Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Last Days Madness? - Pete Garcia -
http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8504 The greatest pandemic to ever hit this world wasn't the Plague, the Spanish Flu, or any other biological agent, but a spiritual pathogen we know as sin. Sin has infected every human (save One) and has manifested itself through satanic, demonic, and human efforts since the dawn of time. One powerful expression of it is with the twisting of the truth. It began when Satan (the serpent) asked Eve the first question in the Bible, "...yeah hath God said?" Since then, the truth has continually been twisted and warped to accommodate the fallen motivation and ambitions of both men and darker entities. One of the more sinister aspects to truth-twisting is liberalism. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as (emphasis mine):
Liberalism takes many forms but it generally (when applied in philosophical and theological terms), means a departure from the literal interpretation to more of a subjective one (i.e., intellectual liberty). If we hold that God's word is divinely inspired and God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16), then applying our own, fallen interpretation to it, we are bound to depart from truth to something else. With ample amounts of liberalism applied, the truth then can become all things to all people. Assessment The rising tide of liberalism swept across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries like a powerful philosophical tsunami destroying every ideological, theological and economic pillar in its path. Liberalism swept aside objective truth for subjective reasoning at every turning point in a society, leaving nothing but rubble in its wake. Nothing was safe and nothing was sacred. Every society ever given over to its alluring charm has suffered the consequences of the same corrosive effects: Eroding family structure, collapsing ethical and moral standards, and the generational implosion of a post-modern era. In more recent times, the ideological destruction began with European seminaries embracing the literal departure from a literal interpretation of Scripture. With objective and eternal truth muddied, the confusion it generated permeated out through the rest of the societal fabric. From there it moved westward to the American seminaries. The mainline denomination pulpits began self-censoring so as not to offend their congregants. As large sections of society were still church-going folk, the influence of questioning even basic, fundamental Christian doctrines began to divide the Church and weaken its influence in society. In the vacuum, human secularism rushed in to fill the gap in the schools and universities with atheism and moral relativism. From the universities out to the government sanctioned public school system where the next generation of teachers would come from, "progressives" continued their lemming-like march to the left. Skepticism and historical revisioning were then carried by the political-left and fueled by pop culture like gas to a flame. The Sexual Revolution was the first salvo. Next came the Feminist Movement. Followed quickly by abortion on demand. A subsequent result of these was the explosion of divorce (now made easy) by the American government. The homosexual agenda became the newest rallying cry. The lefts relentless attack on the basic building block of society (the family unit), was almost complete. With a government-approved redefinition of marriage (to mean that people should be able to marry whoever or whatever they want to) the law of the land, the attack on the family unit was complete. By 2017, Western elites even became uncomfortable assigning gender identities to themselves or others as the whole idea of it somehow became offensive. To them, changing genders should be as fluid as changing clothes. This, at the same time they dogmatically and hypocritically force-fed Darwinian evolution as scientific fact to kids in school. This while ignoring the absolute biological truth of gender identity and life's start at conception. The left's blind hatred of Christianity finally surfaced because it represents the ultimate objective truth. This blinding has allowed the left to defend Islamic terrorism by coddling it. The left's blinding has allowed it to create academic "safe-spaces" while at the same time condoning street violence. Meanwhile, freedom of speech, religion, assembly, the right to bear arms, and the consent of the governed are (all of which made the American experiment successful) currently on the chopping block. Simultaneous to our erosion of rights is the redefinition of Christianity being a form of far-right extremism while Islam is been championed as the "religion of peace." This, despite the fact that the overwhelming number of terrorist attacks for the past forty years were and are accompanied by the exuberant shouts of "alluha akbar." Adding insult to injury, if anyone dares oppose this rising tide of this liberal lunacy they are met with violence, harassment, financial and/or legal bullying, and outright dismissal. In other words, if you disagree with this type of abstract reasoning being championed by the media, pop-culture, politicians, religious leaders, and even to some extent, the military, you will be bludgeoned. The silence of the governed began with the removal of God from schools and will culminate in the complete eradication of Christianity from the marketplace of ideas. Unless done as a form of mockery, the name of Jesus has become the most taboo subject in any public platform. Here is the rub: If society gets to the point where men and women are free to decide what gender they are, not by biological truth, but through subjective reasoning, or which bathroom they should use, or whether Islam presents a greater threat than Christianity, then you can be absolutely sure that the church of said society is going to have serious "truth" issues within its own walls. Assessment Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said...?" (Gen 3:1) If we take the way-back-when machine to 1999, Gary DeMar (a Partial [or inconsistent] Preterist) published his book entitled Last Days Madness. He did so as means to mock and counter what was then considered the dominant view of Christian eschatology, i.e., the Pre-Millennial view. I say "then dominant" as I am not sure where the church is today in its eschatology. But not to be outdone in the scoffing business, Hank Hanegraaff (the Bible "Answer" Man and now Greek Orthodox convert) decided to cash in and publish his 2007 book entitled The Apocalypse Code: Find out What the Bible Really says about the End Times and Why It Matters Today. Neither of the aforementioned books actually offered any explanations for our current state of affairs. Rather, they simply attacked Dispensationalism rehashed the same-old tired arguments about how all (or most) of biblical eschatology was completed in the first century with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem circa AD70. Both men hold to a form of Dominion Theology known as Reconstructionism (versus the more extreme 'Kingdom Now' variant). Looking at these gentlemen's authored book list, it is fair to say both seem content in promoting the anti-blessed hope corner of the market. Sadly, in a post-Christian nation such as America circa 2017, these two are not alone in the skepticism business. Other preterists such as David Chilton, R.C. Sproul, and Kenneth Gentry have chimed in as well with their own myopic interpretations of how biblical eschatology is not relevant to our world today. From GotQuestions.org Dominion theology refers to a line of theological interpretation and thought with regard to the role of the church in contemporary society. Dominion theology is also known as Christian Reconstructionism and theonomy. Dominion theology states that biblical Christianity will rule all areas of society, personal and corporate. Christian Reconstructionism reasons that society will be reconstructed by the Law of God as preached in the gospel and the Great Commission. Those who hold these views believe that it is the duty of Christians to create a worldwide kingdom patterned after the Mosaic Law. They believe that Christ will not return to earth until such a kingdom has been established. The principal goal, then, of dominion theology and Christian Reconstructionism is political and religious domination of the world through the implementation of the moral laws, and subsequent punishments, of the Old Testament (the sacrificial and ceremonial laws having been fulfilled in the New Testament). This is not a government system ruled by the church, but rather a government conformed to the Law of God. Conclusion In a struggle to find its relevance, a growing majority of post-modern, post-Christian American churches have increasingly become divergent in their orthodoxy and orthopraxy. They do this to accommodate an increasingly diverse congregations. Many churches have increasingly turned away from and/or watered down core doctrines of the Christian faith, i.e., (the Gospel [salvation by grace through faith], the deity of Christ, the inerrancy of Scripture, and the monotheistic reality of our triune God [one God in three persons]) as to not offend their congregations. Instead of being e Pluribus Unum (out of many, one), we have become Unum de Multis (out of one, many). Instead of believers from all walks of life, ethnicities, backgrounds, etc. coming together in a common faith, believers in the common faith are diverging along numerous paths that lead them away from the Scriptural truth. The same reasoning that got sincere adults questioning what their sexual identity is, or which bathroom they should use, or how they could serve in the military while pretending to be the other gender, is the same type of reasoning that questions whether the bible really means what it says. That reasoning begins with applying a liberal approach to hermeneutics which allows the reader to decide and make up its own definitions of what Scripture actually says...regardless of whether that is defining sin or defining prophecy. Prior to World War I, Dominionism (in the form of Post-Millennialism) was very popular. But the realities of the Great War dashed the hope that mankind was on the mend. The reason I mentioned the preterist books and their authors, was that if what they were selling were true (that Christians will ultimately conquer the world for Christ thus ushering in the Kingdom Age), shouldn't we be closer now than we were 10, 18, or even 100 years ago? The same could be said for today. Instead of a world getting better through the vigorous application of Christian Reconstructionism, what we see is the exact opposite. Mankind is becoming hopelessly confused and in even more bondage to satanic deception. When you take a literal, grammatical, and historical rendering of Scripture, you plainly see that the world will continue to wax worse and worse until the Rapture of the Church. Then, the world will enter a freefall period culminating in the most horrific, violent, and evil time mankind has ever known (Matt. 24:21-22). It might be convenient to want to blame all of our recent turmoil on Obama, Saul Alinsky, or George Soros, but the real problems have a much darker origin than just the leftists who want to impose their socialist ideologies on the world at large. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 We know that Satan is the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning. He predates every evil man or woman who has ever lived. He influences mankind to resort to their basest nature and to reject God, reject His Son, and to reject salvation by imposing any number of ideologies that prevent man from coming to the knowledge of the truth. Imposing a false eschatology is just one of his many tools he uses generously and to great effect. It is now to the point, that at a time when the Church should be the most awake (prophetically speaking), they are either passed out in pews with drool pooling at their feet or wasting their time trying to change a world that is currently passing away. Much to the Dominionist's chagrin, the church is not going to rise up and become the "church militant" to conquer the world for Christ that ship sailed with the Dark Ages. Jesus stated that the last phase of the church age would be dominated by both a dead church, and a nauseating church who was lukewarm, self-absorbed, and unaware that their God is outside the door knocking so as to be invited in (Rev. 3:1-6, 14-22). Obviously, the skeptics out there will poo-poo anything that the Bible has to say. But if I can posit one verse (written 2,000 years ago) by Jesus about what the world would be like in the last days, and compare that with ANY other religion, eschatology, philosophy, or anything else to see who is more accurate. Describing the last days, Jesus says... "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Matthew 24:9-12 Does this not sound like today? We have groups like Islamic State, Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram killing Christians by the thousands in the Middle East and Africa. We have people in the West seemingly tolerating anything and everything except Jesus Christ and Christianity. We have many, many false prophets, cults, and false religions leading many astray. We have large sections of society (both in and out of the church) asleep and disconnected from what is going on in the world. The world has become angry, bitter, and increasingly hostile. The church militant will not conquer the world for Christ; that is something only He can do (Dan. 2:44). In fact, the world will mourn at His appearing at the Second Coming (Rev. 1:7) which is how we know the Church isn't present on the earth at that point but returning triumphantly with Him at His coming. We do not mourn His appearing, but long for it (Titus 2:13; Phil. 3:21-22). Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Tim. 4:8 Danger Signs for Israel Coming from Parts Of Trump Administration - By Ryan Mauro - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1574 Israel and its supporters in the West are seeing danger signs coming from parts of the Trump Administration. Since taking office, the camp that views Israel as a liability and "root cause" of Islamic extremism has been gaining ground. That camp is at odds with those who view the Islamist ideology as the root cause and believes it must be defeated for there to be peace in the Middle East. State Dept. Report Blames Israel, Exonerates Palestinian Authority The biggest danger sign for America's best ally in the Middle East came with the recent release of the State Department's annual Country Reports on Terrorism. It blamed Israel for sparking terrorism while applauding the Palestinian Authority's counter-extremism efforts. The report frames Palestinian terrorism as a response to Israeli misconduct, with no attribution to an Islamist ideology or culture with a genocidal desire to wipe Israel off the map. Palestinian terrorism is essentially presented as a form of "resistance" motivated by legitimate grievances against Israeli actions. In other words, the terrorists are misguided freedom fighters. The identified "continued drivers of violence" are listed as a "lack of hope in achieving Palestinian statehood, Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank, settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, the perception that the Israeli government was changing the status quo on the Haram Al Sharif/Temple Mount, and IDF tactics that the Palestinians considered overly aggressive." The treatment of the Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, was mostly positive. The report lauded its efforts in combating extremism and claimed that it had minimized the incitement of violence by Palestinian Authority officials and institutions. It went so far as to say that incitement is now "rare" and "the leadership does not generally tolerate it." The State Department report undermines President Trump's position on Israel. Trump yelled at Palestinian President Abbas for lying to him about the indoctrination of Palestinian children. Shortly before that meeting, Abbas had publicly stood side-by-side in Washington D.C. with Trump. Standing together, Trump said he genuinely believed Abbas was committed to peace. Abbas asserted that Palestinian children are being raised in a "culture of peace." It is very unsettling that Trump fell for Abbas' lies at all and the White House permitted Abbas to deceive the world audience watching their event. However, Trump learned the truth, publicly changed his tune, and confronted Abbas face-to-face. By publishing this report, the State Department is closer to Abbas' position than its own Commander-in-Chief. The Conservative Review compared the State Department's report to the one published under the Obama Administration with Secretary of State John Kerry. It found the report by Tillerson's State Department is even more hostile to Israel than the one issued under Kerry, who furiously blasted Israel on his way out of office. In fact, the State Department report spends more time assigning blame for terrorism to Israel than to Qatar, a massive sponsor of terrorism and extremism. One cannot help but wonder if Tillerson's pro-Qatar position and business ties to the Qatari regime had something to do with it. The report prompted one pro-Israel organization to call for the resignation of Secretary Tillerson. Rep. Pete Roskam (R-IL) wrote a letter to Tillerson pointing out the report's errors and omissions and asking for changes. As of now, Tillerson has not publicly responded. He has not apologized. He has not revised the report. This is a major report that should have had his attention before publication and, if it didn't, it should now. Blaming holdovers from the previous administration is no excuse. Tillerson is also said to be weighing a plan to pressure Israel to return tens of millions of dollars in military aid allocated by Congress for the Jewish state, claiming the funds violate an agreement signed during the Obama administration. Increasing Taxpayer Money to the Palestinian Authority Another danger sign is how the State Department is hoping to spend its money as it faces major budget reductions. While the State Department plans a 28% cut in foreign aid to places around the world, State is planning to increase its aid to the Palestinian Authority. State Department documents leaked to the media in April show it plans a 4.6% increase to the West Bank run by the terrorism-inciting Palestinian Authority and the Gaza Strip run by Hamas. A total of $215 million in aid is allotted for 2018. The Palestinian Authority uses half of the foreign aid it receives to sponsor terrorism. It is increasing its compensation for terrorists in Israeli prisons by 13% and its financial aid to families of killed terrorists by 4%. The total amount of these two allotments is $344 million. It remains to be seen what will actually happen with the State Department's budget. Republican and Democratic Senators described the proposed budget as "dead on arrival." Changing Positions In February, President Trump called on Israel to "hold back on settlements for a little bit." In an interview with an Israeli newspaper, Trump said that Israeli settlement construction is "[not] a good thing for peace." Whatever you think of the settlements, the issue here is that Trump correlated the prospects for peace with Israel ending settlement construction. But as Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu responded, settlements are "not the core of the conflict, nor does it drive the conflict." Trump's statement indicated that the camp that sees Israel as part of the "root cause" of terrorism was advancing almost immediately after he took the oath of office. On the positive side, Trump's speech in Saudi Arabia in May did not link the problem to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a powerful omission that was overlooked by most observers. On June 1, the Trump Administration backtracked on his vow to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, at least for the time being. No firm commitment to moving the embassy was made, despite Trump's campaign promise. Secretary Tillerson's influence is widely seen as being responsible for the flip-flop. In May, Tillerson set off alarm bells for friends of Israel by refusing to commit to fulfilling Trump's campaign pledge. He said that Trump's promise has to be weighed against the considerations of the parties involved in the peace process. In other words, Tillerson would rather upset Trump's voters who he made the promise to than upset Israel's enemies, who are also America's enemies. Tillerson makes it sound as if an Arab government that genuinely gave up its genocidal ambitions would resurrect its genocidal ambitions because of where an American diplomatic facility is positioned. If that's all it takes to trigger an Arab regime into a genocidal frenzy, then that regime was never truly interested in peace in the first place. State Department Appointments There are also danger signs in the staffing of the State Department. In June, Tillerson appointed Yael Lempert as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Egypt and the Maghreb. According to her bio, she was previously in the Obama Administration's National Security Council from 2014 to May 2017, serving as the Senior Director for the Levant, Israel and Egypt and a Special Assistant to President Obama. This means that Tillerson's high-level appointee served as an official involved in the tension between the U.S. and Israel that reached its peak as the Obama Administration came to an end. She also was centrally involved in the Obama Administration's policy towards Egypt that favored the Muslim Brotherhood. One report quoted a former Clinton official as saying: "[Lempert] is considered one of the harshest critics of Israel on the foreign policy far left. From her position on the Obama NSC, she helped manufacture crisis after crisis in a relentless effort to portray Israel negatively and diminish the breadth and depth of our alliance. Most Democrats in town know better than to let her manage Middle East affairs. It looks like the Trump administration has no idea who she is or how hostile she is to the U.S.-Israel relationship." In December 2014, when Lempert was on the Obama Administration's National Security Council, she met with anti-Israel activist Michael Sfard. He has been paid by the Palestinian Authority to act as an expert witness in terrorism trials in its defense. He also works in an organization that seeks to put Israeli officials and soldiers on trial for war crimes. Under Trump, Lempert was involved in putting pressure on Israel to suspend its settlement construction. Another State Department official to watch is Michael Ratney, who was Secretary of State John Kerry's consul to Jerusalem. In March, Jordan Schachtel broke the story that Tillerson appeared to have chosen Ratney to oversee the Israeli-Palestinian portfolio. Ratney is currently the Special Envoy for Syria, so his reassignment either hasn't happened yet or the administration has changed its mind. He is, however, currently involved in talks with Israel regarding Syria for the Trump Administration. National Security Council Appointments National Security Adviser General H.R. McMaster was asked twice whether the Western Wall is part of Israel and he refused to answer. He replied, "That's a policy decision." The peculiar non-answer appears significant in light of how the National Security Council is being staffed as McMaster shapes the office to his liking. Kris Bauman was chosen in May as the top adviser on Israel for the National Security Council. Tellingly, the person he was replacing was the aforementioned Yael Lempert. Daniel Greenfield reviewed Bauman's 2009 dissertation and found highly disturbing content. He blamed Israel and the West for failing to see "Hamas's signals of willingness to moderate" and turning Gaza "into an open-air prison" instead of engaging Hamas. He advocated a policy that includes "Hamas in a solution," dismissing Hamas' oft-stated pledge to destroy Israel and kill Jews until the end of time. Bauman cites The Israel Lobby, a book that purports to disclose how Israel secretly manipulates the U.S. institutions of power from behind-the-scenes. He says the Israel Lobby "is a force that must be reckoned with, but it is a force that can be reckoned with." Bauman clearly depicts Israel as the aggressor and, as Greenfield points out, equates Jewish settlers in the West Bank with Palestinian terrorists. "It is true that one could make an analogous argument regarding Palestinian terrorism, but there is one major difference between the two. Israeli government control over settlement expansion is far greater than Palestinian Authority control over terrorism," Bauman writes. He blames the peace process for failing on Israel and the West because each offer "overwhelmingly favored Israeli interests." Prime Minister Netanyahu is blamed for "inciting Palestinian violence" and deliberately undermining the prospects for peace. A consistent theme appears in Bauman's thesis: Israel is the instigator of terrorism. To defeat terrorism, stop Israel. And now he is in a strong position in the National Security Council to try to make that happen. Early Concern Over Secretary of Defense Mattis President Trump's selection of General James Mattis as secretary of defense was widely celebrated, particularly among those who appreciated his tough stands on Islamism, the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran. However, comments he made regarding Israel in 2013 received renewed attention. Mattis seemed to express the opinion that U.S. support of Israel undermines the American military and national security. "I paid a military security price every day as a commander of CENTCOM because the Americans were seen as biased in support of Israel, and that moderates all the moderate Arabs who want to be with us because they can't come out publicly in support of people who don't show respect for the Arab Palestinians," he said. Mattis also seemed to believe that Israeli settlement construction was a primary cause of the conflict with the Palestinians. He warned that Israel was headed towards "apatheid" if it isn't stopped. "If I'm Jerusalem and I put 500 Jewish settlers out here to the east and there's 10,000 Arab settlers in here, if we draw the border to include them, either it ceases to be a Jewish state or you say the Arabs don't get to vote -- apartheid...That didn't work too well the last time I saw that practiced in a country," he said. The good news is that Mattis has repeatedly expressed his disdain for the Iranian regime and is eager to give them some payback for killing American soldiers for decades. His comments on the Muslim Brotherhood and Political Islam show that he understands the ideological foundation of the threat. Conclusion Every administration struggles with the contentious debate over whether Israel is a liability that generates Islamic extremism or whether Islamic extremism is what generates and sustains the conflicts that Israel is in. And for some, the truth is somewhere in between. We are seeing this debate play out inside the Trump Administration. And the first camp is gaining ground. Hamas leader: Iran helping Hamas prepare for war with Israel - by Joel Gehrke - http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/hamas-leader-iran-helping-hamas-prepare-for-war-with-israel/article/2632784 Iran is helping terrorists in Gaza prepare for war with Israel, according to a leading Hamas official. "Every day we build missiles and continue military training," Yahya Sinwar, a military leader recently voted prime minister of Hamas in Gaza, told reporters. That effort derives significant support from Iran. "The Iranian military support to Hamas and al-Qassam [the military wing of Hamas] is strategic," Sinwar said, per the Times of Israel. Their renewed cooperation shows that Hamas and the Iranians have patched up a relationship that deteriorated when they disagreed over support for Syrian dictator Bashar Assad. It also points to how Assad and Iran's wins in Syria strengthens Israel's terrorist enemies. Iran has long supported Palestinian terrorist groups as well as Hezbollah, a Lebanese terrorist group that controls territory north of Israel. Sinwar's comments bolster concerns that U.S. officials and Congressional observers have had about the conflict in Syria. Although most public discussions about the Syria crisis have focused on the threat of the Islamic State, or Assad's willingness to use chemical weapons against his own people, major world powers have seen a subtler long-term significance to the outcome of the conflict. Russia and Iran have partnered to support Assad, who had been weakened by the combined threats of U.S.-backed rebels and the radical terrorists who formed the ISIS caliphate. With their help, Assad has recaptured rebel-held territory, while the United States has focused on the defeat of ISIS. "Assad has won and he will stay [in power]," former U.S. ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told The National, an Australian paper, in a new interview. "He may never be held accountable, and Iran will be in Syria to stay. This is the new reality that we have to accept, and there isn't much we can do about it." Russia has received, through Assad, access to a naval base on the Mediterranean. But Russian President Vladimir Putin's team has also worked to help Iran control land in Syria that will allow them to provide more supplies to terrorists in Lebanon. "The coming period will witness military cooperation at a high level between Syrian and Iraqi government forces and their supporting units... made possible through Iranian military experts and in collaboration with the Russian air force in order to support the forces of the Syrian regime," a Russian military base announced in May, according to Foreign Affairs. "Apart from securing the highway connecting Damascus and Baghdad, this military campaign will be a race with the armed opposition, which is planning on establishing a buffer zone next to the Golan Heights and the Jordanian-Iraqi border with direct American support." The Golan Heights is strategically important region that Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. Such reports have alarmed U.S. foreign policy leaders. "One of my highest concerns is the Iranians' ability to get a land bridge out to the Mediterranean to increase their logistical support for terrorist networks," House Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes told the Washington Examiner in June. "You've got the largest state sponsor of terrorism, Iran -- if they get the logistical capability to move massive amounts of weapons and equipment and God knows what else quickly to the west, it's a real danger." That was the context for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's opposition to Russia guaranteeing the stability of a ceasefire in southern Syria. But President Trump's team agreed to that demand. "If [the Iranians] begin to build infrastructure which might be used against Israel in Syria and will connect this land corridor into Iraq and begin to move materials from this area into Syria, that will make the war inevitable," Yaakov Amidror, who counseled Netanyahu from 2011 to 2013, told reporters on a conference call hosted by The Israel Project. Sinwar maintained that Hamas isn't looking for war in the near future, despite their determination to win "the liberation of Palestine" long-term. "[Hamas] takes every effort to avoid a war," he said. "At the same time we are not afraid of a war and are ready for it." North Korea nukes came with help from Iran or Russia - report - https://www.timesofisrael.com/north-korea-nukes-came-with-help-from-iran-or-russia-report/ Senior British officials quoted saying Pyongyang could not have made such rapid progress alone British officials reportedly suspect that North Korea was able to develop its nuclear arsenal quicker than expected due to help from Iran and possibly Russia. "It is not credible that North Korean scientists alone brought about the technological advances," government sources told the UK's Sunday Telegraph. The sudden surge in technological capability by the Pyongyang regime reportedly points to help from elsewhere. "North Korean scientists are people of some ability, but clearly they're not doing it entirely in a vacuum," an unnamed government minister told the paper. British authorities suspect that Iran has offered behind-the-scenes technological assistance for Pyongyang's nuclear program, though others think that Russia may have provided some of the know-how. "There is currently an investigation into exactly how the country has managed to make this leap in technological ability," UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said last week. "We are looking at the possible role that may have been played, inadvertently or otherwise, by some current and former nuclear states." North Korean carried out its sixth nuclear test last week, and South Korea has voiced fears that it may test a ballistic missile in the coming days. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Sunday that North Korea's nuclear and missile program represented a "global threat and requires a global response," though he told the BBC's "The Andrew Marr Show." "We call on Korea to abandon its nuclear programs, it's missile programs, and to refrain from more testing, because this is a blatant violation of several UN security resolutions and it's a threat to international peace and stability." Asked whether a strike against Guam would be covered under the clause that commits NATO members to come to the defense of each other, he said: "I will not speculate about whether Article Five will be applied in such a situation. What I will say is we are now totally focused on how can we contribute to a peaceful solution of the conflict." German Chancellor Angela Mergel voiced support for a diplomatic push to end North Korean nuclear weapons and missile development along the lines of a past deal with Iran. "I would say yes immediately if we were asked to join talks," Merkel told weekly newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. Talks between Iran and six world powers, sealed with a 2015 deal for Tehran to roll back its nuclear program and submit to inspections in exchange for some sanctions being rolled back, were "a long but important period of diplomacy" that had achieved a "good end," she added. "I could imagine such a format for the settlement of the North Korea conflict. Europe and especially Germany ought to be ready to make a very active contribution," Merkel said.refused to say whether an attack on the Pacific US territory of Guam would trigger the military alliance's collective defense clause. "The reckless behavior of North Korea is a global threat and requires a global response, and that of course also includes NATO," A Warning from God or Coincidences - By Daymond Duck - http://www.raptureready.com/2017/09/10/a-warning-from-god-or-coincidences/ Was the Aug. 21, 2017 total solar eclipse a warning for America to repent of its sin? One, my heart and prayers go out to the victims of Hurricane Harvey. I have no desire to add to their suffering. Prophecy Plus Ministries has sent a contribution. We encourage others to do the same. Two, I am not qualified to say whether the total solar eclipse was a warning or not, but if God was warning America to repent, it is a mistake to be one of those that are ridiculing the idea. The people of Texas and Louisiana have suffered the most, but the entire U.S. is going to pay a price and the cost will keep increasing, if there is no repentance. Three, because darkness was one of the Ten Plague warnings to Egypt's Pharaoh to let God's people go (Ex. 10:21-23) some Jewish rabbis believe darkness caused by an eclipse is a warning from God. Four, the total solar eclipse was seen only in America so some Jewish rabbis believe it was a warning to America. Five, if the total solar eclipse was a warning to America, repentance is needed all over America not just in Texas and Louisiana. To deny that America needs repentance is seriously wrong. Repentance would be good for America not bad. Six, God told Noah to warn people that He was going to send a Flood to destroy the earth (Gen. 6:1-7:12). Seven, God told Jonah to warn the people of Nineveh to repent or He would overthrow them in 40 days (Jonah 3:1-10). NASA and Cuneiform tablets confirm that here was an eclipse in Nineveh shortly before Jonah arrived. Eight, God sent two angels to warn Lot that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19). Nine, when God sends a disaster to warn people to repent (II Chron. 7:13), if His people will humble themselves, and pray, and seek His face, and repent, He will forgive their sins and heal their land (II Chron. 7:14; Jonah 3:10). Ten, since the sun is almost 400 times as big as the moon, the sun would have to be about 400 times farther away from the earth than the moon is for them to appear to be about the same size. That is the way it is and it is not likely to be an accident. Eleven, Anne Graham Lotz (Billy Graham's daughter), Mark Biltz, Steve Cioccolanti and others were preaching that the total solar eclipse could be a warning from God. Twelve, the total solar eclipse was unusual in many ways: a) Jerusalem, the Holy City that is associated with the Tribulation period, probably got its name from the King of Salem called Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18); b) The sun set in Jerusalem at the exact moment the eclipse started in the U.S.; c) The first U.S. city to experience the eclipse was Salem, Ore.; d) The eclipse occurred over seven cities (a significant Bible number) in the U.S. named Salem; e) It has been almost one generation since Israel became a nation in 1948; f) It has been about six God-Days (6 X 1,000 years = 6,000 years since God created Adam; g) The Aug. 21, 2017 total solar eclipse will be followed by a second total solar eclipse in 2024 (about 7 years apart) and they will make an "X" over the U.S. with the center of the "X" being an area in Illinois that is often called "Little Egypt" (Darkness was one of the Ten-Plague warnings in Egypt and the only place in the U.S. that will be crossed by both eclipses is called "Little Egypt." Thirteen, God controls the weather and He uses it to fulfill His Word (Job 38:24-28; Psa. 135:6-7, 148:7-8; Luke 21:25). Fourteen, on Aug. 21, 2017 Harvey was a tropical storm. Three days later, it became a Category 1 Hurricane (at 1 pm on Aug. 24). Less than 30 hours later it had grown to a Category 4 Hurricane (at 6 pm on Aug. 25). It made landfall 4 hours later (at 10 pm on Aug. 25). Fifteen, when Harvey made landfall it got trapped by two high pressure systems. As powerful as it was, it was boxed in and it couldn't break loose. It just kept spinning and dumping rain. Who besides God can trap a Category 4 hurricane? There are many reasons why America needs to repent: pushing the two-state solution to divide Israel and Jerusalem, abortion; the U.S. Supreme Court redefinition of marriage, LGBT issues, the globalist effort to create a world government, violence and bloodshed all over America, silent pastors and church members, corruption in the swamp and media, and more. Did you notice that the first item on the list is pushing the two-state solution to divide Israel and Jerusalem? Look at event number Fourteen above. Notice that Harvey went from being a tropical storm on Aug. 21, 2017 to being a Hurricane on Aug. 24, 2017. Now notice what was going on with the peace negotiations in the Middle East: President Trump's Advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his "negotiating team" went to Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Aug. 21, 2017, Jordan on Aug. 22, 2017, Egypt on Aug. 23, 2017 and they arrived in Israel on Aug. 23, 2017 for a next-day meeting with Prime. Min. Netanyahu on Aug. 24, 2017. God said He will drag the nations into the battle of Armageddon for scattering the Jews and dividing the land of Israel (Joel 3:2). The total solar eclipse over the U.S. occurred on the same day Jared Kushner and his team went to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Hurricane Harvey made landfall in the U.S. on the same day Jared Kushner and his team met with Prime. Min Netanyahu in Jerusalem (or ancient Salem). The total solar eclipse passed over "Little Egypt" in the U.S. one day before Jared Kushner and his team were in Egypt to discuss Pres. Trump's "ultimate deal." Is there a connection between the eclipse, Jerusalem and Hurricane Harvey? It has been said, "There are no coincidences with God." These things are either a warning from God or coincidences. Each person should decide for their own self. Many are reluctant to say these things are a warning from God to repent, but if they are people need to stop ridiculing it, they best get on their knees soon and the U.S. needs to end the so-called peace process immediately. If God's patience with America is waxing thin, there are no words to describe what America may experience in the next few weeks or months (Israel attacked - God and Magog, economic collapse, increased violence, birth pang type natural disasters, persecution, only God knows what else. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond & Rachel Duck [email protected] Sept. 11: A Day of Infamy Throughout History - By Bill Federer - http://www.wnd.com/2017/09/sept-11-a-day-of-infamy-throughout-history/?cat_orig=diversions Sept. 11, 1565 In 1565, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent dominated the Mediterranean, with intentions of not only invading Sicily, Sardinia, Majorca, and southern Spain, but Rome itself. The only thing standing in his way was the small rocky Island of Malta just south of Sicily, defended by the Knights of Malta. In March of 1565, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent sent Algerian Admiral Dragut to Malta with 200 ships and 40,000 Muslim soldiers, including 6,500 elite Janissary troops. Dragut stated: "Unless you have smoked out this nest of vipers, you can do no good anywhere." Queen Elizabeth I of England is said to have remarked: "If the Turks should prevail against the Isle of Malta, it is uncertain what further peril might follow to the rest of Christendom." The Knights of Malta were led by a 70-year-old Frenchmen, Jean Parisot de la Valette. Pleas for reinforcements went out across Europe, but defense seemed futile. La Valette addressed his men: "A formidable army composed of audacious barbarians is descending on this island. These persons, my brothers, are the enemies of Jesus Christ. ..." La Valette continued: "... Today it is a question of the defense of our faith - as to whether the Gospels are to be superseded by the Koran. God on this occasion demands of us our lives, already vowed to his service. Happy will be those who first consummate this sacrifice." The Turks attacked again and again, even reducing one of their fortresses to rubble, but the Knights kept fighting, resolved to save Western Civilization. Finally, Dragut was killed and the Muslims sailed away on Sept. 11, 1565. Sept. 11, 1683 Another major event happened on Sept. 11. Sultan Mehmed IV sent over 138,000 Muslim Ottoman Turks to surround Vienna, Austria, led by General Mustafa Pasha. For two months they starved the 11,000 Hapsburg-Austrian defenders. Sultan Mehmed IV sent the message to Austrian King, Leopold I: "Await us in your residence ... so we can decapitate you." Polish King Jan Sobieski gathered 81,000 Polish, Austrian and German troops and led a surprise attack on Sept. 11, 1683. They made one of the largest charges in history, 38,350 cavalry and dragoons. Soldiers had made wings for their backs which made a thunderous noise when they charged, causing the Turks to flee in confusion. Upon entering the abandoned Turkish tents, Sobieski found bags of beans - coffee beans - revealing how Turks could fight day and night. The beans came from Ethiopia, the one African country which stayed Christian, and the Muslims called them infidels or "cafir," from which the word "coffee" was derived. The legend is that Pope Clement VIII was petitioned to declare coffee "the drink of the devil" due to its association with Muslims, but the Pontiff tasted it and stated: "This devil's drink is so good, we should cheat the devil by baptizing it." Shortly after the victory of Vienna, Polish General Koltschizky opened Vienna's first coffeehouses and coffee quickly spread across Europe. The Pope and European leaders hailed Jan Sobieski as the "Savior of Western Civilization." The humiliated Muslim army beheaded General Mustafa Pasha and sent his head back to Sultan Mehmed IV in a velvet bag. Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953) wrote in "The Great Heresies" (1938): "Less than 100 years before the American War of Independence a Mohammedan army was threatening to overrun and destroy Christian civilization. ... Vienna was almost taken and only saved by the Christian army under the command of the King of Poland on a date that ought to be among the most famous in history - September 11, 1683." Sept. 11, 1697 Muslim Ottoman Turks dominated Belgrade, Serbia, since 1521. In 1691, Austria helped free Belgrade, but Muslim Ottoman Turks recaptured it and razed the city's buildings to the ground. The Serbian Orthodox Patriarch led thousands to flee to the Austrian Hapsburg Empire in the first "Great Serbian Migration." Habsburg Prince Eugene of Savoy led the Holy League to counter-attack. Losing 500 men, they killed 30,000 Turks in one of the Ottoman Empire's worsts defeats in history - the Battle of Zenta, Sept. 11, 1697. President Theodore Roosevelt wrote in his 1916 book, "Fear God and Take Your Own Part": "From the hammer of Charles Martel to the sword of Jan Sobieski, Christianity owed its safety in Europe to the fact it ... could and would fight as well as the Mohammedan aggressor." Sept. 11, 2001 Islamic terrorists hijacked passenger jets. Two were flown into New York's World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and one crashed in Pennsylvania. President Bush stated: "Freedom itself was attacked this morning by a faceless coward, and freedom will be defended." That evening, President Bush stated: "Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror. Pictures of planes flying into buildings, fires burning, huge structures collapsing have filled us with disbelief, terrible sadness and a quiet, unyielding anger." President Bush continued: "America was targeted ... because we're the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the world. ... I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve. ... I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us spoken through the ages in Psalm 23: 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil for you are with me.'" On Sept. 13, 2001, President Bush stated: "In the face of all this evil, we remain strong and united, 'One Nation Under God.'" Sept. 11, 2012 The U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, written with the help of Eleanor Roosevelt, was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly, Dec. 8, 1948. Without referencing the "Creator" as the source of rights, like the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights includes articles such as: Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief. This conflicted with Islamic Shariah law which imposes the death penalty for anyone leaving the Islamic religion. Many articles in the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights were rejected by the leaders of 57 Islamic countries, who formed their own group called the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, or OIC. In 1990, OIC passed the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam, affirming Shariah law as supreme, with:
On Dec. 12, 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton began a three-day closed door meeting with the OIC, promising to support their Istanbul Process to universally "criminalize" speech insulting Islam, effectively enforcing "dhimmi" status on non-Muslims worldwide. By definition, the Christian Gospel insults Islam. If someone in a Shariah controlled country proclaims Jesus Christ more than a prophet - but also the Son of God who died on the cross to pay for the sins of the world - it would mean the death penalty. In fact, all speech contrary to Islam insults Islam. At the end of the meeting, OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu stated: "The Istanbul Process initiated with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ... must be carried forward." Clinton added: "We now need to move to implementation." In the following months, Hillary Clinton's State Department ignored repeated requests for security by Ambassador Chris Stevens in Libya. He was killed with several others in the Benghazi attack on Sept. 11, 2012. The night of the attack, Secretary Clinton's State Department blamed a video, and the shortly after sent memos to YouTube and Google recommending they censor speech insulting Islam, consistent with promises made at the OIC Istanbul Process meeting. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice added to this narrative, as did President Obama when he told the U.N. General Assembly, Sept. 25, 2012: "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam." The U.S. supported the Muslim Brotherhood's ousting of Egypt's President Mubarak. Then U.S. weapons were used to oust Libya's President Gaddafi. Requests made by Judicial Watch through the Freedom of Information Act revealed emails of weapons being moved from Benghazi in a "Fast and Furious" gun-running style program to arm Muslim fighters in ousting Syria's President Assad. This is part of a larger plan remove current leaders in order to reestablish an Islamic Caliphate. When Russia came to Assad's defense, the Muslims armed and trained by the U.S. attacked into Syria and Iraq, calling themselves ISIS, and proceeded to torture, rape, behead and displace hundreds of thousands. Daily Jot: Of hurricanes and prophetic events - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The news media is quoting several liberals saying that the devastation experienced by the recent hurricanes is "nature's" judgment on Florida and Texas for electing Donald Trump president. Other leftists were wishing Trump's home in Florida would be destroyed by hurricane Irma. Still other liberals were saying that it's now time to revisit global warming, as if taxing people to change the weather makes any sense at all-especially since the global warming data has been cooked by liberal scientists. And there are many Christians saying the hurricanes are the judgment of God for America turning away from Him. Truly, there are very interesting scientific and prophetic explanations of these hurricanes. Liberals and conservatives are quick to politicize all of this. Others are fast to pin the devastation on God. There is a large spectrum between political and religious opinion. Scientifically, we are in hurricane season. Many shipwrecks along the East coast of America and in the Caribbean-thousands of them mover the centuries--were caused by harsh storms before we even started recording hurricane as events. Also, recent heavy solar flare and geomagnetic storm has caused weather events to be harsher and more frequent. No politics in that, just science. But then there is the prophetic. I'm not talking about judgment, but rather observations of the ancient Jewish sages. The Jewish sages observed the signs in the heavens and wrote in Sukkah 29 of the Talmud that when the sun is eclipsed, it is a "bad omen for the nations," meaning the gentiles primarily because they calculate their calendar based on the sun. The Talmud observes: "When the sun is eclipsed in the east, it is a bad omen for the residents of the lands of the east. When it is eclipsed in the west, it is a bad omen for the residents of the lands of the west." It says that calamity follows. It also says eclipses can occur from disrespect of the death of a leader, rape, homosexuality or brothers' blood being spilled. While much of this appears to be superstition to us, it is also based on observations of the signs of the skies handed down for generations. Science and prophecy is a unique combination. Since the solar eclipse on August 21, America has experienced calamity. Scientifically, this can be explained. The prophetic, however, should not be discounted as the Lord created all things and set them in motion, instructing us on how to discern the times. So what is real? One thing that is real is people's hearts. Those who wish bad things on others who disagree with their politics or religious interpretations, have their reward. Jesus said in Matthew 5:45 that God "makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." In this, Jesus said that we should show that we are children of our Father in heaven. We are not appointed to wrath, but we will see difficulties just living out our lives. Let's not focus on the blame, but rather on the opportunity to do what's right. Daily Devotion: It's His Story - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." -1 Corinthians 2:2 What is a personal testimony? It is simply your story of how you came to Christ. Paul was a great orator and communicator, not to mention that he was the apostle Paul. But in almost every instance in Scripture when he was standing before a nonbeliever, Paul began with his personal testimony. Every story is valid, by the way. I have heard some crazy testimonies, as I am sure you have. But I can tell you your testimony without even knowing you. Once you were lost. Now you are found. Once you were headed to Hell, but now you're going to Heaven. That is your testimony. Maybe you have lived a moral life. You've worked hard. But you realized one day that you needed Jesus. That is a testimony. However, the power is not in your story; the power is in the story of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen from the dead. That is why Paul said, "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). Sometimes in our attempt to build a bridge to people, to cross over, we don't bring the cross over. Get to the cross. I once had the opportunity to ask Billy Graham this question: "After all of these years of preaching, what would you say you should preach on more?" Without missing a beat, he said, "I would preach more on the cross of Christ and the blood, because that is where the power is." I never forgot that. When you share your testimony, share it in a way that honors the Lord. When you tell your story, never boast of what of you gave up to follow Christ; rather, boast about what He gave up for you. Always take them to His story. 
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 
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