Date 7/31/15
PROPHECY UPDATE NEWS HEADLINES
Yesterday's Prophecies - Today's Headlines
HEADLINES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
TRACKING BIBLE PROPHECY
http://www.trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php
Putin to Netanyahu: Iran deal will improve security in the Middle East
Iran says it will ban US experts from UN nuclear inspections
White House Says IAEA Will Release Report on 'Past Military
Dimensions' of Iran Nuclear Program
GOP Rep. Rohrabacher proposes bill authorizing Obama to detain
Iranian officials
Obama urges supporters to lobby for Iran deal
Iran: Obama Admin Lying About Nuclear Deal for 'Domestic
Consumption'
McCain: 'Absolutely astounding' that US hasn't seen Iran side deal
Top French Official Contradicts Kerry on Iran Deal
Netanyahu: John Kerry 'Has No Reason to Come Here'
Israel readies Iron Dome on Lebanon border as Hezbollah anticipates
arms from Iran
Israel slams Amnesty report accusing IDF of war crimes
'Abbas significantly contributing to stability' in West Bank, senior
security source says
Joint List says Israel's force-feeding law 'authorizes torture of
Palestinian prisoners'
Palestinian baby dies in fire 'started by Israeli settlers'
Netanyahu on Duma attack: Israel deals harshly with terror, no matter
the perpetrator
IDF head Eisenkot holds emergency security meeting following Duma
terror attack
Hamas: 'Every Israeli is now a legitimate target' following Duma terror
attack
Erekat calls on international community to protect Palestinians from
Israelis after toddler killed
Arabs Destroy Holocaust Survivor Site in Land Grab Attempt
Survivors appeal to Pope to intercede with Germany over Holocaust
reparations
Foreign Ministry calls Sunni Arab states 'Israel's allies'
Iraqi MP: 'Iraq should establish ties with Israel, we share interests'
Islamic State Threatens to Behead Statue of Liberty, Extend Its
Territory to New York City
Cheating evil: Chechen women con ISIS by posing as wannabe terror
brides
Al-Qaida kills 6 captured Yemeni rebels north of Aden
Blast kills at least 5 in Nigeria market - police, rescue worker
Zionist Chief: Obama Has 'Shocking Sympathy to Radical Islam'
China, Russia to hold military drills in Sea of Japan
UK terror suspect allegedly tried to buy enough ricin to kill 1400
Alaska Airlines test program replaces boarding passes with fingerprints
CISA: the dirty deal between Google and the NSA that no one is talking
about
Facebook wants to offer Internet service to remote areas by drone
Feds: 664,607 illegals granted amnesty, some linked to terrorism,
gangs
Puerto Rico nears default as debt restructuring beckons
IMF will refuse to join Greek bailout until debt relief demands are met
Prepare for gold prices to plunge...as low as $350
'Blue Moon' To Grace Skies Friday In Rare Phenomenon
5.3 magnitude earthquake hits near the Kermadec Islands region
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Raoul Island, New Zealand
5.2 magnitude earthquake hits near Kerman, Iran
4.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Israel, No Injuries, Damage Reported
Papua New Guinea's Manam volcano erupts, sending ash 65,000 feet
into air
Colima volcano in Mexico erupts to 15,000ft
Karymsky volcano on Kamchatka, Russia erupts to 15,000ft
Raung volcano in Indonesia erupts to 14,000ft
Suwanosejima volcano in Japan erupts to 10,000ft
Piton De La Fournaise volcano in the Indian Ocean erupts to 10,000ft
Deadly monsoon landslides spotlight Nepal's post-quake challenges
Tropical Storm Guillermo quickly intensifies east of Hawaii
Tropical Storm Soudelor tracking toward Marianas
Heavy Flooding Swamps City in Russia
At least 26 dead in flash floods in western India
Iran city hits suffocating heat index of 154 degrees, near world record
Record-Challenging Heat Wave Bakes Seattle and Portland, Oregon
Astonishing drought unveils lost towns that have sat submerged under
Lake Mead for decades
Northern California wildfire forces hundreds to flee
Drones impede air battle against California wildfires. 'If you fly we can't,'
pleads firefighter
Jeb: Humans contribute to climate change
Sierra Leone faces Ebola setback; 500 under quarantine
70,000 Liberian births unrecorded in Ebola crisis: UNICEF
4th Video Catches Planned Parenthood VP Discussing How to Break
the Law to Sell Aborted Babies
Planned Parenthood Abortionist Talks 'Intact Specimens' in 4th
Undercover Video: Look, 'It's a Baby... It's Another Boy'
Call it 'research,' not 'business,' Planned Parenthood doc says in latest
sting video
Planned Parenthood president: These extremist videos are nothing
short of an attack on women
Indiana Clears Planned Parenthood of Wrongdoing After Videos
Planned Parenthood Received Millions of Dollars After Lobbying
Clinton's State Department
Planned Parenthood backlash could fuel new shutdown standoff in DC
Abortion opponents plan nationwide Planned Parenthood protest
Man stabs six people at Jerusalem gay pride parade; suspect carried
out similar attack in 2005
Jerusalem stabber's letter week before attack: 'Stopping gay pride
march is a test from God'
Hours before stabbing: Lehava accuses homosexuals of harming
Jewish nation
Netanyahu: Justice will be dealt to Jerusalem gay pride parade attacker
Rivlin on gay pride parade attack: A lack of tolerance will lead us to
disaster
Erdan: Stabbing attack at Jerusalem gay pride is 'hate crime that
cannot be forgiven'
Education Minister Bennett announces extra funds for LGBT youth
'Exorcism: Live!' to air on TV in October
Pope Warns of 'Genocide' As Persecution Of Christians Rises
Worldwide
Less than a fifth of Americans believe the US is a Christian nation
Mississippi school district fined $7500 for opening assembly with prayer
'What lion?' Zimbabweans ask, amid global Cecil circus
PROPHECY UPDATE NEWSLETTER
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"AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING"
IN TODAY'S NEWSLETTER...
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Featured Article: As We See the Day Approaching
A Message to The World Left Behind - What To Do If
You Miss The Rapture - A Post Rapture Resource
Blood Moon and the "Messianic Advancement"
Obama strikes again
Watchman Warning: 'To The Door Of The Oven' This Week on the Hal Lindsey Report
Daily Jot: The stand of accountability
The Day of Battle
Daily Devotion: A Portrait of God
FEATURED ARTICLE
As We See the Day Approaching - Wendy Wippel http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8089
The Prophet Ezekiel arrived in Babylon in Nebuchadnezzar's last wave of
captives, about 597 B.C, along with Israel's deposed King, Jehoachin (also
known as Jeconiah). Not coincidence. The nation of Israel, for the moment,
was official history. And Ezekiel was there to make sure God's people had
"the rest of the story".
Ezekiel is visited by God as he and the rest of the captives are on the banks of
the River Chebar, and Ezekiel sees, in a whirlwind, a vision of the Lord's glory.
He also gets this message:
"Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation
that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against
Me to this very day. For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am
sending you to them, and you shall say to them, 'Thus says the Lord
God.' Ezekiel 2:3-4
Not a real enticing job description. If they didn't listen to God, are they going to
listen to Ezekiel?
And then it gets worse:
Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; ...When I
say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, ... his
blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not
turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity;
but you have delivered your soul. Ezekiel 3:17-20
If it was me, I think I would have followed in Jonah's footsteps and got out of
town.
But Ezekiel bowed to God's will. And what follows is revelation after revelation
(in both words and in odious allegories that Ezekiel was required to act out) of
the judgment that will befall God's impudent and stubborn children before they
finally repent.
With God saying, finally and ominously, that this rebellious and stubborn
people will come to know that He is the Lord only when He "sets His face
against them." (Ezekiel 15:8)
And that's what Ezekiel was initially given to convey to God's people
prophesied. Judgment. Nothing but judgment for a full seven years ( and 24
chapters), during which time, ostensibly, God's people had a chance to repent.
Through Ezekiel, they had been warned.
In 587-, however, the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar's armies began.
And with that, Ezekiel's messages to the nation of Israel changed. Chapters
25-32 of Ezekiel (following the prediction in chapter 24 that the Temple would
be destroyed), consist of Judgments on the surrounding nations.
A reminder, through Ezekiel, that Yahweh, despite his discipline, was still their
God and their Avenger.
An Avenger that also promised to restore them:
The hand of the Lord ... set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full
of bones. ... and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed
they were very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" ...
Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry
bones, hear the word of the Lord! ... "Surely I will cause breath to enter into
you, and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 37:16
Also He said to me, 'prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says
the Lord God: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these
slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath
came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly
great army. Ezekiel 37:9-10
Then He said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.
They indeed say, 'Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are
cut off!' Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God:
"Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from
your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I
am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you
up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will
place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken
it and performed it," says the Lord.'" Ezekiel 37:11-14
God tells Ezekiel that at this point in time, with nation ruled by the Babylonian
King Nebuchadnezzar, their people enslaved, and their king blinded and also
in bondage the people of Israel feel that hope is lost. And Ezekiel is tasked to
restore their hope:
"Then say to them, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Surely I will take the children of
Israel from among the nations, wherever they have gone, ... and I will make
them one nation in the land, . . . and one king shall be king over them all; I will
deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will
cleanse them. Then they shall be My people, and I will be their God....
and David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one
shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and
do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My
servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their
children, and their children's children, forever; and My servant David shall be
their prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and
it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply
them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle
also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My
people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My
sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." Ezekiel 36:21-28
Curiously what follows those verses are these:
Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, "Son of man, set your face
against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal,
and prophesy against him, and say, 'Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am
against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you
around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses,
and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and
shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia,[b] and Libya[c] are with
them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer and all its troops; the house
of Togarmah from the far north and all its troops-many people are with you.
Ezekiel 38:1-6
Doesn't that seem weird? Why the heck are we talking about Gog and Magog
all of a sudden?
Let's Review. Israel's people had been captured and taken to Babylon, and
their king Jeconiah, had been deposed. Ezekiel's job from that point on was to
remind Israel of God's faithfulness. So Ezekiel relayed God's assurance that
the nation would be restored.
And Gog and Magog, apparently, is the methodology.
God tells Gog and Magog that,
"In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the
sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had
long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them
dwell safely. You will ascend, coming like a storm, covering the land like a
cloud, you and all your troops and many peoples with you." Ezekiel 37:8-9
Note that God describes the God and Magog coalition coming against Israel in
the latter years, after the people had largely returned and are dwelling in
safety. Which has to mean sometime between 1972 and now. (And with the
recent deal with Iran, they are safer now than they were a month ago.
At least that's what Kerry and O would like us to believe.
"On that day it shall come to pass that ... you will make an evil plan: ou will
say, 'I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; ... to take plunder and to
take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again
inhabited, and against a people gathered from the nations, who have acquired
livestock and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land. Ezekiel 38:10-12
Airplanes made walls around cities superfluous in 1903.
"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, 'Thus says the Lord God:
"On that day when My people Israel dwell safely, will you not know it? ... You
will come up against My people Israel like a cloud, to cover the land. It will be
in the latter days that I will bring you against My land, so that the nations may
know Me, "And it will come to pass at the same time, when Gog comes
against the land of Israel," says the Lord God, "that My fury will show in My
face.... I will call for a sword against Gog throughout all My mountains," ... And
I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on
him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain,
great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify
Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know
that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 38:14-19, 23
Note that Gog and Magog's attack on Israel comes a long time after the
prophecy was made, specifically after Israel's people had returned and were
living in (relative) safety, with the three wars of securing modern Israel behind
them. It is at that point that Gog and Magog attack, and God miraculously
saves them. And apparently, even their enemies recognize the divine nature
of their rescue.
So said enemies embrace Israel as chosen of God, right?
We all know better. Their enemies hate Israel's God as much as they hate
Israel, an attitude that the Psalms record:
Do not hold Your peace, And do not be still, O God! For behold, Your enemies
make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have
taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against
Your sheltered ones. They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from
being a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more." Psalm
83:1-4
That's been the world's mantra since God made the covenant with Abraham.
So what happens next? Remember, God, through Ezekiel, links Israel's final
redemption with Gog and Magog. Think about it. All the nations hate Israel,
and are no doubt incensed that Israel and their God escaped destruction at
the hands of God and Magog. Their next step, logically, would be to join
forces (at this point, diplomatically, as implicated in the first seal) in order to
together subjugate Israel to international rule.
That way they could divide Israel's land and usurp their considerable
resources, possibly, in the process, forcing Israel to sign a treaty with a certain
demonically inspired individual in exchange for permission to rebuild the
temple. If you are paying any attention at all it would appear that the stage is
being set for these exact events to transpire.
And being set quickly.
Iran and Russia, pretty much enemies for all of earth history, got all friendly
when the Shah abdicated in 1979, and have signed numerous pacts of mutual
support since. In the recent deal with Iran, Russia and Iran acted as one
voice.
Putin's right-hand man, Zhironovsky, has written a book describing Russia's
intention to rule Israel.
Iran's leaders have said numerous times that their goal in life is to see Israel
destroyed. As have many of Israel's other neighbors. And the two neighbors
missing in the biblical description of the coalition that comes against IsraelEgypt and Iraq-currently kind of make sense.
Egypt is virtually the only Muslim country that has signed a peace treaty with
Israel: Iraq has enough problems of its own.
And Iran is almost certainly way closer to have atomic weapons than we even
think.
But it's OK. God's got Israel's back. And as for us, anyone else hear
trumpets?
A Message to The World Left Behind - What To Do If
You Miss The Rapture - A Post Rapture Resource
http://watchmansview.com/Rapture_Left_Behind.html
or www.RaptureLeftBehind.com
The page linked above (with this entire website), will be hosted soon on
OrangeWebsite.com, which is based in Iceland. Orange Website is dedicated
to protect Freedom of Speech and content data - Iceland is also a completely
independent nation outside of the European Union, for the best chance for the
hosting to remain live during the post-rapture pre-tribulation period, and up to
3.5 years into the tribulation period) with the hosting and domain pre-paid for
five years. Currently linked third-party content (specifically for this page) is in
the process of being duplicated (with permissions) and hosted on this website,
so it will not be lost in the advent of U.S. servers being off-line (sudden
destruction event), Biblical content being erased, or unpaid hosting causing a
discontinuation, after the rapture of the church.
The page contains CRITICAL information for those left behind for their
understanding of what has happened, what to do now, answers serious
questions they will have and provides resources for making the best out of the
nightmare situation in which they currently find themselves. A special section
(page) for "A Special Message to all of Israel and Jews Around The World" is
also featured.
With the restrainer taken out of the way, and the believing church gone as
well, this and other websites (that remain operational) with similar content,
may be the only witness to give those left behind hope and direction.
If you have a website, blog or social media site, please link to this page so that
the greatest number of people left behind have the best chance of finding this
information. This is also a very good link to leave loved ones to view when
they discover you are gone and they have been left behind.
If I have missed any key resources, that should be considered, please email
me at Watchman@WatchmansView.com.
TIME IS SHORT (Romans 13:11) - WAKE-UP CHURCH! (Ephesians 5:14)
Look-Up! (Luke 21:28, Buckle-Up! (Ephesians 6:13), because we areGoingUp! (I Thessalonians 4:16-17) SOON! (Revelation 22:12)
Blood Moon and the "Messianic Advancement" - By Rivkah
Lambert Adler -
http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/46098/upcoming-blood-moon-messianicadvancement-jewish-world/#7fFb8CGI4BOYxF4d.97
"The sun shall turn to darkness, and the moon to blood, prior to the coming of
the great and awesome day of the Lord." (Joel 3:4)
Blood moon enthusiasts around the world are eagerly awaiting the
appearance of a final blood moon of a special four-moon cycle, known as a
tetrad, on September 28, 2015. What makes this particular tetrad unique is
that each blood moon occurs during a Jewish holiday, making it a very rare
historical occurrence.
In a recent talk he gave in Jerusalem, Rabbi Mendel Kessin, a rabbinic
scholar, spoke about the connection between the appearance of blood moons
on Jewish holidays and historical events that bring the ultimate redemption
closer. At the 36-minute mark, Rabbi Kessin introduces the history of blood
moons to his Orthodox Jewish audience and explicitly connects the blood
moons to redemption.
Kessin begins by explaining that a lunar eclipse occurs when the earth is
between the sun and the moon, turning the moon dark. Lunar eclipses happen
approximately every 12-18 months, according to Kessin. Rarer than an
ordinary lunar eclipse, he continues, is a blood moon, which turns the moon
red instead of dark.
Rarer still are tetrads - sequences of four blood moons six months apart. And
extremely rare, happening only four times in 500 years, are tetrads that fall on
the significant Jewish holidays of Passover and Sukkot [Feast of
Tabernacles]. These sequences included the years 1492, 1948, 1967 and
2015.
It is commonly known that in 1492, Columbus discovered America. What is
less well-known is that, on July 30, 1492, the entire Jewish community of
Spain, approximately 200,000 individuals, were expelled by King Ferdinand
and Queen Isabella. Columbus' discovery of America provided the Spanish
Jews with safe harbor. As Kessin teaches, the discovery of America softened
the exile of the Spanish Jews and, in that way, moved redemption forward.
According the Kessin, the exile of the Jewish people began to ease up as far
back as 1492.
The next tetrad falling on Jewish holidays happened in 1948, when the State
of Israel was founded. The third extremely rare tetrad on Jewish holidays was
in 1967, when the city of Jerusalem was reunited. Now, in 2015, the final
blood moon of the current tetrad is scheduled to fall on the first night of the
Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
In addition, the blood moon this Sukkot will occur just two weeks after the end
of the current Shemitah year. This is significant because the Talmud, the most
important collection of rabbinic teachings in Judaism, suggests that the the
messiah will come in the year following a Shemitah year.
Speaking to Breaking Israel News, Kessin said, "Each one of these is a
messianic advancement. There are incredible events that predate the
messiah."
Why would God make blood moons a sign for the Jews? Traditionally, as
recorded in the Talmud, a lunar eclipse is a bad sign for the Jews, who mark
time with the moon.
On the other hand, the Jewish holidays of Passover and Sukkot are
considered nights of the greatest protection of the Jews. The first night of
Passover is referred to in Hebrew as leil shimurim, a night of guarding.
Additionally, the outdoor booths in which Jews dwell during the holiday of
Sukkot are meant as reminders of the fragile huts that protected the newly
freed slaves during 40 years in the desert after the exodus from Egyptian
slavery.
In essence, Kessin explains that the presence of a blood moon, which would
otherwise have been a bad omen, is a good omen for the Jews whenever it
falls in this sequence. "Every time a blood moon happens [on a Jewish holiday
tetrad]," said Kessin, "there is messianic advancement."
Kessin reminded Breaking Israel News that the threat from Iran is also
messianic, which he says can be clearly seen from the 13th century Biblical
rabbinic commentary known as the Yalkut Shimoni. Rabbinic scholar and
author Rabbi Nachman Kahana translates the relevant section of the 800-year
old commentary:
Paras (Persia-Iran) will be the dread of humanity. The world's leaders will be
frustrated in their futile efforts to save what they can, but to no avail. The
people of Yisrael will also be petrified by the impending danger. And HaShem
will say to us, "Why are you afraid? All of this I have done in order to bring you
the awaited redemption. And this redemption will not be like the redemption
from Egypt, which was followed by suffering. This redemption will be absolute,
followed with peace.
"We have now entered the countdown to the messiah, which is unbelievable,"
Kessin told Breaking Israel News. "Based on the [verse from the Book of Joel
cited above], based on what's happening, something awesome seems to be in
the works. Fascinating!"
Obama strikes again - By Caroline B. Glick http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0715/glick073115.php3
While Israel and much of official Washington remain focused on the deal
President Barack Obama just cut with the ayatollahs that gives them $150
billion and a guaranteed nuclear arsenal within a decade, Obama has already
moved on - to Syria.
Obama's first hope was to reach a deal with his Iranian friends that would
leave the Assad regime in place. But the Iranians blew him off.
They know they don't need a deal with Obama to secure their interests.
Obama will continue to help them to maintain their power base in Syria though
Hezbollah and the remains of the Assad regime without a deal.
Iran's cold shoulder didn't stop Obama. He moved on to his Sunni friend
Turkish President Recep Erdogan.
Like the Iranians, since the war broke out, Erdogan has played a central role
in transforming what started out as a local uprising into a regional conflict
between Sunni and Shiite jihadists.
With Obama's full support, by late 2012 Erdogan had built an opposition
dominated by his totalitarian allies in the Muslim Brotherhood.
By mid-2013, Erdogan's Muslim Brotherhood- led coalition was eclipsed by
al-Qaida spinoffs. They also enjoyed Turkish support.
And when last summer ISIS supplanted al-Qaida as the dominant Sunni
jihadist force in Syria, it did so with Erdogan's full backing. For the past 18
months, Turkey has been ISIS's logistical, political and economic base.
According to Brett McGurk, the State Department's point man on ISIS, about
25,000 foreign fighters have joined ISIS in Syria and Iraq. All of them transited
through Turkey.
Most of the antiquities that ISIS plunders in Iraq and Syria make their way to
the world market through Turkey. So, too, most of the oil that ISIS produces in
Syria and Iraq is smuggled out through Turkey. According to the US Treasury,
ISIS has made $1 million-$4m. a day from oil revenue.
In May, US commandos in Syria assassinated Abu Sayyaf, ISIS's chief
money manager, and arrested his wife and seized numerous computers and
flash drives from his home. According to a report in The Guardian published
last week, the drives provided hard evidence of official Turkish economic
collusion with ISIS.
Due to Turkish support, ISIS has become a self-financing terrorist group. With
its revenue stream it is able to maintain a welfare state regime, attracting
recruits from abroad and securing the loyalty of local Sunni militias and former
Ba'athist forces.
Some Western officials believed that after finding hard evidence of Turkish
regime support for ISIS, NATO would finally change its relationship with
Turkey. To a degree they were correct.
Last week, Obama cut a deal with Erdogan that changes the West's
relationship with Erdogan.
Instead of maintaining its current practice of balancing its support for Turkey
with its support for the Kurds, under the agreement, the West ditches its
support for the Kurds and transfers its support to Turkey exclusively.
The Kurdish peshmerga militias operating today in Iraq and Syria are the only
military outfits making sustained progress in the war against ISIS. Since last
October, the Kurds in Syria have liberated ISIS-controlled and -threatened
areas along the Turkish border.
The YPG, the peshmerga militia in Syria, won its first major victory in
January, when after a protracted, bloody battle, with US air support, it freed
the Kurdish border town of Kobani from ISIS's assault.
In June, the YPG scored a strategic victory against ISIS by taking control of
Tal Abyad. Tal Abyad controls the road connecting ISIS's capital of Raqqa
with Turkey. By capturing Tal Abyad, the Kurds cut Raqqa's supply lines.
Last month, Time magazine reported that the Turks reacted with hysteria to
Tal Abyad's capture.
Not only did the operation endanger Raqqa, it gave the Kurds territorial
contiguity in Syria.
The YPG's victories enhanced the Kurds' standing among Western nations.
Indeed, some British and American officials were quoted openly discussing
the possibility of removing the PKK, the YPG's Iraqi counterpart, from their
official lists of terrorist organizations.
The YPG's victories similarly enhanced the Kurds' standing inside Turkey
itself. In the June elections to the Turkish parliament, the Kurdish HDP party
won 12 percent of the vote nationally, and so blocked Erdogan's AKP party
from winning a parliamentary majority.
Without that majority Erdogan's plan of reforming the constitution to transform
Turkey into a presidential republic and secure his dictatorship for the long run
has been jeopardized.
As far as Erdogan was concerned, by the middle of July the Kurdish threat to
his power had reached unacceptable levels.
Then two weeks ago the deck was miraculously reshuffled.
On July 20, young Kurdish activists convened in Suduc, a Kurdish town on
the Turkish side of the border, 6 kilometers from Kobani. A suicide bomber
walked up to them, and detonated, massacring 32 people.
Turkish officials claim that the bomber was a Turkish Kurd, and a member of
ISIS. But the Kurds didn't buy that line. Last week, HDP lawmakers accused
the regime of complicity with the bomber. And two days after the attack,
militants from the PKK killed two Turkish policemen in a neighboring village,
claiming that they collaborated with ISIS.
At that point, Erdogan sprang into action.
After refusing for months to work with NATO forces in their anti-ISIS
operations, Erdogan announced he was entering the fray. He would begin
targeting "terrorists" and allow the US air force to use two Turkish air bases for
its anti-ISIS operations. In exchange, the US agreed to set up a "safe zone" in
Syria along the Turkish border.
Turkish officials were quick to explain that in targeting "terrorists," the Turks
would not distinguish between Kurdish terrorists and ISIS terrorists just
because the former are fighting ISIS. Both, they insisted, are legitimate
targets.
Erdogan closed his deal in a telephone call with Obama. And he immediately
went into action.
Turkish forces began bombing terrorist targets and rounding up terrorist
suspects. Although a few of the Turkish bombing runs have been directly
against ISIS, the vast majority have targeted Kurdish forces in Iraq and Syria.
Moreover, for every suspected ISIS terrorist arrested by Turkish security
forces, at least eight Kurds have been taken into custody.
Then, too, Erdogan has called on AKP lawmakers to begin criminalizing their
counterparts from the HDP. Kurdish lawmakers, he urged them, must be
stripped of their parliamentary immunity to enable their arrests.
As Erdogan apparently sees things, by going to war against the Kurds, he will
be able to reestablish the AKP's parliamentary majority. Within a few weeks, if
the AKP fails to form a governing coalition - and it will - then new elections will
be held. The nationalists, who abandoned the AKP in June, will return to the
party to reward Erdogan for fighting the Kurds.
As for that "safe area" in northern Syria, as the Kurds see it, Erdogan will use
it to destroy Kurdish autonomy. He will flood the zone with Syrian Arab
refugees who fled to Turkey, to dilute the Kurdish majority. And he will secure
coalition support for the Sunni Arab militias - including those still affiliated with
al-Qaida - which will be permitted by NATO to operate openly in the safe area.
Already the Kurds are reporting that the US has stopped providing air support
for their forces fighting ISIS in the border town of Jarablus. Those forces were
bombed this week by Turkish F-16s.
For their part, despite Erdogan's pledge to fight ISIS, his forces seem
remarkable uninterested in rolling back ISIS achievements. The Turks have no
plan for removing ISIS from its strongholds in Raqqa or Haskiyah.
The Obama administration is presenting the deal with Turkey as yet another
great achievement.
The Rapture and the Thief in the Night - Trailer
We must all face the facts and realize that all of us have friends and family
members that are going to miss the rapture. In our new video, "The Rapture
and the Thief in the Night," we give a step by step explanation of what has
happened, why it happened, what to expect next, and what they must do and
what they must not do!
Prayerfully our friends and family members will watch this DVD before the
Rapture and not miss it, but some will certainly be Left Behind! Every believer
needs to watch this video and share it with their unsaved friends, and family
members. This video explains why the Rapture is the Blessed Hope of every
believer and how this event is different from the Second Coming. It also
explains what a person is to do if they miss the Rapture, and the events of the
Tribulation, the Antichrist and the Mark of the Beast. It is an excellent
witnessing tool that will prayerfully keep many from missing the Rapture, at
the same time it's also, a valuable guide for those Left Behind.
"The Rapture and the Thief in the Night" will be released on *8/7/15, PreOrder your copy today. When you Pre-Order one of our videos, not only are
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CONVERGENCE - of the End Time Signs - DVD
Is Now Shipping!!!
Now, also available on USB Flash-drive
or as a Digital Download
CONVERGENCE Reviews:
Randy, I just watched "Convergence" this morning and it was
excellent!! So well done, my friend. The graphics and the
news footage used are wonderful! I love that you put in print
what the narrator is saying! The people's comments are good
and the prayer is wonderful, too! I am so pleased and
grateful to be putting this DVD in my packets! God bless
you. Please pray with me that God will use these packets and
DVDs for His glory and that people will watch the DVDs!!!! I
see how the USA is pushing Israel to give up their God-given
land so things could rapidly decline for this nation. I am so
happy to be warning people and to put this excellent DVD in
their hands! Thank you again! - L. Rhone (Iowa)
"I loved this DVD, from beginning to end the message was
clear that all the End Time Signs are converging upon the
world, just as the Bible predicted. I cried during the part about
the Jewish Aliyah when they landed in Israel and kissed the
ground. Great Job!" - D. Koerner - (California)
Randy, "Convergence "is so good I am watching if for the 3rd
time! - L. Rhone (Iowa)
Outstanding video! Come quickly Lord Jesus!
- monstermovieman
Just shared on my facebook, hoping to get some people to wake
up and ask the Lord into their hearts! - L. Town
Hi. This is Cheryl, from New Hampshire. Thank you so much
for Convergence. I just received it today. I just finished
watching it.
It was FANTASTIC!! I Praise God for your Ministry. I've been
praying that God would prepare the hearts of my family
members when I show them the video. I'm praying that God
would give them the understanding and
keep them interested to watch it to the end and also keep
them awake.
-------------------------------------------------
Our Best DVD Ever
I believe CONVERGENCE, is the best DVD that we have ever
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Hi-Def clips, that thoroughly show that we are in the end of the End
Times, right before the Rapture and the Tribulation.
100 % Worded
This DVD is 100% worded for the hearing impaired. Every word the
narrator speaks, is clearly on the screen.
A Must See DVD
Every believer needs to watch this DVD and then share it with their
friends, family members, and co-workers. Every church, and small
bible study group, should watch this DVD and use it to evangelize.
There is an invitation at the end of the DVD, that gives everyone
the opportunity to ask Jesus into their lives!
Evangelistic tool
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, well, then a
DVD, with thousands of images, must be priceless. Today's
generation does not read books as much as us old school people.
But, hand them a DVD, and they are more than likely to watch it.
Timely
The CONVERGENCE DVD could not be more timely! It coincides
exactly with today's headlines and current events, leaving no
doubt, that all the end times signs are happening, just as Jesus
predicted.
ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY!
CONVERGENCE of the End Time Signs
"CONVERGENCE of the End Time Signs" - Bible Prophecy fulfillment is in a
period of acceleration, a time of Quickening, the world is racing towards
Armageddon, now more than ever we must be ready! We are about to enter a
time like no other time, a time that no man has ever seen, a time like no other
time in the history of this world, as a matter of fact we are about to enter the
end times. Since the dawn of mankind, there have always been wars and
rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences, disease, strange-weather
and false Christ's just as Jesus predicted. Fast forward nearly 2,000 years
since Jesus made this prediction, and you have today's headlines lining up
exactly with the Word of God. The big thing isn't that these events are
happening today, is that they are all happening at the very same time! Bible
prophecy is being fulfilled right before our very eyes. Fulfilled prophecy is
increasing in frequency and intensity just like birth pains, and Jesus said when
you see these know that I am near, even at the door.
All the signs of the last days are converging at the same time. Bible Prophecy
is happening right before our eyes and like birth pains, the predicted events
are happening more frequently and more intently. Never, in the history
throughout the world have so many forces, including economic, scientific,
techno-logic, ecologic, cultural, geopolitical, moral, spiritual and religion,
converged together to bring this world that's already teetering over the edge
into the abyss, to a point of no return. "CONVERGENCE" brings it all together
and will clearly show where all this heading and what people need to do!
CONVERGENCE -
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"The DVD provides an effective mix of biblical teaching and history, interspersed with
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destiny. Many commentators have said Israel is God's hour hand, Jerusalem is the
minute hand, and the Temple Mount is the second hand on God's timepiece. The video
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Got the DVD today and just finished watching it...outstanding!!! Loved it!!! - G. Madison
- Oklahoma
I watched "Israel God's Timepiece" last night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have loved
Israel ever since I read the book "Exodus", when I was in the Army in 1958. I do
everything I can to support Israel and get people involved in what they are going
through, and more than that, to pray for Peace in Jerusalem, according to Psalm 122.
Your DVD was a fitting tribute to this wonderful, spectacular country and God's very
own "baby". Thanks for taking the time to put it together. Very well done. - J. Masters Mississippi
It is really a professional production and I see why it is so well received. In fact we felt
it is actually the best film we have seen on end time events. - Bill & Brenda Hicks
At first I thought it was going to be another routine message but as it progressed it
became more and more impressive. It was a great message. Congratulations on a very
well presented and produced DVD. - R. Webb - Williamsburg
Another effective witness from Randy and Prophecy Update. The "There will be
Tribulation" video describes the purpose and the sequence of events during the final
seven years prior to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The linkage to many Old
Testament prophecies clearly show the importance of the nation of Israel to this sevenyear period. The pictures in the video document a world already full of tribulation- how
terrible will be those seven years. Great teaching tool for small groups and youth
ministers to present the gospel message through the topic of
bible prophecy. - John Wicklund Chair- Olive Tree Ministries Board of
Directors
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Thanks so much for the DVD There will be Tribulation...I watched it the other day,
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Watchman Warning: 'To The Door Of The Oven' - By Hal
Lindsey - http://www.hallindsey.com/ww-7-29-2015/
Presidential candidate and former Arkansas Governor, Mike Huckabee,
continues to be blasted for saying the Iran deal "will take the Israelis and
march them to the door of the oven." It is a vivid picture that offends a lot of
people. Are they right to be offended, or is the governor's comparison valid?
President Obama called the comment "sad." Hillary Clinton said, "I'm really
offended personally." Another Democratic presidential candidate, Martin
O'Malley, called Huckabee's comments "offensive." Republican presidential
candidate, George Pataki, tweeted, "Agree with @Potus that
@GovMikeHuckabee remarks are 'sad.'" (POTUS is an acronym for President
of the United States.)
The Anti-Defamation League jumped on Huckabee, too. They released a
statement saying, "Whatever one's views of the nuclear agreement with Iran .
. . comments such as those by Mike Huckabee suggesting the president is
leading Israel to another Holocaust are completely out of line and
unacceptable." The National Jewish Democratic Council released a statement
saying the remarks "may be the most inexcusable we've encountered in
recent memory."
You might expect criticism from liberal Jewish groups who generally support
President Obama, but Mr. Huckabee also took fire from a high ranking
member of Prime Minister Netanyahu's government. Israeli Transport Minister
Yisrael Katz said, "Dear Mr. Huckabee, no one is marching Jews to the ovens
anymore. . . . That is why we established the State of Israel and the Israel
Defense Forces, and if necessary, we will know how to defend ourselves by
ourselves."
That's an understandable sentiment. But Governor Huckabee wasn't
predicting another holocaust. He was trying to show graphically the dangers
of giving overwhelming firepower to people who are threatening another
holocaust.
On the Today Show, Huckabee said, "The response from Jewish people has
been overwhelmingly positive. The response from Holocaust survivors, from
the children of Holocaust survivors. . . . People were overwhelmingly
supportive."
Asked about President Obama calling his statement "ridiculous" and "sad,"
Huckabee said, "What's 'ridiculous' and 'sad' is that President Obama does
not take Iran's repeated threats seriously. For decades, Iranian leaders have
pledged to 'destroy,' 'annihilate,' and 'wipe Israel off the map' with a 'big
Holocaust.'"
On Tuesday, Huckabee appeared on the Fox News program,
"Outnumbered." Lisa Kennedy Montgomery (who goes by "Kennedy" on the
air) called Huckabee's comments "incendiary rhetoric." Then, as if to be fair,
she said Democrats are guilty of such rhetoric, too. "It's not one-sided
because you remember Joe Biden standing in front of an African-American
congregation saying the Republicans want to throw you back in chains. This
is not something that's limited to one party. It certainly happens on both
sides."
The segment ended at that point, with no one answering. That's a shame
because her comparison is one of the worst I've ever heard. The Iranian
Supreme Leader encourages his people to chant, "Death to Israel!" This is a
regular occurrence. When was the last time you heard a Republican call for
the re-institution of slavery? Iranian leaders - not some fringe group, but the
top people - have been vowing to wipe Israel off the map since 1979. Have
any Republican leaders ever called for African-Americans to be enslaved
again?
Iran is, in the words of Oliver Wendell Holmes, "a clear and present danger" to
Israel. Joe Biden's comments were vague and held no meaning in fact. The
Iranian threat to Israel is real, and it is obvious.
Was Huckabee out of line when he used the word "oven"? Iran wants to build
the most powerful oven in the world. It's as real as the searing furnace
Nebuchadnezzar threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into - and a
thousand times hotter. A small number of nuclear bombs could turn a country
the size of Israel into an oven, and then a wasteland in a matter of minutes.
Huckabee was not exaggerating the danger to Israel. But remember
this. God saved Shadrach and his friends. The Scripture promises He will
save Israel, too. I don't know how God will do it, but I guarantee you He will
do it despite all the Nukes on earth.
This week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'
Before the ink dried on the much-heralded nuclear deal with the Iranians, they
were back to their old tricks: Speaking out of both sides of their mouths!
While President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry were praising the
pact as historic and comprehensive, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei was making multiple appearances on Iranian television. He loudly
and publicly claimed that the deal would not deter Iran one whit from its goals
of spreading terror across the world and working toward the annihilation of
Israel -- and eventually the United States.
In fact, he was so arrogant in his taunting of Obama and the United States,
the Ayatollah took to Twitter. He tweeted the ominous image of a man in a
suicidal pose. It was obvious that the man holding the gun to his temple was
none other than Barack Obama!
Beside the image, in English, not Farsi for an Iranian audience, were these
words: "We welcome no war, nor do we initiate any war, but if any war
happens, the one who will emerge the loser will be the aggressive and the
criminal U.S."
Hey, nice dealing with you, too, Ali!
On top of that, the Ayatollah declared several times that Iran's policies toward
the United States and Israel "will not change." And he often did this in front of
banners proclaiming, "We will trample America," while the crowds chanted,
"Death to America" and "Death to Israel!"
Just to make sure the world got the point, at various times immediately
following the signing of the agreement, Iran's Foreign Minister, the
Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the Deputy Foreign Minister, and
the Ayatollah's top adviser on international affairs all weighed in. In various
ways they declared that they "would never accept" the "draft," continue to
"send arms to our allies in the region," deny IAEA inspectors any access to
"Iran's military centers," and "[maintain] Iran's dignity and might, [establish] the
nuclear program, [continue uranium] enrichment, and [retain] the heavy-water
reactor."
Wow! I'm wondering whether Kerry and the U.S. team were even in the same
room with these guys during the negotiations. I don't think they're exactly on
the same page.
And to show you how desperate the Left is to sell the deal, The New York
Times stooped to publishing complimentary headlines that were then
debunked by their own stories!
Then, to show you just how surreal and Chamberlainesque these negotiations
became (and how desperate for legacies and Nobels Obama and Kerry are),
the U.S. ended up agreeing to protect and defend the very Iranian nuclear
program our leaders declare we have now stopped in its tracks.
Sorry, Israel. We accidentally completely changed sides while "negotiating"
this historic deal! Ooops!
How messed up are we? A few years ago, the U.S. promised it would never
let Iran have a nuclear weapons program. Now, we've decided to let them
have their nukes and, to show what great guys we are, we'll protect that
program from a strike by Israel!
The Middle East, Israel, and the U.S. have just been sold down the river either
by two of the most clueless men we've ever chosen to lead us, or two of the
most devious.
Prophetically speaking, I don't suppose it makes much difference which they
are. The deed is done and the prophetic scenario just took a major leap
forward.
And since things are heating up so dramatically and so quickly, that means
our time is growing short to win others to faith in Christ.
This week, I'm going to show you how you can become a more effective
witness for Christ. And I'm going to do that by showing you how the Master
Himself -- meaning Jesus -- did it.
That means I'm going to share with you the powerful lesson contained in the
story we simply call, "The Woman at the Well."
Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, The Word
Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com
Folks, we've recently completely renovated my website,
www.hallindsey.com - We've also changed how we deliver some of the online
services many of you use to donate to this ministry or to purchase products.
If you had an established account at the old website, I need you to visit the
new one and re-register your account. It will help us efficiently make the
transitions we need to make and will prevent you and your contributions from
getting lost in the shuffle or falling through the cracks.
Thank you so much for taking the time to do this and for faithfully and
generously supporting my ministry and "The Hal Lindsey Report."
Daily Jot: The stand of accountability - Bill Wilson www.dailyjot.com
On January 18, 2002, when I wrote the first Daily Jot, there were maybe one
or two prophetic-related events per month. Over the years, these events
increased to perhaps one a week. Then several a week. Then one a day. And,
now, sometimes so many that it is difficult to pick which to write about.
Irrespective of your eschatology, it is difficult to deny that we are living in an
exciting prophetic time. Hardly dinner table conversation in 2002, today the
conversation doesn't even have to drift to to the Biblical significance of the
day's events at our dinner table with family or friends. It gets there naturally
and sometimes very quickly. I believe beyond a doubt that we are watching
Biblical prophecies take shape.
From the Caliphate in the Middle East to the US president as a catalyst to
Islamic dominance, it is not difficult now to see how the epic end time battle of
Ezekiel 38 takes shape and waits suspended for the LORD to set it in motion.
World powers, such as the United States under the leadership of godless men
and women, are shifting. They are abandoning traditional roles of standing in
the breech for Israel and for holding the violent Islamic aggression at bay.
Instead, they have taken the approach of engagement, aiding and abetting,
tolerance and allowance of this aggression to be played out by the hands of
brutal men who give new meaning to the contemporary definition of the word
"terrorist."
The "church" is divided as much on doctrine as it is on who is Jesus Christ.
Self-indulgence, emotionalism, and extra-biblical, even non-biblical teaching,
has replaced sound doctrine in much of the church. Discussions on doctrine
and theology often are now argued in terms of who wrote what book that is
currently popular, instead of the context of the word of God. This is 2 Timothy
4:3,4 playing out: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and
shall be turned unto fables." This opens the door to great deception.
I cannot urge you enough to study the word of God on your own. Teachers,
preachers, and others who self-proclaim their church offices will not stand in
your place before the Lord on Judgement Day. It will be you, and you alone.
You won't be able to quote passages from some so-called Bible teacher in
your defense. It will be about your relationship with the LORD. With the
exponential increase in events that can be related to prophecy and the desire
of the masses to chase after the newest opinion on scripture, I now have a
fuller understanding of what Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 2:12 to "work
out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Read the Word in its context.
Get close to Jesus. We are living in prophetic times.
The Day of Battle - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com
"The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD."
Proverbs 21:31. Every nation needs military protection. Soldiers learn to use
the weapons of war long before the day of battle comes so they won't be
overcome by the enemy. Once I heard a military man recalling a day when he
and some fellow soldiers were relaxing in their barracks. The commanding
officer walked in and asked "Are you men ready to go to war"? The day was
September 11, 2001. The reality of the words sank in and every man heartily
answered "Yes sir"! They were ready, willing, and able. They had learned to
use their weapons and were sure of their ability to fight. Each man was
prepared for the day of battle. It is astounding how many Christians are not
ready, willing, or able to fight in the battle we are in. Most are unaware that
there is even a battle going on. When asked if they are ready for war, their
answer us "Huh"?
Every day Christians face a spiritual battle, but most are not prepared for the
fight. The truth is that many Christians have surrendered to the enemy; they
have joined with the world to oppose God Almighty, the One they claim to
serve. When Christians lower moral standards or appear outwardly to conform
with the secular world, God is not honored and Satan gains a victory.
Christians must study God's word and hold it as the standard to measure all
things in order to not be confused by Satan's lies. "Study to shew thyself
approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will
increase unto more ungodliness." 2 Timothy 2:15-16. Instead of studying the
word of God and applying His truth to everyday life, "in name only" Christians
side with Satan through ignorance of Scripture. This evil foe has infiltrated
every corner of life. Television and movies mock our Lord, fornication is made
to seem normal, and foul language is common. As you watch a movie or
television program, ask yourself if it promotes Christian beliefs or does it
glorify sin. You cannot understand the evil behind such trash if you don't know
or care about God's truth. If you inundate your mind with non-Christian ideas
the enemy's ways easily replace God's ways and your spiritual battle gear
becomes faulty. Why would Christians allow this? Why support Satan's
teaching by watching it? Soon you will side with the enemy instead of standing
for God. It becomes easy for you to participate in sin because instead of
preparing for battle by studying God's word you've let your guard down and
joined the enemy.
Many Christians read the Bible but don't take it seriously. If it's read at all it is
viewed as stories that are on a par with Aesop's Fables or Poor Richard's
Almanac. Instead of being understood as God's own word that never changes,
it is seen as old fashioned and not relevant for today. God's word never
changes and you can only be prepared for the day of battle if you take
Scripture seriously and apply it to your life. "All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:16-17. On one level God's word gives us an
example of the way we are to conduct our life. Scripture is the model for our
personal walk in our Christian life and it needs to guide every aspect of living.
We are to treat others as we would want to be treated. We are to be a living
sacrifice and serve our Lord -- deny "self", take up our cross, and follow Him.
Peter's failures encourage us because he overcame fear and failure and
served Christ well. Paul's example of speaking boldly in love no matter what
the situation and of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to everyone encourages
us to do likewise. On a deeper level we need to take His word seriously in
order to be prepared for battle. Jesus was God incarnate, yet many who claim
to be Christians dispute that fact. God tells us in Genesis chapter 6 that fallen
angels mated with human women, yet many people believe man's foolish
interpretations instead of what God said. When God's word promises that in
this life we will have tribulation, don't take that to mean we will have an
occasional bad hair day or someone will take the parking space you spotted. It
means that you will be persecuted because of your faith. Don't compromise
God's word or your spiritual armor will be damaged and you will be unfit for the
day of battle. We are in a war and our battle is against spiritual enemies. "For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of
our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth
itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought
to the obedience of Christ". 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. You will never be prepared
for battle if you are not prepared to believe God. You will never be prepared
for battle if you continue to allow secular activities to pull down your spiritual
defenses. Study Scripture, know the enemy, and follow God's battle plan.
Many Christians are not spiritually fit to fight in this battle. Too often Satan is
given victory in the battle because Christians don't stand firm upon Scripture.
Many Christians believe that the Holy Spirit no longer is at work today. These
folks are not at all prepared for battle. We cannot compromise one point of
God's word without damaging our spiritual armor. When His word says to put
on the full armor of God, do it. Don't neglect one piece. "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." Ephesians 6:13. Don't compromise one piece
of the armor by allowing the enemy to tinker with it.
When the day of battle comes and the troops are not spiritually fit for battle,
how can they fight? If they are cowering in the hills, how can they expect to
win any battle? King Saul's army faced an enemy who had no chance of
winning the battle, but they hid. Instead of being fit for battle, Saul and his
army cowered in fear of Goliath. "And there went out a champion out of the
camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits
and a span. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed
with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of
brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass
between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam;
and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a
shield went before him." 1 Samuel 17:4-7. Goliath was a giant and he was a
fearful sight, but Saul's army could have triumphed over him easily if they had
been fit for that day of battle. They didn't trust God and let fear overcome
them. Only David, a young man who had total faith in God, had no fear. David
had perfected his battle skills through practice and by fighting lesser enemies,
such as a bear and a lion, and so he had no fear on the day of battle. The
battle that David faced that day was not one of a spiritual nature, yet he knew
how to use his weapon and he relied upon God. He defeated an enemy that
others thought was unbeatable. He did fight spiritual battles in his life, but
always turned to God for the battle plan.
Many Christians give the battle to the enemy because they compromise God's
truth. Goliath had some pretty impressive battle gear, but Christians have
better. "Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on
the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of
the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying
always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" Ephesians 6:14-18.
Learn to use each piece of this armor and don't let Satan tinker with any of it.
In order to understand the purpose and use of this armor, study God's word
and apply it to your life. Be sure to talk to the Commander in Chief in prayer
and stay close to Him. The Holy Spirit lives inside all Christians and He will
guide you in using each piece of your armor. Put all the armor on and don't
take it off. Don't set it in the corner to get rusty or moth-eaten. The war was
won when Christ went to the cross, but battles still rage. Satan will be utterly
defeated one day, but spiritual battles are still being fought. If Christians would
stop compromising in the battle, Satan wouldn't seem to be winning.
Hollywood would stop making ungodly movies if all Christians honored God
and stopped paying to see Satan's handiwork. The music industry would turn
from glorifying Satan to honoring God if all Christians stopped buying secular
records. Nations would have Godly leaders if all Christians would cast their
votes for those who honor the Lord of lords and King of kings, instead of the
prince of the power of the air. Sin would not be legal if Christians stood
against it.
Paul understood the power of the Holy Spirit and used that weapon of war
wisely when confronted with spiritual battles. "But Elymas the sorcerer (for so
is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy
from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost,
set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of
the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the
right ways of the Lord?" Acts 13:8-10. Many Christians today deny the power
of the Holy Spirit. They are ignorant of the spiritual battle we fight and have
given their weapons over to Satan. In the day of battle they are unarmed.
Don't be one of them. Be sure you are armed for battle and your armor is in
place.
Today is the day of battle. Don't be found unfit for the fight.
God bless you all,
Nathele Graham
twotug@embarqmail.com
www.straitandnarrowministry.com
ron@straitandnarrowministry.com
Ron Graham's previous commentaries archived at
http://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html
All original scripture is "theopneustos" God breathed.
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Daily Devotion: A Portrait of God - Greg Laurie - www.harvest.org
"So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his
father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son,
embraced him, and kissed him." -Luke 15:20
I heard about a little girl who brought out a piece of paper and some crayons
and was getting ready to draw something.
Her mom said, "Honey, what are you going to draw?"
"I am going to draw a picture of God."
"Sweetheart, no one knows what God looks like."
The little girl replied, "They will when I'm done."
The only place we can get a proper portrait of God is in the pages of Scripture.
Jesus effectively gave us a snapshot of God, telling us what God is like in the
story of the prodigal son. In this story, God is like a father who loves his
children. When we are sinning against Him or running from Him, He misses us
and longs for our return. It is clearly a picture of a loving father.
But sometimes we may think of God in the same way we think of our earthly
fathers. That can be problematic, because if you have a father who is aloof
and distant, or worse, harsh and even abusive, you might apply that to God.
Then again, if you have a father who is kind, approachable, and fun loving,
you might transfer that to God also.
Here is the problem. God isn't like your earthly father. God is God. He stands
apart from everyone else. Regardless of how good or poor of a job your father
on Earth may have done, you need to know that your heavenly Father is
different.
He is a God of love. He is a God of mercy. He is a God of grace. But He is
also a God of justice. He is a God of holiness. He is a God of righteousness.
And the God of the Old Testament is the same as the God of the New
Testament.
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