Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Paradise Lost - by Cynthia Nuara -
https://www.raptureready.com/2018/11/13/paradise-lost-cynthia-nuara/ "Of Man's first disobedience and the fruit Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste Brought death into the world, and all our woe, With loss of Eden, till one greater Man [Christ], Restore us and regain the blissful seat..." -opening lines of "Paradise Lost" by John Milton (died in 1674 on Thursday, November 8) In a sad coincidence, this past Thursday, November 8, the town of Paradise, California, was literally decimated by a wind-driven fire in a scene described as hellish. The town of over 26,000 had to escape 150-foot flames that moved the equivalent of one football field every second. The roads were jammed, forcing people to leave their cars and run. As of November 11, 23 are known dead in Paradise with over 100 unaccounted for. Figures showed over 109,000 acres burned (156 square miles), over 6,700 structures destroyed (most of them homes), and only 25% of the fire contained. Two other wind-driven fires also began on November 8. Reports say the Woolsey Fire in Southern California tore through Malibu mansions and working-class suburban homes in Southern California's hills and canyons, leaving two people known dead. "It looks like a war zone, with homes and businesses burned to the ground. Charred earth as far as the eye can see." November 11 figures showed over 70,000 acres burned (109 square miles), and zero percent of the fire contained. The Hill Fire in Southern California, as of November 11, had burned 7 square miles with 25% of the fire contained. Between the Woolsey and Hill Fire, over a quarter of a million people were evacuated. But it's the Paradise Fire that is being called the most destructive wildfire in California history. Reports are absolutely heartbreaking. It's also heartbreaking what has happened to America. It used to be a kind of paradise, especially when compared to the way things are today. America was blessed abundantly by God because this nation was founded on biblical principles. Its citizens honored Him, as did our founding fathers, who designated this nation as a Constitutional Republic - "a Republic if you can keep it" as Benjamin Franklin said. Surprisingly, I found an article in the more left-leaning Huffington Post from 2014 that I agree with. Here is an excerpt from journalist Diane Dimond, who has worked at both liberal and conservative networks, and appears from her articles to be a concerned American who tells it like it is: Americans have adopted the idea that we are a democracy, not a republic. Nothing could be further from the intent expressed at that Constitutional Convention in 1787. Have today's history teachers been remiss in their lessons or has some sinister power oozed into our consciousness to make us believe we are something we were never destined to be? James Madison, often called "the father of the Constitution," wrote "Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have, in general, been as short in their lives as they are violent in their deaths." Other writings from the time are full of warnings about how dire a democracy can be on the population, how democracies will, ultimately, cause a nation to crumble. In the early 1800s, John Marshall, the chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote, "Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is like that between order and chaos." You won't find the word "democracy" in either the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution. The United States of America was established as a Republic - period. A republic is guided by an overarching set of laws - a charter or constitution - which, in our country's case, explicitly guarantees the individual's rights against the desires of the majority. Each of us has the indisputable right to think, worship and vote anyway we want. A true democracy, on the other hand (stay with me on this), allows the majority to rule and to disregard the desires of any individual who doesn't agree with them. Think of a democracy like this: If the majority of your neighbors voted to paint all houses bright purple, you would be forced to follow suit. Okay with you? While today's school kids are often being taught that "majority rule" is the fairest form of government - I think it's quite the opposite. It destroys individualism and can foster a pack-thought mentality.... Wonder if in 2015 there will be a leader who can get us back to the idea of pledging allegiance to "The United States of America and to the republic for which it stands?" Well, one showed up in 2015 and was elected in 2016 who also adds "one nation under God." No, he's not perfect, but neither are any of us. Not one, no way, no how. But how he's managed to get many good things done under the circumstances is beyond me. From Canada Free Press (summarized): It's no longer a matter of the assassination of Donald Trump being the sole province of conspiracy theory when a plethora of hate-spewers in the Entertainment industry keep openly wishing him dead; 'comedians' have sent pictures of his severed head viral; witches and wizards continue to cast hexes on him... The New York Times posted a fictional account of President Trump being gunned down by a Russian assassin with a Glock belonging to his own security detail... [Even Democrat politicians and mainstream medianites have called for harm to come to the president, and other Republicans]. It takes real COURAGE for Trump to appear at airport hangars and other public venues for his rallies, where the risk of being targeted runs high... It is courageous for President Trump to declare "We trust in God," "We protect the freedom of worship," and "We believe in the power of prayer" at a time when the foes he faces have driven The Almighty out of the Public Square, pushed the wholesale slaughter of babies through abortion, robbed children of their God-Given birthright of gender, and failed to provide safety in school washrooms... Midterm elections can be best described thus: The Democrats, led by "Resistance" leader Barack Obama and egged on by the Deep State plants he left behind, are trying to claw back control, while patriots, led by a courageous President Donald Trump, are fighting to get their country back. As soon as the Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in the midterm election, they suddenly called for the political fires to cool down-for civility to return. Too late. Of their own doing, Pandora's Box was flung open wide. The day after the election, an Antifa mob showed up at the home of Fox News host Tucker Carlson, shouting, "Tucker Carlson we will fight, we know where you sleep at night!" The leftists were also chanting, "No borders! No walls! No USA at all!" The group left minutes after police arrived with no arrests made. The group vows that this is just the beginning. An Antifa-associated Twitter account published Carlson's home address as well as his brother's - along with the addresses of Sean Hannity Ann Coulter, and Daily Caller's Neil Patel. From an African-American writer and Reverend, Jesse Peterson: The Democrat Party is evil. They are worse today than ever before - worse than during slavery, Jim Crow, lynch mobs, or the heyday of the KKK. Most people don't realize we are in a spiritual battle of right versus wrong, good versus evil. There are people of all cultures, male and female, on the side of good. And there are men and women of all races, all cultures, on the side of evil. After the midterm Democrat takeover of the House of Representatives, Barack Hussein Obama praised Americans for electing leaders that reflect the growing diversity of the nation, and said he is optimistic that the country will now "return to... honesty, decency, compromise, and standing up for one another." He emphasized, "The change we need won't come from one election alone, but it is a start." Obama's claim of a Democrat Party win returning the nation to honesty, decency and compromise, etc., is just more of his lying rhetoric. How can the leaders in his Party return to something they never possessed? And the change that he and the Democrat Party leaders of today want (including some Republicans in name only-RINO's) is a takedown of the United States of America. It's the same thing the globalist left is doing in Europe. They want to wipe out Judeo-Christian values. They hate Christians and they hate God's chosen covenant people Israel. But they're really rebelling against God. Practically every position the left has is an attack on Christian beliefs. Read the article "Rebelling Against God Is What's Behind Almost All Left-Wing Beliefs" at this link and share it with liberals. Hopefully, the Democrats will read their liberal-left views compared to what the Bible says, and wake up while there's yet time. Because time is running out on this sin-infested world. We're living in Paradise Lost. Only Jesus' intervention can bring a return to honesty and decency. And He does not compromise His standards. In the meantime, watch and warn and spread the Gospel to as many as you can while you still can. And pray unceasingly. Yes, and pray for our enemies. We see the converged signs all around us that tell us Jesus will very soon, in the twinkling of an eye, catch up His own to heaven with Him. Then, after the 7-year Tribulation, He will return along with his raptured believers to rule and reign in the thousand-year Millennium. Afterwards, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new" (Revelation 21:1-5). One day in the near future, Paradise Lost will be Paradise Regained. "Thy Father is the Eternal King, who rules All Heaven and Earth, Angels and Sons of men, A messenger from God fore-told thy birth Conceiv'd in me a Virgin; he fore-told Thou shouldst be great and sit on David's Throne And of thy Kingdom there should be no end." -lines 236-240 of "Paradise Regained" by John Milton Even so, Come Lord Jesus. Cynthia Nuara www.facebook.com/propheciesinthebible articles at https://www.raptureready.com/search_gcse/?q=articles%20by%20cynthia%20nuara Why Renewed US Sanctions on Iran are Good News for Palestinians - by Khaled Abu Toameh - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13300/iran-sanctions-palestinians If the United States is worried about imposing harsher sanctions on Iran, it should not give those concerns a second thought. Being unpopular with people who do not wish you well is probably the price of true leadership. Those who are worried, and should be worried, are Iran and its Palestinian allies and friends. The US administration has decided to reinstate the sanctions against Tehran that were removed under the 2015 "nuclear deal." These sanctions are part of Washington's effort to curb Iran's missile and nuclear programs and diminish its influence in the Middle East. Iran has two major allies in the Palestinian arena: Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Islamist groups that control the Gaza Strip and do not recognize Israel's right to exist. Were it not for Iran's financial and military support, these two Palestinian groups would long ago have lost their grip on Gaza. Now that the sanctions on Iran have been reinstated, Hamas and PIJ are strongly condemning the US administration and pledging full support for Iran. "The US sanctions are aimed at undermining security and stability in the region," the Hamas leadership said in a statement. The sanctions, Hamas added, are also designed to undermine Palestinian "steadfastness in the face of American plans and schemes." Hamas, the statement continued, "stands with the Iranian government and people in the face of this American-Zionist arrogance." Bizarrely, Hamas claims that it is the US sanctions, and not its own actions and rhetoric, that undermine "security and stability in the region." In fact, it is Iran's support for Hamas's deadly program that sabotages security and stability in the region. Hamas leaders often boast of Iran's support for their group and other Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip. According to Saleh Arouri, a senior Hamas official, Iran continues to provide "major" aid to the Palestinian "resistance" groups that are fighting against Israel. "Iranian support for the Palestinian resistance has never stopped," Arouri said in a recent interview. "This support is a sign of Iran's seriousness in confronting the Zionist entity." What the Hamas official is actually saying is that thanks to Iran's support, the Gaza-based Palestinian groups have been able to launch thousands of missiles at Israel in the past decade. He is also saying that thanks to Iran's backing, Hamas continues to hold hostage the two million residents of the Gaza Strip, whose lives have been literally destroyed by the Hamas leaders' policies. The response of PIJ to the sanctions against Iran is even more surreal. In a statement issued in the Gaza Strip, the PIJ leadership accused the US of engaging in "thuggery and terrorism" not only against Iran, but also against Palestinians and all Arabs and Muslims. This charge is coming from a jihadi organization that has wounded and killed thousands of Israelis in terrorist attacks during the past three decades. The entire ideology and strategy of PIJ has been based on terrorism and thuggery; its objectives have been -- and still are -- the destruction of Israel and the establishment of a sovereign, Islamic Palestinian state. The message that Hamas and PIJ are sounding is: How dare the US administration impose sanctions on Iran, the only country that is helping us in our effort to continue our terrorist attacks against Israel? How dare the US administration impose sanctions on a country that provides us with financial, military and political support to help us achieve our goal of destroying Israel and replacing it with an Islamic state? Particularly disturbing about the reactions of the Gaza-based groups to the sanctions on Iran is the threatening nature of the tone they take towards the US. Their fierce anti-US rhetoric can be seen as a call to Arabs and Muslims to target American interests and citizens in the Middle East. Hamas and PIJ are telling Arabs and Muslims, in no uncertain terms, that the Americans have become their No. #1 enemy because they are punishing an Islamic country and because they are obstructing plans to continue the fight against Israel. The renewed US sanctions on Iran are good news, however, for many Arabs and Muslims who feel threatened by Tehran's actions and rhetoric. Iran has long been systematically working towards undermining moderate Arabs and Muslims in the region. Iran is already meddling in the internal affairs of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and the Palestinians, as well as some Gulf countries. Many Arabs and Muslims share the view of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has identified Iran as the destabilizing force in the Middle East. Echoing the fear of Arabs and Muslims from Iran, Anwar Eshki, a retired intelligence officer in the Saudi army and head of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies, wrote on Twitter that Israel was a suspected enemy while Iran was a definite enemy. He explained that Israel had not fired a single bullet at Saudi Arabia, while Iran kept firing missiles at the kingdom and even at the holy city of Mecca, through the Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen. Arab commentator Mohammed al-Sheikh also sounded a similar sentiment: "The Ayatollahs must wake up from their crazy messianic dream and realize that the era of jihad wars, raids, occupations and revolution exports is over. The Iranian leadership must understand, like the Saudi crown prince, that we live in the 21st century and that we must work for the young generation and for progress. The ayatollahs must return to their natural place-the mosques-and let the statesmen take care of politics." The US sanctions on Iran are a severe blow to Tehran's friends in Hamas and PIJ. These terrorist groups face a hazy future as the sanctions take their toll the economy of Iran. Weakening Hamas and PIJ will only serve the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East. This development is good not only for Israel, but also for the Palestinian Authority and its president, Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestinian Authority (PA) hates Iran because of its support for its rivals in Hamas. The Palestinian ambassador to Paris was recently quoted as saying that Iran was funding the violent weekly protests along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. One of Abbas's senior advisors, Azzam al-Ahmed, last year accused Iran of being fully responsible for Hamas and Fatah's ongoing dispute, which has resulted in a split between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Consequently, one would expect Abbas and his top aides to welcome the US decision to reinstate the sanctions against Iran. The Palestinian Authority leadership, however, has chosen to do no such thing. Instead of applauding the decision, Abbas and his officials are continuing their verbal attacks on the US administration and accusing it of promoting a peace plan aimed at "liquidating" the Palestinian rights and cause. Ironically, the Palestinian Authority's recurring attacks on the US administration play into the hands of Hamas, PIJ, and even Iran. The Palestinian Authority is actually attacking a US administration that is seeking to undermine the enemies of Abbas: Hamas and Iran. By doing so, the Palestinian Authority and Abbas are promoting anti-US sentiments throughout the Middle East. The Palestinian Authority's daily attacks on the US have radicalized countless Palestinians, who are no longer prepared to accept any American role in the Middle East peace process. The Palestinian Authority is, thus, aligning itself with its own enemies. Hamas and PIJ may soon lose Iran as their number-one funder and sponsor, but they can always rely on Abbas and his Palestinian Authority to promote their anti-US and anti-Israel sentiments. The 13-Year Tragedy Of Gaza - By Justin Amler - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2739 The United Nations -- the incredibly morally defunct, hypocritical organization that thinks it has some kind of higher moral authority to dictate to others -- said that a new war in Gaza would be an "incredible tragedy." "An incredible tragedy." Once again, they have it wrong about what exactly a tragedy is. Because the tragedy is what has been brewing in Gaza for the last 13 years. In 2005, Israel left Gaza, pulling out all soldiers and all civilians -- uprooting peoples' homes and uprooting their lives and families. When Israel withdrew, it left behind good working infrastructure to give the Arabs in Gaza a chance to make something of their lives, to build a largely independent entity that would allow them to determine their own destiny. Israel gave them opportunities, including a successful greenhouse business with crops ready for export. But instead of embracing the golden opportunity presented to them -- an opportunity for self-determination never offered by any of their "Arab brothers" -- they chose not to take it. Instead of lifting themselves up with the greenhouses, they looted them. Instead of inhabiting the previous Jewish community settlements, they ransacked them. They carted off materials such as irrigation hoses, water pumps, and plastic sheeting. The money and the materials that were poured into this coastal strip, meant to help the Arab residents of the Palestinian Authority become a successful model of the so-called Arab dream of yet another Arab state, turned out to be a nightmare instead. In the 13 years since Israel left, the focus of the Arabs in Gaza, under their thuggish terrorist dictatorship, has never been about the future. It's never been about building a better life. It's never been about helping their people. It's never been about making the future one of hope and opportunity and aspirations. It's been the polar opposite. The infrastructure of hope that was supposed to have been built has been replaced with the infrastructure of hate. The precious minds of engineers, rather than being focused on building vital civilian infrastructure such as water plants and electricity stations, have been maliciously tuned to building rockets and tunnels -- each of them designed for the sole purpose of bringing death to men, women, and children. They have built purely to kill. The tragedy is not if a war is coming, because it is. The tragedy is that all the billions of dollars the Arabs have received, the support and hopes and sheer will of much of the world for them to be successful, has been squandered, but not by mismanagement, but rather a deliberate national goal of destroying the only Jewish state on earth. How many hospitals and schools and universities could have been built? How many centers of excellence of science and development could have flourished? How many dreams could have been fulfilled and opportunities made? None of that will happen because for the Arab leaders, their future is not determined about what they can build, but only by what they can destroy. Meanwhile, in Israel's southern communities, rockets continue to fall on innocent people, hurting, terrorizing, and killing them. Terror tunnels continue to be built beneath sleeping children. Kids continue to be traumatized along with their parents, who just want to protect them, as all parents do. For children to grow up thinking that it is normal to run to bomb shelters, knowing that getting there within seconds could be the difference between life and death -- well, that is the real tragedy. War is not the tragedy, as the United Nations seem to think. War is the inevitable result of what happens when a terrorist entity is allowed to flourish without reprimand or consequences. Because where was the international community during these last 13 years? Where was the condemnation of what the Hamas rulers were doing -- the way they hid rockets under UN-funded schools? Or the way they purposely and cynically used civilians as cannon fodder on the Gaza border fence? Or the way they even intimidated UN staff and press? Where was the UN secretary-general calling for restraint as they built their terror tunnels night and day? And accountability? Where was that, as the funds of the international community meant for reconstruction instead became the funds of blood and death, destined for deconstruction? And even still, Israel continues to supply power and water and even money in the hopes that things will change. But things will not change, because until generations are educated for peace rather than war, and until there are consequences for building terror infrastructure, why should things change at all? No rational people want war, but we are not dealing with rational people. We are dealing with an evil entity that will not stop, no matter how nice you are to them. They will not stop, no matter how much money you give. They will not stop, no matter how much water or electricity you supply. They will not stop on their own, because no one is forcing them to. And until they are forced to stop, the rocket attacks and the border infiltration attempts and the violence will continue. Egyptians and other international players are furiously working for a ceasefire, but you cannot have a ceasefire with evil, because evil does not cease its fire. It only waits in the shadows to launch again. War is coming, but that's not the tragedy. The tragedy is that it was allowed to get to this stage in the first place. A Psalm of Praise - Nathele Graham - [email protected] Christians today seem to be very quiet in their worship. There's a time to be quiet, but there's also a time to let your joy in the Lord be heard. Psalm 100 is a psalm of praise...thanksgiving...and encourages us to not be shy in our praise of our Lord. We aren't told who wrote it, but this short psalm is full of the writer's joy in the Lord. "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands." PSALM 100:1. So many times our English translations of God's word don't carry the full meaning of the original Hebrew, and that's the case with this verse. The author says to make a "joyful noise" and the Hebrew word is "ruwa'". This is the same word the Lord used when He told Joshua to march around Jericho then shout (ruwa') so the walls would fall. Other translations of the verse say "Make a joyful shout to the Lord" (NKJV), "Shout with joy to the LORD" (NLT) and "Shout out praises to the LORD" (NET). The idea is to not sit quietly in a corner whispering "praise the Lord". There is joy in the Lord. True joy. As Christians we have more to shout for joy about than anyone who lived before the cross. We have salvation through Jesus Christ! Now that's something to make a joyful noise about. We serve a risen Savior who conquered death and forgave our sins. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!! Too often Christians act as if it's a burden to serve the Lord. We sit quietly in our pew each Sunday then go join the world for the rest of the week. It shouldn't be an effort to serve the Lord, but a joy. Living for Jesus ought to be a way of life for every Christian. Our joy in the Lord should bubble over so it's not a secret that we serve Him. People around us should see joy in our face and hear it in our voice. "Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing." Psalm 100:2. Are you glad to serve the Lord every day or do you only sing His praises when life is easy? No matter what comes our way in this life, we should find joy in serving the Lord. We can be sure that the psalmist had troubles in his life, but could still sing about serving the Lord with gladness. One of the falsehoods that Satan uses on Christians is that once you accept Christ your life will be easy. No more worries, no more illness, no more temptations. While we live on this side of Heaven that just isn't true. The early Christians faced horrendous persecution and many were martyred because of their faith. Of the twelve Apostles, only John died of natural causes. Some were crucified and some were beheaded. We have a record of a time when Paul and Silas had been beaten and put into prison in Philippi. Their pain must have been terrible and being in chains would have added to the pain. That didn't keep them quiet. "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." Acts 16:25. The other prisoners didn't hear Paul and Silas grumbling about their plight or blaming God for their trials. As they praised God there was a great earthquake which opened the doors of the jail and the prisoner's chains fell off. The prison warden also had heard the songs of praise and when the earthquake happened he came running. Because Paul and Silas didn't escape but served the Lord with gladness in spite of hardship, the warden came to salvation. What a difference there would be in this world if Christians would openly praise the Lord with song and prayers. A basic truth that has been ignored in these last days in which we live is that God is our Creator. Humans didn't evolve over millions of years, but are a unique creation of God. On the sixth day of creation God created Adam. God breathed the breath of life into him. "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." Psalm 100:3. King David understood this truth and marveled at this miracle. "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made..." Psalm 139:14a. At the moment of conception a wonderful little human is created. That little person is a new life that is fearfully and wonderfully made. We all come into this world as helpless babies who are completely dependent upon our parents to provide for us. As we grow we learn to willfully sin. Temper tantrums and lies are common during the terrible twos. If we have people around who love us enough to teach us right from wrong and the wages of sin being death we will come to a saving faith in Jesus. When we're born again we're a new creation in Jesus Christ. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10. That fact ought to bring unbridled joy to a Christian. Jesus is our Shepherd and we are the sheep of His pasture. He gave His life for His sheep and His love is perfect. Make a joyful noise to the Lord because of this. Shout with joy! Let the world see that you love Jesus and aren't ashamed to serve Him. When you go before the Lord are you timid? It's good to be humble before the Lord, but the psalmist encourages us to enter His presence with thanksgiving and praise. "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." Psalm 100:4. The writer of Hebrews tells us that we can be bold when we go before the throne of our Lord. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16. To come boldly before the throne of grace means to go with fearlessness and cheerful courage. Jesus bridged the gap between us and God the Father that was created when Adam sinned. If you've accepted Christ as your Saviour then you have the assurance that the sin which separated you from God is no longer an issue. You have every reason to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. He loves you and wants you to make a joyful noise to Him. Why should we worship Him with joy? "For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100:5. His mercy to us was shown when Jesus Christ set aside His place in Heaven to enter His creation. In doing so He provided us with the only way to salvation. He shed His blood on the cross as the once and for all sacrifice to take our sin away. By placing our faith in Him we are given everlasting life. If you don't understand how much God loves you, then think about what He did to redeem you from eternal death. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:16-17. His mercy is everlasting for those who have accepted Him. Jesus is the Lord of lords and King of kings. He is the Rock of our salvation. Let all that is within you praise His holy name! "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods." Psalm 95:1-3. Brothers and sisters, when we all get to Heaven we will experience joy beyond anything we can imagine. It isn't too soon to start making a joyful noise in praise and worship today. 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: Nationalism is not what the media says it is - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The news media and progressives can't get over this quote made by President Trump October 22 at a campaign rally: "You know, they have a word, it sort of became old-fashioned. It's called a nationalist. And I say, 'Really? We're not supposed to use that word. You know what I am? I'm a nationalist. OK? I'm a nationalist." The news media and progressives see this quote as confirmation that Trump is a Nazi racist bigot white supremacist because they equate Nationalism with Hitler-era Germany Nazism. They use it as evidence of why Trump and his supporters are against open borders and noncitizen voting. It is their excuse for supporting anti-fascist groups like Antifa when violence occurs. But it's all part of a greater plan. Nationalism is not defined as a fascist movement. Merriam Webster defines Nationalism as "loyalty and devotion to a nation, especially: a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups." Britannica defines Nationalism as "ideology based on the premise that the individual's loyalty and devotion to the nation-state surpass other individual or group interests."Dictionary.com states Nationalism is "the policy or doctrine of asserting the interests of one's own nation viewed as separate from the interests of other nations or the common interests of all nations." Nationalism is the opposite of Globalism. Globalism is defined by several sources as "the attitude or policy of placing the interests of the entire world above those of individual nations." Those who may want to rule the world are certainly globalists, although they may approach their narrative with esoteric ideals of global equality of people and nations. These would include socialists, communists, fascists, and even anarchists. All of these groups have to pay lip service to pitting the less fortunate against others to attract enough special interest followers. They are experts at class warfare and wheedling their way into absolute power by convincing people they are for freedom and equality when in reality they are masters of control and class structure. Making America Great Again is really about putting America's and Americans' interests above those of other nations. Those who are against this ideal are working to make America part of a globalist system where Americans' wealth is redistributed in the name of fairness and equality. As Christians, we are citizens of the nation wherein we live AND of the kingdom of God. Someday, God's creation will sit beneath the rule of its creator and be as is written in Isaiah 2:4, "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Until then, evil men and seducers will try to usurp God by plotting to rule the world their own way ultimately leading to the global Beast government of the end times. Let us pray that the ideal of Americanism will be among those that stand in the gap on behalf of God's people. Daily Devotion: The Greatest Step of Obedience - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. -John 3:16 In the story of Abraham and Isaac we have a beautiful picture of what happened at the cross of Calvary. Here we see a father who was willing to take the greatest step of obedience to God. We also see what happened when Jesus died on the cross for us. The father was willing to sacrifice his son, and the son was willing to be sacrificed. Most Bible commentators believe that at this particular time, Isaac was about 18 to 20 years old. Some think he may have been around age 33. The Jewish historian Josephus thought he was 25. Whatever age Isaac was, one thing is clear: he didn't have to do this if he didn't want to, but he willingly went. Is that not a perfect picture of what happened at the cross? The Father who loved His Son so much offered Him up. And His Son, knowing what was about to happen, willingly went. Our children are a gift to us from God. We don't own them. They belong to Him. Our objective is to lead them to the Lord. In the same way, everything that we have acquired in life-every possession, every skill, every ability, every talent-has been given to us by God. I think it's always a good thing to present these things back to God and say, "Lord, You gave these to me, and I give them back to You." Are you willing to do that? Abraham was. We all have our Isaacs in life, so to speak, something or someone that we love so dearly. These are good to present to the Lord, because there is no safer place for them to be than in the hands of God. World changers give everything back to God because everything is from God. 
FROM THE HEART
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