Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Tabernacles: Seventh Feast of the Lord - By Randy Nettles -
https://www.raptureready.com/2019/10/13/tabernacles-seventh-feast-lord-randy-nettles/ The Feast of Tabernacles, Sukkot, is the last of the seven Feasts of the Lord and the most joyous. It occurs on the 15th day of Tishri and lasts for eight days. It is sometimes referred to as the "feast of booths" or "feast of ingathering." The word ingathering is in reference more to people than crops, as the wheat and most of the fruit has already been harvested by this time of the year. The Feast of Tabernacles is one of the three feasts that all Jewish men were required to attend in Jerusalem every year. The other two are the Feast of Unleavened Bread (combined with Passover), and Pentecost. This year, Sukkot begins on October 13, 2019, and ends on October 21, 2019. During this celebration, the people were to live in booths for 7 days that were made of sticks or branches in remembrance of when their ancestors lived in the wilderness for 40 years and God supernaturally protected them and provided for all of their needs. The day after the 7th day (the 8th day) is designated as a "solemn assembly" for the children of Israel. Not only did the children of Israel dwell in tents during the 40 years in the wilderness, but God did as well. God's Shekinah glory dwelt in the Tabernacle of Moses during the wilderness years of the nation of Israel. "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:34-35). The purpose of this feast is recorded in Leviticus 23, verses 33-34 and verses 42-43: "And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord... You shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." It is noteworthy that on each of the 7 days of Tabernacles, they were to offer 14 (7×2) lambs without blemish (Numbers 29:15, 32). There is an interesting parallel in the Gospel of Matthew where he lists the genealogy of Jesus, the Lamb of God. The generations from Abraham to David are fourteen, from David to the Babylonian captivity are fourteen, and from the captivity to Christ are fourteen. Matthew traced the genealogy back to Abraham and divides Israel 's history into 3 sets of 14 generations. However, there were probably more than those listed here. Genealogies often compressed history, and not every generation of ancestors was specifically listed, especially if they were evil. The Old Testament genealogies are much more precise such as in 1 Chronicles chapters 1-9. The dedication of King Solomon's Temple occurred during the Feast of Tabernacles in the year 959 BC. "Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim (Tishri), which is the seventh month" (1 Kings 8:1-2). "And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the Lord. And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the Lord, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 8:62-63). "And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the Lord our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days. On the eighth day [15th day] he sent the people away, and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant, and for Israel his people" (1 Kings 8:65-66). This was the greatest celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles ever. It even lasted a week longer than was required. Notice in verse 2 that all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king at this time. The event that this foreshadows is when King Jesus will return to Israel during the Feast of Trumpets, and then 15 days later, during Sukkot, He will assemble all the children of Israel (and Gentile believers) that survive the Tribulation to inaugurate his Millennium Kingdom on earth. This specific Feast of Tabernacles will be the ultimate fulfillment of the 7th Feast of the Lord. Although there is no clear, scriptural proof of the exact date of the birth of Christ, John's gospel uses the unusual word 'tabernacled' to describe the birth of Christ, suggesting, possibly, that he was born on the feast of Tabernacles. "The Word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us" (John 1:14). If Jesus was born on a Feast of Tabernacles, he would have been conceived 9 months earlier on approximately December 25. This is the date that we celebrate his birth...not his conception. In the modern Gregorian calendar, we label all years with B.C. (before the birth of Christ) or A.D. (anno domini or "in the year of our Lord"). There is no zero year. In our modern system, the year Christ was born is supposedly A.D.1, and the year preceding it is 1 B.C. The most favored view amongst Bible scholars is that Jesus was born in 5 B.C. We agree with this timeline due to Herod the Great's death occurring in 4 B.C. If Jesus was born in 5 B.C. (possibly on Tabernacles), then our current year should really be the year A.D. 2023 and not 2019. Not only did the early Roman Catholic Church get the year of Jesus' birth wrong but they got the month wrong as well. Some of the evidence that Jesus might have been born earlier in the year is the fact that it would be highly unlikely for shepherds to still be in the field with their sheep in December. This is in the middle of the winter, and they wouldn't be in the fields at this time of the year. Six days after Jesus predicted his death the first time, Jesus told his disciples, "Verily I say unto you, There are some standing here, which shall not taste death, until they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matthew 16:28). Clearly this is a verse referring to the 2nd Coming of Jesus unto his Millennium Kingdom. The Feast of Tabernacles represents the beginning of this kingdom. "And after six days Jesus takes Peter, James, and John his brother, and brings them up into a high mountain apart from the others, and was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you will, let us make here three tabernacles; one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him" (Matthew 17:1-5). Peter wanted to build three tabernacles or shrines for these three great men to show how the Feast of Tabernacles was fulfilled in the coming of God's kingdom. "The transfiguration was a vision, a brief glimpse of the true glory of the King (Matthew 16:27-28). This was a special revelation of Jesus' divinity to three of the disciples, and it was God's divine affirmation of everything Jesus had done and was about to do. Moses and Elijah were two of the greatest prophets in the Old Testament. Moses represents the Law. He wrote the Pentateuch, and he predicted the coming of a great Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-19). Elijah represents the prophets who foretold the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5-6). Moses' and Elijah's presence with Jesus confirms Jesus' messianic mission - to fulfill God's Law and the words of God's prophets. Just as God's voice in the cloud over Mount Sinai gave authority to his Law (Exodus 19:9), God's voice at the transfiguration gave authority to Jesus' words." {1} The last Feast of Tabernacles that Jesus attended would have been on Tishri 15 - 23 in the year A.D.32. The exact dates would be October 6 - 14, AD 32. "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But he spoke of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified)" (John 7:37-39). Approximately six months later, Jesus would be crucified on a Roman cross during the Feast of Passover (the 1st Feast of the Lord) on March 31, AD 33 on our modern Gregorian calendar or April 2, AD 33 on the Julian calendar. The day of the week was a Thursday. He was resurrected back to life 3 days later on the first day of the week, Sunday. It is referred to as Easter or Resurrection Sunday. Just as Jonah was 3 days in the belly of the whale, so was Jesus in the belly of the earth before God brought him back to life (per Matthew 12:40). The Feast of Tabernacles occurs yearly on a full moon just as Passover does. Both of the dates above occurred on a full moon. They say bizarre things happen sometimes on a full moon. Two of the most significant events in history occur on a full moon: Jesus' crucifixion on Passover and Jesus' inauguration of His Millennium Kingdom on a future Feast of Tabernacles day. As mentioned before, all male Jews of legal age were to attend the three major Feasts of the Lord in Jerusalem. These three Feasts are Tabernacles, Passover, and Pentecost. If Jesus was born on Tabernacles, then each major event in the life of our Lord followed one of the three main feast days when it was required that all male Jews go to the Jerusalem Temple to worship the Lord. Jesus would have been born on the Feast of Tabernacles (15th of Tishri), would have been crucified on the Feast of Passover (14th of Nisan), and would have sent forth His promised Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to baptize His church with power on the Feast of Pentecost (7th of Sivan). The Feast of Tabernacles will ultimately be fulfilled by the Lord Jesus when He establishes His millennial kingdom of peace on the earth. "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one... And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:9, 16). The Feast of Tabernacles is the only Feast of the Lord still to be observed in the Millennium. "And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whosoever will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. And if they come not, there shall be the plague, wherewith the Lord will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles" (Zechariah 14:16-18). Jesus came to earth the first time as a Son of Man in a body made of flesh. His soul and spirit resided for a short time in a primitive form of dwelling (or tabernacle), just as all human beings have from the time of Adam and Eve. He will return as the Son of God in a spiritual body (or temple) that is made for eternity. Christians of all epochs will share in a similar type of spiritual body. However, only Jesus has a glorified body, for he is God. This transformation of Christian believers will happen at the Rapture. Our bodies will all change from a mere tabernacle to a glorious new temple of God. The Tribulation saints and pre-Christ believers will get their resurrected bodies after the Feast of Tabernacles when Jesus' 1000-year reign begins. In Eternity, our previous place of residence on the old earth will seem as a simple tabernacle compared to our spacious mansions in the sky. Our many years of wanderings on the earth will finally be over, and we will take up residence on the New Earth and the New Jerusalem. We will finally be home in our promised land with our saved loved ones, believers of all the ages, holy angels, and the Father, Holy Spirit, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Randy Nettles [email protected] Endnotes: {1} Tyndale's Life Application Study Bible pg. 1825 The Millennium and Pre-millennialism - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2019/10/13/millennium-pre-millennialism-daymond-duck/ The news was a little light last week, and I am teaching the Book of Revelation at church, so I felt led to write about some of that. First, there are people (called Amillennialists) that don't believe in the Millennium (a thousand-year reign of Christ), but the Bible clearly says that there will be a thousand-year reign of Christ. The Book of Revelation clearly says the Tribulation Period martyrs will live and reign with Christ a thousand years (Rev. 20:4-5). One thousand years is a Millennium. Amillennialists explain this away by saying the Book of Revelation is allegory. They say one thousand years means a long period of time, not one thousand years. So, one difference between Millennialists and Amillennialists is that Millennialists believe in a thousand-year reign of Christ, and Amillennialists don't believe it. The Bible supports the Millennialist view, and there is nothing in the Bible to support the Amillennialist view (don't add to or take away from the Bible, etc.). This means Amillennialism is wrong because the Bible says there will be a thousand-year reign of Christ. Some readers may not be interested in a teaching like this, but it is very important. Some people refuse to study the Book of Revelation because Seminary professors, preachers, theologians and others have differences of opinion; but the Bible reveals the correct view, and false teachers should be called out for keeping people from studying it. Some preachers try to be cute about it by saying, "I am a pan-millennialist. I believe everything will pan out." It would be better to study the Scriptures and tell people what they say. Second, there is a debate about whether the Second Coming will be before the Millennium (pre-millennialism) or after the Millennium (post-millennialism). In Nebuchadnezzar's dream about the great statue, the Bible teaches that the Rock (Jesus) will destroy the kingdom of Antichrist. After the Rock (Jesus) destroys the kingdom of Antichrist, the Rock will grow into a great kingdom and fill the earth (Dan. 2:31-35, 44-45). This means that Jesus will come back and put an end to the reign of Antichrist before He establishes His kingdom. The return of Jesus before He establishes His kingdom is pre-millennialism. Here is another text: Paul said, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 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 Thess. 2:7-8). The Antichrist will be removed at the Second Coming of Jesus and, as we just said, that is before the Millennium (also see Rev. 19:20). The teaching that the Second Coming of Jesus will be before the Millennium is pre-millennialism. Third, the Bible teaches that Jesus will reign on the earth. The Psalmist said, "For the LORD hath chosen Zion (Jerusalem); he hath desired it for his habitation" (Psa. 132:13). Jeremiah said, "At that time, they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart" (Jer. 3:17). Jeremiah also said, "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth" (Jer. 23:5-6). Zechariah said, "And the LORD shall be king over all the earth" (Zech. 14:9). Matthew wrote that Jesus taught us to pray, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10). Matthew also wrote that the King (Jesus) will come back, sit on a throne and judge the nations (Matt. 25:31-34). The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would bear a Son, and God would give Him the throne of His father David (That was on earth in Jerusalem; Luke 1:31-32). This is the point: The thousand-year reign of Jesus will be on earth. To try to sum this up, the Amillennialist view is contradicted by the Bible; there will be a thousand-year reign of Jesus (called the Millennium); the pre-millennialist view is right and Jesus will reign on the earth for a thousand years. Theologians, professors and preachers should know and teach what the Bible says, and stop confusing people on issues that contradict the Bible. Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc. Daymond & Rachel Duck [email protected] What Iran's Friends Are Doing in Gaza - by Khaled Abu Toameh - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14961/iran-friends-gaza As Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations pursue their efforts to spare the two million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip another war with Israel, the Islamic Jihad organization is promising its people more suffering, violence and bloodshed. The terrorist organization is also promising to continue the fight until it achieves its goal of annihilating Israel. The Iranian-funded Islamic Jihad's latest pledges came as the organization, the second largest group in the Gaza Strip after Hamas, celebrated this week the 32nd anniversary of its founding. Tens of thousands of Palestinians participated in a major Islamic Jihad rally in Gaza City under the banner "Our Jihad [holy war] - The Promise Will Soon Be Fulfilled." The promise, of course, refers to Islamic Jihad's pledge to "liberate Palestine, from the [Mediterranean] Sea to the [Jordan] River - a well-known euphemism for the destruction of Israel. Particularly disturbing is that a large number of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, an enclave often described as suffering from a high percentage of poverty and unemployment, continue to support Islamic Jihad, one of the organizations there that has done nothing to improve the living conditions of its people. Their hatred for Israel seems to be stronger than any wish to better their situation by revolting against failed Palestinian leaders and groups. Islamic Jihad has, since its establishment, brought on Palestinians in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip nothing but misery, destruction and death. During the Second Intifada, which erupted in September 2000, Islamic Jihad and its military wing, Al-Quds Brigades, took credit for killing dozens of Israelis in more than 60 terror attacks. Since 2008, Islamic Jihad has fired thousands of rockets and mortars from the Gaza Strip into Israel, killing and wounding several Israelis. According to Iran's state-run Press TV, Islamic Jihad terrorists fired 3,000 rockets at Israel during the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. After the war ended, the Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera TV network broadcast a video of Islamic Jihad's tunnel systems. In the video, an Islamic Jihad member declares that the organization is preparing for its next war with Israel and that the tunnels will be used to launch terror attacks and mortars on Israel. In various statements marking its anniversary, Islamic Jihad could find nothing good to say about its "achievements" for the Palestinians. The organization did not use the millions of dollars it received from its sponsors in Iran to build a school or hospital in the Gaza Strip. It also did not use any of the funds to create job opportunities for the tens of thousands of unemployed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Instead, the money went into building tunnels, and smuggling and manufacturing thousands of rockets and mortars to attack Israel. The only education Islamic Jihad has been offering is one in which children and teenagers receive radical Islamist indoctrination and semi-military training. A report by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center found that more than 100,000 Palestinian children and adolescents attend "summer camps" run by Islamic Jihad and Hamas each year: "Their objective is to foster a cadre of future of Hamas [and Islamic Jihad] supporters and operatives for its military-terrorist wing and its organizational and administrative institutions. The campers learn the themes of 'the liberation of Palestine,' jihad and 'resistance' [i.e., terrorism], the destruction of the State of Israel, the so-called 'right of return' and other facets of the movement's anti-Israeli Islamist ideology." In a statement last week, Islamic Jihad's military wing (Al-Quds Brigades) boasted that one of its major achievements in the past 32 years has been "instilling the spirit of jihad and sacrifice" in the hearts and minds of Palestinians. "The organization has always proved that our right to liberate our land can be achieved only through resistance, fighting and jihad against the criminal enemy," the statement added. "The Zionist enemy knows that we are a thorn in its throat. We will remain so until the liberation of our land, from the river to the sea. We will continue to build our military capabilities." In other words, Islamic Jihad's promise is one of unending toxicity: to go on poisoning the hearts and minds of generation after generation of Palestinians - as well as to continue investing millions of dollars in building tunnels and amassing weapons to ensure that the fight against Israel continues forever. For Islamic Jihad leaders, easing the suffering of their people or ending the economic and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip pale in comparison to the real goal of pursuing the fight against Israel - even if that means sacrificing the lives of all Palestinians. "Let us fight for our freedom," Islamic Jihad leader Ziad al-Nakhalah said during the organization's rally on October 5. "Be assured that victory belongs to those who pay the price for freedom and are always prepared to do so. Resistance and jihad are the only way to extract our right to Palestine. We stick to our right to all Palestine, no matter how long it takes." Hamas also joined the celebration by congratulating Islamic Jihad on its anniversary and repeating the same threats to continue the fight and jihad against Israel. Salah Bardaweel, a senior Hamas official who attended the rally, heaped praise on his friends in Islamic Jihad for their continued commitment to waging terror attacks against Israel. "We are proud of our relations with Islamic Jihad and its military wing," Bardaweel said. "We are proud of all the resistance groups [in the Gaza Strip.] The policy of resistance and jihad is the genuine policy to liberate all Palestine, and the Palestinian people will not abandon this path. We will not accept any agreement that contradicts the project of jihad and liberation. Under no circumstances will we give up one inch of the land of Palestine." Despite the ongoing threats by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Israel seems to have agreed to a temporary ceasefire with the Gaza-based terrorist groups. Last month, Israel even allowed the delivery of equipment into the Gaza Strip for constructing a new American-funded field hospital. Last week, Israel was reported to have allowed thousands of Palestinians to enter from the Gaza Strip to conduct business and work at jobs, apparently as part of the ceasefire understandings reached under the auspices of Egypt, Qatar and the UN. Earlier, Israel had allowed Qatar to deliver millions of dollars in cash to allow Hamas to pay salaries to its employees. In addition, Israel has allowed the UN to step up aid efforts in the Gaza Strip. Evidently, Israel is doing more to help the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip than the leaders of Islamic Jihad and Hamas. As the recent statements by these leaders show, the two terrorist groups have nothing to offer their people. The only future they portray is one that consists of terrorism and jihad. The only future they promise is one where more young Palestinians will be recruited as suicide bombers and jihadis in a holy war whose chief goal is to eliminate Israel and replace it with an Iranian-backed Islamist state. With leaders like these, the Palestinians do not need enemies. Hamas and Islamic Jihad simply continue their lies to the Egyptians, the Qataris and the rest of the world with their talk about a ceasefire with Israel. For them, a ceasefire means further amassing weapons and preparing their people for war without worrying about Israeli military action. When will the international community pull its head out of the sand in which it has so long been buried and understand that with organizations such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad running the show, the Gaza Strip will remain the humanitarian disaster that is so bitterly blamed on Israel? Israel Watch: Brothers and Sisters in Arms - Jim Fletcher - [email protected] Well, this column marks my 13th year of writing "Israel Watch" for the folks at RaptureReady. Todd and Terry have been my dear friends for many years, and I have been grateful the whole way that they gave me this opportunity. And it's the best of all possible worlds for me, as I would love to keep doing it for a long time...unless it's time for us to be out of here! Like most of you, the readers, I think the Rapture would be a lovely event very soon! This week, I'd like to reminisce a bit and then look forward, to the extent we can. That's what us prophecy buffs do, right? Looking forward to our blessed hope. At the time the guys asked if I'd like to write a weekly column about Israel, I was departing a place I had loved for a long time: New Leaf Publishing Group. I had been senior editor for almost 15 years, and I felt it was time to embark on a full-time writing career, if the Lord would bless that. That itself is a bit of a story. When I started at "the Press," I was honestly just looking for a job. Someone told me I should apply there, so I did. Lo and behold, the publisher, Tim Dudley, was looking for an editor! It was definitely God-orchestrated, as Tim was able to use my eccentricities and whatever skillset I had for the job to some good. We had a lot of fun over the years. When I arrived for work on a Monday morning, there was a giant stack(s) of manuscripts on my desk. I quickly discovered that the company was one of the leading publishers of prophecy books in the world. Tim's dad had cultivated relationships with people like David Lewis over many years, and the company produced some of the best in this category. Wouldn't you know it: one of my first assignments was an edit of Storming Towards Armageddon. I quickly found out that the Press excelled at what I called "ensemble books," those with multiple authors. The projects were headed up by a fellow named William T. "Terry" James. Here is just one review of that book: "The chapter on the rapture of the church by David Breese really got my attention. I had attended church for the first 18 years of my life in a Lutheran Church and had never heard or been taught about the rapture of the church. I became so convicted of my wicked life and I knew that if the rapture had occurred I would enter the Tribulation. I did not want to go to Hell and I kneeled for the first time ever and with tears in my eyes I asked Jesus Christ to save me and take me to Heaven. That happened on July 14 1995 and as a 30 year old my life was changed. I now am a senior in my last semester at _____________ and will assume the position of assistant pastor at _____________ at the completion of this semester. The truth of the rapture and the truth of what happens to people who do not trust in the Blood of Jesus Christ to save them from their sin is not being told enough." I was hooked immediately. Over time, I met Terry and his RR partner, Todd Strandberg. They have been among my favorite people for a quarter-century. Talk about missionaries to the world! Both have a love for people based on a desire to see the Gospel carried all over the world. Both are as solid as they come, ethical and genuine. I love them both. A few years later, David Lewis asked me if I wanted to travel to Israel with him to do research on a new book. Uh, yes! Thus began my first trip to the "Holy Land" and many more followed. I realized that I had always had a love for the Jewish people. Today I have many Israeli friends, with many other Jewish friends around the world. These experiences led me to meet many other dear people. A new Terry James book was always an event at the Press. It was literally like Christmas was approaching. It was here my love for and knowledge of Bible prophecy expanded exponentially. My father had taught me the basics years before (one of the great blessings of my life), but Terry and Todd took it to another level. Seeing them at conferences over the years has been a great deal of fun and joy. I have to tell a funny story on Todd. Several years ago, he moved from Nebraska down to Arkansas, where I live. Being near Terry seemed like a good idea, so the retired Army dude packed up and headed our way. Now, I live in the northwest part of the state and realized Todd would be basically driving past my house on his way to the Little Rock area. We agreed to meet for lunch at an historical hotel near Eureka Springs. I anticipated the visit for weeks. When the day arrived, we met at the hotel restaurant and ordered. All I could think about was the amazing conversation on prophecy we were going to have. Except I told Todd that the restaurant served luscious strawberry shortcake. Well, as I fired question after question at Todd, he responded, but would then break in several times to say, "Wow, this strawberry shortcake is great!" And then he'd talk about strawberry shortcake. I would think, yeah, yeah, let's get back to the topic at hand! Haha! Over the years, we have all visited many times and discussed various topics. But it always seems to come back to the majesty and power of Bible prophecy. It has been a treasured friendship, one that will continue on for ages to come. I am grateful to the team at RaptureReady for bringing me onboard. Honestly, it has been better for me than anyone else all these years, through good times and bad. When I suffered a difficult injury a few years ago, they stood by me until I could recover. Todd and Terry serve as living examples of the friend that sticks closer than a brother. (By the way, how marvelous that an Old Testament passage-in this case Proverbs 18:24-looks ahead to our peerless Savior, Jesus Christ.) As I said, I anticipate more time with this gig. I am profoundly grateful to the readers out there who have stayed faithful and offered tremendous insights back. And guys, you have to stay sharp; I've found that some of the most insightful and tough-minded readers are women. They love the Lord and truly inspire me and give me enthusiasm for the future. Never has there been a time more important to share the Gospel through what I call the tool of evangelism known as Bible prophecy. We can all participate in that. The world needs it. Thank you again for 13 rich years. I love all you guys out there and greatly look forward to meeting each and every one of you. Which we will all do one day, for sure! [email protected] Daily Jot: The secret dark path of impeachment - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The Democratic Party's path to impeachment has taken some criticism for its secrecy. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff defended his secretive, behind closed doors approach to the impeachment by likening this phase of the investigation to a "grand jury."" Schiff told CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday, "We want to make sure that we meet the needs of the investigation and not give the president or his legal minions the opportunity to tailor their testimony and in some cases fabricate testimony to suit their interests." But the impeachment path is looking more like the pattern of a third-world country coup. Congressmen Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and John Garamendi (D-CA) have confirmed that Democrats are discussing jailing those who refuse to testify against the president. Tlaib told Deadline Detroit that there were serious conversations taking place in the Democratic Caucus about the logistics of "detaining' someone if they refused to testify. In a CNN interview, Garamendi said, "I think it's time to call in the sergeant-at-arms and march them off to our little jail, which we do happen to have. Let them sit there and cool off for a while." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has inferred that she wants to keep the investigation tight and simple so that Americans can understand what they are doing. Translated: control the narrative. Our ministry partner William Agbeti has survived six coups in West Africa, and he foresees one coming here in America. Agbeti says, "Coup plotters in the US may build up widespread dissension to culminate with an election, then they open up old wounds! Highly powerful plans that the coup plotters in the US are using and will repeatedly use are fake events or fake flags, including fake news! What could likely be responsible for the "big day" for a coup in the US? The enemies of state currently are clearly making it impossible for Trump to govern. This means government machinery may grind to PLANNED halts. Trump may be declared unfit to rule, there will be calls for his impeachment, fake pollsters will continue to churn out unscientific research findings on his unpopularity and image ratings." The Democrats desire to keep the proceedings of their investigation secret. They can call who they want to testify and control the narrative with the news media because they are the mouthpiece of impeachment. The facts can be manipulated to sway public opinion because all the news surrounding it comes from a central source with distributed talking points. In a nation where transparency is valued, all this inquiry is done in the dark. Similar to the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32:28-29, Americans appear as "a nation without common sense, utterly lacking in discernment. O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" Impeachment is a political reflection of public opinion. We cannot be silent about the things done in secret. Speak up. Daily Devotion: What You Won't Regret - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org Don't be misled-you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.-Galatians 6:7 As life goes by, you come to realize that it's a good decision to obey God. There will be times when that isn't difficult. And there will be times when it is. There will be times when it's very difficult to make that stand for Christ. There are people in life who seem to get ahead, even when they cut corners, even when they're dishonest. They still get the promotion and still get the attention. Meanwhile, you're laboring away faithfully and quietly, and no one notices. Just know this: it's all going to come out in the end, because everyone will reap what they sow. As you look back on your life, you'll find some who pursued fun while you pursued faith. Some pursued parties while you pursued prayer. Some pursued sexual pleasure while you pursued sexual purity. Some pursued this world while you pursued the next. But while others reap corruption, or deadness, you're reaping life. When others feel used, you feel new. The apostle Paul wrote to the churches in Galatia, "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Galatians 6:8 NKJV). Every day, from the moment you get up until the time you go to bed, you're either sowing to the Spirit or sowing to the flesh. You can start your day by checking your social media accounts, or you can put first things first and let God speak to you through His Word. You make decisions throughout the day about what you let into your mind, what you contemplate, what you ponder. And you will find that you reap what you sow. Sow to the spirit, and you won't regret it. Do what is right before God. FROM THE HEART
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