Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Is Pope Francis the False Prophet? (Another view) - By Pastor Mike Taylor - http://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2018/12/is-pope-francis-false-prophet.html
12 "And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live."(Revelation 13:12-14) In the past, I have explored one of three possibilities of the rise of the One World Church and the Anti-Christ, being a blend of Christianity, found in the Catholic Church and Islam called Chrislam. In this message, I wish to explore one of three possible sources of the Beast power and the false prophet. First, I will deal with the false prophet, as this man will deceive the whole world present, to follow and worship the Anti-Christ. So without this man, the AC would unable to solidify his power base. As you may recall to those who follow my ministry, I hypothesized that the AC will come from three possible sources, the Roman Catholic Church, Islam and a Caliphate known as the 12th Imam, and the USA and/or it's president with Babylon being either Rome, Mecca, or New York City. Let us consider one of the other major religions and its leader as the false prophet, besides Islam, that being Roman Catholicism and it's papacy. I have at other times, written about the history of the Catholic Church, mainly the Roman kind, but with current developments and the election of the surprise candidate of this present pope, called Pope Francis, I felt I needed to readdress this "religion" once again based on recent developments. In a message I did about the "Last Pope", I marveled at how this man just didn't seem to fit the preconceived notions floating in my head and I spoke about it. But new developments and details have been brought to bear, and we need to look at this man once again, a little closer. In the last couple of years, this current Pope has attempted to redefine what the Catholic Church stands for, and what it does not stand for. He has departed from clear theological dogma that has been the foundation of the "Church" located in Rome. Even though they have been a powerful cult of major blend of syncretism of pagan and anti-Christian theology, they have become even more apostate. Noting all the signs of the times around us, I've wondered when and how will a one world church prophesied in your bible come about?. For over a hundred years, one body has secretly and with stealth promoted a one world religion to draw all religions to the "mother church" and that is the Roman Catholic Church. In the past, they did it violently and with blood. Today, they do it with stealth, cunning, and persuasive words while invading every part of society including education to promote the unity of the faith (sic). They will do it again spilling blood in the Tribulation. Understand that I have resisted the idea of shining the light on this movement of "another Christ" "instead of Christ" , "or anti-Christ" AKA, the "vicar of Christ" or god on earth known as the pope, in the distant past for personal reasons. But I have a duty to God to call out heresy and evil within any religious organization who labels themselves "Christian". It is our duty and our calling according to Paul in 1st Corinthians chapter 6 as judging wisely. Any organization on earth that puts themselves above God's Word should NOT be tolerated by a born again, (Gospel believing with God's Holy Spirit residing in his/her heart) Christian. We must realize that no man, no church, no organization can assure you of your redemption except through the blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Not the Catholic Church, not sacraments, not Mary, nor the dead saints, not any evangelical/Pentecostal denomination, or any other power on earth or the earth beneath will assure you of a place at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Our Lord will not be replaced with any mere man or leader of a church on the face of the earth. Paul spoke of our personal responsibility for assuring our own salvation, and it is through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior when he wrote in: Philippians 2:9-12, "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Did Paul write that your salvation is through any other means except through the blood of our Savior? Did the apostles of the Lord Jesus speak of it? Did they speak of sacraments, saints dead or alive, of the "virgin Mary" or oral traditions found in a religion that is man-made?...No, as it is not found in the Bible anywhere, accept Jesus saying "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh to the Father, but by ME." (John 14:6). So any other way that is professed is simply a LIE. But my brethren, what church organization has promoted these lies for over 1400 years plus, that the only way to God is through their church? Correct, the Roman Catholic Church is that antithesis of things that God ordained through His Son, Jesus Christ. Any aberrancy is of itself, Anti-Christ. The Church is NOT an organization, a denomination, a building, or a set of doctrines. No, the Church is built one born again Christian at a time, into what Jesus said the "gates of Hell will not prevail" against. That is the Church, and it isn't Catholic. Jesus is the head of the body, not the Pope. ANTI-CHRIST THEOLOGY ABOUNDS I spoke of stealth in the first part of this commentary message, that one organization has gone fairly silent in recent years directly, but has used deception and the resurgence of its goal of a "one world religion" drawing all religions including the Far East religions of mysticism and pagan worship. Don't believe me? I ask that you read the following article sent to me by a dear brother of my online congregation through the link below, (copy and paste if the link doesn't work) http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c97.shtml It's titled "The Jesuit Agenda and the Evangelical/Protestant Church" In this article, you will see that the agenda of the Catholic church is well and alive through men such as Rick Warren and his cohorts, and the emerging church. Steeped with idolatry and mysticism, they do the bidding of the "mother church" and the secret Jesuit society. You see it on TV.."Come back to the Mother Church"...you mean like One World Church? No, thank you, I gave at the office. I reported in past messages, that the Pope is trying to woo the Protestant churches to come join the Catholic Church. I reported that false teachers such as Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagan, and Benny Hinn have gone totally GA-GA over the idea of joining up with the Catholic Church, as they preach prosperity, not Jesus and Him crucified, much like the Catholic Church preaching a different gospel. We as Christians must understand that we are not to judge the world, as our Lord and Savior will judge according to His Word, but that does not apply to things that are heretical within our own "Christian" ranks and the preaching of the Kingdom of God by His true church. 6:2 "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 6:4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church."(1st Corinthians 6:2-4) All one has to do is review the history of the Roman Catholic Church and how it has subverted the Gospel to its own enrichment, the sins of the clergy and the pope, and the continued practice of false doctrine and debauchery that is the modern Roman Catholic Church. Can anyone say "pedophile priest?" just to name one? Some say, "Oh, that was the past, It's not happening today". Oh, really? So you give them a pass with their historical examples of debauchery and murder? How about the recent revelations of abuse of young boys by pedophile priest? Did you realize that pope Benedict moved around pedophile priest to prevent the church paying out money in lawsuits and the present pope continues that practice? He basically hid them out and they continued to be priest and child molesters. Is this Christ-like and this is from the supreme Poobah of the religion??? No, you say? The history of the Catholic Church, from its Rome headquarters, has been one of blood and domination, much like Islam was in its heyday during the Middle Ages. We read of popes who were the most hideous of sinful men that claimed the authority of God Almighty and whosoever disagreed with their edicts were either excommunicated, or worse, slain from a thousand different methods of torture with a thousand knives and executed. Read about their extermination of any protestant religions who just wanted to worship God in their own way. I know that's the past, or is it? Did you ever wonder why that the Jewish people hate Christianity because of the anti-Semitic persecution/execution by this one denomination in the past 1500 years? But then I'm aghast when I read the modern recent position that the Catholic Church took against helpless Jewish people during WW2 and basically aligning itself with Nazi Germany and blessing their swastika symbol as a symbol to be revered, and/or, feared. The power and domination of the Church in Rome has dwindled in the last 200 years, but if any power arise that seeks domination of the earth, it's a safe bet that the Church in Rome will do it's bidding to be at the table of the power brokers. It's their history and it's their entire focus of a One World Religion headed by one religious authority, called the Vicar of Christ, their "god on earth". In itself, the title is outright blasphemy. The Church in Rome will arise again, but only for a short few years, before she is destroyed in judgment. Mark my word. She is already jockeying for position in world politics over the Israeli/Palestinian question and being a peace maker in the Middle East. Stay tuned as Catholicism will rise again called Chrislam. TRUE CHRISTIANS MUST BE WARNED One of the greatest dangers to Christianity today is the deliberate suppression of biblical truth for the sake of unity. The danger intensifies as we see many highly visible and influential Christians are jumping on the Vatican's ecumenical bandwagon. Instead of warning believers that this false unity is the emergence of the "last days" Laodecean apostate church, the evangelicals are embracing and applauding those who are engineering it. Everyday we see ministers, so called shepherds of the flock, misleading people away from the truths of the Bible. They are seldom exposed, except when their sins find them out to the glee of the secular media. Jesus warned of such charlatans that are wolves amongst the sheep. 15, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16, Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17, Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."(Matthew 7:15-17) And Paul when the fledging church was just beginning warned the people in his ministry also, in Acts chapter 20: 29, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears." (Both Jesus our Lord, and Paul the apostle warned us. ) It is indeed disturbing to see so many folks that are blinded by the deception that goes on in modern Protestant churches that do the bidding of this "mother church" to draw all religions into one common, all powerful religious state. They have been working steadily at bringing "departed brothers" back into the faith, or the "holy mother church". In the recent past, when Pope John Paul II was alive, he promoted the following: "In his 1995 encyclical Et Unum Sint, Pope John Paul II said he intends "to promote every suitable initiative...to increase the unity of all Christians until they reach full communion" and "to encourage the efforts of all who work for the cause of unity." The pope's stated desire is "to gather all people and all things into Christ, so as to be for all-an inseparable sacrament of unity... expressed in the common celebration of the Eucharist." During a week of prayer for Christian unity Pope John Paul II said, "I gladly take this opportunity to call the attention of all believers to the ecumenical commitment that marked VC II. The council rightly defined the division among Christians as a scandal. The council Fathers felt the need to beg pardon of God and of their brethren for the sins committed against unity." He asked Catholics "to cultivate an authentic spiritual ecumenism" through the Virgin Mary" [What ? not through the Lord Jesus, oh heaven forbid]. I quote now from an article I read concerning the papacy's sole intent of uniting all religions under one authority, the Church in Rome: "As we watch the Vatican we can see a seductive strategy for uniting all Christians. They masterfully and deliberately redefine biblical terms to make them more vague, ambiguous and acceptable to both Catholics and Protestants. An example of this is the 1999 Lutheran-Roman Catholic "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification." In the declaration, Rome uses equivocal and indefinite words to affirm the doctrine of "justification by faith alone" but, at the same time, continues to affirm the anathema's that condemn all who believe this doctrine. We must not be misled. Rome has not changed its position on things that really matter! Instead they take advantage of professing Christians who lack discernment or who are unwilling to contend for "the faith." (The Pope's Push for a One-World Religion by Mike Gendron) I would go one step further other than making doctrine acceptable to Catholics and Protestants alike. They are wooing all major religions to their altar of servitude. Religions such as Islam (especially Islam), Hinduism, Shintoism, every false-ism and even pagans out there that are a religion to its people and bring them under one big religious tent, with the power of the papacy in supreme control of religious affairs and doctrine. ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT, ONE WORLD RELIGION We now see a push for a One World government due to global economic upheaval. Many elites are planning the demise of the capitalistic model of free enterprise and promoting a "new world order." How this new system shakes out and what will be the catalyst to making the kings of the earth to demand a one world system, is for prophecy in the near future. The stage is set, the actors are being put in place, and all we need is to light the fuse to send the world into utter chaos, even more so than it already is. We see the push for "Bit-Coin" as the new international currency that can be monitored world-wide. Is this the beginning of the push for a "One World Government" by controlling buying and selling? John spoke of this period of time that we are fast drawing down to, known as the "end of days". "And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters 17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."(Revelation 17:1-2) John speaks of a woman, when identified it stands for a religious entity upon the earth. In this case, the woman is a harlot, meaning that she does not serve the true God, but prostitutes herself to false gods and false doctrine and misleads the people into idolatry. 17:3 "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:"(Revelation 17:3-4) I submit to you, that through the ages since Jesus was ascended to the right hand of the Father, has no other religious body that calls themselves "Christian" perverted scripture to their own enrichment and their own lust for power. Any encyclopedia will affirm that there is one religious body of paramount whoredom has committed the sins John mentions here...yes, the Roman Catholic Church. They hold to their "traditions" and the edicts of the pope above clear commands of Holy Scripture to promote the power of the church, and debase the authority of God's Holy Word as secondary to their authority. It is blasphemy against the Living God of the most perverse and severe. 5 "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 17:6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration."(Revelation 17:5-6) Reader, how many people have been slain in the name of the Roman Catholic Church down through the last 2000 years? Can you say, millions, tens of millions of Jew and Gentile alike? The number and the atrocity of the sins of the Church in Rome must rise like a stench in the nostrils of God. Read your history. They claim that this is the church that Jesus founded, but knowing that God is love, does God allow mass extinction of a whole host of people in the name of their religion? Answer...NO!! In this chapter of Revelation, John goes onto describe the Beast power that arises during the last 7 years, called Daniel's 70 week. You see how this harlot rides the beast and is joined to its power and uses her influence to support and defend the Beast power and its administration. Look at her attire and dress. She wears purple and scarlet. Could this be a clue to the identity of the whore, the Catholic Church? Finally, when the Beast is done with her, she is destroyed by fire. 15 "And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled."(Revelation 17:15-17) In Revelation 17, the Woman is controlling the Beast, bringing about its worship. But, she and the Beast are antagonists competing against each other. Furthermore, she is heavily involved in politics (influencing kings), manufacturing, shipping, craftsmanship, and merchandising The woman indeed has a relationship with the Beast, but she is not part of the politics, economics, religion, or military of the Beast, at least, not directly. She and the Beast are separate entities, even though both are part of the overall One World system. The Catholic Church has always been part of the Beast, influencing it from within for the last 1700 years and more. Conversely, the woman is portrayed as an external influence, competing with, riding, and at some point exercising control of the Beast. How this harlot will be destroyed by fire is conjecture on anybody's part, but a nuclear blast would destroy all of Rome and the Vatican estate that resides there. Religion will be deferred to Jerusalem, the seat of the Anti-Christ and his short lived power. WHAT TIME IS IT? Many in the Catholic Church hierarchy and the leaders within have reported that after the last pope, Pope Benedict XVI finished his "reign" over the Catholic Church, that the next pope would be an apostate. From Wikipedia, we read about what is said about this last pope. I wrote a message about the prophecy of St. Malachy and was little puzzled about the selection of this pope...one called Francis....It was predicted it would be possibly several other men and that the new pope would take the name Pius....I wondered "Is this the pope we were looking for, the False Prophet?" But in investigating this man further and settling down to who this man is, at first I thought, he looks so grandfatherly, so humble, and he's definitely OLD. How could he be the prophesied "false prophet". That is until I had several members of the congregation online email me from all over the planet filling me in about this man and supplying information about his past. 1. His given surname is Peitro "peter" 2. His family immigrated to Argentina from Italy, hence he's Roman 3. The most disturbing, he has long been a member of the Society of Jesus, Jesuits. 4. The author's of Petrus Romanus that I read about this theory agrees that his pedigree fits, Peter the Roman. From Wikipedia online: "Bergoglio studied at the archdiocesan seminary Inmaculada Concepción in Villa Devoto,Buenos Aires City, and after three years entered the Society of Jesus on 11 March 1958.[12] Father Bergoglio completed his final stage of spiritual formation as a Jesuit, tertianship, atAlcalá de Henares, Spain, and took his perpetual vows in the Society of Jesus on 22 April 1973.[27] He was named Provincial Superior of the Society of Jesus in Argentina on 31 July 1973 and served until 1979.[28] After the completion of his term of office, in 1980 he was named the rector of the seminary in San Miguel (it is unclear which one), and served in that capacity until 1986. He spent several months at the Sankt Georgen Graduate School of Philosophy and Theology in Frankfurt, Germany, while considering possible dissertationtopics,[29] before returning to Argentina to serve as a confessor and spiritual director to the Jesuit community in Córdoba.[30] " Now noting the above quote and their determination to make all religions bow to the pope, under any means at their disposal should give each of us pause. Again, I am reminded of the verse in Revelation 13, concerning his demeanor and first impression: 11 "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed."(Revelation 13:11-12) As mentioned in my previous messages, don't be fooled by the man's demeanor and his seemly grandfatherly demeanor while speaking words that soothe and even salting it with the name Jesus. No, look at his actions and if they are in line with scripture, because if he be the man, then he will say words you want to hear, but "metaphorically" crossing his fingers behind his back. Just review his latest homily messages on homosexuality and same sex marriage. Or how about when he says that there are many ways to get to heaven? Just be good, he says?? Meaning, he means nothing he says, but to deceive. Using his Jesuit upbringing in this church, he will demand conformity. He will deceive any and all who are primed for a one world religion. I don't believe as my mother believed, that the Pope will be the Anti-Christ, but I believe he may well be the false prophet, or a player in ruling of the one world religion during Daniel's 70th week, called the Tribulation. I warn every truly converted Christian man or woman, to make yourself familiar with the commands of scripture. Be an informed Berean. As mentioned in Acts, 17:10 "And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." If a Christian takes it upon himself to read his bible, he will not be deceived with "traditions of the church" or any doctrine that is contrary to the Word of God. I beseech each and every one of you to put on the whole armor of God, as the spirit world is growing more active with each passing day. 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"(Ephesians 6:11-18) I pray for my brother, (a converted atheist to Catholicism) who puts his trust in an organization, and not his Lord and Savior to keep him on the straight and narrow path that leads to life. When this world approaches the tribulation, I would pray that each of you, including my brother, would take the Word of God in hand and search its pages to find if these things be true. I spoke earlier of a catalyst, a fuse that would ignite the call for a One World Government, and a One World Religion. Everything is in place, as the actors are stage left and stage right and are ready to begin their short act of the last seven years of mankind's attempt to govern himself. What might that catalyst be? If suddenly upwards of a billion people plus (a theoretical number) suddenly vanish off the surface of this planet, such an economic collapse that we only envision will happen at warp speed. The call for calm and a ruling body to restore order will be set in motion almost immediately to prevent anarchy and chaos. I believe that the removal of the church saints from this earth, to meet Jesus in the air, will be the most catastrophic event to come to this planet apart from the beginning of His actual 1000 year reign beginning with the War of Armegeddon. It will precipitate wars in the Middle East and the whole planet will be cast in utter darkness, as God's Holy Spirit has been withdrawn right along with those billion people that suddenly vanish. Men will search for answers, reasons, and to be comforted that all is well. It is said that the one thing that would unite this world into one solid unit is an "ALIEN INVASION" from another planet. Hence, they will explain it away. Enter stage right, the One World Government, and enter stage left, the beginning of the One World Religion headed by the False Prophet and the Roman Catholic Church joining the nation of Islam to form Chrislam, in that order. Hold onto your seat, my brother, as the ride could get real bumpy before the Father says, "It is enough. Go get my children". The end is near, the world will implode into chaos and anarchy will rise in the Anti-Christ and his prophet, the False Prophet, but salvation is also near, if you believe these truths: John chapter 3: 3:16 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. 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 8 "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:8-13) Jesus will come soon, and He promised us that someday He will cry with a loud voice, "Come up here". John 14:2 "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." MARANATHA, SO COME LORD JESUS!! This is Pastor Mike Taylor praying God's love in your life. If there is anything I can help you with, pray with you about, or just listen, drop me a line to realteam1999@sbcglobal.net . Or visit me online at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com for more biblical lessons from the Word of God... God bless you all, till we meet at Jesus feet. The Hamas Plan to Take the West Bank - by Khaled Abu Toameh - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13405/hamas-west-bank It is clear by now that Hamas is behind some of the recent terror attacks against Israelis in the West Bank. These attacks serve the interests of Hamas and its friends and sponsors, especially the Palestinian Islamic Jihad organization -- and Iran. Hamas and its allies have a plan, and they are not even keeping it a secret -- to export their "armed struggle" against Israel beyond the Gaza Strip and ultimately to take control of the West Bank. The latest terrorist attack took place on December 9 outside the West Bank settlement of Ofra, east of Ramallah. An Israeli-Canadian citizen, Amichai Ish-Ran, and this pregnant wife, Shira, were among seven people wounded in a drive-by shooting attack. The baby born prematurely as a result of the terrorist attack died on December 12, after doctors fought to save his life for close to 72 hours. Hamas, which later claimed responsibility for the attack, was the first Palestinian faction to commend the terrorists. So far, not a single Palestinian faction has come out against the attack, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction. Describing the shooting attack as a "heroic and qualitative operation," representatives of Hamas and several Palestinian factions said that it demonstrated that the Palestinian "resistance was still alive in the West Bank." They also called on Palestinians to "step up the intifada (uprising) against Israel, specifically settlers and Israel Defense Forces soldiers. "The West Bank has taken the initiative of resisting the occupation," Hamas said in a statement published in the Gaza Strip shortly after the terrorist attack. The attack, Hamas added, "came to affirm our people's legitimate right to resist the occupation at a time when the occupation, together with Israel, had tried to criminalize our resistance." This stance by Hamas points at two important factors; first, that Hamas and its allies are openly working and encouraging the eruption of a new anti-Israel uprising in the West Bank; and, second, that Hamas and its friends have been emboldened by the recent failure of the UN General Assembly to adopt a US-sponsored resolution condemning Hamas and other Palestinian groups for firing rockets at Israel and inciting violence. Hamas's dream of spreading its ideology to all Palestinians is as old as its foundation 31 years ago. Hamas is not interested in ruling only the Gaza Strip. It wants the West Bank, Jerusalem, and all the land, "from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea." Hamas does not believe in negotiations or peaceful settlements. Rather, it believes that the only way to "liberate" Muslim land is through jihad. This goal is why, it says, it remains committed to the option of "armed struggle" against Israel. As Hamas clearly states in its charter: "The Islamic Resistance Movement strives to raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine, for under the wing of Islam followers of all religions can coexist in security and safety where their lives, possessions and rights are concerned." (Article 6) The Hamas charter leaves no doubt as to the methods it believes should be used to employed to solve the Israeli-Arab conflict: "There is no solution for the Palestinian issue except through jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors." (Article 13) The Hamas charter, which is relevant today more than ever, states unambiguously that the movement "believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgement Day. It or any part of it, should not be squandered; it, or any part of it, should not be given up. (Article 11). From here, it is easy to understand why Hamas continues to celebrate and applaud every terrorist attack against Israel, whether in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank or inside Israel proper. Hamas sees these "heroic and brave operations" as an implementation of its ideology of waging jihad to "liberate the land of Palestine." Even if the terrorists who carried out the recent shootings in the West Bank do not belong to Hamas, their attacks are completely compatible with Hamas's declared goals and ambitions, the most prominent of which is seeing Israel removed from the map. Hamas has good reason to celebrate not only the attacks, but what it perceives as a series of "achievements" that it has gained in recent weeks. These "achievements" include the $30 million in Qatari cash grants that were delivered to Hamas in the past few weeks so that it can pay salaries and stipends to tens of thousands of its employees and supporters, as well as the failure of the UN General Assembly to adopt the anti-Hamas resolution. These two steps have left Hamas leaders laughing all the way to the next shooting attack on Israel. The Qatari funds are being delivered to Hamas as part of unwritten understandings regarding a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The purpose of the funds is to help solve the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip and prevent the eruption of another major military confrontation between Hamas and Israel. Hamas, however, has thus far done nothing to stop the violence, including weekly protests that began last March along the border with Israel. On the contrary, Hamas is now saying -- and there is good reason to believe it -- that the demonstrations will continue. Hamas is also saying the that it was not required to pay any "political price" for a purported ceasefire. The ceasefire understandings between Hamas and Israel, which were reportedly achieved through the mediation of Qatar, Egypt and the UN, are only related to the Gaza Strip, and have nothing to do with the West Bank. Because these understandings are limited to the Gaza Strip, Hamas, believes it has a green light to continue launching and directing terrorist attacks from the West Bank without being accused of violating the ceasefire. The UN, Qatar and Egypt should have demanded that any ceasefire agreement include the West Bank, where Hamas still has several armed cells as well as significant support. The Hamas-engineered attacks are not only a threat to Israeli civilians and soldiers; they also undermine the Western-funded Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas. Each "successful" attack carried out by Hamas earns it more popularity in the West Bank, at the cost of Abbas and his regime. Evidently, members and friends of Hamas have interpreted the failure to adopt the US resolution as a pass from the UN and the international community to continue their "resistance" against Israel. They perceive the failure of the US administration as a "big achievement" -- one that permits the Palestinians to continue all forms of "resistance" against Israel, including the "armed struggle." It is no coincidence, then, that Hamas has responded to the debacle at the UN General Assembly by pledging to remain committed to an "armed struggle" against Israel. Every dollar and every concession that is being made to Hamas will only increase its appetite to continue its plan to extend its control beyond the Gaza Strip. From Hamas's point of view, its plan has won legitimacy from the UN and important players in the region such as Qatar and Egypt. As long as Hamas feels that it is marching in the right direction, we are likely to see an increase in armed attacks and other forms of violence in the West Bank. Now that Hamas is getting what it wants in the Gaza Strip -- millions of dollars and no war with Israel -- it is seeking to shift its attention to the West Bank, all with the help of its friends in Tehran. This has a twofold goal: to undermine or overthrow Abbas's Palestinian Authority, inflict heavy casualties on Israel, and thwart any peace plan brought forward by the US administration. In other words, Hamas and Iran now have their sights set on the West Bank, and this is reason not only for Israel to worry, but Abbas as well. The Folly Of Open Borders - By Sally Law - https://www.raptureready.com/2018/12/04/folly-open-borders-sally-law/ The United States of America is a sovereign nation - a Republic democracy with a constitution, bill of rights and citizenship for those either born here or those who have applied for it legally. Something else is required that the mainstream media would like us all to forget. A person who has applied for citizenship here is sworn in with an oath on the day they become a citizen. Let's look together. "Oath of allegiance to the United States: The applicant must pledge allegiance to the United States, renouncing other national allegiances. The pledge includes an obligation to support the Constitution and to bear arms on behalf of the United States if required." Wow, support the Constitution! Now there is a long forgotten concept among those who would love nothing more than to ignite the old parchment and throw our sovereign nation under the bus of progressive socialism. If you come here illegally, you make no such oath-no promise. Members of Congress should re-evaluate if this is the kind of nation they want to represent. Many could not honestly pledge to uphold the Constitution this very day, as their actions and words are just the opposite. This same group wants to have open borders and a "come on in" open-door policy. I would like to ask these progressives a few questions. These are not hard ones, either. Do you lock your doors at night? Lock your car when you go inside to shop or to work? Do you leave your wallet, cellphone, credit cards information and electronics out on the sidewalk with a note attached that says help yourself? Do you kiss your children goodbye in the morning and remind them to get in the car of any stranger who offers? Join their cult? Take their drug offerings? Hopefully, you don't. But anything you hold dear and value is worth protecting, is it not? I hope you see the hypocrisy of those who would want open borders. Those who do have no love for our country, values, people, property rights - and most importantly, our children. They say to the violent strangers pressing our gates, "Come on in-take what you want." There was a very wise king who lived a long time ago. The court was in an uproar on this particular day. Women and babies were involved. The story had spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom. Tears, crying, and accusatory language were heard by this sovereign, wise king. One woman claimed a baby was hers, stolen in the night by the other who had rolled over on top of her baby and suffocated him. She switched the dead baby for the live one while the other mother was sleeping. It was a "she said, she said" case and hard to prove. The wise king listened carefully before making his decision. "Cut the baby in half by sword," was King Solomon's verbal decision. Each mother would be satisfied. The evil, lying mother agreed. The righteous and good mother said, "No, give her the child, only spare his life!" The evidence and heart of the real mother had come to light. She had something to lose...the life of her newborn son. (See 1 Kings 3:16-28 for the full story). I am watching my nation in an uproar about protecting it from those who are not asking, but demanding to be here-violently. They put women and young children in the front of the mob, exposing their most vulnerable and precious commodities to potential harm. The tear gas was used since verbal commands were not heeded. (The tear gas, by the way, will not harm anyone; it is simply a deterrent.) Border patrol agents were attacked with rocks and bottles being thrown at them. No one was injured, thankfully, at the borders this past weekend. Is the answer open borders? I say no. It will be the end of our sovereign nation in my opinion. We have many people from a multitude of nations who become citizens every year. Look at these statistics: The United States welcomed more than 7.4 million naturalized citizens into our nation in the last decade. In fiscal year 2016, 752,800 people were naturalized. Please don't give away our nation's sovereignty at the borders or anyplace else. If you love America and Americans, you will want to protect it. Let people come here legally who appreciate being citizens and love its freedoms. If we dissolve our borders, that will be it. There will be no going back. The progressives love the thought of open borders and massive immigration, riding on the backs of human misery. More people homeless living on the streets, more crime and drugs, gangs...you name it. By all means, let them vote for more progressives, although here illegally! The list of our national woes will compound with each passing day. The hard-working will be taxed until there is no more to tax. We are already in over our heads. The land I love and value, my family's home since the 1600's, will take on socialism and then...communism. Twin evils, and the enemy of America. Secure our sovereignty at our borders! Guard what is loved and esteemed. Our ancestors fought and died for our sovereignty and constitutional freedoms. Don't give these valuables away; pass them on intact to your children. It's what our forefathers and framers of the Constitution intended. Jesus, the Son of Man - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com "For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham." Hebrews 2:16. Jesus was and is God. He was also human. This fact can be a stumbling block for someone who is a non-believer and even many Christians find it hard to accept. It's a truth that doesn't fit into our human understanding and must be accepted by faith. The more we understand Scripture the easier it is to accept. Scripture clearly says that Joseph wasn't the biological father of Jesus, but Mary was His biological mother. She was as human as you or me, but God chose her for a special purpose. She was chosen to give birth to God's only begotten Son. She must have been a special person for God to have chosen her for that unique purpose. She was young and most Bible teachers say that Mary was probably in her early teens when she was espoused to Joseph. This was a common practice in those days. Being espoused means that they were promised to each other and Joseph, who was a carpenter, was busy preparing himself to provide for a wife and family. Mary, too, was preparing herself to be a wife and, one day, a mother. When all was ready for them to be married they would come together as husband and wife. Until then they weren't sexually active, but were committed to each other. Then the angel appeared to Mary and her life was forever changed. "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." Luke 1:31-33. To a young Jewish teenager this must have been shocking to hear. Mary didn't understand exactly how this would be accomplished, but she was obedient to God. God never forces anyone to do anything against their free will and Mary had a choice. She chose to allow this marvelous thing to happen. "And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." Luke 1:38. Did Mary know of the many prophecies regarding the coming Messiah? He would be from the tribe of Judah, specifically the house of David, and He would be born of a virgin. Whether she knew them or not, she agreed to become pregnant with the Son of God. Mary was from the tribe of Judah, and we can read her lineage in the Gospel of Luke. In the Gospel of Matthew we can read of her espoused husband Joseph's lineage. Matthew begins the genealogy of Joseph with Abraham and shows that Joseph was from the royal line of David. Mary, however, was born to the House of David, but not the royal line. Luke begins the genealogy by saying that Jesus began His ministry at age 30, and He was thought to be the son of Joseph. "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which is the son of Heli." Luke 3:23. Now this can be confusing. Matthew's genealogy says that Joseph's father's name was Jacob, but Luke says it was Heli. The explanation is simple. Normally a Jewish genealogy is traced through the father, so it's not odd that Joseph would be named instead of Mary. Heli was Joseph's father-in-law. This is further demonstrated by the fact that in Matthew, Joseph's genealogy runs through David's son Solomon then follows the line through the generations to Joseph. Luke's genealogy begins with Heli and runs backwards in time. Instead of Solomon and his line, Mary's genealogy follows through David's son Nathan. "Which was the son of Melea, which was the son of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was the son of Nathan, which was the son of David" Luke 3:31. Mary was from the House of David, but not the royal line. Luke continues going backwards to Abraham, then continues back to Adam. "Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." Luke 3:38. Adam was a direct creation of God so Luke could go no further back. Because Jesus' mother Mary was a human being who was descended from Adam, Jesus was fully human. The fact that Mary was a virgin when she gave birth is a miracle from God. Of the many prophecies surrounding Jesus' birth, this one may be the most difficult to understand. By human terms that's impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. Many centuries before Mary was born there had been a prophecy of a virgin conceiving and bearing a son. King Ahaz was a very wicked king, but God chose to speak to him through the prophet Isaiah. It wouldn't be long until Southern Kingdom of Judah would be taken captive, but God wanted to reveal that they would return to Jerusalem after the captivity was over. God offered Ahaz a sign, but Ahaz refused to receive it. God gave him a sign anyway. Like many prophecies, this one had both a near and far fulfillment. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good." Isaiah 7:14-15. People like to say that the Hebrew word 'almah that is translated virgin can simply mean a young woman. That's true, but other Scripture in which the word appears refers to a young woman who has not been with a man. Besides that, is it really any kind of sign for a young woman to give birth? A young woman giving birth is pretty common. There was a young woman in the court of Ahaz who did have a baby boy and named him Immanuel. That was the "near" fulfillment, but not the important one. The Gospel of Matthew confirms that the prophecy spoke of the virgin birth. "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matthew 1:23. Immanuel and Emmanuel both mean "God with us". Jesus was fully God, but needed a human mother in order to be fully human. If He wasn't both God and human then He couldn't have been our redeemer. When we celebrate Christmas each year we remember that the Romans mandated that a tax would be imposed. "And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city." Luke 2:3. Both Joseph and Mary were of the House of David so they had to leave their home in Nazareth and travel to Bethlehem. What an ordeal that must have been. Mary was soon to give birth to the Messiah, but she had to make that long journey. This seems rather cruel, but prophecy said that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2. It may have been a difficult journey for Mary, but she was healthy and God protected her. What rejoicing there was on the night our Saviour was born. The angels proclaimed His birth and the shepherds were the first to visit Him. His step-father protected Him and Mary. Joseph and Mary would have children after they were married, but she was a virgin when Jesus was born. Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of man. God entered His creation, but He entered it in the form of a human. That was because Mary was obedient. Joseph and Mary were both special people who God entrusted with His most precious Gift. Accept that gift of grace and live with Him forever. God bless you all, Nathele Graham twotug@embarqmail.com www.straitandnarrowministry.com ron@straitandnarrowministry.com 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: Progressives aim to take away religious free speech - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The government is prohibited by the First Amendment to interfere with the right to free speech and religious freedom, but progressives (communists) in the US Congress are encouraging private sector companies such as Google, Facebook, and others to "regulate" free speech on their platforms. This revelation came in the aftermath of Google CEO Sundar Pichai's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee about whether the company's search engine was biased against conservative speech. In an interview with CNN, US Representative Ted Lieu (D-CA), a member of the House Progressive (communist) Caucus, said he wants government to regulate free speech, but absent of that, corporations should do so. Lieu was asked by CNN host Brianna Kellar how Google and other tech companies can work to prevent the spread of conspiracy theories and other online trolling. Lieu responded: "I would love to be able to regulate the content of speech. The First Amendment prevents me from doing so, and that's simply a function of the First Amendment, but I think over the long run, it's better the government does not regulate the content of speech." He added that corporations should do the job that government can't do-regulate content of speech. And this is the point: Leftist-led tech companies are actually doing the work these leftists in government want them to do by suppressing conservative and religious speech on their platforms. They do it under the guise of "preventing" fake news and conspiracy theories. Progressivism, socialism, communism are all the same thing, just a different word is used depending on what is more acceptable to the audience. It is all about communism. Communism must control free speech because its very manifesto calls for abolishing all morals and all religion. Government becomes god in the communist regime. It is run by dictators who pillage entire societies and promote control through class warfare and poverty. Look at China, Cuba, Venezuela, and Argentina. There is no middle class and people are starving. This is a hallmark of communism and it starts with taking away religious freedom and freedom of speech-the tools of hope and salvation. Sadly, it is gaining a foothold in America. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez in early December praised socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and said that she "represents the future of our party." Perez also told a Demand Justice gathering of progressives on December 5 that too many voters get their information from Fox News, the NRA and the pulpit on Sundays. He further said, "We've got to talk about other reforms to enable us to elect Democrats." He said they need a broader communications strategy. In this context, it means suppression of free speech and religious free speech-just as the liberal tech companies are doing. See where this is headed? As Christ said in Matthew 24:9 of the end times: "and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." They detest God's Word. They hate your opinion. They seek to take both away. Daily Devotion: Forget Something? - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org "He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law and asked, 'Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?'" -Matthew 2:4 Imagine for a moment that you are living in first-century Israel. You hear mysterious visitors from the east speak of a star that has been leading them. Now, don't you think it might be a good idea to make the short journey of about five miles from Jerusalem to Bethlehem to check it out? Herod was right in expecting an answer from the chief priests and scribes as to where the Messiah would be born, and they interpreted the writings of Micah properly. Yet they should have known better. These men were the theological scholars of their day and knew the Scriptures inside and out. It was their job to study the Scriptures and number the letters and lines to ensure careful copying. They knew the Scriptures so well, but they cared so little. They knew where the Messiah would be born, but they didn't care about a baby king as much as an adult monarch who could line their pockets with gold. They were too busy to bother with Him. Do you know one thing that can keep you from Christ more than anything else? It's religious pride. When you say, "I already know that" or "I've already heard that," it could actually dull your spiritual senses to the Word of God. Sometimes when you hear the Word of God again and again, you can essentially enter into a place of complacency, a place of apathy. You might even find yourself asleep. I find it interesting that many of the Bible's warnings about waking up are actually addressed to believers. Believers can be asleep like these religious scholars who missed out on that epic event. Even at Christmas, with all our celebrating of the birth of Christ, we can forget about Christ and fail to give Him a passing thought. FROM THE HEART
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