal has come under tremendous threat. There are people in gangs like Antifa, the news media, and even elected politicians who do not ascribe to the American ideal. In fact, they want to tear down everything that is American, and as the immediate past "president" put it, "remake America." It is in their heart to oppose everything that is American-its history, its capitalism, its religious foundations, its family units, its natural affections for those who are countrymen. This spirit that lives in these people is a rebellious one. The heart of these is as described in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it." There are those, however, who still embody the heart and spirit of America. They believe in freedom. They abide by the laws. They respect others. They stand for what is right according to a Godly standard. They are willing to speak up and take action when there is injustice. They hold dear to the creed that all men are created equal and have the God-given right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They have a love for family. They are loyal. They are trustworthy. They are not afraid of a fight, but seek peace first. In short they are a King David type of people, to whom God may testify as conveyed in Acts 13:22, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will." One way or another, if you are reading this, you are the heart of our nation. Whether you are a God-fearing American, one who understands that the American ideal and values also flow from the heart of God who created all things and called them good, or if you are a rebellious spirit having a wicked heart living in America, there is before you a choice of good or evil, of life or of death. The American ideal is goodness and life that shows lovingkindness and civility, but is not afraid to stand strong against unrighteousness. It's all about the heart. Let us pray a Psalm 51:10 prayer for all our countrymen that the Lord create in them, in all of us, "a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within" us. Daily Devotion: An Unlikely Audience - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org "Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening." -Acts 16:25 I was watching a television commercial the other day for a hearing device that's designed to look like a Bluetooth earpiece. In reality, it isn't a phone device at all. It simply amplifies the sound around the person who's wearing it. Maybe there are some people who wear the device so they can listen in on other people's conversations without being too obvious about it. The Bible tells us that as Paul and Silas sang their midnight praises to God in the dungeon at Philippi, the other prisoners were listening. The word listening could be translated "listening for pleasure." There is something about your favorite song that draws you in. I always notice music, and when I hear a song I love, I will tune in. I'm listening for pleasure. There in the dungeon, everyone was listening in because they had never heard anything like it. I wonder if Paul and Silas were singing some cool harmonies. Maybe not, but I think just the idea of their singing the praises of God in such a dark, oppressive, horrible place caught the attention of the other prisoners. You can be a great worshipper and not sing well at all. It is all about the attitude of your heart and a willingness to glorify and honor God, regardless of your circumstances. We have a lost world out there, and they are watching us as Christians. They are watching us when things go well for us, and they are watching us when things are not going so well. When they see us giving praise to God under such circumstances it is a powerful testimony. It opens a door of ministry. And suddenly there is an audience who will listen to what we have to say when they wouldn't have listened to us otherwise. 
FROM THE HEART
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