Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Twinkling or Blinking of an Eye - By Dennis Huebshman -
https://www.raptureready.com/2019/10/29/twinkling-blinking-eye-dennis-huebshman/ This message is dedicated to all the procrastinators out there who are buying into Satan's lie that there's plenty of time to accept Jesus - but just do it later. Also, for those who believe - and I have actually heard people say this - that they can call out to accept Jesus when the trumpet sounds, and the shout from the archangel is heard. (any emphasis is mine) There are numerous definitions on the internet about "Twinkling/Blinking" of an eye. One of the easiest to understand is on "Discovery World." First, the "Twinkle." This is the time it takes for light to enter the eye, reach the back of the eye, and be reflected back out. Light travels at 186,000 miles per second, so the Twinkle is about one billionth of a second. The "Blinking" is a bit slower. A blink lasts somewhere between 300 and 400 milliseconds, or considerably less than half a second. Taking both of these into consideration, and understanding why the Apostle Paul used this term, defies anyone to be able to react anywhere close to the given timeframe. Depending on the translation, the Bible uses "Twinkling" or "Blinking" of an eye, but both mean the same thing - it's super-fast! Now for the verses these actions refer to. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, "Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep [die], but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the Twinkling of an Eye [ESV], at the last trumpet [not a judgment trumpet of Revelation]. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and the mortal body must put on immortality." (Note: the soul, which has been with Jesus since death will be reunited with the body (Philippians 1:21). Next, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, "But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope [those bound for the judgment of Revelation 20:11-15]. For since we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from Heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead [very important] in Christ will rise first. Then, we [all believers] who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet Jesus in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." All of this would seem that it would take a considerable amount of time to accomplish. After all, every believer that has died since Calvary will be raised up no matter how much of the earthly body remains. God knows where every molecule of each believer is. Their earthly remains will be joined by their Spiritual souls that went to be with Jesus at the instant of their death. The thief on the cross that asked Jesus to "Remember me" is one example of a soul being with Jesus when he died (Luke 23:40-43) Once the body and soul are reunited on their way up to meet Jesus in the clouds/air, there will be an instant conversion to an eternal, immortal body designed to last forever in Heaven with Jesus and all the Saints. For all true believers that are still alive at the call, body and soul are still together. As we ascend to be with Jesus, we will be converted to our forever bodies as well. Once everyone gets to Jesus, we will all be taken to our Home in Paradise to wait for the 7-year wrath to end. Thing is, I believe we won't be concerned about the tribulation/wrath, as we will still be in awe of seeing our Jesus up close and personal. Also, we will become a part of the "Army of the Lord" (Revelation 19:14) to return with Him to witness His put-down of the antichrist and false prophet. I believe we will witness them being tossed into the Lake of Fire as its first residents (Revelation 19:20). Then will come Jesus' millennial reign, and afterward the final judgments. It will be wonderful to see all those who will be joining us in our eternal home. On the other hand, I don't believe I would really want to witness the Great White Throne Judgment. That one is for the Father, who is totally faithful and just and true to His word. He will be keeping His promise that all who did not accept Him pre-Calvary, and all who did not accept Jesus from Calvary forward, would be separated into torment forever. It's the sin that is unforgivable. Before this even takes place, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit knows that the majority of all who will have ever lived on this earth will be at the last judgment (Matthew 7:13-14). Satan will be the third resident of hell (Revelation 20:10), and without doubt will receive the harshest eternal punishment of all. He will be followed by his demons, who were the fallen angels that followed him in his rebellion against God. For them, there is no pathway to forgiveness, as they had already been in the glorious presence of the Lord God Jehovah. The Lake of Fire was designed specifically for them as given in Matthew 25:41. They had the free-will to stay with the Father, or choose to follow Lucifer, just as we have that free-will today. They made an eternal decision they will regret forever. Then, that long line of all humans that are bound for the Lake of Fire to suffer forever. The biggest claim of unbelievers is that there is no way God can complete the "Harpazo" or "Rapture" in such a short period of time. In Luke 18:27, Jesus points out that what's impossible for men is totally possible for God. If our Creator can start with absolutely nothing and create our earth and everything on it, including all living creatures, and can create all the heavens within just six days, then He is capable of accomplishing all that is given in a "twinkling/blinking of an eye." We serve a mighty God who is not bound by our human limitations. For those who just don't want to understand this, it becomes easier to follow Satan and his lure of what this earth has to offer. They give up the "eternal life" to spend eternity in hell for the temporary life here. Our Heavenly Father wants a relationship with all of us, and in His "letter" to us is given in such passages as John 3:16-18; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9-13; 2 Peter 3:9, 1 John 5:12 and many others. He makes it clear Jesus is the only path to Salvation as given in John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 8:1 and Ephesians 2:5-9, just as a few examples. The Father will turn no one away who truly calls out to receive the "gift" supplied to us by His Son, Jesus, at Calvary. We must admit we are sinners, as we all are (Romans 3:23), believe that Jesus is our only Savior, and that He died on that cross for our sins, confess to Him our sins and ask His forgiveness, and for the Holy Spirit to come live within us until we get Home. There is no price we can pay, or deeds we can do to earn our Salvation. That's saying Jesus did not complete His mission on the cross for us. All who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:9-13) We need to turn from our habitual sinful ways and seek a relationship with the Savior through reading from His word, and talking (praying) to Him daily. When, not if, we sin after receiving Him, we have a pathway to forgiveness in 1 John 1:8-10. The "Twinkling/Blinking" could happen at any second. Just looking at the condition of this world today, everything spoken of by Jesus, Paul and others is very much here. Don't make the mistake of believing you can wait to hear the call before asking Jesus to be your Savior. It will be long over before you even realize it took place. Today, right now, would not be too early to call on Him. Ahava B'Shem Yeshua (Love in the name of Jesus) [email protected] Palestinians Turn to Sanhedrin Organization of 70 Nations, Accept Role in Third Temple - By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - www.breakingisraelnews.com Praise Hashem, all you nations; extol Him, all you peoples, for great is His steadfast love toward us; the faithfulness of Hashem endures forever. Hallelujah. (Psalm 117:1-2) In September, the Sanhedrin hosted the first conference for the Organization of 70 Nations. The organization will bring together all of the nations under the common belief in the sanctity of the Bible and the sanctity of all of mankind. The Sanhedrin sent out invitations to many nations in many languages. This included invitations in Arabic and Persian to nations that have openly declared aggression towards Israel since the Sanhedrin was acting as the emissary of the Bible and not in any political interest or as the representative of the State of Israel. The Sanhedrin has received responses from several nations since the conference from the most unexpected sources; a Pashtun political figure from Afghanistan, Nigeria, Cameroon, and others. One such response came from a respected academic Palestinian scholar who lives in Judea. The scholar must remain anonymous since there are elements in the Palestinian Authority and in Palestinian society that use violent methods against Palestinians who advocate "normalization" of relations between Jews and Arabs (i.e. coexistence between Muslims and Jews). "He contacted the Sanhedrin and wants to work with us. He has a group of students he is educating to follow this path," Rabbi Hillel Weiss, spokesman for the Sanhedrin, told Breaking Israel News. "He recognizes the Biblical basis for Israel and accepts them. He accepts that the only legitimate rule in the land of Israel is from the Jews and that the historical truth that Jewish Temples once stood on the Temple Mount. He wants the Palestinian people to be part of the Organization of 70 nations and is aware this includes a Biblically mandated Sanhedrin, court of nations, and a Third Temple as a House of Prayer for all nations." "This man sees that the current political environment in this region is an outside force that engenders murder and violence, creating a culture that is not in the true nature of the Palestinian people and is, in fact, destroying the Palestinians. The Palestinians cannot exist as a nation if they do not establish justice to deal with murder and violence. He recognizes that the UN and especially UNRWA have served as tools to bring this foreign political agenda into the Palestinian nation, an agenda that is not for the good of the Palestinians as a nation. He wants to break the connection with the UN and bring the true Palestinian people to take their place among the 70 nations. He understands this requires establishing courts of justice according to the laws of Noah." "The conference seems to have been a spark that ignited a consciousness in many people," Rabbi Weiss said. "There are many obstacles such as funding. But the main difficulties are political: governments that prefer war over peace, politics over Bible and serving God. But these are representatives of a deeper force in the world that choose death over life, using darkness and lies to obscure the truth." Rabbi Weiss noted that the Organization comes to fix a shortcoming that was inherent in the founding of the UN. "The UN relates to international relations," he said. "It deals with political entities. This is not our intent. There are many nations, minorities, that do not have a political body to represent them. Native Americans, Aborigines, and Kurds should have a representative among the 70 nations. It is a huge injustice that they are not represented in the UN to judge in their relations with the countries they live in." "The host country has responsibilities towards the nations that live within it," Rabbi Weiss said. "The UN does not relate to this at all and injustices happen as a result. From the outset, the UN mishandled the Palestinian claim as a nation. The International Court in the Hague failed because there can be no peace based on injustice and lies. The Organization of the 70 nations will be tasked with establishing a true court of justice." The members of the organization agree to the sanctity of Jerusalem and the Temple's, as well as the sanctity of God's covenant established with all of mankind through Noah. Every nation and ethnic group that sees itself as part of humanity and therefore accepts responsibility to join in a universal covenant of brotherhood of peace is invited to take their place in this Organization of 70 Nations. Representatives from El Salvador, Mexico, Honduras, Bolivia, Trinidad Tobago, Cameroon and Costa Rica were in attendance. Another purpose of the conference and the organization of the 70 Nations is to begin the return of the lost ten-tribes of Israel. The concept of 70 Nations is from the Bible and symbolizes the basis for the organization while not being intended to imply a limit or requirement for participation." The concept of 70 nations also appears in reference to the 70 oxen offered in the Temple throughout Sukkot (the feast of the tabernacles) which the Talmud (Sukkah 55b) teaches are for the merit of the 70 nations. While maintaining that the UN can still repent and change its ways, the Sanhedrin has ruled that the actions of the UN that contravene the Noahide principles that are the basis upon which humanity exists. One example of this is the UN agenda to promote abortion and euthanasia as "human rights." The Organization of 70 Nations is expected to enable cooperation towards economic and social programs that will benefit all mankind. Included in this will be an international court based on Biblical principles. The court will be granted the mandate to protect the globe from ecological threats, mobilizing resources to stop hunger and advance agriculture, and advancing medicine for the good of all mankind. The organization emphasizes that every nation will keep its unique and distinct national identity, cultural heritage, language, and recognized borders. The Principles of the Organization of 70 Nations are listed below: The emergence of the light of law and kindness and its manifestation from Zion in Jerusalem, the city of David, is the basis of the Messianic vision that indicates the concept of the end of days. Carrying out justice and grace by virtue of G-d's law from the place of enlightenment from Zion, the city of justice, the faithful town, is a prerequisite for peace among peoples, nations and states just as peace between them constitutes peace among all nations of the world. Law, truth justice and mercy and their implementation bring peace to the entire world. Justice does not attempt to replace the concept of the Messiah. Rather it aims to draw inspiration from the prophetic passages through which it seeks to operate. The source of all peoples of the world came from those who left the Ark: those descendents of the sons of Noah who were dispersed to all ends of the world after they rebelled against G-d and divided into seventy factions, nations, and linguistic groups. Their borders changed. Their actions resulted from their jealousies and competition as exemplified by the story of Cain, the son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Hevel out of jealousy. Both individuals and groups operate with the same motivations. Therefore there is a clear need for an international legal institution that deals with justice and carries out justice according to the laws of G-d, the most important of which are biblical laws. Judgment must be carried out according to "laws", fixed laws and not result from induction or inspiration. Legal duty is the cornerstone of the Noachite Covenant according to concepts of fairness and accepted custom in legal terms. A major role of the court is to prevent injustice, violence, robbery, and trampling of rights among others. The court exists to judge and admonish peoples, states, and nationalities in order to prevent hostility, to return stolen property from those who exploit it, to prevent destruction and vandalization of lands and countryside and indeed of all creation. Its overriding purpose is to bring peace to the world and prevent warfare and bloodshed. Wherever UN treaties and their courts including recognized international courts, do not contradict the basic tenets of the Bible and its universal laws, they will remain valid and accepted as will their decisions, actions, legal theories and legal traditions including principles of natural law and justice, normative and accepted laws of evidence. The court will decide disputes and prefer arbitration over trials. The court will not intervene in decisions of the above international tribunals that have no provable basic errors unless they contradict the laws of the Bible as interpreted and applied to current conditions of life. Wherever decisions of the international tribunals mentioned above oppose the laws of the Bible and work against them and wherever they contradict or even strive against the basic positions of the Bible, they will have no validity and are essentially null and void. This court will decide its cases according to the inspiration of the Bible and its laws. Its considerations will include opinions of the judges, the rules of natural justice, customary and normative rules of deliberation. The judges will endeavor to learn from the traditions of every nation and their experiences and take into account considerations of justice and kindness. Every well-known ethnic society that has its own language, traditions, and customs will have the right to appear in judgment before this court including sovereign states or groups of states Last year, a World Creation Concert was held adjacent to the Temple Mount. During a ceremony held at the concert, representatives from Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico signed an agreement with the Sanhedrin to accompany the people of God, as peoples, nations, and individuals toward establishing the Temple in Jerusalem as a house of prayer for all nations as prophesied in the Bible. Nearing Midnight: The Secret Service Question - Terry James - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ Anytime this writer hears a theory from a source linked to a so-called conspiracy website or other such questionable source, the discernment antenna goes up. It's kind of like Uncle Martin's shiny metal antenna extending from the top of his head on that old TV program, My Favorite Martian starring Bill Bixby. Maybe some of you will remember that program...probably not. Nonetheless, that's, figuratively speaking, what happened as I thought while preparing to compose this particular commentary. The antenna went up. I had to exercise extreme precaution in my cogitations. In fact, it's getting more and more difficult to know the difference today between conspiracy theory and what's actually happening. Again, I just can't get beyond what's going on in the American political world in thinking on these "Nearing Midnight" commentaries. I believe within the deepest reaches of my spirit that the evil machinations we are witnessing involve the wrap-up of all that must be arranged in order to conclude this Age of Grace. The rage against this president ratchets to a new level of national dementia with each news cycle. President John F. Kennedy's assassination, along with those of Dr. Martin Luther King and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, brought about excruciatingly tight security measures. But despite the US Secret Service efforts, born of an almost paranoia about preventing future such murders, attempts on the lives of President Gerald Ford and President Ronald Reagan came close to being successful. Security measures by the Secret Service have been made increasingly stringent since. The result is that there have been no serious assaults on succeeding presidents. Quick and severe consequences for anyone making threats have been a big part of the security that assured such a record of safety for the nations' chief executive. Prior to George W. Bush's time in office, any mentions of threats against a president, no matter how mild, were met with instantaneous confrontation. However with Bush 43, there seemed a lack of concern. There was even a novel written about his assassination. A documentary-type film, as I recall, was in the news but never received Secret Service attention to any great extent. His successor, Barack Obama, was pretty much free of threats of assassination. With President Donald Trump, everything has changed. The warnings have come from every quarter on the left of the political spectrum, threatening everything from blowing up the White House to decapitating Mr. Trump. Those threats came from a woman rock star and from a Hollywood actress, as you might recall. Neither is in jail, or was even charged and brought to trial so far as I can determine. Their supporters (including many within the mainstream news media) defended those women as simply being artful in their descriptive objections to the illegitimacy of Donald Trump's election in 2016. The lack of clearly observable action by the Secret Service has, in my opinion, brought on a much higher level of danger to this president. We can determine that elevated risk to Mr. Trump by things going on at the present. James O'Keefe, a journalist working undercover for Project VERITAS, released secret recordings of some interesting things going on behind closed doors at CNN, the TV cable network. [O'Keefe] on Thursday released a third round of secretly recorded video clips documenting CNN's political bias, this time [featuring] a death wish for President Trump and an admission that the network has sold itself to the devil. The videos were recorded by former CNN satellite uplink technician Cary Poarch, who says he recently agreed to wear a hidden camera "to expose the bias" at the network. Video released Thursday shows Mike Brevna, a floor manager at CNN, complaining about how much the network has changed over the years. "When I got this job 13 years ago, CNN was nothing like this.... They sold themselves to the devil. It's, it's sad." Brevna said. Another segment shows CNN Field Production Supervisor Gerald Sisnette wishing for Trump's death. This is a story that's not gonna go away," Sisnette said. "Oh, the Ukraine thing? Or just Trump in general?" Poarch asked. "Trump in general. The only way this will go away is when he [Trump] dies. Hopefully soon," Sisnette said. ("CNN Boss: We've sold ourselves to the devil," WND, 10/17/19) There has been no action, as far as I know, to this, an obvious threat proclaiming that the president of the United States must die. And this real threat-craziness, with no publicly observable pushback by Secret Service authorities, is why the lines get blurred between actual danger and conspiracy kookdom. It was intimated on the Common Sense Show with host Dave Hodges that former FBI Director James Comey plans to spend the next thirteen months working to drive Donald Trump from the presidency. This, according to a New York Times piece written by Ryan Christopher Jones. The conspiracy-laden report indicated that Comey, former VP Joe Biden, and Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, issued "thinly veiled assassination threats" to Mr. Trump on the eve of his latest trip to Dallas. The implication was proffered that during the most recent Democrat debate, Biden started to reveal plans to remove Trump from office because the needed action was so important. Then, the report said: "At that point, Biden muzzled himself. He [knew] he had stumbled in what has become typical for Biden since he is obviously suffering from cognitive decline." The piece, written just prior to Trump's trip to Dallas, went on to declare: "And here are Hillary and Bill waiting in the wings for Donald Trump's demise so Hillary can rightfully claim her throne as US President. If an attempt is made on President Trump, will we believe that the Clinton's did not know?" Jones wrote further: "I do not believe that Donald Trump will be assassinated in Dallas. However, there is no question in my mind that the President's visit to the site of JFK's murder is being used to send the President a very direct message. 'Do what the globalists want, or else'. Where the hell is the Secret Service?" A good question indeed. Why hasn't the United States Secret Service been more overtly and observably active in combating the vicious verbal threats against this president? The answer likely would be: "That's why it's called the Secret Service." And that's a good answer, most likely. But it doesn't make us feel any better. It is almost certain that with all the hatred being ginned up by the mainstream news media, Hollywood types, and many of the Democrat Party against President Trump, someone-deranged or other-should have by now made an attempt on his life. We have no reports of that happening. So the Secret Service has, we should hope, been doing its job in...well...secret. However, there is another "secret service" that I think is more responsible for this president remaining safe. Billy Graham wrote a book some years ago about this organization. Angels: God's Secret Agents, I think was its title. Let us not stop praying according to 2 Chronicles 7:14, praying that these agents continue to do their job. Let's take solace in the fact that justice will ultimately be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil an hundred times, and his days be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him: But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God. (Ecclesiastes 8:11-13) And All These Things Will Be Given To You As Well - By Jack Kelley - https://gracethrufaith.com/topical-studies/tough-questions-answered/and-all-these-things-will-be-given-to-you-as-wel/ Home » Topical Studies » Tough Questions Answered » And All These Things Will Be Given To You As Well When times are uncertain, there's a lot of talk about what we should be doing to protect ourselves. The internet is rich with advice. Some is competent and some is not, but almost all of it involves applying the ways of this world. Some advise us to stock up on stuff, so when there's a shortage we won't run out. Others say we should also buy precious metals to help preserve the value of our assets when inflation comes. The list goes on. Some of this is OK, but there are a couple of things we should keep in mind when we're trying to decide what to do. First, we should know that this advice assumes that the coming hard times are only temporary. You can't stock up for life (or even a few years) and eventually, you'll need to convert your silver and gold back into money. So you can only think of these things as a bridge between prosperity past and prosperity future. But when there's no prosperity future you're only delaying the inevitable. Second, the Bible doesn't command us to do this. In fact it specifically admonishes us against it. "Do not store up treasure on Earth," Jesus cautioned, "For where your treasure is there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:19-21) And in His ultimate example, He told the parable of the farmer who had more than his already full barns could hold, so he tore them down, built bigger ones, and filled them. Just when he finally had enough to feel secure and decided he could relax, the Lord said, "You fool. This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself." He finished with this warning. "This is how it will be for anyone who stores things up for himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21) Being rich toward God means giving generously to those in need. Scarcity Vs. Abundance No matter how we try to justify it, storing up is an act of selfishness. And it demonstrates a lack of faith by revealing a scarcity mentality when the Bible teaches an abundance mentality. Let me explain. A scarcity mentality says there's only so much to go around, so if I don't get all I can while I can, someone else will get it and I won't have enough. The motives behind the scarcity mentality are selfishness and faithlessness. An abundance mentality says the Lord's supply is endless, so I can share what I have now because He's promised to supply all my needs in the future. The motives behind the abundance mentality are generosity and faithfulness. The Biblical model is based on an abundance mentality (John 10:10). It teaches us to use the extra we have to help those who don't have enough, depending on the Lord who gave us the extra in the first place to give us more as we need it. Thanking the Philippians for their gifts, Paul wrote, "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:19). Notice he said "will meet all your needs". We don't give to others solely because God has met all our needs in the past, but also because He's promised that He will meet all our needs in the future as well. The Philippian believers were experiencing hardship themselves, but still found a way to help support Paul's ministry. This is what Jesus called being rich toward God. That Doesn't Make Sense I realize this all sounds counter intuitive. When we're barely meeting our present needs the natural tendency is to use whatever is left over to make sure we can meet our own future needs. For many, the last thing on their minds is the plight of others. They don't see that as their problem. There are two sources of this kind of thinking. The first is called the Protestant Work Ethic. This is a non-Biblical theory wrapped in a thin veneer of Christianity. It's attributed to the German sociologist and political economist Max Weber (1864-1920) and holds that hard work is part of God's calling on our lives and is both a sign of our personal salvation and a necessary component for receiving His blessings. It's been summarized by the most popular verse that's not in the Bible, "The Lord helps those who help themselves." If other people are not being blessed it's because they're not working hard enough. Helping them out encourages their "laziness" and deprives them of the blessing they would receive by working harder. God's ways are not our ways, and the Protestant Work Ethic reeks of humanity. Of course we're admonished to give our best effort at work. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (Col. 3:23). But our generosity toward others is the trigger that releases blessings for us, not hard work. "With the measure you use (in giving to others) it will be measured to you," Jesus said (Luke 6:38). Paul confirmed this in 2 Cor. 9:6. Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. The other source is our government. Ever since the Roosevelt era, Americans have been told that our country is too rich and successful to tolerate having things like hunger and poverty in our midst. Therefore the government would assume the responsibility for eliminating these things by guaranteeing a minimum standard of living. Programs like Social Security, unemployment insurance, and the various forms of welfare were all instituted to encourage people to look to the government for help in times of need. Once again, we're taught that the plight of others is not our concern. If people need help, they can go to the government and get it. Both of these sources had the effect of taking God out of the equation so after a couple of generations of this, most of us no longer see God as our Provider. Regardless of what we repeat with bowed head around the dinner table, the truth is that too many of us look to ourselves, or if we're among the 41 million people currently receiving food stamps, to our government for our daily bread. Two Ways To Go So there are two approaches we can take in these uncertain times. The way of the world is to "Look Out For Number 1" by trying to stock up enough stuff to see you through the difficulties ahead, leaving others to fend for themselves or rely on government help. The Bible's way is to "Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You" by seeking out people in need and helping them with the extra the Lord has provided for you. The most practical solution is to start relying on God right now. "Seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well," He said (Matt. 6:33). He was referring to things like what we'll eat and drink, and what we'll wear. Take some of your excess and find someone you can help with it. I've said before that doing this pays the best return on investment available anywhere. Your generosity will be rewarded in this world (2 Cor. 9:11) and you'll be storing up treasure in the next one (Matt. 6:19-21). I call that getting double your money back. But Wait, There's More In addition, you'll be learning how to live by faith in the One who has promised to meet all your needs and who never breaks His word, instead of relying on the uncontrollable ways of the world. Then if things get really bad and your neighbors have exhausted the supplies they stored up, you'll be able to help them. And in doing so, you'll know from experience that God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Cor. 9:8). And finally, you can not imagine the change in perspective adopting this approach will give you. While others are plagued with uncertainty, you will experience a peace that transcends human understanding. Selah. Daily Jot: Misconceptions about America in prophecy - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com Many Christians have the impression that America is the hinge upon which the final door is opened regarding the return of Christ and the rapture. This leads to the misconception that all the American political disruption, immorality, economic disruption, deep state, support of abortion, the fall of traditional marriage, the alphabet of sexual orientation, climate change and whether your neighbor considers you a bigot and racist for which political candidate you support, must inevitably hasten the return of Christ. While it may play a miniscule part in general, scripture points to God the Father, not America, in this determination. Acts 1:7 says "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power." Now the rough part: God's timepiece on the return of Christ is not found in America. The political, economic or social condition of America is not the axel upon which prophecy turns. America is not found in the Bible. You have to do some pretty fantastic wordplay, eisegesis, and biblical gymnastics to find America in the Bible. It doesn't mean that America doesn't exist or has been destroyed. It only means that it is not specifically found in the Bible. America's role in prophecy today is contingent on its ability as a world power to spread the gospel, influence events, people, and the political landscape in the Middle East, which directly or indirectly impacts God's prophetic timepiece-Israel. Don't get angry with me, read your Bible for yourself. When we think of the end times, we often think about the great falling away and how there will be wars and rumors of wars, famines and pestilences. There will be earthquakes, persecution, betrayals and false Christs. And as Christ says in Matthew 24:6, "see that you are not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet." Christ lists these events in general even as he says the gospel will be preached in all the world "for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Then Christ becomes specific to Israel and what happens there. In the chronology Christ provides, it is from Israel that the end time events culminate, and the rest of the world will know that the Lord is God. This is backed up by all the prophets that write of the end of days. So where does America fit in the end of days? Currently, America is an influencer of the prophecy clock. During the immediate past president's two terms, American policy decidedly favored Israel's enemies. The current policy highly favors Israel. America is so powerful that it is currently a player in God's prophetic plan. This comes, however, with a scriptural warning: Matthew 25:32-34, "And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand...Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you." Zechariah 12:9, speaking of the Day of the Lord, says "I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." Best understand that America does not replace Israel in God's prophetic plan. Daily Devotion: Burned Out and Bummed Out - by Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.-Psalm 78:7 In 2018 Russia unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile that supposedly can hit any target on Earth. NATO has nicknamed it (and I'm not making this up) Satan 2. We're living in a crazy world. And in some ways, it's a hopeless world. There's a sense of hopelessness pervading many young people today. In fact, I've read that suicide is up among ten- to fourteen-year-old children. They give hopelessness as the reason, and it's all around us. The Bible tells a story about two men who were burned out and bummed out. They felt that Jesus let them down. They felt, honestly, that Jesus failed in His mission. Even though Jesus constantly spoke about the fact that he would die on a cross, it still came as a shock to them. So when they saw the beaten, traumatized, bloodied body of Jesus hanging there, it devastated them. They thought Jesus was coming to overthrow the Roman government and free Israel from the occupying force. But that never was His plan. He didn't come to wear a crown of gold; He came to wear a crown of thorns. He didn't come to sit on a regal throne; He came to die on a wooden cross. Jesus talked about it. He said it again and again. But somehow they collectively missed the memo. They didn't want to think about the horrible events that happened, so they decided to get out of town. And who joined them on the road? It was none other than Jesus himself. Then He took them on a personally guided tour of the Old Testament, showing them all the passages pointing to the coming Messiah. Maybe you've lost hope today. Maybe you've had a tragedy come your way that has rocked your world in some way. Jesus can restore your hope. 
FROM THE HEART
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