Prophecy Update Newsletter
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
The Top 5 Prophetic Trends of 2018 - By Britt Gillette -
https://www.raptureready.com/2018/12/21/top-5-prophetic-trends-2018-britt-gillette/ The number one sign of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the convergence of all the signs He said to look for. Jesus said, "When you see all these things take place, look up! Your salvation draws near" (Luke 21:28). What are the things Jesus and the prophets said to look for? Israel back in the land (Jeremiah 23:7-8)... The Jewish people back in control of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24)... The Gospel being preached to the whole world (Matthew 24:14)... And more... Today, we see these signs. Because we do, we can be confident we live in the season of His return. But Jesus cited other signs too. So did the prophets. And we see those signs as well. As 2018 draws to a close, what are the biggest prophetic trends we see? Below is a list of what I believe are the top 5: 1) The Rise of the Gog of Magog Alliance 2018 saw a continuation of the recent developing alliance between Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Russia and Iran have grown closer and closer since the mid-1990s. Their joint occupation of Syria in the aftermath of the Syrian civil war has only brought further cooperation. Yet, as recently as 2015, Turkey looked like an adversary of both nations. In November of that year, Turkey shot down a Russian jet that strayed into its airspace. Far from allies, the two nations looked more like they were on the verge of war than friendship. But things have since changed. Turkish President Erdogan has consolidated his grip on power. He now antagonizes the United States while making friendly visits with Vladimir Putin. Pursuing its own interests, Turkey is now a major player in the Syrian conflict. Along with Russia and Iran, they've effectively carved Syria into various spheres of influence. The result is a once unlikely alliance formed on Israel's northern border. These are the very same nations Ezekiel said would invade Israel from the north in "the latter days" (Ezekiel 38:8). Iran has been belligerent toward Israel for decades. Now, Russia and Turkey are too. Russia blames Israel for a September 17 incident that led to Syrian forces downing a Russian spy plane. In May, Turkey told Israeli ambassador Eitan Naeh to leave the country. Since then, more Israeli officials have left Turkey, and the Turkish consul general has been expelled from Israel. Israeli relations with all three countries are suffering a clear downtrend. 2) The Continued Rise of Artificial Intelligence This year featured a number of news stories on massive advances made in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). One example was China's Yitu Technologies, a company at the forefront of AI development. Yitu created a technology called Dragonfly. Dragonfly can search and analyze billions of photographs and locate a single person in a matter of seconds. Connected to cameras in the Shanghai Metro, it identified over 500 "criminals" in a three-month period. It's so powerful it can recognize people wearing disguises. And it can identify people using pictures that are more than 30 years old. In the near future, technologies like Dragonfly will be commonplace. Large tech companies like Facebook, Google, and Apple seem willing to give into China's demands. Despite Google's mission statement to "do no evil," several media outlets report they've been working on a search engine to comply with the Chinese government's strict surveillance and censorship demands. Similarly, Facebook reportedly built a censorship tool in an effort to appease the Chinese government and gain access to its one billion Internet users. As advanced technology spreads, it will become impossible for individual citizens to stand up to oppressive governments - especially if they're aided by large multinational corporations. Just think of the power AI gives the Chinese government. As Dragonfly connects to every camera in China, no one will be able to hide. While this is good for catching criminals, not every person sought by the Chinese government is a criminal. Chinese dissidents, political activists, ethnic minorities, Christians, and other "enemies of the state" will have nowhere to hide. And it's quite unlikely China will be the only state to take advantage of this technology. In one form or another, every nation on earth is already making use of AI. 3) An Increase in High Magnitude Earthquakes Jesus said several signs will increase like birth pains before He returns (Matthew 24:8). This means those signs will increase in frequency and intensity before the Second Coming. One of the signs Jesus cited is earthquakes (Matthew 24:7). As mentioned in my book Signs of the Second Coming, we've seen a marked increase in the frequency of high intensity earthquakes over the past two decades. From 1900 to 1950, the world only registered six 8.0 magnitude earthquakes. Since 2010, we've had ten. Earlier this year, more than 70 earthquakes hit the Pacific Ring of Fire in a 48-hour period. The earth is preparing for the King's return! 4) Continued EU Volatility In a June 23, 2016 referendum, the people of the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union (EU). The media labeled this British exit from the EU "Brexit." Many predicted an immediate collapse of the EU. They said further exits would likely follow. Yet 2 ½ years later, the EU is still together and the UK hasn't left. This should come as no surprise. Over two thousand years ago, the prophet Daniel described the initial stages of the Antichrist's global empire. He described it as an alliance of weak and strong nations (Daniel 2:42). He said it would be a divided alliance, loosely held together (Daniel 2:41). This is what we see today with the EU. Since its inception, the EU has been an odd collection of governments, economies, currencies, and militaries. EU nations include some of the world's largest and smallest economies. These same nations have some of the world's largest and smallest militaries. From the Schuman Declaration in 1950 to the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007, the rise of the EU has been marked by a struggle to agree on important issues. These include arguments over a single currency (the United Kingdom and Denmark opted out), disagreements over how to handle debt crises (the Greek bailouts), and disputes over open borders (the Syrian refugee crisis). Each step along the way, the EU struggled to survive. Yet it has survived. If the EU is the forerunner to the empire Daniel described, then it will continue to survive. And its power will grow until it envelops the whole world. 5) The Love of Many Grows Cold The Bible says in the end times "the love of many will grow cold" (Matthew 24:12). "People will be lovers of themselves and their money. They'll be "boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They'll consider nothing sacred. They'll be unloving and unforgiving - slanderers with no self-control. They'll be cruel and hate what is good. They'll betray their friends, be reckless, prideful, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. They'll act religious, but reject the power that could make them godly" (2 Timothy 3:2-5). While you can find examples of evil in every generation, ours features some of the most vile behavior since the days of Noah, when the thoughts of people were nothing but "continuous evil" (Genesis 6:5). 2018 featured a number of examples. In February, Nikolas Cruz killed 17 students and school staffers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It was the deadliest mass shooting of the year in the U.S., and it made national headlines. But not every story of evil makes headlines. Also in February, a woman in Schenectady, New York got upset after an argument and threw her baby at a New York State trooper. She was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and endangering the welfare of a child. She wasn't alone. It was a year where the love of many grew cold for their own children. For example, in August, authorities arrested Chris Watts for killing his pregnant wife, Shanann, and their two daughters - ages 3 and 4. Then, he threw his wife in a shallow grave and stuffed his daughters' bodies in vats of oil. What could be more evil? These are just a few news stories from the past year. But unfortunately, they aren't isolated incidents. In fact, stories of aberrant and criminal behavior have become so commonplace that most of them aren't reported in the media. Instead, we hear statistics about the number of rapes, murders, and assaults year to date, and whether or not this year is worse than the last. The world is saturated with violence - just as in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37). What to Look for in 2019 Hopefully, Jesus will return before the end of this year. But if He doesn't, look for these trends to continue in 2019. Look for increasing cooperation between Russia, Iran, and Turkey. Look for a strengthening EU, even as the alliance remains volatile. Watch for a continued increase in AI capability. Look out for the continuing degeneration of society. And don't be surprised if we have one or more 8.0 magnitude earthquakes. All of these things and more will probably mark 2019. This is why the #1 thing you should look for is the return of our Savior. As we enter the new year, all the signs scream, "Jesus is coming!" Could Vladimir Putin be Gog? - Joel - http://www.christianevidence.net According to Scripture, an aggressive and authoritarian ruler identified as "Gog" will arise from Russia (known in Biblical times as "Magog") to lead a coalition of nations against Israel, in what is known as the Ezekiel 38-39 war, in the last days. Since this ruler is likely that of either a current or future leader of Russia, and the stage appears to be set for the Ezekiel 38-39 war, there may well be a credible candidate for Gog, and there is: Vladimir Putin. Little is known about this man, who was catapulted from obscurity into the seat of Russian power. What is known, however, is that Putin very closely fits the description of Gog... 1. Gog is a dictator with such powerful reputation to where countries of the world hesitate to confront him directly (Ezekiel 38:13). Putin is an undisputed dictator, and him and his Russia are already becoming so powerful that no one in the world can stop them. Forbes has named Vladimir Putin the world's most powerful person four years in a row. Garry Kasparov in his book, "Winter Is Coming" says, "Putin's Russia is clearly the biggest and most dangerous threat facing the world today." Time magazine (2014) makes the case that Vladimir Putin does not see himself as Russia's president or prime minister but rather as her modern Czar (Gog is a title like "Czar"). Putin is certainly living up to his name - Vladimir - which means: Universal ruler! 2. Gog invades the tiny nation of Israel (Ezekiel 38). Putin and his Russia have a history of moving in and conquering weak nations. Putin's invaded the country of Georgia (occupies 20 percent of the country), southern Ukraine's Crimea peninsula (annexed it, made it part of Russia), eastern Ukraine (controls it today), and has taken over the Syrian government. According to Joel C. Rosenberg: "He is invading one country after another, and you know the saying, 'If you give a mouse a cookie, he'll want a glass of milk. Putin has eaten a whole bag of Oreos, and now he just grabbed the dairy farm and no one is stopping him." 3. The manner in which Gog invades Israel is fast and overpowering (Ezekiel 38:9; Daniel 11:44). Putin has a record of calculated and overpowering violence. Masha Gressen in her book, "The man without a face" says, "...Putin painted himself as consistently rash, physically violent man with a barely containable temper." For instance, Putin's childhood friend recalls that: "If anyone ever insulted him in any way, Vladmir would immediately jump on the guy, scratch him, bite him, rip his hair out by the clump - do anything to humiliate him in any way... he would flare up and start expressing his outrage. He did this several times over" Putin's overpowering violence and impulsive temper which manifested through the tentacles of the KGB/FSB (Russian intelligence agencies, the organizations Putin was a part of before becoming president), resurrected vertical power enabling him to effectively head a security state much like Hitler's Nazi SS. Is this the same barely containable temper that will "go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many" (Dan. 11:44)? 4. Gog's motive for invading is to steal Israel's resources (Ezekiel 38:12). Putin is also infamous for taking what doesn't belong to him, including personal items and corporate assets that belong to other individuals and companies. One notable example is when Putin shutdown Russia's largest privately owned oil & gas firm, Yukos, and salvaged its assets. Here are just two other examples, taken from Gressen's book, showing Putin's reoccurring urge to steal: In 2005, while hosting a group of American businessmen, Putin pocketed a 124-diamond Super Bowl ring of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. In the same year, while hosted as a special guest in New York, Putin nodded to one of his bodyguards, who took a glass replica of a Kalashnikov automatic weapon filled with vodka and carried it out of the room, leaving the hosts speechless. 5. Gog will likely steal Israel's massive quantities of natural gas and oil resources (see here; Ezekiel 38:12). Putin has actually completed his PhD on the subject of exploitation of natural resources! His PhD was entitled: 'Natural resources and the development strategy for the Russian Economy'. So the idea of resource exploitation is well and truly entrenched in Putin's mind, AND he seems to have a strong urge to steal what doesn't belong to him. Not a good mix. Interestingly, right after Israel's major oil find in the Golan Heights, Putin called the Israeli PM and offered to guard Israel's oil and gas assets. Then, Putin ordered troops into Syria, beginning the Russian military intervention in Syria - it's possible that Putin's interest in assisting Syria is connected to this recent oil discovery! It would appear that Putin has his eye on the spoil (Ezek. 38:12). 6. Gog will provide air cover (planes and helicopters) for the multitude of troops he has moving up the mountains on Syria's side of the border (Ezekiel 38:4-6). In the fall and winter of 2015, Putin sent hundreds of troops, many planes, helicopters, drones and other weapons to a military base in Syria. With each passing day, Vladimir Putin is getting more deeply involved in the Middle East: He's sending in more troops; better planes, helicopters and drones; and more powerful and advanced weapons. On top of that, Putin has a second base under construction; a radar and missile defense system under construction; helicopter pads, air traffic control towers, storage buildings and mobile housing units under construction, and more. Gog prepares for himself and all his allies (Ezek. 38:7). 7. Gog is masterful in secret planning and forms an evil plan (Ezekiel 38:10). Putin is, without doubt, masterful in secret planning and a man with a plan. Putin's master plan is to destroy the West by breaking up the European Union, dividing NATO, frustrating and unnerving the United States, and expanding Russia's global influence (in an attempt to recapture the power of the former Soviet Union). Is it too difficult to imagine a time when Putin devises an evil plan against Israel? 8. Gog will attract many allies to fight with him; and he will take command of their troops (Ezekiel 38:5-7). Putin's recently met with many leaders and announced plans for Russia, along with Iran, Sudan and Turkey (all Russian allies in the battle of Gog and Magog) to step up their military co-operation! These countries respect his leadership and seem to be getting along with him. Interestingly, in the Ezekiel 38 alliance, "Put" is with them (Ezek. 38:5). Put refers to modern day Libya, but could it also be an abbreviation for Putin? 9. Gog will act as a guard to his allies and justify his aggression as self defence of them (Ezekiel 38:7). We can see Putin "being a guard" in the recent invasions. For instance, Putin's justification for the actions in Crimea was one of help for Russian speaking peoples who feel oppressed and not represented by the political authorities who are over them. Interestingly, there are reportedly over half a million Russian speakers living in Israel. Is it too difficult to imagine a time when the Russians, led by Putin, will storm into Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to 'protect' these Russian speakers from so called oppression? Could this be a way that Gog justifies his invasion of Israel? 10. Gog is an adversary of God (Ezekiel 38:3-4). Certainly this is true of Putin, since he is both a Communist and an atheist. For a long time, the leaders among those who sought to oppress and destroy human beings, and to wipe out Christianity, were Communist Russia and China. Could Putin be Gog? The coming person of Gog will not be known until the events of Ezekiel 38-39 take place, so it's too early to draw such a conclusion. That being said, all of Putin's actions indicate that he could-and I strongly believe he will-fulfill a Bible prophecy that was recorded millennia ago. If Putin is indeed Gog, it seems highly likely the invasion of Israel by the northern coalition will occur in the next 6 years, for three reasons:
If Putin is not Gog, then he is certainly setting the scene for Gog to arise! News from Hal Lindsey Media Ministries - Hal Lindsey - www.hallindsey.com If you're a regular viewer of "The Hal Lindsey Report," you know that I've hit hard and often on two ideas. One, that times of persecution (and legal prosecution) are headed our way. Two, that the reason for that persecution will be our insistence on pressing the claim of Jesus Christ that He is the only way to salvation and heaven. As we see the demonic spirit of "political correctness" take firmer hold on all areas of our society, I'm convinced that the decision by true Christians to stand up for Jesus on certain issues and claims will spark an onslaught of derision and discrimination against us. I think those defining issues will include abortion, same sex marriage, parental rights, and the role of God in our national life. Most importantly, though, I believe it will all come down to the name of Jesus. Already, our military, our schools, our courts, and our governments (we lost the entertainment industry and our universities long ago) are in a mad dash to eliminate any vestige of religious recognition, much less freedom. However, it seems to be only Christ-centered traditions that are being banished. Islam, humanism, and other religions are, in fact, being celebrated and encouraged in ways Christianity never has. Just as Jesus Himself warned, the dividing line in the last days will be the name of Jesus. He said that because the world hated Him, it will hate us. He cautioned that true, and faithful, believers will be persecuted "for My name's sake." (John 15:21) Over the last few years, I've shown you myriad examples of how this exact situation is developing right here in the United States -- and inside some of our most trusted institutions. As a "watchman on the wall," my calling is to declare what I see coming so that you can prepare yourself and your family for those days. But that preparation should not be haphazard or random. If we are to remain strong in the coming days, months, and years, we must be standing on a firm foundation. To be able to unflinchingly press the claims of Christ in this hostile world, we must make every effort to understand the man who made those claims. To fully appreciate who Jesus Christ is, we must first understand WHY there needed to be a Jesus Christ. There was a reason for God's provision of a savior and a reason for the path He chose for our redemption. I'll begin this week with an explanation of "Why God Had to Become a Man." Then we'll start an examination (which I'll continue next week) of "The Man God Became." The majesty, the beauty, and the sheer complexity of the concept of the God-Man Jesus Christ is almost overwhelming. But it was all necessary to redeem the creation lost to sin at the fall of Adam. Thank God that He loved us so much He provided a "second Adam" to unselfishly take our place. And thank you, Jesus, for being willing to bear our sins upon Your sinless shoulders so that we may be partakers of Your eternal glory. Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com . Check your local listings. Walking With God's Flashlight - By Dave Cogburn - https://www.raptureready.com/2018/12/23/walking-gods-flashlight-dave-cogburn/ We all know that God is Eternal Spirit and Light. What does that really mean and what is it telling us? We all know that light is a good thing. We need it to see and to guide us in accomplishing all of the things we want and need to do. God's light is POWER. Our light on earth is also power - think of lasers. BUT this article is about God's light, not ours. The Bible tells us that in eternity there will be NO night. Why is that? Simple - because God is Light and "everything" about God is Light and Life. And with God's Light in eternity comes everything "good." No death, no disease, no sadness, pleasure, joy, happiness and anything else you can think of that is "good." It is God Himself and the Power of His Light that produces "everything" and sees to it that everything is good. There are thousands of near-death experiences, and one of the main things they all have in common is their amazement in seeing God's Light in everything - the grass, the trees, the buildings - everything. When Lucifer and one third of God's angels disobeyed God and sinned using their free will, they lost fellowship with God and were cast out of heaven where all of God's "goodness" dwells. Since God's goodness comes from God's Light, what do you get when you do not have God's Light? You get darkness which produces "nothing good and everything bad" and is the total "opposite" of God's Light. It is death - an eternal separation from God type of death vs annihilation. God's sentient "beings" created in His image are "spiritual beings" with ETERNAL being another word for spirit - eternal beings. The Bible seems to indicate that spiritual beings can NEVER die an annihilation type of death like atheists would like you to believe. It appears God simply doesn't allow that. There are only two places ALL spiritual beings dwell - with God in His Light or separated from God in darkness that He HAD to create for first Satan and his demons and then also for human beings who reject Christ. Think of hell as being a large "box" that God creates that will NOT allow His Light to enter, and thus it is filled with utter darkness and everything in it is BAD - the opposite of everything good with God for one reason - God and all His Light and goodness is NOT there. Now let's switch gears and apply God's Light and darkness to our universe and planet Earth. Our universe has two things in it that do not exist in eternity where God dwells - time and darkness. Why is that? Easy - God is eternal and infinite and does not need time. He is Light and light destroys all darkness. So what is this "saying" about the universe? It is saying that God does not NEED the universe for Himself and His eternal beings. Then why create it? Because there IS someone who DOES NEED the universe and time - finite human beings whom God created AND whom God KNEW would sin and whose sin would "apply" not only to themselves but also the whole universe. That is how bad sin is to God. And let's not forget - sin cannot "dwell" where God is, thus He created the universe separate from His eternal dwelling in order to "contain" the sin of mankind until in the future when He will create a new heavens and earth with no sin for all eternity. God's number one essence is Relationship with Him being the Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Spirit. Relationship brings Him His greatest JOY. The number one essence of relationship is love which is simply putting others first. God LOVES relationships above all things and thus created angels and then human beings in order to have an eternal relationship with Himself and each other. The ONLY way anyone - angels or humans - can even "have" love is through free will or free choice. You cannot love unless you have the ability not to love. God loves the angels and loves us and desires that we love Him back with our free will in order to spend eternity with Him. Knowing in advance that Adam and Eve would sin and bring sin to the whole human race and also to the universe, He had to find a way to save us since His greatest desire is to love us and spend eternity with us. How did He do this? Through Jesus, of course, but also through TIME created by the universe. Since every human being is born with a sin nature, we are born lost and separated from God and are actually children of Satan until we come to know God through His Son, Jesus Christ. God had to make sure that we would not be "created lost" inside "eternity" in order to avoid being created eternally lost. By being created inside "time" which is "temporary," we have "time" to come to know Him through His Son Jesus Christ and to become His children for all eternity. We are NOT eternally lost "inside time." We are only eternally lost if we enter eternity with sins because we do not have a personal relationship with God through Jesus. We must be born again! What happens then is what this whole article is about - God's Light. Through Jesus Christ we are born again and receive God's Holy Spirit in us. Since God is Light, we receive God's Light in us. Why is that and what does that mean? Since all human beings are born with a sin nature, that means there is NO God's Light in us which means we live our lives in spiritual "darkness" with no God's Light to guide us. When we are born again, we receive God's Light in us through the Holy Spirit. Think of God's Light in us as God's flashlight. Without it we live our lives in spiritual darkness, but with God's Holy Spirit Light, we now have God's flashlight to guide us and help us to see and know how to walk on our spiritual path to live lives that are pleasing to Him. The only problem is we still have a sinful nature. We now have a new Godly nature through the Holy Spirit Light in us alongside our sinful nature. So how do the two work together? Think of it this way: Think of our body, soul and spirit as one large dark ROOM with NO God's light - ZERO. God's flashlight is a BEAM of light that illuminates a "part" of that dark room. In eternity there is no dark part of "anything" but there still is in the universe, as long as we have our sinful nature which we keep until our bodies die. And then those who are born again enter eternal heaven with God because Jesus paid the price for our sins, and those who do not know Jesus keep their sins and are then separated from God forever. How does God's flashlight and darkness in us work together? God's desire is for us to follow Him, serve Him and be guided by Him in our journey on earth. When we follow His path using His Holy Spirit flashlight, we are walking by His spirit and earning eternal rewards; and when we stray from His flashlight beam, we are walking by the flesh back into the darkness. We "have" God's Holy Spirit flashlight only because Jesus paid the price for our sins and is our Lord and Savior; and when we die, the "path" of our Holy Spirit flashlight beam is straight to heaven. For those without God's flashlight who live in darkness, when they die they do not have God's flashlight to show the path to heaven; and thus they continue from finite darkness to infinite darkness. Bottom line: If you are born again, always seek to follow the path of God's flashlight and walk by His spirit, and rack up lots of eternal rewards which pleases God. Try not to stray from His Light back into the flesh and darkness. If you are not born again, repent of your sins and ask Lord Jesus to come into your life and help you live a life that pleases Him for now and all eternity. He has an incredible Holy Spirit Flashlight He wants to give you. Use it to light up your darkness and follow God's path. There is a song that was made by Debby Boone back in the 70's that says it all: YOU Light Up My Life. Just imagine how incredible and wonderful your life is when God lights up your life. God bless and Maranatha [email protected] Daily Jot: It's always the Republicans' fault - Bill Wilson - www.dailyjot.com The Congressional Research Service says there have been 21 government shutdowns since Congress adopted new budget rules. CBSnews.com says, "For perspective, there were only three shutdowns in the 25 years before 2018." But every president since Gerald Ford except George W. Bush has had at least one shutdown. Jimmy Carter had several, one over abortion funding. CBS reports that Ronald Reagan "oversaw more shutdowns than any other president." Bill Clinton had two shutdowns, one lasting a record 21 days. The immediate past president had a 16-day shutdown over socialist healthcare. The CBS slant is that Republicans were to blame. And that's how I remember the media reports at the time. It's a lose-lose for Republicans with government shutdowns. If there is a Republican president during a government shutdown, the media attacks him. If there is a Democratic president and the government shuts down, the media attacks the Republicans in Congress. The shutdowns during Donald Trump's Administration have been no different. It all gets down to the fact that most of the media votes Democratic-this is a documented fact. Democrats like their big government and shutting it down is a terrible thing to them, unless, of course, the shutdown is making a stand to get government-funded abortion, huge government expansion, or socialist healthcare-then the shutdown is warranted. Does anyone remember the shutdown over socialist healthcare? The immediate past president intentionally used his discretionary authority to defund specific highly visible government programs and services that would touch the most people. He believed it would cause such backlash that the Republicans will have to fund his socialist healthcare. Parks closed, except for immigration protests that he supported. He threatened that Social Security checks would be withheld. There were threats to close the highways to truckers coming to protest in Washington, DC. Private businesses on public land were shut down. He said it was all because of the Republicans. It was a Machiavellian demonstration of unconstitutional powers and the media wholeheartedly supported him. The current shutdown is over whether to fund a wall to provide border security. Democrats and the media say the wall is racist and xenophobic-as is anyone who supports the concept of border security to prevent people from illegally entering America. Pay no mind to the very fact that the Democratic leadership opposing the wall and fomenting this shutdown all are on record as favoring a wall prior to Trump taking office. To me, in writing this Jot, I'm not taking a political position, but rather just reporting the facts. You can check them. IF the government shuts down, the media account is: it's the Republicans' fault. If history were recorded without political bias, this narrative is completely false. Jesus said in Matthew 24:4, "Take heed that no man deceive you." Check the facts. Set people straight because the media won't. Daily Devotion: An Everlasting Love - By Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you." -Jeremiah 31:3 On an episode of The Simpsons, one of the characters, Ralph Wiggum, was feeling very sad because none of his classmates had given him a valentine. Lisa Simpson had some sympathy for Ralph, so she gave him a card with a drawing of a train. The valentine read, "I choo-choo-choose you." Ralph was very moved by that and thought Lisa was in love with him. But Lisa wasn't in love with Ralph; she just wanted to be kind. Lisa's valentine would make a great theological statement: God choo-choo-chooses you. He did, and He does. But He didn't choose you out of sympathy; He chose you out of His love for you. In the Book of Jeremiah God says, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you" (31:3 NKJV). God personally chose and loved you as though you were the only person on earth. Jesus said, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit" (John 15:16 NKJV). God showed His love toward us in a tangible way. Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (NKJV). And John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" (NKJV). No matter what you're going through, nothing will ever separate you from God's love. Nothing will ever stop God from loving you. Romans 8:38-39 tells us, "Neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (NKJV). God loves you. 
FROM THE HEART
IF YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED THROUGH THIS MINISTRY, THEN WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD PLEASE REMEMBER PROPHECY UPDATE IN YOUR GIVING - WE ARE TRULY, TRULY, THANKFUL FOR YOUR SUPPORT Prophecy Update has no corporate sponsors. This ministry is paid for and prayed for by readers and supporters. Without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update, Please pray about becoming a monthly supporter - thanks! If ever there was a time to invest in God's Kingdom, it's now! What on earth are you doing for Heaven's Sake? "Share in the Blessings and Rewards that will last Forever!" "Folks, it's all beginning to unravel. America is in more danger of falling than at any time in its history. But I believe Bible prophecy predicts this very decline. From this point on, we believers have to get serious. We are going to face discouragement, disillusionment and, most certainly, persecution in the time between now and the Rapture. But don't be discouraged or disillusioned. The coming turmoil will provide us unrivaled opportunities to share the good news of the Gospel. So be ready to share your faith and your hope with those who need Christ. We still have time to reap a great harvest of souls for God's kingdom!" - Hal Lindsey 1) We need your prayers!- We proclaim the Truth of the Word of God and we are under constant spiritual and sometimes even physical attack. 2) We need your encouragement!- We need to hear from you, let us know how the Lord is blessing you through this ministry so that we can share it with others. 3) We need your input! - If you have a prophetic article or story or if there is a news related item we missed, let us know. 4) We need your financial support!- To put it quite simply, without your support, there would be no Prophecy Update. I ask that you would prayerfully consider partnering with us to get the Word out and keep the world informed. Remember, your gift, no matter how small, does make a difference! You will be helping to touch lives, around the world, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, thanks to the internet your generosity carries a global impact! - Thanks! Our Prayer for You- "Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:10-13 Prophecy Update is a 501 (c) (3) tax exempt - non-profit organization, and all your donations are tax deductible. If you have been blessed by Prophecy Update and would like to help support this ministry financially. You can make a secure donation online by going to: DONATE NOW Or Visit our website: http://prophecyupdate.com/donations/ Or write us at: Prophecy Update P.O. Box 40516 Bakersfield, CA 93384-0516 
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