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Why I Believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture - By Nathan E. Jones - http://christinprophecy.org/articles/why-i-believe-in-a-pre-tribulation-rapture/
11 reasons why Jesus will come back before the Tribulation Frequently I am asked to explain or defend the end-time view of the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. For that topic, lots of Bible verses, readings and references rattle around in my skull. I can extract each like a Powerball out of an air machine and present it to the inquiring mind, but never in a linear, comprehensive manner in which I particularly appreciate. And so, this article is my attempt to organize my brain on the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view. You're welcome to come along on the journey! Taking It to the Bedrock My belief that there will be a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church stands on the bedrock of the following foundational tenets: A) The Bible is the Word of God The 66-book canon called the Bible is God's inerrant, infallible message to mankind, explaining His purposes and plans for the ages (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). No other document can be reliably trusted, nor remotely reach the bar for the requirements of authentication that the Bible attains to so easily. B) The Bible is to be Interpreted Literally God means what He says and says what He means. God wants His creations to know His will plainly. While God does indulge in picturesque descriptions and parables, an explanation almost always follows or context is provided for explanation. Spiritualization of text, therefore, has no proper place in interpreting Scriptures. Any eschatological viewpoint must then be thrown out if it is based on the reader's desire to spiritualize the Bible into whatever ethereal meaning they desire. Take the Bible for its plain sense meaning. C) The Church and Israel Are Separate Entities Israel is not the Church and the Church is not Israel. A believer in Christ becomes a member of the Church, whether Jew or Gentile (Rom. 1:16), but a member of the Church does not become a form of spiritual Israel. God's promises to Israel as a people and nation (see next tenet) are not the same as for the Bride of Christ, the Church. D) A Literal 1000-Year Millennium The Bible describes a future, literal 1000-year time period. The Greek word "chilias" for "one thousand" appears six times in Revelation 20, clearly marking the time period as having 1000 literal years. The purpose of this time period is for Jesus Christ to have an earthly kingdom from which to base His rule and to fulfill His promises (Gen. 13:14-17; 15:5,18-21; 2 Sam. 7:16-19; Isa. 10:21-22; 11:1-2; Jer. 23:5-8; 30:22; 31:31-34; Ezek. 11:18-20; 34:24; 36:24-28; Mic. 7:19-20; Hos. 3:5; Rom. 11:26-29). E) A Literal 7-Year Tribulation An upcoming time period has been set aside for God to pour out His wrath upon the evil of the world, to regather Israel back into its land, to force Israel to acknowledge Jesus as their Messiah, and for the Messiah to return and fight for His believing remnant (Deut. 4:26-31; Isa. 13:6-13; 17:4-11; Jer. 30:4-11; Ezek. 20:33-38; Dan. 9:27; 12:1; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 24:9-31). This time period begins with a covenant between Israel and the Antichrist (Dan. 9:27). The length of the Tribulation is seven years long, described in a variety of ways as "one seven" year block (Dan. 9:27), consisting of two "times, time and half a time" (two years + 1 year + half a year; Rev. 12:14), or two "1260 days" periods (Rev. 11:3), or two "42 month" periods (Rev. 11:2; 13:5). F) Jesus Will Return Again to Earth The Bible says Jesus will physically return again to earth (Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-27; Lk. 21:25-27; Rev. 19). Jesus returns is to defeat His enemies, set up His throne, restore Israel, rule with "a rod of iron" and share His authority with those who overcame in Him (Mat. 19:28; 25:31; Acts 1:3-6; Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21). G) The Bible Teaches About a Rapture 1 Thessalonians 4:17 speaks of an event called "the Rapture", Latin "rapio," Greek "harpazo," which means "to catch up, to snatch away, or to take out." "After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." Paul states that the concept of the Rapture is meant to encourage believers during this Age (1 Thes. 4:18). Other New Testament references on the Rapture are Jn. 14:1-4; I Cor. 15:51-58; and 1 Thes. 4:13-18. These bedrock statements about the Bible and its interpretation provide the foundation in which to analyze the following reasons for why I believe the Bible teaches a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. 1) The Bible describes the Rapture and Second Coming as different events. The Bible must see the Rapture (Jn. 14:1-4; I Cor. 15:51-58; 1 Thes. 4:13-18) and the Second Coming (Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-27; Lk. 21:25-27; Rev. 19) as separate events, because when the verses are compared they describe two very different scenarios: 1. Rapture - believers meet Christ in the air Second Coming - Christ returns to the Mount of Olives to meet the believers on earth 2. Rapture - Mount of Olives is unchanged Second Coming - Mount of Olives is divided, forming a valley east of Jerusalem 3. Rapture - living believers obtain glorified bodies Second Coming - living believers remain in same bodies 4. Rapture - believers go to heaven Second Coming - glorified believers come from heaven, earthly believers stay on earth 5. Rapture - world left unjudged and living in sin Second Coming - world is judged and righteousness is established 6. Rapture - depicts deliverance of the Church from wrath Second Coming - depicts deliverance of believers who endured wrath 7. Rapture - no signs precede it Second Coming - many signs precede it 8. Rapture - revealed only in New Testament Second Coming - revealed in both Old and New Testaments 9. Rapture - deals with only the saved Second Coming - deals with both the saved and unsaved 10. Rapture - Satan remains free Second Coming - Satan is bound and thrown into the Abyss Since the Rapture and Second Coming clearly are different events that do not occur at the same time, this would rule out a Post-Tribulation Rapture scenario. 2) The Rapture is described as occurring at any time without warning. Jesus stated in Matthew 24:42,44 to "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come... So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Not only do believers in Christ not know when to expect Him, but the Father Himself seems to have left Jesus out on the exact time His Son is to return. As Jesus stated in Matthew 24:36, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." These and other verses (Mat. 24:36,42,44,50; 25:13; 1 Thes. 4:18; Tit. 2:13; 1 Jn. 2:28; 3:2-3) indicate that Jesus' arrival will come when nobody expects it. The Second Coming, on the other hand, is preceded by many events, such as the rise of the Antichrist (Rev. 12:13-17; Zech; 13:7-9), a treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27), the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple (Mat. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:3-4; Rev. 11:1-2), as well as plagues and judgments and persecutions destroying most of the world's population (Rev. 6-18). The Book of Revelation reports these events as occurring during the 7-year Tribulation, which Revelation reveals precede the Second Coming. Because the Rapture could happen at any moment and without warning and the Second Coming is preceded by so many signs, then the Rapture and Second Coming must be different events. The Rapture has to occur before the seven years' worth of signs, because Christians are called to look for the Lord's return rather than signs such as the Antichrist's arrival. Once the signs begin, then the seven year countdown begins towards its end with Christ's return at the Second Coming. Jesus' imminent return dismisses any of the other viewpoints related to a rapture that occur within or at the end of the Tribulation. 3) The Rapture and the removal of the "Restrainer" occur at the same time. In 2 Thessalonians, the church at Thessalonica was afraid due to a false report that they had entered the Day of the Lord (Tribulation) and had somehow missed the Rapture. The Apostle Paul assured them that the Antichrist would not be revealed until a restraining force would be taken away so that the Man of Lawlessness could be revealed. Because the revealing of the Antichrist coincides with the beginning of the 7-year Tribulation starting with his peace treaty with Israel (Dan. 9:27), then the Restrainer has to be removed before the Tribulation. As the Holy Spirit also works in salvation (Jn. 16:8-11; 1 Jn. 5:7) during the Tribulation, then it is the Church that must be the Restrainer that is removed. Therefore, the Rapture and the removal of the Church must coincide, and at the beginning of the seven years. 4) The Tribulation is for Israel's redemption. Jeremiah 30:7 describes the Tribulation as the "time of Jacob's trouble" - "How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it." In the Book of Matthew, whose primary audience is the Jews, Jesus explains to his Jewish followers what life will be like during the Tribulation. Also, Revelation 12 describes picturesquely a woman who gives birth and has to flee due to persecution during the Tribulation. The context shows the woman is Israel. And again, the Battle of Armageddon is the world against Israel. Two-thirds of the Jewish people will be killed from these battles. These texts and others show that the Tribulation is meant for the redemption of the Jewish people. Why are the Jews the object of persecution during the Tribulation? For one, Satan hates the Jewish people for giving the world the Scriptures and the Messiah, as well as he wishes to thwart God's promises to the Jews (see Bedrock #4). Secondly, the Jews have to be so desperately brought low that they finally call out to their Messiah "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" (Mat. 23:39; Lk. 13:35). The Tribulation, then, is used for Israel's redemption which also results in the punishment of the wicked. The Church does not fit into this scenario, and are left out of the purposes of the Tribulation. They would need to be removed - caught up - before the Tribulation begins. 5) The Tribulation is not for the Church. The Tribulation is God's wrath upon the unbelieving world, and not for those who are saved from Christ's resurrection to the Rapture - called the Church. Yes believers have suffered all throughout human history, but there is a special time (just like the Flood) set apart called the Day of the Lord for God's wrath. Christians suffering and the Tribulation/Day of the Lord are different. True believers in Christ during the Church Age, represented by the Church of Philadelphia, are promised in Revelation 3:10, "Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth." Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 1:10, "and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead-Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." He also states in 1 Thessalonians 5:9, "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 5:9 states, "Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" Ephesians 5:6 states, "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient." Colossians 3:4 states, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Again and again, Scripture states the Church is not meant to endure God's wrath. 6) God's wrath involves the whole 7-Year Tribulation. The view that the Rapture will occur at the mid-point of the Tribulation is based upon 1 Corinthians 15:52 which states that the Rapture will occur at the blowing of "the last trumpet." This Mid-Tribulation Rapture view then declares this trumpet to be the last of the seven trumpets in Revelation 11 that is blown at the mid-point of the Tribulation. Why of the 114 references to trumpets in the Bible these two are identified as one and the same only defies sound Bible study. The context clearly shows the last trumpet of 1 Corinthians 15 is blown for believers whereas the seven trumpets of Revelation 8, 9 and 11 are sounded for unbelievers. The Revelation trumpets therefore can have no relevance for the Church. Proponents of the Pre-Wrath Rapture view believe the Rapture will occur about three-quarters of the way through the Tribulation, about five years or shortly thereafter, with up to four comings of Christ. According to Dr. David Reagan in his article The Pre-Wrath Rapture: "Those who espouse this viewpoint believe that the Seal Judgments are the wrath of Man and Satan and that they continue throughout the first half of the Tribulation and into the second half, right up to the three-quarters point, or shortly thereafter. They place the Trumpet Judgments in the last quarter of the Tribulation and the Bowl Judgments in the first 30 days following the end of Daniel's 70th Week of Years." But, isn't it Jesus Himself who breaks the seals that launch each of the Revelation 6 seal judgments which occur at the beginning of the Tribulation? Also, the seven angels who blow the trumpets that initiate each of the trumpet judgments are given their trumpets at the throne of God (Revelation 8:2). And, Revelation 15:1 states that the bowl judgments at the end of the Tribulation finish the wrath of God, not begin His wrath. Because these judgments are initiated by Jesus Himself at the beginning of the Tribulation, the whole Tribulation must be God's wrath, which the Church is exempt from. 7) The Old Testament and Revelation leave the Church out of the Tribulation. The focus of the Tribulation - to pour out God's wrath on the earth just like the Flood (Isa. 24:22; Zeph. 3:8; 1 Thes. 5:3; 2 Thes. 2:12) and to bring the Jewish people to accept Jesus as Messiah (Mat. 23:39; Lk. 13:35) - is addressed by the Old Testament and the Book of Revelation to the unbelievers and the Jewish people. In any biblical content concerning the Tribulation/Day of the Lord, the Church cannot be found. The whole concept of the Church was a mystery to the Old Testament prophets. They focused on the nation of Israel. The Book of Matthew is written to the Jewish people, whom Jesus is addressing in Matthew 24. In the Book of Revelation, chapters 2 and 3 cover the Church Age, but then there is no mention of the Church until after the Tribulation/Day of the Lord chapters 6-18. In Chapter 19, the Church returns to the texts and can be found, not suffering, but celebrating with Christ at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and preparing to return with Jesus to earth. 8) The Church is busy elsewhere during the Tribulation. While the 7-year Tribulation is occurring, the Bible records the Church will be busy with three events. None of the three have to do with suffering on a world being destroyed. The first event the raptured Church will participate in is a judgment by God - the Judgment of the Just. This judgment on works is not to determine eternal destiny, but to determine degrees of reward (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 19:6-9). The second event is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This feast celebrates the spiritual marriage of Christ's Bride - the Church - to her Savior. Revelation 19:7-9 shares this wonderful celebration, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, 'Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.'" The third event follows the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and is the Church's preparation to follow the King of Kings into the Battle of Armageddon at the conclusion of the Tribulation. This event is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-27; Lk. 21:25-27; Rev. 19:11-21). Revelation 19:14 identifies the Church in their "fine linen, white and clean," which was given to them during the first event - the Judgment of the Just. The Church and angelic forces follow the King of Kings into His Second Coming to the earth, but only Jesus Himself will engage in battle and with mere words defeats the nations in siege against Jerusalem. 9) There needs to be sheep to separate from the goats. If the Church is raptured at the end of the Tribulation, receives their glorified bodies, and then immediately u-turns back with Christ for the Second Coming as the Post-Tribulation Rapture view holds, then what believer in Christ will be available for the Sheep and Goats Judgment of Matthew 25? The only people left on earth would be unbelievers, called goats. No believer - sheep - would be available for God to put into the sheep category. Since those who are in glorified bodies will be like the angels in that they aren't given in marriage or reproduce (Matt. 22:30; Mk. 12:25), then a believing, unglorified, human remnant must make it into the sheep category and go on to produce the nations during the Millennial reign of Christ (Ezek. 43:13-27; Isa. 19:21; Isa. 65:20-22; Rev. 20:7-10). This would mean that people would need to come to Christ during the Tribulation yet after the Rapture to produce this Millennial population. 10) The Bible shows God rescues the righteous from His wrath. Being a Christian means having to endure suffering and trials at the hand of man (Jn. 16:33; Phil. 1:27; 1 Thes. 3:3; 1 Pet. 4:12-13). But, the Bible has many examples of those who put their faith in God are exempt from God's wrath. Noah and his family were removed from the Flood waters that in God's wrath were used to judge and cleanse the earth. Lot and his wife and two daughters were made to leave Sodom and Gomorrah before God burned the towns up with fire and sulfur. Rahab's family was set apart when Joshua's army invaded Jericho. Could believers be miraculously protected during the Tribulation, like the Israelites were during the plagues on Egypt? Yes, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists from Revelation 7 and 14, for instance, will be divinely protected. But, the slaughter of believers during the Tribulation will be so massive that they are certainly not under any special protection (Rev. 7:9-17; 20:4). 11) The Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is not too new to discount. Some will argue that the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is just "too new" to be considered viable. Critics will point to the origin of the modern Pre-Tribulation view and credit John Nelson Darby (1800-1882) with its founding. But, is that assessment historically accurate? Indeed, it is not. The Early Church fathers' such as Barnabas (ca.100-105), Papias (ca. 60-130), Justin Martyr (110-195), Irenaeus (120-202), Tertullian (145-220), Hippolytus (ca. 185-236), Cyprian (200-250), and Lactantius (260-330) wrote on the imminent return of Jesus Christ, the central argument for the Pre-Tribulation Rapture view. Biblical truth is determined by Scripture, and not how that teaching has been perceived at different times during history. When Augustine began spiritualizing the Bible, his view of a non-literal interpretation took hold of the church until the Renaissance, obliterating the Premillennial and Pre-Tribulation Rapture views in favor of Amillennialism. But, some Medieval writers such as Ephraem of Nisibis (306-373), Abbot Ceolfrid's Latin Codex Amiatinus (ca. 690-716), and Brother Dolcino wrote statements that distinguish the Rapture from the Second Coming. When the chains of allegorical interpretation began to fall off beginning with the Reformation in the 1400 and 1500s, writers such as Joseph Mede (1586-1638), Increase Mather (1639-1723), Peter Jurieu (1687), Philip Doddridge (1738), John Gill (1748), James Macknight (1763), Thomas Scott (1792) and Morgan Edwards (1722-1795) all wrote concerning the Rapture occurring separate from the Second Coming. Even in the more modern church, those like William Witherby (1818) were precursors to John Darby in support of the view. The Pre-Tribulation Rapture view is indeed then not only biblical, but supported throughout Church history. Closing Thoughts I thank you for coming down this mental journey with me concerning why I believe in the Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. Hopefully it has confirmed or challenged some of your eschatological ideas. Bear in mind, though, that one's end-time views have no bearing on the doctrine of salvation. What is to be celebrated is that our salvation will one day lead us upwards to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forever and ever. A Perfect Storm Is Brewing: America In Crisis - By Michael Snyder - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2683 Will we someday look back on October 2018 as the turning point? As the month began, people were generally feeling pretty good about things, and the U.S. stock market quickly set a new all-time high. But from that point on, the wheels fell off for Wall Street. We just witnessed the worst October for U.S. stocks since the financial crisis of 2008, and at this point more than 8 trillion dollars of global wealth has been completely wiped out. But it isn't just the stock market that is being shaken. The horrific violence in Pittsburgh is just the latest in a string of events that have rattled the entire nation. Sometimes I feel like I am literally watching the fabric of our society come apart right in front of my eyes. It is almost as if there is a tangible presence of evil in the air, and it seems to be getting stronger over time. For quite a while I have been warning that levels of anger and frustration are rising to unprecedented levels, and all of that anger and frustration is leading people to do things that are absolutely unthinkable. And if people are this crazed now, how bad are things going to get once the economy really starts unraveling? Let there be no doubt - if U.S. stocks crash really hard, it will cause a massive credit crunch, and that would absolutely strangle economic activity. Yes, October was bad, but we can recover from what happened in October. But if November and December are equally as bad or worse, we could have a nightmarish crisis on our hands very rapidly. And many experts believe that this market is ultimately going to decline much, much further. For example, just consider what Wolf Richter is saying... So it boils down to this: Some stocks have gotten crushed, but the market overall has barely been dented - though the fundamentals are rotten, shares are still ludicrously overpriced, enthusiasm is still exuberant except on bad days, and blind faith in annually rising stock prices still reigns. And the fact that stocks like Tesla or Netflix continue to levitate beyond all reality shows that this downturn has a long way, and years, to go. And Chris Martenson expressed similar sentiments in his most recent article... The recent market weakness seen over the past two weeks is nothing compared to what's in store. As we've been carefully chronicling, bubbles burst from 'the outside in', starting at the weaker places at the periphery before progressing to the center. Emerging market equities are now down -26% from their January highs and -18% year-to-date. China's stock market is down -32%, even with substantial intervention by the government to prop things up. The periphery has been weakening all year, and the contagion has now spead worldwide. But when I talk about a "perfect storm", I am not just talking about money. For years, I have been warning that the thin veneer of civilization that we all take for granted on a daily basis is rapidly disappearing, and the events of this past week made this exceedingly clear... Wednesday, a white man with a history of violence shot and killed two African-Americans, seemingly at random, at a Kentucky Kroger store following a failed attempt to barge into a black church. After mail bombs were being sent to people who'd been criticized by the President, a suspect was arrested Friday -- a man who had railed against Democrats and minorities with hate-filled messages online. And Saturday morning, a man shouting anti-Semitic slurs opened fire at a Pittsburgh synagogue, killing 11 people attending Jewish services. I will not ever be able to understand the kind of hate that we have been witnessing. I have always preached against racism, and I even included an entire chapter against racism in my latest book. There is absolutely no room for racism in America, but it just seems to keep growing. We are facing overwhelming challenges as a society, and if we do not learn how to love one another there is no way that we are going to make it. This is a time of great governmental shaking as well. On November 6th, some candidates will win and some candidates will lose, but the hatred being expressed on both sides will not go away. Sadly, the truth is that there are corrupt politicians all around us, and the American people have been rapidly losing faith in our system. If the corruption is not cleaned up and some way is found to restore faith in our system of government, it is only a matter of time before it collapses. On top of everything else, we also live at a time of impending global conflict. A major regional war could erupt in the Middle East at any time, and Russia and China are openly warning that they are "preparing for war" with the United States. World War 3 is a lot closer than people realize, and the fact that our relationships with both Russia and China are rapidly going downhill is a major concern. And of course the planet itself is increasingly becoming unstable. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions appear to be growing in both size and intensity, and massive storms have been hammering communities all over the globe in recent months. The giant rock that we all live on is rapidly changing, and many believe that the Earth changes that we are currently witnessing are going to escalate dramatically in the years ahead. Many ordinary Americans seem unconcerned about everything that is going on, and perhaps that is because they are unaware of the bigger picture. But the elite are definitely freaking out. In fact, the New York Times just published an article about how demand for private security services is higher than ever... At Pinkerton, a private security and detective agency founded in 1850, requests for executive security have increased 20 to 30 percent annually over the last five years, said its vice chairman, Tim Williams. And people are looking for safeguards in all areas of their lives that pose risks, experts say, including information technology and social media. "People are scared right now," Mr. Williams said. And some among the elite even have plans to hop on private jets and leave the country (to NZ) completely when everything starts hitting the fan. We are entering a time that will cause many to have great fear, but now is not a time to be scared. It is when times are the darkest that light is needed the most, and I believe that this coming "perfect storm" will be an absolutely thrilling time to be alive. Yes, life is going to become a lot more uncomfortable for all of us, but it is during times of great challenge that we find out what is truly inside of us. This will be a time when some will show that they are great villains, but many will also emerge as great heroes. We have reached a critical juncture in human history, and everything is about to change. I would encourage you to be a light in the darkness, because that is going to be greatly needed in the days ahead. Nearing Midnight: Satan's End-Time Mobs - Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/ A caravan of an estimated 7,000 to 10,000 Central Americans is slowly making its way toward the distant U.S. border. The press is saying these people are fleeing violence and poverty in their homelands. Since it's very strange to have such a large number of people to suddenly decide they want to walk 2,000 miles, some organization is likely funding this march. President Donald Trump has vowed to begin curtailing millions of dollars in American aid to three Central American nations and called the caravan bound for the United States a national emergency. "Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador were not able to do the job of stopping people from leaving their country and coming illegally to the U.S. We will now begin cutting off, or substantially reducing, the massive foreign aid routinely given to them," Trump wrote in a series of Twitter posts. In 2016, the United States provided some $131 million in aid to Guatemala, $98 million to Honduras, and $68 million to El Salvador, according to U.S. data. The Trump administration plans a reduction in aid of almost 40 percent for the three nations. I think we should cut aid by 100 percent to any nation that creates a pressure situation on our southern border. It doesn't make any sense that this Mob would be able to freely cross several nations. Central America is not part of some giant free travel zone. These nations have defined the borders with border police. For the mob to just walk from one nation to another requires a willful act of local and national governments. A country without borders is not actually a country. This looming invasion could help Republicans in next month's election. Former Trump campaign adviser Barry Bennett told the Washington Post that the caravan was a "political gift" for the GOP right before midterms. "I wish they were carrying heroin. I wish we had thought of it. It speaks to the dearth of our creativity, unfortunately," said Bennett, adding "There are 7,000 people marching toward the U.S. border. One party wants to let them in. The other party wants to keep them out." I think most of the mobs we are seeing in recent days are motivated by demonic forces. There is always an earthly explanation for why things happen; and in this case, many of the people protesting are doing so because they got paid. A company out of Beverly Hills, CA called Crowds on Demand (COD) has staged a protest against Zdenek Bakala, a Prague-based investment manager. The protesters stalked his home in Hilton Head, SC. Bakala claims in a lawsuit that COD offered to end the protest campaign against him if he paid $23 million. In 2014, ABC's "Nightline" reported that a group backed by the beverage industry was hiring people to protest a soda tax measure - posting ads on Craigslist for paid protesters at $13 an hour. During the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, many noted what appeared to be a man, Vinay Krishnan - who works for the leftist organization, Center for Popular Democracy, paying a woman named Vickie Lampron who was later seen in the Kavanaugh hearing. It's not totally clear who are the paymasters of the migrant caravan. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández said that he believes it was "financed by Venezuela," according to Breitbart's Joshua Caplan. Vice President Mike Pence told the Washington Post that there are most certainly people of Middle Eastern descent in the crowd. A strong indication of the phoniness of these protests is the liberal media's sudden irritation with the word "mob." CNN anchors Don Lemon and Brooke Baldwin have taken offense at the word being used to describe angry protesters who harass public figures and shut down guests who dare to label demonstrators as such. CNN famously aired the uncensored version of the word "s-hole" 195 times in one day, and has devoted countless hours of coverage to porn star Stormy Daniels and her attorney - often using graphic terms to describe sexual encounters. But the word "mob" apparently crosses a line for the network that dares to call itself "The Most Trusted Name in News." The devil is very skilled at creating mobs. He led a third of the heavenly angels into rebellion, he will motivate the Gog armies to invade the land of Israel, and he will lead the great mob of all time to the battle of Armageddon. The final mob that he leads will be the most revealing of his hopelessly evil nature. Once he is released from his 1,000-year prison, he will gather a large mob that will be promptly crushed by the Lord God. "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Revelation 20:7-10). Should Christians be doormats? - Greg Laurie - https://www.wnd.com/2018/10/should-christians-be-doormats/?cat_orig=faith Greg Laurie explains how to deal with authority After Leo Tolstoy read the Sermon on the Mount, he came to this conclusion: "It became evident to me that Christ forbids all human institutions of justice, and that He could mean nothing else. ... When I understood the commandment, 'Do not resist evil,' in its true meaning, was that human courts were not only contrary to this commandment, but in direct opposition to the whole doctrine of Christ." Tolstoy didn't think a Christian should be involved in the military, police force or courts of law. But he was wrong. He misunderstood what these teachings were saying. The Sermon on the Mount was not given to govern a society. You govern a society by what Jesus taught in Matthew 5:38: "You have heard that it said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth' " (NKJV). This comes from Exodus 21 and continues, "Hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" (verse 24 NKJV). This was the Hebrew civic justice system, and Deuteronomy 19:20 gives its purpose: "Then the rest of the people will hear about it and be afraid to do such an evil thing" (NLT). Criminals don't love good and hate evil. All people have sinful hearts and are drawn in the wrong direction. If a heart changes, that is fantastic. But when someone breaks the law, there has to be a punishment. That punishment is never to be carried out by the victim of a crime but by the legal system. We as a nation need law enforcement and the military. Government, as an entity, has been established by God. Romans 13 tells us, "Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished" (verses 1-2 NLT). I have a friend in law enforcement, and sometimes we meet for coffee. It's funny how people react when he's dressed in his uniform. Everyone gets a little nervous. Why? When he puts that uniform on, it changes the dynamic of a room, because he's an authority figure who has been placed there by God. What if an officer isn't a Christian? He or she is still placed there by God. Speaking of the military, police, and those who enforce laws, Romans 13 continues, "The authorities are God's servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God's servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong" (verse 4 NLT). Keep in mind that when Paul wrote these words, the authorities were the Roman government. Caesar was hardly what I would call a model of virtue. Still, Paul said the authorities have their place. In fact, it's interesting that Paul actually used a soldier as a model of what it is to be a Christian. Paul spent a lot of time with soldiers, because he got arrested a lot. On some occasions he was chained to them. He knew all about their armor, because in Ephesians 6 he wrote about the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation and so forth. He knew how that Roman armor worked and what its purpose was. Paul used the idea of the military and how we should follow Jesus, writing in 2 Timothy 2:3-4: "Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them" (NLT). God would never choose a dishonorable profession as an illustration for the Christian life. He wouldn't say, "Be clever like a thief" or "Be passionate like a murderer." That is the wrong picture. But the Bible does use the occupation of the soldier as a positive illustration. However, what if the nation is corrupt? What if the authorities are corrupt? That does happen. We have a higher principle that we obey. For example, the apostles were told by the authorities to no longer preach the gospel. What did they do? They went out and preached the gospel. They said, "We must obey God rather than any human authority" (Acts 5:29 NLT). Some people like to think that Jesus was the ultimate pacifist. They like to think of Him as the first hippie, throwing flowers and exclaiming, "Peace and love, man!" That may be the Jesus of their imaginations, but that is not the Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus of the Bible was loving. He was forgiving. He was compassionate. But the Jesus of the Bible also administered justice. He made a whip and drove the moneychangers out of the temple. He told His disciples that as the days were getting more dangerous, they may need their swords (see Luke 22:36-38). It's called self-defense. A Christian can defend himself or herself. It's also acceptable for a nation to defend itself from those who want to harm it. There is a place for self-defense. You have your rights as an American citizen. God has the military and the police force. With that in mind, what did Jesus mean when He said, "But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. ... And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two" (Matthew 5:39, 41 NKJV)? Jesus was giving specific advice for when Christians are persecuted. These are not mechanical rules; they are principles for meeting the personal wrongs that come to those who follow Him. There are times that, for the sake of God's kingdom and the soul of a person, we take the hit or turn the other cheek or go the extra mile. Is that an easy thing to do? No. We have all been wronged in life. Most of us have been slandered, mistreated, ripped off and taken advantage of. Jesus is not saying that we should be the doormats for the planet. But this selflessness, this love that Jesus calls for, is found in many of the people whom God has used throughout history. It's the spirit that every one of God's children should have. May God help us to turn the other cheek and go the extra mile. Daily Jot: The religion of hate - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Tuesday visited Tree of Life Synagogue to pay tribute to the Jews who were murdered Saturday at the hands of a brutal killer that shouted "All Jews must die" as he slaughtered 11 in their house of worship. The Trumps mourned with the victims and their families amid accusations by Democrats and their media mouthpieces that the president, himself, was to blame for inciting violence against Jews. Headlines across the news media zeroed in on a story that Jewish leaders in Pittsburgh refused to meet with Trump unless he denounced "White Nationalism." The story, repeated by The Washington Post, The Hill, The NY Daily News, and others was false. The demand originated from a leftist Jewish organization dedicated to electing progressives that Alexander Soros was a part-founder. Bend the Arc's website is chockfull of stories fingering Trump as the root cause of all anti-Semitism in America. The Pittsburgh chapter issued the statement that Trump was not welcome. News reports twisted the story to make it seem like the leaders of the Tree of Life Synagogue wanted no part of Trump's visit. This headline was carried by major news outlets such as CNN and was not corrected. In fact, the headline "Rabbi says he won't meet with Trump as Synagogue funerals begin" was the click-bait of an ABC News story in the search engines even today. The story, however, says just the opposite. Taking a tragedy and turning into a political forum. Fake News at its best. CNN and other news outlets persisted with the Bend the Arc story even though Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, who survived the attack at Tree of Life Synagogue, told CNN directly, "The president of the United States is always welcome. I'm a citizen. He's my president. He is certainly welcome." Other members of Tree of Life, however, did not want the president to visit, which were reported repeatedly. The media found others to quote against the president's visit. As the news cycle wore on, Rabbi Myers said he received hate mail and death threats for welcoming Trump to Pittsburgh. The media frenzy continued with hate rhetoric from those it gave platform in their stories, making it seem like everyone was against Trump and that he was responsible for the shooting. Talking points of fake news, sowing deceit and discord among Americans. Rabbi Meyers said, "Hate is not blue, hate is not red, hate is not purple... hate is in all...Speak words of love, speak words of decency and of respect. When the message comes loud and clear, Americans will hear that and we can begin to change the tenor of our country." There are those, however, who hate with a deep hate, and from the content of their hearts accuse others of the same. We can see how the news media is giving the haters a platform and trying to twist the American mindset into thinking one side is the root of all evil. It is a religion of hate and it is being evangelized by the haters and their media minions, who are also haters. Proverbs 6 says there are seven things that are an abomination to the Lord. Verse 19 tells of one of them: "A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brethren." Let us discern it and take action. Daily Devotion: Love Is Patient - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.com Love is patient and kind. -1 Corinthians 13:4 My wife Cathe and I spent three years courting. And we broke up three times. It was an annual event for us, really, and they were the big, I-never-want-to-see-you-again kind of breakups. Then we would get back together again. We got it out of our systems ahead of time. We had three years to really see each other in almost every situation for the most part. If you're really in love with someone, if your love is real, then it will stand the test of time. The Bible says, "Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it" (Song of Solomon 8:7 NLT). And for those who are single, don't think that if you marry someone, you're going to fix them. Women, maybe there's a bad boy that you're planning to fix. You want to give him a little culture and make him a better guy and a more responsible person. News flash: He may get worse than he is right now. If you can't love him the way that he is, then maybe you shouldn't marry him. And once you've married someone, you need to be patient with that person, because marriage will try your patience. Love is patient. In what is known as the definitive chapter on love, we're told that "love is patient and kind" (1 Corinthians 13:4 NLT). The word patient, or literally, long-tempered, is common in the New Testament. It's used almost exclusively for being patient with people rather than circumstances or events. Jesus was the personification of this love. God's love in us can be inconvenienced. It can be taken advantage of. It's patient. We all are sinners, and we will do unlovable things to each other. If you really love your husband or wife, then you'll be patient with him or her. FROM THE HEART
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