Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
Ancient Calendars, Feast Days, & Daniel 12:11, Part 1 - By Randy Nettles - https://www.raptureready.com/2018/12/12/ancient-calendars-feast-days-daniel-1211-part-1-randy-nettles/
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day" (Genesis 1:1-5). On the first day of creation, when God divided the light from the darkness, He also created time as we now know it. You might say the 24-hour clock started at that time. The evening came first and then the morning followed....all in a 24-hour time duration. The 1st day of creation was followed by 5 more for a total of 6 days of creation/work; and the 7th day God rested from His work. "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made" (Genesis 2:1-2). His Creation was full and complete, and good and perfect. Nothing could be added to it or taken from it without marring it. God commanded that his new creation, man, should 'rest' on the 7th day of Sabbath and do no work. Therefore, Adam and Eve and their offspring had to develop a 7-day calendar so they could keep up with the Sabbath day. These 7 days would become the first calendar known to man. This wasn't a yearly calendar but a weekly one. "Of time, it tells of the Sabbath, and marks off the week of seven day, which is universal and immemorial in its observance amongst all nations and in all times. It tells of that eternal Sabbath-keeping which remains for the people of God in all its everlasting perfection." {1} God reiterated this observance to the Hebrew people after the Exodus when he gave the 10 Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai. This was the 4th commandment: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shall you labor, and do all your work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: in it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor the stranger that is within your gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it" (Exodus 20:8-11). The yearly calendar was essentially started when God made the sun, moon, and stars on the 4th day of creation. "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night: and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the Earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day" (Genesis 1:14-19). God created the heavenly lights before He even made man on the 6th day, but they were to be used by man to help him understand the concept of time and its relationship with nature (such as agriculture - when to plant and harvest crops). All peoples of the earth reckoned months by the course of the moon, and years by the return of winter and summer, spring and autumn. The heavenly lights were also to be used as instruments of time to determine the length of a man's life and the generations of human history. The first mention of years in the Bible is Genesis 5:3: "And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth." In those Antediluvian days of human history, large periods of time were kept only when measuring (counting) a man's age and when his descendants were born. There was no significant event (such as Adam's creation) that began the numbering of years. Only later, after the flood, was time measured by certain historical events such as when a king started his rule and for how long. According to the Bible, in the time of the Antediluvian patriarchs, the duration of the original yearly calendar was for 360 days. The Bible doesn't say so directly but rather indirectly by the following verses of Moses' description of the great flood: "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened" (Genesis 7:11). And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days (Genesis 7:24). "And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided; and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat" (Genesis 8:1-4). If the great flood started on the 17th day of the second month and the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days, and after the end of the 150 days the waters were abated on the 17th day of the 7th month; that means there were 30 days in a month. There are 12 months in a year, so 12 months times 30 days equals 360 days. Moses and family (and the animals) were on the ark for 370 days from when the flood started. They were on the ark for 7 days before the flood started (Genesis 7:10), so they were actually on the ark for 377 days. Many things changed after the flood. Before the flood there was a water canopy that kept the ground moist: "But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground" (Genesis 2:6). Before the flood, it had never rained before, so now the crops would have to depend on rain for their sustenance. The water canopy also kept out harmful radiation from the sun and gave the Antediluvian people long life spans. Since it was destroyed, people no longer had such long life spans. It is believed that before the flood men were vegetarians, but now they could eat meat. "Every moving thing that lives shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things" (Genesis 9:3). As mentioned before, the lunar-cycle calendar appears to have changed from 30 days to approximately 29.5 days, and the duration of the yearly calendar changed from 360 days to approximately 365.2422 days. In regard to the theory of an Antediluvian yearly calendar of exactly 360 days, consider the advantages of such a calendar: "The number 360 is a highly composite number and is divisible by the following numbers: 1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; 8; 9; 10; 12; 15; 18; 20; 24; 30; 36; 40; 45; 60; 72; 90; 120; 180; and 360... making a total of 24 divisors. Some of these numbers are especially helpful for calendars and timekeeping. 1 year of 360 days is divisible by the 2 equinoxes, 2 solstices, 4 seasons, and 12 months. There are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, and 24 hours in a day. The number 360 is also one of only 7 numbers such that no number has less than twice as much has more divisors; the others are 1; 2; 6; 12; 60; and 2,520. 360 is the smallest number divisible by every natural number from 1 to 10 except 7." {2} We now know there are approximately 29.5 days in a lunar cycle, and thus 354 days in a purely lunar calendar; but the important question remains... were there originally 30 days in a lunar cycle? If the answer is yes, then the original Antediluvian yearly calendar would have consisted of 30 days in a month and 12 months in a year for a total of 360 days. In this scenario, the lunar calendar and the solar calendar are in harmony. This calendar is known as the "360-Day Calendar" and/or the "Prophetic Calendar of the Bible." Apparently the 360-day prophetic calendar is also the one used by John in the book of Revelation during the last days before Jesus Christ's 2nd Coming to the Earth. There are several verses in Revelation that say the last 42 months or 3.5 years (time, and times, and half a time) of the 7-year Tribulation will be for 1,260 days (a thousand two hundred and threescore days). Many scholars believe the ancient 360-day calendar to be the one that the prophet Daniel used in calculating his 70 "Weeks" prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27, even though the lunar/solar calendar was the one that was being used by the Babylonians and Jews at that time (approximately 539 B.C.). The 360-day calendar might have been the calendar in use during Jacob's stay in Haran, Mesopotamia, per Genesis 29. Jacob journeyed there because Isaac, his father, told him to go there and take a wife from one of the daughters of Laban, his mother's father. Genesis 29:14 says that Jacob abode with Laban the space of a month. "And Laban said unto Jacob, Because you are my brother should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be? And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve you 7 years for Rachel your younger daughter" (Genesis 29:16, 18). After Laban had tricked Jacob and swapped the older daughter, Leah, for Rachel on their wedding night, he informed Jacob, "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give you this also for the service which you shall serve with me yet seven other years. And Jacob did so and fulfilled her week: and he gave him Rachel his daughter to wife also. And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah, his handmaid, to be her maid. And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years" (Genesis 29:26-30). This is the only time in the Bible other than Daniel 9:24-27 that the term 'week' is used for describing a 7-year time period. Jacob was married in approximately 1720 B.C. Could the 360-day prophetic calendar have still been in use at that time in ancient Mesopotamia? Or if there was an intercalary month/days to be added to this calendar, maybe Laban waved it for his son in law because Jacob had already served him for a month. The 360-day prophetic calendar is 36 days shorter than our modern Gregorian solar calendar in a 7-year time frame. In the Old Testament, the first major event mentioned after the flood was the story of the Tower of Babel in ancient Mesopotamia. The ancient city of Babel was built by Noah's great grandson Nimrod in what today is southern Iraq. Noah and his three sons would have taught their offspring many things including how to determine time by the heavenly lights. One of the earliest known people groups, the Sumerians, occupied the region of Babel after the Tower of Babel incident mentioned in Genesis 11:1-9. The ancient Sumerians were known to have originally used a 360-day calendar; however, later, an intercalary month of 30 days was added approximately every 6 years. It appears this was done because the seasons were slowly drifting out of sync, because the years were slightly longer than before the flood. The Sumerians also discovered the moon's cycle was not always 30 days but sometimes only 29 days. Since the lunar calendar no longer matched the solar calendar, an intercalary month of 30 days was added approximately every 6 years to compensate for the deficiency; therefore, the length of the month would still remain at 30 days. Before the Sumerian's calendar got too far out of sync, the intercalary month was added, which brought it into near alignment with a solar calendar of 365 or 366 days. Every 6th, 12th, 18th, 24th, 30th, and 36th year, thirty days were added as an extra 13th month to the calendar to bring it back into sync with the seasons and the 365-day solar calendar. 30 days were also added to the 40th year. After 40 years, the cycle would repeat itself. This ancient calendar is sometimes called the "40-Year Calendar." Every 6 years, after the intercalary month was added, the 40-year calendar would come to near alignment with the solar calendar...within a few days to a week. The 7th time (in a 40-year span) the extra intercalary month was added brought their calendar into complete alignment with our modern Gregorian solar calendar. The 40-year calendar was efficient for keeping up with large epochs of time. The earliest Egyptian calendar was based on the moon's cycles, but the lunar calendar (354 days) failed to predict a critical event in their lives: the annual flooding of the Nile River. The Egyptians soon noticed that the first day the "Dog Star," which we call Sirius, in Canis Major was visible right before sunrise was special. The Egyptians were probably the first to adopt a mainly solar calendar of 365 days. This so-called "heliacal rising" always preceded the flood by a few days. Based on this knowledge, they devised a 365-day calendar in the ancient past. They eventually had a system of 36 stars to mark out the year and, in the end, had three different calendars working concurrently for over 2,000 years: a stellar calendar for agriculture, a solar year of 365 days (12 months x 30 days + 5 intercalary days) and a quasi-lunar calendar for festivals. The ancient Egyptians originally employed a calendar based upon the moon, and like many peoples throughout the world, they regulated their lunar calendar by means of the guidance of a sidereal calendar. They used the seasonal appearance of the star Sirius; this corresponded closely to the true solar year, being only twelve minutes shorter. Certain difficulties arose, however, because of the inherent incompatibility of lunar and solar years. To solve this problem, the Egyptians invented a schematized civil year of 365 days divided into three seasons, each of which consisted of four months of thirty days each. To complete the year, five intercalary days were added at its end so that the twelve months were equal to 360 days plus five extra days. This civil calendar was derived from the lunar calendar (using months) and the agricultural, or Nile River fluctuations (using seasons). It was, however, no longer directly connected to either, and thus was not controlled by them. The civil calendar served government and administration, while the lunar calendar continued to regulate religious affairs and everyday life. Because of the discrepancy between these two calendars, the Egyptians established a second lunar calendar based upon the civil year and not as the older one had been upon the sighting of Sirius. It was schematic and artificial, and its purpose was to determine religious celebrations and duties. In order to keep it in general agreement with the civil year, a month was intercalated every time the first day of the lunar year came before the first day of the civil year. Later, a 25-year cycle of intercalation was introduced. The original lunar calendar, however, was not abandoned but was retained primarily for agriculture because of its agreement with the seasons. Thus, the ancient Egyptians operated with three calendars, each for a different purpose. The only unit of time that was larger than a year was the reign of a king. The usual custom of dating by reign was: "year 1, 2, 3..., etc., of a certain king, and with each new king the counting reverted back to year 1. King lists recorded consecutive rulers and the total years of their respective reigns. The civil year was divided into three seasons, commonly translated: Inundation, when the Nile overflowed the agricultural land; Going Forth, the time of planting when the Nile returned to its bed; and Deficiency, the time of low water and harvest. The months of the civil calendar were numbered according to their respective seasons and were not listed by any particular name, such as third month of inundation; but, for religious purposes, the months had names. How early these names were employed in the later lunar calendar is obscure. The days in the civil calendar were also indicated by number and listed according to their respective months. Thus, a full civil date would be: "Regnal year 1, fourth month of inundation, day 5, under the majesty of King _." In the lunar calendar, however, each day had a specific name, and from some of these names it can be seen that the four quarters or chief phases of the moon were recognized, although the Egyptians did not use these quarters to divide the month into smaller segments such as weeks. Unlike most people who used a lunar calendar, the Egyptians began their day with sunrise instead of sunset because they began their month, and consequently their day, by the disappearance of the old moon just before dawn" {3} [email protected] Endnotes: {1} "Number in Scripture" by E.W. Bullinger pg. 168 {2} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/360_(number) {3} https://www.britannica.com/science/calendar/Ancient-and-religious-calendar-systems#ref313450 Replacing Israel With A Palestinian State From The River To The Sea? - By Eric Margules - http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=2812 Marc Lamont Hill, a political commentator was recently fired by CNN after a video surfaced of him calling for "a free Palestine from the river to the sea". This phrase is often the rallying call of the terrorist group Hamas, Students For Justice In Palestine and other Islamic groups that would like to see Israel replaced by a Palestinian state. So you think that Israel should be replaced by a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea? That Israel should cease to exist as the world's only Jewish nation-state -- and the only democracy in the Middle East -- and be replaced by a country with a Palestinian majority? Have you thought about what would happen if Israel disappeared? You center your debate on whether Israel has a right to exist. Perhaps we should instead imagine the hypothetical replacement of Israel with a Palestinian-majority state, and answer some obvious questions: What would happen to the six million Jews who live in present-day Israel? Can they count on a Palestinian-led government to protect them? Will they feel safe? Will they be safe? And if they don't feel safe and need to flee, where will they go? Arab countries expelled them, and surely won't allow them back in; Europe tried to annihilate them and remains a hostile environment for Jews. Perhaps Jews could flee to North America or other places that are not as hostile, but it's quite a lot to demand of a people to give up their homeland. What will happen to women? Women in Israel have full and equal rights. Women in Arab countries are treated as chattel and second class citizens, often punished severely for daring to exercise rights that Muslim men take for granted. What will happen to minority groups? In Israel, non-Jewish minorities have full legal rights. They can vote, are members of the Knesset, and sit on the Israeli Supreme Court. In Arab countries, non-Muslims (and Muslims of the wrong sect) are not full citizens, and never treated as equals. They have no voting rights, no right for governmental representation, and restricted rights in many other aspects of life. Who will take over as leading the way in providing disaster aid to the rest of the world? Israel has a long, valuable, and proven track record of helping countries in disaster situations. Arab countries have no record of helping. In fact, they often don't honor the rare pledges of money or help that they do make. How will the government of the new country be formed? Despite opportunities, Palestinians have never formed anything but a kleptocracy fueled by foreign aid and terror. Elections haven't been held in the West Bank in over a decade, and the government in the Gaza Strip obtained power through a violent takeover. Will Jews have any role in the new government? How will Palestinians and Jews work together with such a long history of animosity? What kind of government will be formed in the new country? Will it be a democracy, as Israel is? Almost no Arab state is a democracy. Will it be a dictatorship? Will it be a military-run government? Will it be a theocracy? Will there be any place in the government for non-Arabs or non-Muslims? What will happen to Jews who don't live in Israel, and live as minorities in their host countries? Will Jews return to times like World War II, where they had no place to go in desperate situations? Will Jews once again be weak, downtrodden, and vulnerable in their host countries? Will the new country help Jews living elsewhere in any way? What will happen to the tremendous first-world economy that has been developed in Israel? Israel is a major incubator of cutting edge technology that helps the world immeasurably. Arab countries have little or no record of helping the world with any kind of product invented by them. No Arab economy is thriving, and many in the Arab world live in squalor. It's not enough to argue about what may or may not have happened in Israel 70 years ago, 100 years ago, or 10 years ago. Certainly, Jews can argue their rights to the land on many levels. But those advocating the replacement of Israel by a Palestinian state need to consider the above. There is room for compromise, but replacing Israel should not be an option. To replace Israel with yet another oppressive dictatorship with few or no human rights or protections for minority rights would be a catastrophe. It would not be good for anybody -- not Jews, not Arabs living in Israel, and not the rest of world. Iran Promises to Restart Nuclear Weapons Work as Tehran Identified as Top Global Threat - Adam Kredo - https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-promises-restart-nuclear-work-tehran-identified-top-global-threat/ U.S. intel: Iran, Russia, China leading cyber charge against U.S. Senior Iranian leaders on Thursday signaled the country is on the brink of restarting its contested nuclear weapons program, disclosing the Islamic Republic is prepared to restart the full-scale enrichment of uranium, the key component in a nuclear weapon, if it does not continue to receive cash windfalls from European countries still committed to the landmark nuclear agreement. Iran's warning represents a further escalation of its threats as the U.S. intelligence and security community identified Tehran as one of the top emerging global threats that could shake the international balance and arm the region with nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, according to a new U.S. threat assessment. Iran's nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, disclosed Thursday that Iran is working to enrich uranium to extreme levels prohibited under the current accord. This work would enable Iran to stockpile large quantities of highly enriched uranium that are required to fuel a nuclear weapon. "I would like to warn that this is not a bluff; I have kept my word whenever I've said something," Salehi was quoted as saying during a tour of Iran's Fordow nuclear facility, a contested military site that still has not be subjected to full international inspections. "Now I'm emphasizing once again that if the establishment wants, we can easily return to the 20-percent enrichment, and meet the country's needs at any level and volume." Iran has the technological knowhow to almost immediately begin such a high-level of uranium enrichment and appears only to have refrained from doing so in a bid to preserve the nuclear deal, which provided Iran with billions in cash windfalls and economic relief. "Enrichment is currently underway, but we would put aside the 300kg limit [set by the nuclear agreement] whenever we wish, and would do the enrichment at any volume and level," Salehi said. "We currently have 1,044 centrifuges in Fordow, and if the establishment wants, we will restart 20-percent uranium enrichment in Fordow." Salehi said that 20 percent enrichment is "seen as well above the level suitable for fueling civilian power plants," a reference to the country's nuclear weapons work. The U.S. intelligence community assesses this threat as credible, according to new assessments provided to congressional and political officials in both classified and unclassified forums. In its end-of-year emerging threat assessment, the U.S. intelligence and security community disclosed Iran is "expanding its influence" in the military and cyber sectors. "Iran will also likely continue to develop its military capabilities, including developing technology that could be used for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and improving its offensive cyberspace operations," according to the new U.S. intelligence briefing, which was conducted across 45 government organizations including the State Department, Defense Department, Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, among others. "Iran is expanding its influence by increasing the size and capabilities of its network of military, intelligence, and surrogate forces, while increasing economic activities in other areas of the world," the unclassified version of the report notes. "Iran will also likely continue to develop its military capabilities, including developing technology that could be used for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and improving its offensive cyberspace operations." "Adversaries-such as Russia, Iran, and China-may engage in advanced information operations campaigns that use social media, artificial intelligence, and data analytics to undermine the United States and its allies," according to the report. The threat is not just physical, the report says. Iran, along with China and Russia, has stepped up its cyber operations and advances in the technology-such as artificial intelligence and sophisticated clandestine networks-are likely to amplify the threat over the next several years. The U.S. intelligence community assesses that these countries have the potential to employ newer technologies to track, monitor, and pilfer information from top U.S. military and security officials. "Future advances in AI, sensors, data analytics, and space-based platforms could create an environment of 'ubiquitous ISR', where people and equipment could be tracked throughout the world in near-real time," according to the report. "China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are developing multiple ISR platforms." Each of these nations is increasingly deploying advanced technologies against the United States. The extent and sophistication of these operations is expected to increase in the next years, posing a problem to the United States, which historically has lagged behind in such areas. "Adversaries, such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, may launch cyber attacks against critical U.S. infrastructure," including, "electric, oil and gas, and nuclear power systems," as well as "military infrastructure (e.g., communications and ISR platforms)," according to the report. "Adversaries could also launch cyber attacks on the U.S. health care system, threatening patient safety by disrupting access to medical care. Finally, adversaries are also developing tools to directly attack hardware and embedded components in aviation systems, which can manipulate or destroy data." News from Hal Lindsey Media Ministries - Hal Lindsey - www.hallindsey.com Paris is burning. I'm not talking about the controversial 1990s film. I'm talking about Paris, France. Burning. Well, the city isn't burning, but there is plenty of fire in the streets. Especially the Champs Elysées. Massive protests have shut down major parts of the country over the past several weekends. In fact, on a recent Saturday, the French government deployed almost 100,000 police officers to contain the demonstrations. The protesters are called "yellow vests." They are wearing the yellow safety vests that French law requires all motorists to carry in their cars to be worn in case of a roadside emergency. The protesters are furious. And they are supported by 77% of the French people. Their growing anger and dissatisfaction with Emmanuel Macron, France's "globalist" president, exploded when his government tried to impose a new tax on automobile fuel. Gasoline in France already costs more then $7 a gallon. (Which, by the way, is exactly what President Obama once said that Americans should be paying for gasoline. Remember that?) But the tax wasn't intended to raise more revenue for the government. Instead, it was a punishment tax for those who dare to use automobiles in the first place, and thus contribute to climate change. When the protests erupted, French officials tried calming the public by educating them on the dangers of global warming! But their politically correct explanations only made things worse. The French leaders don't know, or maybe couldn't care less, that the people who need the automobile fuel are the people who make a nation work. Nations run on energy. The more heavily politicians tax energy, the more they slow and inhibit the nation's economy. I think the French are fed up. Especially with Macron and his globalist ambitions. His approval rating currently stands at 23%, which makes him the least popular French president in modern history. Macron recently had the audacity to condemn U.S. President Donald Trump for his America First philosophy. He criticized the "selfishness of nations only looking after their own interests." He said that "nationalism... (is a) betrayal of patriotism." Well, I think the people of France are ready for national leaders who will put their interests first for a change. Not those of the European Union. Not those of the Muslim migrants who have invaded France. Not the interests of the global elite -- of which Emmanuel Macron fancies himself a leader. Two cases in point. French President Macron is an ardent supporter of the new U.N. Migrant Agreement which is a step toward a borderless world. A group of French generals recently accused Macron of treason for supporting this pact. Also, he and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are openly promoting a "true European army" to be the enforcement arm of the European Union. He publicly declares that it is needed to "protect the Europeans... with respect to China, Russia, and even the United States of America." So now, in the mind of the globalist Macron, America has gone from protector to threat! But, more likely, he and Merkel feel a European Army is needed to keep the member nations of the EU in line. Especially the United Kingdom, which has voted to exit the EU, and Italy, which is wanting to. There are also other nations who are threatening to leave. But no matter the reason, the call for a "true European army" fits precisely with Bible prophecy. The Bible prophets describe Europe in the last days as a major military force. Out of the old Roman Empire, which covers most of Europe today, the Bible says ten kings will arise. That can mean ten nations or a combination of nations and confederacies. These ten will then cede their sovereignty to the Antichrist and False Prophet. I don't know how all of it will happen. But every upheaval, be it political, economic, or social, reshuffles the deck. From what's going on now in France, the UK, Italy, Poland, and other Eastern European nations, a Europe-wide realignment of nations has become a logical step. Now, Europe's unelected, but all-powerful, leaders are planning a unified military capable of deterring or defeating Russia, China, and the United States. Just as the Bible predicts. All of this sets up the fulfillment of yet another major prophetic sign that was once ridiculed as impossible. As Paul Harvey used to say: "Stay tuned... for more!" Don't miss The Hal Lindsey Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com . Please check your local listings. Daily Jot: Deliver our souls from deceptive tongues - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The leftists in politics are crying out for justice. They say it's the public's right to know about all of President Donald Trump's business dealings. The latest headline is that federal prosecutors are investigating Trump's inauguration committee because they think it took illegal foreign donations for access to the incoming White House. It has been documented that Hillary Clinton sold access for donations to the Clinton Foundation. It also was documented that the immediate past "president" took vast amounts of illegal money from foreign donors. None of this mattered to anyone. In fact, when citizens watchdog Judicial Watch sought the information, Clinton said the public did not have the right to know. In response to Judicial Watch's investigative bulldogging on Clinton's email illegalities and Benghazi negligence, Bloomberg reported in June 2016 that Clinton's campaign spokesman Nick Merrill said that Judicial Watch "represents everything that is wrong with our political system...Manufacturing wrongdoing has been central to their singular agenda since their inception. Worse, they do this by clogging up the courts at the expense of tens of millions of tax-payer dollars. Justice is the last thing they seek. They are only interested in headlines, and have made a complete mockery of our system. And if you want proof, just look at this latest round of leaks that are contradicted by their own transcripts. It's truly disgraceful." Let's break this statement down. A spokesman for Hillary Clinton said holding her accountable "represents everything that is wrong with our political system." Clinton also believes that her email scandal and her calloused negligence and lying in the Benghazi catastrophe is the product of Judicial Watch "manufacturing wrongdoing." Clinton blamed Judicial Watch for "clogging up the courts" at tax-payers expense when in reality it has been Clinton's refusal to cooperate with both federal authorities and the public's right to know that has clogged up the courts and cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Clinton accused Judicial Watch of making a complete mockery of our system, but her personal attacks and denials are at the center of this mockery. Clinton said justice is the last thing Judicial Watch seeks, when Clinton herself avoided justice. Fast forward to today when every leftist, every Democrat, every mainstream news media is demanding the public know the very things they upheld Clinton saying the public had no right to know. They accuse Trump and his campaign of everything that they did and are doing and, at the time, held that they should not be accountable for their deeds. Yet Trump should be held accountable. As Christian Americans, we need to be aware of this and weigh it every time we see such headlines. All these politicians should be held accountable. We do have a right to know. Don't be deceived by their words. Psalm 120:2 says, "Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue." And Psalm 31:18 says, "Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous." May it be so. Daily Devotion: Worthy of Our Worship - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org "When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh." -Matthew 2:10-11 The wise men, these followers of the stars, met the Lord Jesus Christ who created the stars. They were occultists, yet God reached into their dark world with a star to bring them to their Creator. Matthew's Gospel tells us, "They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh" (2:11). Everyone worships at Christmas. There are no exceptions to this. Christians worship. Atheists worship. Skeptics worship. Republicans worship. Democrats worship. Independents worship. Everyone worships at Christmas, but not everyone worships God at Christmas. Some worship material things, which they never seem to have enough of. Others worship their bodies. Others worship their families. But everyone worships something or someone. The wise men worshipped Jesus. And what does it mean to worship? Our modern word worship comes from the old English word worthship. We worship the One who is worthy. A god of our own making isn't worthy of our worship, but the true God is worthy of our praise. Two words often are used in the Scriptures to define worship. One word means to bow down and do homage, which speaks of reverence and respect. The other means to kiss toward, which speaks of intimacy and friendship. So when we put these two words together, we get an idea of what worship actually is. To worship is to bow down and have reverence, and it is also to have tender intimacy. Jesus was born, He died, and He rose from the dead so that you and I could come into a relationship with Him and become God's adopted children. Simply put, we should worship the Lord because He deserves it-every day of the year. 
FROM THE HEART
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