Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Devil is Losing Everything - Joseph Chambers - http://www.pawcreek.org/the-devil-is-losing-everything/
Revelation 20 1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. The blood and sacrifice of His divine body has already defeated every demon and everything they represent. It's all a matter of time. The victory is won over these spirits of evil and at any moment the final judgment will begin. The demons were terrified when they saw Him in the flesh. Imagine what they will feel when they see Him in His glorified majesty. Much of our world loves to play with superstitious games and videos. When rock singers sing under demon powers and such vile satanic rituals our youth and many adults love the charm of these mystical adventures. Shortly, and I mean shortly, this entire so-called entertainment will turn on everyone involved. It will be hell to pay. Vampires and demon dragons will soon attack the world right out of hell. The Book of Revelation warned us. "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths." (Revelation 9:17-18) The RAPTURED saints will be gone. Understanding His Divine Blood: His blood was incorruptible and therefore could not be less than divine. Apostle Peter wrote of this great fact and prefaced it with a picture of the corruptible sacrifices of the First Testament. His words by the Holy Ghost were, "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." (I Peter 1:18-20) This Scripture leaves no doubt as to the nature of His blood. It was incorruptible. There was no nature of sin, which is the source of all death, in His blood. It did have the human component, but without the curse of Adam. The blood had been sanctified, set apart, and infused with divine life by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost. Mary had asked this question when the angel announced to her that she was chosen of God to be the mother to the Messiah. "And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that 'holy thing' which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:30-35) 2 Thessalonians 2 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. The very term used by the angel was "Holy Thing." The word used by the angel for "Holy Thing" in the original was one word, "hagios" or "pure, blameless, and most holy." The act of the Holy Ghost overshadowing Mary was perfect insurance that no human or mortal impurity would touch the blood of the Son of God. He would be a perfect sacrifice to take away the sin of the world. You may argue whether the blood was "divine" or simply "sanctified and infused with the divine," but you certainly cannot reduce it to being simply "human." I prefer calling it "divine," because the Holy Ghost is Himself divine and His powers were infused in the womb of Mary; and Jesus was called "holy" or a "Holy Thing." Jesus Christ lived His entire life with the tension of His two natures. As an unborn child in His mother's womb, His presence caused Elizabeth and her unborn child, John, to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Luke stated, "And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost." (Luke 1:39-41) He had noted earlier in His text concerning John the Baptist, "For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb." (Luke 1:15) This is breathtaking! The presence of Jesus Christ, as an unborn, barely conceived baby in His virgin mother's womb, filled two persons with the Holy Ghost. He was Mary's baby, but the Father's only begotten Son. When they visited the temple at his twelfth year, the tension of His two natures was powerfully revealed. After unknowingly leaving Him in Jerusalem, they returned to find Him comfortably debating the doctors in the temple. Luke stated, "And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers." (Luke 2:46-47) Imagine a twelve-year-old son missing for three days in an extremely busy city. Where did He sleep, eat, wash, change clothes, etc.? Then to find Him debating great theological truths and literally confounding theological doctors reveals the natures that were present in the young boy named Jesus. There was no discomfort in this Son of God/son of man in these experiences, and I'm sure there were a multitude of them. Again, on the Mount of Transfiguration the two natures of His person came blazing through to three of His disciples. Jesus Christ and His three chosen leaders walked just like any men up into a private mountain getaway. Then, suddenly, something overwhelming occurred. The Holy Ghost said of Jesus, "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid." (Matthew 17:2-6) 1 Corinthians 5 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: If the whole story was told of His life, the world could not contain the book."And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:25) His Body Was Incorruptible In Death: The picture of His life and death reveals the absolute certainty of His divine blood. Andrew Murray wrote of Him. "By shedding His precious, 'divine' blood as a sacrifice for our sin, by surrendering Himself in perfect obedience to the will of the Father, by a personal victory over sin, by bearing our punishment and curse, Jesus has conquered sin and rendered it powerless for us, also." (The Blood of the Cross, by Andrew Murray, Whitaker House, p. 41.) Joseph S. Exell, author of a great set of commentaries, stated "The blood of Christ is omnipotent" (Biblical Illustrator, Joseph S. Exell, Baker Book House, Michigan, Vol. 22, Section on First Peter, p. 102), Then he said, "never was blood like this" (Ibid, p. 103), He added, "but among the things which are incorruptible and undefiled is the precious blood of Christ." (Ibid) He could not seem to stop in this great picture of Christ. "Should we not rather a thousand times say the preciousness of the blood of Christ was in the inward and personal, the spiritual and divine life which dwelt and throbbed in that blood?" (Ibid, p. 104) The blood of Jesus was precious without spot, incorruptible and filled with the divine life of God. His death establishes this fact above debate. He died on the cross, not because they took His life but because He gave His life. He had carefully stated, "No man taketh it (my life) from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:18) They could have crucified Him a thousand times and He would not have died had He not willingly "gave up the ghost." (John 19:30) He stated, "It is finished." (John 19:30) He commended His Spirit to the Father. (Luke 23:46) But, now His body was in the tomb and His Spirit descended into Abraham's bosom. For three days and nights He was in the heart of the earth and His natural body was buried in the Tomb of Joseph of Arimathaea. In three days and nights, while buried in a stuffy airless grave, the natural body would be corrupt and full of death. But His body was different because His blood was divine. Apostle Peter was perfectly aware of what occurred in that tomb because he was the first of Christ's chosen disciples in that tomb after the Resurrection. John was with Peter in the tomb, although he paused on the outside having outrun Peter. Peter ran straight into the sepulcher. Matthew 4 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. What he saw he testified about in the Book of Acts after receiving the boldness of the Pentecostal Baptism. He proclaimed the Resurrection with a powerful proof of a personal witness. "Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it." "Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." (Acts 2:24, 2:27) Peter was a witness that knew there was no death in that place of the dead. Notice again those words, "Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." The blood of the Son of God allowed absolutely no corruption to occur in that sepulcher for three full days and three full nights. That precious blood was preserved while the Spirit of the Son of man satisfied redemption for the Old Testament saints and led a victory march out of Upper Hell. The absence of corruption in death was an eternal testimony to that early church and no doubt it helped lay the foundation for the victory, which they experienced. They knew He was alive because they saw a resurrected Savior, Whom death could pass over without a mark of corruption. Jesus Christ: "Who Through the Eternal Spirit": The Scripture states that Jesus Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit without measure. "For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." (John 3:34) He was the divine Son of God with every attribute of divinity. He was also the son of man with every attribute of humanity except the nature of sin. But, He was also filled with the Holy Ghost "without measure." This should satisfy all of our doubts as to the nature of His blood sacrifice. He freely offered Himself, but He also was empowered or aided by the Eternal Sprit or the person of the Holy Ghost. The first Scripture reference in this article stated, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself ..." (Hebrews 9:14a) When we unite His sinless nature, divine in all essence, with the Holy Ghost, divine in all essence, together, this redemption of God becomes "supernatural to the uttermost." He saves from the "gutter most to the uttermost" and there are no limits with Him. Conclusion: An Umbrella of Divine Blood: The true saints of God live under this umbrella. It is not a magical wand or some superstitious words. He is a person, the only Begotten Son, and our trust and assurance is in Him and His blood. We never separate the two. This blood is eternal in exactly the way He is eternal. His offering for sin was by the Eternal Spirit and that same Holy Spirit holds the present active office of the manifestation of all the redemptive acts of that blood. The saints of God are invited to live by the blood of Jesus Christ. We enter the prayer closet by this blood. Our healing is by His blood and all victory over all the spiritual realm of evil is by His blood. The blood speaks in the Holy Scripture and speaks when the Holy Ghost is manifest among us. Victory awaits every believer that ceases to lean on flesh and learns to lean on this finished work of blood redemption. If we could see it like John saw it we might also be in the Spirit when our God is ready to speak to us. Israel and the US: Terrorism As the Tie That Binds - By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - https://www.breakingisraelnews.com I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day: I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life-if you and your offspring would live. Deuteronomy 30:19 (The Israel Bible™) As scenes of tear gas being used against angry foreigners hurling rocks and storming the fence on the U.S.'s southern border appear in the media, they are a stark reminder of similar images depicting the conflict on Israel's southern border. A closer look reveals that seemingly unconnected events in Israel were precursors, opening up the door for similar horrors to befall the rest of the world. As per God's promise to Abraham, world events can be predicted without the aid of prophecy simply by inspecting how the nations treat his descendants. I will bless those who bless you And curse him that curses you; And all the families of the earth Shall bless themselves by you." Genesis 12:3 Divine intervention into the realm of international politics seemed to appear at landmarks in the political efforts to force Israel to relinquish land in what was euphemistically referred to as "the peace process." Steps toward forcing Israel to compromise the Biblical borders of its land were frequently accompanied by natural disasters. These coincidences linking politics with natural disasters began in 1992 when President George Bush, Sr. opened the Madrid Conference with an expectation that Israel would trade "Land for Peace." While the politicians plotted against Israel, the "Perfect Storm" hit the Eastern United States. The president returned home to Kennebunkport, Maine to his nearly destroyed home. Hurricanes, scandals, and financial crises accompanied every step forward, most notably when less than two weeks after the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif, Hurricane Katrina struck. Though it may seem that the U.S. and Europe have vastly different security concerns than Israel, a closer look reveals a synchronicity that indicates the possibility of a spiritual cause and effect relationship; as if a door was opened in the Holy Land. If the world allowed Israel to suffer, giving tacit approval, that particular type of evil was then allowed to spread out to the rest of the world. Border Threats On March 30, the Palestinians began a weekly series of protests along the border fence separating Israel from Gaza. Tens of thousands of civilians showed up, claiming their desire to cross the border into Israel and retake allegedly confiscated property. Hamas began to direct the events and the protests turned violent. Initially planned to last six weeks, almost eight months later the riots are still continuing. Gazans regularly throw stones, use slings and other devices to amplify the effect. Gazans routinely cut the fence and attempt to force entry into Israel. Firebombs and hand grenades have been thrown at troops and improvised explosive devices have been set on the fence. One soldier was killed by sniper fire from the Gaza side of the fence and another wounded. Thousands of tires have been burned in an attempt to obscure the IDF's field of vision. IDF troops charged with protecting the border have resorted to live-fire. Palestinian sources claimed 168 dead and more than 15,000 injured. Hamas and Islamic Jihad identified many of those killed as members of their military wings. Israel faced international criticism for the use of force in protecting its borders from hordes of people. In June, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution condemning Israel for using "excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate" force against a "peaceful assembly." The U.S. is facing an almost identical crisis. In mid-October, a group of Hondurans set out with the intent of illegally crossing into the U.S. Though estimates vary, Kirstjen Nielsen, the current Secretary of Homeland Security, said in a recent statement to the press that there were two groups comprising 8-10,000 people, mostly single adult men including at least 500 known gang members and criminals. Nielsen reported that members of the caravan have been involved with violent encounters with authorities along the way, using incendiary devices. On Sunday, images depicting the border separating San Diego from Mexico became almost identical to those depicting Israel's southern border as hundreds of migrants rushed the security fence en masse, some throwing stones at U.S. border agents. The agents resorted to using tear gas to prevent the migrants from crossing the border. Just as Israel was forced to close the Erez Crossing as a result of Gazan violence, the U.S. closed the border for several hours. Incendiary Kites/California Wildfires On March 30, Hamas began to hold its weekly March of Return riots along Israel's southern border. In addition to civilians challenging the security fence, Hamas organized terrorist cells charged with sending aerial incendiary devices into Israel. Using thousands of kites and balloons, these cells destroyed more than 6,200 acres of nature preserves and farmland in Israel, causing millions of shekels in damage. In addition to the aerial incendiary attacks, Gazans burned thousands of tires in an attempt to obscure the field of vision of the IDF soldiers protecting the border. The thick toxic smoke created an environmental hazard to Gazans and Israelis alike. In an attempt to assuage international criticism of the IDF attempts to cope with the arson terrorism, Israel entered into Egypt-mediated ceasefire talks with Hamas. In the first week of November, when the draft of the Hamas-Israel ceasefire was published, California's deadliest wildfire on record broke out, killing at least 76 people. The two events seem dissimilar as Israel's fires were ignited intentionally as politically motivated terrorism. California's fires were the result of unintentional arson. But the two events may have much in common. In 2012, Al Qaeda's English language magazine Inspire issued a threat, urging supporters to light fires in America's forests. The magazine went on to give detailed instructions on how to ignite an "ember bomb," recommending Montana because of the rapid population growth in wooded areas. "In America, there are more houses built in the [countryside] than in the cities," the article stated. A few months later, Russia's security chief, Aleksandr Bortnikov stated that this threat of arson terrorism had already been actualized and that Al-Qaeda was complicit in recent forest fires in Europe. The threat of this new type of terrorism is quite real in Israel, Europe, and the U.S. An article published last year in UCLA's online magazine by Holly Buck, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, confirmed this danger. "In theory, multiple fires could be planned and executed to create a disaster equal to a multi-megaton nuclear weapon - delivering similar results with much less effort and risk," she wrote. She cited a 2005 doctoral thesis written by a U.S. Marine Corps major which suggested such an attack could be initiated by incendiary balloons with the most devastating effects being produced in California. Though the recent California wildfire is known to have been artificially created, whether the cause was intentional or inadvertent is still unknown. Ramming attacks The first official ramming attack in Israel took place in 2001, when a Palestinian affiliated with Hamas drove a bus into a crowd of pedestrians, killing eight people and wounding 26. Six months later, an Islamist rammed a car into a synagogue in Lyon, France. Israel has suffered countless attacks of this type since that first attack, including at least nine that resulted in fatalities. Significantly, this tactic began to be used in other parts of the world. In 2006, an Iranian-American drove an SUV into pedestrians on the campus of the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill to "avenge the deaths of Muslims worldwide" and to "punish" the United States government. While no one was killed in the vehicle-ramming attack, nine people were injured. There have been at least three more ramming attacks since 2006 in the U.S. including one in New York City, and ten more in Europe. In 2016, a Tunisian Islamist drove a truck through the promenade in Nice, France, killing 86 people. Bus Bombs/9-11 On the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda were perpetrated against the United States. Four passenger airliners were hijacked by 19 al-Qaeda terrorists. Armed with box-cutters, the terrorists took over the cockpits and flew two of the planes into the two towers of the World Trade Center and a third plane into the Pentagon. 9/11 in the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history, with 2,996 people killed and more than 6,000 injured. Though horrifying on an unprecedented scale, there were events that set the stage, paving the way for 9/11. Though it was not the first time airliners had been hijacked, 9/11 was the first time terrorists had hijacked an airliner with the primary intent of killing the passengers in a manner that would mean their inevitable deaths as well, in what is referred to as a "suicide attack." Suicide attacks have historically been used in war but the first terrorist attack against civilians officially classified as a suicide attack took place in Israel. On 6 July 1989, Abd al-Hadi Ghanim of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza grabbed the steering wheel of the #405 Tel Aviv-Jerusalem bus, running the bus into a steep ravine. Sixteen civilians died in the attack - including two Canadians and one American, and 27 were wounded. Though officially classified as a suicide attack, Ghanim did not die. After being treated in an Israeli hospital, Ghanim was convicted and given 16 life sentences for murder, hijacking and terrorism. On 18 October 2011, Ghanim was released to Gaza as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, giving a tacit pass to the horror he had committed. For the twelve years leading up to the 9/11 attacks, there were an average of 3 attacks per year killing approximately 18 people per year. In the ten months leading up to the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. there were 30 suicide attacks in Israel killing 55 people, marking a four year period in which Israel was struck by 127 suicide attacks. Rabbi Ken Spiro, a historian and Senior Lecturer and Researcher for Aish HaTorah Yeshiva, noted that there are parallels connecting events that happen to the Jews and Israel and what happens to other countries but emphasizes that it is impossible to draw conclusions. "There is certainly something here, some connection. Obviously, God is involved in these events because nothing happens without Him," Rabbi Spiro told Breaking Israel News. "But I believe it is impossible to ascribe specific meanings to these things since there are no prophets today. Nothing happens by accident but I think would be incorrect to label the events in the U.S. as some kind of divine retribution. America is hardly the country that is the most guilty of Israel bashing, especially now that U.S.-Israel relations are so good. This is puzzling and requires a lot of thought since there are many levels of understanding behind the major events in the news headlines: geopolitical as well as religious. God is acting behind the scenes but with a much bigger perspective than we, as humans, can see." "This raises the question of why we don't see these events happening more in European countries that are the real hypocrites. If an Islamist rams his car into Jews in Israel, he is labeled a militant in the British press but if he does it in London, the same media calls him a terrorist. There's no metaphysics there that one event is related to the other." Rabbi Pinchas Winston, a prolific end-of days author and prominent scholar, noted that a simple inspection of the timeline of these events indicates some type of connection. "When anti-Semitism happens to the Jewish people, it doesn't stop there. It goes out into the world," Rabbi Winston told Breaking Israel News, noting a glaring example from modern history. "That was clearly the case in the Second World War, which started with the Jews." "How many other nations can you say this is about, that if you go against them, or allow evil to happen to them that it will come back and hit you in the face?" the rabbi asked. "On the level of social morality, it tells us that if you don't stop evil when it comes after the Jews, it will go after you in the end." "Unfortunately, no one ever listens," Rabbi Winston said. "This is partially due to apathy but the main issue that there is so much cognitive dissonance in the world." Cognitive dissonance is a theory in psychology describing the mental discomfort experienced by a person who simultaneously holds contradictory beliefs. The discomfort is triggered by a situation in which a person's belief clashes with new evidence. "People don't internalize what they are witnessing so it continues to happen over and over again. For believers in God, these events are chizuk (reinforcement) for what they already know. If someone doesn't believe in the hand of God guiding history, they would have no explanation for why these 'coincidences' keep coming up." "In Biblical times, it was a universally accepted belief that God influenced events. The only difference between then and now was in those days we had prophets telling us about it. We don't have prophets today to interpret these events. I am just a person who is looking at these events and asking questions, trying to connect the dots. And this is the answer I am getting." "One of the main reasons people would refuse to look at the events in this way is that the implication of divine influence in history is that they would have to acknowledge God and live their lives accordingly. Many people don't want to be spiritual and this influences how they view events." The Fool - By Grant Phillips - https://www.raptureready.com/2018/11/27/fool-grant-phillips/ There has always been wickedness in the world, but without question it is increasing rapidly in these last days prior to our Lord's return. In this country, decent people are no longer safe at their work place, in their church gatherings, at a restaurant, in the schools, walking down a street, and even in their own home. Every crime imaginable is being committed by lawless heathen, largely due to our spineless justice system administered by Godless politicians. The entertainment industry is the mother of filth that is openly and brazenly regurgitated upon mindless citizens. No sexual act or vile word has been omitted from their trash they deliver to their zombie groupies. Finding a true statesman among the political world is as likely as finding gold in your backyard. Nearly everything coming from these scoundrels is fool's gold. The religious arena has become so corrupt, only a few good men remain who actually serve the one and only true God. Elijah could tell us much about these miscreants. There is no area I can mention that is not corrupted by evil, the type of evil that looks at God and says, "So what!" The sports world, the business world, even many homes across this land can be added to the list and are serving the god Baal. The general attitude among most people in our land can be summed up with the following Scripture passages. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." (Psalms 14:1) "The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes." (Psalms 36:1) Whenever the Rapture of the Church does take place, most people will be left behind. Most of those dying now, prior to the Rapture, are not arriving in Heaven after their last breath, but in hell. God wants all to come to Him in repentance and be saved, but He will not force Himself upon anyone. The following verse is very clear that God will not make an exception. There is no respect of persons with Him, and He cannot be bribed. "Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts." (2 Chronicles 19:7) Most people today are fools, because they think there is no God. They have become totally corrupt; whether by violence, lewdness, false piety, etc. The wise man is different. He fears evil and departs from it, but not the fool. "A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident." (Proverbs 14:16) We have been blessed in this country like no other nation in history. No nation has ever had the riches of spiritual and material blessings that have been heaped upon us. It is no mystery why everyone wants to live in this country. Unfortunately, we are now so corrupt; there is nothing remaining but certain judgment. God is patient, and He will allow us just so much rope. Please notice carefully the next verse. "But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:48 emphasis mine) When judgment comes, and it will come, I don't know how or to what extent, but we will pay dearly for our sins as a nation simply because we have been so richly blessed and then turned against the very God who blessed us. I do feel strongly that after the Rapture, this country will be reduced to a dead carcass that will be picked clean by our enemies. However, there is no promise that God will wait until after the Rapture. It could be before that glorious event. This next passage is from God to Israel, but the message is just as much ours to claim. "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (Ezekiel 33:11) As a watchman on the wall, I simply reiterate what others have said, and that is we need to repent and we need to do so today. Don't be a fool. Even though most in this country, even the world, have gone mad with satanic glee, wake up. Remember this. Every person in hell believes in God and would give anything to have another chance. There are no atheists in hell. What we do with God while we are in this body will remain with us for eternity. Grant Phillips Email: [email protected] Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com Rapture Ready: http://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html Please God, Not Man - Nathele Graham - [email protected] God has entrusted Christians with a treasure. We are entrusted with the treasure of the Gospel...the Good News of Jesus Christ. Jesus taught His disciples for about 3 years and then was crucified, as foretold. He died on the cross and shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. The good news is that He rose from the dead on the third day. Only faith in Him...faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ... will bring everlasting life. After His resurrection and just before He ascended into Heaven He gave His disciples the command to spread the Gospel. "And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24:46-47. The men who had followed Jesus would spread the Gospel, but in doing so they faced tremendous persecution. Because they didn't keep the Gospel to themselves, we are given the opportunity to repent of our sins, accept His shed blood for salvation, and live eternally with Him. The men whom God entrusted with the Gospel were faithful to share it. They were more concerned about pleasing God than they were about pleasing man. The Apostle Paul wasn't one of the men who originally followed Jesus, and in fact he persecuted the early Christians. His life was changed forever when he was travelling to Damascus on a mission to arrest men and women who had accepted Jesus for salvation. Paul was a changed man and had a passion to share the Gospel. He travelled to many cities and shared the Gospel with everyone he encountered. His love for the congregations he planted had prompted him to write letters which were inspired by the Holy Spirit and they describe how a Christian should conduct their lives and also how to share God's truth. "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness: nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ." 1 Thessalonians 2:4-6. The Apostles were not concerned about sugarcoating their words in order to not hurt someone's feelings. They didn't mince words when salvation was the issue. The Gospel was preached and when people repented and asked Christ into their lives, that's when sin was confronted. It isn't judging when you confront sin, but it is an act of love to help a brother or sister to turn from sin and live for Christ. They spoke in order to please God, not men. One of the first mission trips Paul took he passed through Thessalonica. He was only in there for three weeks, but in that time he taught them about many important doctrines such as salvation, sanctification, resurrection, prophecy, the Rapture, and much more. It's a sad comment on our congregations today that there is so much ignorance of Scripture. That ignorance is directly related to the shepherds of the . Preacher don't preach the entirety of God's word and Sunday school classes are mostly skim milk with no real meat given. "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?" Romans 10:14. What are preachers afraid of? If the pew-warmers are convicted of sin will they be offended and leave taking their money with them? If the preacher is more concerned with number of people in the pews and the amount of money in the plate, then he's allowing the congregation to die in their sins. If you aren't teaching your congregation the entirety of Scripture then you're not equipping them to share with the lost people in the community. Teach line upon line and precept upon precept no matter if God's word isn't politically correct. If you're more afraid of losing your tax free status or offending a person caught in sin than preaching God's truth then you have more problems than an ignorant congregation. "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Romans 10:15. In three weeks Paul taught more to the Thessalonians than most congregations are taught in a lifetime. That's a sad comment about today's Christian. The Gospel didn't begin with the New Testament. It's been said that "The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed. The Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed". The Book of Genesis gives us a plethora of foundational truth. God created the world and all that is in it (Genesis chapter 1). Sin entered through the lies of Satan and the only cure for sin was the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Genesis chapter 3). Satan hates people and his goal is to destroy us. God's wrath will come, and a picture of that coming judgment is also found in Genesis. The entire creation was corrupted by the fallen angels (no, it wasn't humans marrying humans that corrupted all of creation) except for eight people who kept themselves away from the corruption (Genesis chapter 6). Enoch was Raptured prior to the judgment of the Flood (Genesis 5:23 & 24 and Hebrews 11:5), and He is a picture of Christians who will be Raptured prior to Daniel's 70th week. These are things that Paul taught to the Thessalonians from the Old Testament because there was no New Testament for them to read. Don't wait for your pastor to teach the whole counsel of God's word. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15. You will find treasure in God's word by studying. There are many wonderful teachers online and you can find study guides in Christian bookstores. Be very careful though. Many heretical teachings (New Age, "Christian yoga", contemplative prayer, etc.) are entering into mainline teachings. The Bible is truth and if any teacher compromises God's word then reject them. We sometimes think that the great men who spread the Gospel had an easy path to follow. They didn't. They were beaten, jailed, and rejected but they stood strong upon the word of God. Herod was an evil man and came against the Christians. "And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of unleavened bread)." Acts12:2-3. This murder didn't silence the Apostles. Peter was arrested, but even Herod couldn't stop the Gospel. An angel was sent to the prison cell where Peter was chained to two sleeping soldiers. The chains fell off, the prison door was opened, and Peter continued to preach the Gospel. This wasn't the first time Peter had been in trouble for preaching about Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, he and John had healed a man. This upset the Jewish leaders who couldn't deny the miracle but they ordered Peter and John not to teach in Jesus' name. "But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:19-20. These two men had a treasure...they had the Gospel to share and refused to keep it to themselves. Today we need to find the same conviction to share God's truth. Satan is still trying stop the Gospel from being preached, but the Holy Spirit is with Christians. God has entrusted all of us with the treasure of His word and it needs to be shared. If you please people and Satan you'll keep silent and allow them to die in their sin. If you please God you'll share the Gospel, in love but without compromise, and bring friends and family to salvation. God bless you all, Nathele Graham [email protected] www.straitandnarrowministry.com [email protected] Ron and Nathele Graham's previous commentaries archived at http://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html All original scripture is "theopneustos" God breathed. If you'd like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know. Daily Jot: The greater lie - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com During the past three presidencies, Americans have been subject to great lies that have shaped society. Remember George W. Bush's quote on September 17, 2001, "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace"? He continued this theme throughout his presidency, ignoring Islam's history of expansion by the sword and the very verses in the Koran that demand the killing or submission of non-Muslims. The immediate past "president's" quote on August 15, 2009, "if you like your health care plan, you keep your health care plan," earned him the 2013 "Lie of the Year" by fact-checker, PolitiFact. Americans are now subject to yet another great lie that is affecting society every day. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation on whether the Russians and Donald Trump conspired to influence the 2016 presidential election has contributed to the visceral dialogue and even violence impacting American society. Mueller is a member of the very "deep state" part of the swamp that Trump promised to drain, and the "deep state" is documented to have tried to undermine his campaign. Moreover, the investigation appears to be hinged on whether Trump knew about Wikileaks release of emails showing dastardly deeds by Hillary Clinton and a meeting his son had with Russians who had damning information on Clinton. Obtaining information about a political opponent and making it public is as old as politics. Voters digest information and decide for themselves how to vote irrespective of its origination. It's been proven that the Russians were working both sides of the election using the so-called "free" media, Facebook, Google, Twitter and others. It is also documented that Clinton operatives made up a false Russian dossier on Trump and the White House used it to get a secret FISA Court order to spy on the Trump campaign. Clinton's ties with Russia were more damaging to the country than any information given to Trump. The short list includes: unsecured emails containing national secrets that fell in Russian hands; uranium sales to Russia resulting in $145 million contributed to the Clinton Foundation; Bill Clinton's $500,000 speech in Moscow; Clinton campaign manager John Podesta's $35 million haul from an energy deal with Russia; and the FBI report that Clinton and Russian officials were involved in a bribery kickback scheme. In the end, history will show that the previous "president," the Democratic Party, Clinton, and her cronies inside the "deep state" were shaping the Russian narrative against Trump all along while covering up their own Russian dealings. This great lie is influencing society every day by causing strife, division and even violence. It's roots are in the devil, for these conspirators are as Christ said in John 8:44, "Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." There is a greater lie with the Mueller investigation, and now you know who is behind it. Daily Devotion: The Way to Find Life - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." -Matthew 10:39 If you go to a doctor because you're having unusual aches or pains or some other issue, the doctor may have to give you bad news initially. He or she may have to tell you there is a very serious problem and that you need surgery or some type of treatment. You don't like to hear that, but it's the prescribed course to help change your condition. In the same way, God will tell us the truth about ourselves: We're sinners, and we need a Savior. Once we accept that, we can go from sadness to happiness. We discover that the way to find life is by committing our lives to God. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39 NKJV). We win by losing. The way up is down. The way to happiness is sadness. Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4 NKJV). The word blessed used here could be translated "happy." Jesus was effectively saying, "Happy are the unhappy." Or another way to put it, "Happy are the unhappy, because one day they will be happy." How? By mourning over our sin. We see ourselves for who we are. We have our dreams and aspirations, and that is all good. But here's my advice to you, especially if you are young. Commit your life to God, and understand that His plan for you is better than your plan for yourself. He may say no to this and no to that. But what God will say yes to later is so much better. And as the years pass, you will look back on your life and give thanks to Him. FROM THE HEART
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt - non-profit organization, and all your donations are tax deductible. If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 |
|