Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Abraham "Peace" Accords: ....Ezekiel 38? - By Brian Lasewski - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/09/27/abraham-peace-accords-ezekiel-38-by-brian-lasewski/
If you tune out all the noise of the western media, you'll soon get a sense something big is happening in the Middle East. I believe it is possible that the war of Ezekiel 38 will happen prior to the tribulation period spoken of by Daniel and Revelation. The geopolitics of old are falling by the wayside in favor of a new order of normal relations. With the recent Abraham Accord Peace Plan, Arab solidarity over the Palestinian issue is waning in favor of opposition to Iran. I will not be surprised if Saudi Arabia is next to join in. The tentacles of Iran dig deep into the Middle East. Their sphere of influence digs into Iraq, Syria, Lebanon (Hezbollah) and, apparently, is attempting to bolster Hamas. To be sure, Iran is hurting economically and internally collapsing. It is in this state that I believe Iran is most dangerous as a wounded bear. Turkey is another chief player in the Ezekiel 38 war. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been doing everything possible to project Turkey's dominance into the region, not unlike his Ottoman ancestors. If you dig a little deep, you'll uncover many reports about Turkey's involvement in Libya and The Sudan (Other players in Ezekiel 38). Albeit they have been set back recently in The Sudan, they nevertheless are still prevalent in Libya. Then we have Russia. Russia, needless to say, goes without saying. I believe them to be the King of the North. Now that Putin is El Presidente for life, he basically can operate as he wishes. He is, in fact, a dictator hidden in plain sight. They are also losing a lot of rubles over Israel's extra blessing of natural gas. We do know from Ezekiel that whoever this confederation of nations are, they will be compelled to attack an unprepared Israel. "Thus says the Lord GOD, 'Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal. I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops-many peoples with you'" (Ezekiel 38:3-6). The nations are generally thought to be a confederation of Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, Sudan, and a few others. I would urge you to study this for yourself. Using the tables of nations maps in most Bibles, you'll generally put this together. The Nations are more so agreed upon than the timing of this war (Gog and Magog). I believe it could happen at any time as there are no pre-conditions. Some have it in the tribulation, and a minority place it at the end of the Millennial Kingdom instead of there being a second war of Gog and Magog. I happen to believe it will happen prior to the tribulation, but that is my mere opinion. What is missing here (Ezekiel 38) is mention of the direct neighbors of Israel. Many of these nations seem to be covered in the Psalm 83 war. Many believe that the Psalm 83 war was already fought between 1948 to 1981. This viewpoint does merit attention and could very well be correct. What I find interesting is that there now seems to be a wedge driven between Arab solidarity concerning a relationship with Israel. From the Jerusalem Post: Palestinian leadership is on a collision course with Arab countries. The Palestinian leadership has placed itself on a collision course with many Arab countries, and the situation may not improve. Less than a month after the Second Intifada erupted in September 2000, the Arab heads of state held an extraordinary meeting in Nasr City, a district of Cairo. After the meeting, held at the urgent invitation of former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, the Arab leaders issued a communique in which they "hailed the intifada of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories" and held Israel "responsible for returning the region to a climate of tension and to manifestations of violence as a result of its practices, its assaults and its blockade of the Palestinian people, in violation of its obligations as the occupying power under the terms of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949." In response to a proposal by Saudi Arabia, the Arab leaders decided to establish two funds to help the Palestinians. Al-Aqsa Fund, they said, will be allocated a sum of $800 million for "the funding of projects designed to preserve the Arab and Islamic identity of Jerusalem and prevent its loss, and to enable the Palestinian people to disengage from its subordination to the Israeli economy." The second one, Al-Quds Intifada Fund, was to have capital of $200m to be allocated for disbursement to the families of Palestinian "martyrs." A year later, the Arab leaders held another summit, this time in the Jordanian capital of Amman. As usual, the leaders issued another statement expressing full solidarity with the Palestinians and hailed "with great pride the Palestinian people's steadfastness and brave intifada in the face of the savage onslaught waged by Israel." Although the Palestinians never saw much of the financial aid promised by the Arab heads of state, they were nevertheless encouraged by moral support they received from the Arab world during the intifada. Those were the days when the Palestinians felt that they had the full backing of the entire Arab world and that the Palestinian cause was the central issue of all Arabs and Muslims. The Palestinians were further encouraged by the widespread support they received from the Arab street. No one in the Arab world dared to criticize the Palestinians, especially not during a time when they were engaged in a violent confrontation with Israel. "We never had much faith in the Arab leaders, but at least they publicly stood with the Palestinians and strongly condemned Israel," a veteran PLO official in Ramallah told The Jerusalem Post. "Back then, the Palestinians felt that all the Arabs were with them, and that allowed them to continue with the intifada. We did not feel that we were alone." IN 2002, the Arab leaders held a summit in Beirut and announced the Arab Peace Initiative, a 10-sentence proposal for an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The initiative calls for normalizing relations between the Arab world and Israel, in exchange for a full withdrawal by Israel to the pre-1967 lines, a "just settlement" of the Palestinian refugee problem based on United Nations resolution 194, and the establishment of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital. Former Palestinian Authority president Yasser Arafat immediately embraced the initiative. His successor, Mahmoud Abbas, also supported it. Some Palestinians saw the Arab peace plan as the turning point in the Arab world's attitude toward the Palestinian issue and Israel. It was the first time that Arab heads of state had talked about the possibility of normalization with Israel, though they conditioned it on a full Israel withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. "The Arab Peace Initiative represented a decline of the Arab position [toward the Arab-Israeli conflict]," noted Palestinian political analyst Hani al-Masri. "The Palestinians identified with the plan despite the concessions it contained." Masri believes that the Arab Peace Initiative (also known as the Saudi Initiative) came in the context of Saudi Arabia's "atonement" for the 9/11 attacks. Fifteen of the 19 terrorists who carried out the attacks were Saudis. In 2007, the Arab leaders met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and "reiterated the adherence of all Arab countries to the Arab Peace Initiative" as it was approved by the Arab summit in Beirut five years earlier. The Riyadh summit came against the backdrop of reports suggesting that some Gulf states were secretly engaged in normalization activities with Israel. The Palestinians were aware of the secret contacts between some Arab countries and Israel but refrained from publicly denouncing these states so as not to alienate them. "We saw the rapprochement between some Arab states and Israel, but we decided that it would be a bad idea to attack them," explained a senior PA official. "We did not want to deepen divisions in the Arab world. In addition, we didn't want to be accused of meddling in the internal affairs of any Arab country. We did our best to maintain good relations with all the Arab countries, particularly those that were secretly normalizing their relations with Israel." In retrospect, the official said, "We may have made a mistake by remaining silent." Had the Palestinian leadership raised its voice and made it known that normalization with Israel was a blatant violation of the Arab Peace Initiative, it's possible that the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain would not have taken a decision to establish relations with Israel, the official added. "The Palestinian leadership failed to see the writing on the wall," remarked Palestinian lawyer Khalil Zahran. "By the time the Palestinian leadership woke up, it was too late. The leadership's strong reaction to the Israel-Emirati deal, meanwhile, has proven to be counterproductive. It was a mistake to accuse an Arab country of betraying al-Aqsa Mosque and the Palestinian issue. Worse, it was a big mistake to send people to the streets to burn pictures of UAE Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed." By the time the PA leadership realized that its harsh rhetoric against the UAE was fruitless and harmful, it was too late. First, the Arab League turned down a Palestinian request to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the repercussions of the Israel-UAE accord. When the Arab League foreign ministers held their ordinary meeting in early September, they refused to endorse a Palestinian draft resolution condemning the UAE for its "agreement of shame" with Israel. Shunned by their Arab brothers, the Palestinians were finally forced to come to terms with the fact that the notion of Arab solidarity has passed away. For the first time in decades, the Palestinians now realize that the Palestinian issue is no longer the central issue of the Arab world. And for the first time in decades, the Palestinians are now fully aware that the Arab world has changed. "As far as many Arab countries are concerned, Iran, Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood organization are the real enemy, and not Israel," said Amjad Shaheen, a prominent activist with the Palestinian ruling Fatah faction. "What's worrying is that many Arabs are attacking the Palestinians and are saying they are fed up with us and our issue. The Palestinian people feel abandoned and isolated. I don't think our leadership has a clear strategy on how to cope with the new developments in the Arab world." Respected East Jerusalem Prof. Sari Nusseibeh believes that the Palestinian leadership has no choice but to make the best of what it has. "It is incumbent on the Palestinian Authority leadership to transcend whatever feelings and to see if an opportunity has risen," Nusseibeh said. "I think this has to be studied. Why not ask, for instance, the UAE to push for the kind of solution that the Palestinians have always asked for? Why not ask them to push for things that people have always wanted, such as the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons? I believe that one should make best use of what one has." The Arab summit resolutions with regard to the Israeli-Arab conflict have failed, Nusseibeh noted. "The support we've had from the Arab world over the past two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight decades has not actually borne fruit, as far as the Palestinians are concerned. It is in this light that one should assess the recent agreements between Israel and Arab countries, whether implicit or explicit. Things seem to be sliding back, so to speak. Of course, this causes a great deal of pain for the Palestinians, just as the failure of the Oslo agreement causes a great deal of pain." Nusseibeh, who once served as the PLO's representative in Jerusalem, advised the Palestinian leadership "to try and see if they could use the developing relations between Arab states and Israel to see if they can push forward the peace process. "Perhaps it is more possible to do this now than it was in the past when there were no relations [between the Arab states and Israel]," he said. "I think the Palestinian leadership should look into this possibility, in spite of the pain at the sense of being betrayed. In politics, one has to always be on the lookout for what possible opportunity there is to advance the interests of one. In the past, we had an Arab consensus, which was no peace with Israel until there is peace with the Palestinians. If you look at the history of this policy, one can't but say it has failed. Why be blind to the fact?" Like many Palestinians, Nusseibeh is disappointed with the Palestinian leadership for lacking a strategy to deal with the new developments in the region. "One should be expecting changes sometime soon," he said. "I don't think [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu is going to be there forever. On the Palestinian side, there may well be change, and some of the changes may actually not come about in a positive way. What I'm concerned about is that the stalemated position our leadership finds itself in might well put some pressure to bring about change in that leadership. Our leadership is under pressure not only because it has not been moving forward with the peace process, but because the Palestinians in the areas it controls are not happy with its governance. I don't even discount violent change. Everything is possible." Under the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that Abbas and his cohorts in Ramallah are going to listen to advice such as the one offered by Nusseibeh. The Palestinian leadership has placed itself on a course of collision with many Arab countries, and it's hard to see how Abbas will be able to climb down from the tall tree anytime in the near future. [Source] So, there you have it. For years I often wondered how a massive invasion of Israel could be pulled off without the neighboring Arab states piling on. I guess we can thank the pariah Iran for reshaping the Middle East geopolitical sphere. The Arabs and Persians have been at it for thousands of years. And to many of them, their enmity of Persia outweighs their enmity of the Jewish state. It also appears Israel is going to lockdown again due to Covid-19. I really don't know how they are keeping their head above water with their economy in shambles and tourism kaput. Israel's Spending to GDP most recently reported around 39.50%. Considering How effective the IDF is and how state of the art equipped they are, a shortfall in spending will only harm the IDF and their readiness to effectively defend their state. I think there is a perfect recipe of events falling into place for Ezekiel 38 to unfold. Unprepared Israel. Financially collapsing Russia and Iran, and Turkey's ambitions, not to mention that all three are operating in proximity in Syria right next door to Israel. Could we be nearing the Ezekiel 38 war? If so, it doesn't end well for the invaders as God Himself will thwart and destroy those enemies. "Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep" (Psalm 121:4). Nevertheless, as always, Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem. Her King is Coming soon! Shalom, Brian Lazewski As War Breaks out Between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Rabbis make Gog-Magog Connection - Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - https://www.israel365news.com/158955/current-war-between-azerbaijan-armenia-first-shots-gog-magog/ "After a long time you shall be summoned; in the distant future you shall march against the land [of a people] restored from the sword, gathered from the midst of many peoples-against the mountains of Yisrael, which have long lain desolate-[a people] liberated from the nations, and now all dwelling secure." Ezekiel 38:8 (The Israel BibleTM) ONE PLANE SHOT DOWN LEADS TO OLD CONFLICT REKINDLED On Tuesday, Armenia claimed that neighboring Azerbaijan shot down one of its warplanes, killing the pilot, over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region of the border. Azerbaijan denied the claim. According to Armenia, a SU-25 from its air force was shot down in Armenian airspace by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet that took off from Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has repeatedly claimed that its air force does not have F-16 fighter jets however, Turkey, a NATO member, does have the US-made fighter jet. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry countered by claiming that Armenian forces shelled the Dashkesan region in Azerbaijan. Armenian officials confirmed the claim, saying that their shelling was in response to Azerbaijani forces firing on an Armenian military unit in the town of Vardenis, setting a bus on fire and killing one civilian. Turkish military advisers were reportedly on the ground alongside Azerbaijani fighters who were using Turkish military equipment and aircraft. Armenia also accused Turkey of transporting thousands of Syrian mercenaries to support the Azerbaijani military. Azerbaijan responded by accusing Russia of sending large numbers of weapons to Armenia. It was reported that 84 Armenian servicemen have been killed so far. Azerbaijan says 10 civilians have died on its side but has yet to give details on military casualties. This current outbreak is considered the worst in recent years. The region is mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians and has been fighting for decades to secede Azerbaijan. Though based on longstanding territorial disputes, the current outbreak of violence is considered to be a proxy-conflict between Russia, supporting Armenia, and Turkey, supporting Azerbaijan. Russia has a defense pact with Armenia and a military base in Armenia but has been calling for calm. LOCAL CONFLICT WITH REGIONAL IMPLICATIONS: CHINA IS "GREAT ENEMY" Rabbi Ken Spiro, a historian and Senior Lecturer and Researcher for Aish HaTorah Yeshiva, emphasized that this local conflict had regional implications. "There doesn't seem to be a direct influence on Israel other than the bigger picture power struggles," Rabbi Spiro told Israel365 News. "But these are substantial. Putin wants to reestablish the Russian Empire and Erdogan wants to reestablish the Ottoman Turkish sultanate. These guys have been duking it out precisely in these region for centuries. There is certainly a religious element in the conflict but the major issue has been the Bosporous and Russian access from the Black Sea into the Mediterranean." "Under President Obama, due to his isolationism, Russia got this Mediterranean access by establishing a naval base in Latakia, Syria. This is huge for them." "Erdogan is looking to expand his influence as a leader in the Sunni world and establish his reputation as the defender of Sunni Islam. He can do this by supporting Azerbajain in their conflict against a Christian country." The two countries are both bordered on the south by Iran which has remained conspicuously silent in the recent flare-up. "Iran will stay out of this because as Shiites, they have no interest in defending Sunnis. The only Sunni Iran supports is Hamas and that is because of the common Zionist enemy." "Putin has no interest in expanding this conflict. Russia is not really a superpower anymore. They lost a lot of territory and economically it is a mess. Russia is a sick old man company. The Soviet Union had an agenda to push to actively export its socialist ideology. Putin does not have an agenda. He wants to cement the control over the territory around him and building up a buffer zone against the West." "China has taken on the role of the 'great enemy' with an agenda posing the greatest threat to the Western World but, unlike the Soviet Union, they do not want to take over the world militarily. They are dominating through information and technology which is a much deeper level of control. Right now, Russia has national interests but China has international interests. Radical Islam, in particular Iran, also has an international ideology. But Iran's economy is a mess. China is a serious threat." Rabbi Spiro stated that when discussing global politics on this level, it is absolutely relevant to refer to prophetic principles such as Gog and Magog. "I don't attempt to apply specific identities to countries today," Rabbo Spiro said. "The descriptions in Zechariah of chariots and horses is clearly not meant to be literal or relevant for the 21st Century." "I look at Gog and Magog as a global holistic phenomenon. The prophets describe a time when Israel is trying to reestablish itself as a country, which is what we see today. Gog and Magog are the nations of the world line up to try to prevent that. That is certainly the UN General Assembly. Not every country but the countries that stood up to defend Israel are few and far between." "It is always a mistake to try to apply the title of Gog and Magog to one country. It is a deeper ideological struggle. Just as the US is a deeper struggle that is greater than the single country. Gog and Magog is the ultimate ideological struggle. Different countries and different people fulfilled these roles throughout history. People can choose a side according to which ideology they identify with, which is what is happening in the world today. People are being forced to choose a side." SMALL SPARK SETTING OFF GOG-MAGOG WAR Rabbi Pinchas Winston, a prolific end-of days author, noted that this conflict is to the north of Israel, placing it in the general direction the Gog and Magog conflict is prophesied to break out. Rabbi Winston preceded his explanation of the situation with the disclaimer that he was not a prophet and, as such, had no definitive idea of what the future holds. "But what is clear is that the War of Gog and Magog, despite being a major conflict, could be set off by a smaller 'spark' of a conflict, something localized that grows bigger. This conflict between Armenia and Azerbajain has threads that connect to the world at large. Russia is involved as is the conflict between Christianity and Islam." "From the divine providence persepective, this could be `is a small fire that could cause a larger destabilization. These smaller conflicts are happening with more frequency which raises the concern that they could be building up until one small conflict that doesn't seem serious will tip it all over, resulting in Gog and Magog." BACKGROUND OF ARMENIA-AZERBAJAIN CONFLICT Azerbaijan and Armenia do not have diplomatic relations and have frequently clashed. They are separated by different ethnicities and religions with Armenia being 95% Christian whereas Azerbaijan is 91% Muslim. When the USSR collapsed in 1991, Armenia and Azerbaijan which had been Soviet republics became independent nations. war broke out over the Nagorno-Karabakh region killing about 30,000 people and displacing an estimated one million. Karabakh is a region within Azerbaijan that has been under the control of ethnic Armenian forces. A ceasefire was signed in 1994 but despite the ceasefire, hundreds of soldiers from both sides have been killed in clashes. The involvement of Turkey in the conflict against Armenia raises disturbing memories of the genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire between 1914 and 1923 in which an estimated 1.5 million Christian Armenians were murdered. U.S. & China: Emerging Technologies and The Race To Control The Future - Lawrence A, Franklin - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=4315 The United States is in a "Tech War" with China, the victor will control the global dissemination of information. The winner will also write the world's rules and standards for emerging technologies in the digital economy. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Chairman Xi Jinping threw down the gauntlet to the U.S. in a May 2017 speech, where he outlined the plan for establishing a Chinese-supervised "Digital Silk Road." President Xi realizes that the information dimension of modern war is bound up with China's apparent overall objective of unseating the United States as the leader of the existing liberal democratic world order. Xi seemingly wants to secure a commanding lead in the emerging hi-tech disciplines to create a sense of inevitability about China's rise to world domination. The U.S. still has the time, talent and resources to secure a victory over China in this contest for global leadership, provided that the U.S. has the will, self-discipline and flexibility to institute a total societal mobilization over decades. China specialists such as Gordon Chang and policy officers in the Trump Administration have sought to educate the American public on how China came to emerge as a potent challenger to U.S. global primacy in hi-tech disciplines. Many of the methods by which China rose to contender status include stealing intellectual property on a massive scale, with the collusion, sadly, of many Americans; forced transfer of entrepreneurial secrets of U.S. firms as a prerequisite to operating in the Chinese market; meticulous, long-term planning to secure China's national priorities; legal and illegal recruitment of foreign human talent, and lavish state support for Chinese hi-tech firms. China may have unintentionally alerted the Free World to its present danger by revealing the CCP regime's true face -- not exactly the one presented by "A rising China is a ... positive development not only for China, but for America" -- as well as its global ambitions. China has revealed this true face by an abominable human rights record, underscored by its genocidal policy toward China's Uighur minority in Xinjiang Province. China's aggressive territorial expansion against Hong Kong and several of its Asian neighbors -- not to mention how it deliberately exported the Wuhan virus internationally while closing transportation to limit its spread within China -- has helped strip away its carefully orchestrated image as a responsible major power and has exposed a belligerent state controlled by the CCP. Now, a Chinese physician and virologist, Dr. Yan Limeng, who fled China and is in hiding in the U.S., has said that China released the virus "intentionally" -- perhaps, one surmises, as a way of torpedoing both President Trump's prospects for re-election and his effort to alter trade deals that have favored China by $600 billion a year. Meanwhile, Twitter thoughtfully deleted Yan's clearly important account. China's domestic implementation of advances in surveillance technology to control its own population also has contributed to the negative transformation of China's international image. The CCP has employed these advances to create a surveillance state to monitor the actions of Chinese citizens, and many countries have purchased Chinese facial recognition products. These state customers run the gamut of political systems from dictatorships to democracies. Artificial intelligence (AI) is another emerging technology where China is making inroads on the reported U.S. lead. China has set a goal of overtaking the U.S. in AI by 2030. AI is a scientific discipline that teaches machines to imitate human actions. Such applications have enormous potential to impact the efficiency and accuracy of modern weapon systems such as missiles. AI exercises have produced results as in assisting surgery and where machines have bested world-class Chess Masters and Go enthusiasts. Five factors contribute to breakthroughs in AI and other emerging technologies: patents, investment, hardware, talented labor and academic research. Both China and the U.S. are improving the ability of AI to capture the nuance of languages. China has now surpassed the U.S. in the number of published scientific studies, but there is a caveat: U.S. scientific publications remain, on the whole, qualitatively superior. These studies help keep the U.S. a step ahead in basic software such as computer data management, processing and in operating system software. Another critical discipline where the U.S. maintains a clear advantage over China is semiconductor chip technology, necessary for the manufacture of various electronic devices. The Trump administration's decoupling of China's Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd from the American market has helped slow Beijing's effort to catch up to the United States in semiconductor technology. The electronic materials, chemical gases, and lithographic technology -- all components necessary for the production of the most advanced semiconductors -- can presently only be produced in Free World states such as the U.S., Japan, and the Netherlands Perhaps the most spirited and public manifestation of the U.S.-China "Tech War" is in space. This competition may recall the drama of the "space race" between an earlier generation of superpower rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union. Rather than the US-USSR rivalry to reach the moon, the focus in the current US-China contest is in space weaponry -- and reaching Mars. China is making impressive strides in space operations by recently deploying the BeiDou constellation of 30 satellites, its rival to the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS). China also has plans to launch its own space station as an alternative to the International Space Station that highlights global cooperation, especially between the U.S. and Russia. Ominously, China appears to be doubling down on its effort to checkmate the West's capability to use space-based systems during conflict. If China can successfully blind U.S. systems by offensive cyber operations or outright destruction of U.S. systems by anti-satellite attacks, the war-fighting advantage currently possessed by the West can be annihilated. China executed a successful anti-satellite strike as early as 2007; it showed its capability by destroying one of its own aging weather satellites. Still another new technology with enormous potential for solving complex mathematical and scientific problems more quickly than today's computers can is quantum computing. While the U.S. claims to have created the first quantum computer, China appears to be leading in the military application of this new science. China has already demonstrated the ability to create unbreakable encrypted messaging, an accomplishment that could keep other countries in the dark about planned secret Chinese military operations, such as, say, an invasion of Taiwan. The U.S. still leads China in Research and Development (R&D) spending, but Beijing has made great strides in this area as well. In order to keep pace with China's all-out effort to dominate emerging technologies, a well-disciplined, coordinated approach by the U.S. government, sort of a "Manhattan Project" in all of the key hi-tech areas, might help. The costs to the US of falling behind could well prove catastrophic. Greatest Rescue Of All Times - By Grant Phillips - https://www.raptureready.com/2020/09/29/greatest-rescue-of-all-times-by-grant-phillips/ Almost every day, somewhere around the world, someone is being successfully rescued by caring people. Here in the states, most of us will remember Jessica McClure (Baby Jessica), who was rescued from an 8 inch well in Midland, Texas. She was only 18 months old at the time, and it took her rescuers three days back in October of 1987 to get her out. This is only one example among so many who have had their lives spared. Sadly, there are just as many who were not able to be rescued before it was too late. It is very heartwarming when we hear of successful rescues of children, adults, and even animals. We don't like death, and what a relief when it is dodged for a time. God doesn't like death either, and before someone gets their tail feathers in a knot, God did not bring death upon us. We did that to ourselves. Someone else will say that Adam and Eve did that, but think about it. Would we have done any better? No, we would not have. Satan is a lot sharper knife in the drawer than any of us. We wouldn't even make a good butter knife. Nevertheless, because of that decision by our first parents, everyone sins and everyone dies. For over 6,000 years, we have had to deal with this monster. The good news is that, right from the beginning, God had the solution. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15). Even before mankind fell into sin and brought death upon us all in the Garden of Eden, God already knew what would happen and had a plan ready from the start. This plan was and is today that He would pay for all our sins by taking our punishment for us upon a Roman cross. Satan keeps pumping out the lie that there are several ways we can save ourselves, but wait a minute; he is the one who got us into this mess in the first place with his lying. God doesn't lie and couldn't lie if He wanted to; He says there is only one way we can be saved, and that is that one without sin must pay our sin debt. However, there is a problem: "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way; they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes... For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"(Romans 3:10-18, 23). No one can be found who is qualified. God can't pay for our sins. He isn't a human. He is God, but wait; God says that isn't a problem. The Son of God simply came down to earth and clothed Himself in a human body and became a human. His Spirit entered the womb of a young female who loved God, and He was born from her body. How about that! The Son of God and the Son of Man! Now He is both, and fully qualified to pay for all our sins, and that is just what He did two thousand years ago. (Note: Prior to the cross, those who believed were saved on 'credit,' since they looked forward to the cross.) This move by God is, without a doubt, the greatest rescue of all times. Every man, woman, boy and girl can be saved from Satan's clutches if they just repent (change their mind) and ask Jesus Christ to save them. How tragic it is that billions of people over the last 6,000 years have not accepted God's way to be saved ... the only way actually. That sin nature we inherited from Adam just keeps getting in the way for most folks. It keeps whispering, wait a while; you're good enough; God would never send you to hell, and all those other lies Satan loves to tell us. Thank goodness there have also been billions that have realized they are sinners, need to be saved, and God has the only way that works. They realized Jesus paid their way to God and asked Him to save them too. The great thing about God's only way to Him through Jesus is that He loves us all and really wants us all to be saved. He makes no preferences. He doesn't care if you're poor or rich, what color you are or your nationality, etc. He just wants all to be saved, but He cannot and will not override His one requirement. That requirement is that we must come through His Son Jesus Christ. We must put our faith in Him and trust Him to do the saving. If we will do that, He will save us. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6). "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John 6:37). If we're drowning at sea, stuck in a well, trapped in a fire, attacked by wild dogs, dying of an illness, or a thousand other things that could take our life, wouldn't we want someone to save us? I'm sure the answer is a resounding, "YES!" Well, in that case, we're just talking about our body, which is only going to live but a few years. If we live to be a hundred, our body is still going to die, but what about our soul? Our soul is going to live forever, either in Heaven or hell. What is more important to us, a few years on this earth, or an eternity that never ends ... in Heaven or hell? God wants us to be with Him in Heaven forever, but we must come through His Son Jesus. If we refuse, there are no other options except eternity in hell. In 1869 a Christian lady named Fanny J. Crosby wrote the following hymn: Rescue the Perishing Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave; Weep o'er the erring one, lift up the fallen, Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save. Refrain: Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save. Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting, Waiting the penitent child to receive; Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently; He will forgive if they only believe. Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter, Feelings lie buried that grace can restore; Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, Chords that were broken will vibrate once more. Rescue the perishing, duty demands it; Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide; Back to the narrow way patiently win them; Tell the poor wand'rer a Savior has died. Her inspiration for this great old hymn came from this Scripture passage in the Bible: "And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh" (Jude 22-23). Jesus is our rescuer, but we must call out to Him. He died for us and will save us if we only believe. Grant Phillips Email: [email protected] Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html Daily Jot: Un-presidential debate - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com What was that? It looked more like a couple of toddlers having a fit over something, and the parents lost total control. Last night's Presidential debate was anything but presidential. Chris Wallace of Fox News tried to host the event. He was an utter failure, losing control of the format, siding politics against President Trump with his "commentary" type questions, and not holding any sense of decorum befitting a presidential event. President Trump, while making his points, was a man appearing to fire off the pent up frustration of being lied about and attacked over the past four years. Joe Biden acted childish, and looked as if he didn't really know what was going on-confusing topics and not completing sentences. In short, the debate was a fast frame microcosm of the past four years. Biden did what the Democratic Party has done all along-accuse Trump relentlessly of what the Democrats have been doing. He was smug, arrogant and talked over the President throughout the debate. Declaring, "I am the Democratic Party," Biden called the president a "clown," a "racist," a "fool," a "liar," and asked "will you just shut up, man?" Biden touted the benefits of the Green New Deal, and then said he didn't support it, that he had the "Biden" deal. Saying "here's the deal" repeatedly, Biden contradicted himself a lot. At one time, he started talking about his son Beau when it was his son Hunter's business dealings that were being discussed. President Trump came in hot. From the onset, he refused to allow Biden's falsehoods and went about "correcting" him real time. And there was a lot to correct. Biden lied about his son Hunter using the Biden vice presidency to enrich the Biden's. He also made false claims about crime, the economy, and the Supreme Court nominee. Biden actually said that Antifa was not an organization, but rather an idea-tell that to the homeowners and businessmen who lost everything when that "idea" burned them out in Portland, Seattle, New York and other places. No, there was a lot to correct or Wallace would have just let it stand. It seems, though, Trump often came across angry. He is definitely a fighter. The one thing that came out of the debate that was glaring: Chris Wallace, as a representative of the news media, showed that the media is part of the problem America faces. The content of his questions, the way they were asked each candidate, show implicit bias. At times, Wallace even got into a debate with Trump on issues, not just whether Trump should allow Biden to continue to lie. My takeaway on the debate was that it was hard to watch, it was indicative of the state of our nation, it didn't change my mind, and I'm not sure I will watch any of the rest of them. It was hard to sleep after listening to that morass. 1 Corinthians 13:1 comes to mind: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal." That said, enough said. Daily Devotion: How's Your Vision? - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. -Proverbs 23:7 https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/hows-your-vision/ - Listen Experts tell us that we have 90,000 to 100,000 thoughts every day. That's a lot, isn't it? Our thoughts are important because what we think is what we'll do. Someone wisely said, "Sow a thought, reap an act; sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny." Are you where you want to be as a Christian? I hope your answer is no because a growing believer will always see his or her need to continue to grow. And when you think you don't need to grow anymore, something isn't right. After years of walking with the Lord, the apostle Paul put it this way: "Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward-to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back" (Philippians 3:13-14 MSG). Paul continued, "If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision-you'll see it yet!" (verse 15 MSG). Sometimes we can have blurred vision. When someone has 20/20 vision, it means they have good eyesight. They see things with clarity. We need that kind of vision as followers of Christ because the Bible says that "where there is no vision, the people perish" (Proverbs 29:18 KJV). I have found that where I look is where I'll walk. In other words, if I'm looking in a certain direction, then that is the direction I'm walking. We don't generally look one way and walk another way (unless we're looking down at our cell phones). Where you look is where you'll walk. And what you think is what you'll do. 
FROM THE HEART
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