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Prophecy Update Newsletter
September 20, 2016
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Conformed to the Image of His Son - Pastor Mike Taylor - http://www.churchofgod-usa.org/1/post/2016/09/conformed-to-the-image-of-his-son.html
"For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them He also called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified." (Romans 8:29-30) How I love the book of Romans, especially the 8th chapter. Here the Apostle Paul chronicles the blessings and promises of God. Many will look at their Christian walk and ponder why things don't seem to work out as they envisioned. They grow discouraged and become listless in their daily walk with God. They wonder if God is really on their side. They fail to take hold of the promises of God, grasping it with both hands and endure what they must suffer in this life. Let us examine some of these promises and why you should be joyful and singing the praises of Almighty God for His wondrous mercy. Look at the opening verses to this message and ponder for a moment the ramifications of what Paul is attempting to preach to them, and to us. This is not a confirmation of predestination, but God in His infinite knowledge, knew that you would accept payment for your sins through the blood of Jesus Christ. God who knows the beginning from the end, saw you make that heart felt decision to accept the gift provided by His Son, long before you even knew it yourself. In no way does this foreknowledge affect your own self will to make that decision on your own. It's just that God saw you do it. God has a purpose for all this and it was for your salvation before time began. Some will say, "Then why does God allow suffering in this world, if He called me out of it before time began.?" Why does God allow Christians to go through trials and tribulations of this world? God has a specific plan in place for refining each of us into the image of His Son. It's not random occurrences that we have no control over . I am a firm believer that God does not allow one thing to happen to a born again Christian unless He allows it. Why would God do that? BORN IN SIN Understand that man is a mortal being that has a sin nature that wars with the spiritual man daily. He will never totally escape it, until Jesus comes and perfects him by changing him from a mortal being into immorality and remove our sin nature for eternity. That will come when Jesus breaks through the clouds and calls His church to join Him at the changing of us, "in the twinkling of an eye". Paul lamented over his sin nature in the previous chapter of Romans chapter 7: 15 "For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me." Paul was distraught that he could not, nor could any other man escape his sin nature. But what does Paul say in the final verses? "24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." Many don't know that Paul was making reference to a Roman practice for those condemned to be chained to a corpse and the soldiers betting on how long it would take for the condemned to resort to cannibalism to prevent their own death. It was an analogy that many during Paul's day would have recognized and being chained to a sinful nature of death. Who frees them from that body of death? Jesus Christ is who frees us. If God allows us to be tested, to be refined, and to experience difficulties in this life, then what is the purpose for God allowing this to happen? The Bible says that even a sparrow in the sky is so important to God that not one of them shall fall to the ground without His knowledge and permission. 29 "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31) What is the purpose here? Does God have a purpose? Concerning the analogy of a sparrow, it is more than mere rhetoric. If God cares about a sparrow and not one falls from the sky without it being part of His plan, then how likely is it that He allows you to undergo trials and tribulations for no purpose? God foreknew us and determined to call us before He ever made His summons known to us. By doing so, He was making a prognosis. We are in this elite group, the called, only because the great God of heaven and earth specifically and personally summoned us by forcibly bringing the good news to our attention so we would be motivated to choose to respond freely to it. THE LESSON OF JOB Remember the story of Job? Here was a righteous man who endured unspeakable trials in his life. This was allowed to test Job and to refine him even through boils that raised up on his body, the loss of his family and all of his wealth. Now granted, this is an extreme case of God allowing adversity to come into a man's life, but can we draw a lesson from the book of Job? In the final analogy, Job learned that you must have total faith and reliance on your Heavenly Father. For He cares for us with a Divine love that was shown by the death of His only Son. It comes down to value. If God values even a little sparrow and we are worth more than many sparrows, and worth more than the life of His only Son, then what was God's purpose? It was that God saw you as valuable. Your value, in God's eyes, is such that Jesus Christ died in your place so that you might have everlasting life. Your purpose is also clearly outlined in Scripture. When you were lost, your purpose was to be saved. It really isn't that difficult a concept, if we are willing to accept God as He describes Himself and accept the Bible as a true record. You were to be conformed to His Son. "Conformed" is the English rendering of the Greek word, summorphos meaning, "jointly formed, fashioned like unto." Note that you didn't conform yourself to the image of His Son. It was done for you. You were foreknown, predestinated, called, justified and glorified - all in the past tense indicating that it is already accomplished. It doesn't say you will be justified and glorified when you get to heaven. It says it was already accomplished in heaven before the world began. I have often mentioned that there is only one reason that you and I were born into this world, ultimately. That is, what will you do with the man, Jesus Christ? See, God knows everything...because He is God. He knows if you will accept, but He also knows you who will reject the call of the Holy Spirit. "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began." "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." (Titus 1:2) God cannot lie. Eternal life was promised, not according to our works, before the world began. You were foreknown, predestinated, conformed, called, justified and glorified. It isn't a linguistic trick. It isn't a mistranslation or a misunderstanding of either the original Greek or in our English translation. To every thing there is a purpose, the Bible says, and for every purpose God has appointed a time. " No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44) THE COMING TRIBULATION If we are being refined now, made into the image of His Son after conversion and being baptized, then what is the point of the Church going through the Tribulation that is coming at us, like a locomotive? What is the purpose of the Tribulation? In my discernment of what the Bible teaches, the only answer is two objectives by God. to bring Israel to the knowledge of her Messiah that they had crucified 2000 years ago and to cry out in agony, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." to completely destroy all rebellion of a Christ rejecting world and purify the world of those who take the mark of the beast, as prophesied in Revelation. It is called the Tribulation Period. (Greek: thlipsis: "affliction, anguish, burdened, persecution, tribulation, trouble"). And, it is called, "The time of Jacobs trouble". The affliction, anguish, burden, persecution, tribulation and trouble of this time is to be inflicted upon all those that dwell upon the earth. The Bible tells us that it will be meted out in the form of 21 judgments. This period of judgment is set aside for two distinct purposes, as mentioned. To judge a Christ-rejecting world and to bring about the national redemption of Israel. "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel,until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:25-27) Those that hold to a literal "refining" of the church during the Tribulation in addition to the defined two reasons noted above, negate the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ. To embrace a Pre-wrath, or a post-tribulation model is to diminish the work of the cross. Was Jesus sacrifice not enough? Was it lacking in its freeing the Christian from the penalty of enduring God's wrath that shall cover the whole earth? When are we forgiven our sins? Is it not when we accept Jesus by faith and the Holy Spirit dwells with our spirit? Then why must we be refined? The concept smacks of Catholic purgatory that says we must endure punishment before we are allowed to enter into heaven. So if there are extra requirements that must be brought to the table, they are extra requirements imposed by you, not by God. God says, "whosoever will." At the moment of salvation, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit takes up residence in us and bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. " (Romans 8:16-17) That leads to another problem with the concept of error that the church of Jesus Christ must endure the Tribulation. Jesus promised us that He would send us the "Comforter" the Holy Spirit and He would never leave us or forsake us. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17, Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18, I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. " (John 14:16-18) Jesus said He would never leave us alone, but the Bible says that the Holy Spirit is taken out of the world to allow the indwelling of the spirit of Satan in the Anti-Christ and he will overcome the "saints" 4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1st John 5:4-5) But Paul reveals that the Holy Spirit will be taken out of this world!! 6, "And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8, And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: " (II Thessalonians 2:6-8) But the Anti-Christ overcomes the Tribulation saints........ "And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (Revelation 13:7) So which is it? God dwells with us forever, but leaves us defenseless and powerless to the conquest of the Anti-Christ? Since God cannot lie, I choose to believe that if the Holy Spirit is removed to make way for the spirit of Anti-Christ that shall overcome the saints, then since the Holy Spirit was removed, then so is the Church. Christians undergo trials and tribulations in this life according to His purposes. What is the purpose behind Blood-bought, eternally-saved, indwelt Christians being separated from the indwelling Holy Spirit so that they can undergo half or all of the judgment period set aside for those that rejected Christ? Why would the Lord subject His own Bride to judgment for sin after He had already redeemed that Bride from judgment for sin at the Cross? We endure the consequences of sin all the time because the world is created in sin, but consequences aren't the same as judgment. WE ARE BEING TRANSFORMED NOW "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2, And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3, For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." (Romans 12:1-3) The church has a glorious future that no one can begin to imagine. As it is written "eye hath not seen, or ear heard, or entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love Him." And the Bible states further...... 14, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15, For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16, The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17, And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18, For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:14-18) WILL YOU BE AMONG THOSE WHO ARE HEIRS OF GOD? One fly in the ointment so to speak, those who are being made into the image of God are those who have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and God knows in advance who that person is, each of us. Those who read this message, or have not taken the free gift of eternal life with a repentant heart (meaning change your mind about sin) cannot embrace the glory that awaits those that have. So you ask me, what must I do to have this type of eternal existence and a glorious future? 1. Realize you are a sinner. " For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) 2. Realize that God made a way for those sins to be forgiven and live with God forever. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) 3. Confession before God, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9) You say, that "sounds simple"...yes, it is simple that a child can understand it...I did when I was 10 years old. But you must believe in your heart, not just in your head. It must enter into a humbled and contrite heart that knows that without God, you are doomed for a devil's hell, or to experience that hell on earth, called the Tribulation and possibly even the Lake of Fire, if those years don't call you to repentance before God. The horrors of the period are too gruesome to even ponder, as hardly any flesh will be saved and many will be martyred, by beheading. Sounds awful and it's all right there in your Bible in the last book of Revelation. The saints of the church are being conformed and transformed into the image of Jesus Christ, one lesson at a time. I know that I will never be perfect in this life, but I will be perfect in the next life when Jesus comes for me and all who believe by faith in His death, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of the Father in Heaven. But it's not about works, but His mercy and grace....and the best part...IT"S FREE FOR THE ASKING....We await the coming of our Lord with a trumpet blast, that could sound very soon...very soon. Because all the signs point to this great event on the near horizon. I've written extensively in detail of that coming period on my website. If you have time, check them out. Don't wait too long, as you are not promised even tomorrow. To stand before a Holy God and not have Jesus as your substitute payment for your sins, is a vision I wish for no one, no matter what you have done. Jesus awaits your decision...call on Him today...BE TRANSFORMED. This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying your acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. Should you need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, email me at [email protected] , or visit me online for more biblical teachings from the Word of God, at www.churchofgod-usa.org . God bless you all........ 
Obama at UN: Israel can't permanently occupy Palestinian land - http://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Obama-at-UN-Israel-must-recognize-it-cant-permanently-occupy-Palestinian-land-468236
US President Barack Obama, speaking before the UN General Assembly in New York for the last time, briefly addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Tuesday. "Israelis and Palestinians will be better off if Palestinians reject incitement and recognize Israel's right to exist," Obama said during a 15-minute speech that covered a wide array of topics. He added, however, that Israel must "recognize that it cannot permanently occupy and settle Palestinian land." Obama opened his speech highlighting his accomplishments during his eight years as president, yet noted that "fault lines" still existed throughout the world. "The world is by many measures less violent and more prosperous than ever before," he told the assembly, adding democratic countries throughout the world have doubled in the last 25 years. The US president warned, however, that injustice and intolerance is encroaching on human freedoms, citing the Middle East as a hotbed of turmoil. We must reject the idea of "ethnic superiority" and embrace universal human dignity, Obama told the assembly, adding that If we discriminate on the basis of ethnicity or religion, then humanity will be harmed. All parties must recognize a common humanity, he stated. Without this,"the embers of extremism will continue to burn," he said. Opening the gathering of world leaders Tuesday was UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who addressed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in his initial remarks. "As a friend of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, it pains me that this past decade has been ten years lost to peace," Ban said. "Ten years lost to illegal settlement expansion. Ten years lost to intra-Palestinian divide, growing polarization and hopelessness. This is madness." In response, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, released a statement, slamming the Secretary-General and said that "the real madness belongs to the UN." "Instead of focusing on Palestinian terror and incitement, and instead of compelling (Palestinain Authority President) Mahmoud Abbas to return to the negotiating table, the Secretary-General chose to criticize Israel once again," he continued. "This is an obsession with Israel and it must end." "At a time when Palestinian terror is on the rise in Israel, the Secretary General chose to criticize us and ignore the direct responsibility of Abbas and the Palestinian leadership who continue to incite towards terror." Danon has called out the Secretary General multiple times over his first year at the UN for statements directed against Israel.
UN chief: One-state solution for Israeli-Palestinian conflict would 'spell doom' - http://www.timesofisrael.com/un-chief-one-state-solution-for-israeli-palestinian-conflict-would-spell-doom/
In last address as secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon criticizes 'illegal settlement expansion,' and 'growing polarization and hopelessness'; Danon slams 'UN obsession with Israel' United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Tuesday that the only solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would be a two-state solution, and that the one-state option would "spell doom" for both sides. Speaking at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in New York for the final time as UN chief, Ban gave a wide-ranging address focused largely on the Syrian civil war, which has claimed the lives of over 300,000 people since March 2011. On stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Ban said that prospects for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel "are being lowered by the day." "It pains me that this past decade has been lost to peace. Ten years lost to illegal settlement expansion. Ten years lost to intra-Palestinian divide, growing polarization and hopelessness," he said, adding that West Bank settlements were "obstacles to progress." "This is madness. Replacing a two-state solution with a one-state construct would spell doom: denying Palestinians their freedom and rightful future, and pushing Israel further from its vision of a Jewish democracy towards greater global isolation," said Ban. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon criticized some of Ban's comments, charging that "the real madness is of the UN's." "Instead of slamming the incitement and the terror [on the part of Palestinians], instead of bringing [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] to the negotiating table, the secretary general has chosen once again to attack Israel," he said in a statement, adding that this is a "crazy obsession regarding Israel and it must stop." "At a time when Palestinian terror has returned to Israeli streets, the secretary-general has chosen to attack Israel and not the terrorism and has ignored the direct responsibility of Abu Mazen [Abbas] and the Palestinian leadership who continue to incite terror," Danon added. At least six Israelis were injured in the most recent wave of Palestinian attacks over the past week, one of them seriously. The UN chief opened his address with a call to end the Syrian civil war. Railing against "powerful patrons that keep feeding the war machine," Ban said such countries "also have blood on their hands," urging "all those with influence to end the fighting and get talks started." "Present in this hall today are representatives of governments that have ignored, facilitated, funded, participated in or even planned and carried out atrocities inflicted by all sides of the Syria conflict against Syrian civilians," he said, adding that "many groups have killed innocent civilians - none more so than the government of Syria." In his address, Ban denounced the "sickening, savage and apparently deliberate attack" on an aid convoy in Aleppo province on Monday and confirmed that the United Nations had suspended deliveries of humanitarian assistance. "Just when you think it cannot get any worse, the bar of depravity sinks lower," he added. The UN chief hailed the aid workers on the convoy as "heroes" and said "those who bombed them were cowards" before calling for accountability for crimes committed in the war. Both Syria and Russia denied they were behind the raid on the convoy near the northern city Aleppo, which the Red Cross said killed "around 20 civilians" including an employee of the Syrian Red Crescent. Air raids and shelling meanwhile pounded key battlefronts across the country - dimming hopes that the fraught ceasefire brokered by Moscow and Washington could be revived. Ban blamed all sides for killing innocent people, but "none more so than the government of Syria, which continues to barrel bomb neighborhoods and systematically torture thousands of detainees." The former South Korean foreign minister is stepping down as UN secretary-general on December 31 after 10 years.
Critical Year for Israel as UN Bias Expected to Continue - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=665
As the United Nations begins it's 71st General Assembly in New York City, Israel is preparing itself for another round of attacks. There is no other nation on Earth as vilified in the United Nations as Israel. Many fear the Security Council this year will push through a resolution setting territorial parameters, and a deadline, for the creation of a Palestinian state. President Obama has hinted that in the final months of his term, he may reverse the traditional U.S. policy of vetoing such resolutions. Some have even suggested the recent military aid deal formalized by the United States and Israel is part of that plan by using a carrot and stick mentality. The US has given Israel the military assistance carrot but will now allow the stick to fall at the UN by not protecting it from a hostile world body. In the meetings and resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council, UN General Assembly, UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Labor Organization (ILO), and the World Health Organization (WHO), Israel has been singled out as a target time and time again. Year after year, these groups and the UN General Assembly focus their attention on condemning Israel while ignoring to an absurd degree perpetrators of tyranny, discrimination, and human rights all over the world. A cursory view of the record of the UN's resolutions should give an idea of the level of bias present in this otherwise esteemed international body. The United Nations Human Rights Council Led in recent years by none other than Saudi Arabia, one of the world's worst offenders in both religious oppression and the subjugation of women, the Human Rights Council has adopted 131 resolutions intended to criticize specific countries. Of those 131, an incredible 68 were leveled against Israel alone. From its 47 rotating member states, the council has directed 55% of its resolutions against Israel in 2016, 36% in 2015, 43% in 2014 and 40% in 2013. Absent from the discussion, strangely enough, is criticism of Saudi Arabia's treatment of women and religious minorities. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization The sole focus on country-specific resolutions from UNESCO, approximately 10 per year, has been Israel. The resolutions range from the absurd conspiracy theory put forth in 2016 that Israel is "planting fake Jewish graves" in Jerusalem (Arab-sponsored and voted on by both France and Spain) to dozens of other pronouncements on the illegality of Jewish cultural sites and condemnation of Israel's educational system. With Syria in 2013 as the one exception, no other nation has yet been the focus of a country-specific resolution by UNESCO. The World Health Organization The WHO is focused primarily on health issues on a global scale, but an exception is made for its annual resolution that bears the name "Health Conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Including East Jerusalem and in the Occupied Syrian Golan" which once again focuses only on Israel as the target of its condemnation. No other country suffers this fate. UN Watch Executive Director Hillel Neuer described a recent resolution as "reaching new heights of absurdity," when the body, "accused Israel of violating the health rights of Syrians in the Golan, even as, in reality, Israeli hospitals continue their life saving treatment of Syrians fleeing to the Golan from the Assad regime's barbaric attacks." The International Labor Organization The ILA's mission is to improve labor conditions, reduce unemployment and protect workers worldwide. It pretends to do this by, once again, producing only a single country-specific report each year condemning only Israel. With global problems of wage inequality in China, forced labor in Dubai, sweatshops in Burma and cruel working conditions in Bangladesh, this exclusive focus on Israel is as bizarre as it is counterproductive. The United Nations General Assembly The General Assembly has among the worst track records of bias. Between 2012 and 2015, it adopted 97 resolutions aimed at criticism of specific countries. Of those, 83 (86%) were direct only towards Israel. Largely ignoring the massacres committed by Assad's regime and dozens of other despots around the world, year after year Israel is singled out in what amounts to a pogrom, thinly veiled as global democracy, against the state of Israel which is, ironically, the only democracy in the Middle East! The UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2016 blamed the "Israeli occupation" for the subjugation of women in Palestinian society. Of all 193 countries, only Israel was singled out for criticism, despite the plight of women in many Arab states where their rights are virtually nonexistent and abuse is common, or in India where sexual violence is running rampant. Israel is blamed for the fact that 51% of Palestinian women have been the victims of gender violence. Israel is blamed for Palestinian families who force their daughters into marriage for money. Israel is blamed for the condition of the Palestinian healthcare system. So they would have us conclude that Israel is responsible for Palestinian men beating women, for Palestinian marriage practices and for the Palestinian healthcare system. An international body that claims to be democratic has shown itself to be little more than a mob whose sole target is most often Israel. Like the age old accusations of Jews poisoning wells, Israel is year after year singled out to take the blame and condemnation of the world's problems. Whether health, education, employment, gender or human rights, an unending series of resolutions is passed against Israel while the world's despots vote to shift the blame away from themselves. The UN is far from the objective and enlightened bastion of global democracy and modernity many believe it to be and its record on Israel is shameful to say the least.
DISCLAIMER: We love Michael Snyder and appreciate his well-written and insightful articles, but we have to agree to disagree when it comes to his viewpoints concerning the Rapture and the Tribulation. We want to make it clear that we in no way endorse or approve of his Post Tribulation viewpoint nor his new book, "The Rapture Verdict." We believe that the Bible clearly teaches that the Church will not go through the Great Tribulation, but will be Raptured prior to the beginning of this time of Jacob's Trouble. Furthermore, we believe the Bible teaches that the Tribulation period can't even begin until we are taken out of the way! Some pre-tribulation ministries have completely banned Michael Snyder. For the time being, we will continue to post his very popular articles, but only with this disclaimer included.
Why Won't Obama Call It Terrorism? - By Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/why-wont-obama-call-it-terrorism Everybody knows that what just happened in New York City was an act of Islamic terror, so why won't Barack Obama use those words? 28-year-old Afghan immigrant Ahmad Khan Rahami only had one motivation when he planted those improvised explosive devices. He wanted to use violence to promote the cause of Islam. All over the planet radical Islam is on the rise, and we have seen more than 1000 Islamic terror attacks worldwide so far this year. But an extreme form of political correctness is causing many of our leaders to deny what is happening right in front of their eyes. In fact, Barack Obama refused to use the word terrorism when talking about the attack in New York... President Barack Obama made no mention of terrorism in his remarks on the bombings and attempted bombings in the New York City/New Jersey region over the weekend. He also chastised the media and urged restraint when reporting about incidents that appear to be terrorist-related. "I ask that the press try to refrain from getting out ahead of the investigation," Obama said. "... it does not help if false reports or incomplete information is out there." Throughout his entire presidency, Barack Obama has been extremely reluctant to link radical Islam and terror. When he has spoken of Islam, his remarks have almost always been extremely positive. And it is understandable why Obama would be so hesitant to say anything that could be construed to be negative about Islam. There are people working in his administration that are Muslim, and he has a whole host of friends and relatives that are Muslim. But to deny that Ahmad Khan Rahami had a religious motivation because it would not be politically correct to admit that he did is insane. Of course he had a religious motivation and of course this was yet another instance of Islamic terror. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio also initially refused to call the bombing an act of terror, and he was roundly criticized by security experts interviewed by USA Today... Several experts including a former New York City police commissioner said Sunday the explosion that injured 29 people on a Manhattan street was clearly an act of terrorism, and they were perplexed that Mayor Bill de Blasio called it only "an intentional act." "It is absolutely an act of terrorism. I couldn't disagree with him (de Blasio) more," Howard Safir, who was police commissioner from 1996 to 2000, said in an interview. "I think they do a disservice to the public when they try to sugar coat something that is a horrific act." After an immense public outcry, the mayor finally broke down on Monday and decided to use the word "terror"... At the same conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio said 'We have every reason to believe this is an act of terror' - after days of refusing to call the bombings just that. It was later explained that authorities had to distinguish between the emotion of 'terror' felt when the Chelsea bomb detonated on Saturday, injuring 29 people, and the act of terrorism - which could not be determined until a suspect and his or her motivations had been identified. The radical Islamists are very clear about who their enemies are and about what they want to accomplish. If we put our heads in the sand and pretend that they don't exist, the radical Islamists are not going to stop attacking us. Instead, they will just rapidly get the upper hand. Barack Obama and his politically correct friends want to see the world a certain way. They believe what they want to believe. But the truth is that radical Islam is a rapidly growing evil, and virtually every nation on the planet is now starting to feel the pain. Just consider an incident which just took place underneath the Eiffel Tower... Three illegal immigrants were in custody in Paris today after a teenager was found tied up and gagged after allegedly being gang raped underneath the Eiffel Tower. The horrifying attack took place after the 19-year-old was lured on a Facebook 'date' in the French capital. She responded to messages from who she thought was a 17-year-old Tunisian boy and initially met him close to her home in the Paris suburbs. But last Sunday night she turned up at the Champs des Mars, the public park where the Eiffel Tower is situated, and was attacked. It isn't wrong to question an immigration policy that has been importing thousands upon thousands of people from areas of the world where radical Islam is dominant. The decisions that our government makes have consequences, and we just saw an example of this in Minnesota. The man that started viciously attacking people with a knife in a Macy's Department store was a radical Islamist that originally came to the U.S. from Somalia, and it turns out that since 9/11 more Somali refugees have been resettled in Minnesota than anywhere else in the nation... Almost 100,000 Somali refugees have been resettled in the United States since 9/11, including 8,619 so far during the current fiscal year. The largest number - some 16 percent of the total over the past 15 years - have been resettled in Minnesota, home to the nation's biggest Somali-American community. Unfortunately, our leaders have not learned anything from their past mistakes. Barack Obama plans to dramatically increase the number of Syrian refugees coming into this country in 2017, and Hillary Clinton is on record saying that she wants to raise the number to 65,000 per year... The Obama administration, meanwhile, wants to boost the total number of refugees to the U.S. next year to 110,000, a nearly 30 percent increase. Clinton specifically wants to increase the number of Syrian refugee admissions from 10,000 to 65,000. As I have discussed previously, 98.33 percent of the Syrian refugees that have been brought in so far are Sunni Muslims, and surveys have found that a significant percentage of Sunni refugees are sympathetic to ISIS. Barack Obama always promised to fundamentally change America, and he appears to be trying to keep that promise. Let us just hope that the amount of damage that he does to our country over the remaining months of his term will be minimized somehow. 
My Review of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Over the last 35 years, I have literally read hundreds of books on Bible Prophecy and End Time signs. I especially enjoy books on the Rapture, and I have read almost every Rapture-related book published. In all those years, devouring thousands of pages, and millions of words, I have not read a better book on the Rapture than, Rapture Ready...Or Not? Terry James might be physically blind, but he is spiritually sharp and well discerning beyond most authors. In "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Terry has nailed the pre-trib Rapture, and removed any doubt what so ever about the Church going through the Tribulation. With great insight and Godly discernment, Terry explains with simple, yet profound words, why and how that he has come to believe the ways he does about the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the End Times scenario. I think after reading "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" you too will believe as Terry does, and be Ready for the Rapture like never before! - Randy Thomas - Publisher / Editor - Prophecy Update For more information and or to get your copy of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" use this link: http://www.raptureready.com/terry/book35.html
Nearing Midnight: The Powers Behind Hillary Clinton - Todd Strandberg - http://raptureready.com/rap16.html
The viability of the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign defies all logical analysis. If you were to give a rundown of the details of the race to a panel of political watchdogs, most of them would probably conclude that Hillary would have poll numbers in the single digits. In recent days, she has been slipping in the polls, but a couple weeks ago, she had a solid lead over Trump. Hillary Clinton should have been declared unelectable when it was revealed that she violated laws governing the handling classified information mixed in with her personal records. Instead the media aided and abetted her misdeeds. Her criminal nature was made all the more obvious when we learned that the Clinton Foundation was nothing more than a pay for play enterprise. But so what, right? The collapse she suffered at the September 11 memorial ceremony should have ended the race right there. Despite her campaign claiming it was dehydration and then pneumonia that led to her ill health, Clinton was caught on camera receiving a neurological test from someone who appeared to be a nurse. She was also wearing anti-seizure sunglasses. Any speculation that Hillary Clinton has Parkinson's disease is labeled as right-wing conspiracy theory talk. But evidence pointing to her having some form of neurological issue has become overwhelming and hard to dismiss. I watched the video last week from a Neurologist that listed ten examples that point to Parkinson's disease as a likely cause of many of Clinton symptoms. There have been at least three other times when she collapsed or fainted. One fall in her home resulted in a major blood clot in her brain that required months of treatment. The details have been covered up, of course. The revelation that Clinton has pneumonia is one more indication pointing to Parkinson's disease. The head of the National Parkinson Foundation has said that pneumonia is one of the most common causes of mortality in Parkinson's sufferers-since people with that degenerative disease are less able to swallow. Her frequent coughing fits are blamed on allergies, but unless she's allergic to people, they seem to strike in any environmental setting. The liberal media play an essential role in allowing Clinton to shake off all these setbacks. Every time a scandal breaks, her faithful praetorian guard works feverishly to set the negative news into the softest tones. Another one of their specialties is to turn Hillary problems into "old news." Right now, her emails are viewed as ancient history. The same strategy is being used with her health scare. Last Sunday, Hillary needed three people to hold her up. Two days later, the liberal media considered the matter resolved. The reporters that followed her didn't even care that they had been lied to. When Hillary's doctor issued a letter that basically said she is still able to fog a mirror, the press had complete faith that all is well. Of course, the liberal media had to go on the offense by openly questioning if Donald Trump has any health issues. If he had suffered the same type of collapse, every news organization would go into a relentless 24 hour breaking news mode. I have given much thought to why Satan has invested so much energy into Hillary Clinton. Since he is the god of this world, one would think he would have picked someone else from the thousands of Democrats; someone that does not have the negative legal and health issues that shroud Hillary. The only reason I can find for why the devil would be putting all his energy into this broken-down race horse is because he knows what will happen if she wins. The Bible makes it clear that Satan has tremendous power, but he doesn't have total rule over the earth. God maintains 100 percent control in all worldly affairs. He delegates power to the devil based largely on a nation's spiritual state. The reason why Satan is pushing so hard to get Hillary elected would seem to be the result of God telling him that America would come under his greater control if the voters are foolish enough to elect her as president. I think is vital that every Christian in this country be praying that God will spare us from this evil woman-from Hillary Clinton. If she gets into office, we can all say goodbye to the freedoms we have enjoyed. Destroying Christians is very high on her "To Do" list. Because we don't know the timing of the Rapture, we don't have the option of ignoring a calamity of this magnitude. If believers just sit on their hands and do nothing, we may find ourselves reflecting fondly on the presidency of Barack Hussein Obama. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12).
Daily Jot: Terrorism on the eve of UN refugee summit - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com
Yet Another Islamic terror attack in New York City with both deadly and symbolic significance. It came on the eve of a first ever United Nations Summit about refugees-the very ones that among them have been found terrorists spreading death and destruction to their host nations. The UN says, "This is the first time the General Assembly has called for a summit at the Heads of State and Government level on large movements of refugees and migrants...It is a watershed moment to strengthen governance of international migration and a unique opportunity for creating a more responsible, predictable system for responding to large movements of refugees and migrants." Has it turned into a showcase for terrorism? In addition, the facilitator of the historic Islamic immigration movement in America, none other than the US "president," will host a sister event following the UN Summit. The UN website says, "Also on the margins of the General Assembly, on 20 September 2016, the United States President [name redacted] is hosting the Leaders' Summit on Refugees, alongside co-hosts Canada, Ethiopia, Germany, Jordan, Mexico and Sweden, which will appeal to governments to pledge significant new commitments on refugees. While the Leaders' Summit will focus on refugees, not migrants, the General Assembly High-Level Summit will address large movements of both. The two events will complement one another." The Islamic State has provided an appropriate backdrop for highlighting the results of such reckless foreign policy of allowing unscreened Islamic "refugees" unfettered entry into a nation. Terrorism in the US is a small indicator of the larger scale terrorism and Islamic colonization seen across Europe. Yet, the UN is not concerned about the problem of terrorism perpetrated by Islamic refugees and migrants. It is concerned about securing those refugee's and migrant's human rights in the countries they are entering. The theme listed on the UN website is "Stand with refugees and Migrants. Protect their rights." The site says that forced migration has caused an international crisis and that rights must be protected. Herein, the UN and its members, including the US leadership and its Islamic refugee policy (which Hillary Clinton ardently supports; Donald Trump ardently opposes) have created the very problem they now seek to solve. What about the rights of the people in the countries where these "refugees and migrants" are plying their deadly trade? We know that a one world order will someday violently persecute all Christians and Jews. When we see the actions of the UN, it reminds us of how misguided and ungodly things can become-all in the name of good intentions. The Apostle Paul wrote of the perilous times of the last days. 2 Timothy 3:13 says, "But evil men shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." Securing the rights of those who trample the rights of the innocent in the name of human rights is an example. 
Daily Devotion: How Will They Hear? - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? -Romans 10:14 Have you ever led someone to Christ? If not, why not? Maybe you think that God can never use you in this way, that you're just not gifted in that regard, and it is only for a privileged few to lead others to Christ. But if this were the case, why was the Great Commission given to every Christian? Every believer is called to "go and make disciples of all the nations . . . " (Matthew 28:19). That means we are all called to evangelism. We all have a part to play. I must admit that it's a mystery to me that God has chosen to use people as the primary communicators of His truth. An interviewer once commented to me that I seem to be very natural when I speak, that it must come easily to me. "Nothing could be further from the truth," I said. "Before I was a Christian, I wasn't a public speaker." I remember being in an English class in school where we were all required to give an impromptu, five-minute speech in front of the class on an assigned statement. Being a poor student, I hadn't read the assignment, so I stood frozen with fear in front of the class. I was not a public speaker. But after I came to faith in Jesus Christ, I realized the best way to help people believe was through verbal communication, be it in front of a group or an individual. I realized that it is not about me or what I feel comfortable doing; it is about obeying God. Because the primary way God reaches people who do not yet know Him is through verbal communication. How can people hear about Christ unless someone tells them? That someone is supposed to be you or me.
FROM THE HEART
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