PROPHECY UPDATE ..........7/25/2022

 

Type and Shadow – Pete Garcia - https://www.rev310.net/post/type-and-shadow   “Master artists put careful thought not only in what they create but how they create it as well. They often include subtle patterns that aren’t obvious at first but work on a deeper level to unify the entire work.”   I was driving back alone from a waterpark the other day after a fun-filled afternoon with my family. I had to drive separately since I was delayed by work. On my way home, I turned everything off and drove in the silence of my thoughts. I got to thinking, which, admittedly, can be a dangerous prospect at times for me, but I was thinking about the Tish B'Av day of mourning that is coming up on August 6th and 7th next month. I was also thinking about the fact we are about to transition from one Shemitah cycle to the next here in the fall of 2022. I was then thinking of how, if counted linearly from 1408-7 BC that we are approaching the 70th Jubilee since Israel first entered the Promised Land.   However, I was also thinking of the fact that there were only ten remaining jubilees decreed to Israel by God through the angel Gabriel to Daniel in his 70 Weeks prophecy. According to Dan. 9:24-27, "seventy-sevens were decreed..."   One way to look at it is 70 x 7 = 490 (i.e., 70 sabbatical cycles of shemitahs).   Another way to look at is as cycles of Jubilees 49 x 10 = 490 years.   Even then, that last jubilee was cut short by one shemitah (or seven years) at the crucifixion of Christ which happened at the end of the 69th week of Daniel. This was also at the end of the 10th Jubilee. So we aren't waiting for the 'last Jubilee' to occur as much as we are waiting for the last week of years (the 70th shemitah of Daniel) to begin which would then complete the last (or tenth) Jubilee we are already three-quarters of the way in before God paused everything (490-483 = 7 years). What is of interest here, is that if God had not paused Israel's prophetic calendar, we would now be in the 70th Jubilee.   By this point, my mind was sort of tumbling and converging along two lines of thought regarding everything we know and/or think we know. There are Bible prophecies, and there are Biblical types, shadows, and patterns. Admittedly, it became a little daunting to try and wrap my mind around everything while I was still driving. However, just before becoming overwhelmed, a single, solitary, realization came to mind; either the prophecies and patterns mean something in Scripture, or they don't. But they can't be both.   What I understood from this was that either Bible prophecy has a literal, perfect track record of fulfillment and thus is trustworthy, or they don’t and they aren’t. Those aren't my standards, those are God's (Deut. 18:21-22, Isaiah 46:9-10, Habbakuk 2:2-3, Matt. 5:18, John 13:19, etc.) In other words, if God says He will do something, He will do it. What He can't do, is say He will do something, and then NOT do it (Numbers 23:19). After all, if we wanted a Bible with a less than perfect track record, all we would have to do is included some books from the Apocrypha or Nostradamus's quatrains in there right after Revelation to bring down the fulfillment curve.   The same goes with Biblical typology. Either the foreshadowing is meant to be intentional and prophetically significant, or it is purely coincidental. But it can't be both. As the quote at the top alludes to, Biblical typology, patterns, and foreshadows were meant to signify specific important themes and concepts that unify the message as a whole, and are very important to the divinely prophetic nature of the Bible. For example, in Numbers 20:12, God forbade Moses from entering the Promise Land because he struck the rock a second time instead of speaking to it, thus breaking the pattern first set in Exodus 17:6 (the only time he was meant to strike the rock). The pattern intended here was that Christ (the Rock) would be struck once (at Calvary). Since God takes this stuff seriously, so should we.   A type and a shadow   In the New Testament, the Greek word týpos, meaning “example,” describes a model or pattern in the Old Testament that is fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The word týpos in KJV Bible is also translated as “pattern” (Titus 2:7; Hebrews 8:5), “form” (Romans 6:17), “print” (John 20:25), “ensample” (1 Corinthians 10:11), “fashion” (Acts 7:44), “figure” (Acts 7:43; Romans 5:14), and “manner” (Acts 23:25).   The primary person, story, or event is the type, whereas the fulfillment is the anti-type. The New is in the Old concealed; the Old is in the New revealed. The apostle Paul explained it this way, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come” (I Corinthians 10:11)   A shadow has no substance; it is cast by something substantial. It is the physical form of a heavenly reality (Hebrews 8:5; 10:1). The Jewish ceremonies were shadows cast by heavenly realities. Christ’s life, work, and kingdom are the reality.   Types connect two or more historical persons or events by common characteristics. Whereas shadows connect two or more persons or events by common themes. Types and shadows may thus be used interchangeably to some degree. (Source)   Nevertheless, the Bible is replete with countless types, patterns, shadows, and numerology from Genesis to Revelation. This prophetic characteristic of the Holy Bible proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is supernatural in nature, and uniquely distinct from any other book in the world.   So I got to thinking some more, what are the two undeniable signs that we are not only in the last days but really, in the last moments of the last days?   In my opinion, there are two:   1) that are that we are approaching the 2000th year anniversary of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (pattern)   2) the supernatural rebirth of the nation of Israel (prophecy).   The first has to do with the pattern. The historical reality is that every two thousand years, God has routinely broke into human history and did something remarkable. In fact, these two-thousand-year divine incursions are what the entirety of Scripture hinges upon. Consider the following correlations with this breakdown.   Adam - Abraham (2000 years) Abraham - Jesus (2000 years) Jesus - ??? (2000 years)   Interestingly, God has also intervened at the thousand-year intervals with other major persons and events. These additions are rough approximations.   Adam - the birth of Noah (1000 years) Flood to Exodus (1000 years) Abraham - David (1000 years)   There are many other cross-correlations we could make between people and events that make for a fascinating study but exceed the scope of this particular brief.   Gentiles   The first two thousand years begin at the creation of man. From Genesis 1-11, the Bible deals with man in a general sense as (presumably) Gentiles up to and thru both the Flood and the Tower of Babel.   Hebrews/Israelites/Jews   But when we get to Genesis 12 the Bible changes directions and God now focuses on a single Gentile named Abram. God tells Abram to leave the country that he’s currently in, Ur of the Chaldees, and go to a land in which He would give him (Caanan). God then changes his name to Abraham (and Sarai to Sarah) and gives him and his wife Sarah a 'miracle son' at the age of 100. Then God tells him later, to take his only begotten son and to kill him on an altar on Mt. Moriah (where the future Temple would be built), foreshadowing what Christ would do 2,000 years later.   The Church   Thus, from Genesis 12 through the rest of the Old Testament into the Gospels, the Bible focuses exclusively on the Jewish people and the Gentiles are only mentioned insofar as when and how they interact with the Jewish people. When we get to the Acts and the rest of the New Testament, we see the Bible shift focus again. This time, the Church is the primary object, and the Jews and the Gentiles are now only mentioned insofar as when they interact with the Church. Now, this new focus on the Church has two components to it:   Spiritual: The Church would serve as the Mystery Kingdom during this time as a universal body of believers making up the body of Christ. This Church (ekklesia) would be made up of both Jew and Gentiles and would make a new kind of people (1 Cor. 10:32, 2 Cor. 5:17)   Physical: This Church would be built by Christ during the times of the Gentiles while national Israel was in Diaspora for the next 1,878 years (does this presuppose the Julian and Gregorian calendars?)   Hybrid Age   This is a bit of speculation on my part, but since 1948, there has been a bit of overlap between the presence of both the Church and national Israel. In the first century, there was a 40-year overlap between Christ's resurrection and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple by General Titus in AD70. Here in the twenty-first century, we are almost double that currently sitting at a 74-year overlap. The Church and national Israel are both in existence, and both periods of "coexistence" is where I believe Moses was double-referencing this occurrence in Deut. 32:20-21.   And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith. They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. Deuteronomy 32:20-21 (my emphasis)   It has long been a fascination of mine to note the paradoxical relationship between the Jews (living abroad), the Israelis, and the pro-Zionist Christians. For the purposes of this discussion, the Evangelicals will represent the pro-Zionist movement within broader Christendom. You would think that Jews and Israelis would be as equally fascinated and drawn to this seemingly natural coalition, but they aren't.   In fact, many Jewish people are abhorred by the prospects laid out in the New Testament, likening it to a "cosmic drama," in regards to the Tribulation, Antichrist, Armageddon, and the Second Coming. This is why many Jewish people are puzzled/perplexed/annoyed by the Evangelical's love for them as well as national Israel and Jerusalem likening it to a form of antisemitic philosemitism.   However, if our understanding of what Moses was saying here is correct, then the sudden disappearance of Christians from the earth at the Rapture should be a stark wake-up call to the Jewish people. It will be the single biggest loss of their greatest advocates. Moreover, the only way to make that wake-up call even bigger, and significantly more noticeable, to at least the Orthodox and observant Jews, will be if that disappearance occurs on Tish B'Av.   With that said, however, that window of unmerited Christian support for Israel is closing. Currently, support for Israel is on the decline, particularly amongst the younger generations who are quickly cooling on the idea of an autonomous Israel (vs. Palestinians). Fair to say, that within another twenty years current trends withstanding, US support for Israel (should we still be a nation) would mirror that of Russia or Iran. This brings us to the crux of the second point...the Parable of the Fig Tree.   “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.   Matt. 24:32-35 (my emphasis)   There are five takeaways from this fascinating parable by Jesus capping off His Olivet Discourse.   The fig tree represents national Israel. The trees (Luke 21:29) also represent nations (Judges 9, 1 Kings 4:25, Hosea 9:10, Micah 4:4, Zech. 3:10, Luke 13:6-9) When it starts to blossom, you know the time of the end is near The generations who see this, will not pass away (die off) Since the concept of a generation is debatable, we must go with the length of man's life (Psalm 90:10) Psalm 90 is the only psalm written by Moses, and uses very curious language   The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Psalm 90:10   If Jesus had said something to the effect when you see all these things, know that it is near, —at the doors!...and left it at that, we would have had no way of knowing when that could be. "Near" is a relatively subjective term that can mean a year, ten years, or a hundred years, depending on the context. But because Jesus puts a clarifying statement at the end of the parable by saying, this generation shall not pass away, then we must conclude that the generation that sees Israel's miraculous rebirth, MUST be the generation in question. Jesus goes even further by saying, heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.   Again, either this prophecy means what it says, or it doesn't mean anything. It can't be both.   Conclusion   Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed. Matthew 16:1-4   Let me set up a hypothetical situation. Let's pretend that there were zero Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of the Messiah to the earth. Let us also pretend there were no discernable types, shadows, or patterns either. Would Jesus have been justified in chastising the Pharisees in the above passage if that were true? No, of course not. How can you be chastised for something you couldn't possibly know? Likewise, how can the Church (the body of Christ) be expected to watch for something they have no way of knowing?   Conversely, there are many who use Matthew 24:36 as a justification to remain in blissful ignorance regarding the signs and the seasons of our Lord's return as if this were Jesus' final words on the subject. As a matter of fact, they weren't His final words on the subject of knowing.   Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:3 (my emphasis)   Watch for what? Earthquakes, famines, deception, and pestilences? That's like saying, watch for the sun to rise or watch for a war to break out, we would literally be watching for everything, every day, everywhere. How could we possibly be expected to "occupy until He comes" or "be about the Lord's work" if we had that broad of a requirement to watch?   Thankfully, Jesus and the Bible do not leave it that wide-ranging. Jesus said all of those things (earthquakes, pestilences, famines, deception) would be like birth pangs, increasing in both frequency and intensity at the end. Furthermore, after describing the absolute destruction of the Temple (stone by stone), Jesus then tells His disciples at the midpoint (Matt. 24:15), that the Temple's Holy of Holies would be desecrated in the vilest of ways and then referenced back to Daniel's 70 Weeks prophecy for context. How could the Temple's Holy of Holies be violated if it was already dismantled stone by stone?   Here is where there is a bit of reverse prophetic logic implied:   In order for the Temple's Holy of Holies to be desecrated, there first needs to be a Jewish Temple standing. In order for there to be a Jewish Temple standing, Israel would need to be in control of the Temple Mount. In order for the Jews to be in control of the Temple Mount, the Jews would need to control Jerusalem. In order for the Jews to be in control of Jerusalem, they would need to be in control of the land where Israel now stands.   Secondly, the writer of Hebrews tells us that we are not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25. Again, see what day approaching? How can we know what day is approaching, if we don't know what to look for?   Thankfully, the Bible is replete with signs and things to look for as we draw near the end. Those signs include rather obvious ones like Israel as a nation again (Amos 9:14-15), as well as ones that imply the world will arrive at a certain level of technological capabilities (Revelation 13:16-18).   This same generation who has witnessed the miraculous rebirth of Israel, has also: mastered manned flight, gone into space, split the atom, discovered how to manipulate DNA, discovered the God particle, created global communications and information sharing platforms, and created weapons so powerful that they could destroy the planet many times over. If we are not this generation then I don’t know who is because we have set the bar impossibly high.   Moses gave the average length of a man's life as being seventy to eighty years. If we apply this standard to the generation who sees Israel's national rebirth then that window is the years 2018 - 2028. We know that the 70th Week of Daniel is seven years in length, and we know that it ends with Christ's physical return in the sky with the armies of heaven in tow. The problem is we are butting up against the outside margins for both prophecy and pattern.   Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth. Hosea 6:1-3 (my emphasis)   We are running out of windows in which for all of the things that must happen, to happen. We are running out of patterns and types if we continue to progress further without His return. Furthermore, we are racing ahead of the technological capabilities demonstrated in Revelation. Remember, Jesus said heaven and earth will pass away, but His words would not. So regardless of when Jesus died (27-33AD), we are running out of window for these prophecies and patterns to find their ultimate fulfillment.     I'm not saying the Rapture has to happen this year, or all bets are off. What I'm saying is that if we continue beyond 2024 without rhyme or reason, (plus having to add any kind of gap between the Rapture and the start of the 70th Week) it will become increasingly difficult to discern and watch for that day, since we will begin running out of types, patterns, prophecies, and shadows since these were written for our edification and knowledge. In other words, when we start breaking away from discernable patterns and prophecies, all bets are off, and that doesn't sound very biblical to me. In closing, again, consider these convergences and come to your own conclusions.   2022 is a shemitah year 2029 is the next shemitah year 2029 is outside the 70-80 year window from Israel's founding per Psalm 90:10 2027-2033 is the standard range for the 2,000-year anniversary since Christ was last on the earth 2037-2038 is the 70-80 year window if we count from Jerusalem's reunification per Psalm 90:10 However, the Fig Tree (and all the trees) deals with nations, and not cities   Clearly, we cannot know exactly when the Lord will catch away His bride the Church. However, we can know the season and should be encouraged by the lateness thereof. As for that specific day and hour, we cannot be dogmatic. What we can be dogmatic about, and should provide us with an increasingly growing sense of hope, is that the Biblical patterns and prophecies are not fickle and obscure, they are visible and steadfast. And with each day that passes, we are pressing into that coming glorious kingdom and our eternal destiny with our Creator.   Maranatha!   Related article: https://www.rev310.net/post/when-will-christ-return-revisited

Nearing Midnight: Iran Brags About Having the Ability to Assemble an Atomic Bomb – Todd Strandberg - https://www.raptureready.com/category/nearing-midnight/   Last week Iran boasted that it now has the ‘technical means’ to produce a nuclear bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said earlier this month that Tehran had started “feeding… a cascade of… centrifuges” at a fuel enrichment plant. If high-grade uranium was loaded into those centrifuges, it could be the final step to achieving bomb-grade uranium.   “In a few days, we were able to enrich uranium up to 60%, and we can easily produce 90% enriched uranium…. Iran has the technical means to produce a nuclear bomb, but there has been no decision by Iran to build one,” said a senior adviser, Kamal Kharrazi.   Uranium-235 is an isotope of uranium, making up about 0.72% of natural uranium. Unlike the predominant isotope uranium-238, it is fissile, i.e., it can sustain a nuclear chain reaction. Once the purity gets above 50% Uranium-235, it becomes very easy to reach the 90% target. It has also become harder for the world to track Iran’s enrichment progress.   Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons, saying it is refining uranium only for civilian energy uses and has said its breaches of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers are reversible if the United States lifts sanctions and rejoins the agreement.   Tehran gave assurances that its nuclear policy was unchanged and that it still adhered to a fatwa banning weapons of mass destruction after an Iranian official said the country was able to make atomic bombs.   “In regard to the topic of weapons of mass destruction, we have the fatwa,” or religious edict, by Iran’s supreme leader that prohibits the manufacture of such weapons, said foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani.   The fatwa declares the use of atomic bombs and other weapons of mass destruction to be forbidden by Islam, and it is often cited by Iranian authorities as a guarantee of Tehran’s good intentions.   It is silly for an oil-rich country to claim it needs nuclear power to produce electricity. Iran has a 40-year supply of oil, so why would it want to waste billions of dollars on an energy source that’s a dozen times more expensive?   It is just plain insulting to our intelligence for Iran to claim its religion bans it from building weapons of mass destruction. If Iran does make a nuke, we can say we bombed their nuclear storage site to prevent them from backsliding in their faith.   In 2018, former US President Donald Trump ditched the deal and applied new economic sanctions on Iran. Tehran was violating the deal anyway, so Trump made the right move.   State Department spokesman Ned Price said US President Joe Biden “has made a commitment that Iran will not acquire a nuclear weapon.”   “We continue to believe that diplomacy is the most effective, durable, and sustainable means by which to achieve that,” he added.   There has been a series of talks in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear deal. The lack of any progress since March should make it clear that Iran is just stalling for time.   Iran is using the same playbook that allowed North Korea to achieve nuclear power status. The US government agreed to facilitate the supply of two light water reactors to North Korea in exchange for North Korean disarmament. Such reactors are considered “more proliferation-resistant.” We also provided fuel aid to North Korea to buy its compliance. Because the North Koreans were determined to get the bomb, no amount of goodwill on our part would work.   I think at some point, Israel is going to have to take military action. Iran would only need around 10 nuclear bombs to wipe the Jewish state off the map. Israel cannot coexist with a nuclear-armed enemy that chants for its destruction.   I am actually very surprised that Iran doesn’t already have a nuclear bomb. Iran’s nuclear program was launched in the 1950s with the help of the United States under the Atoms for Peace program. Since at least 2003, it has been conducting experiments aimed at designing a nuclear bomb. Most nations that set out to build an atomic bomb had one within 10 years. Iran has floundered because God has cursed its progress. If Iran goes nuclear, God may curse the nation itself.   “And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guess Who Is Buying Up Farmland All Over The United States? - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/guess-who-is-buying-up-farmland-all-over-the-united-states/   Those that control our food supply wield an immense amount of power. Small family farms have been integral to the success of the United States all throughout our history, but now such farms are being gobbled up at a staggering pace. Corporate behemoths, foreign interests and eccentric billionaires are voraciously buying up farmland, and many consider this development to be extremely alarming. The farming industry is being systematically consolidated, and a lot of people have pointed out that some of the new owners may not have our best interests at heart. This needs to become a major political issue, because our national security is truly at risk.   This week, the purchase of “hundreds of acres of North Dakota farmland” just 20 minutes from one of our most important Air Force bases is making headlines all over the world…   A Chinese company purchased hundreds of acres of North Dakota farmland mere minutes from a major US Air Force base, prompting national security fears as the communist country adds to its nearly 200,000 acres of US agricultural land worth $1.9 billion.   The China-based food producer, Fufeng Group, plans to build a corn-milling plant on its newly acquired 300 acres of land in Grand Forks, just 20 minutes down the road from the Grand Forks Air Force Base, where some of the nation’s most sensitive drone technology is based.   The Fufeng Group insists that there are no ulterior motives for this purchase.   But is it really wise to allow the Chinese to set up shop so close to a base that is being described as “the backbone of all US military communications across the globe”?…   The purchase raised suspicions from military officers, national security experts and lawmakers alike.   The move could give China unprecedented access to the goings-on at the Air Force base, which also has a space-networking center that’s been characterized as ‘the backbone of all US military communications across the globe,’ according to CNBC.   Personally, I think that we are absolutely nuts to allow this to happen.   If the shoe was on the other foot, the Chinese would never even think of compromising their national security in such a manner.   And allowing the Chinese to gobble up big chunks of our best agricultural land is absolutely inexcusable. According to U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, China has been “continually buying up more and more of the U.S. food supply chain”…   “On the farm side, we see China continually buying up more and more of the U.S. food supply chain. Now, we grow a lot more food than we consume and we’re happy to sell it to hungry people around the world. We’re very good at that. But when the supply chain becomes more captive, not only to foreign ownership but to foreign adversaries like China who have demonstrated that they’re not to be trusted with supply chains. We just went through a pandemic that exposed a lot of that. I’m just not very comfortable with the Chinese Communist Party controlling so much of our supply chains. Food supply, energy supply, pharmaceutical supply, those are all that’s all part of national security.”   As of three years ago, the Chinese had already accumulated 192,000 acres of U.S. farmland.   We have not been given a more recent figure than that, but what we do know is that the Chinese spent a whopping 6.1 billion dollars on real estate in the United States during one recent 12 month period…   Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to crack down on “undue influence from rogue states” like China in response to Chinese businesses reportedly buying up large tracts of farmland.   DeSantis was asked about a recent report by the National Association of Realtors which found that Chinese real estate investors spent $6.1 billion on American real estate over a 12-month period that ended in March — more than any other group of foreigners.   Why would we allow something like this to happen?   Nobody else should be allowed to purchase our farmland.   Other countries have such laws, and we should too.   On another note, at just about the same time the Chinese were making their new purchase of farmland in North Dakota, an extremely well known billionaire was making an even larger purchase in the same state…   Bill Gates’ $13.5 million investment in 2,100 sprawling acres of North Dakota land has raised questions — as the purchase coincided with a controversial Chinese company buying 370 acres of farmland just 40 miles away.   Why does Bill Gates just keep buying more farmland?   We have never received a satisfactory answer to that question.   At this point, Bill Gates owns more acres of farmland in the U.S. than the Chinese do.   In fact, Bill Gates has become the “largest private farmland owner” in the entire country…   Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.) sent a letter to House Agriculture Committee chairman David Scott (D-Ga.), requesting that Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates testify before the committee regarding the billionaire’s large farmland purchases.   Gates is the “largest private farmland owner” in the United States, possessing almost 270,000 acres of farmland in 19 states, the July 20 letter states. The average farm size in 2021 was only 445 acres, Johnson said citing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Gates’s farmland holdings in the United States are a “significant” portion that the committee “should not ignore,” while asking that the billionaire be brought in to testify about his “farming interests and practices.”   Owning so much of our farmland gives Bill Gates a tremendous amount of power over our food supply.   What does he intend to do with such power?   As I keep warning my readers, a major global food crisis has already begun, and we are being warned that nightmarish famines could soon break out all over the planet.   So control over food production matters more than ever, and many are concerned that it is increasingly falling into the wrong hands.   The number of farms in the U.S. has been steadily shrinking.   In 1900, there were 5.7 million farms in the United States.   Today, there are only about 2 million farms in the United States even though our population is now much larger.   With each passing year, more small fish are being acquired by bigger fish.   This is a trend that should deeply disturb all of us. Allowing the Chinese, gigantic corporate behemoths and eccentric billionaires such as Bill Gates to buy up our farmland is a really bad idea, but so far very few of our politicians seem interested in stopping them.  Calling Good Evil: ‘Churches’ Claim God Is Pro-Choice, the Pro-Life Movement Is a ‘Demonic Agenda’ – Ken Ham - https://harbingersdaily.com/calling-good-evil-churches-claim-god-is-pro-choice-the-pro-life-movement-is-a-demonic-agenda/   “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Since the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the blood-stained Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, we’ve seen the hatred and murder lurking in people’s hearts come pouring out of their mouths—and sadly this even includes from some “churches” and “pastors.”   A recent article highlighted some sickening quotes from church leaders that I believe can be compared to God’s words about an unrepentant Israel through the prophet Jeremiah:   Jeremiah 4:22 KJV – “For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.”   These church leaders, from various denominations throughout the US, stated things like:   We pray for all who partner with those in need of reproductive health care . . . We pray for the loss of life yet to come from forced childbirth and illegal abortion . . . We pray for those who are not of the same mind regarding reproductive rights.   This prayer completely ignores the “loss of life” of every unborn child in an abortion! This thinking regarding “reproductive health care” might be applauded by our culture, but it is certainly not pleasing to the Creator who “formed my inward parts” and “knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13) and who states that children are a gift from him (Psalm 127:3).   If men could get pregnant, this wouldn’t even be a topic.   This, of course, is a ridiculous argument because: (1) the morality of a situation is not dependent on whether it is a man or a woman carrying the child (morality is determined by God and his Word); (2) many, many women and men are against abortion, so this is not a “men vs. women” debate—it’s an issue of the morality of murdering helpless babies!; and (3) this assumes all men would be perfectly okay with abdicating their responsibility towards a child they helped create, which is not true. Many men have the integrity to do the right thing and love and welcome their children into the world.   All the guys, let’s all, let’s all set appointments to get vasectomies . . . This is not just about reproductive rights … This is about voting rights, it’s about civil rights, it’s about human rights.   What about the civil and human rights of a child being poisoned and dismembered in the womb? (And is this pastor really encouraging his congregation not to have children because some women are no longer allowed to murder their children in some states? How vile! It also sounds dangerously close to encouraging or giving a “free pass” to promiscuity among the men in his congregation!)   This same person also called the pro-life movement “the beginning of a demonic agenda” and called on the church to “get in the gap.” But he has this backward—the killing of unborn children is part of a demonic agenda to destroy those who are created in God’s image. It is nothing more than sacrifice to the “god of self.” It’s no different from the pagan cultures that sacrificed their children to the god Molech.   And the church has “gotten in the gap”—the vast majority of pregnancy care centers are run by Christians who love women, men, and their precious babies and provide real help, such as free diapers, cribs, baby clothes, parenting classes, ultrasounds, counseling, and more to anyone in need. But apparently providing real hope and help is “demonic,” while killing children and doing nothing further for the mother and family are good things. What an evil view!   One last quote from the article:   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.”   Well, God certainly didn’t give him this “deeper understanding.” God cannot deny himself, so he will never contradict his written Word, which states, “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him . . . hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:16-17). And the God of justice will hold those accountable who have taken away the God-given freedom to live from countless unborn babies!   These “pastors” would do well to heed God’s warning:   Isaiah 5:20 KJV – “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”   To me, the following verse really sums up these “pastors”: “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3:18).  Daily Jot: Public School Accountability - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   During the past two years, Loudoun County, Va., parents have been embroiled in a battle with the county school board over a myriad of issues from teaching Critical Race Theory to allowing homosexual groups to groom children to implementing a program to transition children from their birth gender. The parents put their foot down and there were some changes made. Just across the state line in Montgomery County, Md., parents are going to have to stand up to the school district’s pandering to the LGBTQ+ agenda, the lying to parents about a student’s plans for gender transition, and the addressing of children by their preferred pronouns. There is no better time to withdraw your child from public schools.   In its “2021-2022 Guidelines for Student Gender Identity” handbook, Montgomery County Public Schools Interim Superintendent of Schools Monifa B. McKnight, writes: “Part of that commitment is making sure our LGBTQ students can express their gender identity free from discrimination, bullying, or harassment. As a school district, we are committed in recognizing and respecting matters of gender identity; making all reasonable accommodations in response to student requests regarding gender identity; and protecting student privacy and confidentiality as we strive to create safe, positive, and respectful learning environments for all of our students.” What this means is the school knows better than the parents and has dictated that students aided by the school staff, can withhold gender information and plans from parents.   Couching “gender information” as “medical information,” the school says any disclosure about a student’s transgender status, legal name, or sex assigned at birth may constitute confidential medical information. Therefore, gender information should be withheld from parents that are not considered supportive of the student unless the student authorizes disclosure. School staff must address the student by the student’s chosen pronoun corresponding to the student’s gender identity. When contacting parents, school staff are to use the student’s legal name and pronoun that correspond to the student’s sex assigned at birth so as to not disclose the student’s gender identity to the parents. Students are permitted to use the bathrooms of their chosen gender identity, and students uncomfortable with this use are to be reeducated.   This school system is partnering with the LGBTQ+ community to indoctrinate, groom and confuse children into thinking they are something they are not and then the school is conspiring to withhold information from parents about a minor child’s life decision on non-birth gender. This is a most egregious violation of parental rights and individual student rights because students are minors and parents have rights over decisions regarding their children. The solution is 1) to expose this sordid school-promoted child sexual abuse, and 2) withdraw your children from public schools. Christ said in Luke 17:2, “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should put a snare in the way of one of these little ones.” Do a gender policy check on your local schools. Then do the right thing.   Sources:   https://defendinged.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/0504.21_GenderIdentityGuidelinesForStudents_Web.pdf   Daily Devotion: What Are You Thinking? - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do —Joshua 1:8   https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/what-are-you-thinking/ - Listen   As the Israelites were preparing to enter the Promised Land, God told them that if they wanted to succeed spiritually, they needed to be constantly looking at His Word.   God said, “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do” (Joshua 1:8 NLT).   What does it mean to meditate? In the Bible it means to contemplate. The idea given in Scripture is that of chewing your food carefully. Eastern meditation is emptying your mind. But biblical meditation is filling your mind with the Word of God.   And as you memorize, know, and understand Scripture, it will be a weapon to use as you share your faith and also to defend yourself when you’re being attacked.   In the Garden of Eden, Satan came to Adam and Eve and basically challenged them to doubt the Word of God. He said, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” (Genesis 3:1 NLT). In other words, “Did God really say what you think He said?”   This is one of the first things that happens to someone who becomes a Christian. They have doubts about what they believe. But Jesus showed us how to handle this during His temptation in the wilderness. In each instance, He began by saying, “It is written.” He came back to the Word of God, which the Bible refers to as the sword of the Spirit.   Psalm 1, describing the happy person, says, “But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (verses 2–3 NLT).   A growing Christian will delight in and love the Word of God.