Light is sown like seed for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Bill Koenig - Eye to Eye
White House news correspondent, Bill Koenig, the founder of Koenig’s
World Watch Daily news service, can hardly keep up with all the
biblically significant events happening around the world. Fulfilled
prophecy is now front and center in the USA, Israel, Russia, Syria,
Iran, China and Europe. After distributing tens of thousands of his
ground-breaking Eye to Eye books—many to US Congressmen and Senators,
Bill has finally turned his unique research into a brand new,
magnificent DVD! Is God watching over Israel? Are individual nations
punished by God for betraying His chosen people and attempting to divide
“The Land?” What’s next on God’s prophetic calendar? This is a must-see
interview!
Monday, December 28, 2015
As you see the day approaching
This is a very interesting and thorough
e-book posted in PDF format by EVANGELICAL BIBLE COLLEGE OF WESTERN
AUSTRALIA, detailing the certainty that our present generation is the
generation that will see the return of Christ, and the
specific developments and prophetic trends in the past seventy years (a
generation), toward a global government, a global religion, and a global
economy. It is a great resource to point others to, who may be new to
Bible Prophecy, as a comprehensive review of what has already
transpired, and bringing them right up to the current moment. It
covers the exact fulfillment of those prophecies of the first coming of
Christ, and assures one of the current and soon fulfillment of those
which relate to His impending second coming.
Click the link below to access and save the PDF to your computer.
As You See the Day Approaching
100 BIBLICAL PROPHETIC TRENDS 1945 – 2015
by DR PETER JOHN MOSES, June 2015
Israel warns Hezbollah: "Revenge for the elimination of Kuntar will lead to war"
Reblogged from https://www.jerusalemonline.comA senior level Israeli official made it clear to Hezbollah that Israel would respond with force to any action against it, even at the cost of entering the territory of Lebanon and Syria.
Israel might consider an all-out war against Lebanon, Syria and Hezbollah. This terrifying scenario might come into fruition if Israel is attacked.
Earlier this week, Israel eliminated Samir Kuntar. According to Syrian sources, several missiles hit a building in the Jaramana suburb of Damascus, where he was staying. Hezbollah promised to avenge his death. A Lebanese newspaper that identifies with the Shia terrorist organization hinted that there will not be quiet following Kuntar’s elimination.
According to the foreign press, in the past months, Kuntar worked in Syria to establish terror infrastructure in the Golan Heights, which was supposed to carry out terror attacks directed by Hezbollah, Iran, and the Assad regime.
Kuntar, a Lebanese terrorist, killed members of the Haran family and two police officers in the northern city of Nahariya in 1979. He was sentenced to 5 consecutive life sentences but was released in 2008 in exchange for the bodies of IDF soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, who were kidnapped and killed in July 2006.
After his release. Kuntar became a Hezbollah spokesman and a symbol of the armed struggle against Israel. Two months after his release, he claimed the Golan Heights will return to Syrian hands. On October 2011, Kuntar said that soldier kidnapping is an effective way to release prisoners and should be continued.
Zionism: What It Is and What It Is Not
Reblogged from bibleprophecyblog.com
The word "Zionism" is very common today thanks to the United Nations' condemnation of it during their General Assembly debate on November 10, 1975.
Because of this, there is much confusion among believers as to the nature of Zionism and whether or not they should support it or stand against it. We, at Ariel Ministries, get many letters asking us to explain what Zionism is.
There is a lot of propaganda going on concerning Zionism; much of it is guilty of distortion and misinformation. In fact, anti-Zionism has become merely a new term for old fashioned "antiSemitism."
Some circles are claiming that Zionism is a world-wide Jewish conspiracy aimed at the undermining of Western culture in order to allow for a communist takeover. In these circles, Zionism is equated with communism. Much literature is being published propounding this by anti-Semitic groups, and this writer has had the ugly experience of having to see and read much of this hate literature. One of the most famous works that gives this view of Zionism is known as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. This was actually a Russian forgery by a group of antiSemites who were attempting to propagate the theory of a world-wide Jewish conspiracy. It purports to be the record or "protocols" of Jewish elders who came together to develop a program for world domination, but has been proven to be a Russian forgery by Czarists who were trying to propagandize the masses against the communists. From this came the popular view that communism was a Jewish conspiracy.
On four occasions, when the Arab states failed to defeat Israel with the force of arms, they began a propaganda campaign to equate Zionism with racism. Thanks to Arab oil's power to bribe and to intimidate the nations, the victims of racism are now accused of being racists themselves.
The United Nations has ceased to be an organization seeking justice and peace for the world. It has become a tool for the destruction of existing nations. By condemning Zionism's right to exist, they have condemned Israel's right to exist. It is impossible to separate Zionism from Israel. By this one stroke, then, the United Nations legalized the destruction of Israel by her enemies. The United Nations is indeed guilty of playing into the hands of Satan who will, during the Great Tribulation, organize a world-wide invasion of Israel (Zechariah 12:1-3; 14:1-2). Although this verdict was repealed 17 years later, the damage was already done.
What Is Zionism?
But if Zionism is neither a world-wide Jewish conspiracy nor a Jewish form of racism, then what is it?
The root of Zionism is the word "Zion." Although the word "Zion" originally referred to the mount upon which the Jewish Temple stood, it eventually became equivalent to the name "Jerusalem." Zionism is concerned with the Land of Zion and with its capital, Jerusalem.
Zionism describes a feeling. It is an expression of the longing and yearning that the Jewish people have had in the past and still have for their homeland. Zionism existed during the Egyptian bondage. It existed during the Babylonian Captivity. It exists in these days of the Dispersion which began in A.D. 70. As soon as any Jew expressed a desire to go back to his Land—regardless of his reason—he was expressing Zionism. Any Jew who looked toward and identified himself with the Promised Land, whether he knew it or not, whether he admitted it or not, was a Zionist.
Zionism is neither a conspiracy nor racism. It is an expression of a yearning placed into every Jewish heart by God Himself. Unfulfilled Zionism is being outside the Land of Israel. Fulfilled Zionism is being in and living in the Land.
But what most believers want to know is this: Is Zionism biblical? To this question, every believer who takes the Bible literally and seriously must say "yes."
A typical Zionist passage of Scripture is found in Psalm 137:1-6:
By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down, yea, we wept,
When we remembered Zion.
Upon the willows in the midst thereof
We hanged up our harps.
For there they that led us captive
required of us songs,
And they that wasted us
required of us mirth, saying,
Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
How shall we sing Jehovah's song
In a foreign land?
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget her skill.
Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my
mouth, If I remember thee not;
If I prefer not Jerusalem
Above my chief joy. (ASV)
The longing to go back to Israel by the Jewish captives in Babylon is an expression of Zionism. The word Zion is used twice as is its equivalent, Jerusalem. Zion is to be remembered (v. 1), and so are its songs (v. 3). Jerusalem must not be forgotten (v.5), but preferred above all joys (v.6). It is impossible to be more Zionistic than the author of Psalm 137.
Another Zionist was Isaiah the Prophet, for he wrote in 62:1:
For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. (ASV)
Many other passages may be cited, but these should suffice to show that Zionism is a biblical expression. Therefore, believers should be active in two things: first, to stand by the State of Israel; and secondly, to condemn all misrepresentation of Zionism as either a conspiracy or as racism.
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the city of David, which is Zion (1 Kings 8:1 NASB).
The word "Zionism" is very common today thanks to the United Nations' condemnation of it during their General Assembly debate on November 10, 1975.
Because of this, there is much confusion among believers as to the nature of Zionism and whether or not they should support it or stand against it. We, at Ariel Ministries, get many letters asking us to explain what Zionism is.
There is a lot of propaganda going on concerning Zionism; much of it is guilty of distortion and misinformation. In fact, anti-Zionism has become merely a new term for old fashioned "antiSemitism."
Some circles are claiming that Zionism is a world-wide Jewish conspiracy aimed at the undermining of Western culture in order to allow for a communist takeover. In these circles, Zionism is equated with communism. Much literature is being published propounding this by anti-Semitic groups, and this writer has had the ugly experience of having to see and read much of this hate literature. One of the most famous works that gives this view of Zionism is known as the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. This was actually a Russian forgery by a group of antiSemites who were attempting to propagate the theory of a world-wide Jewish conspiracy. It purports to be the record or "protocols" of Jewish elders who came together to develop a program for world domination, but has been proven to be a Russian forgery by Czarists who were trying to propagandize the masses against the communists. From this came the popular view that communism was a Jewish conspiracy.
On four occasions, when the Arab states failed to defeat Israel with the force of arms, they began a propaganda campaign to equate Zionism with racism. Thanks to Arab oil's power to bribe and to intimidate the nations, the victims of racism are now accused of being racists themselves.
The United Nations has ceased to be an organization seeking justice and peace for the world. It has become a tool for the destruction of existing nations. By condemning Zionism's right to exist, they have condemned Israel's right to exist. It is impossible to separate Zionism from Israel. By this one stroke, then, the United Nations legalized the destruction of Israel by her enemies. The United Nations is indeed guilty of playing into the hands of Satan who will, during the Great Tribulation, organize a world-wide invasion of Israel (Zechariah 12:1-3; 14:1-2). Although this verdict was repealed 17 years later, the damage was already done.
What Is Zionism?
But if Zionism is neither a world-wide Jewish conspiracy nor a Jewish form of racism, then what is it?
The root of Zionism is the word "Zion." Although the word "Zion" originally referred to the mount upon which the Jewish Temple stood, it eventually became equivalent to the name "Jerusalem." Zionism is concerned with the Land of Zion and with its capital, Jerusalem.
Zionism describes a feeling. It is an expression of the longing and yearning that the Jewish people have had in the past and still have for their homeland. Zionism existed during the Egyptian bondage. It existed during the Babylonian Captivity. It exists in these days of the Dispersion which began in A.D. 70. As soon as any Jew expressed a desire to go back to his Land—regardless of his reason—he was expressing Zionism. Any Jew who looked toward and identified himself with the Promised Land, whether he knew it or not, whether he admitted it or not, was a Zionist.
Zionism is neither a conspiracy nor racism. It is an expression of a yearning placed into every Jewish heart by God Himself. Unfulfilled Zionism is being outside the Land of Israel. Fulfilled Zionism is being in and living in the Land.
But what most believers want to know is this: Is Zionism biblical? To this question, every believer who takes the Bible literally and seriously must say "yes."
A typical Zionist passage of Scripture is found in Psalm 137:1-6:
By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down, yea, we wept,
When we remembered Zion.
Upon the willows in the midst thereof
We hanged up our harps.
For there they that led us captive
required of us songs,
And they that wasted us
required of us mirth, saying,
Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
How shall we sing Jehovah's song
In a foreign land?
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget her skill.
Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my
mouth, If I remember thee not;
If I prefer not Jerusalem
Above my chief joy. (ASV)
The longing to go back to Israel by the Jewish captives in Babylon is an expression of Zionism. The word Zion is used twice as is its equivalent, Jerusalem. Zion is to be remembered (v. 1), and so are its songs (v. 3). Jerusalem must not be forgotten (v.5), but preferred above all joys (v.6). It is impossible to be more Zionistic than the author of Psalm 137.
Another Zionist was Isaiah the Prophet, for he wrote in 62:1:
For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burneth. (ASV)
Many other passages may be cited, but these should suffice to show that Zionism is a biblical expression. Therefore, believers should be active in two things: first, to stand by the State of Israel; and secondly, to condemn all misrepresentation of Zionism as either a conspiracy or as racism.
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the city of David, which is Zion (1 Kings 8:1 NASB).
Related Links
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Thursday, December 24, 2015
'Fairy tale': Many pastors don't believe Jesus born of virgin
A live Nativity scene at the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Stuart, Florida. (WND photo / Joe Kovacs) More people might come to church if Christians would drop "fairy tale" tidbits like the Nativity story. That's the belief of a minister in Cairns Church in Milngavie, Scotland. According to Scotland's Herald, Rev. Andrew Frater wants Christians to…
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
The Democrats’ Theme for 2016 Is Totalitarianism
Reblogged from nationalreview.com
by Kevin D. Williamson December 20, 2015 2:00 AM
At the beginning of December, Rolling Stone writer Jeff Goodell asked
Secretary of State John Kerry whether Charles and David Koch, two
libertarian political activists, should be considered — his remarkable
words — “an enemy of the state.” He posed the same question about Exxon,
and John Kerry, who could have been president of these United States,
said that he looked forward to the seizure of Exxon’s assets for the
crime of “proselytizing” impermissibly about the question of global
warming.
An enemy of the state? That’s the Democrats’ theme for the New Year:
totalitarianism.
Donald Trump may talk like a brownshirt, but the Democrats mean
business. For those of you keeping track, the Democrats and their allies
on the left have now: voted in the Senate to repeal the First
Amendment, proposed imprisoning people for holding the wrong views on
global warming, sought to prohibit the showing of a film critical of
Hillary Rodham Clinton, proposed banning politically unpopular academic
research, demanded that funding politically unpopular organizations and
causes be made a crime and that the RICO organized-crime statute be used
as a weapon against targeted political groups. They have filed felony
charges against a Republican governor for vetoing a piece of
legislation, engaged in naked political persecutions of members of
Congress, and used the IRS and the ATF as weapons against political
critics.
RELATED: A Syllabus of the Dangerous Errors of the Left
On the college campuses, they shout down unpopular ideas or simply
forbid nonconforming views from being heard there in the first place.
They have declared academic freedom an “outdated concept” and have gone
the full Orwell, declaring that freedom is oppressive and that they
should not be expected to tolerate ideas that they do not share. They
are demanding mandatory ideological indoctrination sessions for
nonconforming students. They have violently assaulted students studying
in libraries and assaulted student journalists documenting their
activities. They have staged dozens of phony hate crimes and sexual
assaults as a pretext for persecuting unpopular organizations and
people.
What they cannot achieve by legislation or litigation, they seek to
achieve by simple violence, left-wing activists having smashed, looted,
and burned portions of Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore, where Koreans and
other Asian minorities were specifically targeted. As on college
campuses, they have made a point of assaulting journalists documenting
their violence. They have rioted in Philadelphia and in other cities
They are not backing away from that. Hillary Rodham Clinton may do her
vice-principal shtick, but Bernie Sanders is calling for “revolution,”
and by “revolution” he means crushing the economic and political rights
of opponents in order to prevent them from having a say in political
debate. Sounding oddly like Henry Ford, he seethes as he talks about
scheming foreigners and international bankers working nefariously behind
the scenes to undermine American interests, while his admirers brandish
such traditional symbols of totalitarianism as the hammer-and-sickle
flag.
RELATED: The First Amendment Is Dying
They have sought to use the FCC to revoke the broadcast licenses of
Rupert Murdoch and other political hate totems, and have long dreamt of
using federal regulation to shut down conservative talk radio. They have
gone to the Supreme Court to argue that they should be empowered to ban
books, films, magazines, and newspapers when they desire to do so for
political reasons. They are energetic suppressors of free speech.
The Right cannot be indifferent to this: It is our speech that they
intend to prohibit first, and it is us that they are attempting to
imprison for our political views.
It is possible to have a robust, energetic political discourse within
the parameters of American liberalism, which cherishes freedom of speech
and of inquiry, which distinguishes between public and private spheres,
which relies upon the rule of law and the Bill of Rights while placing
limits on the reach of the state. But if you reject that, as our
so-called liberals have, then you cannot have genuine political
discourse, or genuine democracy. When he was asked about having
fabricated a story about Mitt Romney’s not paying taxes, Democratic
Senate leader Harry Reid made a straight-up might-makes-right argument:
“Romney didn’t win, did he?” You cannot have much of an argument without
some level of honesty, which is a problem for a country that probably
is going to be subjected to yet another Clinton campaign. You cannot
have much of an argument without freedom of speech, and you cannot have
democracy if political activism is criminalized. The Democrats are
seeking to restrict speech, and they already have criminalized politics:
Ask Rick Perry about that, or Tom Delay.
RELATED: Inverting the First Amendment
Democrat
The Right cannot be indifferent to this, because we simply do not have
that option: It is our speech that they intend to prohibit first, and it
is us that they are attempting to imprison for our political views. But
the Left should not be indifferent to this, either. There are at least a
few (and, one suspects, more than that) liberals of the old-fashioned
variety in the Democratic party, and it is not at all clear that they
are going to wish to remain part of a political organization that is
seriously attempting to create a class of political prisoners, to ban
books, and to drive people from their jobs and communities for their
political beliefs.
John Kerry cannot quite answer the question of whether one of his
political rivals should be declared “an enemy of the state.” Between now
and November 2016, Americans might want to think a bit about whether
they wish to invest an openly totalitarian political party with the
power of the presidency.
— Kevin D. Williamson is roving correspondent at National Review.
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/428793/democrats-and-totalitarianism-2016?5OJcwA893b4XyDYy.01
Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/428793/democrats-and-totalitarianism-2016?5OJcwA893b4XyDYy.01
Mind Control
(from Days of Praise)
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” (Ephesians 4:17-18)
A question that troubles many Christians is why most highly educated leaders in science and other fields—even theologians—seem to find it so difficult to believe the Bible and the gospel of Christ. The answer is in the words of our text: They are “alienated from the life of God” because of self-induced ignorance. It is not that they can’t understand, but that they won’t understand! They “walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened . . . because of the blindness of their heart.” They don’t want to believe in their hearts, therefore they seek an excuse not to believe in their minds. They are “men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (2 Timothy 3:8)
.
The sad truth is that Satan himself controls their minds. They may be ever so intelligent in secular matters, but the gospel, with all its comprehensive and beautiful simplicity, remains hidden to them. “If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Is there a remedy? Yes. “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). In this verse, the word “thought” is the same as “mind.” The weapons of truth, of prayer, of love, and of the Spirit can capture even such minds as these!
“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.” (Ephesians 4:17-18)
A question that troubles many Christians is why most highly educated leaders in science and other fields—even theologians—seem to find it so difficult to believe the Bible and the gospel of Christ. The answer is in the words of our text: They are “alienated from the life of God” because of self-induced ignorance. It is not that they can’t understand, but that they won’t understand! They “walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened . . . because of the blindness of their heart.” They don’t want to believe in their hearts, therefore they seek an excuse not to believe in their minds. They are “men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith” (2 Timothy 3:8)
.
The sad truth is that Satan himself controls their minds. They may be ever so intelligent in secular matters, but the gospel, with all its comprehensive and beautiful simplicity, remains hidden to them. “If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Is there a remedy? Yes. “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5). In this verse, the word “thought” is the same as “mind.” The weapons of truth, of prayer, of love, and of the Spirit can capture even such minds as these!
Monday, December 21, 2015
Why Ezekiel 38 is Not a Now Prophecy
on Wednesday, December 2, 2015 by Bill Salus
Reblogged from www.prophecydepotministries.net
Turkey’s present political rifts with Israel and Iran’s advanced
nuclear program, coupled with Iran’s stated intentions to wipe Israel
off of the map, also increases the possibilities that Ezekiel 38 could occur soon. Russia, Turkey, and Iran are identified among the invaders in Ezekiel 38:1-6. They are among a nine member coalition that invades Israel in the end times to capture plunder and booty.These developments above, along with flurries of other geo-political factors, have many prophecy buffs buzzing about the potential immanency of Ezekiel 38. However, we must avoid getting swept away in the sensationalism of newspaper exegesis, which is an attempt to connect current events with ancient biblical predictions. Current events can evidence the forthcoming of a Bible prophecy, but they have to match the predicted details exactly to warrant merit.
For instance, Russia intervenes into Syria. This hints that Ezekiel 38 is nearing because Russia’s military has moved into the Mideast theater. However, a few weeks later a Russian fighter jet gets struck down by Turkey. This prompts Russia to swiftly levy economic sanctions against Turkey, which result in a serious setback in their national relations. This friction is not conducive to the fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 because Russia and Turkey are allies in the prophecy.
See how the headlines below and their correlating succession of dates evidence the flaws of newspaper exegesis. On September 30, 2015, Ezekiel 38 looked like it was about to happen, but less than 60 days later a serious schism develops between Turkey and Russia.
“Russia launches first airstrikes in Syria”
(CNN Politics 9/30/15)(ii)
“Putin condemns Turkey after Russian warplane downed near Syria border”
(Guardian 11/24/15)(iii)
“Russia approves detailed sanctions against Turkey over downed plane”
(Reuters 12/1/15)(iiii)
In reality, Ezekiel 38 has significant preconditions preventing its prophetic fulfillment. Ezekiel 38:8-13 mandates that Israel must be dwelling securely, without walls, bars, or gates, and in the center of their land, probably alluding to the landmass described in Genesis 15:18. Additionally, the Jewish State must be in receipt of great spoil. In my estimation, Israel today is not fulfilling these conditions.
Israel is unable to dwell securely as a result of the hostile Arab volatility that surrounds them. Walls, bars, and gates exist in Israel today in order to protect the Israelis from being terrorized by Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS and the Palestinians in general. In fact, Israel is probably the most fenced in country in the world. It has fencing at various stretches along all of its land based borders.
Additionally, the goal of the Ezekiel 38 invaders is to destroy Israel and take plunder and great spoil. Although Israel’s economy is flourishing, it’s debatable if it presently possesses the great spoil that Russia and their coalition someday come after.
Ezekiel 38 describes nine distinct populations by their ancient names including Russia, Iran, Turkey, and Libya but omits the historic name equivalents of Arab states and terrorist populations that share common borders with Israel. Some of those who advocate that Ezekiel 38 is imminent teach that the surrounding Arab nations are identified indirectly in Ezekiel 38:6. They teach that the clause, “many peoples with thee,” includes the neighboring Arab states. However, there are three potential problems with this line of teaching.
1. The Arab states and terrorist populations within them are pinpointed directly in a distinctly different prophecy described in Psalm 83. The Psalm lists ten entirely separate members not included among the Ezekiel 38:1-6 invaders. Thus, it is probable that they are not among the “many peoples with thee” in Ezekiel 38:6, but are “many peoples distinct from thee”, not listed in Ezekiel 38 among the invaders.
2. The hordes of Ezekiel 38 invaders must cross over much of the land possessed by these Psalm 83 nations and / or territories presently occupied by the terrorist populations in order to invade the nation of Israel. This beckons the question; why aren’t these nations, terrorists, or refugees listed among the Ezekiel 38 invaders?
3. Most importantly, Ezekiel 38 identifies nine specific invading populations, but oddly doesn’t mention any of the Psalm 83 Arab confederates among them. This conspicuous omission makes no sense when you consider that Ezekiel references all of the Psalm 83 members numerous times elsewhere throughout his prophetic book.
Case in point, Ezekiel lists Tyre 12 times. Tyre is a member of Psalm 83 and
likely represents the Hezbollah today. He alludes to Philistia and / or
Philistines 4 times. They are probably the Hamas terrorist
organization. Edom or the Edomites are referenced 7 times. Asaph, the
author of Psalm 83, calls them the tents of Edom and I interpret that as today’s Palestinian refugees.The other Psalm 83 members like, Moab or Moabites, Ammon or Ammonites, Amalakites, Egyptians, Assyrians, Gebal (Lebanon), and the Saudis under the ancient banners of Dedan or the Ishmaelites, are also referenced elsewhere in the book of Ezekiel. Actually, all together the above Psalm 83 confederates are mentioned 89 times by Ezekiel.
Not one of those 89 references shows up in Ezekiel 38-39, with the exception of a potential Saudi contingent represented by Dedan in Ezekiel 38:13. But in this instance, Dedan appears to abstain from enjoining with the Ezekiel invaders. This suggests they play no military role in this invasion of Israel. Ezekiel 25:13 informs that many in Dedan will be killed in a war, which could be the result of the Psalm 83 war. If so, this might be the reason Saudi Arabia opts out of the Ezekiel invasion.
I believe the glaring omission of the Psalm 83 Arab confederates from the Ezekiel 38 list of invaders suggests they are not part of the Ezekiel 38-39 invasion. It is highly possible that they are defeated prior to fulfillment of Ezekiel 38. This article points out some, but not all, of the significant problems with teaching that Ezekiel 38 is an imminent prophecy.
……………………… (i)The the image centered on Hmeimim Air Base (Jableh, Syria) with concentric red and blue circles has been circulating in media since 27 November. Based upon data intel expert Sean Osborne has collected, he believes that this image is a fairly exaggerated depiction of the air intercept capabilities for the S-400 system components the Russians have actually deployed to Hmeimim AB. Osborne says, “I believe the Russians have deployed two distinct types of component missiles in their Almaz-Antey 5P85TE2 TELs. The longest range missile is the 40N6 which has a maximum range of 215 nautical miles. From Hmeimim AB this missile’s maximum range would be just shy of Tel Aviv. The other missile is the 48N6E2 with a range of approximately 130 nautical miles. From Hmeimim AB this missile’s max range would be in the vicinity of Sidon, Lebanon.”
(ii)Headline from this website: http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/30/politics/russia-syria-airstrikes-isis/
(iii)Headline from this website: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/24/turkey-shoots-down-jet-near-border-with-syria
(iiii)Headline from this website: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/12/01/us-mideast-crisis-russia-turkey-sanction-idUSKBN0TK4SD20151201#d11AlyjKA2lmpeG3.97
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Column One: Rubio, Cruz and US global leadership - Caroline Glick
In Barack Obama, they found a leader who could channel their frustration. Obama’s foreign policy, based on denying the existence of radical Islam and projecting the responsibility for Islamic aggression on the US and its allies, suited their mood just fine. If America is responsible, then America can walk away. Once it is gone, so the thinking has gone, the Muslims will forget their anger and leave America alone.
Sadly, Obama’s foreign policy assumptions are utter nonsense. America’s abandonment of global leadership has not made things better. Over the past seven years, the legions of radical Islam have expanded and grown more powerful than ever before. And now in the aftermath of the jihadist massacres in Paris and San Bernadino, the threats have grown so abundant that even Obama cannot pretend them away.
As a consequence, for the first time in a decade, Americans are beginning to think seriously about foreign policy. But are they too late? Can the next president repair the damage Obama has caused? The Democrats give no cause for optimism. Led by former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential hopefuls stubbornly insist that there is nothing wrong with Obama’s foreign policy. If they are elected to succeed him, they pledge to follow in his footsteps.
On the Republican side, things are more encouraging, but also more complicated.
Republican presidential hopefuls are united in their rejection of Obama’s policy of ignoring the Islamic supremacist nature of the enemy. All reject the failed assumptions of Obama’s foreign policy.
All have pledged to abandon them on their first day in office. Yet for all their unity in rejecting Obama’s positions, Republicans are deeply divided over what alternative foreign policy they would adopt.
This divide has been seething under the surface throughout the Obama presidency. It burst into the open at the Republican presidential debate Wednesday night.
The importance of the dispute cannot be overstated.
Given the Democrats’ allegiance to Obama’s disastrous policies, the only hope for a restoration of American leadership is that a Republican wins the next election. But if Republicans nominate a candidate who fails to reconcile with the realities of the world as it is, then the chance for a reassertion of American leadership will diminish significantly.
To understand just how high the stakes are, you need to look no further than two events that occurred just before the Wednesday’s Republican presidential debate.
On Tuesday, the International Atomic Energy Agency voted to close its investigation of Iran’s nuclear program. As far as the UN’s nuclear watchdog is concerned, Iran is good to go.
The move is a scandal. Its consequences will be disastrous.
The IAEA acknowledges that Iran continued to advance its illicit military nuclear program at least until 2009. Tehran refuses to divulge its nuclear activities to IAEA investigators as it is required to do under binding UN Security Council resolutions.
Iran refuses to allow IAEA inspectors access to its illicit nuclear sites. As a consequence, the IAEA lacks a clear understanding of what Iran’s nuclear status is today and therefore has no capacity to prevent it from maintaining or expanding its nuclear capabilities. This means that the inspection regime Iran supposedly accepted under Obama’s nuclear deal is worthless.
The IAEA also accepts that since Iran concluded its nuclear accord with the world powers, it has conducted two tests of ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons, despite the fact that it is barred from doing so under binding Security Council resolutions.
But really, who cares? Certainly the Obama administration doesn’t. The sighs of relief emanating from the White House and the State Department after the IAEA decision were audible from Jerusalem to Tehran.
The IAEA’s decision has two direct consequences.
First, as Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday, it paves the way for the cancellation of the UN’s economic sanctions against Iran within the month.
Second, with the IAEA’s decision, the last obstacle impeding Iran’s completion of its nuclear weapons program has been removed. Inspections are a thing of the past. Iran is in the clear.
As Iran struts across the nuclear finish line, the Sunni jihadists are closing their ranks.
Hours after the IAEA vote, Turkey and Qatar announced that Turkey is setting up a permanent military base in the Persian Gulf emirate for the first time since the fall of the Ottoman Empire a century ago. Their announcement indicates that the informal partnership between Turkey and Qatar on the one side, and Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic State on the other hand, which first came to the fore last year during Operation Protective Edge, is now becoming a more formal alliance.
Just as the Obama administration has no problem with Iran going nuclear, so it has no problem with this new jihadist alliance.
During Operation Protective Edge, the administration supported this jihadist alliance against the Israeli-Egyptian partnership. Throughout Hamas’s war against Israel, Obama demanded that Israel and Egypt accept Hamas’s cease-fire terms, as they were presented by Turkey and Qatar.
Since Operation Protective Edge, the Americans have continued to insist that Israel and Egypt bow to Hamas’s demands and open Gaza’s international borders. The Americans have kept up their pressure on Israel and Egypt despite Hamas’s open alliance with ISIS in the Sinai Peninsula.
So, too, the Americans have kept Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at arm’s length, and continue to insist that the Muslim Brotherhood is a legitimate political force despite Sisi’s war against ISIS. Washington continues to embrace Qatar as a “moderate” force despite the emirate’s open support for the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas and ISIS.
As for Turkey, it appears there is nothing Ankara can do that will dispel the US notion that it is a credible partner in the war on terror. Since 2011, Turkey has served as Hamas’s chief state sponsor, and as ISIS’s chief sponsor. It is waging war against the Kurds – the US’s strongest ally in its campaign against ISIS.
In other words, with the US’s blessing, the forces of both Shi’ite and Sunni jihad are on the march.
And the next president will have no grace period for repairing the damage.
Although the Republican debate Wednesday night was focused mainly on the war in Syria, its significance is far greater than one specific battlefield.
And while there were nine candidates on the stage, there were only two participants in this critical discussion.
Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz faced off after weeks of rising contention between their campaigns.
In so doing, they brought the dispute that has been seething through their party since the Bush presidency into the open.
Rubio argued that in Syria, the US needs to both defeat ISIS and overthrow President Bashar Assad.
Cruz countered that the US should ignore Assad and concentrate on utterly destroying ISIS. America’s national interest, he said, is not advanced by overthrowing Assad, because in all likelihood, Assad will be replaced by ISIS.
Cruz added that America’s experience in overthrowing Middle Eastern leaders has shown that it is a mistake to overthrow dictators. Things only got worse after America overthrew Saddam Hussein and supported the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak.
For his part, Rubio explained that since Assad is Iran’s puppet, leaving him in power empowers Iran. The longer he remains in power, the more control Iran will wield over Syria and Lebanon.
The two candidates’ dispute is far greater than the question of who rules Syria. Their disagreement on Syria isn’t a tactical argument. It goes to the core question of what is the proper role of American foreign policy.
Rubio’s commitment to overthrowing Assad is one component of a wider strategic commitment to fostering democratic governance in Syria. By embracing the cause of democratization through regime change, Rubio has become the standard bearer of George W. Bush’s foreign policy.
Bush’s foreign policy had two seemingly contradictory anchors – a belief that liberal values are universal, and cultural meekness.
Bush’s belief that open elections would serve as a panacea for the pathologies of the Islamic world was not supported by empirical data. Survey after survey showed that if left to their own devices, the people of Muslim world would choose to be led by Islamic supremacists. But Bush rejected the data and embraced the fantasy that free elections lead a society to embrace liberal norms of peace and human rights.
As to cultural meekness, since the end of the Cold War and with the rise of political correctness, the notion that America could call for other people to adopt American values fell into disrepute. For American foreign policy practitioners, the idea that American values and norms are superior to Islamic supremacist values smacked of cultural chauvinism.
Consequently, rather than urge the Islamic world to abandon Islamic supremacism in favor of liberal democracy, in their public diplomacy efforts, Americans sufficed with vapid pronouncements of love and respect for Islam.
Islamic supremacists, for their part stepped into the ideological void without hesitation. In Iraq, the Iranian regime spent hundreds of millions of dollars training Iranian-controlled militias, building Iranian-controlled political parties and publishing pro-Iranian newspapers as the US did nothing to support pro-American Iraqis.
Although many Republicans opposed Bush’s policies, few dared make their disagreement with the head of their party public. As a result, for many, Wednesday’s debate was the first time the foundations of Bush’s foreign policy were coherently and forcefully rejected before a national audience.
If Rubio is the heir to Bush, Cruz is the spokesman for Bush’s until now silent opposition. In their longheld view, democratization is not a proper aim of American foreign policy. Defeating America’s enemies is the proper aim of American foreign policy.
Rubio’s people claim that carpet bombing ISIS is not a strategy. They are right. There are parts missing from in Cruz’s position on Syria.
But then again, although still not comprehensive, Cruz’s foreign policy trajectory has much to recommend it. First and foremost, it is based on the world as it is, rather than a vision of how the world should be. It makes a clear distinction between America’s allies and America’s enemies and calls for the US to side with the former and fight the latter.
It is far from clear which side will win this fight for the heart of the Republican Party. And it is impossible to know who the next US president will be.
But whatever happens, the fact that after their seven-year vacation, the Americans are returning the real world is a cause for cautious celebration.
www.CarolineGlick.com
Is Israel headed for diplomatic brawl with Brazil over Dayan appointment?
Dayan, the onetime chairman of the Yesha council of settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank), was named ambassador to Brazil four months ago, yet his credentials have yet to be approved by the authorities in the South American giant.
Brazilian officials are known to be uncomfortable with Dayan due to his rightist political views, namely his stated opposition to Palestinian statehood.
“I am confident that Dani Dayan will bring to the post his considerable experience and will deepen relations between Israel and Brazil,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier this year.
Dayan, a resident of the Ma’aleh Shomron settlement, was the head of the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea and Samaria from 2007-2013.
With his ability to speak Spanish, English, and Hebrew he brought a new international face to the settler council and continued to represent it abroad as a foreign liaison, even after he resigned as its chairman.
He was among the top Israeli leaders invited to address the prestigious, American- based Saban Forum.
Dayan has been a member of both the Likud and Bayit Yehudi parties. He run unsuccessfully for this Knesset on the Bayit Yehudi’s list.
Outside of his political and diplomatic work, Dayan also has a background in hi-tech and is the founder of Elad Systems.
“I promised the prime minister that I would spare no effort or creativity in fulfilling the strategic task he has assigned me,” Dayan said. “Even though I did not commit that we would win a gold medal in next year’s Rio Olympics, we all hope that it will happen,” Dayan said.
Brazil has 200 million citizens and the Israeli government estimates that 40 million of them are pro-Israel Christians. It is the largest country in Latin America and the seventh largest economy in the world.
The previous ambassador to Brazil, Rada Mansour, returned to Israel earlier this week. Israel's main diplomatic mission in Brasilia has since been managed by his deputy.
In recent years, Israel's image has taken a beating throughout Latin America, particularly against the backdrop of the failed peace negotiations with the Palestinians.
During Operation Protective Edge last year, Mansour was summoned by the Brazilian authorities for censure over what they perceived as Israel's disproportionately harsh response to Palestinian rocket fire.
Joint List MK Yousef Jabareen sent a letter to Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff not to approve Israel's appointment of Dayan as envoy to Brazil.
"Dayan has consistently acted with blatant disregard for international law and norms, and has been spearheading various initiatives that directly violate the Palestinian people’s basic rights," Jabareen wrote in his letter to Roussef.
Jabareen quoted from a New York Times opinion article that Dayan wrote in 2012 in which he defended the expansion of the settlements in the West Bank.
"Dayan is a settler who is ideologically committed to the development of the settlements – a policy Brazil recognizes as illegal under international law," Jabareen wrote.
"Approving his appointment as ambassador would legitimize his criminal ideology and practices, and send a resounding message that Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people has no consequences in the international arena," he added.
A Foreign Ministry official told The Jerusalem Post's Hebrew-language sister publication Ma'ariv that Jerusalem is still waiting for the Brazilian government's approval of Dayan as ambassador.
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Rick Warren And The Purpose Driven Plan To Destroy The Church Of Jesus Christ
Reblogged from nowtheendbegins.com
The word "church" is often taken from the name of the church, and the
church may be called a "campus". Denominational names may also be
removed.
December 19, 2015
In the past ten years a large percentage of churches in America, and in other countries have changed from a traditional New Testament church model to a contemporary Purpose Driven model, many with sorrowful results
“To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,” Ephesians 3:10 (KJV)Contrary to Purpose Driven Church propaganda, millions have been leaving their churches after the change occurred. It is important that every church member know if their church is targeted for a Purpose Driven Church takeover. Initially, a small clique of church staff, possibly including the pastor or a new pastor, plans the change without telling the rest of the church membership.
Church Transitions, an associate of Saddleback Church in California, trains the clique initiating the change in eight published steps. The church membership is not to be informed of the transition until the fourth step. After the sixth step in the process of change, if there are some in the church who voice concerns, the following is suggested:
- Identify those who are resisting the changes;
- Assess the effectiveness of their opposition;
- Befriend those who are undecided about the changes;
- Marginalize more persistent resisters;
- Vilify those who stay and fight; and
- Establish new rules that will silence all resistance.
The Purpose Driven Deception – Exposing Rick Warren’s New World Order Agenda
Rick Warren is right in one way. It is the senior members of the church who do indeed hold a church up and keep it from falling into apostasy. While some PDC initiators may not implement the full PDC format, generally, these are the signs that your church is targeted for a Purpose Driven Church format:
- Change in music to a contemporary rock style.
- Removal of hymn books; eliminating the choir.
- Replacement of organ and piano with heavy metal instruments.
- Repetitive singing of praise lyrics.
- Dressing down to casual and informal attire.
- Eliminating of business meetings, church committees, council of elders, board of deacons, etc.
- The pastor, or a new leader with a few assistants, usually four, takes charge of all church business.
- A repetitive 40-day Purpose Driven Church study program stressing psychological relationships with each other, the community, or the world, begins.
- Funded budgeted programs are abandoned, or ignored, with ambiguous financial reports made.
- Sunday morning, evening, and/or Wednesday prayer meetings are changed to other times; some may even be eliminated.
- Sunday School teachers are moved to different classes, or replaced by new teachers more sympathetic with the changes being implemented.
- The name “Sunday School” is dropped and classes are given new names.
- Crosses and other traditional Christian symbols may be moved from both the inside and outside of the church buildings. The pulpit may also be removed.
- In accordance with Dr. Warren’s instructions, new version Bibles are used; or only verses flashed on a screen are referenced during regular services.
- Purpose Driven Church films, purchased from Saddleback, precede or are used during regular services.
- The decor, including the carpets, may be changed to eliminate any resemblance to the former church.
- The word “church” is often taken from the name of the church, and the church may be called a “campus”. Denominational names may also be removed.
- An emphasis on more fun and party sessions for the youth.
- Elimination of altar calls or salvation invitations at the close of the services.
- The elimination of such words as “unsaved”, “lost”, “sin”, “Hell”, “Heaven” and other Gospel verities from the pastor’s messages.
- The reclassification of the saved and lost to the “churched” and the “unchurched”.
- The marginalizing, or ostracizing, of all who are not avid promoters of the new Purpose Driven Program.
- Closed meetings between the pastor or chosen staff members without any reports made to the general membership.
- Open hostility to members who do not openly embrace the new program, or who may have left for another church.
What you can do to stop it:
If your church is in the initial stages of change (music or the first 40-day program), your church could be saved by talking with other church members, and with activist intervention by 10-20 percent of the membership. If nothing is done at this early stage, then by the time the program advances to step four, there is little that can be done except look for another church. Your church has been stolen and become a Purpose Driven entity in association with Saddleback Church of Orange County or Willow Creek of Chicago.You must educate yourself, and others, so that you can mobilize the membership to effectively resist. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” 2 Timothy 1:7.
The Purpose Driven Church books and most of the programs are published by Rupert Murdoch, who owns 175 newspapers worldwide, and a large percentage of the television and communications industry. He also owns several magazines, some of which have been classified as pornographic.
Billions of dollars pour into the Purpose Driven Church movement. Dr. Warren has stated he intends to send one billion Christians into the world to bring in the “Kingdom of Heaven”. The entire movement appears cultish. Don’t be fooled by the Saddleback Website. You don’t catch many fish unless you have a look-alike bait!
Copied from printed pamphlet from: Southwest Radio Church Ministries, Box 100, Bethany, Oklahoma 73008,
1-800-652-1144 FREE,
www.swrc.com 25 for $10 – 100 for $20 For more-in-depth information:
“The Dark Side of the Purpose Driven Church”, by N.W. Hutchings – 1 copy
for your gift of $15.Additional source – Perfect Peace Plan
Friday, December 18, 2015
Names of Jesus: The Vine
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
It’s important to understand that salvation is not a fruit bearing event, so in this statement Jesus was talking about our life after we’re saved. Even after we are saved, believers are not automatically fruitful. But if we yield our lives to Him, (Romans 12:1-2) and respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit He sent to guide us (John 14:26) we can bear much fruit.
If we don’t yield to Him, our lives will be unfruitful, because without Him we can do nothing of spiritual value. We’ll still be saved, but we’ll be of no more use to the work of the Kingdom than the unfruitful branches the gardener discards at pruning time. Paul confirmed this in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. The unfruitful believer will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Fruitfulness is not a matter of success or failure from a worldly stand point. It’s a matter of motive. Many of us will see some of our greatest accomplishments burn in the fires of judgment because we achieved them with wrong motives, like self satisfaction, or recognition from others, or even a desire to “make points” with God. Only those things that are prompted by the Holy Spirit and where our only motive is gratitude for all we’ve been given will survive.
And what have we been given? Here is a list of just some of the things He has given to each and every one of His children:
We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We have been made perfect forever (Hebrews 10:14)
We are anointed, sealed, and have His Spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
We are children of God and co heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17)
We are seated in the heavenly realms with Christ, above all rule, authority, power and dominion (Ephesians 2:4-7)
We are set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)
We are kings and priests (Revelation 5:10)
We have the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
We are more than conquerors (Romans 8:27)
And there is nothing (not even ourselves) that can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:38)
Spend some time today thanking the Lord for His blessings, great and small. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) and He longs to give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4) Out of gratitude, let Him prompt you to do good works. Remember that these works won’t necessarily be big deeds in our minds. The smallest of gestures, the kindness we show (Proverbs 19:17), and even a cup of cold water (Matthew 10:42) when prompted by the Holy Spirit and done out of gratitude bring eternal rewards and are fruit that survives.
Our prayer: We thank you, Lord for the abundant blessings you’ve given to each of us, your children. We are grateful to be called your sons and daughters. You have given us everything, and we are overcome with gratitude. Help us bear fruit in you and help us remember that apart from you we can do nothing. Prompt us to do good works, not in fear or out of obligation, but in gratitude for all you’ve done for us and for your glory. Amen.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
It’s important to understand that salvation is not a fruit bearing event, so in this statement Jesus was talking about our life after we’re saved. Even after we are saved, believers are not automatically fruitful. But if we yield our lives to Him, (Romans 12:1-2) and respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit He sent to guide us (John 14:26) we can bear much fruit.
If we don’t yield to Him, our lives will be unfruitful, because without Him we can do nothing of spiritual value. We’ll still be saved, but we’ll be of no more use to the work of the Kingdom than the unfruitful branches the gardener discards at pruning time. Paul confirmed this in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15. The unfruitful believer will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
Fruitfulness is not a matter of success or failure from a worldly stand point. It’s a matter of motive. Many of us will see some of our greatest accomplishments burn in the fires of judgment because we achieved them with wrong motives, like self satisfaction, or recognition from others, or even a desire to “make points” with God. Only those things that are prompted by the Holy Spirit and where our only motive is gratitude for all we’ve been given will survive.
And what have we been given? Here is a list of just some of the things He has given to each and every one of His children:
We are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We have been made perfect forever (Hebrews 10:14)
We are anointed, sealed, and have His Spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
We are children of God and co heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17)
We are seated in the heavenly realms with Christ, above all rule, authority, power and dominion (Ephesians 2:4-7)
We are set free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2)
We are kings and priests (Revelation 5:10)
We have the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)
We are more than conquerors (Romans 8:27)
And there is nothing (not even ourselves) that can separate us from His love. (Romans 8:38)
Spend some time today thanking the Lord for His blessings, great and small. He is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) and He longs to give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4) Out of gratitude, let Him prompt you to do good works. Remember that these works won’t necessarily be big deeds in our minds. The smallest of gestures, the kindness we show (Proverbs 19:17), and even a cup of cold water (Matthew 10:42) when prompted by the Holy Spirit and done out of gratitude bring eternal rewards and are fruit that survives.
Our prayer: We thank you, Lord for the abundant blessings you’ve given to each of us, your children. We are grateful to be called your sons and daughters. You have given us everything, and we are overcome with gratitude. Help us bear fruit in you and help us remember that apart from you we can do nothing. Prompt us to do good works, not in fear or out of obligation, but in gratitude for all you’ve done for us and for your glory. Amen.
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