BY PASTOR MIKE TAYLOR

15 “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:15-22)

As the hour approaches for the start of the Tribulation and the end of this present age, I have many Christians that email me and wonder “Are we in the Tribulation now, or can it get any worse that what we see already at the present?”....Some come to the erroneous conclusion that we are in the first part of the Tribulation, as the world is going stark raving mad. Environmental disasters of earthquakes, volcano eruptions, drought leading to famine in third world countries, when ISIS was beheading Christians in the Middle East, and nuclear threats from Iran and North Korea, and now even China and Russia, leave many wondering if we are indeed, in the first years of the coming Tribulation. Are we?
The Lord God gave us definite signs of when the beginning of the Tribulation would start, and although I would agree that we are bumping right up to the time the Bible calls Jacob's trouble, we have not crossed that red line that says we are in the Tribulation just yet. Why do I say that?



THE PURPOSE OF THE COMING TRIBULATION



The Tribulation has a primary, secondary purpose and even a third reason for the time. From the perspective of Israel the Tribulation has a primary purpose. From the prophet Daniel, that primary purpose is six fold:

"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)

That primary purpose had been going on from the rebuilding of the Temple after the Babylonian exile and ancient Israel's return to her own land for 483 years, when Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey.

 "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9)

Thus Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in the 483^rd year of the Prophecy and if Israel would have accepted their Messiah, then the Kingdom of God would have come upon the earth at that time, but that was not God's plan. Several days later, Jesus would be tried, convicted in a Sanhedrin court, sentenced by a Roman governor and crucified on a cross for the sole reason of being the Messiah they did not want to accept. Their image of their “political Savior” was a King David type, not this lowly carpenter who wanted to save them from their sins. They didn't need a Savior, (in their deceived thinking) as they had the law of Moses, which they didn't realize could not save them from being separated from God the Father for all eternity. They knew of the timing of the coming Messiah, and here He was standing right in front of them, but they didn't like His spiritual message of repentance.

When Jesus died on that cross, the time period of 490 years that Gabriel told Daniel would be required to fulfill that prophecy, stopped and has been on hold now for nearly 2000 years. That leaves a final 7 years (490-483=7 years) of the prophecy to the nation of Israel on hold. God will complete His promise to the Jewish people in the near future.

But for the Church that was born at Pentecost because of the blood sacrifice Jesus paid, points 1-4 of the above verse was accomplished at the cross. The last two points of 5-6 are yet to be fulfilled, but neither of them apply to the Church anyway. The prophecy is for the Jewish people and of Jerusalem with a rebuilt Temple standing on the Temple Mount and the anointing of the Messiah taking place at the 2^nd Coming of Jesus to reign and rule for a Millennium.

The primary purpose of the Tribulation, therefore, is to effect the national redemption of the Jews.

2 “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:

3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

4 Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” (Malachi 3:2-4)

Israel will be refined through much persecution, until they recognize their Messiah that their forefathers rejected in 33 AD and they still do today.

There is a secondary purpose as outlined in Revelation chp. 9:

"Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." (Revelation 9:21)

In reading the whole of chapters 6- 9 of this apocalyptic book, gives you the reason for the coming Tribulation. God is putting down all rebellion upon the earth, known as the “nations” who will not repent of their sinful lives, or give God any glory. But those who love their unrighteousness and sinful practices will not repent even in the face of this horrific judgment that is being poured out on them, and it only gets worse, much worse.

This secondary purpose is to purge this earth of unrepentant, rebellious mankind that rejects Christ as Lord of their lives. God will nearly wipe this planet clean of all human life. By definition, to be a Christian, one must repent of one's sins. So the Church has no purpose in God's judgment against these “unrepentant, lawless” sinners.

There is also a third reason for the Tribulation. It is to allow Satan full and free reign over the earth and its inhabitants. Among the many purposes of Heaven outlined in God's Word is the trial of Satan. At the conclusion of the Tribulation, there will no doubt remaining among the angels and the inhabitants of God's realm, (the saints of God) to the depth of Satan's guilt or the severity of the forthcoming punishment. This was prophesied in Isaiah what would become of Lucifer, now known as Satan (the adversary) when he was cast out of heaven when he proclaimed his infamous “I wills” to be like the Most High God....

"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)

HARPAZO OF THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD

The doctrine of imminency teaches that Jesus could come at any moment and “snatch by force” His redeemed bride which is HARPAZO in the Greek that Paul spoke of in 1^st Corinthians and 1^st Thessalonians

15 “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up (HARPAZO) together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” (1^st Thessalonians 4:15-18)

What is the dictionary definition of what Paul wrote above of the HARPAZO, or being “caught up” in English..

1) to seize, carry off by force

2) to seize on, claim for one' s self eagerly

3) to snatch out or away

The fulfillment of this passage could come at any moment, from the day of Paul until the starting point of the Tribulation. How do I know that it is confined to that period of time? Glad you asked. Because the Bible expressly promises us that the Tribulation will not start until Satan has total control over this earth.

In order for Satan to have total control (and therefore no excuse) the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and His ministry of identifying and restraining evil must be removed.
Jesus promises that the Holy Spirit would indwell within me until He returns, as I am neither of the “house of Israel” or part of the Christ rejecting Gentile nations and have no part in the coming Tribulation, but the scripture says that the coming Anti-Christ will overcome the “saints” during the tribulation.

“And 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.

And 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 13:7-8)


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 what Paul wrote in 2nd Thessalonians 2:7-9,

7 “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.

8 And 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:

9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”

So if God is withdrawing the work of the Holy spirit, that would leave me comfortless, if as a Christian I am found to be still present during the time known as Jacob's Trouble, the Tribulation. If God has left me alone just when I need Him the most, then Jesus broke His Word, and we know Jesus cannot lie.

16 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even 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.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:16-18)

No matter how I try to read the above verses otherwise, I cannot be present during this time. Until the Holy Spirit is “taken out of the way” then that Wicked cannot be revealed, which is the Anti-Christ.

This may be confusing to some, but let us identify the players in the preceding verses listed above in 2^nd Thessalonians 2:7-9. The “mystery of iniquity” or the spirit of the Anti-Christ (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."

When the verse speaks of “that Wicked” it is also a personal pronoun and in context, refers to the one whom Jesus will destroy at His Second Coming.

So in modern everyday English, the meaning of the passage says “the Anti-Christ won't be revealed until the Holy Spirit's presence is taken out of the way”...So the point of the passage that should not be any bone of contention, is that if the Holy Spirit is removed, and we have God's Holy Spirit within us, and Jesus will NOT leave us alone without comfort, then if the Holy Spirit is leaving, then so shall God's Church. Every born again believer on this planet will be removed at the very same instant as God's Holy Spirit. Since Satan cannot overcome God, and God is dwelling in me, then the Anti-Christ can't overcome me if I were still on the earth.

I cannot picture a situation in which I would lose the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence while I am still alive on this earth. It is unthinkable.

THE CHURCH REMOVED

So now that I hope you can see that the Church will be removed prior to the Anti-Christ being revealed and we will not be subject to God's Wrath. Now some say that the first part of the Tribulation is promoted by Satan and evil men. Many try to say that God's wrath is not revealed until the 6^th seal is opened, as the righteousness indignation of God's judgment is finally revealed..is that true? I ask you. Who is opening the seals of the “title deed to this earth” by removing all rebellion on the planet? From the first seal until the last, the author of this judgment is Jesus Christ the Lord. He is causing events to happen. He is using men to enact judgment on other lawless men, just as He used Babylon and Assyria as the iron rod of judgment on Israel for their lawless behavior and rejecting the laws of God. So here God is doing the same thing by using men to bring about the beginning of His wrath indirectly, but will show His indignation directly in subsequent seals of judgment. In chapter 6, the men of earth know who is causing the problems and the evil that befalls them, and they cry out:

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;

16 And 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:

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)

LET US ANAZLYZE THIS COMING TRIBULATION.

Where do we get seven years of tribulation? Some ask me that question and assert that there is no basis for it...

Daniel says that Antichrist rules for one 'week' -- or seven years.

27 “And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” (Daniel 9:27)

I've even had some deceived notions that this above verse is speaking of Jesus causing a covenant to be broken in mid-week, but clearly it is speaking of an abomination of desolation that only happened one other time with Antiochus Epiphanes when he desecrated the Holy Temple and spawned the Maccabean revolt.

The first three and one half years are a period of false peace for Israel. Because of confirming a covenant with Israel, the coming Anti-Christ will reveal himself by enforcing a pre-existence covenant that is possibly the Oslo Accord from the earth 1990s or the Abrahamic Covenants during Trump's administration. The last three and one half years are a period of intense persecution and Great Tribulation for the Jewish people. It is the remaining 7 years left to fulfill the prophecy given by Gabriel to Daniel, that has been on hold for the Age of Grace that we have been living in for almost 2000 years now.

No matter how novel an interpretation one may develop to argue against the seven year period, Daniel also identifies it as a period of 2520 days, divided into two periods of 1260 days each. The first part is the Tribulation that causes a false peace for Israel, but is surrounded by unrest and war around the globe. The last 1260 days are known as the Great Tribulation, when the AC is revealed as the abomination that causeth desolation, and Israel will know they have made a pact deal with the devil. They will run for their very lives, but many will not believe the prophecy and will not escape into the wilderness, just as it was in 70 AD when those who believed fled to the mountain fortress in Petra, in the Jordanian wilderness. (see chp. 12 of Revelation v. 14-17)
Now to those who make a wishful thinking by asking the specific question “why cannot Christ's coming for His elect occur during the first half of the tribulation?” Scripture outlines a season (of tribulation) for the purpose of judgment that is to last seven years.



As mentioned, the tribulation is the not the time for the Church's redemption, it is Israel's time. The purpose in general is the refinement of Israel as silver is refined in the fiery furnace for purification, and the removal of rebellion and the judgment of the lost. The Church is being judged now in this Age of Grace. Those who have God's earnest deposit of His Holy Spirit residing within their own spirit have a guarantee of redemption and glorification when Jesus comes for His bride, His Church. The Church of the Living God is neither under judgment or in need of redemption. She has already been redeemed, and judged righteous by the blood of the Lamb, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

To not believe the above redemption of our bodies at the rapture of the Church is to believe that Jesus' sacrifice in His own blood on a Roman cross was not good enough to save us to the uttermost. It is to believe in a type of Catholic purgatory that Jesus did NOT pay it all once for all time.



WHAT IF WE DO HAVE TO SUFFER SOME OF THE TRIBULATION?

Some hypothesize, and it's pure speculation, that if there is not a removal of the Bride of Christ before the Tribulation starts, could it not cause some to turn away from their faith, as was talked about in the gospels. They say, “won't there be some suffering on the part of Christians?”...”and if so, we are causing those to become discouraged and fall away”.
I agree that we shall not escape all suffering, as that has been part of the human condition since man was created. There is persecution and modern day martyrdom in such places as the Middle East, Communist China, and Central Africa. This is not an ancient concept, but continues to this day by evil men.
There is a major difference between the sufferings of men at the hand of other evil men, by one phrase ...”The Wrath of God”. Tribulation saints differ from the Bride of Christ saved during the Age of Grace, or the Church Age. Those saved during this horrific seven years will have their metal tested as like no other period of time memorial. Evil is rampant. Satan seeks to destroy all mankind, but in the process gain worship for himself, and attempts to destroy all of the nation of Israel to make God out a liar. And I must point out again a major distinction between the saints of the Church age, and the Tribulation saints by God's Holy Word:
Of the Church Age saints, John writes:

"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." (1st John 4:4)

During the Tribulation, it is the saints that are overcome:

"And 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." (Revelation 13:7)

The same Apostle John wrote both verses. Is it not 'pure speculation' to assume that the differences in status are irrelevant? Two set of saints are not the same. The church Age is the Bride, the Tribulation saints will be the guest at the ceremony as they are in martyrdom.

A final question that has been kicked around on Christian forums I host, that is “if the pre-tribulation rapture of the church is true, how does that give God any glory. Wouldn't it be more glory to Him, if Christ appears amidst the persecution of His saints and rescues them from the Anti-Christ and Satan?” I am reminded of a verse that Jesus spoke to the Apostle Thomas, you now, doubting Thomas?

"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)

Paul speaks of this very thing in Romans 8, which if we are saved by grace through faith, when Christ actually appears, how much faith will be necessary when you see Him in all His glory?

24 “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:24-25)

As bad as it seems, and my friend, it will get exponentially worse, from chp. 6 of Revelation till chp. 19 when the Saints of God come back on white horse clothed in linen, white and clean following the Lord of Lords, and King of Kings..Jesus our God and Savior..

11 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” (Revelation 19:11-15)

Jesus has come, rebellion has been put down. The saints rule the earth along with our Lord Jesus, and the Millennium starts and returns the earth to what it came from, perfection.

But of this writing, 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.
None of this has happened, but make no mistake, it could happen almost overnight. These events noted just in the preceding two paragraphs are totally INDEPENDENT of the rapture of the Church. None of them exist because we are not in the Tribulation just yet, but it's right over the near horizon and is looming larger and larger with each passing day. We are indeed close, but we are not quite there yet...Reader take warning. I urge you to believe on the only begotten Son of God, slain from the foundation of the earth, and miss this coming Tribulation, by grace through faith.

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.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He 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.” (Romans 10:8-11)

This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying to see you standing in front of our Lord Jesus, when we all receive the rewards done in our body for service...If you should need prayer, counseling, or just a friendly listening ear, contact me at www,realteam,  or visit me online at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com, for more biblical messages straight from your Bible...God bless you all..

TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET

Facts about resurrected bodies

 

8 Amazing facts about our resurrected bodies and the new Heaven and Earth - https://endtimeheadlines.org/2023/05/8-amazing-facts-about-our-resurrected-bodies-and-the-new-heaven-and-earth/   Have you ever thought about what our resurrected bodies will look like and what abilities we will have in them? Will we still need to sleep and eat? And what about the babies we have lost in this lifetime?   This is a question that has intrigued believers for centuries, and I believe that the Bible provides some answers. I would like to share with you eight incredible facts about our resurrected bodies and the new heaven and earth that is to come.   “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”. – 1 John 3:2   This passage has always intrigued me because it gives us a clue as to what our resurrected bodies will look like when the day comes. John tells us that if we want to know what our resurrected and glorified bodies will look like and how they will be we are to examine the resurrected body of Jesus. Before we do that let’s look at some more clues that also coincide with this.   For example, The Apostle Paul teaches us in his letter to the Church at Corinth in the fifteen chapter, that Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have died in him. Then he asks an interesting question.   35 “But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” 36 Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. 37 And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body”.   Let’s read on here, 39 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.   42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.   Paul is expounding to us here by the revelation of the Lord that we have a physical body and a spiritual body. The natural body will one day expire and return back to the dust of the earth but the spirit and soul of a man will return to the Lord and enter a place that Paul described as “paradise” in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. I want to emphasize here that this will only be the case for those who had a relationship with Christ and were truly born again. Paul gives more details of this when he said:   “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.   4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.   6 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord”. – 2 Corinthians 5:1-6   So again, we can see here that Paul is clearly telling us that we have an earthly tent (body) and a heavenly building (resurrected body). Once the earthly expires we then are clothed with a body that will be heavenly and no longer corruptible.   “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption”. 1 Corinthians 15:50   Now that we have established this, let’s move into the more details of this new heavenly resurrected body that is awaiting us as believers. What will it look like, what will we be able to do?   “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself”. – Philippians 3:20-21   1- Our new bodies will not have limitations in the natural – The resurrection of Christ is revealed to us in the Book of John chapter twenty where we see that Jesus has risen from the dead and revealed himself to Mary Magdalene who then runs back to tell the disciples that Christ has risen from the dead and that she saw him with her own eyes.   We then discover that on the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”   “Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit” – Luke 24:36-37   We can see here in these passages that Jesus who now has a resurrected body was able to walk through walls and was not confined to physical barriers. The doors were shut but he was able to go through the walls and stand in the midst of them.     One example of this can be found in Acts 12:5-10, where Peter was guarded by four squads of soldiers in the prison, and he was awaiting his trial but an angel of the Lord appeared in the middle of the cell where Peter was held.   The account states that the angel struck Peter on the side, waking him up, and instructed him to get dressed and follow him. As they walked, the angel led Peter past the guards, through the iron gates of the city, and eventually out into the streets.   Peter believed it was a vision at first, but when he found himself alone in the street, he realized that God had sent an angel to deliver him from prison.   In Daniel 9:21 the angel Gabriel is described as moving swiftly to Daniel in response to his prayer in Ezekiel 1:14: In the vision of the prophet Ezekiel, he describes “living creatures” associated with angels that moved like flashes of lightning.   This imagery portrays their agility and swiftness. Matthew 28:2-3: describes an angel descending from heaven, rolling back the stone from the tomb, and sitting on it. The angel’s appearance is accompanied by an earthquake, and his countenance is likened to lightning.   Lightning travels at approximately 224,000 miles per hour (360,000 kilometers per hour) or about 1/3 of the speed of light. Angels, spirits, and our resurrected bodies will possess the ability to transcend the barriers of natural resistance through barriers, space, time, and distance.   Our physical bodies prevent us to be able to perform things as described in the Bible that Jesus performed in his new resurrected body. Imagine being able to travel somewhere with the speed of thought.   2- Every pain and sorrow will be wiped away – It appears that the Lord will allow us to remember the good things in our lives on earth, the things that brought us joy, the birth of our children, our marriages, those moments in our lives that brought joy and laughter but the following passage in the Book of Revelation tells us that God will not permit us to remember those things that brought pain and sorrow.   4 “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:3-5     We can also see in this passage that all our infirmities, sicknesses, and diseases will be no more in the presence of God and our resurrected bodies will be disease-free, pain-free, and without sorrow, anxiety, worry, or fear.   3 – We will have full knowledge and understanding of mysteries – In 1 Corinthians 13:12, states, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” This suggests that in heaven, we will have complete and intimate knowledge of God, far beyond what we currently comprehend.   It also implies that our understanding will be perfected. The limitations and partial knowledge we experience in this earthly life will be replaced by a comprehensive understanding of heaven.   Think about all of the questions we have had over the years. Why did God allow this tragedy or that person to die so young, Why did my spouse leave me, Why did I have a miscarriage? All of these questions will be answered and the mysteries unlocked.   4- We will look similar to what we looked like on Earth – This part can get a little complicated because when Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection that initially did not recognize him it raises speculation that we may look much different when he receive our new bodies however, there is some speculation that the disciple’s eyes were intentionally veiled for a period tome to conceal who Christ was but once again, we can only speculate here, however, I would like to point out that when Jesus did appear he showed Thomas the wounds on his hands and his side that he endured at the crucifixion. 27 “Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” – John 20:27-28   5- We will not be given in marriage like on Earth – “The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.   Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. Likewise, the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.   Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her. “Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven”. – Matthew 22:23-30   6- We will still be eating and drinking – In John Chapter twenty-one, we see where Jesus starts a fire and has fish cooked and actually has breakfast with the disciples on shore. “Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.” Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.   Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish”. This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of [b]Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”- John 21:9-15   “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations”. – Revelation 22:1-2   This event will take place after the new heaven and new earth will be presented and we will have our new glorified bodies. “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea”.   7- We will no longer need to sleep – As long as we remain in these physical bodies sleep is a necessity because, without sleep, our brains would literally stop working. However, It appears that in the new heaven and earth, we will no longer need to sleep as we will be in our new spiritual heavenly bodies. “There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever”. – Revelation 22:5   8- If we lost a child before the age of accountability we will see them again – I believe when babies and young children die before ever given the ability to make their own personal choice to believe in Jesus they are taken to paradise with the Lord and will remain there until the resurrection.   There is an age of intellectual or moral accountability where children are “automatically” saved by God’s grace in Christ because of someone is incapable of making a decision for or against Christ, then that one is extended God’s mercy. Charles Spurgeon once stated “I rejoice to know that the souls of all infants, as soon as they die, speed their way to Paradise.   Think what a multitude there is of them!” The age of 13 is the most commonly suggested age of accountability, based on the Jewish custom that a child becomes an adult at the age of 13. However, I believe only the Lord truly knows the physical development of each individual child and their mindset because some children develop faster than others.   The greatest biblical support in my opinion for this age of accountability is found in 2 Samuel 12:21–23 where King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, impregnating her with a child. The prophet Nathan was then sent by the Lord to inform David that, because of his sin, the Lord would not permit this child to live.   David responded by grieving and praying for the child. But once the child was taken, David’s mourning ended. David’s servants were surprised to hear this. They said to King David, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”   David’s response was, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again?   I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” David’s words seem to indicate that infants who die are automatically granted access to paradise in the presence of the Lord. This gives great hope and comfort to so many that have lost a child in a tragedy. a miscarriage or even an abortion.

Preparing a Preemptive Strike? – Amir Tsarfati - https://harbingersdaily.com/worldview-with-amir-tsarfati-preparing-a-preemptive-strike/   There are two options when someone is going to attack you. Either you respond proactively or reactively. From all accounts, it seems Israel is done with being reactive against Iran’s proxy militias. Iran’s desire is to strike Israel in order to distract them from their attacks on Tehran’s nuclear program. Because they fear retaliation if they carry out an attack themselves, they will do it instead through the terrorist group Hezbollah.   Recently, Israeli intelligence has uncovered very strong evidence that Hezbollah is planning an attack in northern Israel in which villages will be invaded and hostages taken.   The Netanyahu administration will not sit by and wait for that attack to take place. They will be proactive. Thus, it is very likely that a major strike is about to take place by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Once that happens, Israel must be prepared to endure a period during which thousands of rockets will be fired across the border from Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza. Keep your eyes on Israel. Pray for Israel.   IDF Carries Out Raids in Nablus   Early Monday, IDF forces carried out a counter-terrorism operation against the al-Aqsa Martyr’s Brigade in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus in the northern West Bank. Three Palestinian terrorists were killed in an exchange of fire, and six more were wounded. During the raid, weapons were confiscated, suspects were arrested, and an explosives lab was destroyed.   Netanyahu Hints at Normalization of Relations with Saudi Arabia   Very complex negotiations are taking place at the highest of levels as Israel and Saudi Arabia inch forward toward the normalizing of relations. Interfering in the progress is an unhappy US Biden administration. They are demanding that a renewal of negotiations with Palestinians takes place, as well as a cancellation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial reform, occur before any normalization happens.   Interestingly, while the administration is attacking Israel’s judicial reform, the dangerous bill to expand the US Supreme Court from nine seats to 13 justices was last week reintroduced to Congress by leading leftist senators and congressmen. Hey, Washington, maybe you want to focus on protecting your own judiciary before you start worrying about ours.   Major Hurdle Jumped as Netanyahu Passes 2023-24 Budget   It was a major victory for Prime Minister Netanyahu and his coalition when the budget for the years 2023 and 2024 was passed yesterday. While the left accused the budget of being too religious in focus and too pro-settlement, it still passed with a strong 64-56 majority. After the vote, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “We have received the tools, we’re rolling up our sleeves and going to work.”   Assad Receives Warm Welcome Back into the Arab League   It seems that absence really can make the heart grow fonder in the Middle East, as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was welcomed with open arms to a meeting of the Arab League in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Twelve years ago, as Syria descended into civil war, the country was suspended from the organization. But now, despite 350,000 people having lost their lives in the bloody conflict, it appears that all are once again chummy with Assad, who even garnered a hug from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.   Three Protesters Executed in Iran   In September 2022, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini was killed while in custody, having been arrested by Iran’s morality police for improperly wearing a hijab. Since that time, 22,000 people have been arrested by the Islamic regime in the resulting protests, and 537 have been killed.   Friday saw another three protesters fall victim to the terrorist government. Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi were executed having been convicted of “waging war against God”. No word from the UN Human Rights Council – probably because Israel was not involved.   Iran Transports Chemicals into Syria   Recently, chemicals were transported from Iran through Iraq and into Syria. The shipment, which was accompanied by people wearing HAZMAT suits, was unloaded at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) chemical facility in Al Hari. It is unknown what the chemicals were or what they will be used for.   Iran Creating Floating Terror Bases   On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant accused Iran of converting commercial ships into “floating terror bases”. According to Gallant, Tehran is arming vessels with UAVs, missile systems, and advanced intelligence, essentially making them a pirate force in the Middle East.   “This follows directly on the maritime terrorism Iran has been imposing on the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. It is working to expand its activity to the Indian Ocean, too, and later to the Red Sea and to the Mediterranean Sea as well,” said the Defence Minister.   Best of Times and Worst of Times for Moscow’s Military   After nine months of intense fighting that some have designated as a “meat grinder”, the Russian military claims that Bakhmut, a key city in the Donetsk region of Ukraine, has finally fallen. This battle, which has been primarily fought on the Russian side by the mercenary Wagner Group, is viewed as a major moral victory for Moscow. However, Ukraine denies the city’s fall, saying there are still pockets of resistance.   On the downside for Moscow, the fight has entered Russian territory for the first time. Anti-Kremlin Russian volunteer units have organized and carried out an attack in the Belgorod region near the border with Ukraine. The goal of the incursions appears to be sabotage and reconnaissance.   Armenia Prepared to take Big Step toward Peace with Azerbaijan   The Nagorno-Karabakh enclave has been a source of a violent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan for a number of years. Located in Azerbaijan, the Azeri government says the territory belongs to them, while Armenia recognizes its independence.   On Monday, however, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia is prepared to recognize NK as Azeri territory, if the government in Baku will guarantee the safety of its citizens. This would potentially bring peace to the area. It would also be a blow to Russia, because they would have to withdraw their peacekeeping force, thereby losing their footprint in the area.   Turkey Arrests 11 Mossad Agents   Turkey’s intelligence agency says that it has arrested eleven people that they accuse of being an Israeli Mossad cell. Their claim is that this group targeted one company and 23 individuals who were doing business with Iran.   Destructive Flooding in Italy   Recent heavy rains have brought devastating flooding to Italy. Six months worth of rainfall fell in just 36 hours causing 21 rivers between Bologna and the northeast coast to flood. The disaster has left 13 people dead and has forced thousands from their homes. The mayor of Ravenna said that it is the worst disaster in a century.

The Coming One-World Religion - by Bill Perkins - https://compass.org/the-coming-one-world-religion/   During the Tribulation, all the religions of the world will end up worshiping a single, one-world religion. It’s discussed in general in Revelation 17 and has some specifics in Revelation 13.   It's a hard one to understand. Think about it—how could humans, as diverse as we are today, end up with everyone worshiping the same thing? Of those who miss the Rapture, how could the left-behind Catholics and Baptists worship together? How about the left-behind Mormons and the Presbyterians? Hindus and Muslims?   Even communism is basically a religion; how’s that going to fit into a one-world religion?   So it begs the question, what situation or event could bring this about? The first thing you have to consider is that post-Rapture, things will change rapidly. One day all is normal, the next day it's worldwide chaos.   The USA will be immediately destroyed (uninhabitable), so Europe and the Middle East will be the world’s focus for the next seven years—specifically, ten nations: five from Europe and five from the Middle East. You can read about the ten toes in Daniel 2.   We’ve discussed in detail the fact that millions, realizing full well they missed the Rapture, will be martyred for their newly found embrace of Biblical Christianity. That still leaves billions of other non-Believers dying of starvation. You could easily see them being forced to do a lot of things just to have food to eat.   But it might include an even more sinister reason, as pointed out a few weeks ago in Jeff Childers' Coffee and Covid newsletter. As we move closer to AI taking more and more control, and knowing those programming AI are liberal atheists, individual religion of any form will become totally taboo. In the vacuum AI can step in with a brand-new religion.   Yoval Harari, Klaus Snobs' creepy right-hand tech influencer and who I think is a good candidate for the prophesied future false prophet, described future religions this way:   “I believe religions are not, as a rule, destroyed by scientific knowledge but only by other religions.”   He was including not only main-stream religions like Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and Catholic, but also communism and nationalism that are filling the gap in Europe as true Christianity fades away. And ultimately, he believes humans can all be funneled (programmed) into worshiping man, not God.   This is consistent with Satan's "I want to be God" proclamations in Isaiah 14, where he emphatically proclaims it six times.   “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly [I will rule] in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit." Is. 14:12-15   So Yoval expects a new religion will take shape. And what better shaper of religion could there be than to have the new god AI take all the religions of the world, a little from each one, and make one brand-new religion to unify the world.   Hmmm… of course if you didn’t go along with this new world religion, then there goes your bank account. Or even your food and/or housing. Or worse. Point is, you'll HAVE to worship this new religion.   Think this is a stretch? Think again. Religion bots based on ChatGPT technology is the fastest growing religion in India (see inset). Even ding-a-lings in the USA are becoming romantically involved with the communications and images on their computers.(1)   This way you can talk directly to god, and ask questions. Well, actually they'll be talking to a bot who is pretending to be god. But these days people seem to believe the strangest things.   And that sheds a whole new light on the "image of the beast" verses in Revelation.   “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; Rev. 14:9-10   So computer-generated images could be part of the new One-World Religion.   At the rate AI is programming itself, including talking with emotion, who knows how close we are to bots keeping up with everything all the time. Jehovah God knows our every move, even our thoughts. Satan will need help keeping up with everyone and AI will be a perfect set of worldwide eyes working nonstop 24/7.   It won't be long before everyone will be shackled by AI’s long reach. Thankfully these verses warning about worshiping the beast and his image are describing events that are post-Rapture!   But the point is, it’s really not a stretch to think the prophesied new, improved One-World Religion might emerge from AI—all in the world’s best interest of course.   1) https://nypost.com/2023/03/20/i-was-wooed-by-chatgpt-cupidbot-ai-is-scary/   Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1John 4:1   "AI can monitor the billions of cameras, computers, satellites, cash registers, phones, and everything else connected to it. Future police vehicles will not all be manned. Robotic prowl cars and aerial drones will patrol neighborhoods and business districts. Each will be equipped to look and listen through walls, read every license plate, and use facial recognition on every face. AI will correlate and interpret that massive flow of data. It never sleeps; never takes a break." - Hal Lindsey

Prophecy Update Videos Must Watch Videos! Videos You Can Trust

Prophecy Update: Preparing for Perilous Times – Episode 14 – Brandon Holthaus PENIEL: Where Jacob saw the Face of God and lived! – Joel Kramer Hoof Beats of the Four Horsemen – Amir Tsarfati & Jan Markell Seductive Lies Destructive Lives, Ezekiel 13 – JD Farag VICTORY Is YOURS! This Is How You Get It! – James Kaddis The Line Up: WHO, Target, Dems Attack Parental Rights – Barry Stagner Dark Agendas of the Last Days | Mid-Week Maranatha Update – Curt Reed Unpacking The Salvation Debate – Pablo Frascini & Lee Brainard A Prophetic Fire Storm is on the Horizon | Mondo Gonzales, Nathan Jones & Tim Moore DON’T Question Our Delusions! – Watchman River Tom Uncovering the Mysterious Jewish Tribe in Revelation 7 | Marking the End Times w/ Dr. Mark Hitchcock Through the Bible | Mark 4:21-5:20 - Brett Meador Acts 024 – Blessing to the Gentiles. Acts 3:21-26. Dr. Andy Woods Doing the Right Thing the Wrong Way (2 Samuel 6:1-15) – Jack Hibbs Billy Crone - Voodoo Vampires And The Rise Of Demon Worship 20 False Doctrines & Deception Rising – Tyler & Bro Chooch Jesus Didn’t ‘Unhitch’ From the Old Testament… And Neither Should Professing Christians – By Calvin Smith - https://harbingersdaily.com/in-depth-jesus-didnt-unhitch-from-the-old-testament-and-neither-should-professing-christians/   Imagine going to your favorite coffee shop to get your morning pick-me-up and witnessing the following conversation. Glancing up from your phone while standing in line, you listen to the rather bubbly person in front of you begin to place their order.   I’d like a tall caramel latte with two pumps of vanilla, some chocolate sprinkles, whipped cream, and then a little pumpkin spice to top it all off. Oh, and no cup please!   Observing the barista’s astonished response, you can’t help thinking that perhaps you both misheard what the person ordering said. And after a bewildering back and forth between them, with the server attempting to clarify what type of container they would like their ooey gooey concoction placed in, the customer bats their eyes and says,   Well, I just don’t like cups, they’re too rigid and constraining. I want my drink without all of the baggage that cups bring. They just limit the experience!   Now, if you think that scenario sounds too far out to imagine, think again. Because although it’s obviously imaginary and just an analogy, it’s an intellectual equivalent to what many professing believers in Jesus Christ seem to be attempting to do regarding their faith.   It’s as if some today want to embrace Jesus and imbibe his teachings, while at the same time jettisoning the encapsulating framework surrounding the very reasons anyone would even need a relationship with the risen Christ! This framework is, of course, the Old Testament.   New Testament Christians?   And not only is this seen in run-of-the-mill individuals who seem to want to distance themselves from Old Testament teachings, but even many Bible colleges, seminaries, and prominent pastors are trending toward what I’ll simply refer to as “New Testament Christianity.”   Now when I say, “New Testament Christianity,” I’m not really referring to a specific, systematized group such as a denominational organization or a specific body of believers that hold to a particular creedal confession, etc. Rather, it’s more like a movement among professing believers with a seemingly more modern mindset who appear to want to distance themselves, in an overarching authoritative sense, from biblical history prior to Christ’s coming.   I have actually spoken with people in person and dialoged with several on our AiG–CA Facebook page who identify as such. And what typifies people involved in this way of thinking is a seeming attempt to deflect from the plain reading of several specific Old Testament passages, or in some cases, entire sections of the Bible—particularly Genesis 1–11.   And unfortunately, in my experience, once they begin down this road, it is extremely rare to see them backtrack toward a staunch defense of the Old Testament. Rather, it almost always results in a further distancing from it.   Exhibit A: Andy Stanley   A well-known example would be Pastor Andy Stanley, who’s made several statements regarding his opinion of how he believes Christians should approach their handling of the Old Testament and why.   One such statement was made during a 2017 interview with Russell Moore, where Stanley encouraged his listeners to emphasize Jesus’ resurrection when witnessing to people, while simultaneously taking their focus off “the Bible.” And what parts of the Bible did he mention specifically?   I would ask preachers and pastors and student pastors in their communications to get the spotlight off the Bible and back on the resurrection….   When you’re dealing with secular people, as soon as you say “the Bible,” everybody now knows all the problems with the Bible. And when I say problems, the problems in terms of the culture’s view of the Bible, in terms of six-day creation, no geological evidence for a worldwide Flood, and there’s no evidence for the Exodus….And when they, in their minds, can discredit parts, it discredits the whole….   Now to be fair, Stanley affirmed his personal belief in the inspiration of all of the Bible at that time, and stated he encouraged this approach predominantly because of more pragmatic reasons. But you will notice that in his examples of “problems with the Bible,” he only referenced Old Testament events.   Apparently, he had come to believe and begun to promote this methodology some time before, because in a sermon a year earlier, he’d made this statement.   For the first 300 years, the debate centered on an event, not a book. The question for the first 300 years was not: Is the Bible true?…The question was: Did Jesus rise from the dead? And Matthew said, “Oh yes, He did,” and Mark said, “Oh yes, He did,” and Luke said, “Oh yes, He did,” and John said, “Oh yes, He did,” and Peter said, “Oh yes, He did,” and James the brother of Jesus said, “Oh yes, He did.”   Here you’ll notice he is mentioning the resurrection event and quoting the testimonies from New Testament characters. Of course, those testimonies regarding that event come from the Bible, and the secular world tends to lump the entire Bible together anyway. So, the question of whether the Bible is true or not is still the issue.   In addition, a year after his interview with Moore, Stanley made another rather startling comment in a sermon series encouraging those who’ve left the church to reconsider Christianity. In it, he announced that Christians need to “unhitch” the Old Testament from their understanding of the faith, which he described as meaning Christians should basically ignore the Old Testament and focus solely on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, especially in evangelism.   WWJD?   But of course, the ultimate problem with this way of thinking is that it is in direct opposition to how Jesus taught during his earthly ministry! Jesus quoted the Old Testament as his ultimate authority whenever he said, “It is written” or “Have you not read?” and Scripture mentions how:   Mathew 7:28–29 KJV – “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”   Again, Stanley (like many “New Testament Christians”) seems to always want to steer people away from the Old Testament with comments such as, “Jesus’ new covenant…can stand on its own two nail-scarred resurrection feet. It does not need propping up by the Jewish scriptures” (emphasis mine).   But Jesus did the opposite, he actually warned people (this is recorded in the New Testament, by the way) that belief in the Torah was linked to belief in his teachings directly (not the other way around) when he said,   John 5:46–47 KJV – “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”   So, rather than trying to avoid the Old Testament, we should be doubling down and engaging in ways to help people understand they can trust the Old Testament from the very first verse—particularly Genesis 1-11 which is the seedbed of all Christian doctrines.   The Seedbed of Christianity   For example, take just three topics—marriage, gender, and sanctity of life. These are huge cultural issues the church is dealing with today. To uphold and present the biblical defense of traditional marriage (one man with one woman), male and female gender roles, and the right to life of the unborn and infirm, one has to trace their origin back to the book of Genesis.   But of course, Stanley is correct in his observation that the world has built up a massive amount of negativity and doubt against the acceptance of Genesis as plainly written in order to discount its credibility. They understand it is foundational to Christianity and that “if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3).   And the reason they’ve been able to do so is that for the most part, the church hasn’t taught its people how to defend against the arguments skeptics have built up, particularly those coming from the secular scientific perspective concerning old earth geological perspectives and the story of evolution as an explanation of how life supposedly evolved with no Creator required.   But instead of avoiding the Old Testament like Stanley recommends, why not help people understand that the creation account as written does not contradict science, how there is great explanatory power in the flood narrative in relation to the rocks and fossils we see all over the earth, and that events like the exodus (recorded by Moses) really happened!   After all, Jesus made the link between the spiritual and the physical world when he spoke to Nicodemus and said,   John 3:12 KJV – “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”   And Jesus couldn’t have been more clear in defending biblical authority and the truth of his teachings being connected to the authenticity of the Old Testament as when he told the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19–31.   In it, both Lazarus (a beggar) and the rich man (who mistreated Lazarus in life) die. Lazarus is comforted, while the rich man suffers torment. So the rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus back to his five still-living brothers so they won’t suffer the same fate. And what was the answer?   Luke 16:31 KJV – “And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”   Of course, the phrase “Moses and the Prophets” refers to the Old Testament—the Bible of Jesus’ day. And what Jesus is teaching here is that a resurrection (the exact event Stanley says Christians should be focusing on) won’t be sufficient to convince those who won’t “hear” Moses and the Prophets (the Old Testament).   Nothing New Under the Sun   Not surprisingly, today’s New Testament Christians’ approach of trying to distance themselves from the framework of the Old Testament while wishing to hold onto the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament isn’t a new tactic whatsoever. It’s been tried and has failed continuously ever since the idea of long ages and the story of evolution were popularized in the 1800s.   Just look at the following statement from Thomas Huxley (nicknamed “Darwin’s bulldog” because of his defense of the story of evolution to justify his atheistic faith) in 1897. He clearly saw through the Christians of his day who had attempted the same method, and he called them out on it publicly.   My utmost ingenuity does not enable me to discover a flaw in the argument thus briefly summarized. I am fairly at a loss to comprehend how any one, for a moment, can doubt that Christian theology must stand or fall with the historical trustworthiness of the Jewish Scriptures. The very conception of the Messiah, or Christ, is inextricably interwoven with Jewish history; the identification of Jesus of Nazareth with that Messiah rests upon the interpretation of passages of the Hebrew Scriptures which have no evidential value unless they possess the historical character assigned to them.   Answering the Questions of the Day   Trying to divert attention away from the questions people have about the authenticity and authority of Scripture in any area is in opposition to the command we see in 1 Peter 3:15 where we are told we should have answers for our faith. In doing so we honor our Lord Jesus.   1 Peter 3:15 KJV – “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:”   Attempting to focus on Jesus’ death and resurrection (the reason why those who put their faith and trust in Christ can be saved) while avoiding questions from the people who are legitimately wondering how all the “races” of people could possibly have come from one man (Adam, who is the reason why we need salvation in the first place) makes no sense.   Acts 17:26 KJV – “And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;”   Romans 5:12 KJV – “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”   It seems confusing to most to sidestep people’s questions regarding the legitimacy of the flood account (in light of the rocks and fossils found worldwide and the concern of how Noah could have possibly put all the animals on the ark) when the New Testament writers appear to have taken the account as real history.   Matthew 24:37–39 KJV – “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”   Hebrews 11:7 KJV – “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”   Just like the bewildered barista trying to comprehend how on earth someone could want their drink without a cup to put it in, so too is a befuddled world looking at Christians who want the good news of Jesus and the resurrection without having a solid vessel surrounding it that contains and explains the bad news of why Christ needed to come in the first place.   The bottom line is that there’s logically no such thing as a “New Testament Christian” because Christians are followers of Jesus, and Jesus didn’t model that approach whatsoever. So if someone says to you, “I’m a New Testament Christian,” just remind them that Jesus wasn’t!   Largely Unnoticed, WHO Moves Forward with Global Governance Plan – Dan Hart - https://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=6117   Former congresswoman Michele Bachmann sounded the alarm Monday about developments coming out of the World Health Assembly that suggest that the World Health Organization (WHO) is intent on establishing "a platform for global governance through health care" in the wake of the COVID pandemic.   On Sunday, the WHO kicked off its annual 10-day World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, described as the "decision-making body of WHO." Concerns over the WHO's actions have been steadily building since the beginning of the pandemic, when observers noted that the WHO's deference to China arguably worsened the spread of COVID.   In addition, observers are also pointing out that the Biden administration is working to enable the organization to "centralize authority not just for pandemics, but for any health emergency in the hands of the director-general."   Now, says Bachmann, the current World Health Assembly is poised to increase the WHO's mandate over the health care decisions of sovereign nations.   "There's a dual track process that they're following," she explained during an on the ground report from Geneva on Monday's edition of "Washington Watch with Tony Perkins." "One is through a global pandemic treaty that they're calling an 'accord.' The second is through a package of about 300 amendments to the international health rules. Both lead to the same result. Both lead to the creation of a platform for global governance through health care. And it is a web that locks us in ... the likes of which we've never seen before."   As Bachmann went on to observe, the potentially massive ramifications of the decisions being made at the World Health Assembly are happening with surprisingly little fanfare.   "There were no members of Congress here," she pointed out. "I was actually shocked because this has been a big issue that a lot of their constituents have rightfully been very concerned about. ... There was no American press here. So how would anyone even know what was going on unless they tuned in and they watched for themselves?"   Bachmann, who currently serves as dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University, further noted that the WHO's view of COVID appears to be exactly the same now as it was at the beginning of the pandemic. "We've learned a lot of things in the last three years, haven't we? And the World Health Organization bungled almost everything, whether it was masks or vaccines or lockdowns, but yet they acted like nothing happened. There was no review. They acted like everything was just normal."   Bachmann then laid out the WHO's plans going forward. "They're planning to meet in New York City in September. They'll go over the progress that they're going to make in January. They'll give a final completed package of the 300 amendments, together with a global pandemic treaty, to the World Health Organization and the U.N. And then they'll meet again in Geneva next February. But one year from this week, they will take the vote. And so they intend to vote for a platform for global government and to give themselves the power that no one has ever seen before."   The former congresswoman from Minnesota also described the U.S. government's involvement in the WHO's agenda.   "I heard from Secretary Xavier Becerra, the head of our Health and Human Services [who] said he wants more 'bio surveillance,' in other words, surveillance of our bodies. And then they want to share that data with everyone else in the world. This is highly invasive. They were very clear today. They want very bold language. They intend to have surveillance over every citizen on earth, and they intend to ... control us through health care."   Bachmann further detailed how the WHO's agenda goes well beyond pandemics.   "They've got this concept they talked about today called 'One Health' -- they've got graphics on it that show humans, animals, the earth -- 'One Health.' So when decisions are made about health care, they have to take into account the earth and what the impact would be on climate change. ... So what it boils down to is, 'Humans = cockroaches = a clump of dirt.' ... That's why you don't want to give up decision-making authority to someone like the director general of the WHO. They have a very different agenda at hand."   At the same time, she underscored, the WHO's emphasis seems to be on "equity" rather than innovations in medicine.   "The number one word that they use besides 'urgent' was 'equity.' They want to have equal outcomes for everyone on earth with universal health care. ... And for those countries that are producing health products, they need to produce more health products and give them away to the world. So one thing they didn't do was focus on any new breakthroughs in medicine. ... There was nothing about breakthroughs or cures. Everything was about giving themselves more power and more authority control."   Bachmann called on Congress to start confronting concerns over the WHO's attempted power grab sooner rather than later.   "We need our senators to wake up, hold hearings, pull these documents in, and start to review them. If they're thinking they'll wait until January, that's pretty late, because the next meeting will be in in Geneva in February. The final vote will take place in May. ... They should have been there this week. ... And I would call on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he is negotiating for raising the debt ceiling to put on the table that Joe Biden has to get the United States out of the World Health Organization and pull their funding ... as the price of raising the debt ceiling." Daily Jot: The Farm Chronicles: Memorial Day in the ’60s - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   It was usually a really crisp morning, the kind where mud puddles had a very thin layer of ice on them. You could see your breath on the way out to the horse barn. The horses were always ready to eat and when they heard the door to the tack room open, they would whinny. I’d hurry up and get the grain to them, then the hay. My horse, Holly, came out of the stall as soon as she was done eating. It was Memorial Day, and we had something special to do—get ready for the Rootstown Memorial Day Parade. Our 4-H Club, The Wandering Riders, were a feature in the parade each year. And Holly needed to be cleaned up and ready to go. So did I. Everything needed to be meticulous. We were honoring America’s heroes.   We would meet in the parking lot of the old elementary school. There were about 16 of us in all. It was always good to see Paul McCardle, Gary Urchek, Lorraine Linton, Lori Dunn, Lee Morris, John Lewis and the host of others. We would be seeing each other a lot during the upcoming summer. We wore white shirts, dark jeans, and we all had red vests that went along with our horses’ red and white nose bands and breast collars. We transformed from the county’s best horse 4-H Club to, at least what we thought, was the best 4-H parade unit. Everyone scurried about to get things “right.” Then we would line up two by two, and wait. And wait some more. Then from somewhere up front there was a signal given that we were about to start the parade.   Eventually, we would solemnly file out through the main streets down to Homeland Cemetery. There, we faced the graves of those who served their country, many who died that we might live free. Our horses were to stand at attention, and we were to sit on them, also at attention, our hats removed, as the speakers honored America’s finest. Afterwards, we would load up the horses and head back to the farm, where we had a cookout, usually with Warren and Sue McCarthy, Gene and Betty Flynn, Bob and Doris Harris and their families. Warren and Gene served at Normandy on D-Day. My uncle Bob Harris served in the Philippines. Decorated heroes, all these men knew the price of freedom and they understood their civic duty to their families, their God and their country.   I’m sure you have stories as well about the brave men and women who served in our nation’s armed forces. President Ronald Reagan remembered veterans in his speech May 26, 1986. He said, “If we really care about peace, we must stay strong. If we really care about peace, we must, through our strength, demonstrate our unwillingness to accept an ending of the peace. We must be strong enough to create peace where it does not exist and strong enough to protect it where it does.” To me, there will never be peace on earth until the Lord returns. Jesus said, however, in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” Many have sacrificed themselves that we may have peace and freedom. Let us honor their deeds. We, and our horses, and our families did every year. And we still do today. Daily Devotion: It All Comes from Him - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often? —Job 7:17   https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/it-all-comes-from-him/ - Listen   When I first moved out of my house as an eighteen-year-old, I was doing graphic arts. I lived with two other artists, and we were very, very poor.   We ate some interesting things, including our own invention, Bachelor Goulash, which consisted of spaghetti sauce and anything that was in the refrigerator. We had some fascinating meals, but we never went to bed hungry. God always took care of us.   In what we often call the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us today the food we need” (Matthew 6:11 NLT). It’s amazing to consider that the all-knowing, all-powerful God who created the universe would have any interest in us personally.   Why would God concern Himself with our petitions? Why would God condescend to us in such a way?   It reminds me of the question Job asked: “What are people, that you should make so much of us, that you should think of us so often?” (Job 7:17 NLT).   I don’t know if I have the answer to that question, but I do know this: God loves us. And He has pledged Himself to us—the followers of Jesus Christ. He has promised to meet our needs.   So, when we pray, “Give us today the food we need,” it is a request for God’s provision. Now, there may be a time in your life when this prayer really resonates with you, because you don’t know where your next meal is coming from. You’re asking God to provide for your immediate needs.   Then again, you might be doing quite well in life, and your needs are basically met. For you, this prayer may be more of an affirmation than a request as you acknowledge your dependence on God.   Everything we have comes from God. It’s all a gift from Him. We need to remember that and never take it for granted.