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.