PROPHECY UPDATE...........8/16/2022

 

Famine, Pestilence, and Control Developing - By Daymond Duck - https://www.raptureready.com/2022/08/13/famine-pestilence-and-control-developing-by-daymond-duck/   I apologize for this article being slightly shorter than usual. My computer acted up, and it took me three days to get it fixed.   Concerning famine and food shortages: past articles have mentioned that the World Economic Forum (WEF) is trying to control global farming by reducing the use of fertilizer and chemicals farmers use, reducing the number of cattle farmers and ranchers can raise, encouraging humans to eat insects instead of meat, etc.   Land use, food production, and climate change are part of the “Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”   An article written by award-winning international journalist, Alex Newman, dated July 20, 2022, says Newman believes:   “The U.N. ultimately wants to get rid of private land ownership.” The U.N. wants “to remove small farmers, even medium farmers, from their land.” Communists loved to create scarcity and dependents because “as long as you have independent people who are able to take care of themselves, there really is no need for the government to run your life and to control everything that you do.” Controlling the food supply allows the government “to control humanity.”   It is incredible to believe, but if Newman is right (and I think he is because the WEF says we will own nothing under the New World Order), the leaders in several nations are trying to drive small and medium farmers out of business and take their land (by restricting the use of fertilizer and chemicals, passing laws that limit ownership of cattle, etc.).   Globalists don’t seem to care if Bill Gates, large corporations, or nations (China, etc.) buys up thousands of acres of land, but they want small and medium farmers out of business because they don’t want citizens to get food from individual farmers.   It is easy for this writer to believe that their actions will quickly lead to the famine, pestilence, and control of people prophesied in the Bible (Rev. 6:1-8; 13:11-18).   Here are more stories that seem to be prophetically significant.   One, concerning the energy crisis: hyper-inflation and an economic collapse during the Tribulation Period: on Aug. 5, 2022, it was reported that:   Spain ordered citizens to set air conditioners above 27 degrees C (80.6 degrees F) this summer. The UK has warned citizens that their energy bills will increase about 60% in Oct. 2022 and more in Jan. 2023 (Biden’s sanctions on Russia and Putin’s retaliation are causing millions of people to struggle to pay bills, have enough to eat, etc.).   Two, concerning natural disasters and food shortages: on Aug. 2, 2022, it was reported that a severe drought has caused water prices in the state of California to increase 56% since the beginning of this year, water prices are the highest on record, the drought is getting worse, and crops that need to be irrigated are beginning to suffer.   Three, concerning natural disasters: on Aug. 5, 2022, it was reported that a narrow strip of land in Eastern Kentucky received 14-16 inches of rain in four days. Record rains over an eight-day period in Missouri, Kentucky, and Illinois killed 39 people and destroyed homes and crops.   Four, concerning wars and rumors of wars: on Aug. 5, 2022, it was reported that North Korea has offered to send 100,000 troops to Ukraine to fight with Russia’s troops.   Five, concerning Islamic efforts to destroy Israel:   Following the arrest of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leader on the West Bank, Israel endured four days of terrorist threats and lockdowns. On Aug. 5, 2022, Israel called up about 25,000 reservists; Israeli jets struck several targets in Gaza, killed the PIJ commander in Gaza, and killed the members of several PIJ rocket crews. PIJ terrorists responded with a 45-minute barrage of rockets at southern Israel (most of the rockets fell short, landed in Gaza, went into the sea, or were shot down by Israel’s Iron Dome system). On Aug. 6, 2022, the PIJ was still firing rockets at southern Israel, Israel arrested 19 Jihadis in the West Bank, and both sides started preparing for several days of confrontation (the PIJ fired a total of about 1,100 rockets at Israel). On Aug. 7, 2022, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said to the best of their knowledge, they had eliminated all senior PIJ leaders in Gaza. The PIJ asked for a ceasefire, and Israel accepted it on Sunday night, Aug. 7, 2022.   Six, concerning deceit, the weakening of America, and the tracking of buying and selling: on Aug. 7, 2022, the U.S. Senate passed the $739 billion deceptively named “Inflation Reduction Act” (The Congressional Budget Office, a few Democrats, and all Republicans say it will not reduce inflation).   The bill:   Contains no money for more troops to defend America. Contains no money for more police to make America’s cities safer. Contains no money to make America’s borders more secure. Funds about 87,000 new IRS agents to track American citizens’ buying and selling.   Pres. Biden promised that he would not raise taxes on Americans that earn less than $400,000 a year, but the bill imposes a 16.4 cent tax on every barrel of crude oil and petroleum products, and that will be passed on to everyone that buys gasoline for a vehicle.   (More: On Aug. 8, 2022, Gary Bauer wrote, “There are a couple of fundamental economic principles. One is that you can’t tax your way out of a recession, and this bill imposes a lot of new taxes. Second, you can’t spend your way out of an inflation crisis, and this bill increases spending by hundreds of billions of dollars.”)   Seven, concerning the decline of America and a global economic collapse: many economists now say America has entered a period of “stagflation” (a stagnant economy with continuing inflation).   Put another way, America’s economy is slumping, but prices will keep going up. (Increasing the tax on fuel probably guarantees it.)   Eight, concerning corruption and world government: on Aug. 8, 2022, about 30 FBI agents (probably with the approval of America’s corrupt Dept. of Justice) raided former Pres. Trump’s house (Mar-a-Lago) in Florida.   As I see it, Democrats (under the influence of the Shadow Government) are transitioning the U.S. into the New World Order (one-world government), and they will stop at nothing to destroy anyone that stands in their way (even a former Pres. of the U.S.).   People that haven’t truly accepted Jesus as their Saviour, especially unsaved people that have joined the Church, need to realize that when the New World Order (world government) comes into power, they will obey that government or be killed.   The extremists that have taken over the U.S. do not intend to be removed from office.   Trump is not the only person they hate. They also hate the 75 million people that voted for him. If you think they won’t come after you, ponder what they have done to the Jan. 6 patriots.   Remember that they did nothing to the Antifa and Black Lives Matter arsonists and looters. Ponder what they have done to Gen. Michael Flynn, Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro, Roger Stone, Rudy Giuliani, Jeffrey Clark, protesters at school board meeting, etc. Remember that they did nothing to Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden. FBI agents had time to go to Mar-a-Lago and go through Melania Trump’s clothes. But they haven’t had time to go through Hunter Biden’s Laptop from Hell. Several officials have said there are not enough millionaires and billionaires in America to need 87,000 more IRS agents. But they plan to start using a digital currency that can be tracked, and they need 87,000 IRS agents to track all of your buying and selling.   Some in the FBI and DOJ are corrupt and should be prosecuted.   The chance of an honest election is looking slim.   Nine, concerning a digital currency: on Aug. 10, 2022, it was reported that Pres. Biden has signed an executive order to develop a “Digital Dollar” (sometimes called a Central Bank Digital Currency—CBDC).   One investor called it “a step toward the end of cash.” It will allow the government to track your buying and selling and force you to obey by freezing your bank account.   This is truly a sign that history is approaching the Tribulation Period.   Finally, are you Rapture Ready?   If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.   duck_daymond@yahoo.com

Second-Greatest Prophetic Signal – Terry James - https://terryjamesprophecyline.com/2022/08/15/second-greatest-prophetic-signal/   Most every Bible prophecy student is fairly certain that the number-one signal of where this generation stands on God’s prophetic timeline is centered within the modern nation of Israel. There can be no ending to this great, eternal drama if God’s chosen nation isn’t a major actor within the scenes to unfold as the play reaches its climax.   The proof of God being the play’s Author is His foreknowledge. He has said that Israel would be a nation again after its final diaspora (dispersion). As a matter of fact, His Word foretold that it would be reborn in a single day–which happened May 14, 1948.   God has put in writing that His people, the Jews, will yet have to go through the most terrible times of history. He laid it all out through the prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 30:7), Matthew the apostle (Matthew 24: 21), and John the Revelator (the book of Revelation from chapter 4 to the end.)   He further said Israel would be the greatest of all nations, ultimately. The Millennial Kingdom will have His chosen nation as its apex nation, ruled over by the resurrected King David under the kingship of the Lord of all lords and King of all kings–Jesus Christ—for one thousand years.   So, to the true prophecy student, there is no doubt. Israel is the number-one signal of where things stand when the Tribulation closes in and the triumphant return of Jesus Christ nears.   Now, there are differing opinions on what other signals might be next in line beneath Israel. Here are some of the signals I think we will next be seeing:   Increase in wars and rumors of wars Nations in alignment, as given in God’s Word—i.e., the Gog-Magog nations (Russia, Iran, Turkey, etc.) Developments in the geopolitical world, such as the ten-kings developments found in Daniel, Luke, and other places; the EU as a reviving Roman Empire; and Daniel’s interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream image and the ten toes of iron mixed with miry clay Religious apostasy, with the ecumenical movements, an apostate pope, and strange winds of doctrines that continue to assault true Christianity Some are prone to count as signs some geophysical events such as storms, and other strange-weather events, and earthquake activity. I don’t discount these, but don’t see them as major signs at this point. The increase in Antichrist spirit evil with regard to occultic activities such as directing humanity toward Mother Earth worship (climate-change madness) and conjuring through demonic rituals, etc., as the cultures and societies of the world descend toward the abyss And, along this line, the Antichrist spirit and all wickedness attendant to it (In fact, I’ve about concluded this might be the number-two signal, right beneath Israel.) Within this satanic sin-infection of most all of humanity at this late hour of the age, I believe we can spotlight the manifestation of a particular evil. The specific evil that jumps out from the slide under God’s microscope–the Holy Bible—can be discerned, I believe, through reports like the following:   Eleven people have appeared in court accused of taking part in a child sex ring which also allegedly involves witchcraft, serious violence and neglect.   The sex ring mainly centres around two young girls and a boy between 2010 and 2020, all in Glasgow, a court heard.   According to prosecutors, the eleven suspects are said to have got the boy and the older girl to take part in ‘seances (and) use a Ouija board…to call on spirits and demons’ as part of the sex ring.   They also allegedly got the children involved in ‘witchcraft’ leading them to believe that they themselves had ‘metamorphosed into animals’.   The group, of seven men and four women, are also believed to have worn cloaks and devil horns as well as making the young boy stab a [indecipherable] to death.   It is also claimed the children were forced to take part in satanic ‘seances’ and made to kill animals – including dogs – as part of the ring that is thought to have spanned across a decade.   The accusations claim that the three young children were raped at different times while some of the group did ‘clap, cheer and verbally encourage’ and film a ten-year-old girl being sexually assaulted. (“Eleven people in court charged with child sex abuse ring allegedly involving ‘witchcraft’,” Daily Mail Online, Rapture Ready News, August 5, 2022)   As history will attest, most every civilization that has been on earth has perpetrated the worse kind of perverseness and wickedness against children in its final throes of its existence. Even in the case of Israel, we know they made their little ones to pass through the white-hot hands of the idol Moloch. The Greek and Roman Empires each had the grossest forms of pedophilia, even within the top levels of government, in days leading up to their demise.   Today, the murder of millions of babies in their mothers’ wombs makes our time like those days when the idol-god Moloch was used to burn children alive.   All of the other things mentioned above–the signals we have discussed in this forum over the years—now seem to have at this advanced date of the age coalesced. The luciferically-spawned wickedness has brought the world to the point of totally depraved activity against children. Like in the days of Noah, the minds of men are almost always on evil continually. There seems nothing left to be done by Heaven’s governance than to institute God’s judgment and wrath.   So I believe a case can be made that this worldwide movement to inflict Satan’s murderous intentions upon the most helpless among humankind–the children—constitutes the second greatest signal of how near is the Tribulation and God’s Wrath.   That means the Rapture of the Church is even nearer than that seven years of hell on earth. Here is how to escape the judgment and wrath that is coming, perhaps very soon.   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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9–10)  As Our Culture Wages War Against God, Christians Find Themselves At The Front Lines Of An Ancient Worldview Battle - By Answers In Genesis - https://harbingersdaily.com/as-our-culture-wages-war-against-god-christians-find-themselves-at-the-front-lines-of-an-ancient-worldview-battle/   When culture and Scripture disagree, who do we side with? Different answers to that question have played out across the centuries in Rome and what this history means for Christians today.   Behind the stone walls which stretched skyward from the pavement where I stood, countless life stories had ended. Those walls had once resounded with the roar of crowds, the clash of steel, and the shouts of gladiators. But the battles fought in Rome’s Colosseum were only shadows of the real warfare in this city. The greater conflict lay in an age-old battle of worldviews, with humans waging a futile—and disastrous—war against their Creator’s infallible Word.   With its significance for the early church, Reformation, and Renaissance, Rome offers a central vantage point from which to understand the worldview battle still raging in Western culture—a battle which extends to the Neo-Marxist ideas storming society today.   To see how Rome’s past offers practical reminders for Christ followers today, let’s take a quick tour through the Western worldview battle in Rome.   Resistance: Early Church vs. Pagan Culture   Follow the flocks of tourists through Rome’s labyrinthine streets, and you’ll find a mammoth monument to paganism: the Pantheon. Given that pan means “all” and theos refers to divinity, you might guess the Pantheon once housed a smorgasbord of idols—and you’d be right. From the “god of cattle worms” to the “goddess of grain mildew,” the Romans worshipped a pantheon of mythic deities. But no idols—not even those hewn from the toughest stone—can provide a solid worldview foundation on which to build a culture. As the famous Christian scholar Francis Shaeffer pointed out,   Like the Greeks, the Romans had no infinite god. This being so, they had no sufficient reference point intellectually; that is, they did not have anything big enough or permanent enough to which to relate either their thinking or their living. Consequently, their value system was not strong enough to bear the strains of life, either individual or political. All their gods put together could not give them a sufficient base for life, morals, values, and final decisions.   As a result, Rome increasingly turned to the worship of more animate idols: emperors. A period called the Great Persecution began as one such emperor, Diocletian, decreed edicts which placed increasing pressure on Christians.   First, Diocletian dismissed soldiers and palace officials who refused to sacrifice to Roman deities. Next, he ordered the removal of Christian texts and church buildings, prohibited Christians from holding services, and restricted Christians’ legal rights. He then issued an edict that spelled imprisonment for clergy members, adding a subsequent edict which granted clergy freedom if they offered Roman sacrifices. Meanwhile, Diocletian’s government found ways to scapegoat Christians for local crises, whether “failed sacrifices” or palace fires. Finally, in AD 304, a universal decree gave Christians an ultimatum: sacrifice or endure punishments, including torture, imprisonment, and death.   Thousands of believers refused to compromise with the Roman government’s unbiblical demands—and faced horrific deaths as a result. But remember, the Christians could have avoided these fates. All they had to do was go along with their culture, blending a Roman worldview with Christianity by adding the worship of local deities to their worship of Jesus. However, that would have meant following man’s word (or human-made religion) as the authority above God’s Word, which says, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Where culture and Scripture disagreed, many believers in Rome followed God’s Word on pain of death.   Reformation: The Need for a Return to God’s Word   After Diocletian and his co-emperor resigned, one of the new emperors, Constantine, issued the Edict of Milan in AD 313, granting religious freedom.7 The Christianization of Rome soon began, with the church remaining central to much of Europe’s civil and political life long after the decline of the Roman Empire. But as the centuries unfolded, three related veins of compromise corroded the worldview foundation beneath Western culture’s Christianized veneer:   1. Compromise on biblical authority   Instead of accepting God’s Word as their authority for truth, many Christians began viewing human-made teachings and church traditions from outside the Bible as though equal to Scripture. (Part of this problem stemmed from the fact that most Christians could not access God’s Word for themselves—a limitation which Western Christians do not share today, thanks largely to the courage of men, including John Wycliffe and William Tyndale, who translated Scripture in opposition to man’s decrees.)   2. Compromise on biblical doctrine   Tolerating the syncretism of man’s word with God’s Word opened the door for Christians to import more and more unbiblical teachings into their beliefs. For instance, people increasingly viewed salvation as a reward for human efforts rather than accepting the Bible’s revelation that salvation is God’s gift of grace made possible through Jesus alone (Ephesians 2:8–9).   3. Compromise with pagan philosophy   Along the way, many mainstream believers began incorporating secular teachings into their Christianity. For instance, the prominent theologian Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) emphasized the pagan Greek philosopher Aristotle to the point that Aristotle’s teachings became treated as official church doctrine. Realizing that Western culture’s mainstream religion had drifted alarmingly far from God’s Word, Reformers, including Martin Luther (1483–1546), urged the church to return to its foundation of biblical authority.   Renaissance: Culture Aligns Itself to Man’s Word   In the years between Aquinas and Luther, Western culture’s renewed emphasis on pagan Greece and Rome gave way to a full-blown revival of classical philosophy—a shift known as the Renaissance, named after the French term for “rebirth.” Following the teachings of Aristotle, Renaissance thinkers believed that humans could construct their own meaningful view of reality by reasoning about the pieces of the world they could perceive around them rather than by beginning with God as the objective authority for truth and meaning. To glimpse a famous example of this thinking in sixteenth-century Rome, let’s head to the nearby Vatican Museum.   Shuffle your way through the crowds streaming through the museum’s gilded corridors, and you’ll (eventually) wind up in the Sistine Chapel, famed for its paintings by Renaissance artist Michelangelo (1475–1564). One scene shows how Michelangelo envisioned the creation of man, with God and Adam nearly touching. For centuries, people have viewed this painting as symbolizing how humans are created in the image of God, whose Word is our authority for truth. But more recently, scholars have suggested Michelangelo’s depictions of God may contain or exist inside illustrations of the human brain. Was Michelangelo implying that “people created God,” meaning that human thoughts and feelings are the authority for truth?   Whether or not this interpretation of Michelangelo’s artwork is correct, such humanistic thinking gained rapid traction during the Renaissance, reflecting Satan’s original lies, “Did God actually say . . .?” and “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:1–5). To believe these lies and make ourselves the authority for truth is to leave the ultimate foundation for truth, logic, morality, justice, and human value, which God’s Word supplies. This leads to disastrous consequences and paves the way for later totalitarian regimes, including those influenced by Karl Marx.   From Michelangelo to Marx   Marx, an atheist, believed that humanity evolved without a Creator and therefore must “create” itself. This process of self-creation, according to Marx, involves laboring toward the development of a atheistic, communistic society that would free humanity to reach its full potential. To make this claim that man is his own creator, Marx first had to discount Genesis—a step which the increasingly popular ideas of millions of years and evolutionary origins seemed to justify. Summarizing these views, Marx stated:   The creation of the earth has received a mighty blow from geognosy—i.e., from the science which presents the formation of the earth, the development of the earth, as a process, as a self-generation. . . . But for the socialist man, the entire so-called history of the world is nothing but the creation of man through human labour, nothing but the emergence of nature for man, so he has the visible, irrefutable proof of his birth through himself, of his genesis.   We can see traces of Marx’s man-centered religion in Renaissance-era humanism reflected in other works by Michelangelo. For instance, when describing a room which displays some of Michelangelo’s most famous sculptures, Francis Shaeffer noted,   Here we see on either side Michelangelo’s statues of men “tearing themselves out of the rock.” These were sculpted between 1519 and 1536. They make a real humanistic statement: Man will make himself great. Man as Man is tearing himself out of the rock. Man by himself will tear himself out of nature and free himself from it. Man will be victorious.   From Michelangelo to Marx, we see the recurring, fatal pattern of humans rejecting God’s Word to try making themselves “like God”—a pattern as old as Eden.   The Battle Continues   In today’s Western society, the cultural descendant of Rome, we see the same pattern unfolding at every turn. We again find ourselves at the front lines of the ancient worldview battle where humans wage a futile war against their Creator. We see this battle in Marx’s call for man to create himself via communism. We see it in the Renaissance times and the centuries of church compromise which led to the need for the Reformation. And we see it among the early believers in Rome, where standing on God’s Word over man’s meant facing horrific deaths.   Like these early Christians, we live in a culture that disagrees with God’s Word on many points. We’re told that when culture and Scripture disagree, we can reinterpret Scripture accordingly—even though doing so means following man’s word over God’s. Today, it’s no secret that the pressure to compromise with man’s word is growing ever stronger, due in part to Neo-Marxist movements which label Bible-believing Christians as oppressors who must be overthrown.   Surrounded by the roar of crowds, we must join the early Roman believers in resolving to stand on the Word of our Creator, Jesus. We can fix our eyes on him with confidence, knowing he has already won the war. Defense and the Preemptive Shot - By Hal Lindsey - https://www.hallindsey.com/ww-8-14-2022/   A murder suspect runs into an alley. A pursuing police officer slows as he approaches the alley. He raises his gun to the ready as he carefully enters. In the alley, he sees the suspect waiting for him, gun in hand. When the suspect sees the officer, he raises his gun to shoot. The officer has a split second in which to make a decision. What does he do? He shoots.   The finer nuances of Star Wars films don’t usually make much of a blip on my radar. But in 1997, hard core fans of the films raised such a ruckus that their cry reverberated almost everywhere. That year, the creator and then-owner of the Star Wars films, George Lucas, produced and released an enhanced, slightly altered version of his original movie. Extreme fans hated one change in particular. Early on, one of the film’s heroes, Han Solo, encounters a bounty hunter named Greedo. The bounty hunter holds a gun on Solo, promises to kill him, and is clearly about to fire when….   What happens next depends on which version you watch. In the 1977 version, Solo fires from a hidden gun before Greedo can shoot. In the 1997 version, Greedo fires at Solo and misses him (despite shooting from pointblank range). Solo then returns fire. George Lucas explained the change by saying, “Good guys shoot in self-defense.” But that raises a basic question. Can firing first be an act of self-defense?   The police officer shooting I described earlier shows that firing first can be self-defense. A TV cop might try to “talk the suspect down” even as the man puts him in the crosshairs. But in real life, the officer must fire when he sees the gun moving toward a kill position. The policeman must assume that the man will shoot the millisecond the gun is aimed in his direction. Earlier I asked how the officer should respond in such a situation. I could have asked, “Does the policeman shoot, or does he allow himself to be shot?”   Yes, “Good guys shoot in self-defense.” And sometimes, self-defense demands a preemptive shot. Imagine that you are holding a gun on a person with a dagger over your child. At the moment he begins to strike, you shoot. You cannot wait. You cannot say, “Well, the man hasn’t stabbed anyone yet.” You shoot him because he is obviously in the process of killing the child even though the blade has not yet touched that child.   All this is especially important right now because of something that recently happened in Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a preemptive attack on a Gaza terror group known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). This terror group is funded to the tune of millions of dollars by the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world — Iran. The terror group rejects the idea of living in peace. They want nothing to do with a two-state solution. They are all-in on the total and complete annihilation of Israel and the Jews.   On August 1st, for good cause, Israel arrested one of PIJ’s terrorist leaders. The group immediately accelerated their final preparations for a massive attack on Israel. Evidence of the coming missile attack was overwhelming and incontrovertible. Israel warned them, and when the jihadist group ignored the warnings, Israeli Defense Forces went into action. International law allows preemptive strikes under these circumstances. Also, the IDF has been careful to only strike PIJ military sites — not Hamas, and certainly not civilians.   Self-defense sometimes requires a preemptive strike. In the United States, that idea is often referred to as the “Bush Doctrine,” named after the 43rd President. But it was actually a part of US foreign policy decades before he entered office. For a nation, saving the lives of its citizens is not just permissible. It is a moral imperative. Daily Jot: Wormwood and gall - Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com   In lamenting over Zion, in Jeremiah 9:13-15, the Lord said, “Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, nor walked according to it, but they have walked according to the dictates of their own hearts and after the Baals, which their fathers taught them, therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: “Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.” This grieving could also reflect today’s America. When the federal government uses policing powers for political purposes, no one in the land of Liberty is safe. And because of this nation’s spiritual condition, it is akin to being fed a diet of wormwood and gall.   It is time for all Americans to get right with God. This is the only way people are going to see truth. We are living in a time where evil usurpers of the laws of God are using accusations and sensation in the absence of any fact to undermine what is meant for right and good—the Constitution of the United States established on the premise of inalienable rights given by God the Creator. You see, rights are not granted by government, they are embedded in the precepts of God Almighty and bestowed upon His creation. Governments are supposed to be a terror to evil as described in Romans 13, but when governments are against God, we must respond as did Peter in Acts 5:29 by saying, “We must obey God rather than man.”   But how can one obey God if he knows not the word of God? We are at a crossroads in this country. It has fallen to these lows where not even the laws of man—which were based on the foundation of the laws of God–are followed. The words are bent and twisted to justify any evil means. As is written in Isaiah 59:14-15, “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; For truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. So truth fails, And he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.” That’s what this government under these ruthless radical leftists have succeeded in doing: Making the righteous a prey. How do you like living in fear of an unjust and all-powerful government that interprets law by the desires of its agenda?   Instead of wringing hands and asking what to do, it may be wise to just do what the Holy Spirit puts on the heart. If led by the Holy Spirit, all will act according to their gifts. A nation can be changed, a darkness can be eliminated by the Light. But first, one must hear the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will not be heard, neither the will of God be revealed, if the only food being fed by pastors, preachers, priests or teachers is a feel-good, self-improving, self-indulgent, extra-biblical sweet-tasting meal. They have taught weakness, and by doing so, have undermined the vales, ethics and morals of society, and thus, have advocated the evil that advances upon us. But at the end of the day, it is our individual responsibility. Each of us must repent and turn to God, and stand—oh yes, we must now stand otherwise suffer a steady diet of wormwood and gall. Daily Devotion: Breaking the Cycle of Sin - by Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org   Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’ —Hebrews 13:5   https://harvest.org/resources/devotion/breaking-the-cycle-of-sin-2/ Listen   People talk about generational curses, about how there’s a curse on their family and there’s no way to break the curse. They say things like, “It’s too late for me. I’ve made so many mistakes, and I’m in this messed-up family. I know that I’m going to do the same bad things that my mom and dad did, and then my kids are going to do them. There’s no way to break the cycle of sin.”   Nonsense.   When Jesus died on the cross, all curses—all sins—were broken. And when you put your faith in Christ, you’re free from it. Jesus can change your story.   If statistics went their natural direction, I would have been divorced multiple times by now, because my mom was married and divorced seven times. If statistics went their natural direction, I’d probably be a drunk, because my mom was an alcoholic. But God interrupted my story. And He can do the same for you.   The Bible says that Samson “didn’t realize the Lord had left him” (Judges 16:20 NLT). In the Old Testament, we read of the Spirit of God coming upon someone or speaking to someone. But in Samson’s case, the Lord left him.   The good news is that Jesus has promised believers that He will never leave us or forsake us. Ever. God will never leave you, no matter what you have done. God won’t leave you, but you can leave Him. God won’t abandon you, but you can abandon Him. And maybe you’ve done that.   Maybe you’ve made the worst decisions . . . and the worst decisions on top of that. Own it. Admit it. Repent. Ask God to help. Call out to Him. The Lord will answer your prayer, and He will change your story. You can come back to Him today.

WHY DO WE TEACH PROPHECY? THE COMING RAPTURE/TRIBULATION

 

By pastor Mike Taylor

I wrote this a few years back, but as the world is rapidly changing, prophecy becomes more and more important, as Jesus could come at any moment....SO COME LORD JESUS.

19 “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”( 2nd Peter 1:19-21)


Here's the question...With the end of this age so obviously at hand, why teach Prophecy? This is a very broad subject and there are many reasons why we should pay attention to the signs around us that point to the fulfillment of the Words found in your Bible. But I will focus on a few of them to answer the question. Many of those who think prophecy has been fulfilled and nothing is awaiting out there save the return of Jesus, discount any mention of prophecy, as they are what is known as Preterist. These deceived people believe that all was fulfilled in 70AD with the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Roman army and the nation of Israel was no more.


But has all prophecy really been fulfilled? I would question such folks as when the passages in Revelation had actually been fulfilled. Can they show me where the green grass all over the earth was burned up? Can they show me where 1/3 of the trees were destroyed, along with the sea and the rivers turning to blood as that of a dead man? How about the blazing mountain falling into the sea, which sounds like a comet, hitting the earth and destroying million of people who live along the coastlines, just to name a few of the destruction that befalls the earth?


“12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
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 6:12-17)



Noting that none of the plagues and environmental disasters spoken of in Revelation have been recorded in history as to when these events have actually happened. Reason being, they have not happened, and the time of their fulfillment is because it speaks of a future time period.
I'm reminded of the Bible verses that Jesus spoke of when men will not have a clue what is coming upon the earth and will be going about their lives, like nothing is going to happen.


37 “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 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,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”( Matthew 24:37-42)



What was Jesus referring to? In the days of Noah, God commanded Noah to build an ark, as He was sad that he had ever made man.


6 “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
7 And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” (Genesis 6:6-7)


But thankfully for all who live today, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord:


8 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.”( Genesis 6:8-14)



As the Bible story unfolds, Noah built the ark and it took him 120 years. And as he built, Noah preached a warning to the people around him. But the people laughed at him to scorn. “Who had ever heard of it raining from the sky?” is what they must have thought, as the dew watered the earth before this time. So they heeded not the warning of Noah, and only his family and two of every living creature on the earth was taken into the ark. The people of Noah's day thought Noah was mad. So they continued their sinful lives not knowing that the end of all things was close at hand.



AS IT WAS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH



We see some of the same things happening today, as it was in the time of the flood that covered the earth and destroyed all mankind, save a remnant. (As I have warned in the past, “Watch Israel because she is the key to the timing of the end of this age”.) But God said He would not ever again destroy the earth with a flood, but next time, it would be by fire.


6 “ I have cut off the nations: their towers are desolate; I made their streets waste, that none passeth by: their cities are destroyed, so that there is no man, that there is none inhabitant.
7 I said, Surely thou wilt fear me, thou wilt receive instruction; so their dwelling should not be cut off, howsoever I punished them: but they rose early, and corrupted all their doings.
8 Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” (Zephaniah 3:6-8)



Men today are doing exactly the same thing that the people during Noah's age were doing. They are oblivious to the danger that is lurking right over the horizon.
“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”


WE ARE IN THE LAST DAYS



Jesus gave us markers to point to the time of His coming for His bride, the people of His “true” church, and people have been trying to figure out for the last 200 years when the Lord Jesus would come. They have made predictions, and they have all been wrong. Why have they been wrong? First Jesus said that “no man knoweth the day or the hour”
"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” (Matthew 24:36)
So trying to pinpoint the time of the coming of the Lord for His church is folly on anybodies part. Second to why the people have been unable to predict the coming of the Lord or even the season? It is because Israel was not yet a nation. It all hangs on Israel as the door to end time prophecy and Jerusalem being the key. Jesus told us the season of His coming for His church and it surrounds Israel's becoming a nation again and being back in her own land.


32 “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:32-35)



As anyone should know, especially if you follow any of my messages in the past, the fig tree is Israel. She blossomed and put forth her leaves, and became a nation once again in May, 1948. But note that Jesus said that “this generation would not pass away, till all things be fulfilled”. What is a generation that Jesus spoke of ? If you search the Bible, God has been shortening the life span of man since the flood, when these people lived centuries of upwards of 900 years and more. Now modern man has an average of 70 years, as the Bible plainly reveals.


10 “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” (Psalms 90:10)


A simple bit of math will render the season of the coming of the Lord. If you take the first number of 70 years, which is the time of a generation and add that to the time of the rebirth of Israel, you see that you get 2018, which is over 4 years ago this last month of May when Israel was reborn as a nation.. Or if you take the greater number, you add that also, and you come up with 2028...That means by the words of our Lord, that He will be back on this earth, reigning and ruling for a thousand years. Then will begin the Sabbath rest of the earth, as man has had 6000 years for his rule, now God will rule righteously for a Millennium with a rod of iron. That gives us the season of the Lord's return for His Church at the rapture, but it doesn't point to the narrow window that only God knows.


But note that if Jesus is reigning and He said that ALL things would be fulfilled, and that includes the Tribulation period of 7 years, and being a solid proponent of a Pre-Tribulation removal of the Church of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul called the HARPAZO (interpreted as taken by force, which we call the rapture), you will see that subtracting from 2028 will result in 2021....That gives us a season of when Jesus said that all things would be fulfilled. But God is sovereign and this only gives us a season, as God is very patient until His patience wears out and judgment falls on a rebellious people.


9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2nd Peter 3:9-10)




WAIT IT GETS MORE INTERESTING


I was reading here lately of an old Jewish Rabbi that made a prophecy prediction in the time of the 1200s..into the 13 century. It all related to the year of the Jubilee. Some of you may know, but a Jubilee is the 50th year of four Sabbatical years which are 49. (7x7=49)...on this 50th year, this Jewish Rabbi, Rabbi Judah Ben Samuel prophesied the coming of the Messiah or more correctly, the Messianic period.


His prophesy predicted that Jerusalem would be conquered by the Ottoman Turks and hold it for 400 years, or 8 Jubilees (8x50=400) and that is exactly what happened, but he didn't see his prophecy come true for another 300 years after his death. It happened in 1517 AD and the Ottoman Turks held onto Jerusalem until 1917, exactly 400 years until they were defeated by the British.


“The Mamluks, who had been reigning in Jerusalem since 1250, were conquered in 1517 by the Ottoman Turks. They remained for eight jubilees (8 x 50 = 400 years), that is to say they were in Jerusalem for 400 years. Exactly 400 years later, in 1917, the Ottoman Turks were conquered by the British. The League of Nations conferred the Mandate for the Holy Land and Jerusalem to the British. Thus, from 1917, under international law, Jerusalem was no-man’s land.” (Word News Daily, 12th century Rabbi predicts Israel's Future)



As was predicted, another 50 years, or another Jubilee, and Israel would recapture Jerusalem in the 1967 Six Day War. He then predicts that when another Jubilee is finished, the period of the Messianic years would have been fulfilled. But to summarize:
-Ottoman Turks rule Jerusalem for 8 Jubilees, or 400 years from 1517-1917
-the British would put “Palestine” under British rule and Jerusalem would be recaptured by Israel at the end of one Jubilee or 1917-1967.
-according to the Rabbi Samuel, from 1967-2017 is the Messianic “End Times”


My question? How could a 13th century Rabbi be so extraordinarily correct in his prophecy? Note that 2017 has already passed and we are still here. This rabbi made predictions in the past that came true. What he correctly saw was the Messianic period or the coming end of the age, we call the Age of Grace. Now take what this Rabbi predicted that actually came true and coupling that with what Jesus said in Matthew 24, we can see that if this Rabbi is to be believed, then the season of the coming of Christ is close at hand. Do I believe a 13th Century Rabbi? I find it amazing that his prophecy was spot on. But that's not all.


SIGNS IN THE HEAVENS SPEAK OF THE COMING OF THE LORD


I have written many articles about signs that we are seeing right now, and what has already been fulfilled with the blood moons that fell on Jewish Feast Days for two years in a row and how they have only happened when they gave witness to something prophetic happening to Israel. This all happened in 2014-2015. God told us that He put these signs in the heavens for us during creation.


“And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:” (Genesis 1:14)


Note the words “and let them be for signs”...? Note that the solar eclipses and blood moons were more than just naturally occurring phenomenon. Also note that there will not be another set of Blood Moons or solar eclipses that fall on another Jewish Feast day for another 500 years according to NASA...there will be blood moons, yes, but not on Feast Days in the order of what we just saw. I believe it is giving us a warning in the heavens that the “end of the age” is upon us.


NO MAN KNOWETH THE DAY OR THE HOUR


I've posted sermons on this very subject and don't want to get too involved in what Jesus was saying, that any Jewish man in the time of our Lord living on this earth would have immediately recognized what Jesus was talking about. But to refresh anyone's memory of that message, go here:
CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD: THE SUDDEN DEPARTURE OF THE CHURCH IN THE RAPTURE (pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com)


What the message reveals is that God has used the Feast of the Lord to mark prophetic events and fulfilled them on the very day of their observance. Those were :
-Passover: Jesus became our Passover Lamb
-Days of Unleavened Bread-our sins were put outside the camp
-Feast of First Fruits: Jesus was before the Father as the First Born of the dead
-Pentecost: The Holy Spirit came in power and the Church was born.


We are now in the harvest time, between the spring Feast and the Fall Feast, when God is saving mankind through His Son Jesus Christ as in the parable of the wheat and the tares. I would call this the Age of Grace, or the Church Age.


But we are fast approaching the end of this Harvest Time, and the next marker for the plan for the redemption of mankind is the Feast of Trumpets, or blowing of trumpets to signal the return of the King. And the thing that made me stand up and take notice and found in the above article, what is the term used for the Feast of Trumpets. “NO MAN KNOWETH THE DAY OF THE HOUR”...Why? Because it is the only Feast day where they must wait for a sliver of a new moon for the time to begin, and since there is a discrepancy on counting days via their calendar, they keep two days, just to be sure. This year, that Feast of Trumpets fall on September 25-27, 2022.



SO AGAIN, WHY TEACH PROPHECY?


With all the quickly enumerated signs, predictions, the words of Jesus and the return of Israel as a nation being a generation will see all things fulfilled, I think it most important to warn those who have grown tired and slumber, or so enamored with their unrighteous living, that they are as in the days of Noah. They are eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage and have not a clue what is happening all around them. People in this world think they have their lives to live and not worrying about what is coming right over the horizon.


That is why we teach prophecy. To warn those who are not aware of the signs of the times, and will be taken totally by surprise when millions of people suddenly disappear. Now some will say, that this precedes the second coming of our Lord, but will men be living their lives in the usual manner leading up to this time? No, I think everyone that is still alive, will be totally focused on their very survival, and know that God in His Divine judgment has caused what has come upon the earth, but still they will not repent.


Some ask why can't we just live our lives, and love one another, and let everyone be whatever makes them happy and judge not anyone on their lifestyle...True to a point...we are not anyone's judge, as that is God's role and I will not judge anything but what is inside the church. We are commanded to judge righteously what goes on inside the Church, as instructed by Paul.


2 “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.” (1st Corinthians 6:2-4)


But to the rest of the world, we warn that the time is growing short to get on the “ark of salvation” much like the Ark in Noah's age, the ark today, is Jesus Christ. Only He can save those who are approaching the worst time in all of history of this world, as Jesus said:


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 24:21-22)



Note that unless He shortens those days, “NO FLESH WILL BE SAVED”. Let those words sink into your mind for a moment. No flesh, nobody would be saved, as the carnage will cover this earth. Environmental disasters, Divine judgment that only be attributed to a Holy God in righteous indignation, and the earth convulsing in earthquakes that will level every mountain and move every island out of it's place. Men will not have confidence even in the earth they stand on. A conservative estimate is 6 billion people dying in 7 short years with the majority in the last 3.5 years. Can you imagine the carnage? The inability to bury that many dead in so short of a time space? The wild animals coming out of the forest and the wilderness to eat dead bodies lying all over the ground, in the streets, and looking for food, as they are starving too. Can you imagine the smell of death filling the air around you?


“24 “And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” (Luke 21:24-26)


IN CONCLUSION..


Why Teach Prophecy? Because God commanded that we warn those who in peril of their life, and their very souls to what is coming...a sword is coming upon the land.


7 “So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
8 When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
9 Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” (Ezekiel 33:7-9)



But all we can do is warn, but as in the days of Noah, many...no, most will not hear, but will scoff at such a warning..


3 “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” (2nd Peter 3:3-7)

But that is why we teach prophecy, as a warning to those who are asleep, or scoffing, or acting as it was in the days of Noah. I hope as you read this, that the evidence found in your bible points to this end of days. We may not have much time longer to preach the Word of God and warn those who are too busy to give God a second thought, but have rejected the plan of salvation found in Jesus Christ. Our King Jesus is coming soon so don't make that mistake of ignoring the signs.. The signs say so, the Bible says so, and the evidence I've presented, hopefully, gives you an idea of what I speak of. Jesus could...I SAY COULD, as I don't know for sure, as God has not revealed it to me personally, but with the evidence, Jesus COULD come even this fall or any fall thereafter. I know I will be watching and listening for that Trumpet call and the Lord Jesus coming in the air to bring those who have been sealed with His Holy Spirit and obtain VICTORY IN JESUS.


I want every one to be right there with me and others who have accepted Jesus as personal Savior standing before our Lord in worship and praise...How?


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.”( Romans 10:8-10)


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 God sent not His Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
1818 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)


Prophecy is being fulfilled right now in front of our eyes, and the next moment of your life, Jesus could come and those who are found in Him will be taken out of this world. Those who are not found in Jesus will be thrown headlong into this coming horror known as the Tribulation and most likely, die a horrible death, one way or another. ..I beg you, don't let that happen...Accept Jesus today as your personal Savior and be ready for when He breaks through the clouds and as with a sound of a trumpet, yells “Come up here”...And so shall we ever be with the Lord.


This is pastor Mike Taylor, praying you hear the sound of this warning in your mind and in your hearts...if you need prayer, counseling or just a listening ear, email me at pastormiketaylor@yahoo.com, or visit me online at my blog at www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com, . God bless you all,


TILL WE MEET AT JESUS FEET