Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
AGE OF THE FAKE CHRISTIAN - by Pastor Mike Taylor -
http://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2018/10/age-of-fake-christian.html "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:18-20) Most of us would agree that we are living in the last days of mankind's rule on this earth. But are we living like we believe it? We see the evil around this nation manifested in grotesque shootings of the innocent in our schools, on our streets, Islam rising up to commit terrible acts in the name of their false god, and the multitude of sins that are growing exponentially as each day passes and we scream, "WHEN IS THIS ALL GOING TO END?" Of course, we know that the last days will become more and more evil as time passes, because the Bible prophesied it would be so. 2, "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers,incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4,Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5, Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away"(2nd Timothy 3:2-5) There is evil rampant all around us, but is there nothing we can do about it? Are we powerless to stop the flow of evil that is overtaking our nation, our families, and our culture? (Maybe). True, the scripture above says that the times would be evil, but is that all we can expect? Is mankind in it's evil nature the only fault of the nation going into the dark times we see? The evil of man is a given according to scripture. But I say that there is a symptom that is growing in this country and has been festering for a long time, probably for the last 50 years. What is that symptom that has coming to a fulfillment? Give up? Let's look at what scripture says about where we are and why. THE LAODECIAN CHURCH ERA 14," And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15, I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16, So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17, Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" (Revelation 3:14-17) If you be a church going believer, and there are many who are not, what was the atmosphere of the service you attended? Sadly, I would wager that most of you have not heard a good 'ole hell fire and brimstone sermon in years, or for that matter, ever that calls out sin and it's forgiveness. Scripture says that we all have sinned and deserve death: Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God", Romans 5:12, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned." Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (sin is death, and death is hell fire or the Lake of Fire, remember those? It's high time the church tells the truth about sin). The Gospel according to Jesus Christ has been watered down to the point of the average church service has become a social club gathering, that is intent on providing the masses the comfort they desire. Sin is no longer a subject discussed or preached on. Your local pastor may be into the social gospel of a feel good "Christianity". We don't want to feel bad about ourselves, and we sure don't want to upset that unbeliever that sits in your pews every Sunday. NOOO...that would be impolite, or politically incorrect and we need the support (ie. The money) to build that bigger and better sanctuary or expand our Sunday School classrooms, or the latest buzz project that has the member's attention. If you upset them, they may take their money elsewhere. Sad, but it's true. And what of that member who leaves your churches and goes out into the world to work and play? Do they live their faith, or do they assimilate into the masses of the unbelieving world? Do you see where I'm going with this? The fault of what our generation is experiencing right now, falls into the lap of the one place where morality is taught and implemented into each of our lives. That blame is at the threshold of the Laodecian "church". (if you can call them that). I talk of faith, and so does James in the opening scripture, but what of this faith? THE CHURCH IS TO TEACH TRUTH You've heard the old saying, "actions speak louder than words"? In speaking of being a Christian, who has taken on the spirit of redemption, who has believed in their mind, the sinner's prayer, and believes in his heart that Jesus died for his sins, does our faith stop there? James addresses this in this chapter and following chapters...let's take a look at some of his admonitions. 14 "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."(James 2:14-17) (I believe James is speaking of faith misplaced in the wrong place or person) If you neglect the nurturing of others through the application of your faith toward your brother, your fellow human being, then what has this faith accomplished? Faith is the beginning, not the end of our Christian walk. Out of sheer obedience, we are commanded to show fruit worthy of repentance. Let me elaborate, as I can just imagine the questions in your mind concerning this teaching. Let's take an agricultural product, say a plum tree. When the time to harvest the plums from a producing plum tree arrives, what do we expect to find on the branches? Of course, plums is what we would expect. What if we found rotten apples, or thorns, or some other illegitimate product that is in direct conflict to what this tree was suppose to be? Well, we would have say that we have been cheated by the seller of these trees we planted, or the seed that grew. So it is with the born again Christian. We are to produce good fruit. Let's not get the cart before the horse now, as many produce good works because, morally, they are good people, but they have not faith in Jesus Christ. Those of us who have faith in Jesus Christ are commanded to walk as He walked. If we truly belong to Jesus Christ, we will produce fruit just as sure as the sun comes up in the east and sets in the west or a plum tree produces that plum. We are commanded to produce fruit worthy of that calling of the Holy Spirit. Collectively, we are to be taught the right teachings according to the Bible, not some feel good gospel, and that's where the church is failing today. Jesus warned of this in the last days. 16 "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."(Revelation 3:16-17) The churches of today, including these abominations called the "The Prosperity Gospel", and the "Emerging Church" relies on everything but the pure, unadulterated Word of God. They are into meditation, self awareness, motivational speaking, and anything and everything that is grounded in this world. They have lost touch with God and His requirements for being a true Christian built upon the Rock, which is Jesus Christ. The majority of the churches today Jesus said that they make Him sick. AND EXAMPLE OF SUCH A CHURCH I went to a church a few years ago, because my grandsons were being baptized and I was appalled by their service. I saw steel guitars, rock music, smoke rising through smoke machines, video cameras focusing in on the musicians on the overhead screen, and music so loud that I couldn't think. I thought I was at a Led-Zeppelin concert, not a church service devoted to the worship of the Living God. Is this an example of worship services in America's churches today? Sadly, it is more prevalent than I would care to admit. These churches are ripe pickings for the delusions that will come upon the earth in the near future of the rise of the One World Religion headed by none other the the False Prophet, ie. The grand Poopah in Rome WHAT ABOUT OUR CHILDREN? This gets down to the brass tacks of this message. Our children are our future. Are we teaching our children according to God's Word? I would say in the majority, the church is failing miserably. See all the crimes of insanity of young people who have lost hope, or desire suicide to end their sufferings. Of course, they want to take as many people with them as possible, hence the awful shootings in the past at Columbine, The Batman Rising shooter in Colorado, and the Newtown, Connecticut school killer just to name a few in the recent past. Do you know what the #1 single killer of our young people today is? It used to be accidents, as in trauma from motor vehicle accidents, or accidents of dare-devils who think they are immortal, but that has been surpassed in recent years by SUICIDE. Yes, suicide of a lost generation that has no hope, no anchor or faith in something bigger than themselves. Morality begins in the home, nurtured by the church, and guaranteed by our laws of this land called the USA. But the last 50 years have seen morality take a deep six nose dive. We have raised a 2nd generation of unschooled, unbelieving, and godless people who now have kids of their own with no compass in their lives, and pray tell do they get it in the truth in our churches of today? The answer would be a hearty "NO"! Most of these stay away from church, as they have figured out that the churches provide nothing they need in their lives. 6 "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates."(Deuteronomy 6:6-9) Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments". (John 14:15) 3, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4, He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5, But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him."(1st John 2:3-5) This is not about works, but where your faith lies. Is it in Jesus Christ or in a religion of men? Who do you love? If you love this world, Jesus and the Father are not in you. THE POLITICS OF EVIL And what is the answer of our elected leaders? Gun control is their answer. The POTUS past (I'll not use his name, as it makes me sick) had a plan. I would call it a sinister plan in the same regards as Hitler had plans for Germany. And no Dorothy, we are not in Kansas!! The world we know has changed...was that the past POTUS idea of "hope and change"? It's not my idea, and probably was not yours either. And you can bet your bottom dollar, nothing is going to change for the better, until the heart of America changes and I don't see that coming in this life, unless this nation falls on her knees and cries out for redemption, and not to our government. That is the LAST place any sane American would look to today. Our leaders are as clueless about the root cause as the rest of the unbelieving world. The only answer is to teach our children the way they should go from the Word of God and as a nation, but we have failed miserably as parents, as a church, and as a nation...just look around you. And I don't believe the present Trump administration is going to anything but slow down the continued immorality that is going on in this country and in government. A clear command comes from God to give our children a Christian education. Are we prepared to say that not to do so is sin? After all, God orders it. How are we doing it? What have we provided for our kid's Christian education? How much time are we spending doing it? If we have children, we can be sure these questions will be asked. Obviously, the church is not doing it's job. The parents are not doing their job, as they were not taught either. So the nation is falling apart. So the problem grows, and grows until we have a lawless society bent on destruction of other human beings because of their own pain and inability to cope. Men look to the government to fulfill their needs. Ask any bleeding heart liberal that is on food stamps and welfare. Pity the fool that looks to men and not looking to God for their salvation. YOUR FAITH ON TRIAL Let's take that evidence of faith and put it into a courtroom setting of this age. At the Great White Throne judgment at the end of time, the Judge has brought you before the high court and the prosecutor reads the charges. If we are asked about our faith, the Judge will ask to show us our faith by our actions as evidence for our defense. True enough that works cannot save anyone and we could get into the argument of works based salvation as the Pharisees of Jesus Christ day thought salvation was achieved by. They were wrong, as faith is all that is required, but what of the above verses? Is there anything required or let's say, expected for the truly converted believer to show this High Court if their faith was in God, or was it misplaced in something else? Maybe that faith was in their church, their denomination, or their parish priest or pastor. They do not understand that they must be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ and follow Him in Spirit and in Truth living our lives as close as humanly possible as He did. We see people everyday that we see in our churches, and you know, you can't tell them apart from the sinner down at your local bar drinking himself into a stupor. Listen to their speech. James mentions this as well in chapter 3: 3 "Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter [2] a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course [3] of nature; and it is set on fire of hell, 7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind 8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. "(James 3:3-9) Understanding we live in a sinful world and evil talk and crude language is all around us. Do we take on the actions of this world, this Laodicean Age of apostasy? If we are guilty of this sin, what does it say to the unbeliever? Are they impressed with your aura of righteousness? Do you honor God in spirit and your actions? Do you esteem your neighbor above yourself? Are you kind, considerate, careful of your language, and project an aura of a bought and paid for saint for God's Kingdom? If no, then are they impressed? I think you know that answer to that one. They are not and they see no need for your luke-warm religion as it doesn't speak to them of their lost condition. Many on judgment day will think they are alright. They went to church, they paid their tithes, and they even believed in their heads about this person "Jesus Christ". Remember the portion of the opening verse. "thou doest well. Even the demons believe and tremble" But they are not saints. Let's examine what Jesus said about these pseudo-christians, in name only. 31 "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left."(Matthew 25:31-32) If you are familiar with the parable, Jesus separates the true Christians apart from the fake, in name only Christians. This is after the Tribulation that Jesus will judge the nations. But this can also apply to those who miss the coming of our Lord for His church....They were left behind, because they had a "Christian in name only" type of religion. Both eras thought they were doing God's will. The goats on His left, they did what they thought right in their own eyes. Pseudo-Christians, or the ones in name only, missed one vital point, they were playing the game, but didn't have the power within their lives. They relied either on themselves being a good person, or their church, or their pastor/priest, or something else in a religious nature, but missed taking on the likeness of Jesus Christ and into their heart, and their very being. They put their trust in a false religion, a false god or even no god at all. They only had the label, not the power of God. Or. the seed planted by Jesus Christ had been over run with thorns and weeds and they were not really a new creature in Jesus Christ, but play acting. They only warmed a pew on Sunday morning, or if at all. They spoke it, they read about it in their bible (rarely), they counted on their priest to get them to heaven, or they just thought being religious was good enough. You know what, it was not. That scenario can both happen before and after the beginning of the Tribulation, so applies even more so today before the true Church is removed. I speak of misplaced trust and faith in the wrong place and the wrong Person. As in the final court case at the end of the age, noted above, the Judge is our Father in Heaven, the prosecutor is God's Holy Word found in the books opened. If you are not found to be written in the book of life, but who were just going through the motions and had not really taken Jesus Christ into your heart and clothed with His righteousness, then God will have no choice but to speak condemnation and Judgment on those who only played at being a Christian, but had only a head knowledge, but no heart knowledge and the Holy Spirit residing within their own spirit. 41" Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" .(Matthew 25:41) You will have no defense, and Jesus Christ cannot/will not defend you, as you have not taken on His likeness and have not been clothed with His righteousness. God the Father will see you in all your sinful nature without being clothed in the righteousness of His Son, as the only pardon for your awful condition. The sentence will be passed and you will be condemned for all eternity to separation from God and destruction in the Lake of Fire...the second death burning with fire and brimstone mixed with sulfur. TIME RUNNING OUT Understand one thing my reader, the nation of the United States is sadly going down in flames. How long it will take, I haven't a clue, as the time table is in God's hands, but going down she is. This past POTUS put us on the road to destruction and has put it's demise on warp speed. The evil nature of men will only grow worse and worse. Morality and the love of anyone but yourself will vanish, if it hasn't already done so. Men will tear each other apart just to get what they think they want or need. If a crisis develops, men will take guns and kill anyone and everyone in their way. This government we have elected (you did it, I didn't) will come down with both feet and declare martial law. The United States of Socialist America will be upon you and despair will be the order of the day. I believe we could see this come about before Jesus comes, and truly will come about after the rapture of the Church. The Church could be the only thing holding back the complete destruction of this nation. THE RAPTURE IS IMMINENT There is coming a day, and I pray it is soon, where the righteous saints clothed with the blood of Jesus Christ will make a sudden exit from this earth. Men will be astounded. Men will be confused and looking for a reason for the calamity that has come upon this earth. Only the faithful will be removed. When I say faithful, I mean those who have taken on the likeness of Jesus Christ in all our imperfect attempt at following in His footsteps. Jesus knows each of our hearts and where our faith and our treasure lies. Does yours lie in this world, or does it lie in the next life to come through Jesus Christ our Lord? 19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."(Matthew 6:19-21) So where does your faith lie? Are you acting on that faith? Are you putting Jesus Christ first in your life? Paul said in Galatians: 26 "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ". (Galatians 3:26-27) What does it mean to put on Jesus Christ? Paul told us in Romans 13, 11 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof."(Romans 13:11-14) We are commanded as believers, true believers to put on Jesus Christ. Emulate what he said, what He taught, and what He lived everyday of His short life and ministry on earth. To do so, is to "Show true faith". Nothing else is but playing around and hoping we are not a goat...Don't take that chance. Your final eternal home depends on it... There is coming a day, where those who have played the game of the Laodecian Church age and think they are OK who will sadly find out that they were not OK...at least not in God's eyes. They have rejected the one thing, the One Person who could have changed their destiny and gave them the right to be called the "sons of God", but alas, they have succumbed to the spirit of the Anti-Christ and been lulled to sleep in a Laodecian mindset and having a form of Godliness, but denying the power there-of. 5, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6, For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."(2nd Timothy 3:5-7) This age is fast closing and the Tribulation spoken of in Daniel's prophesy could be right around the corner, just out of sight. When that time period begins, then to be a Christian will come with a higher price than even it does today. Those who actually comes to believe in Jesus Christ will pay the ultimate price, their very lives as they cut off your head. Let us not rely on man, or the apostasy that grows in luke-warm churches of this Laodecian Age, but let us turn to the only source of our salvation and victory over this world. "For God so love the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life". 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18) Who does the Apostle John speak of? The only source of our salvation, Jesus Christ, the Lord The Apostle Paul speaks of in a similar fashion in Romans: 8 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:8-13) This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying for your salvation through the only Way back to God, the Truth and the life, Jesus Christ our Lord. Should you need prayer, counseling, or just a friendly ear to listen, then email me at [email protected] , or visit me online at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com , for more biblical teachings from the Word of God. God bless you all. TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET The Two-State Paradigm Is Over - By Israel Kasnett - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2646 U.S. President Donald Trump raised eyebrows recently during a joint press conference in New York with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he backtracked on previous positions he held regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying, "I like a two-state solution. That's what I think works best ... That's my feeling." Those comments by Trump stood in stark contrast with remarks by the president earlier in his administration, when he said in a meeting in the White House with Netanyahu in February 2017 that he supports whatever solution the two parties decide. "I am looking at two-state, and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like. I'm very happy with the one that both parties like." Nevertheless, Trump quickly backtracked on his remarks last month in New York. Clarifying his recent comment, Trump explained, "One of the reporters who was screaming asked me about the one state, two-state, and I said I think the two states will happen." Trump emphasized that he places the ultimate decision in the hands of the parties. "The bottom line is that if the Israelis and Palestinians want two states, I'm OK with that; if they want one state I'm OK with that. I'm the broker." The comments came amid speculation regarding the release of his administration's highly anticipated Middle East peace plan, which the president has called the "deal of the century." Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, along with special envoy for Mideast negotiation Jason Greenblatt, have traveled to the region numerous times as part of developing their plan. But experts who have followed the process closely question the feasibility of a comprehensive plan from the Trump administration, including whether or not a two-state solution could come to fruition in the current climate. A century-long rejection of the two-state solution Efraim Inbar, president of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, told JNS, "It's not up to the president." He views the idea of a Palestinian state as one that is improbable, at least for the time being. "The Palestinians are incapable of building a state," he said. "The main criteria of a state is the monopoly of control over use of force, and they have lost this monopoly. They cannot sustain state structures." Turning to the region, Inbar pointed out that a number of Arab countries are failing, and suggested that perhaps the Palestinians would not fair better. "Look at Libya, Syria and Iraq," said Inbar. "They have great difficulty in just maintaining a state!" Efraim Karsh, director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, is more skeptical than Trump and agrees with Inbar. He told JNS that "neither option seems to be on the cards since the one-state solution is unthinkable for Israel, whereas the two-state solution has been categorically rejected by the Palestinians. The 'one-state solution,' which has been the Arab position since the 1930s, envisages the transformation of Palestine into an Arab/Muslim state in which Jews will be reduced to a position of permanent 'tolerated minority' [or dhimmis, second-class citizens, as this status has been known throughout Islamic history]. Obviously, this option, which means the destruction of the State of Israel, is unacceptable for Israeli Jews." Karsh decried the common misperception that Israel's rightful presence in Judea and Samaria perpetuates the Arab-Israeli conflict. "The left-wing fearmongering that Israel is rapidly sliding to this situation due to its continued 'occupation' of the territories is a red herring for the simple reason that since the beginning of 1996--and certainly following the completion of the redeployment from Hebron in January 1997--there has been no occupation. Rather, 99 percent of the Palestinian population of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have lived the rule of the Palestinian Authority [and Hamas in Gaza since 2007]. Under no circumstances will Israel agree to reassume control of this population, let alone make it fully-fledged Israeli citizens." Karsh emphasized that it is continued Palestinian rejectionism that lies at the root of the problem. "On the other hand, while a de facto two-, or rather, three-state solution has effectively existed for quite some time--Hamas's Gaza state since 2007, the Palestinian Authority-controlled Areas A & B in the West Bank, and Israel--the Palestinians are certain to continue using the red herring of 'occupation' so long as Israel exists. For while most Western observers apply the term 'occupation' to Israel's control of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, captured during the June 1967 war, for Palestinians and Arabs, the Israeli presence in these territories represents only the latest chapter in an uninterrupted story of 'occupations' dating back to the very creation of Israel on 'stolen' land. Hence, their century-long rejection of the two-state solution." "It doesn't matter what the international community wants," stressed Inbar. "The Palestinians are incapable of having a state. Soon, there will be a violent struggle over who will be the next leader of the Palestinian Authority. It's a moot question. The two-state paradigm is over. I don't know what the alternative is, but we will not see a Palestinian state." He added that there is "growing skepticism" around the world of the Palestinians' ability even to create and sustain an independent state. For Inbar, Israel would be better off not intensely pursuing a one-state or two-state solution that would just introduce more complications, especially if the Palestinians do not intend to live in peace alongside Israel. "Sometimes," he said, "ambiguity serves us better than a clear solution." Considering Claims of Climate Change - By Gene Lawley - https://www.raptureready.com/2018/10/18/considering-claims-climate-change-gene-lawley/ An interestingly unique and timely "attention getter" is produced by the Ray Comfort Ministries, unique as to its content and timely as to the topic of this article. The phrase, printed on a small card, has all the words run together without spaces, as this: "Godisnowhere." If your first glance saw this, "God is nowhere," you are perhaps among those who most often see it that way at first. And, it announces a division of thought and action that is more and more prevalent in the world today-"God is nowhere." However, if you read it like this, "God is now here," you have identified the opposing side of such thinking today. By ridicule and hatred, many are demanding that believers in God and the Christ reject outright that reality, "God is now here." For nearly twelve years, including the decade of the 1960's, I was a member of the headquarters staff of The Navigators at Glen Eyrie in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Recently at an "old-timers," conference we toured the Glen Eyrie estate and were told of the miracle that happened during the recent forest fire that engulfed the northwest part of the city next to the mountains. The flames were approaching the grounds north of the Garden of the Gods Park and were expected to enter that pristine estate created by the founder of Colorado Springs, General William Jackson Palmer, for his British wife in the late 1800's. That morning, the fire trucks were on hand and ready to do what they could, and the General Manager of the property was there, too, with his grounds manager. Only the Manager could not locate his grounds man. No response on the cell phone, no appearance at such a crucial time, either. Then, out of the smoke and falling embers, he showed up with the explanation that he had been up on the ridge at Dawson Trotman's gravesite, praying. He was reminding God that when Dawson had arranged the purchase of the estate in 1953, he had dedicated it to the glory of God, and that perhaps a fire would not fit into that commitment-or something of that nature. The fire approached as predicted, but then miraculously went around the total property and destroyed a ranch and some 300-plus homes farther north. Was God "now here," for the two managers as they saw God's handiwork displayed before their eyes? Certainly, without a doubt! The Psalmist declares, in Psalm 46:1, "God is my refuge, a very present help in time of trouble." Most recently, then, we have a similar report from Hawaii where that hurricane called Olivia was headed straight for the big island and with great intensity, a level five storm. One pastor and his congregation were praying specifically that the Lord would reduce the strength of the storm and turn it aside from its course. He tweeted about their determining prayers for two days; and the negative, hateful and blasphemous retorts that came back were many, as the "nay-sayers" who would read that "attention getter" as "God is nowhere" vented their rejection of God as a viable entity in their world today. When the storm declined in its power and turned aside from the island, the twitter account was glaringly silent at the pastor's desk! God is now here! These examples of God's very present reality also tell us a truth that the "God is nowhere" people would rather not be mentioned. Climate change is again on the front pages of newspapers as the United Nations agencies claim that mankind has only eight to ten years before total disaster wipes out the world's population. Now that Kavanaugh's appointment to the Supreme Court has been concluded, the destiny of the earth and its inhabitants dangles in dire distress. It is the fault of mankind, and we must return to the days of our great-grandfathers' lifestyles, they say, and even then we are not told of any means of salvation from that pending destiny. The truth is, however, that "God is now here," and He is the Creator who, by His spoken Word, put all these things together. He can change the power of a storm and turn aside its course. What is really happening, as the Scriptures tell us, and it seems to me, the world is being prepared for the coming judgment of God upon a sinful world which has intentionally turned away from God. The summation of God's characterization of those who have made that defining move is that they "have no fear of God before their eyes" (Romans 3:18). The exponential increasing of the intensity of storms, earthquakes, floods and erupting volcanoes are pictured in the prophecies of Jesus in Luke 21:25-26: "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken." Other passages in Scripture expand on the implications of those words, and He follows them in verse 28, saying, "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." So what does all of this mean? It means that God is winding down this age of the Gentiles, closing it with judgment on those who have rejected Him and redemption for those who belong to Him by having been born again by the Spirit of God. Now, today, is the day of salvation. Contact email: [email protected] GET ON YOUR KNEES AND FIGHT - Nathele Graham - [email protected] "The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." Psalm 33:11. Satanic powers have permeated our nation. It's time Christians turn wholeheartedly to the Lord and seek His counsel. Brothers and sisters, there's a crisis in America. Christians have quietly sat back and watched as our nation sinks in wickedness. Even some who claim to be Christian have participated in the evil, or at the very least condoned it. In the name of tolerance we side with Satan. It's been a slow process down this road of destruction, and it's almost come to the point of no return. Almost. The liberal agenda is out to destroy Godly values, and thus destroy our "one nation, under God". We've had a long succession of presidents who weren't working for the best interest of America and were in opposition to God. It's hard to say when this trend started, but the liberals want to destroy the freedoms Americans have enjoyed since the Constitution was signed into law. Barak Obama was the latest. Socialism and globalism are what the liberals desire and anyone who opposes them is, in the words of a very pitiful woman, deplorable. It's hard to believe that someone who was serious about being President would call the majority of the population deplorable. I used the word pitiful to describe Hillary because her sin and hatred must be eating her up. She and her husband Bill are ringleaders of the liberal agenda. Fortunately during the last presidential election Christians woke up. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14. Those words were written to Israel, but Christian are called by His name and belong to God. We came to the realization that the liberal agenda is totally opposed to God. That's when Christians got on our knees and prayed. After praying we voted based on the important issues, and praise God, Hillary Clinton was defeated. The fight isn't over. Once again it's time to get on our knees and fight...then vote. Satan is the true enemy, not people. Christians need to be alert. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." 1 Peter 5:8-9. Evil is on the rise throughout the world and given much positive exposure in the media. The liberals want all sins to be acceptable and oppose anyone who is against them. Let's take a look at a recent attack. President Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to fill a vacancy in the Supreme Court. Mr. Kavanaugh is conservative and opposes the murder of unborn babies. The liberals feel it's a woman's right to kill their baby. Their tactic was to bring in a woman who claimed that decades ago when she was an underage teenager she chose to attend a party where alcohol was available. She put herself in danger. It seems that her foggy memory of that party involved Mr. Kavanaugh, who was a young man at the time. She said that young Mr. Kavanaugh approached her in a way she has now decided was sexual harassment. Question: What was a teenage girl doing at that party? She seems to be the only one who remembers it. "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Exodus 20:16. Her unsupported accusations of an incident that may or may not have happened decades ago were a ploy by the liberals to keep a conservative out of the Supreme Court. This nearly destroyed the life and career of a man who has now been confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice. I pray for God's protection over him. Not everyone is as easily manipulated as the liberals would like. Brothers and sisters, don't be swayed by a favorite celebrity who speaks out for a particular candidate, but look at what that candidate stands for. Cast your vote for a person who supports Biblical values. There's a satanic attack upon America. The enemy is within our own borders and is more evil than we can imagine. "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. There are weak-minded people who have allowed themselves to be duped by Satan and his minions. These people have had their way much too long. It's time to fight for our rights. Our freedom of religion has been perverted to mean freedom from religion. Christianity is banned from anything having to do with government but secular humanism (which is practiced religiously by liberals) is taught in schools. Instead of "See Spot Run" books, children read about having two daddies or two mommies to teach tolerance, but it's unacceptable for a Bible story to be read. If you're a Christian parent and don't see anything wrong with this then you need to wake up. "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6. Pray for the children. Pray for America. Pray that God will guide this coming election. Christians have kept silent too long. The first amendment to the Constitution reads as follows: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press, or the right of the peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances". Freedom of religion means that if you want to be a secular humanist, a Muslim, or any other religion you're free to practice it. I cannot violate that right. The flip side is that I have a right to love and serve Jesus openly, but liberals are trying to take away that right. Christian rights are being trampled into the ground. There's a controversy over private business owners who refuse to make wedding cakes for the non-Christian practice of homosexual "marriage". Christians must stand strong for the Lord in Christian love. On the other hand, large corporations like You Tube, Facebook, Google, and others are allowed to close accounts and ban videos that are not liberal in nature. Peter and John faced a choice of keeping silent or speaking out for Jesus. They chose Jesus. "And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:18-20. What about peaceful assembly? Just try to have a peaceful pro-life gathering or a meeting to promote a God-ordained one man/one woman marriage. The liberals will violently attack. Many of them are calling for violence against conservatives. This is a Satanic mindset. Do these people have rights under the Constitution? Yes they do, but so do Conservatives. If Christians don't get down on our knees and pray to our Lord we'll lose our rights. Pray, then vote for candidates who uphold the Constitution and have values that don't mock God. The first step in casting a wise vote is to know God's word. Scripture is our authority, not what we "feel" that God says or means. Human beings are prone to sin. Because of that many people try to twist Scripture to make it look as if God has changed His mind and approves the particular sin which they embrace. God never changes so we can rest assured that Scripture hasn't changed. We use Scripture to discern acceptable behavior. When we realize that we are sinners and need Jesus to save us from eternal death we give our life to Him. That's when we need to repent of our sin and allow Him to change us. Repent means to change your mind about sin. "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of this death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." Romans 6:5-6. Jesus bled and died for your salvation, so don't treat that sacrifice lightly. In every moment of your life you need to pray for His guidance and His help to mold your will to His. Make a commitment to base all of the choices you make on God's word. These choices may be about friendships, jobs, or electing someone to represent you in Congress. Before making a choice, get on your knees and fight the satanic influences in your life. Prayer is your communication with God. He listens to you and you need to listen to Him. Heavenly Father, thank You for the many blessings You so freely give. Too often those blessings are taken for granted. Please forgive us when we don't say thank You. I ask You now to turn the hearts of Americans to You as we are considering how to vote in this upcoming election. You will bless us if we seek You with our whole heart. Please open the eyes of voters to the wrongs that have been taking place and guide us to vote for the person who opposes the sins that have been gripping this nation. Please turn America back to You. You are God Almighty, the Alpha and Omega, and there is none like You. America is not our permanent home and we are just passing through on our way to eternity with You. While we live in this temporary home I pray that we will do all we can to honor You in all things. Please forgive us of our wicked ways. Please guide us in casting our votes in the upcoming election. In Christ's name I pray. Amen. In America we will soon cast our vote for men and women who will determine the path that America will take. That path will lead to destruction unless Christians cast ballots against Satan's servants. Only God can make America great again, but He won't honor legalized sin. Get on your knees and fight...pray. After praying get out and vote. God bless you all, Nathele Graham [email protected] www.straitandnarrowministry.com [email protected] Ron and Nathele Graham's previous commentaries archived at http://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html All original scripture is "theopneustos" God breathed. If you'd like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know. Daily Jot: The Left's hidden tribes and soft tyranny - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com More in Common, a globalist leftist organization aiming to "deploy positive narratives that tell a new story of 'us,' celebrating what we all have in common" has released a report titled "Hidden Tribes: A study of America's Polarized Landscape." More in Common seems to be an institutional validator of one of the left's new buzz words, "Tribalism." The report identifies seven "Tribes" in America whose core beliefs create political division leading to tensions that are "poisoning personal relationships, consuming our politics and putting our democracy in peril." Ultimately, the report implies that this leads to people feeling they cannot express their opinions without being demeaned or labeled-essentially a form of soft tyranny. The report divides Americans into seven tribes: Progressives, Traditional Liberals, Passive Liberals, Politically Disengaged, Moderates, Traditional Conservatives, and Devoted Conservatives. It identifies only Progressives (8%) as the left wing. Traditional Conservatives (19%) and Devoted Conservatives (6%) make up the right wing. The others are what the report calls the "Exhausted Majority (67%)." It points out that "America's differences have become dangerously tribal, fueled by a culture of outrage and taking offense. For the combatants, the other side can no longer be tolerated, and no price is too high to defeat them." The report's bias implies the larger group of Traditional and Devoted Conservatives (25%) as acting against the Progressives (8%), when in reality the Progressives are the ones inciting violence, resistance and revolution. Alexis de Tocqueville defined soft tyranny in his 1840 book Democracy in America, Volume II as "It [the government] covers the surface of society with a network of small, complicated rules, minute and uniform, through which the most original minds and the most energetic characters cannot penetrate, to rise above the crowd. The will of man is not shattered, but softened, bent, and guided; men are seldom forced by it to act, but they are constantly restrained from acting. Such a power does not destroy, but it prevents existence: it does not tyrannize, but it compresses, enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals, of which the government is the shepherd." Tocqueville's defines soft tyranny by government, but Tribalism is an extension. Progressives, liberals, and moderates in government, aided by the media and communist influencers, have created an environment of soft tyranny in America-where folks won't speak up due to concerns of being labeled, harassed, losing their job, or worse. Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Bondage is bondage, whether it is sin or tyranny. We live in a society where a very vocal minority is bullying those who disagree with them. Isaiah 5:20 says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness..." This "Hidden Tribalism" is just another attempt to justify evil deeds based on the threat of what others believe. The result is this silence of soft tyranny. Stand against it. Daily Devotion: The Company We Keep - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." And he was called the friend of God. -James 2:23 Abraham is uniquely introduced to us in Scripture as the friend of God. One day God told His friend Abraham that He wanted him to leave his life of paganism and worship of false gods, leave his family, pack his bags, and go. God effectively said, "I want you and your wife, Sarah, to go to a certain place. You don't even know where it is. I'll reveal that to you later. But I want you to go." Abraham obeyed-sort of. He did leave, which was a big step. And he did leave his family, which was a bigger step. But he took one family member along with him: his nephew Lot, who had a detrimental effect on his uncle. We all know certain people who build us up spiritually when we're around them. We come away feeling closer to the Lord and built up in our faith. But we also know people who pull us down spiritually when we're around them. Lot was the kind of person who pulled Abraham down. As 2 Timothy 2:22 says, "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (NKJV). I've had the opportunity to meet and get to know a lot of wonderful, godly men and women who have impressed me deeply. And then I've known other Christians who are always ticked off about something. They're always mad at someone. They remind me of Don Quixote, tilting at windmills. They must always have an adversary or a nemesis. I get very weary of that. What about you? What kind of influence are you having on others? Are you a godly influence, or are you an ungodly influence? Are you building others up, or are you dragging them down? FROM THE HEART
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