PROPHECY UPDATE.............10/13/2022

 

 

When is the Tribulation’s Start? - By Pastor Mike Taylor - https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2022/10/when-is-tribulations-start.html   WHY THE TRIBULATION?   "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Daniel and the Jews] and upon thy holy city, [Jerusalem] to (1) finish the transgression, and to (2) make an end of sins, and to (3) make reconciliation for iniquity, and to (4) bring in everlasting righteousness, and to (5) seal up the vision and prophecy, and to (6) anoint the most Holy." (Daniel 9:24)   As we tick down the hours to the end of this present age, I notice that more and more Christians, perhaps assuming things can't get much worse, are coming to the conclusion we must be in the first half of the Tribulation now. Are we?   I have received comments, emails, and even articles for publication in that those who wonder if we are in the Tribulation right now. Many wonder about all the different ideas of when Jesus will come for His Church. They site pre-trib, pre-wrath, and even post-trib that we all will go through the coming Tribulation. Course, anyone who follows my sermons, knows that I am totally Pre-Trib, but the question raises, “why cannot Christ coming for His elect occur during the first half of the coming tribulation? There is no solid verse in the Bible that limits the “catching away” of God's church to only these three time periods....It speaks of imminency, that Christ could come pretty much anytime, when the King of the Universe, God our Father, tells His only begotten Son to bring His children home. But I am reminded of a verse that Solomon used to denote that things have a purpose, and sometimes we don't understand that purpose.   "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)   The Tribulation Period is no exception to that rule. It has its primary and secondary purposes. The Prophet Daniel tells us that its purpose is six fold and it opened this message as a heading:   "Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people [Daniel and the Jews] and upon thy holy city, [Jerusalem] to (1) finish the transgression, and to (2) make an end of sins, and to (3) make reconciliation for iniquity, and to (4) bring in everlasting righteousness, and to (5) seal up the vision and prophecy, and to (6) anoint the most Holy." (Daniel 9:24)   For every born again believer who is patiently waiting for the SOON return of our Lord, the points that Daniel makes in Daniel 9, the first four have been accomplished at the cross. The final two points are yet future and do not apply to the church. Who does it apply to?   The prophecy is to the Jews and of Jerusalem and the Temple. And the anointing of the Messiah takes place at the Temple following the 2nd Coming.   The primary purpose of the Tribulation, therefore, is to effect the national redemption of the Jews. God made a promise to Daniel and listed what will usher in the Kingdom Age. When Christ was cut off during the middle of His ministry, the time clock that pertained to Israel in its Spiritual application, ceased. The clock stopped.   “And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.” (Daniel 9:27)....   We all know the history surrounding this time period. God has a habit of allowing 40 years for judgment to be withheld, and only brings that judgment when ample time has elapsed. Hence when Jesus died on a cross in roughly 30 AD...then 40 years later the temple was totally destroyed and razed to the ground. But that left an unfinished 7 year period to complete the prophesy in Daniel 9, and we have been waiting for nearly 2000 years for that prophesy to be fulfilled. And make no mistake about it, God keeps His promises, and that prophesy will come to pass.   WHAT IS THE REASON BEHIND THE TRIBULATION?   I have made the bold statement, that is backed up by scripture that the coming Tribulation is designed for two things...we have stated that the Tribulation is for the national redemption of Israel, but there is another, secondary purpose. That purpose is outlined in Revelation starting in Revelation chp. 6 and is a main theme through the whole of the book after this chapter. And what is the theme besides the national redemption of Israel? It is the complete annihilation of all rebellion on this earth. God will wipe this earth clean of all men and women that follow the Beast system, and those who take its mark.   15 “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)   If God is taking out judgment on all mankind present for their rebellion and sins against God, then by definition, to be a Christian, one must accept Christ and repent of their sins. So the Church has no purpose in God's judgment against unrepentant sinners who are in rebellion.   But let us take a third reason for the Tribulation that is fast approaching. The tertiary purpose for the Tribulation is to permit Satan free reign over the earth.   Among the many purposes of Heaven outlined in Scripture is the trial of Satan. At the conclusion of the Tribulation Period and the end of the coming reign of Christ, called the Millennium, there will remain no doubt among the angels and the redeemed saints of God as to the depth of Satan's guilt or the severity of his punishment, as Satan will be loosed for “a little season” to tempt and pervert men's minds to come against God and His Holy City, and fire will come down out of heaven and destroy them all. Then Satan will be captured and thrown into the Lake of Fire where the AC and the false prophet already are.   "Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?" (Isaiah 14:15-17)   DOCTRINE OF IMMINENCY   The doctrine of imminency teaches that the Rapture could have taken place at any time from Paul's day until the starting point of the Tribulation Period. But God has allowed time to continue to our present day and for this purpose to be fulfilled, Satan must have total control of this earth, but to achieve that, the restraining force, (the Holy Spirit) must taken out of the way.   6 “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:” (2nd Thessalonians 2:6-8)   But Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit will indwell me until He returns. I have no part in the Tribulation, I am neither a member of the elect House of Israel nor a Christ-rejecting Gentile.   Jesus also promised that He will never leave me without the power of His Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who would be with me till the end of this age.   16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18)   If the Holy Spirit must be 'taken out of the way' BEFORE the Antichrist can be revealed, which is the only logical way to interpret these passages, then He cannot leave me comfortless without breaking His Word. And we know that God keeps His promises.   No matter how I try to make it read otherwise, I cannot. If the Holy Spirit is NOT 'taken out of the way' then that Wicked CANNOT be revealed. And if the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way, so am I...and so are you, if you be found in Jesus Christ and Him crucified for your sins.   Let's identify the players in that previous verse of 2nd Thessalonians, as there are many slow to able to discern among us, who cannot see the obvious, but speak of their own intellect.   "The mystery of iniquity" -- the spirit of Antichrist. (1st John 4:3) "He who letteth". First, "he" is a personal pronoun, so this isn't a 'thing' to be taken out of the way, but a 'Him'. 'To let' is an old English phrase that signifies indwelling, as in the phrase, "Room to Let."   That "Wicked" is also a personal pronoun and in context, refers to the one whom Jesus destroys at His Second Coming.   Let's read it again and translate into modern English: "The Antichrist won't be revealed until after the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence is taken out of the way."   So the whole argument comes down to when will the Holy Spirit be removed? The clear implications based on spiritual discernment is the when the Holy Spirit is removed, we will be removed right along with Him...and that will happen before the Anti-Christ is revealed. To even think that I would lose the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence while I am still alive on this Christ rejecting planet is unthinkable and entirely not scriptural upon a close examination of the text AND in context. To believe otherwise is akin to the false notion of “catholic purgatory” that the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus was just not good enough to save us and we must be refined right along with Israel and the nations.   HOW LONG IS THE TRIBULATION?   In looking at my opening statements on this message, where do I come up with the Tribulation being 7 years?...Daniel says the AC will rule for one week of years. It is the final week of Daniel's 70 week year prophesy that is yet to be fulfilled. The period is broken up into two distinct time periods. The first part is a collusion between church and state, where the Harlot Church will do much like she did during the Middle Ages...accuse and try those who will not follow her edicts, and the state will commit the executions. She will blend all religions into a One World Religious abomination that has her as the head of power, as she controls the reins of the Beast she rides...As I have mentioned before, it may well be a blend of apostate Christianity and Islam known as Chrislam.   11 “And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.”(Revelation 13:11-14)   The last half will see the “Abomination that causes desolation” stand in the Temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God...He will have no use for the Harlot Church and will destroy her.   15 “And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” (Revelation 17:15-18)   No matter how you slice and dice it..the bible shows how the Tribulation will play out into two periods of 1260 days and total 2520, which is a 7 year period.   Since Israel marks time with a 360 day using a lunar calendar (right to this very day) finding another time frame that fits requires some seriously wishful thinking. The first half of the Tribulation will see many being killed by this Harlot, as she has done in the past, but the second half of the Great Tribulation, will make this time pale in comparison....There will be natural wonders and many are slain because of the wrath of God poured out on this Christ rejecting world, but the second half is where God unleashes the entire cup of His indignation that is flowing to the brim.   9 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.” (Revelation 14:9-11)   But praise be to our God that He has given us a promise that we will NOT receive His wrath...there are two passages that are used over and over again, because they lay out that we are not the object of what is coming upon the earth.   10 “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.” (Revelation 3:10-11)   The phrase in verse 10 “Keep thee from the hour” is the Greek word “EK”..look it up on Google...We will be removed from the time and event coming upon the earth, as Jesus talks of the coming Tribulation.   And the most quoted verse that Paul wrote to let us know, that we will not see the coming wrath of God: 9For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.” (1st Thessalonians 5:9-11)   LETS ANSWER THAT TRIBULATION QUESTION..   Now let us address the question that was raised. “ Can Christ come during the first half of the Tribulation or the first 3.5 years?”   Because as we have noted, the Tribulation is lined out for the purpose of judgment that is to last for these last 7 years.   The Tribulation is not the Church's season of redemption. It is Israel's. The purpose of the Tribulation is either redemption for, or judgment against the lost.   The Church is neither under judgment or in need of redemption. So that would eliminate the need for the Church to be even present during this time, as I explain below.   TRIBULATION SAINTS??   A serious misconception found in some churches, as that suffering must happen after the “catching away” of the church. I have to totally disagree with that idea, as man has lived through much suffering coming from other men. The suffering will continue after Jesus comes for His church, but in exponentially more severity, as suffering grows as the time of the Tribulation goes along. One person asked me where in the book of Revelation is the term “Tribulation saints” is found, as he couldn't find one verse to back up the idea....He was a little bit of a scoffer at the idea that there is extreme suffering during this time period.   What I felt he was trying to do, is find no difference between church age saints, and tribulation saints. True there has always been suffering and martyrdom all down through the ages populated with mankind. But during this period of time, everything has changed on this planet. Men will continue to persecute other men, as man is evil and without constraint as the Holy Spirit being withdrawn to Pre-Pentecostal manifestations of His power...oh, He will still be here, but not in the same position that God occupied during the Church Age, by His Spirit. But during this time, God will smite this planet with plague after plague and as the Bible tells us, if it were not cut short, “No flesh would be saved”...it will be that severe to near total annihilation of all living, breathing flesh.   But let us see if there is a difference found in scripture that points to two different groups of people, before and after the Tribulation starts.   As to the concept of "Tribulation saints" -- I'm assuming that the notion that they are not the Church Age saints is the 'mild scoffing ' referred to. Any possible alternative identification, however, begs a bigger question. Who are the Church Age Saints. The apostle John identifies what each group is. John writes concerning church age saints:   4”Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”(1st John 4:4-6)(my emphasis)   That set of verses applies to those who have Jesus Christ as Personal Savior and have been “Born Again” into the coming Kingdom of God. So we are overcomers, as Jesus overcame, so have we, through Him...   33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)   But on the flip side of this coin, we have a people called “saints” that Jesus said would be over come.   6 “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Revelation 13:6-8)   Note that the apostle John wrote both verses...Jesus tells him that the saints will overcome this world, because Jesus has overcome the world as Satan or his agent, the AC cannot overcome God's Holy Spirit that resides in every born again believer. It is not speculation to assume that the differences in status are not relevent?   People ask me how the Rapture of the church would bring glory to God, through His Son? Would he not receive more glory by showing up and rescuing all the saints on earth from persecution and dealing a death blow to all who persecute and kill the saints? I guess it's just human nature to doubt, when the evidence is found in Hope...we can't see what's coming. We can only read about it...Paul mentioned this Hope that is in us, in one of most favorite chapters in all the Bible..   19 “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 24For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:19-25)   Let me make a point here that might sum up the preceding verses. During the Age we live in, the Church Age, salvation is attained through belief and faith in the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. If a most powerful, and glorious King of kings and Lord of lords comes to rescue all that believe in Him, how much faith would you have to have to believe what you are now witnessing, right in front of your eyes? ...This God of the Ages, the Great I AM, that I AM, just appeared in the heavens in all His glory would that negate that unseen Person that gives us HOPE?....Jesus said plainly for all to understand:   23 “And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.” (Luke 10:23-24)   The Bible speaks also of what Jesus spoke of when “doubting” Thomas saw the Lord Jesus glorified standing in front of him and telling him to reach and feel where his side was pierced:   28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. 29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”(John 20:29)   We are those who hear, but do not see...We seek, but He promised we will find...If we seek Him with our whole heart, Jesus, our Blessed Hope will reveal Himself to all who seek His face.   12 “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”(Titus 2:12-14)   With this discussion, does it not stand to reason that God is working everything out in Dispensations? Are we not in the Age of Grace that will soon end? Will not God deal with this planet and its inhabitants called the Jews and the Nations One on one those that is still here and will be subject to the extreme wrath of a Vengeful God, who will make Himself known in all His anger?   Are there two standards for salvation in the Church Age? Of course not. Does that not suggest and confirm the existence of two separate administrations of God?...Yes, I hope you can see the differences in the two groups, before and after the Tribulation starts...And friend, that beginning could be as early as tomorrow....We don't know and it is not revealed....But God has given us appointed times that He has revealed Himself to His people, and most likely will do it at the end of the Age...If you have been a follower of my sermons, you know what I'm talking about...during any coming fall will be a time that Jesus could come....I SAY MAY...I make no predictions, but look to scripture that says God has a Plan for Mankind known as the Feast of Trumpets around September....Half of God's Feasts are finished as Jesus completed them on the exact day of their observance...the other half is waiting to be completed...The next Feast to be completed is the afore mentioned Feast of Trumpets.   Confusing, no? Now, is God the author of confusion?...Wanna know what I speak of? Go to this message on my blog https://pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com/2018/09/gods-end-of-days-plan-for-man.html ..there you will find your answer..   As bad as it seems, the Rapture not withstanding, we are NOT now in the first half of the Tribulation. We wouldn't be in the Tribulation even if the Rapture is really mid Trib. Or Pre-Wrath. Or Post trib. The AC has to be revealed before this time gets underway. A peace treaty needs to be confirmed...I say confirmed, as there already is a peace treaty and could it be the “deal of century” that POTUS Trump is proposing, but that we know the Palestinians will reject, and it will be dead on arrival...The Bible says that the AC will CONFIRM a prior peace treaty already written and make specific promises to the nation of Israel and it's surrounding neighbors....As I posted last time, the third temple is all set to begin construction...It only takes a powerful leader to give the go ahead and make a confirmation of a peace treaty “HE SAYS he will honor”....course we know he is a liar...and that man is on the world stage right now....when will he appear??? When the church is gone, THEN the Tribulation will begin.   The Antichrist has not yet been revealed. The peace treaty has not yet been confirmed. Temple worship has not yet been restored. All these are events that take place BEFORE the Great Tribulation begins. It is that termination of sacrifice that begins the Great Tribulation.   The Antichrist can't cause the sacrifice to cease until AFTER it has begun. That can't happen until the Jews possess the Temple Mount. The Antichrist cannot take his seat in the Temple of God, causing Israel to reject him, which kicks off the Great Tribulation, until AFTER there is a Temple to sit in.   These events are clear, unmistakable AND independent of the Rapture. None of them exist because we aren't in the Tribulation Period. We are indeed close.   WHERE WILL YOU BE IN THAT HOUR?   You who are reading this, will you be here when the Tribulation actually starts? WE have a guarantee that our “Blessed Hope” will come to remove us out of the way of the coming Wrath of God which starts in chp. 6 of Revelation, as Jesus opens each seal of the Tribulation and reclaiming His creation, earth and mankind. How do you not be present during this coming 7 years event? Two passages are the encapsulated means of not being on this earth when Jesus comes. It is the essence of the “love letter to mankind” that is found in your Bible:   16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18) 8 “But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:8-13)   Make that decision for Jesus Christ and believe in your heart what those two passages proclaim and you will miss “Tribulation that is just over the horizon”.   This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying you are among those who hear the cry of our Lord to “come up, hither.” ...It could be any day now....will you be ready? If you need counseling, prayer, or just a listening ear, email me pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com , or visit me online for more message dealing with the prophecy of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds of heaven at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com , God bless you all, TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

There Are Clues That Indicate Russia Could Be Preparing A Surprise Lightning Strike To Take Kiev - by Michael Snyder - http://endoftheamericandream.com/there-are-clues-that-indicate-russia-could-be-preparing-a-surprise-lightning-strike-to-take-kiev/   Is the war in Ukraine about to pass the point of no return? When Russia announced that it would be mobilizing large numbers of troops, a lot of people assumed that those troops would be sent to bolster existing defensive lines. But it appears that may not be necessary. The Ukrainian counter-offensives have mostly petered out at this point, and the Russians have even taken some new territory in recent days near Bakhmut. In order to make the gains that they did in September, the Ukrainians were forced to sacrifice a staggering amount of personnel and vehicles, and now their forces are over-extended and exhausted.   It would actually be a perfect time for the Russians to launch a surprise assault behind the existing battle lines, and that may be exactly what they are planning to do.   In fact, the Russians may actually be planning a lightning strike to take Kiev while most of Ukraine’s forces are occupied on the southern and eastern fronts.   According to the Washington Examiner, Russians troops are being sent to Ukraine’s border with Belarus “by the trainload”…   Russian troops are pouring into Belarus “by the trainload.”   The news comes alongside an announcement from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko that Russian troops would return to the country, which neighbors both Russia and Ukraine, in large numbers, according to the Belarusian state news agency Belta. Tens of thousands of Russian troops used Belarus as the staging ground for their initial northern offensive into Ukraine in February but mostly withdrew by late March. Since then, a few hundred Russian troops have stayed behind, mostly air and missile troops that use the close Russian ally as a launching pad for missile strikes into Ukraine, but that now appears to be changing.   “Russian soldiers are entering Belarus by the trainload. They’re traveling in cattle cars — just a huge quantity. Just waves of trains arriving,” a Belarusian source told Kyiv Post correspondent Jason Jay Smart.   So why are so many Russian troops suddenly being sent to Belarus?   Are they going to just sit there and do nothing?   Of course not.   When Russian troops surged toward Kiev during the initial invasion, Belarus was the staging ground.   And if Russia was planning a new larger assault on Kiev now, this is precisely where we would expect to see troops massing.   The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has confirmed that large numbers of Russian troops will be coming.   In fact, he reportedly has said that it “won’t be just a thousand troops”…   “This won’t be just a thousand troops,” Lukashenko told his military high command in a recent meeting, announcing the large-scale arrival of Russian troops. “Be ready to receive these people in the near future and place them where necessary, according to our plan,” he said, according to the New York Times.   Despite what the Russians are claiming, there is no threat that the Ukrainians will invade Belarus.   So unless the Russians plan to do something with them, there is absolutely no need to put thousands upon thousands of troops there.   We have also learned that shipments of fuel to Russian forces at the front have hit the highest level that we have seen in the entire war…   Russia is stocking troops fighting in Ukraine with fuel, with last month’s shipments reaching the highest level since the onset of the invasion.   A report from Bloomberg Wednesday said shipments of diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel touched nearly 220,000 tons in September, sent primarily to the six Russian regions that border Ukraine and the recently annexed Donetsk and Luhansk.   The uptick amounts to an a four-fold increase compared to a year earlier and even surpasses March deliveries. The volume data also includes deliveries sent to four major airports in southwestern Russia.   Why is so much fuel suddenly needed?   If a new invasion was being planned, that would make sense.   We shall see what happens, but it certainly seems like the Russians have something really big up their sleeves.   But even after everything that has already transpired, Russian leaders are indicating that they are still open to peace talks with the United States…   Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday said that Moscow was open to talks with Western powers as Turkey is looking to broker negotiations.   Lavrov also said that Russia would consider a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Biden if one was proposed. “We have repeatedly said that we never refuse meetings. If there is a proposal, then we will consider it,” he said.   A potential venue for talks between Biden and Putin could be the sidelines of the upcoming summit of G20 leaders that will be held in mid-November in Indonesia. But according to Lavrov, Russia has not received any serious proposals from the US to negotiate.   What an opportunity.   If there is even a slight chance for a peaceful way out of this mess, U.S. officials should be exploring it.   After all, what does it hurt to sit down and talk?   Unfortunately, the State Department was very quick to shoot down any notion that there could be peace talks…   “We see this as posturing. We do not see this as a constructive, legitimate offer to engage in the dialogue and diplomacy that is absolutely necessary to see an end to this brutal war of aggression,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.   The American people should be absolutely infuriated by this.   Why do they absolutely refuse to sit down and talk with the Russians?   Sadly, it is because they actually want this war.   They truly believe that the Ukrainians are going to win and that a defeat in Ukraine will mean the end of the current Russian regime.   The warmongers in Washington have convinced just about everyone that they have this game of geopolitical chess under control, but the reality of the matter is that we are getting closer to a nuclear war with each passing day.   In fact, Tulsi Gabbard says that the warmongers in the Biden administration are one of the main reasons why she just left the Democratic Party…   Tulsi Gabbard has accused the Biden administration of taking the United States perilously close to nuclear war, condemning the ‘warmongers’ in Washington DC and say they were part of the reason why she quit the Democratic Party.   Once upon a time, the Democratic Party was teeming with anti-war protesters.   But now Democrats are the biggest war cheerleaders of them all.   Thanks to the warmongers in the Biden administration, we are also getting perilously close to wars with China, Iran and North Korea.   Meanwhile, most Americans aren’t paying much attention to any of this because the mainstream media keeps telling them that everything is going to be just fine.   Of course the truth is that everything is most definitely not going to be “just fine”.   In a nuclear war, whoever fires first has the best chance of surviving, and the Russians understand this very well.   Over the past couple of decades, the Russians have spent vast amounts of money to modernize their strategic nuclear arsenal, and they posses the most advanced anti-missile systems in the world by a wide margin.   Meanwhile, Minuteman missiles that went into the service back in the 1970s still form the backbone of our strategic nuclear arsenal, and we have no way to defend against Russian nukes.   We are not holding a strong hand, and if our leaders had any sense they would be trying to find a peaceful way out of this mess.   Unfortunately, they continue to march us toward war, and it appears that most Americans will not wake up until it is far too late.

Re-Enactment Of the Water Libation Held to Prepare for The Third Temple – by Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=5654   On Tuesday, a full-dress reenactment of the water libation as it was performed in the Temple was held in Jerusalem with several hundred participants led by Kohanim in priestly garb, accompanied by Levites playing musical instruments.   The event began at Shaar Hashpot (the dung gate) in Jerusalem's Old City where participants joined Kohanim (priests) in Biblically mandated vestments and Levites with musical instruments, also wearing special vestments.   The musically gifted Levites led the ceremony with joyous music on drums, violin, guitar, and clarinet, winding down ancient walkways into the valley below the Temple Mount.   The crowd sang and danced as they passed from the archaeological remains of the ancient City of David, through an Arab village, to the Shiloach (Siloam) Spring which was used in Temple times.   The procession was punctuated by stops during which four-foot-long pure silver trumpets were sounded.   The event was overseen by Rabbi Yisrael Ariel (the founder of the Temple Institute), Rabbi Dov Lior, Rabbi Aryeh Shtern (the chief rabbi of Jerusalem), Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, Rabbi David Chai HaKohen, Rabbi Ra'am Hakohen, Rabbi Menachem Bornstein, Rabbi Uri Cherki, and other distinguished rabbis.   At the head of the parade was the gold vessel, the water jug.   At the Shiloach Pool, the jug was filled. The procession climbed back up to the top of the mountain. A model altar and its utensils had been set up in an open area adjacent to the Western Wall. The altar was decorated with large leafy willow branches as was done in the Temple.   WATCH: https://www.facebook.com/14233664/videos/877283813177275/   The ceremony culminated in the priestly blessing after which the once-in-seven-years Hakhel ceremony was held.   Though not explicitly mandated in the Torah, the water libation is part of the oral tradition passed down from Moses. Sukkot is a joyous holiday and the water libation was the focal point of this joy. In the Temple, the ceremony would take fifteen hours with accompanying celebrations lasting all night until the Temple service began again the next morning. Nations came from around the world to take part in the Sukkoth celebrations making it international worship of God.   In Temple times, a libation of water was made together with the pouring out of wine at the morning service on the last six days of the week-long Sukkot holiday. Kohanim descended from the Temple to the Shiloach Spring at the base of Mount Moriah, where they filled the flask with three log of spring water (approximately two pints) and returned to the Temple.   WATCH: https://www.facebook.com/14233664/videos/3301363703486430/   Two Kohanim then ascended the stone altar in the Temple's inner courtyard, placing two silver cups on the southwestern corner. One Kohen poured the water from the silver flask while the second Kohen simultaneously poured wine from the second cup, both liquids flowing into holes in the altar specially prepared for this ceremony.   The Shiloach Pool (Siloam in English, Silwan in Arabic) has a huge Biblical import that will re-emerge when the Third Temple is built. The Pool of Siloam was the starting point for pilgrims who made the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Biblical feasts.   They would use the pool to wash and ritually purify themselves before ascending by foot to the inner court of the Temple Mount to bring their sacrificial offerings. Located outside the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem to the southeast, the pool is fed by the waters of the Gihon Spring which are carried there by the Siloam Tunnel, also known as Hezekiah's Tunnel.   Sometimes referred to in the Bible as the Lower Pool, the pool was built during the reign of Hezekiah (715-687 BCE) to replace an older Canaanite tunnel, known Biblically as the Upper Pool, that was vulnerable to attackers. The new pool and tunnel left besieging armies without access to the spring's waters.    Archeologists believe that during the Second Temple Era the waters continued to flow south and were collected in an additional, larger pool. This pool was discovered during the summer of 2004 and is continuing to be uncovered today.

Discouragement or Hope - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com   Along with joy and happiness, this life can hold many trials and unhappiness. It’s up to each individual to decide what to focus on. We need to remember that all blessings come from God, but all evil comes from wicked Satanic forces. God created a world of beauty and peace, filled with blessings and hope. Genesis chapter 1 isn’t an allegory, or a myth. It is truth. God created everything in 6 literal days. The ultimate creation was Adam. Evolution didn’t make you the unique and special person you are. “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” Genesis 1:27. When God saw that Adam needed a companion, He took Eve from Adam and told them to be fruitful and multiply. In this passage of Scripture, we can see that gender is not a choice, and that since God created male and female, marriage is only valid between a man and a woman.   We don’t know how long Adam and Eve had been living in the Garden of Eden when Eve was distracted from God’s truth and she chatted with Satan. Big mistake! That evil being convinced her that God was wicked and only told them not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil because He didn’t want them to be as gods. God had specifically told Adam to eat of every tree in the Garden except for the forbidden fruit. “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Genesis 2:17. This command was given to Adam prior to God creating Eve, so Adam should have been more cleart when directing Eve in God’s truth. Eve listened to Satan and ate the forbidden fruit. Adam also disregarded God’s commandments and sinned. Did Adam and Eve drop dead immediately? Not in body, but in soul. That’s when sin and death entered creation and mankind was separated from God. There had been enough food on all the trees in the Garden of Eden for Adam and Eve to eat and be satisfied. Still, the wickedness of Satan convinced them that God was a liar and the fruit was good to eat.   You might think that event didn’t set a precedent, but it did. For some reason, Satan’s lies look more appealing than God’s truth, even though history should show us that sin never brings happiness, joy, or peach. Look around at the ways of the world. God created a man and a woman, and their marriage was forever. What do we see in the world today? Men and women living together without the blessing of a God-ordained marriage. Unwanted children come from such unions, and there is no real love and trust in such a relationship. Men living with men and woman living with women as if they are married in God’s eyes. AIDS is a result of such relationships. There is sickness and evil all around and life can get overwhelming. Are you discouraged in the way your life is going? Are you facing trials and worries. Maybe your children are rebellious and living lives opposed to God. That is heartbreaking and worrisome. Do you blame God because of the sinful way your children live? Look at your own life. Have you been an example of Godly ways for your children to admire? “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. Too many parents have the attitude of “do as I say, not as I do”. If you tell your children to stay away from drugs and alcohol, but live the example of drunkenness, don’t blame God if your children follow your example. Are you in a God-ordained one man/one woman marriage, or are you giving your children the example of “living together”. If you aren’t following God’s truth, you can’t blame Him for the results of your choices. God gave us the freedom to choose to follow His ways, or go the way of Satan’s lies. If we choose to follow Satan’s lies, then we cannot blame God for the results of our sin.   God has given us Scripture to guide us in His ways, but if we listen to Satan’s voice and follow worldly ways, we have to accept the results of our sin. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23. A wage is something you work for, but a gift is something that is freely given. We have fragile bodies that were created to work a certain way. Then Satan whispers to you, drink that alcohol because you will have more friends and be the life of the party. Do you listen to Satan or to God? “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” Romans 13:13. So, you harken to Satan’s lies and drink until you are seeing double and decide to drive home. An accident happens, and people are killed. Do you blame God for the results of the accident, or do you see that it was your choice to drive while drunk or under the influence of drugs? Maybe you hadn’t been drinking, and the accident just happened, or there was some negligence on your part. It can be discouraging to face life knowing that maybe you should have been more cautious and alert. My brother was killed in an automobile accident. It was truly an accident. It was very rainy and an animal ran across the highway, The young driver skidded off the road, and three young boys died that night. The driver survived, but the horror of that night still haunts him after more than 60 years.   The point is, we cannot blame God for troubles. Wickedness is from Satan. Death entered creation when Adam disregarded God’s command and ate the forbidden fruit. To this day, many people choose to disregard His Commandments and live a life of sin. There are many things in life that we can’t control that cause pain and suffering. Remember, we live in a fallen world and all evil is from Satan. It’s heartbreaking to see a baby born with birth defects, and it’s easy to blame God. On the other hand, we must question whether or not the mother took drugs - prescription or illegal. I know of a baby who was born premature and addicted to cocaine because the mother was addicted to cocaine. Do we blame God or do we blame Satan. I blame Satan. Our only hope is in Jesus. No matter what troubles you face, or choices you’ve made, if you’ve placed your faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, you can be assured He will never leave you nor forsake you. “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee nor forsake thee” Deuteronomy 31:6. Moses had led the Israelites through 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. That must have been very discouraging, but the wandering was caused because of their lack of faith and trust in God, and a choice was made to disobey Him. Now the time had come for them to enter into the promised land and Moses was near to death. He spoke to the Israelites and encouraged them to trust God and to follow Him. Heed those words in your own life. Turn from sin that causes a separation between you and God.   If you have accepted Christ for your salvation, but only see evil and discouragement in your life, it might be helpful to look at the choices you’ve made. Have you always followed God’s path or have you deviated to follow the way of the world? The Holy Spirit will never lead you to do anything that is opposed to Scripture. Follow His guidance. “Quench not the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19. Is what you are going through the wages of sin that you’ve earned? Remember that, as the Scripture says, we earn the wages of sin, but if you have given your life to Christ, your sins are all forgiven. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8. You may still have to pay the price for living life opposed to God, but He will never leave you. Christians have the blessed hope of eternity with God. Instead of being discouraged over the wages of sin you’ve earned, draw hope and joy from the gift of God.   As we draw nearer to the end of time, we will see wickedness growing stronger as more and more people reject God’s truth. Even Christians are listening to Satan’s evil whisper rather than standing firm on Scripture. “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.” Acts 8:22. God is always willing to forgive the truly repentant person who humbly goes before Him in prayer. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Once you’ve recognized the sin in your life, confess it to God and ask Him to forgive you. Then turn away from it. The blood that Jesus shed for you doesn’t give you a license to continue sinning. Remember, no matter how discouraged you may be by life circumstances, there is always hope in Jesus. God can, and will, take everything you turn over to Him and make it work for good. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. Never allow life to defeat you, but keep your eyes and heart upon Jesus.   Discouragement comes from living a worldly life, but hope comes from living for Christ.   God bless you all,   Nathele Graham twotug@embarqmail.com ron@straitandnarrowministry.com   Recommended prophecy sites: www.raptureready.com www.prophecyupdate.com www.raptureforums.com   All original scripture is “theopneustos” God breathed.   If you’d like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries just drop me an email and let me know.

Daily Jot: Targeting freedom of speech and religion - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   Recent headlines continue to tell the story of how freedom of speech in America is under attack by socialists in the Democratic Party. In California, for example, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law to discipline doctors with possible suspension of their licenses for spreading “misinformation” or “disinformation” about COVID 19. The law targets doctors who speak out against harmful treatments of COVID mandated by the federal government and backed by big pharmaceutical companies and corporate-controlled medical associations. Alternative treatments that were proven effective against COVID were maligned by government-industry-media alliances that promoted COVID vaccines.   Unfortunately for the masses, the mRNA vaccines for COVID proved to be far less effective than advertised and fraught with long-term side effects, including heart issues and death. Despite these findings in scientific peer-reviewed studies, the government, media, and big corporate medical companies continue to promote a false narrative that the vaccines are both safe and effective. Even worse, they have censored dissenting opinions and studies that prove the effectiveness of less invasive alternative treatments and preventatives for COVID. This censorship is counter to the advancement of true science and it crosses the line of Constitutional guarantees of free speech as demonstrated by California’s unfathomable censorship.   The Constitution says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” This addresses Congress and the government. However, corporations are not bound by the same guarantee. What we are seeing in this country is not only the government putting pressure on people to comply with the government propaganda, but also an unholy alliance between government and corporations to censor free speech. Social media giants acted in league with the FBI and Centers for Disease Control, for example, to censor dissent on the handling of COVID.   The Department of Justice also pressured parents attending school board meetings with threats of being characterized and investigated as domestic terrorists for protesting against sexualization of their children by public schools. Now a group of senators led by Ted Cruz (R-TX) once again warned Attorney General Merrick Garland to not police speech against transgender surgeries for children. Why is all this important to Christians? It is Christians who oppose the immoral abominations promoted by Democratic Party agendas. Your free speech rights affect your freedom of religion. These people are and will target religious freedom as they are emboldened with targeting free speech. As the Apostle Paul prays in Ephesians 6:20 “that I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” We all need to exercise our free speech that we not lose it.

Daily Devotion: When the Hunter Became the Hunted - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. —Philippians 3:7–8   https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/when-the-hunter-became-the-hunted/ - Listen   There’s a town in North Carolina called Mocksville, and I should have been born there. That’s because before I became a Christian, I loved to mock other people. But after I gave my life to Christ, I was shocked when people started mocking me. They were laughing at me because of my faith in Jesus Christ.   Before he was a follower of Christ, the apostle Paul was probably the most prideful man around, filled with himself and his accomplishments, knowledge, and skills. But in time, he came to be filled with humility.   Immediately after Paul’s conversion, he began preaching the gospel in Damascus. He was so powerful and persuasive that the religious leaders wanted to kill him. When the Christians heard about this, they hatched a plan to smuggle him out of the city. They put him in a basket and lowered it over the city walls at night.   Think of the irony of the situation. Just a short time earlier, he was Saul of Tarsus, with an entourage and special orders from the high priest to arrest and execute Christians. But, as the newly converted Paul, he found himself being lowered over the city wall in a basket.   Paul’s name before he became a Christian gives us insight into what his life was like then. Saul was the name of Israel’s first king. It was a respected and powerful name. But, as a Christian, he took the name Paul, which means “little.” This was like changing your name from Spike to Squirt. It showed that Paul had become a man of humility. The hunter had become the hunted. The man who persecuted others was being persecuted himself.   Yet God had transformed Paul. God would use him powerfully, but first, He had to prepare him. The Lord thus humbled Paul and made him ready for the task ahead.

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