PROPHECY UPDATE 7/13/2022

 

There Will Be a Day - By Dennis Huebshman - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/07/12/there-will-be-a-day-by-dennis-huebshman/   From Matthew 24:6a-8; “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars…. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.”   Luke 21:11 expands on this; “There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from Heaven.”   Going on to Luke 21:26-28, “people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (ESV – all emphasis mine)   Even though we see what we believe are the “beginnings” of the above signs, they represent a part of the Tribulation/Wrath 7-year period of time spoken of in Daniel and Revelation. Some may try to say we are already in that time, but as 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us, the antichrist or “lawless one” cannot appear until the force that restrains this “mystery of lawlessness” is out of the way. He represents the actual time of the Tribulation that starts right after he gets a 7-year peace treaty signed with Israel and the rest of the world.   For those who are true believers in Jesus as their Savior, what we are seeing are signs that tell us we will be leaving here soon. The prelude that is taking place could be classified as insignificant compared to what will happen after we’re gone and when Satan’s forces are fully released on this earth. That movement is presently gaining ground, and the changes taking place are troubling. It’s difficult to imagine just how much worse it can get.   It has been said that the United States, which has been a considerably strong force in the world up to now, is not mentioned in end-times prophecies. Looking at the worldwide view of this country today, events that have taken place very recently have taken our reputation down. As our strength and status get less and less in the world’s eyes, this country is being prepared to be absorbed into a “new world order” led by a “one-world government” of which there will be no real lead nation. The really sad part is, our population that will be here will be ready for this to happen and will willingly accept the change.   It is no accident that the current administration of the U.S. is in office. God put them there and is not surprised by anything that is taking place. In fact, He is allowing it to happen according to His ultimate plan. In Philippians 4:6-7, we’re told, “do not be anxious about anything, but in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”   Seems simple, but the Father knows all of our concerns. We need to realize Satan’s forces are constantly at work, and anyone who is a follower of Jesus is being called a “hater.” Because we do not accept the abominations that some lifestyles are indulging in, it does not mean we hate the people. Jesus told us to love all our brothers and sisters because each one has an immortal soul, but that does not mean we have to accept their lifestyles. He will accept anyone who will repent and call on Him to save them from eternal condemnation.   For all who have received and accepted Jesus as our Savior, our eternity is set. God does not make promises that He will not keep (Titus 1:2). An event described by the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, commonly called the Rapture, will take place. It is to keep all the Shepherd’s flock from going through the coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, and Revelation 3:10). We were told this would take place before the Tribulation, and I, for one, am eagerly looking forward to it.   In the meantime, we do not need to be just waiting and doing nothing. We need to be in prayer daily, asking the Holy Spirit to touch the hearts of any loved ones who are not truly saved. It wouldn’t be too much to pray this more than once a day. Being a “prayer warrior” is special, and the effects can be amazing.   There will be those who will choose this world over all else. Jesus knew that more would accept their current lifestyle and not be prepared for eternity. He spoke of the two pathways in Matthew 7:13-14. He stated the path to eternal life is narrow, and there would be few on it. Our hope is that through our prayers, we may get some of those lost souls off the broad path that leads to eternal destruction.   The day is coming soon, and our Jesus will be calling us up to meet Him in the air. This will not be the occasion that takes place at the end of the Tribulation where they will “see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.” Actually, the Rapture will be over in considerably less than one second.   Jeremy Camp wrote and released a song in 2008 called “There Will Be a Day.” It is a testimony to the promise of the Lord to take us Home. It’s a day that all Jesus’ followers are waiting for, and the Father knows we are longing for it. Please consider the message.   1.) I try to hold on to this world with everything I have. But I feel the weight of what it brings and the hurt that tries to grab, The many trials that seem to never end. His word declares the truth that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew.   (ref) But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings, That there will be a place with no more suffering. There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears. There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more. We’ll see Jesus face-to-face, but until that day, we’ll hold on to You always.   2.) I know the journey seems so long; you feel like you’re walking on your own. But there has never been a step where you walked out all alone. Troubled soul, don’t lose your heart, ’cause joy and peace He brings, and the beauty that’s in store outweighs the hurt of life’s sting. (ref)   3.) I can’t wait until that day, where the very One I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced (wipe away the tears), to touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery; Oh, this is why, this is why I sing.   There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears. There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more. We’ll see Jesus face-to-face (x2). There will be a day He will wipe away the tears; He will wipe away the tears; He will wipe away the tears; and there will be a day.   For all who have received and accepted Jesus, we know that we will not be here much longer. As another song line stated, “All my trials, Lord, soon be over.” Once we’re Home, all this will be lost in the past.   For all who have not chosen Jesus as their Savior, please read Romans 10:9-13 for the simple steps to do so. Consider that the Son of the Living God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, has provided you with the opportunity to have eternal life with Him for the asking. He paid our passage in full with His precious blood shed on crucifixion day. He conquered sin and death on resurrection day.   The alternative is to be forever separated from Him in a place of darkness, and there will be no relief ever. He is available 24-7 to receive your call, and please know you have not sinned so greatly that He won’t forgive and accept you if you truly ask Him to be your Savior.   It’s absolutely each individual’s choice of where they will spend eternity. Please choose wisely; please choose soon. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, and that could be the day and time the Father has chosen.   Come, Lord Jesus!   huebshman46@gmail.com

Why Biden's 'Gestures' to the Palestinians Will Not Bring Peace or Stability - by Bassam Tawil - https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/18699/biden-israel-gestures-palestinians   On the eve of President Joe Biden's visit to the Middle East, Israel is once again being asked by the US administration to make "gestures" to the Palestinian Authority. The purpose of these measures, according to the Americans, is to strengthen the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its president, Mahmoud Abbas.   The PA, of course, is not being required by the Americans or other international parties to make any "gestures" or "concessions" to rein in terrorism (here, here, and here), support for it, murder as a jobs program, or to treat its own people with increased regard for either a more prosperous future or human rights.   There is much that the Palestinian Authority can do to ease tensions and help create a suitable atmosphere for the resumption of the peace process with Israel. The PA could, for example, stop the incitement against Israel, halt payments to families of terrorists, condemn terrorism and crack down on terror groups operating under its control.   Yet there is no reason why the Palestinian leadership should do anything so long as no one is asking it to.   Instead of halting the incitement, the Palestinian Authority is continuing to encourage hostility and even violence.   As the Biden administration is talking about the need for "gestures," PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, just this month, falsely accused Israel of using the bodies of slain terrorists in Israeli medical laboratories. This is the type of whipping people up that prompts Palestinians to carry out more terrorist attacks.   The Biden administration might do itself a favor if it understood that previous "gestures" made by Israel did not contribute to peace and stability in the region, and did not advance any peace process between the Israel and the Palestinians.   On the contrary, Israeli "gestures" and "concessions," such as the release of terrorists from prison, the increase in the number of Palestinians permitted to work in Israel, and the removal of checkpoints have been interpreted by the Palestinians as signs of weakness, capitulation and, by the leadership, as permission to continue mistreating their people. It is this unresponsive governance by the Palestinian Authority to everything except killing Jews -- not the absence of "gestures" -- that strengthens the support for Hamas.   The Palestinians correctly spot these fig-leaf public relations "gestures" as merely political plumage for Abbas that does not require him to change how he mistreats them. So why not try Hamas?   Similarly, the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 was also seen by the Palestinians not as a kind or generous "gesture," but as a "retreat" in the face of terrorism -- especially as it took place after a wave of suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israel. It was hard, in fact, to find anyone in the Gaza Strip who saw Israel's withdrawal as a positive development or as a sign that Israel wanted peace and calm. Instead, it was seen as a validation of terrorism: We shoot, they run. Great! It's working! So, let's keep on doing that!   Until today, Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group controlling the Gaza Strip, continues to portray the withdrawal as a "defeat" for Israel and "victory" for the terror groups. In addition, Hamas continues to describe the "expulsion" of Israel from the Gaza Strip as a first step towards achieving its goal of eliminating Israel and replacing it with an Iranian-backed Islamist state.   In 2008, the Israeli government thought that a series of "gestures" and "concessions" would strengthen then Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The Israeli measures were announced on the eve of a visit to the region by then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.   The Israeli measures did not help Fayyad; he was eventually forced to resign because of tensions with the veteran Palestinian leadership, including Abbas, who saw him as a threat to their authoritarian rule.   Fayyad was never popular among the Palestinians: he had never spent a day in Israeli prison and had not been involved in terrorism.   In Palestinian culture, it is more important if one graduates from an Israeli prison than from the University in Texas at Austin, where Fayyad studied before going on to work at the World Bank between 1987 and 1995. When he ran in the 2006 Palestinian parliamentary elections at the head of an independent list called Third Way, he won only two seats.   The "gestures" that Israel is now being asked to make are not going to bolster the standing of Abbas and his senior officials in the Palestinian Authority. These moves are also not going to change the PA's and Palestinians' perceptions about Israel or the US, as past experiences clearly show.   A recent public opinion poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 59% of Palestinians view armed attacks against Israelis as serving the national interest of the Palestinian people. Another 55% support a return to an armed intifada (uprising) and clashes with Israel. In addition, the poll found that a majority of Palestinians (65%) are opposed to dialogue with the Biden administration.   The "gestures" and "concessions" will, in fact, be seen by Palestinians, like Israel's retreat from the Gaza Strip, as a reward for their ongoing incitement and terrorism against Israel.   The "gestures" the Biden administration is demanding are, according to the Israeli group Regavim, illegal:   "A first-of-its kind visit by a US President to east Jerusalem without any Israeli presence of accompaniment, signaling that our capital is divided between two sovereigns, constitutes a substantive violation of US law, Israeli law and diplomatic protocol."   According to some reports, one of the "gestures" includes a visit by Biden to a Palestinian hospital in east Jerusalem. There is, of course, nothing wrong with visiting a hospital, but if you insist on going to east Jerusalem without being accompanied by Israeli officials, then you are seeking to advance what is, in reality, a frustrating improbability: that Jerusalem is not the capital of Israel.   Here is what the official Fatah Facebook page published as late as May 25, 2022: "No statute of limitations will apply to our historical right to take back all the Palestinian land from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea, including the [Jordan] River and the [Mediterranean] Sea" -- thereby making an alliance with Hamas all the more tempting in order to accelerate the process.   In addition, talk about increasing the Palestinian Authority presence at the Allenby Bridge border crossing between Israel and Jordan -- to signal joint sovereignty and authority over Israel's border and the secession of its control and sovereignty over the Jordan Valley -- will only create an immensely destabilizing situation, for which the Biden administration will justly be blamed.   The Palestinian Authority has done almost nothing to disarm the terror groups operating under its control in several parts of the West Bank, especially Jenin and Nablus. If the PA is unable or unwilling to fight against the Palestinian terror groups, how can it be trusted to assume control over a border crossing between Israel and Jordan? Does the Biden administration seriously believe that Abbas's representatives at the border crossing would thwart attempts by terrorists to smuggle weapons into Israel?   The opening of a US consulate/embassy to the Palestinians would, as the Biden administration seems to want, only increase the Palestinian Authority's appetite to engage in more incitement and violence against both the Jews and their own people.   It would have been more helpful had the Biden administration demanded that the Palestinians stop the incitement and disarm all the terror groups operating in its areas. The terror groups treat Palestinians even worse than they treat Jews.   The US delegation, however, does not seem to care about the Palestinian incitement and terror, or even how the Palestinian people are misgoverned.   The Biden administration is making a big mistake by forcing Israel to make concessions to the Palestinian Authority. Rewarding it for bad behavior will only aggravate tensions between the Palestinians and their government, embolden the extremists among them and drive the Palestinian people even further into the waiting arms of Hamas.

It’s Who They Are - By Steve Schmutzer - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/07/12/its-who-they-are-by-steve-schmutzer/   The Highland Park, Illinois shooting tragedy is just the latest excuse for libs to beat the same drum.   “We need more gun control!”   It’s their standard drivel. The left’s Pavlovian responses are so predictable that it’s plain they don’t properly think through the issues.   First off, Illinois has the eighth strictest gun laws in the nation, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. That didn’t prevent a freakish punk with facial tattoos and criminal intent from fulfilling his warped fantasies.   More gun laws don’t keep the criminals from getting them. They just prevent the good guys from owning them. It’s no different than revoking the licenses of sober drivers because too many drunk drivers are killing them.   Second, studies using data from 1977 to 1992 (Lott and Mustard, 1997) found that states implementing shall-issue laws saw significant decreases in rates of violent crime, murder, rape, and assault. Their “more guns = less crime” findings have been supported by other similar studies.   The bottom line is criminals don’t want to risk getting shot. That’s why most mass shootings take place at gun-free zones like schools.   Third, we need to admit the failure of law enforcement. Bobby Crimo III, the Highland Park perp who dressed as a woman during his attack, was known to law enforcement. His violent videos and intentions, his close ties to Antifa and the Democratic Socialists of America, his infatuation with the occult, and many markings of liberal fascism all marinated his social media.   This was one wacked-out kid who showed every evidence of being a mentally ill foot soldier of the left. And law enforcement did nothing about it – – not until it was too late.   This unfortunate situation recalls the system-wide failures of the Uvalde, TX tragedy. We now know the corrupt Police Chief, Arredondo, had not only donated money to far-left Beto “Hell-yes-we’re-coming-after-your-AR15s” O’Rourke, but he’d also ordered his officers to stand down and not go in after the shooter. The door was unlocked, the officers were armed and trained and ready to do their job, but – – well, there’s that leftie thing. It interferes with good values and common sense.   “We need more gun control!” Yeah – right. Whatever.   What’s abundantly plain is that the gun’s no more at fault for what happened in Highland Park, Illinois, than a pencil is at fault for a failed test.   In their hearts, the Dems already know this. Their problem is the facts interfere with their agenda. And so, they froth and rage. Volume and violence have always been a weak argument’s best friends.   The recent overturning of Roe v. Wade is another situation that showcased the left’s penchant for nonsense and violence. Abortion wasn’t outlawed; it was turned back over to the states to decide. That’s where the issue belonged in the first place.   There is nothing in the Constitution that grants federal abortion rights. Even the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a far-left adherent, knew this and noted the problem.   But again, the facts didn’t matter. I hadn’t seen the Democrats that angry since the slaves were freed.   Oh – – – you didn’t know?   Yep, the Democrats were the party of slavery, of the KKK, of Jim Crow, and of segregation. History is very clear about this. The Democrats were the ones to suppress the rights of black Americans over and over. The left has always been about violence against others, which explains why they are the biggest fans of abortion – even right up to the point of birth.   Margaret Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood, the seminal entity behind the abortion movement as we know it now. Sanger was a proponent of “negative eugenics,” the goal of which is to remove ‘undesirable hereditary traits’ by social intervention. She wanted to reduce the reproduction of those she considered inferior, and she said her goal was to “assist the race toward the elimination of the unfit.”   Was Sanger racist? Yep. Under Sanger’s direction, Planned Parenthood was marketed to minorities and women of color, and that strategy continues even now. A study by Protecting Black Lives, in 2012, found that 79 percent of Planned Parenthood’s abortion facilities were located within walking distance of minority communities.   The impact of abortions in the black community has been so profound that in 2008, Issues4Life Foundation wrote to the Congressional Black Caucus to denounce Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its “racist and eugenic goals,” calling for the organization to be defunded. But the Dems screamed loudly to promote abortion instead. All their colors showed. The Dems are not pro-choice. They are pro-death.   It’s interesting to note that right after Roe v. Wade got overturned, all the libs became biologists. Suddenly, they all knew what a woman was. Their depraved goals needed a quick change to the narrative.   We hear that the left is “unhinged,” and that is true. This has been particularly so in their reactions to President Trump and his supporters.   Although the right is deeply distraught with the fraudulent election of President Biden and with his “Build Back Bolshevik” policies, they don’t riot in the streets, torch cars, beat up bystanders, threaten to kill electors, shoot cops, form filthy communes in public places, encourage assassinations, promote anarchy, plan hit squads against homes, claw at the doors of the Supreme Court, bankroll mobs, shut down free speech, nor ask for safe rooms, teddy bears, pet therapy, and Play-Doh.   When conservatives disagree with the liberal-socialist agenda, they don’t flood Twitter with murder threats or roundhouse kick peaceful protesters. They don’t menace the left with threats of rape, and they don’t shoot Democrat lawmakers at baseball games.   They don’t talk about blowing up the White House, and they don’t pose with severed heads of the President. Conservatives are not out there shouting at folks in elevators, stabbing opposition candidates, encouraging supporters to harass liberal lawmakers wherever they find them, or burning the left’s campaign headquarters to the ground. The right didn’t start 574 “mostly peaceful protests” that saw hundreds of cops injured, dozens of people killed, and billions of dollars’ worth of property damage.   Conservatives don’t scream publicly for violence in the streets. Conservatives don’t attack and berate Christians for their beliefs and values at the same time as they are protecting and aiding Sharia law. Conservatives don’t call for impeachment just because they don’t like someone, and they don’t protect a two-tiered system of justice at all costs.   They don’t turn venerated proceedings for Supreme Court picks into chaotic protest rallies, and they don’t stonewall cabinet nominees for over a year. The right does not register illegal immigrants in a dishonest effort to create sympathetic voters, and conservatives do not go on national television to protect criminals from that group over the rights of their unfortunate – and legal – victims!   Our nation is being viciously torn apart – but not by those who value freedom, democracy, the rule of law, Constitutional rights, and secure borders. It’s not from those who carry guns responsibly to keep themselves and others safe.   We have a massive and obvious problem. The conduct of the left is now commonly unlawful, frequently depraved, routinely deceptive, persistently violent, habitually self-serving, frankly phony, and – on so many points – outrageously wrong!   It’s not that the left doesn’t understand the virtues of common sense, law, due process, and faith – but rather, they don’t want them! Committed liberals are engaged in a war against all things reasonable, righteous, and respectable. The plain facts make this clear.   Those who most despise God, His gospel, His values, His followers, and His systems of law and order which are based on His eternal Word – are also those who most likely call themselves leftists, socialists, liberals, progressives, or Democrats. It’s all the same.   You need to think about it. The left’s pattern of actions proves they’re agents of hate and violence.   It’s who they are.

God’s King – As Revealed in the Psalms – Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config   The Psalms offer much encouragement for believers and have done so for many centuries. They offer comfort for a variety of troubling situations and provide perspective to help us deal with troubling emotions.   Many saints recognize the prophetic value of the Psalms. Psalm 22, for example, provides vivid details of Jesus’ crucifixion many centuries before that type of execution even exited. Who but God could have revealed such specifics almost a thousand years in advance?   While reading through Psalms several times in the past few years, I have observed anew their prophetic value. Many of them look forward to Jesus’ return to earth and His reign over the nations of the earth.   The apostle John wrote about this time in Revelation 20:1-10 where he provides the length of this intermediary kingdom before the eternal state. We refer to this time as the Millennium because John specifically tells us that it will last for one thousand years.   A multitude of verses in the Old Testament speak of this future rule of King Jesus. For this post, however, I will highlight what the Psalms tell us about God’s King.   GOD THE FATHER GIVES THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD TO HIS SON   I love Psalm 2 because it sets the stage for all other Messianic prophecies in the Psalms. Here we learn that it’s the Father who gives the nations of the earth to His Son as His inheritance.   In Psalm 2:7–8, we read this:   The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.”   Daniel 7:13-14 provides added context to these verses. There, “one like the son of man” approaches the “Ancient of Days” who gives Him a realm such “that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him.” Similar to what we read in Psalm 2, the Father gives the Son dominion over the kingdoms of the world.   Psalm 2:9 describes Jesus’ future rule in a way that eliminates interpreting it as His headship over the church or the eternal state:   You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.    Jesus most certainly doesn’t rule in such a way over His bride. And such a reign can only apply to a time when sin and death still exist, which eliminates the eternal state.   I wrote the following in my book, The Triumph of the Redeemed:   The presence of rebellion and harsh judgment during this reign of Jesus, as we see in Psalm 2, differentiates it as well from the eternal state where sin and death will no longer exist (Revelation 21:4). No other time fits with the conditions of Jesus’ rule as described in Psalm 2; it must be the Millennium where Scripture indicates that sin and rebellion will occur (Zechariah 14:16–19; Revelation 20:7–10). Only the millennial reign of Jesus aligns with the conditions described in Psalm 2.[i]   Psalm 2 opens the door to glorious prophecies throughout the Psalms that tell of Jesus’ triumphant Second Coming and the praise-worthy glories of his thousand-year reign over the nations.   JESUS WILL PUT AN END TO WARFARE   When I arrive at Psalm 46 on my trek through the Psalms, I stop and read it several times. During these chaotic times, it reassures me of God’s sovereignty and future reign over the nations.   In a context that speaks to the coming Tribulation period as described in the book of Revelation, Psalm 46 tells us that Jesus will put an end to all the warfare in the world when He returns. It will not happen until then. Indeed, it cannot.   He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;      he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;      he burns the chariots with fire. (Verse 9)   What does this all mean for us?   It’s a call to rest secure in God’s sovereignty over all of history knowing that Jesus will someday rule over all the lands and peoples of the earth. Until then, violence will continue unchecked in our world.   I love verse 10 of this Psalm; I often quote it to myself when current events trouble my soul.   Be still, and know that I am God.      I will be exalted among the nations,      I will be exalted in the earth!   We can quiet our hearts knowing that in the future, the Lord will fulfill the last two lines of Psalm 46:10. (Please note: this verse does not find it’s fulfillment in missions, but only in the coming thousand-year rule of Jesus over the nations of the earth.)   Doesn’t that make you want to jump for joy and “sing praises” to the Lord? That’s exactly the sentiment of Psalm 47 in which the Psalmist rejoices at the prospect of the Lord ruling “over all the earth.”   Psalms 47-48 are also Messianic Psalms that tell of the rejoicing and praise that will erupt on the earth once God’s King, Jesus, reigns for a thousand years over the peoples of the earth from Zion.   Does this not give us a new perspective on current events?   JESUS WILL ADMINISTER JUSTICE UPON HIS RETURN TO EARTH   Psalm 94, another Messianic prophecy regarding God’s King, begins with a plea for God to judge the wicked:   O LORD, God of vengeance,      O God of vengeance, shine forth!   Rise up, O judge of the earth;      repay to the proud what they deserve! (1-2)   Along with Psalm 37, this is my go-to Psalm when I feel anger mounting inside me due to the wickedness, deception, and widespread corruption in our world. It reassures me that God sees all that is happening and His day of reckoning is ever so close.   Verse 20-23 of Psalm 94 describe how the Lord will respond to the rampant wickedness of our day:   Can wicked rulers be allied with you,      those who frame injustice by statute?   They band together against the life of the righteous      and condemn innocent blood to death.   But the LORD has become my stronghold,      and my God the rock of my refuge.   He will bring back on them their iniquity      and wipe them out for their wickedness;      the LORD our God will wipe them out.   There’s coming a great day of justice for those who by their statutes (and executive orders) “condemn innocent blood to death.” Though the application is wider than abortion, it fits oh so well with Biden’s attempt to negate the recent ruling on abortion by the U.S. Supreme Court.   God’s King “will reign in righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1). In order for that to happen, He must first cleanse the earth of all the wickedness, violence, deception, and corruption that’s oh so rampant today.   The globalists of our day plot in vain because when Jesus returns to the earth, He “will wipe them out.”   JESUS’ REIGN WILL CAUSE THE EARTH TO REJOICE AND WORSHIP   Whenever I read through the Psalter, I always look forward to the time when I reach Psalms 95-100. There we catch a further glimpse of the rejoicing and praise that will resound throughout the earth at Jesus’ Second Coming and during His subsequent rule over the earth.   Do not let anyone tell you that these chapters speak to a spiritual reign. The Psalmist is clearly prophesying about God’s King that will someday return and rule over the nations of the earth. The language speaks to a physical kingdom with a visible Ruler.   Please read all of Psalm 95-100. The words of Psalm 96:9-10 sums up this passage:   Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;      tremble before him, all the earth!   Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!      Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;      he will judge the peoples with equity.”   Kings in ancient times acted as the supreme court of the land. So, when the Psalmist says that God’s King “will judge the peoples with equity,” he’s referring to what Jesus will do in His role as King of the earth. In His regal capacity seated on the throne of David, Jesus will act as the supreme judge.   JESUS WILL RULE FROM ZION   The Psalms clearly depict God’s King as ruling over the nations of the world from Zion, another name for Jerusalem.   Psalm 99:2 says:   The Lord is great in Zion;      he is exalted over all the peoples.   Psalm 48:1-3 leaves us with no doubt as to the place where God’s King, Jesus, will rule over the kingdoms of this world.   Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised      in the city of our God!   His holy mountain, beautiful in elevation,      is the joy of all the earth,   Mount Zion, in the far north,      the city of the great King.   Within her citadels God      has made himself known as a fortress.   We know from the book of Zechariah that when Jesus comes, He will make significant changes to the geography of Jerusalem (14:4-8). During Jesus’ rule on the earth, The Lord will adorn the city with much added splendor. (Mount Zion is a geographical location within Jerusalem.)   God’s King will surely rule the world from a gloriously restored Israel and Jerusalem will not only be its capital, but also that of the entire world.   WE LIVE IN PERILOUS, YET EXCITING TIMES   The day is which we live carries with it much excitement along with increasing peril and many dangers.   As we watch ancient prophecies fall into place, it reminds us that the world is marching toward the time when God places His King on the throne of David from where He will rule over the nations of the world.   We can absolutely certain that someday God’s King, the Lord Jesus, will rule over the nations of the earth just as God the Father promises us all through the Psalms.   In Isaiah 46:9-11, we find these reassuring words about God’s sovereignty in this matter:   I am God, and there is none like me,   declaring the end from the beginning      and from ancient times things not yet done,   saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,      and I will accomplish all my purpose,’   calling a bird of prey from the east,      the man of my counsel from a far country.   I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;      I have purposed, and I will do it.   This is what God loves to do. In Scriptures written long ago, He tells us what will happen next as He prepares the world for Jesus’ kingdom. There has never been a time like today when we see God’s moving the world toward the Tribulation period that will result in God placing His King on the throne of David.   Yes, we live in perilous times that are more threatening than I ever imagined they would be ahead of the Rapture.   The good news is that Jesus is coming for us soon. He is God’s King who will fulfill all the prophecies listed above from the Psalms and well over a thousand more verses in the Old and New Testaments that speak of what He’s about to do in purging the world of evil ahead of the establishment of His glorious kingdom headquartered in Zion.   My book, The Triumph of the Redeemed-An eternal Perspective that Calms Our Fears in Perilous Times, is available on Amazon. Why do we believe that Jesus is coming for His church before the seven-year Tribulation? In my book, I explain both why we believe this and why it matters.   Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/ . It will greatly help me in reaching more people. Thanks!   [i] Jonathan C. Brentner, The Triumph of the Redeemed (Crane, MO, Defender, 2021), pp 93-94.

Daily Jot: Stupidocrisy: Jill Biden’s racism - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   Don’t you just shake your head in amazement when leftists like First Lady Jill Biden think they are so above everyone else that they can throw out racist remarks and clothe them in love and respect. Mrs. Biden thinks that race and ethnicity are tied to food. Hence, Biden in a speech to the radical left National Council of La Raza, compared the Hispanic diversity in San Antonio with other cities “as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio.” Immediately, the Hispanic community caught on to the subtleties and launched a social media attack thanking her for clarifying that Democrats think Hispanics are “unique” like tacos. Biden’s remarks were considered culturally insensitive and racist.   The White House staff, which is so accustomed to the Biden family’s inappropriate, and quite frankly, stupid remarks, took nearly 24 hours to come up with an apology—probably because they were burning up the phones like habanero peppers trying to cool down their political base. Finally, the First Lady’s press secretary Michael LaRosa, issued a statement: “The First Lady apologizes that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community.” From the culturally incompetent Mrs. Biden’s perspective, she could establish an entire restaurant menu of ethnic and racial slurs. Just think what she could do with fried chicken, potatoes, perogies, curry, fish and chips, sushi and fortune cookies.   Liberals believe they can use racial slurs because, after all, they are the ones fighting racism and their slurs are done out of love. Or it’s just part of the “debate.” Let’s rewind to August 16, 2020 when late show host Stephen Colbert asked Kamala Harris how she went from being a passionate opponent of Biden because of his racist past to becoming pals? She laughed off the question, saying it was a debate. Colbert replied, “So, you don’t mean it?” Harris responded, “It was a debate. The whole evening, literally, it was a debate.” Harris’s accusations that Biden supported racism and worked in the Senate to continue the Jim Crow segregation laws against Black Americans were extraordinarily serious, yet she passed these off as just “a debate.” It’s deeper than that. The Democratic Party historically has disenfranchised Black Americans.   For over 100 years after the Civil War, Democrats instituted Jim Crow laws that oppressed Black voting, mandated segregation of public schools, public places, public transportation, housing, restrooms, drinking fountains, and restaurants. Jim Crow Laws incarceratedBlacks for the smallest of crimes to prevent them from voting. Joe Biden was part and parcel to this dark history. These laws began to be deconstructed with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, although these reforms were opposed by Democrats at all levels of government well into the 1970s. Many residuals of these laws still remain. Leftists and systemic racism are like what Christ said in Matthew 15:8, “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” Who are the Biden’s and their ilk fooling? To me, it’s, say it with me…Stupidocrisy.

Daily Devotion: “Dunamis” Power - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching —2 Timothy 4:2   https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/dunamis-power/ - Listen   Jonah had 40 days to reach 300,000 people with God’s message. So with urgency he went and preached to the Ninevites.   The Bible says that we should preach the Word and be persistent, whether the time is favorable or not (see 2 Timothy 4:2). But preaching doesn’t mean yelling. Preaching is proclamation.   It’s one thing to elevate your voice so that a large crowd can hear you. But I’ve actually seen Christians yelling at people. Don’t do that. Calm down. Lower your volume. Listen more, and lovingly share in an understandable way the things someone needs to hear.   The primary way that God has chosen to reach nonbelievers is through the verbal articulation of the gospel. You may preach it, you may text it, you may tweet it, or you may share it conversationally. But the idea is telling people there is a God in Heaven who loves them and sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for their sin and rise from the dead three days later.   The Bible tells us there are only two things that have power: God Himself and the gospel. Paul wrote, “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile” (Romans 1:16 NLT).   In the original language, the word for power that Paul used is the Greek word dunamis.   When a man named Alfred Nobel invented a material that exploded, there never had been anything like it. As he thought about what he would name this explosive device, he talked with a friend who knew Greek. Nobel asked him what the Greek word was for explosive power, and his friend said it was dunamis. So Alfred Nobel named his invention dynamite.   There’s dynamic, dunamis, explosive power in the simple message of the gospel.

PROPHECY UPDATE 7/12/2022

 

No One Can Thwart God’s Purposes for Us – By Jonathan Brentner - https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/https/jonathan-brentner-g8fgsquarespacecom/config/2022/7/8/no-one-can-thwart-gods-purposes-for-us Perhaps the most encouraging verse in the first book of the Bible is Genesis 50:20: ”As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”   The word for “meant” in both instances in this verse comes from a Hebrew word that assumes a planning process, a calculation with a purpose behind it.   There was evil intent on the part of Joseph’s brothers when they sold him into slavery. However, at the same time God orchestrated the chain of events so that Joseph would be at just the right place to save many lives, including those in his own family.   God’s sovereignty has exciting implications for our lives now and for our roles in Jesus’ kingdom after He comes for us!   You see, what Joseph realized so long ago is this: Evil never thwarts God’s divine purposes for us, never. He’s sovereign over the affairs of humanity even when evil people seemingly act contrary to His will.   We see this in the story of our redemption.   JESUS’ DEATH ON THE CROSS   Notice how God arranged the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus. Pontius Pilate, Judas, and the Jewish religious leaders of the day all followed the promptings of Satan and his minions in their various roles that led to Jesus’ death. They thought they were carrying out their own plans; but in the end, they accomplished the Lord’s design for the ages to redeem a people for His own.   Acts 4:27-28 speak to God’s predestination even of those who put Jesus on the cross: “. . . for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.”   Satan thought he had won a great victory, but in reality, the crucifixion sealed his doomed and forever won our pardon.   Paul sums it up this way in 1 Corinthians 2:7-8: ”But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”   We must not stop here. The words of Genesis 50:20 also relate to the perilous times in which we live.   CHRIST’S THOUSAND-YEAR RULE OVER THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH   Today, we see Satan busily preparing the world for the arrival of his man, the antichrist. The globalists are far along in their plans to implement a New World Order. Because they remain confident of their ultimate success, they recently announced that they are speeding up their timetable for the United Nation’s Agenda 2030, which is a Marxist world government.   The great evil that we witness in our day is rapidly advancing the plans of Satan for the world government that both Daniel and the book of Revelation refer to as the beast.   However, these elite powerbrokers cannot thwart God’s ancient plan of giving the nations to Jesus as an inheritance (Psalm 2:6-9). In fact, they themselves are bringing about the conditions that will lead to the Lord’s thousand-year rule upon the throne of David.   “How are they doing that?” you might ask.   First, the Lord will use them to bring about several of His judgments in the Tribulation period. In Revelation 6, Jesus releases the deadly seal judgments that result in the deaths of one-fourth of the world’s population through famines, hyper-inflation, and wars. We already witness the elite powerbrokers setting up these things, which after the Rapture will result in a great loss of life. The judgments described in the book of Revelation are necessary to prepare the world for Jesus’ kingdom.   Second, it will be the antichrist that facilitates the realization of the Jewish people that Jesus is their true Messiah. We read about this this future repentance of the Jewish people in Zechariah 12:10: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”   Contrary to the deadly intent of the man of lawlessness, the Jewish people will recognize Christ as their Savior near the end of the Tribulation period.   The globalists of our day intend their actions for evil and death; but God is leading the world to a glorious climax, the return of Jesus as a Conquering Hero and the establishment of His rule over the nations.   And we will be with Jesus when He returns and reign with Him in His glorious kingdom. How amazing is that!?   THE DEATH OF DEATH   There’s another time when from a human vantagepoint it might appear that Satan is working as an independent actor and even winning. But such is not the case.   The Bible tells us that toward the end of Jesus’ millennial reign, God will release Satan from his imprisonment. We read about this in Revelation 20:7-9: “And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them”   For a brief time, it will seem as though evil is prevailing as people rebel against the Lord, but in the end, judgment rains down on those who choose to follow Satan.   What is the Lord accomplishing through this final rebellion of humanity?   First, it’s a final test for people living under the perfect conditions in the Millennium with a perfect Ruler, Jesus. It will demonstrate the wickedness of the unregenerate heart despite living in a pristine environment under a righteous King.   Second, it signals the end of God’s usefulness for Satan. When the devil accomplishes this last task for the Lord, he experiences his permanent judgment. Revelation 20:10 tells us: “and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”   Third, it leads to the death of death itself (Revelation 20:11-15). The last people to experience physical death on earth will be those who rebel against the rule of Jesus over the world.   Satan designed his rebellion to end Jesus’ reign. God, however, planned it to forever destroy Satan and death and ultimately bring in the eternal state with a new heaven, a new earth, and the glorious New Jerusalem.   Revelation 21:4 describes life in the glorious eternal state after death has been forever vanquished: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”   THE ETERNAL PURPOSES BEHIND OUR SUFFERING   I know you all have heard sermons that point out the benefits of our suffering for this life, but let’s go beyond that.   Joseph’s life illustrates the eternal aspect to the afflictions we all endure.   In my book, The Triumph of the Redeemed, I wrote this about the parallels between Joseph’s life and our still future roles in Jesus’ kingdom:   What if someone had told Joseph as he trudged—bound in chains from neck to feet—across a hot desert that he would someday rule alongside Pharaoh of Egypt? Wouldn’t he have thought that person insane? Yet, by the end of the story, we see that was God’s purpose behind all the many afflictions Joseph experienced. He rose from slavery and years in prison to become the second most powerful man in the world at that time.   The Lord used Joseph’s betrayal by his brothers, his time in the household of Potiphar, and his imprisonment as training ground for what He had planned for him. Joseph learned wise stewardship as the head of Potiphar’s household and the value of faithfulness as Potiphar’s wife tempted him and then falsely accused him. In prison, Joseph trusted God’s ongoing presence as he interpreted dreams for the baker and cupbearer and waited for what must have seemed a lifetime or his situation to improve.   The Lord intertwined all these experiences to position and prepare Joseph for when he would rule over all of Egypt alongside Pharaoh.   Do you see the parallel for us? Like Joseph, we will someday see how the Lord’s purposes in all our experiences and suffering fit together for His unique plans for us in His kingdom during the time we will reign with Him.   Is it any wonder why Satan hates the future thousand-year rule of Jesus over the earth and does all he can so squash any mention of it in churches today? You see, it’s during this time that we will see the full outcome of all our earthly experiences as the Lord blends them together in the roles that He has for us in His glorious kingdom.   The problem with the popular “your best life now” preaching in so many Bible-believing churches is that many saints never see the end of their suffering. And even with those that experience God’s restoration in a meaningful way, the scars of their past remain. And, everyone experiences the many trials of aging as time progresses.   What we see on this side of eternity is only one aspect of Joseph’s remarkable statement of faith in Genesis 50:20. The Lord is working out eternal plans for us and no one, but no one, can interfere with that.   No one can thwart God’s eternal purposes for us, not even we ourselves. No amount of evil done to us in this life can change His kingdom plans for us in eternity; we will reign with Christ someday in precisely the way that He intended all along.   I believe our future place in Jesus kingdom will be a glorious culmination of all our talents, gifts, experiences, and afflictions from this life.

Apostate Presbyterian Church USA Passes Resolution Falsely Accusing Israel of ‘Apartheid’ - By Breanna Claussen - https://harbingersdaily.com/apostate-presbyterian-church-usa-passes-resolution-falsely-accusing-israel-of-apartheid/   On Friday, the governing board of the Presbyterian Church USA voted 266-116 to pass a resolution denouncing the Jewish State, claiming that “the government of Israel’s laws, policies, and practices regarding the Palestinian people fulfill the international legal definition of apartheid.”   “Apartheid is legally defined as inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them,” the resolution, INT-02, insisted.   The resolution dared to liken the horror of the holocaust by Hitler’s Natzi regime to the Jewish State’s current treatment of Palestinians, falsely claiming that Israel is segregating its society by race and religion and forcing Palestinians into “ghettos.”   It is the duty of “Christians,” the resolution insisted, to not be silent concerning “Israeli apartheid” and not to fear that lambasting Israel may be considered “anti-Israel or anti-Semitic.”   Despite what the resolution asserts, disseminating and adopting as policy false accusations against the Jewish nation is not only anti-semitic, it is profoundly contrary to Scripture.   Replacement Theology is ‘Replacement Reality’   In 2004, the Presbyterian Church USA passed an anti-Israel resolution 431–62 “to initiate a process of phased, selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel.”   At the time, Jan Markell, the Founder and President of Olive Tree Ministries, criticized the Presbyterian Church for its decision to “divest all economic interest in Israel.”   Markell further warned that the disturbing trend of “churches” attacking Israel is a clear demonstration of the apostasy the apostle Paul warned would occur in the time prior to Jesus’ Return.   “These are the very denominations that believe in ‘Replacement Theology’—that the Church is the new Israel. Modern-day Israel has no more relevance than the Canary Islands. When you embrace this false teaching, you also end up with ‘replacement reality,'” she underscored. “In other words, reality gets totally skewed.”   1 Timothy 4:1-2 KJV – “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.”   “This is all a part of that ‘end-time’ falling away the Bible predicts and the rampant apostasy of the latter days,” Markell stressed.   In Genesis 12:3, God warns: “I will bless them that bless [Israel], and curse him that curseth thee…”   According to CBN, the PCUSA denomination has seen a 63% loss in membership in recent decades “due in part to embracing liberal views.”   “Is it any wonder that attendance in these churches is plunging and as a result, and their income as well?” Jan Markell questioned. “I’m sure it’s tough for God to bless denominations that are skewed in their worldview and theology like this. Following the pattern of Genesis 12:3, there should be some literal ‘cursing’ going on.”   Biblical Significance of The Modern State of Israel Although the world may look at Israel and automatically see red, to the Believer in Jesus Christ, the reborn State of Israel should arouse awe of God and hope, not condemnation.   When the Bible describes the reestablishment of Israel (Ezekiel 36-37), which has taken place in our modern age, it states that God Himself will regather the Jews from around the globe and give them the land of Israel.   Ezekiel 36:24, 28 KJV – “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land… And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers…”   It should be unthinkable for professing Christians to make themselves enemies of Israel and question its legitimate right to the land because, in doing so, they are disputing God’s authority to give the land to His chosen people.   For nearly 2,000 years, the nation of Israel did not exist, and the Jewish people were scattered across the earth. However, God promised that Israel would again become a nation under miraculous circumstances (Ezekiel 36, 37, Isaiah 66:7-8); this occurred on May 14th, 1948.   Understanding the significance of the modern State of Israel is especially important because Jesus told His disciples that when Israel is reborn, one generation would not pass away before His Second coming (Matthew 24:32-34).   Therefore the nation of Israel has been used to bless believers yet again, with the joyful expectation of our Blessed Hope, the soon catching away of the Bride Of Christ to forever be with the Lord in the Rapture of the church (1 Thess. 4:15-18, Titus 2:13, 1 Corin. 15:51-53).   If you do not know Christ, seeing the nation of Israel should promote urgency in you to accept Jesus today. Satan hates Israel, and he hates you also. But God displayed His power to us, through the rebirth of Israel and by countless other means, that we may come to know Him and the saving knowledge of His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:29).

Nearing Midnight: Why Do People Go to Russia, China, and North Korea? – Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/   We need to ban all US citizens from going to nations run by Dictators. I would never visit a country where the leadership could willy-nilly decide to prevent me from leaving their domain. By going to a nation like Russia, China, and North Korea, people are providing them with tourist money, and they are lending them legitimacy.   I would not even want to fly over a nation run by a tyrant. Last year the government of Belarus forced a commercial flight to land in the country so they could arrest dissident journalist Raman Protasevich. A Ryanair flight bound for Lithuania was forced to land because Belarus officials reported a bomb threat. When the flight reached the tarmac, officials from the country’s security forces loaded passengers onto airport buses and took the journalist into custody. Pratasevich was captured because he criticized President Alexander Lukashenko.   The reason why we need a travel ban is that this has turned into a game where dictators like to have a constant supply of hostages so they can trade them for criminals that we have on our side. The latest pawn is basketball star Brittney Griner. She was arrested at Moscow’s main airport when it was discovered that she had hash oil in her luggage.   Our standard policy on Griner should be “if can do the time, don’t do the crime,” but no, we took the bait, and a “free Brittney” movement has popped up. Now that Griner’s name is constantly in the news, there is no way Moscow is going to let her go free. She is currently on trial and will obviously get the maximum penalty.   You know it’s officially become a media circus when the Rev. Al Sharpton shows up. He is seeking the administration’s help in securing a clergy visit to see Griner in Moscow.   Asked about the Biden administration’s response, Sharpton said, “I certainly think they could have done more. I think there has not been a lot of vocal support. I understand the sensitivities in these negotiations, but I think at some point, after four months, you have to raise the public outrage on this.”   President Biden has now become involved in this matter. Griner wrote to him in recent days, saying she was “terrified I might be here forever.” This mess is being described as having “particular sensitivities” because it involves the failure to obtain the release of a black gay woman.   The Russians have offered to trade Griner for someone we have in custody. Moscow would like to obtain the release of Viktor Bout, an infamous Russian arms dealer nicknamed ‘The Merchant of Death.’ Bout was sentenced to 25 years on terrorism charges in a 2012 trial in New York. I would hope that Washington would find this trade unpalatable, both morally and politically.   It’s nice that the White House in April achieved the release of former marine Trever Reed from Russian custody. He was sentenced to nine years in prison in July 2020 for endangering the “life and health” of Russian police officers. They might as well have put Reed in jail because he looked guilty.   A former Marine is now free, but so is a drug dealer. In order to make the trade, President Biden had to commute the sentence of Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian smuggler convicted of conspiring to import cocaine. If Reed was not in Russia, the drug dealer would still be in jail. Now Yaroshenko can go back to smuggling cocaine.   I don’t think we should allow their people in our country. Over the years, China and Russia have stolen vast amounts of our technology. If it wasn’t for spying, Russia would not have developed the atomic bomb until the mid-1950s. China is a master of espionage. It will soon have a bigger economy than us, largely based on the fact that it robbed us blind on all fronts.   I don’t think America should be xenophobic in its relationship with the world. We should at least do better in picking what nations we decide to have as our friends. We poured billions into the Russian economy, and now because of the Ukraine war, we have lost nearly all of our investments. We should let history be our guide, but we will continue to suffer the imprisonment of our citizens and the loss of our money because of simple greed.   “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

Woke Churches Label Pro-Life Movement a ‘Demonic Agenda’ and Claim ‘God Is Pro-Choice’ – Hannah Bleau - https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/07/11/woke-churches-label-pro-life-movement-demonic-agenda-claim-god-is-pro-choice/   Woke churches across the country have celebrated abortion and even gone as far as labeling the pro-life movement a “demonic agenda” in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.   It remains to be seen how each individual state will handle the defeat of Roe v. Wade. Several red states have already enacted abortion bans that, despite popular belief touted by the radical left, do provide exceptions for the life of the mother. But the battles still continue. Florida, for example, is currently facing legal challenges over its 15-week abortion ban as Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration continues the fight.   “To say that the state constitution mandates things like dismemberment abortions — I just don’t think that’s the proper interpretation,” DeSantis said this month, making it clear there would be an appeal.   Meanwhile, blue states seek to codify abortion. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), for example, signed a bill making the Golden State a “safe haven for women across the nation” to get an abortion.   Polls show that most Americans believe there should be limits on abortion, particularly after the first trimester. However, half of Democrats say abortion should never be banned, presumably, even up until the moment of birth.   One would think there would be little debate over Roe‘s defeat in the realm of the Christian faith, but that is not the case either.   Many in the Christian faith point to various scriptures to back their views against abortion, detailing that God “knitted me together in my mother’s womb.” Others point to scriptures detailing how men and women are made in the very image of God and that children are a gift directly from God Himself.   However, not all agree. Woke culture has infiltrated several Christian churches across the country, some of which have made it abundantly clear they love and cherish a woman’s ability to terminate her pregnancy.   Breitbart News’s recent compilation shows several church leaders across various sects — Methodist, Episcopalian, the United Church of Christ, etc. — seemingly distorting scripture and advocating for abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe.   “We pray for all who partner with those in need of reproductive health care,” a woman said in a prayer at St. Bartholomew’s Church in New York.   “We pray for the loss of life yet to come from forced childbirth and illegal abortion,” she continued. “We pray for those who are not of the same mind regarding reproductive rights.”   Darryl Ford, lead pastor at Ikon Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia, asserted, “If men could get pregnant, this wouldn’t even be a topic,” and William Murphy, lead pastor at the dReam Center Church of Atlanta, told the congregation, “All the guys, let’s all, let’s all set appointments to get vasectomies.”   “This is not just about reproductive rights,” he said. “This is about voting rights, it’s about civil rights, it’s about human rights.”   He also asserted that the pro-life movement is “the beginning of a demonic agenda” and called on the church to “get in the gap.”   One of the clergy at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta told the congregation that he once viewed abortions as killing babies — that is, until he prayed for a “deeper understanding” of the issue.   “Some view abortions as babies being killed as I once did before praying for a deeper understanding,” he said, later adding that “laws that restrict and take away freedoms are never on the side of Jesus and a God of justice.”   Notably, President Biden, a self-proclaimed Catholic, is among those who adamantly oppose the decision to overturn Roe, deeming it a “sad day for the country.” Notably, the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that abortion is a “moral evil.”

Daily Jot: Leftists' racist abortion meltdown – Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   If Republicans attacked Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson like Democrats are attacking Justice Clarence Thomas the media and Hollywood would be screaming racism. As it is, they are trying to portray their attacks on Thomas as justified because he is a conservative married to an alt-right white wife. But the veneer of non-racism is thin and the tone of the wood beneath bubbles to the top when people like former Star Trek actor turned gay activist George Takei said of Thomas, “He is a clown in blackface sitting on the Supreme Court.” Then Takei tried to downplay what he said by explaining that the use of the term “Blackface” in theater lingo is not racist, but rather “part of a racist history in this country.” Really?   Angry Black man, they say. The Federalist wrote a July 5 story about why the “racist left” smears Clarence Thomas as an “Angry Black Man.” The article begins with examples: “Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is “a person of grievance” harboring “resentment, [and] anger,” reported no less an authority than Hillary Clinton during an appearance last week on CBS. In ignoring Thomas’s ideas to smear his temperament, Clinton pulled from the same playbook leftists have been using against Thomas since even before his 1991 confirmation hearings. The New York Times once called Thomas the Supreme Court’s “youngest and angriest.” Times columnist Frank Rich accused him of “rage” and “unreconstructed racial bitterness.””   In a June 27 Newsweek OpEd, CEO of the FCB Radio Network, Darvio Morrow, a Black man, wrote that White liberals—"the same people who lecture us about systemic racism”—made hateful social media comments about Thomas, and as of the writing of the article, “many of these tweets are still up on Twitter.” Examples he cited: "Clarence Thomas is a dirty porch monkey and as a trans woman I'm giving every one permission to use the n word on him."; "Clarence Thomas really wants to own slaves and to be able to call Black people N*****. In front of white people. And laugh. Coon ass motherf*****."; "Clarence Thomas: just another dumb field N*****." "Doesn't the N***** realize his rights are next.” Morrow concludes: “It only further reinforces every critique I have about modern white progressivism.”   He continues, “Many of these people do not view Black people as equals but as tools that give credibility and moral authority to their ideology. Many white progressives view themselves as the "savior" of Black people, and as a result, they unconsciously believe we owe them our undying loyalty. That's why when anyone crosses them, they attack with a particular level of venom.” Remember the leftist criticism launched at “misogynist racists” who questioned why Brown Jackson refused to define “woman”? Racism is a double standard with leftists. As in James 1:8, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” Think about how that works for an entire group of double-minded people, and look at the state of our country today because of them.

Daily Devotion: Listen with Love - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ —Luke 7:34   https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/listen-with-love/ - Listen   When I meet someone for the first time, I usually don’t tell them up front that I’m a pastor because they probably will run away in terror if they realize they’re talking to an actual preacher. Instead, I just try to listen to them and be a friend to them.   When the Barna Group asked nonbelievers what they value most when talking about spiritual things, a majority said they want people to listen without judgment. This isn’t easy for some Christians. Some believers want to judge people, condemn people, and even yell at people.   But that isn’t how we’re going to reach them with the Good News of Jesus Christ.   I love the way Jesus conversed with the woman at the well in Samaria. He asked her questions. He listened to her and didn’t come off as a know-it-all. We may know certain things as Christians, but let’s not be know-it-alls.   When you think about it, who on earth was more of a know-it-all than Jesus? He literally knew it all because He was God incarnate. He was omniscient, which means all-knowing.   And sometimes people accuse Christians of being holier-than thou. Yet who was more holy than Jesus? He was the holiest of anyone who ever walked the planet, but He didn’t come off as holier-than-thou. In fact, the Bible says that Jesus was a friend of sinners (see Luke 7:34).   Jesus entered the world of the Samaritan woman. He listened to her. He took time with her, and it resulted in her transformation.   Effective one-on-one evangelism is not a monologue; it’s a dialogue. The goal is not to win the argument; it’s to win the soul. The aim is not to burn the bridge; it is to build a bridge. Let them tell you their story, and listen with love. Then appropriately apply the message of the gospel.