Don’t Be a Fool :: By Nathele Graham – Rapture Ready

“[[To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.]] The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good” (Psalm 14:1).

It seems that in this day and age, people go out of their way to deny God. There have always been people who cannot see the truth, and they have always made life difficult for true Christians.

Today, we have television and social media that promote all manner of sin and evil. The entertainment industry is an instrument of Satan and reaches most people with its message of evil. Children are sent to public school where they are indoctrinated into believing lies. It seems that only the Bible is forbidden. If a parent stands up and protests the choice of books in the school library, they are made to look like fools. Thank God there are parents who are brave enough to stand up and protest the filth being taught. Thank God for parents who are able to homeschool their children.

In many cases, pastors have dropped the ball. Instead of using God’s word as authority, many pastors have compromised truth and joined with the world. Instead of studying Scripture in seminary, psychological studies tell them how to run their congregations. Psychology does not bring salvation. All Scripture was directly spoken to the man who held the pen; it is directly from God. If you are ashamed to follow God’s teachings, then you need to take a hard look at your faith. Are you ashamed of Jesus Christ?

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek“ (Romans 1:16). Paul wasn’t ashamed, and neither am I.

The Apostle Paul wrote God-breathed letters to the men whom he trusted to be pastors. He encouraged them in the ways of choosing leaders and how to deal with problems within the congregation. He never told these men to be more seeker-friendly or use psychology to build up the congregation. No name-it-and-claim-it lies or New Age heresy.

Timothy was one such pastor to receive letters. Paul encouraged him to stand firm in the faith. “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness, Fight the Good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:11-12).

These words should be burned upon the heart of every pastor. They should be burned upon the heart of every Christian.

Paul had a lot to say to Timothy that all pastors should pay attention to. “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

That sort of shoots down the “name-it-and-claim-it” preachers and those who are getting rich from compromising God’s word to be “seeker-friendly.”

If God has blessed you with wealth in this world, be sure to use it for His glory. If He has not given you much money, praise Him. He has given you other blessings to be used for His glory.

Too many TV preachers or those who run very large churches all seem to encourage the listeners to “Get their best life now” and “Tell God what you want, and He will be sure you get it.” There’s nothing in this life that can come close to the eternal life we have with Jesus. That’s where our riches need to be stored. If you’ve been blessed with money in this life, look around you, and you’ll find brothers and sisters in Christ who have needs that you can help with. The kindness you show to fellow Christians in Christ’s name will be priceless when you step into eternity. If you aren’t so rich, you can share the Gospel with friends and family who haven’t yet come to salvation in Christ.

Timothy was young but was mentored by Paul, who encouraged him to stick to Scripture. “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called; which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen” (1 Timothy 6:20-21).

Here’s where many, many pastors fail.

What is called “science” today is often opposed to Scripture. Scripture says. “In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). That’s fact. Here’s the fiction: Billions (or trillions) of years ago, nothing came together and created everything. Not only that but “science” has proved itself wrong. The discovery of DNA should have sent those who believe in evolution into Bible study to learn facts. Instead, they keep adding millions of years to evolution and pretend they have the answers. It amazes me how “science” keeps changing its “facts,” and people just keep believing their “…science falsely so-called.“

So-called “science” is also trying to convince us that males can really be females, and females can really be males (only males carry the Y chromosome). This is a delusion that will only get worse as schools conspire to push the agenda of brainwashing young children. Here’s the truth as Jesus told the Pharisees:

“But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh” (Mark 10:6-8).

What a mess this world is in because humans are trying to corrupt God’s creation and deny His existence.

There are consequences to everything we do. Some are good, but some are bad. Sin brings bad consequences. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

Adam found out the hard way that disobedience to God brings death. His sin had huge consequences. Not only did it ruin his life, but it has affected every human being since then. God-breathed Scripture is very clear in telling us the consequences of sin. It’s death. That’s pretty blunt and leaves no “wiggle room.” Unfortunately, people keep on sinning. Do they not believe God? Do they think they are “special” and exempt from the wages of sin?

You have to be very stubborn to deny God. Trees just didn’t happen. Flowers didn’t just happen. Dogs and cats didn’t just happen. God created everything. We understand that a painting doesn’t just pop into existence; someone had to paint it, but we think that the amazing things in this world just happened. That is a strong delusion. Believing this fairytale has consequences.

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things” (Romans 1:21-23).

God will not be mocked. Don’t worship the earth or make idols of any created thing.

The wages of the sin of rejecting God as the Creator is seen all around us, even in Christian congregations. “Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen” (Romans 1:24-25).

God doesn’t want anybody to face eternal death, but if a person insists upon believing lies and rejecting the God of all creation, then they have chosen their own punishment for their choices. As a society, we have chosen to reject God and have to pay the penalty.

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet [due]” (Romans 1:26-27).

God will always forgive the truly repentant person, but if you continue to reject Him and embrace sin, your wages are death.

You have to remember that God has given Scripture to teach us what He considers sin and how to turn from it. “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, convenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful” (Romans 1:28-31).

That’s quite a list. Remember, these people are those who mocked and denied God, so why shouldn’t He turn them over to the wages of their own choices? You may smugly think that you don’t join in with the homosexual community, so you don’t have to worry about the wages of that sin. Think again. Do you happen to be a liberal “Christian” who thinks Scripture should be changed to keep up with modern times? Do you think it’s more important to be politically correct than Biblically correct? Are you so afraid of being accused of being judgmental that you invite those who embrace the homosexual agenda to be a part of your denomination?

“Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:32).

Remember the judgment which God poured out on Sodom and Gomorrah? Brothers and sisters, we must stand firm upon God’s truth. Scripture will never change because God never changes.

If you choose to stand firm on God’s truth and against the way of the world, you will face persecution. Generations of strong Christians have faced persecution and were thrown to lions, boiled in oil, beheaded, and much more heinous means of torture. These martyrs are the true heroes of history. They put God above their own security.

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). 

The world still hates Jesus, and more and more it seems as if “Christians” hate Him too. It might cost you a lot in order to reject worldly ways and follow Jesus. Friends and even family will make fun of you and may not want to be around you.

“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19).

It’s Satan who is the ruler of this world, so if you follow worldly ways, you follow Satan. Don’t be a fool. Follow Jesus.

There is hope. Faith in Jesus Christ brings salvation. You must repent of your sin. Truly repent and turn from the sin that separates you from God. Remember, religion won’t save you. You can say all the hail Mary’s you want, but salvation comes by no other means than faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. No matter what denomination you belong to, you cannot be saved by sitting in a pew or just by being baptized. You must understand that you are a sinner, and only Christ can save you.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

So many of us are yearning for the Rapture, and it will happen soon. Why does God wait? Well, He may be waiting for you to come to saving faith. “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” (2 Peter 3:9). Turn to Him now.

Whatever lifestyle you embrace now, repent, turn from your sin, and put your faith in Jesus. No sin is too big that Jesus won’t forgive you. The decision must be made on this side of Heaven. If you wait, death or the Rapture could happen at any moment, which will leave you to face Hell on Earth. Eternity is a long time to be thinking, “Oops.” Don’t be a fool.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Recommended prophecy sites:

www.raptureready.com
www.prophecyupdate.com
www.raptureforums.com

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God-breathed.

If you would like to be on my mailing list to receive the commentaries, just drop me an email and let me know.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee”(Psalm 122:6).

The post Don’t Be a Fool :: By Nathele Graham appeared first on Rapture Ready.

— Read on www.raptureready.com/2024/06/15/dont-be-a-fool-by-nathele-graham/

2024 06 16 Charles Atkinson “Alive to Christ, Dead to Sin” – YouTube

Pastor Charles share out first hour message

— Read on www.youtube.com/watch

June 16 Evening Verse of the Day

11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 2:11). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

---

11 The mention of a “house” is often supposed either to contradict Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth in a stable or to indicate a sufficient time-lapse to allow the family to relocate to better quarters in Bethlehem. It is, however, becoming increasingly recognized that the “stable” owes more to Western misunderstanding than to Luke, who speaks only of a “manger.” In a normal Palestinian home of the period the mangers would be found not in a separate building but on the edge of the raised family living area where the animals, who were brought into the lower section of the one-room house at night, could conveniently reach them. The point of Luke’s mention of the manger is not therefore that Jesus’ birth took place outside a normal house, but that in that particular house the “guest-room” was already occupied (by other census visitors?) so that the baby was placed in the most comfortable remaining area, a manger on the living-room floor. There is therefore no reason why they should not be in the same “house” when Matthew’s magi arrive.

In view of the prominence of Joseph throughout the rest of Matthew’s infancy stories, it is remarkable that here only Mary is mentioned as being with the child—indeed Joseph is not mentioned in the story of the magi at all. This suggests that this pericope does not come from the same source as 1:18–25 and 2:13–23, all of which is told as Joseph’s story, but from an independent tradition, even though it provides the essential basis for the family’s flight and Herod’s infanticide in the following pericopes. Note that the phrase “the child and his mother” will recur in 2:13, 14, 20, 21, in each case with the child mentioned first, as here, but in all those other cases they are the object of Joseph’s action, not mentioned independently of him as here.

We do not know what social position these magi held, but it was sufficient for them to have felt it appropriate to go to visit a new-born king, and to have been given an audience with the king in Jerusalem. For these foreign dignitaries to prostrate themselves in homage before a child in an ordinary house in Bethlehem is a remarkable illustration of the reversal of the world’s values which will become such a prominent feature of the Messiah’s proclamation of the kingdom of heaven (18:1–5; 20:25–28 etc.). Their gifts are those of the affluent: gold then as now the symbol of ultimate value, and exotic spices which would not normally come within the budget of an ordinary Jewish family. Frankincense (which came from Southern Arabia and Somalia) was an expensive perfume, and was burned not only in worship but at important social occasions; for its non-religious use (with myrrh) see Song 3:6; 4:6, 14; cf. Sir 24:15. Despite the symbolism traditionally discerned in the gifts of the magi since the time of Irenaeus (gold for royalty, frankincense for divinity and myrrh for death and burial—the latter based on John 19:39) myrrh too was primarily used as a luxurious cosmetic fragrance (Esth 2:12; Ps 45:8; Prov 7:17; Song 1:13; 5:1,5). These are luxury gifts, fit for a king. The reader who knows the OT stories cannot fail to be reminded of the visit of the Queen of Sheba with her gifts of “gold and a great quantity of spices” to the son of David in Jerusalem (1 Kgs 10:1–10), and of the imagery which that visit provided for subsequent depictions of the homage of the nations to the Jewish Messiah (Ps 72:10–11, 15; Isa 60:5–6).^[1]

11. I beg the Reader to remark with me, that the Wise Men saw not Joseph. For as Joseph was not the real but only the reputed father, his presence was not necessary; perhaps it might have been improper. But must not the same power which hung out the star, and directed the minds of these men to interpret the meaning of it, have influenced them also to worship Christ. For otherwise, how ill did the poverty of Christ’s appearance correspond to the greatness of his dignity. It hath been supposed, that the gifts they presented of gold, and frankincense, and myrrh, had some significancy. Perhaps they might. But the Holy Ghost is silent upon this subject. Instead, therefore, of conjecture, I would refer the Reader to those scriptures. Song 5:11. Song 1:13. Song 4:14. Psalm 72:10 to 15. 1 Kings 10:2.^[2]

11. For the child, see on v. 1, and for worshipped, v. 2. The homage of these learned Gentiles is intended to indicate the fulfilment of such passages as Psalm 72:10ff.; Isaiah 60:1ff. (these passages probably account for the later Christian tradition that these Magi were ‘kings’), and two of the gifts are specifically mentioned in Psalm 72:15 (gold); Isaiah 60:6 (gold and frankincense). They are gifts fit for a king, as is also myrrh (Ps. 45:8; Song 3:6), and they remind the reader of the homage of the Queen of Sheba to the son of David, with her gifts of spices and gold (1 Kgs 10:2). The use of myrrh in the crucifixion (Mark 15:23) and burial (John 19:39) of Jesus has led to the tradition that it symbolizes his suffering, but in the Old Testament it is rather a symbol of joy and festivity (see references above, and Prov. 7:17; Song 5:5).^[3]

Ver. 11. Worshipped Him—Gold and frankincense and myrrh.—

Action, Prayer, Sorrow:—I. Gold may be taken as representing our substance, our goods, our material wealth. All work, all material, have their worth in gold. This oblation represents the efficiency of that which is external to us, and can be detached from us. II. The frankincense is a substance which, once kindled, sends up sweet clouds to the sky. It is the symbol of religious thought directing itself lovingly and longingly towards God. It typifies what is inward. There is a life of contemplation as well as of action. III. The last offering completing the text is myrrh. This stands for sorrows; in this we are equal before God. We can offer to Him our pains and repentance. (M. Dix.)

The character of their worship:—1. Devout. 2. Believing. 3. Self-sacrificing. 4. Intelligent. 5. Obedient (ver. 12). (D. C. Hughes, M.A.)

Give the best you have to Jesus:—It matters not how poor the offering be, if it is the best you can give. A legend tells us how once a little boy in church had no money to place among the offerings on the altar, so he gave a rosy apple, the only gift he had to offer. Presently, when the priest removed the alms from the altar, he found there an apple of pure gold. The simplest gift is in the eyes of God as pure gold. (H. J. Wilmot Buxton.) A Christmas-tide address—Gifts for the child Jesus. From this visit of the magi has grown up our idea of keeping Christmas with gifts. We will try to see the inner meaning of the good old custom. I. Our chief idea in keeping Christmas is to make everybody happy. Jesus came to make us all happy—blessed of God. II. Making everybody happy can be done best by giving gifts. All sorts needed—should be adapted—make everybody happy because they bless both him who gives and him who takes. III. In giving gifts we remember especially the little ones. Because we think of Jesus as a child, &c. Show how suggestive are the magi’s gifts. IV. Then we rise beyond the little ones to all those whom Jesus taught us to think of as His brethren. Those who are poorer than ourselves, &c. Every child may make somebody a little happier with their love-gift to-day. (R. Tuck, B.A.)^[4]

The journey of the wise men reaches its climax in verse 11. Having entered the house they saw the little child with Mary his mother, and they cast themselves to the ground and worshiped him. Nativity scenes depict the arrival of the wise men. Often, however, they are shown standing, or kneeling down, in the company of the shepherds, and in a stable. This is obviously incorrect. According to the evangelist Luke, when the shepherds arrive the babe is still “lying in the manger” (Luke 2:16). They come at once, that very night (Luke 2:8, 15). The little family, Joseph, Mary, and the child, continues to live in relative poverty for at least forty days, as is evident from Luke 2:22–24; cf. Lev. 12:2–8. If the wise men from the east, bringing precious gifts, had arrived within this period of forty days, then, on the fortieth day Mary’s purification offering would probably have been something better than “a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.” It is clear that Joseph and his family had left the inn stable, perhaps very soon after the child’s birth, certainly before the arrival of the wise men. They are now no longer staying in an animal shelter but living in a building for human beings (with some relatives?). With well-nigh unanimity translators agree with the rendering, (the wise men) “having entered the house,” or something similar.¹⁷⁵

Having entered, the wise men see “the little child with Mary his mother.” Note that whenever mother and infant are mentioned together (verses 11, 13, 14, 20, and 21) the infant is always mentioned first. It is that little child upon whom the main interest is concentrated. This is as it should be, for in this little one God has become incarnate:

Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;

Hail th’Incarnate Deity. (Charles Wesley)

How much of this truth the wise men understood we do not know. We do know, though, that on seeing him they cast themselves to the ground and worshiped him; literally, “and having fallen they prostrated themselves before them.” They revere him as the Messiah, the king of the Jews.

It is true that the verb used in the original and here rendered “worshiped” does not always indicate an act of reverence paid to God, the Creator and Redeemer. Sometimes it is the creature—Peter (Acts 10:25); or the church in Philadelphia (Rev. 3:9)—rather than the Creator, to whom homage is rendered. But when this is done these are regarded as standing in close relation to God, so that God speaks and operates through them. However, if, in such cases, the worshipper fails to draw this distinction, and begins to regard a mere man as if he were on a par with God, he may well receive a reprimand. Thus, when Cornelius falls down at Peter’s feet and worships him, he is told, “Get up; I myself am also but a man” (Acts 10:26). When John, the author of the book of Revelation, falls down in order to worship his angel-guide, he receives a similar warning (Rev. 22:8, 9; cf. 19:10). The magi, however, are not told to desist. They may have made more progress in the true faith than we realize. According to Matt. 2:12 God, who had previously spoken to them by means of a star and (indirectly) by means of Micah, also speaks to them in a dream. Besides, as has been pointed out previously, believers who lived on the very threshold of the new dispensation must have told them about the Messiah to come. Equipped with all this knowledge, sanctified to their hearts as is clear from the entire account, we may well think of them as men who rendered to the Christ-child the type of homage that was in a very real sense acceptable to God. In this child they somehow see God, and worship him!

They have rendered the proper homage. They now offer the appropriate gifts (cf. Ps. 72:10; cf. Isa. 60:3; Ps. 87). We read: Next, they opened their treasure-chests and presented him with gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh. They are pictured here as not only wealthy but also warm-hearted and worshipful. These men offer their treasures to him: they are meant for the child to honor him.

In works of exposition one use is at times assigned to each of these presents. There is probably a good reason for this. Nevertheless, it may not be amiss to begin by showing that in general Scripture assigns more than one use to each of these articles.

For example, gold was used extensively in the construction of the tabernacle and its furniture (Exod. 25–31; 35–40) and of the temple and its contents (1 Kings 5–7; 2 Chron. 2–5). Yet, it was by no means limited to holy uses. It was also worn in the form of bracelets (Gen. 24:22), necklaces (Num. 31:50), and earrings (Exod. 32:2, 3). We read about “gods of gold” (Exod. 20:23), one of them being “the golden calf” which Aaron made (Exod. 32:4), though he denied that he “made” it: he merely cast the gold into the fire, “and there came out this calf!” (Exod. 32:24). James tells the stingy rich that their gold and their silver are rusted (5:3). In a vision which John saw gold serves the very unholy purpose of decorating the great harlot (Rev. 17:4, 5); Frequently the word gold is used in comparisons, to teach men that there are things that are far more precious than gold (Ps. 19:10; 119:72, 127; Prov. 8:10, 19).

As to frankincense (literally meaning pure incense), the Old Testament word is derived from a root meaning white. An incision is made in the bark of a certain tree of the genus Boswellia, growing on the limestone rocks of South Arabia and Somalia (E. Africa). The resulting fresh juice has a white or milky color; hence the name. Now frankincense, too, has various uses. It is mentioned in connection with meal offerings (Lev. 2:1, 2, 15, 16) and wedding processions (Song of Sol. 3:6). It also occurs in a list of articles of commerce (Rev. 18:13).

Myrrh was probably derived from a small tree with odoriferous wood, namely, the Balsamodendron of Arabia. It was used for the purpose of perfuming a bed (Prov. 7:17) or a garment (Ps. 45:8). It was prescribed for certain young ladies, to make them more desirable (Esther 2:12). It was also used lavishly in bridal processions (Song of Sol. 3:6). Mingled with wine it served as an anaesthetic (Mark 15:23). Finally, it was used in preparing a body for burial (John 19:39, 40).

This list of various uses is somewhat incomplete as any Concordance will indicate. However, it establishes the point to be noted, namely, that according to Scripture (both Old and New Testament) each of the three gifts brought by the wise men serves more than one purpose. Now if this is true, what justification did Origen (and many after him) have for saying that the magi brought “gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to God”? Does not this representation amount to oversimplification? On the surface it would seem that it does. However, another look at the entire list of passages in which these three items are mentioned proves that, to say the least, there is an important element of truth in Origen’s observation. To begin with gold, it is striking how often in Scripture this precious metal is indeed associated with royalty: with the king, the queen, the vice-gerent, and the prince. Joseph, a vice-gerent, wears a gold neck-chain (Gen. 41:42). So does Daniel as third ruler (Dan. 5:7, 29). King Nebuchadnezzar, as the first and greatest in a list of earthly rulers, is represented by a head of gold (Dan. 2:32, 38). Rabbah’s king wears a crown of gold (2 Sam. 12:30). So does the author of Ps. 21, in the superscription identified with David. Princes own gold (Job 3:15). Ps. 45:9 speaks about “the queen, in gold of Ophir.” The one who calls himself “king in Jerusalem” is a collector of gold and silver (Eccl. 2:8). And King Ahasuerus holds out his golden scepter to Queen Esther (Esther 4:11, 5:2; 8:4). As if this were not enough, it can be added that King Solomon not only had drinking vessels of gold and an ivory throne overlaid with gold, but was hemmed in by gold to such an extent that in seven verses descriptive of his wealth (1 Kings 10:14–18, 21, 22) gold is mentioned no less than ten times! We see, therefore, that to anyone acquainted with the books of the Old Testament gold would amost immediately suggest royalty.

As to frankincense, in by far the most of the cases in which this word occurs in the Old Testament it is mentioned in connection with the service of Jehovah. It was stored in a chamber of the sanctuary (1 Chron. 9:29; Neh. 13:5), and is frequently mentioned in connection with meal offerings, as an additive (Lev. 2:1, 2, 15, 16; 6:15). According to Exod. 30:34 it entered as an ingredient into the composition of incense, with respect to which it is specifically stated that it is not for the people but only for Jehovah (Exod. 30:37). In the Old Testament the basic word incense occurs more than one hundred times. In the New Testament it is found in Luke 1:9–11 and Rev. 8:3, 4. Whenever it occurs it has to do with the service of God. In offering incense, burning coals were taken from the altar of burnt offering and placed on the altar of incense, the golden altar that stood in the holy place immediately in front of the holy of holies. On these coals the incense was then sprinkled. The fragrant smoke rising heavenward was symbolical of the prayers and thanksgivings of the people and the priests. The incense was definitely an offering made to God (see Luke 1:9 f.; Rev. 5:8; 8:3). Frankincense, and also incense in general, immediately suggests God, therefore. It belongs to him, to him alone. Even when it is offered to idols, God still calls it “my incense” (Ezek. 16:18). It is clear, therefore, that just as gold and king go together, so do also incense and God.

As to myrrh, in the more than a dozen Old Testament passages where the word occurs it is mentioned in connection with the service of Jehovah in only one instance. It enters into the composition of anointing oil (Exod. 30:22–33). For the rest, as has already been indicated, it was a perfume used by and in the interest of mortal man, to make his life more pleasant, his pain less dreadful, and his burial less repulsive.

It has been established, therefore, that Origen had good reason to say that the magi brought “gold, as to a king; myrrh, as to one who was mortal; and incense, as to God.”

A famous poet said:

Not what we give, but what we share,—

For the gift without the giver is bare. (Lowell)

Here in Matt. 2 we have an illustration of genuine givers. They did not hesitate to make a long and arduous journey (probably more than a thousand miles) to render homage to him who by most people must have been regarded as merely a little child. He was, moreover, a child of humble birth, belonging to a nation that had lost its freedom. Yet, these important men not only prostrated themselves before him but presented him with gifts that were not only lavish but also definitely appropriate; gold, for he was and is indeed a king—yes, “King of kings and Lord of lords”—frankincense, for he is indeed God—the fulness of the godhead dwells in him—and myrrh, for he is also man, destined for death, and this by his own choice.

How much of this the wise men understood we do not know. Let it suffice to say that their coming, the homage they rendered, and the gifts they offered were acceptable in the eyes of God. Matthew’s main lesson for the Jews who were the first to read his Gospel, or to hear it read to them, must have been to remind them of the fact that salvation, though beginning with the Jews, does not end there. The Gentiles, too, must be won for Christ. The coming of the wise men was indeed a lesson for Jews … and for men of every nationality and race, a lesson to be taken to heart: if even the magi, with their limited knowledge, did this for Christ, then why do we, so highly privileged, fall short?^[5]

---

^[1] France, R. T. (2007). The Gospel of Matthew (pp. 74–76). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publication Co.

^[2] Hawker, R. (2013). Poor Man’s New Testament Commentary: Matthew–John (Vol. 1, p. 16). Logos Bible Software.

^[3] France, R. T. (1985). Matthew: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 1, p. 89). InterVarsity Press.

^[4] Exell, J. S. (1952). The Biblical Illustrator: Matthew (pp. 10–11). Baker Book House.

^[5] Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to Matthew (Vol. 9, pp. 169–174). Baker Book House.

June 18 – The Depressed Prophet | VCY

June 18 – The Depressed Prophet

TODAY’S BIBLE READING CHALLENGE:
  1 Kings 19:1-21
  Acts 12:1-23
  Psalm 136:1-26
  Proverbs 17:14-15

1 Kings 19:2 — Apparently Jezebel wasn’t impressed with the awesome display of God’s power. But why did Jezebel’s boldness scare the prophet who had outrun the king’s chariots? Depression isn’t always logical or easily cured. Sometimes it requires repeated divine interventions (1 Kings 19:5, 1 Kings 19:7). Interestingly, Ahab suffered from similar depression in 1 Kings 21:7.

1 Kings 19:18 — As I write this, I’m in Mitchell, South Dakota, with Jimmy DeYoung. We’ve been on the road for 9 days so far and we’ve preached to over a thousand people. We won’t get to 7,000, but it’s so refreshing to see people hungry for the Word of God even in a time we think that we’re all alone.

1 Kings 19:21 — An evangelist had a message on this verse called “It’s Plow-Burning Time.” When God has called you to the ministry, you must be willing to “burn your ships.”

Acts 12:15 — If you are going to pray without ceasing, then don’t be hostile when the answer comes (Acts 12:15).

Acts 12:23 — Our God is a jealous God.

Psalm 136:1 — This psalm is famous for the closing phrase in each verse – “for his mercy endureth forever.” All of his compassionate acts to Man were done for His mercies sake.

Proverbs 17:15 — Isaiah echoed this in Isaiah 5:20.

Share how reading through the Bible has been a blessing to you! E-mail us at 2018bible@vcyamerica.org or call and leave a message at 414-885-5370.

Law in the Heart | VCY

Law in the Heart

The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide. (Psalm 37:31)

Put the law into the heart, and the whole man is right. This is where the law should be; for then it lies, like the tables of stone in the ark, in the place appointed for it. In the head it puzzles, on the back it burdens, in the heart it upholds.

What a choice word is here used, “the law of his God”! When we know the Lord as our own God His law becomes liberty to us. God with us in covenant makes us eager to obey His will and walk in His commands. Is the precept my Father’s precept? Then I delight in it.

We are here guaranteed that obedient-hearted man shall be sustained in every step that he takes. He will do that which is right, and he shall therefore do that which is wise. Holy action is always the most prudent, though it may not at the time seem to be so. We are moving along the great high road of God’s providence and grace when we keep to the way of His law. The Word of God has never misled a single soul yet; its plain directions to walk humbly, justly, lovingly, and in the fear of the Lord are as much words of wisdom to make our way prosperous as rules of holiness to keep our garments clean. He walks surely who walks righteously.

The True Nature of Spiritual Warfare – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) – YouTube

2 Corinthians 10:3-5
New American Standard Bible
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

The True Nature of Spiritual Warfare – Pastor Patrick Hines Sermon (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

— Read on www.youtube.com/watch

A Popular, Yet Inadequate, “Reformed” Antidote To Federal Vision’s Use Of Warning Passages | Philosophical Theology

A Popular, Yet Inadequate, “Reformed” Antidote To Federal Vision’s Use Of Warning Passages

Like a robust Christian worldview, a Reformed system of doctrine should be consistent, coherent and explanatory. What this means is: (a) the components of a sound theology may have mystery but not contradiction; (b) although theological constituent parts should be assessed discretely, they must be evaluated in light of the whole so that each ingredient does not undermine other elements of the one system they comprise; (c) such a unit of theology should provide a grid through which other texts of Scripture can be interpreted, reconciled, and practically applied. If there is paradox, it is in this. The Scriptures, from which our theology is derived, are to be interpreted through a theology we derive from the very same. That is to say, we inch our way to a reliable theological system while applying it as we go, even as we refine and improve upon it. Lastly, the Reformed tradition has uniquely produced reliable interpretative grids in her confessions and catechisms, if not also in the Systematic Theologies that complement them. In God’s kind providence, we needn’t re-invent the wheel!

A robust theology will include an ecclesiology and a soteriology (and much more). Whereas a Reformed doctrine of the church includes a visible-invisible distinction, a Reformed doctrine of salvation affirms a doctrine of perseverance of the saints. Muddled thinking about the former will result in grave misunderstanding of the latter. Apropos, Federal Vision (FV) theology typifies such confusion and equivocation with its lack of (a) covenant consistency, (b) intra-doctrinal coherence and (c) useful elucidation. Yet sadly, when it comes to theological antidotes to FV, the cures can be less than satisfying.

Because FV has been thoroughly debunked by the church (see PCA report), my interests lie elsewhere. Yet in order to grasp the inadequate responses to FV with respect to how warning passages comport with (even complement) the Reformed doctrine of perseverance, it would be helpful to grasp that the authors of Scripture were constrained to treat those within the visible church as if they were all united to Christ, (while appreciating some do not share in the salvific benefits of the Savior). Accordingly, the hermeneutical principle being advocated is the letters are principally intended for believers because they are written to believers. This common sense view avoids exegetical gymnastics by allowing the letters to be directed to their stated audience called: saints, beloved, chosen, predestined, household of God, etc.

Things begin to fall into place once we recognize that the letters are written to those in the church who are actually in Christ, and that false professions within the church’s pale cannot change that overarching principle. Given the reality of false professions in the church, the message to the saints was not diluted. It is crucial to grasp from the outset that the authors of Scripture were not responsible to accommodate unregenerate hypocrites in the church according to their unbelief but instead the authors treated them according to their ecclesiastical standing in the visible assembly. In other words, any member of the visible church is to be treated according to his or her baptism (then, when of age, profession), and not according to the indiscernible state of their soul. If unbelievers choose to deceive themselves and others about their Christianity, that’s on them. It cannot change Scripture’s intended target audience!

Mr. Postman, look and see…if there’s a letter in your bag for me:

The visible church is where the body of true believers assemble. Consequently, believers share the same physical mailing address as unbelievers in the church. Yet if Scripture’s principal audience are believers for whom Christ died, then from a Reformed perspective all members of the visible church cannot but be outwardly regarded as irreversibly redeemed and heaven-bound. This approach alleviates private judgments while making the indicatives and promises of Scripture acutely relevant to true believers. However, when apostasy occurs, the Scriptures do not teach that salvation is lost, or that the promise of salvation has somehow failed. Instead, when apostasy occurs another apostolic teaching takes precedence. When apostasy occurs, existential union with Christ is not severed but rather, latent unbelief finally comes to light. 

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.1 John 2:19

The theological paradigm of treating all members within the church as irrevocably heaven-bound is readily established not only by the labels for church members such as “chosen” and “predestined” but, also, by the apostolic message of the surety of perseverance. The expressed confidence of the certainty of perseverance is to be communicated to all the church’s members without distinction, even upon the heels of the most severe warning passages in Scripture.

But, beloved, we are persuaded of better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.Hebrews 6:9

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.Hebrews 10:39

The “beloved” whom the author was persuaded would not “shrink back” and be “destroyed” are none other than the “holy brothers” who were said elsewhere to have shared in the “heavenly calling”.

Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,Hebrews 3:1

In other words, the author of Hebrews addressed all struggling members as true believers (as opposed to potentially unbelievers). We can be assured of this because the warnings of apostasy are accompanied with an expressed confidence of perseverance. But again, if and when apostasy was consummated, those deemed faithless would have been identified and declared according to what had always been the case, that they were never truly of us. (1 John 2:19) As we might expect, Scripture covers all the bases! Just because there are hypocrites in the church does not mean the apostolate would have shirked its responsibilities by diluting the message intended to warn true believers to make their calling and election sure. (2 Peter 1:10) Additionally, on the surety of God’s word we can know that although only true believers will overcome without fail, the promise of pardon and perseverance is to be outwardly extended and ministerially confirmed to all who are numbered in the church.

And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.Acts 2:47

Why unbelievers are not in view:

In apostasy, at least one of two things occur. One either (a) overtly denies or will not affirm saving doctrine or else (b) the church member’s manner of life openly manifests the unbelieving heart that was once imperceptible. In contradistinction to apostasy, persevering faith entails staying the existing course and not turning back.

But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.Hebrews 10:39

Because the warnings are accompanied by an exhortation to persevere in the faith that one presently has, believers must be the intended audience. In other words, the exhortation to persevere and not turn back cannot apply to unbelievers, for the unbeliever’s current path is the wide road to destruction! Indeed, the unregenerate in the church are to do an about-face from their current path of faithlessness. Consequently, the charge to persevere presupposes justifying faith!

An illustration from common life might be useful. To one who chooses to rent a house, what use is it to offer warnings against not paying the mortgage? Renters are not in danger of losing their own houses in foreclosure because they are not in covenant with the lender. (Only actual homeowners are candidates for foreclosure.) Analogously, the Covenant of Grace is established only with Christ as the Second Adam and the elect in him. (WLC 31) Accordingly, only the parties of the covenant are subject to its promissory terms and conditions, and only upon exercising faith can one be in danger of losing his salvation (even though he never would).

Two extremes to avoid:

Whereas Federal Vision wrongly teaches that the non-elect can fall away (or apostatize) from more than their visible standing in the church, others have taught that the warning passages are only for unbelievers. FV overstates the covenant relation of the non-elect to Christ, whereas the other view dismisses the profound relevance and effectual means of warnings issued to true believers. In other words, FV would have the apostate non-elect church member losing something significantly additional to what an unbaptized pagan who perishes loses. (What that additional loss is remains unclear.)

FV’s error is due to faulty ecclesiology, soteriology, sacramentology, and trying to build intricate doctrine upon horticultural metaphors in Scripture. (But again, my present interest is not to address the aberrant views of FV but instead, my concerns chiefly lie in addressing what I find to be inadequate views among those who deserve to be taken more seriously.)

One prominent pastor in a large Reformed denomination has written this about warning passages:

The intended audience is the visible church. That is why they make sense. To see them as applying to the elect either brings about the error of the Federal Vision theology or makes them useless…
In regards to the elect: They cannot fall away; they are sealed-right? How then can this call be to them?

I find that quote to be an accurate representation of many influences in the Reformed tradition. Unfortunately, it mishandles the doctrine of the visible church due to a failure to recognize how warnings happily comply with the surety of perseverance.

So, how can warnings of final judgement be relevant to believers given the Reformed doctrine of perseverance, which teaches that a converted person will not fall away? After all, why warn a converted “child of promise” of the “destruction” that accompanies “shrinking back”? That is the question, is it not?

Before delving more deeply into the question, a few more fundamental principles might be useful.

If one does not persevere in faith, he will surely perish. That much is true whether a true believer could fall away or not! That a believer must persevere in order not to perish should not be a matter of contention. Consider:

1. If a believer ultimately rejects Christ, he will fall away and perish (warning) 

2. A believer will not fall away and perish (eternal security)

3. A believer will not ultimately reject Christ (from 1 and 2)

Yet for some reason, not a few in the Reformed tradition are only comfortable affirming 2 and 3. Many think that the implicit warning found in 1 is “useless” for believers. Useless, mind you! (Another prominent Reformed pastor and professor seems to think that to apply warnings to true believers is to place them under a covenant of works.*)

To say that warnings are not relevant to believers seems about as sensible to me as saying that the “free offer of the gospel” is not relevant to elect unbelievers. Yet if we deem it necessary for the elect to respond in repentance and faith to the gospel lest they perish, then why find it strange that after conversion the elect need not persevere in faith and repentance or else suffer the same covenant sanction? Do the means of attaining unto future glory only apply to the elect up until the time of conversion? Again, if a believer ultimately rejects Christ, will he not perish?**

Unpacking the conundrum in light of counterfactuals, exegesis and modality:

Although it is false that anyone in the church would lose his salvation, it is only contingently false. In other words, it is not necessary (or in the nature of things) that some saved men could not possibly apostatize.*** Rather, men persevere because God fulfills his revealed promise to save to the uttermost. 

Two verses immediately below corroborate the scriptural precedent by presupposing that falling away is a distinct possibility if not for God’s promise to lose none in Christ, which is the impetus for Christ’s effectual intercession, which in turn leads to the surety of our perseverance:

I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail.Luke 22:32

Jesus’ prayer for Peter is anything but superfluous. Jesus prayed for Peter in order that Peter’s faith would not fail. Consequently, Jesus’ words not only presuppose that Peter’s faith could have failed – they also suggest that apart from Jesus’ effectual prayer, Peter’s faith would have failed. That Peter’s faith would not fail is a contingent truth. What this means is, God knows Peter would persevere according to his free knowledge, and he made it certain by freely determining the efficacy of Christ’s prayer for Peter. 

Consider another passage from the epistle of warnings:

Christ is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.Hebrews 7:25

That which keeps the believer in the grace of God includes the intercession of Christ and the believer drawing near to God through the one Mediator, Christ Jesus. So, although believers could fall away apart from the means of divine intercession, believers won’t fall away due to God’s gracious decree that secures the conditional-means of perseverance. 

A couple more examples before moving on:

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.1 Corinthians 9:27

Paul buffeted his body so not to become a castaway. Had he not, the apostle would not merely have realized loss of reward but heaven itself! (To be disqualified is on par with reprobation.) Consequently, the promise to the saints of persevering grace is not without the effectually wrought means of subduing the flesh in faith.

Lastly, in Acts 27 we read that Paul was divinely guaranteed that none of the lives of those who sailed with him would be lost. Yet the divinely determined means to the preservation of those lives was the warning of loss of life if any abandoned the ship! In the face of the promise that no life would be lost, the warning of loss of life was both genuine and true. But not only that, the warning of loss of life was effective in ensuring no loss of life! (The analogy to perseverance is striking.)

Scripture is replete with examples of sovereignly ordained means to the eschatological fulfillment of what God’s promises contemplate. Indeed, if God has chosen you for salvation, it is not without your repentance, faith, prayer and even your sanctification, which is never without obedience and personal holiness, without which nobody will see the Lord. (Hebrews 12:14)

Consistent, coherent and explanatory:

The points below are taught in Scripture and cohere with each other without contradiction. Lastly, a sound theology can explain the usefulness of warnings as they relate to perseverance.

1. The epistles are written to believers.

2. Believers are exhorted to repent or perish.

3. Scripture teaches that believers will not perish.

4. Warnings to repent rather than perish will not ultimately be rejected by believers. (If warnings are not heeded, God is free take his children home out of season without ultimate rejection or apostasy obtaining.)

5. Those who depart from the faith were never truly saved.

6. Warnings are an effective means to (a) cause true believers to re-evaluate their faith, (b) fear hell in light of an incongruous lifestyle to saving faith, and (c) persevere in grace.****

Practical application from point 6:

Without the fruit of sanctification, one’s assurance will be diminished. That is a good thing! After all, just imagine if infallible assurance were indiscriminately gifted to those holding on to pet sins.

Indeed, it seems quite fitting that there would be a symbiotic relationship between sanctification and full assurance of faith, otherwise we might foolishly cherish our sins more than the light of God’s countenance. Accordingly, for struggling believers in particular, infallible assurance of salvation can seem elusive. Thankfully, infallible assurance is not of the essence of faith and that some have to wait long to attain it! (WCF 18.3) Having our assurance shaken should create in us a desire to draw near to God and be restored to the joy of our salvation through the gifts of repentance, faith and absolution. Yet once we return and are, again, justifiably resting in God’s love, it would be foolish not to be diligent to walk in the light and keep short accounts with God.

In closing:

A true believer who wallows in sin, yet grasps the doctrine of perseverance, should take seriously the warning passages. Although a believer needn’t concern himself with losing his salvation, he might do well to evaluate the fruit and evidence of his salvation. One’s doctrine of perseverance can be theologically pristine without a realistic fear that to continue in unrepentant sin will lead to eternal destruction. Sober theological reflections even by an impenitent believer, when grounded in the warning passages and the gospel of deliverance, can be the very means of spiritual victory, even a leap in personal holiness. Indeed, the warnings are for believers and salvifically useful!

* A believer who heeds the warnings of God does not necessarily strive for salvation by self-effort or automatically place himself under a covenant of works. After all, Spirit wrought obedience is a non-causal, non-meritorious necessary condition for final adoption. It is “plain vanilla“ Reformed theology that good works done in faith, which God appoints for all those he makes holy in salvation, is freely and effectually bestowed, even sometimes through the issuance of covenant warnings that are heeded. That God’s promises to the elect are walled in by covenant blessings and curses, which correspond to faithful obedience and willful sin respectively, is not contrary to the law or the gospel! But unfortunately, spiritual self-evaluation has fallen out of favor with some due to a distorted view of the law and the gospel. Looking outwardly to Christ is necessary for assurance, but it doesn’t preclude the biblical basis for self-examination.

** It would be a case of special pleading, arbitrariness and equivocation to suggest that the warnings to believers pertain to stumbling and loss of rewards and non-elect members are being warned of eternal punishment. 

*** “In other words, it is not necessary (or in the nature of things) that some saved men could not possibly apostatize.” In other words, there is no metaphysical principle that makes it impossible that one could become unregenerate if left to himself. However, we cannot infer the reverse, that one without regeneration could acquire regeneration if left to himself. Regeneration requires the monergistic work of the Holy Spirit, yet Scripture indicates that one could lose the Holy Spirit if not for the Covenant of Grace. 

**** Given that the purposes of God are multifaceted, warnings can have a less obvious and secondary purpose that actually pertain to the non-elect in the church. Non-elect members will show forth the eschatological confirmation of willful unbelief, which will vindicate God’s forbearance in the great and terrible day of the Lord. (I am grateful to Dr. James Anderson for this insight.)

16 June 2024 News Briefing

Likud voters want Yossi Cohen to lead the party if Netanyahu steps down
Likud voters believe that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decides not to run in the next elections, the next leader of the Likud should be Yossi Cohen, the former head of the Mossad. On the other side of the political map, respondents to the poll believe that the bloc of parties that will face Netanyahu in the next elections should be led by Benny Gantz or Naftali Bennett.

New poll has Trump leading Biden in Minnesota
A new internal poll has former President Donald Trump leading President Joe Biden by four points in Minnesota. According to a press release from the Trump campaign, McLaughlin & Associates polled Minnesotans on three different ballot scenarios, and Trump maintained a lead over Biden in every scenario.

AOC and progressives can’t hide their role in stoking antisemitism
If you were wondering whether Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) was just a publicity-hungry leftist provocateur or a serious politician determined to do everything to advance her career on the national stage, you now have your answer. In an act of political triangulation worthy of former President Bill Clinton, the founding member of the leftist congressional “Squad” popularly known as AOC managed to take a stand against antisemitism and earn the applause of the liberal Jewish establishment while being bashed by even more extreme Jew-haters.

Kyiv Rejects Putin’s ‘Absurd Ultimatum’ to End War
Russia’s strongman President Vladimir Putin said he would end the war in Ukraine only if Kyiv agreed to drop its NATO ambitions and hand over the entirety of four provinces claimed by Moscow. Kyiv swiftly rejected the demands as tantamount to surrender. Putin’s maximalist conditions apparently reflect Moscow’s growing confidence that its forces have the upper hand in the war.

U.S. Officials Fear Escalating Conflict Between Israel and Hezbollah
The tension has intensified following a series of Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese territory, which some American authorities believe are laying the groundwork for a larger military operation.

U.S. Steps Up Attacks on Houthi Targets
U.S. Military said on Saturday it destroyed seven radars, one drone and two un-crewed surface vessels belonging to Yemen’s Houthi jihadists.

IDF intercepts suspicious aerial target from the east, sirens sound in Na’ura
A suspicious aerial target was identified approaching Israel from the east overnight Friday, the IDF reported on Saturday. The target did not cross into Israeli t,esotory and an interceptor was launched toward the target.

Supreme Court strikes down bump stock ban
In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court held that the ATF exceeded its authority when it issued a rule classifying firearms equipped with bump stocks as machine guns.

New Study Reveals: Tefillin (Phylacteries) Were Not Colored Black 2,000 Years Ago
“This is a very important discovery,” explained Professor Yonatan Adler of Ariel University, who led the study. “This is the first time tefillin has been scientifically examined to determine its color. The analyses showed no evidence of black colorants in tefillin cases.

Smotrich to transfer $35m in PA funds to families of terror victims
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered his office to deduct 130 million shekels ($35 million) from tax and tariff revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority and redirect it to families of terror victims.

Evangelicals, we must stand up to modern media Goliaths who hate Israel, us, and the truth
One of the most urgent questions I’m answering is this: Why are so many world leaders and voices in the so-called “mainstream” media condemning Israel for last Saturday’s successful operation to rescue four hostages?

DM Gallant snubs French mediation offer as Hezbollah continues bombardment of northern Israel
In an unusually harsh public statement, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant snubbed a French proposal by President Emmanuel Macron that would see France, the United States, and Israel jointly working in a “contact group” to deescalate the explosive situation on Israel’s northern border. “As we fight a just war, defending our people, France has adopted hostile policies against Israel,” Gallant wrote on 𝕏, in a rare statement just hours before the start of the Jewish Sabbath.

Canada’s 2nd annual LGBT ‘Pride’ flag walkout day was a roaring success
While a media blackout has made it hard to determine how many parents kept their children out of school in protest of LGBT ‘Pride,’ Campaign Life Coalition has learned from those on the ground that hundreds stayed home in the Ottawa-area alone.

Heat dome to produce 100-degree temperatures in Northeast
A significant ridge of high pressure that is expected to establish itself over the Northeast and Ohio Valley will cause temperatures during the workweek to skyrocket to levels not experienced in several years.

Winter Storm Watches posted in West as snow threatens higher elevations
The first effect of the cool, unstable air mass will be a round of rare thunderstorms around the Seattle and Western Washington area Saturday. As temperatures in the Emerald City struggle to get out of the 50s, snow levels will crash down to around 3,000-4,500 feet in the Cascades — low enough to where some hikers could see wet snow, with accumulating snow on the higher peaks.

U.S. birth rate hits new record low but media refuses to address core reasons
The latest federal data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that the fertility rate among U.S. women plummeted to just 1.6 births per woman in 2023. This is the lowest recorded birth rate since the U.S. government began keeping such statistics in the 1930s. But why? We’ll break it down.

Cease The Ceasefire Talks: Allow Israel To Put An End To Hamas’ Chaos, Death, And Destruction 
Shortly after Hamas’s brutal October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, U.S. President Joe Biden demonstrated solidarity with the grief-stricken Jewish nation. He preached accountability in the face of terrorism, stating, “History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, . . . they cause more chaos and death and more destruction.”

Houthis Threaten Saudi Arabia: Don’t ‘Disgrace’ Country by Befriending Israel
The leader of the Iran-backed Yemeni terrorist group Ansarallah, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned neighboring Saudi Arabia on Thursday that any normalization deal would “disgrace” the country, implying his terrorists would consider the Saudis a legitimate target.

Horrific Jihad Attack in Frankfurt: Afghan (19) Stabs Woman Multiple Times in the Head and Neck
“When you meet the unbelievers, strike the necks…” (Qur’an 47:4) Frankfurt am Main, Hesse—In a chilling incident on Monday afternoon, June 10th, a 19-year-old Afghan jihadi brutally attacked a woman with a knife, leaving her seriously injured. The jihad attack took place on the Main riverside promenade, a typically peaceful area.

Counterfeit Chinese Titanium Discovered In Some Boeing Jets, Per FAA
On Friday, the Financial Times reported that Boeing acknowledged some parts of their jets contain counterfeit titanium from China. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported that Boeing had told officials they had received titanium parts containing counterfeit documentation.

Air Canada Boeing plane catches fire just moments after take-off
Terrifying video shows flames shooting from an Air Canada Boeing jet as it took off, forcing it to abruptly turn around for an emergency landing. The caught-on-camera terror unfolded after Flight AC872 took off from Toronto en route to Paris late Wednesday.

Southwest Airlines Boeing Plane Damaged in Rare ‘Dutch Roll’ Incident
A Southwest Airlines flight traveling from Phoenix, Arizona, to Oakland, California, experienced a rare “Dutch roll” at 32,000 feet, causing “significant damage” to the Boeing aircraft.

The End of the Petrodollar? No, the Petrodollar is Here to Stay
…no such petrodollar contract exists. Consequently, it cannot have an expiration date. The agreement was not to sell oil in dollars but to price oil in dollars and for the Saudi central bank to hold US government debt as reserves.

California introduces tax-by-the-mile plan as state revenue from fuel tax drops due to electric vehicle usage
…regardless of personal choice, California law mandates that all new car sales be electric by 2035. “This pay-to-drive scheme essentially turns your car into a rental,” Patrick Wood said.  After quoting from a course on technocracy in 1934, he added, “Don’t tell me that Technocracy is not in play here.” We would add, do you remember the World Economic Forum’s threat “you will own nothing”?

Dr. Ali Ajaz: Doctors have become employees who must adhere to corporate and government directives at the expense of patient health
Doctors for Patients UK submitted testimonies to the People’s Vaccine Inquiry from several doctors.  One of them was psychiatrist Dr. Ali Ajaz who was employed by the NHS but left due to pending vaccine mandates. “The NHS’s handling of the covid-19 vaccine rollout exemplified a top-down approach where frontline doctors, including myself, were discouraged from applying medical scrutiny or expressing concerns,” he said.

Google secretly collecting data on users – media
US tech giant Google has accidentally collected children’s voice data and leaked information on the trips and home addresses of car pool users, according to a report from 404 Media, citing a leaked copy of an internal database.

16 June 2024

Headlines – 6/16/2024

Already reeling West Bank cowers from Israeli plan to punish statehood moves

Hezbollah strikes north in latest revenge attacks for commander killed by Israel

Eight troops killed in Rafah explosion, in deadliest incident for IDF in 6 months

50,000 Gaza children require urgent treatment for malnutrition: UN

Palestinian children battle a deadly foe in Gaza – starvation – “Instead of flour, we ate the rabbit feed and the hay meant for cows”

IDF announces daily pause in fighting along key south Gaza road to increase aid flow

Israel has fallen into Hamas trap in Gaza war, says Giorgia Meloni at G7

Qatar and Egypt plan talks with Hamas on Gaza ceasefire

Tens of Thousands of Israelis Protest Netanyahu Coalition, Call to Strike Gaza Deal

Protesters block major highways and interchanges in call for early elections

Pro-Palestinian Protesters Reportedly Firebombed a Building at University of California

French protesters denounce far-right ahead of elections; some chant ‘Free Palestine’

“No Israelis allowed”: France stiffens anti-Israel stance – A French court has extended the ban on Israeli companies at the Eurosatory defense event to any Israeli representative

US Military Targets Houthi Radar Sites in Yemen With Merchant Sailor Missing

US naval forces say they rescued crew from ship hit by Houthis

US Targeted ISIS Leader Abdul Qadir Mumin in Somalia in Late May

Iran, Sweden Prisoner Swap Frees Man Convicted of War Crimes Over ’88 Executions

Iran rebukes G7 for ‘destructive policies of the past’ after nuclear program warning

Saudi Arabia and U.S. Mum as 50-Year Petro-Dollar Agreement Expires

Sweden says Russian military jet violated airspace

NATO Says Over 300,000 Troops Now On High Readiness

Russia’s hybrid warfare spills into NATO, raising new fears

Putin demands more land to end Ukraine war, terms Kyiv rejects as ‘complete sham’

Germany’s Scholz: Putin’s Peace Proposals Aren’t Serious

Kremlin: West Rejection of Putin Peace Plan on Ukraine ‘Unconstructive’

The “New York Times” publishes the draft of the peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine negotiated in 2022

Amb. James Jeffrey: Swiss Peace Summit a ‘Nothingburger’

The US supports ‘a just and lasting peace’ for Ukraine, Harris tells Zelenskyy at Swiss summit

Harris, Zelenskyy join world leaders to discuss peace plan in Ukraine – The vice president announced another $1.5 billion for Ukraine

Former White House Physican Ronny Jackson on Biden: “Biden is Not There, He is Not Mentally Fit to Be Our Commander in Chief”

Rep. Mace: Biden Victim of ‘Elder Abuse’

Tony Shaffer: Biden Not ‘Credible’ on World Stage

Trump, Biden and CNN Prepare for a Hostile Debate (With Muted Mics)

After Trump, Will U.S. Lawmakers be Charged for $17M in Hush Money?

GOP rep to bring resolution to rescind subpoenas from ‘illegitimate’ J6 committee against Steve Bannon, Mark Meadows, Dan Scavino, Peter Navarro

Frustrated by string of conservative wins, Democrats go all out to delegitimize U.S. Supreme Court

Lara Trump Warns Election Cheaters: ‘We Will Track You Down’

Building an Election Watchdog Army: RNC Co-Chair Lara Trump Announces New Program to Train 100,000 Poll Workers and 500 Lawyers to Safeguard 2024 Election in November

Elon Musk calls for elimination of electronic voting machines over hacking concerns – “The risk of being hacked by humans or AI, while small, is still too high.”

Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to address a G7 summit, raising alarm about AI

Southwest under investigation after Hawaii flight quickly drops within 400 feet of ocean

SpaceX’s Starlink May Be Keeping the Ozone From Healing, Research Finds

Dying satellites are burning through the ozone layer

A massive solar storm hits Mars, revealing a risk for future astronauts on the red planet

Earth’s inner core slowdown confirmed by seismic data

6.0 magnitude earthquake hits west of Macquarie Island

5.6 magnitude earthquake hits near Tobelo, Indonesia

5.5 magnitude earthquake hits near Mid-Indian Ridge

5.4 magnitude earthquake hits the South Sandwich Islands region

Sabancaya volcano in Peru erupts to 28,000ft

Popocateptl volcano in Mexico erupts to 19,000ft

Fuego volcano in Guatemala erupts to 16,000ft

Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts to 15,000ft

Ibu volcano in Indonesia erupts to 13,000ft

Lewotobi volcano in Indonesia erupts to 10,000ft

Dangerous heat wave looms for over 135 million next week from Chicago to New York

Supreme Court signals interest in hearing a major climate change case that could be a ‘nightmare’ for liberals

Mexico Massacre: Six Family Members Brutally Murdered, Including Baby and Toddler

High-ranking fugitive MS-13 gang member arrested on terrorism-related charges

Biden plans to offer pathway to citizenship for some migrants who have been in the US for 10 years

Denver Dem mayor busses illegal immigrants to Utah amid Biden’s border crisis

Georgia LGBTQ, DEI activist leader faces cocaine, meth, firearms charges in Georgia after failed city council bids

College Basketball Star Found Not Guilty of Heinous Allegations: Has #MeToo Gone Too Far?

Donald Trump: ‘I’ll Keep the Radical Left Wing Gender Ideology Away from Our Youth’

House passes defense bill prohibiting sex changes for soldiers at taxpayer expense

House Passes $883 Billion Defense Spending Bill with Abortion, LGBT Provisions

Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging federal rules to accommodate abortions for workers

Missouri abortion ban wasn’t about lawmakers imposing religious beliefs, judge says

A Tense Debate Erupts at the G7, This Time Over Abortion Rights – Wording in the summit’s final statement led to a diplomatic tug of war, primarily between the United States and Italy

Reaffirmed: Masks make ‘little to no difference’ after 15-month review prompted by NYT columnist

Vaccine-Injured Pharmacist Breaks Down Into Tears Testifying Before Ohio State Senate

Edward Snowden Sounds Alarm on Pentagon ‘Disinformation’ Vaccine Campaign Report

Source: http://trackingbibleprophecy.org/birthpangs.php

2024 06 16 John Haller’s Prophecy Update ““Interconnected” – YouTube

Hezbollah escalates in the shadow of US-Israel tensions over Rafah: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs…

— Read on www.youtube.com/watch

Twelve states refuse to sign Zelensky ‘peace conference’ declaration — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

The UAE, India, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil are among the countries that have not supported the Swiss summit’s final document

© Getty Images / Sedat Suna

Twelve countries attending the Swiss-hosted Ukraine ‘peace conference’ have refused to sign the final communique. This is based on the list of countries that approved the document, RIA Novosti reported on Sunday.

According to the list, Armenia, Brazil, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the UAE are among the states that did not sign the declaration, as well as four organizations, including the UN and OSCE. Meanwhile, 79 nations, including Hungary, Serbia, Argentina, Türkiye, and Georgia, as well as four international bodies, joined Ukraine in endorsing the document.

The final communique has not yet been made public, but according to Reuters, citing a June 13 draft, it places the blame for the “war against Ukraine” on Russia, accusing it of causing “large-scale human suffering and destruction” and “creating risks and crises with global repercussions.”

The document calls for Ukraine’s territorial integrity “within internationally recognized borders” to be respected – specifically, the restoration of Ukrainian control over the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant, as well as access to sea ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The document also demands the release of all prisoners of war through a “complete exchange,” and the return of “deported and unlawfully displaced” Ukrainian children.

Read more

Ukraine ‘peace summit’ is ‘Animal Farm’ – ex-Russian president

It is so far unclear why several attendees did not support the document. However, Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said earlier on Sunday that any meaningful progress toward a peaceful resolution to the conflict would require Russia’s participation.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer earlier predicted that not all attendees would sign the declaration, because “it’s a question of the specific choice of words.”

Russia was not invited to attend the conference, and said it would not have taken part even if invited due to the exclusive focus on Kiev’s demands.

READ MORE: No meaningful peace in Ukraine without Russia – Saudi Arabia

More than 160 participants were invited to the talks, but nearly half declined due to the absence of a Russian delegation. The final list of attendees included representatives from 92 countries and eight international bodies.

— Read on www.rt.com/russia/599384-twelve-states-refuse-ukraine-peace/

House Intel Committee Chair Says US is at ‘Highest Level of a Possible Terrorist Threat’ (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit

House Intel Committee Chair Says US is at ‘Highest Level of a Possible Terrorist Threat’ (VIDEO)

Republican House Intelligence Committee Chair Mike Turner has warned that the United States has hit its “highest level of a possible terrorist threat.”

Turner gave a dire warning on Sunday’s episode of Face the Nation.

Host Margaret Brennan asked Turner about the eight Tajik nationals who were arrested in the United States last week and were found to have ties to ISIS. All of them had entered through Biden’s open southern border.

Brennan asked if there had been an “active terror plot,” but Turner said that he could not confirm the details of the arrests.

President Biden’s open border policies have put the United States at its greatest risk of a terrorist attack since 9/11.

Today, I told @MargBrennan on @FaceTheNation that the Biden Administration needs to declassify information related to the terrorist threats that it is seeing. pic.twitter.com/k7dR8t508r

— US Rep. Mike Turner (@RepMikeTurner) June 16, 2024

“But what’s important about these reports and what we’re seeing, especially in conjunction with Director [Christopher] Wray’s public statements, that we are at the highest level of a possible terrorist threat, that the administration’s policies have absolutely directly related to threats to Americans,” Turner said.

The congressman added that the threat is “no longer speculative” and “no longer hypothetical.”

“We have actual administration officials stepping forward and certainly our committee and our committee members have concurred on the intelligence that we’re seeing. That as a result of the administration’s policies allowing people to cross the border unvetted, we have terrorists that are actively working with inside the United States that are a threat to Americans,” he said.

FBI Director Christopher Wray told a Senate committee earlier this month that the U.S. has seen “threats from foreign terrorists rise to a whole ‘nother level after October 7.”

The post House Intel Committee Chair Says US is at ‘Highest Level of a Possible Terrorist Threat’ (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Gen. Jack Keane criticizes Biden’s ‘failure’ to confront Iran – YouTube

Fox News senior strategic analyst Ret. Gen. Jack Keane joins ‘Fox Report’ to discuss the escalating tensions in the Middle East amid fears of a wider war.Sub…

— Read on www.youtube.com/watch

The Drums of War :: By Bill Wilson – Rapture Ready

The Biden Administration’s foreign policy, like the Obama Administration’s, has made the world a much more dangerous place.

Sending “humanitarian” aid to Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and the Houthis, knowing full well that this aid is used for weapons and unfreezing billions of dollars for Iran, has resulted in a terrorist uprising and horrible war against Israel. It has, like the Obama Administration, destabilized the Middle East and undermined peace initiatives of the Trump Administration.

Moreover, Biden’s recent action giving Ukraine permission to use US-provided weapons against Russian forces has escalated an already bad situation in the Ukraine-Russian war. Iran is reportedly also close to having nukes.

Reuters reported on May 31,

“Biden administration officials say the latest decision, which went into effect on Thursday, was narrowly tailored to the battle in the Kharkiv region. U.S. officials say it allows Kyiv to use U.S.-supplied weapons to fire back against Russian forces “attacking them or preparing to attack them” from across the border. That gives Ukrainians on the frontlines a green light to fire over the border at Russian forces using U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers armed with Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) missiles and other weaponry, experts say.”

In fact, Ukraine also received permission from Germany to use its weapons against Russia, with The Netherlands, Finland, and Poland also expressing support.

The Russian news agency Tass reported on June 3,

Moscow is warning Washington against ill-considered steps, the consequences of which could be fatal, said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, commenting on Kyiv’s permission to strike Russia with American weapons. “I would like to warn American officials against miscalculations that could have fatal consequences. For some unknown reason, they underestimate the seriousness of the rebuff they could receive,” Ryabkov said.

Even Pro-Ukraine Republican Hawks take issue with how Biden went about giving Ukraine permission to use US weapons against Russia.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH), Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-TX) said in a joint statement,

“By leaking to the press that the policy reversal only applies to certain U.S.-provided weapons in a limited area within Russia, the administration has telegraphed to Russia exactly how to effectively adapt to this change in policy, thereby decreasing the military effectiveness of the decision.”

Proverbs 14:16 says, “A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.”

The drums of war are beating around fires on many fronts. And Biden is wobbling with a bucket of kerosene to pour on burning embers.

Sources:

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-warns-us-against-fatal-miscalculation-ukraine-2024-06-03/

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/06/03/moscow-u-s-faces-fatal-consequences-for-letting-ukraine-use-u-s-weapons-to-target-russia/

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/05/31/pro-ukraine-republicans-call-biden-allowing-ukraine-hit-russia-u-s-weapons-half-measure/

 

The post The Drums of War :: By Bill Wilson appeared first on Rapture Ready.

— Read on www.raptureready.com/2024/06/15/the-drums-of-war-by-bill-wilson/

Sick Of The “Grotesque Game Of Pretend” Being Played Around Joe Biden… | ZeroHedge

Authored by Jim Kunstler via Kunstler.com,

“Biden is not well. Everyone knows this even those who support him… the difference is they don’t care and that’s the most frightening aspect of this situation.” 

– Edward Dowd

They’re kidding, right? That “Joe Biden” is capable of being president? Not just for another four-year term, but right here and now? This has got to be the most pitiful case of national gaslighting since 218-AD when the Romans installed 14-year-old Heliogabalus to front for their empire. Like “JB,” he reigned for four years (before the praetorian guard offed him). The Danish historian of ancient Rome, Barthold Niebuhr, said of him: “. . . [He] had nothing at all to make up for his vices, which are of such a kind that it is too disgusting even to allude to them.”

Lately, even the news media has begun to report “Joe Biden’s” senile mishaps. On Thursday at an outdoor photo op during the G7 meet-up in Italy, the ol’ dawg just wandered off from the assembled pack of world leaders until Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni went and reeled him back in.

Earlier in the week at a Juneteenth party, they rolled him out on the White House lawn like a cigar-store Indian where he stood utterly frozen while all around him boogalooed and clapped to the music of jubilee.

Do you think that folks are starting to notice?  Even many mind-fucked Democrat Party regulars who have been just fine with the controlled demolition of our country under this human door-stop of a president are murmuring ominously that the scam has become too obvious. Not Rachel Maddow, though. America’s Woke lunatic-in-chief reigning on MSNBC warned this week that the return of Trump would lead to her (and millions of her fans) getting jammed into “concentration camps.”

Maybe you’ve already noticed that Rachel Maddow lives in a concentration camp of-the-mind located inside her own batshit-crazy skull. Dunno about you, but for the first time in a life lived through many decades of purportedly rational post-war Modernity, I’ve developed a sympathetic view of how come people in earlier eras resorted to burning witches. They are obdurate public nuisances. Their “magic” lately is the ability to provoke a mass formation psychosis, an actual “threat to our democracy” or, more precisely, to our republic. Maddow, the proudly out-front lesbian non-breeder is living proof that renouncing motherhood is a predictor of Cluster-B personality disorder — the condition that defines the “progressive” Wokery of these times.

I’m a little sorry to go all quasi-supernatural with you about this, but we are truly faced with the fact that the devastation in sexual relations and failures of family formation in recent decades has produced a very particular form of anomie in Western Civ’s female population — and the dynamic has badly deranged increasingly feminized men, too. Covid-19 was basically a Munchausen-by-proxy event, which ChatGPT describes accordingly:

. . . a psychological disorder wherein a caregiver, typically a parent, exaggerates, fabricates, or induces illness or injury in a person under their care, usually a child. The primary motive is to gain attention, sympathy, or praise from medical professionals and others, rather than any tangible benefit like financial gain.”

Actually, ChatGPT was wrong about the financial gain part. There were billions made off Covid by Big Pharma, including hundreds of millions in royalties doled out to public health employees. The government played the role of “mother” in the Covid caper, keeping you (her “children”) safe. You’ve noticed, I’m sure, that claims about safety and safe places have been major themes in Wokery both before and during Covid. Anyway, as usual with Munchausen-by-proxy syndrome, the “children” (i.e., the US population) were injured badly by the “treatment,” the mRNA vaccines. And also as usual with mothers displaying Cluster-B personality disorder, the “bad” children who refuted the narrative and refused the specified “treatment” were punished severely. (Cluster-B is sadistic.)

One thing this suggests is that the cabal running things behind the empty suit “Joe Biden” is dominated by women, and my guess would be the women directly associated with Barack Obama: Susan Rice, Lisa Monaco, Kathryn Ruemmler, Sally Yates, Valarie Jarrett, Samantha Power, Avril Haines, Torie Nuland, give-or-take some combo of them, et al. I have alleged for years that the motif driving batshit-crazy, Cluster-B Democratic Party women is that Donald Trump represents Daddy’s-in-the-house. In their boundaryless state-of-mind nothing threatens the Cluster-B ladies as much as the imposition of boundaries by a fearsome daddy figure. Daddy = the monster of monsters to them.

Thus, the “Biden” regime’s remorseless persecution of Mr. Trump — like the village rabble hunting down Frankenstein with torches and pitchforks — and the fantasies, were he allowed to live, about being sent to concentration camps by the likes of Rachel Maddow. There’s nothing like barbed-wire and sentry towers to vividly suggest the imposition of “boundaries” on your behavior.

I have strayed a bit from my initial theme concerning the grotesque game of “pretend” being played around “Joe Biden’s” re-election candidacy. Let’s say this: it is the terminal op being run by an out-of-control Deep State blob now losing its mojo in big gobs each day as its epic dishonesty gets exposed. This blob had some very potent tools at its command to jerk around the people of this land, especially the legacy news media. Most of that consisted of deception which is to say the tactical application of untruth. The op was tragically effective for some years, but its victims — US citizens — are onto the game now and they are angrily flipping over the game board. Mark this essential fact of life: truth is sturdy and lies are fragile. So, now you know what must, in the end, prevail.

“Joe Biden” is not long for this world as a token in that game. Mere days, I’d say. There is no way that the Democratic Party can afford to put him in a debate arena June 27th with Mr. Trump.Two minutes in, “JB” would be leaking sawdust and stuttering incoherently. The Party would be revealed as a fraud for the ages. And then, by the time you’re scarfing down blueberry pie on the Fourth of July, Hillary Clinton (better known here as Rodan the Flying Reptile, or She-Whose-Turn-It-Is) will be flapping her leathery wings on-high in triumph as “JB’s” emergency replacement. I am here to save our democracy, caw caw—! Wait for it! Trouble is, batshit crazy women are exactly what our country is sick of and done with.

— Read on www.zerohedge.com/political/sick-grotesque-game-pretend-being-played-around-joe-biden

Fmr ICE director on Biden’s latest border ‘incentive’: ‘When is enough enough?’ – YouTube

Former Acting ICE Director Tom Homan rips the Biden administration’s approach to border policy during an appearance on ‘Fox & Friends Weekend.’ #foxnews Subs…

— Read on www.youtube.com/watch

MUST SEE TV: How Did They Allow This?… Joe Biden Will Be Forced to Stand for 90 Minutes with No Notes, Props, Pen, or Paper and No Interaction with Staff during Presidential Debate | The Gateway Pundit

MUST SEE TV: How Did They Allow This? Joe Biden Will Be Forced to Stand for 90 Minutes with No Notes, Props, Pen, or Paper and No Interaction with Staff during Presidential Debate

Joe Biden wanders off during a gathering of G7 leaders. The leaders pretend to ignore Joe’s obvious dementia which makes them all look weak and unserious.

America’s first Puppet President, Joe Biden, is failing. He’s been failing. It’s getting worse.

biden’s latest trip to Europe was a disaster. The fake news mainstream media tries desperately to hide this, but their efforts are futile.

The Washington Free Beacon put together this latest video collection of Joe Biden’s “Senior Moments of the Week.”

This could be a difficult month for Old Joe with a presidential debate scheduled for June 27th.

CNN released the debate rules for the first presidential debate scheduled in two weeks.

The debate will last 90 minutes.

Joe Biden will not be allowed to have notes, props, or paper and pencil.

Joe Biden will not be allowed to interact with his staff.

There will be only two commercial breaks.

Even with the assistance of the CNN moderator this will be a very difficult task for Joe Biden. The man continues to decline. He can barely speak when he has notes! Imagine how he will be without notes.

Team Biden will have to make sure they to up his pharmaceuticals that day.

There was no word on a mandatory drug test before the debate. This would only be fair and revealing. The American public deserves this. It will never happen.

The post MUST SEE TV: How Did They Allow This?… Joe Biden Will Be Forced to Stand for 90 Minutes with No Notes, Props, Pen, or Paper and No Interaction with Staff during Presidential Debate appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Inevitable :: By Daymond Duck – Rapture Ready

Concerning a war in Lebanon, on June 5, 2024, it was reported that senior Israeli military officials said, “Without a ceasefire in Gaza and subsequent deal with Hezbollah that meets Israel’s requirements, Israeli officials say an offensive is inevitable.”

Israeli Prime Min. Netanyahu said, “Strong action will be taken against Hezbollah if it keeps up its assault. Whoever thinks he can hurt us and we will sit and do nothing is making a big mistake.”

Here is a brief list of things that are inevitable because the Word of God says they will happen:

• The destruction of Damascus, Syria, in one night (Isa. 17).
• The destruction of Russia, Iran, Turkey, and many of their Islamic allies in the Battle of Gog of Magog (Ezek. 38-39).
• The rescue of believers from the wrath to come (I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-5:9).
• A worthless 7-year covenant with many in the Middle East (Dan. 9:27).
• A godless, satanic world government; a New World Order (Rev. 13:7).
• A rebuilt Jewish Temple and resumption of the animal sacrifices (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15; II Thess. 2:4).
• Hyperinflation and a global economic collapse (Rev. 6:5-6).
• Tracking of everything that is bought and sold all over the world starting in the middle of the Tribulation Period (Rev. 13:16-17).
• The gospel will go all over the world before the Second Coming (Rev. 7:3-8; 11:3-13; 14:6).
• The salvation of great multitudes from all nations (Rev. 7:9-16).
• The salvation of all Israel (Rom. 11:26).
• Israel will have undisputed possession of Jerusalem (II Chron. 6:6; Psa. 137:5-6).
• The reign of Jesus on earth for a thousand years after the Tribulation Period (Zech. 14:9; Rev. 20:2-7).

And much more.

Here are recent events that seem to indicate that the end of the age is close.

One, concerning a digital ID (a prerequisite for tracking all buying and selling): Australia has passed legislation to roll out a digital ID by December of this year.

The EU wants to require its approximately 450 million citizens to have a digital wallet by 2030 (digital document to have a bank account, make purchases, get a driver’s license, get a license plate for your vehicle, fill a prescription, travel, etc.).

In Iceland, a digital ID is required to buy a house, turn on the electricity, get a phone, etc.

Tracking all buying and selling on earth is inevitable, and it is shaping up now.

Two, concerning government waste that will contribute to an economic collapse: on June 6, 2024, it was reported that since the Biden administration pulled America’s troops out of Afghanistan in 2021 (several U.S. troops were killed during the pull-out and billions of dollars of weapons were abandoned to the Taliban), Biden has funded 6 education programs that cost U.S. taxpayers $185.2 million.

In Fiscal year 2023, he gave Afghanistan (which is run by the Taliban) $566 million for humanitarian assistance.

The Taliban is a terrorist organization that oppresses women, denies human rights to the Afghan people, killed 13 U.S. soldiers in a terrorist attack, sold abandoned U.S. weapons to other terrorist organizations, and Biden keeps giving them money.

(More: On June 9, 2024, Sen. Ted Cruz accused Pres. Biden of sending one hundred billion dollars to Iran that was used to fund the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel and the Hamas fighting that has gone on since then.)

(More: On June 10, 2024, the Congressional Budget Office reported that the U.S. has averaged borrowing $4.9 billion a day every day for the first 8 months of this fiscal year. If this doesn’t change, an economic collapse is inevitable.)

Three, concerning wars and rumors of wars and the use of nuclear weapons in the future: the Bible teaches that nuclear weapons will be used during the Tribulation Period (Zech. 14:12; Rev. 6:14).

On June 6, 2024, Russia’s pres. Putin said if NATO allies allow Ukraine to use NATO-nation weapons to attack Russian territory, Russia can provide long-range weapons to others to strike targets in the West.

Putin added that Russia is ready to use nuclear weapons if it sees a threat to its sovereignty.

(More: On June 6, 2024, a Russian official said if France sends troops to Ukraine, they will not be immune to Russian military action, and Russia will kill them.)

(More: On June 6, 2024, the U.S. military said in the last 3 days it conducted 2 tests of International Ballistic Missiles that can carry nuclear warheads.)

(FYI: The Wall Street Journal recently reported that lawmakers are concerned about Pres. Biden’s cognitive decline. Rep. Ronny Jackson – former White House physician to Pres. Obama and Pres. Trump – said Biden has significant issues, he shouldn’t have the job, and it’s a serious threat to the U.S.)

(My opinion: Is the U.S. under the leadership of someone who is mentally deficient, or is it under the leadership of someone who is telling him what to do? With Russia threatening to use nuclear weapons, shouldn’t U.S. citizens know who has their finger on the nuclear button at the White House?)

Four, concerning an increase in wars and rumors of wars at the end of the age: on June 10, 2024, Norway published results of a study that found that there were more armed conflicts in the world in 2023 than any year since WW II.

Five, concerning corruption in the UN, on June 6, 2024, Israel destroyed a tunnel that was more than a mile long with weapons, missiles, explosives, and intelligence assets that ran under a UN post in Gaza.

The evidence of a connection between the UN and Hamas keeps piling up.

Six, last week I reported that the World Health Organization violated the rules and rammed through approval of a set of amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHRs).

The WHO wants authorization to declare a public emergency and take control of everyone on earth (require medical treatments, vaccinations, masks, quarantines, passport restrictions, social distancing, etc.).

As I see it, their willingness to violate the rules to get the IHR amendments passed is reason to believe that they will violate the rules after the amendments are passed.

Anyway, on June 10, 2024, Worthy News reported that The Liberty Counsel, a Christian non-profit legal group, said:

• The WHO bypassed protocol to secretly pass a resolution that would enhance the WHO’s authority and dictate how nations report, manage, and cooperate in another infectious disease outbreak.
• While the WHO claimed there was a consensus, it illegally enacted the new legally binding IHRs without a floor vote, contrary to established rules and protocols.
• Sources said only about one-third of member nations were present for the final approval session, and only 37 out of the 194 member nations supported the revised IHRs, including U.S. delegates.
• Objections were only allowed after the approval.

Here is a link to the article.

https://www.worthynews.com/96027-who-illegally-extends-its-global-power-experts-warn-worthy-news-focus

(My opinion: Worthy News and The Liberty Counsel are reliable organizations. If I understand this report, U.S. delegates supported a secretly passed, illegal resolution to surrender a sizable chunk of America’s sovereignty to a corrupt group of unelected foreigners. With this kind of corruption taking place, it is easy for me to believe that the Word of God is true, and, as I said above, a godless, satanic world government is inevitable.)

Seven, last week I reported that on June 3, 2024, the Biden administration introduced a bill in the UN Security Council to impose a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza.

Biden called the bill “Israel’s Proposal,” but Israel disputed it.

Netanyahu said Biden conveniently overlooked Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas.

He said Israel didn’t agree to end the war.

Israel only agreed to discuss an end to the war, and Israel would only discuss it after the hostages are released.

Eight, concerning Biden’s abandonment of Israel and his support for Hamas: on June 11, 2024, it was reported that a poll of Israeli soldiers found that several soldiers believe that Biden’s policies are restraining Israel, prolonging the war, preventing Israel from defeating or deterring its genocidal terrorist enemies, increasing the death of Palestinian citizens, and getting more Israeli soldiers killed.

Here is an update on that.

On June 10, 2024, the UN Security Council passed Biden’s resolution, and America’s ambassador to the UN said:

• Today, we voted for peace.
• Israel has already accepted this deal.
• The fighting could stop today – and hostages could come home today – if Hamas agreed to the deal.

Netanyahu said:

• I will not be ready to stop the war. Despite what President Biden said, it has not yet been agreed how many hostages will be released in the first phase. We can stop the fighting for 42 days in order to return the hostages. We cannot stop the war.
• There are many more details in the deal, and the war will not end without achieving all of our objectives. Don’t pay attention to the publications; there’s a lot of fake news going around. We will not give up on total victory.

(My opinion: It seems that we are witnessing deceit in high places, and it is easy to see that leaders would say, “Peace, peace, when there is no peace.”  At some point, world leaders will declare “Peace and safety,” but sudden destruction will come upon them. Jesus will break the second seal on the seven-sealed scroll, and peace will be removed from the earth; Jer. 6:14; I Thess. 5:3, Rev. 6:3-4. It is inevitable.)

(My opinion: Biden’s Security Council resolution is not a 7-year covenant, but he and others are obsessed with imposing a peace treaty on Israel, and it is inevitable that one will come into being at some point. As I write this, Biden has proposed that the U.S. sign a historic peace treaty with Saudi Arabia. It is not likely that it can pass the U.S. Senate if Saudi Arabia doesn’t normalize relations with Israel, and Saudi Arabia is not likely to agree to that if the world doesn’t recognize a Palestinian state in Gaza.)

(Update: On June 11, 2024, Hamas said they are ready to negotiate a hostage deal, but Israel must pull its troops out of Rafah.)

(Update: On June 12, 2024, it was reported that Hamas has turned down President Joe Biden’s ceasefire proposal unless it includes a permanent end to the war in Gaza that would guarantee Hamas’ survival.)

Nine, this week, representatives at a meeting of BRICS nations agreed that the UN is important, but it needs to be reformed.

10 Kings will rise before power is given to the Antichrist (#11).

59 nations plan to join the BRICS block this year, and they will no longer accept one nation (the U.S.) dominating the global economy.

A New World Order is inevitable.

Here is my daily update on the Israel-Hamas war.

Wednesday, June 5, 2024 (Day 244): The one hundred eighty-eighth day of the resumed war. Day 30 of the attack on Rafah.

• Hezbollah sent an explosive-laden drone into Israel that killed an Israeli soldier and injured 10 others.
• Following the Israeli assassination of a high-ranking Iranian official in Syria, an Iranian commander said Israel should wait for a response by Iran.

Thursday, June 6, 2024 (Day 245): The one hundred eighty-ninth day of the resumed war. Day 31 of the attack on Rafah.

• Israeli troops reported that they had found the shaft to a terrorist tunnel inside a child’s bedroom in Rafah.
• Amir Tsarfati said, “The Israeli government made it very clear that Israel’s conditions for ending the war have not changed. Hamas will perish.”
• Israeli jets killed a senior Hamas commander in Rafah. They also killed the head of a Hamas terrorist group on the West Bank.
• Israel killed several terrorists at a UNRWA school (the fifth time Israel has killed terrorists inside a UNRWA school).

Friday, June 7, 2024 (Day 246): The one hundred ninetieth day of the resumed war. Day 32 of the attack on Rafah.

• Israel believes Sinwar, his brother, and his top assistant are still alive and hiding in a tunnel in Rafah with several hostages and some troops.
• There are heavy bombings and fierce gun battles in Rafah.
• The U.S. said it will have its damaged humanitarian aid pier repaired and ready for use in a few days.

Saturday, June 8, 2024 (Day 247): The one hundred ninety-first day of the resumed war. Day 33 of the attack on Rafah.

• Israel rescued four hostages in Gaza.
• Egypt and Jordan (2 nations mentioned in Psa. 83) condemned the raids at two separate locations that freed the hostages. The EU and UN condemned Israel for killing Palestinians during the attacks to free the hostages. One must wonder why they didn’t condemn Hamas for violating international law by holding civilian hostages. That is what made the raids necessary.

Sunday, June 9, 2024 (Day 248): The one hundred ninety-second day of the resumed war. Day 34 of the attack on Rafah.

• Three of the four hostages that Israel rescued yesterday were being held in the home of an Al Jazeera reporter.
• The father of one of the four hostages died of a heart attack just hours before Israel rescued his son. His body was found by those who visited to tell him about his son’s rescue.
• The Israeli military said it is ready for a war with Hezbollah. (My understanding: The decision to go to war is a political decision, not a military decision.)
• Israel’s primary opposition leader, Benny Gantz, withdrew his support for Netanyahu’s government, but Netanyahu will survive without him.

Monday, June 10, 2024 (Day 249): The one hundred ninety-third day of the resumed war. Day 35 of the attack on Rafah.

• Hamas told terrorists who are holding Israeli hostages to kill their hostages if they think Israel is coming to release them.
• Israel found and destroyed 80 bombs and the lab that made them in Israel.

Tuesday, June 11, 2024 (Day 250): The one hundred ninety-fourth day of the resumed war. Day 36 of the attack on Rafah.

• A booby-trapped building collapse killed 4 Israeli soldiers and injured 6.
• 300 Israeli soldiers have now been killed in the Israel-Hamas war.
• Hezbollah fired about 50 rockets into the Golan Heights from Lebanon.
• Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon.
• Even though they are rich and can afford to do it, some Arab nations that criticize Israel’s treatment of Palestinians provide very little aid, if any, to the Palestinians.

Wednesday, June 12, 2024 (Day 251): The one hundred ninety-fifth day of the resumed war. Day 37 of the attack on Rafah.

• Hezbollah fired 3 barrages of missiles and rockets (perhaps 165 or more) from Lebanon into Israel.
• Hezbollah vowed to intensify (in quantity, power, and quality) its rocket and missile attacks on Israel.

FYI: God does not send anyone to Hell (all of us are born with a sin nature and destined to go to Hell because we sin), but God has provided a way (Jesus) for everyone to go to Heaven (and He is the only way to get there; John 14:6).

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

— Read on www.raptureready.com/2024/06/15/inevitable-by-daymond-duck/

The Number-One Signal | Terry James

The Number-One Signal

Most Christians who have seriously studied Bible prophecy for years have given Israel as the number-one signal to watch for.

This has been especially true since the Jewish people—hated, hunted, and murdered throughout millennia, and finally killed by the millions in the Nazi Holocaust—came back into the Promised Land following World War II in 1948.

Many among the Reformed denominations joined the Catholic Church in writing off the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as having any further rights to the promises God made. Obviously, in this collective view, God had given up on them. Their rejection and crucifixion of His Son had, in the minds of these religionists, negated any rights Israel had as a nation.

When the Jews miraculously became a nation again in the area surrounding Jerusalem, the chosen people suddenly took on tremendous prophetic importance in the eyes of those who looked diligently into the study of end-times things.

Although attacked on every side from the time they were reborn as a nation, Israel not only survived, but grew and prospered as no other people of the Middle East. The land began to bloom like a garden–which was, in fact, fulfilling a prediction from God’s Word about what would happen to the land of promise anytime the chosen people occupied it.

Major assaults against the Jewish state in 1956, 1967, and 1973 only proved God’s Word to be infallible. The nation won against all odds in those wars and sent their hate-filled enemies scurrying away in painful defeat.

But, just as God’s Word also prophesies, the assaults, although of somewhat lesser virulence, have continued to thrust at Israel, as we’ve all seen very recently.

Israel remains at the center of nations in a conflict the would-be, world-governing peace purveyors fear will result in World War III and nuclear Armageddon. These minions, who I am convinced make up the human element of the Ephesians 6:12 wickedness we struggle against, no longer hide their satanically-fostered hatred for God’s chosen nation. They strive to turn all of earth’s peoples against the Jewish state. The following illustrates the point.

GENEVA, June 3 (Reuters) – A group of United Nations experts called on Monday for all countries to recognise a Palestinian state to ensure peace in the Middle East.

The call came less than a week after Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognised a Palestinian state, prompting anger from Israel, which has found itself increasingly isolated after nearly eight months of war in Gaza.

The experts, including the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories, said recognition of a Palestinian state was an important acknowledgement of the rights of the Palestinian people and their struggle towards freedom and independence…

Israel has repeatedly condemned moves to recognise a Palestinian state, saying they bolster Hamas, the militant Islamist group that led the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel which sparked the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip. (“UN experts urge all countries to recognise Palestinian statehood,” Reuters, 6/3/24)

Anger and threats similar to those in Germany in the 1930s are again being heard in Europe and around the world.

EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin opened the meeting with a stark message. “We are in a fight for the continuation of Jewish life in Europe,” he said. “Jews wearing traditional clothing or displaying mezuzahs on their doors are facing relentless harassment. Jewish students are receiving threats on their lives and being excluded from university courses, while hate graffiti defaces Jewish homes, synagogues and cemeteries without any deterrent.” (“Leading rabbi warns mass exodus of Jews from Europe to Israel may be imminent,” Rapture Ready News, 6/4/24)

The buildup is accelerating toward the time Jesus said would be a period of trouble unlike anything that’s ever been. He placed Israel at the center of that time of Tribulation.

Watch Israel and the world’s increasingly hate-filled treatment of its people. This is the number-one signal that shows definitively where we are on God’s prophetic timeline.

This means Jesus Christ is about to step out on the clouds of Glory and call believers (the Church) to Himself.

You want to go to Christ when He says “Come up here!”

Planet Earth, following the Rapture, will descend into the time of horrors depicted in the book of Revelation. Here is how to avoid that most terrible time of human history:

That if you will confess with your mouth the lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9–10)

🔴 Live: Providence Baptist Church on RSBN: Sunday Morning Worship 6-16-24 – YouTube

Sunday, June 16, 2024: Join us for Sunday morning worship services from Providence Baptist Church in Beauregard, AL. Message today by Senior Pastor Dr. Rusty…

— Read on www.youtube.com/watch

I Feel At Home in Your Church | The Log College

I Feel At Home in Your Church

JAN 10; by Tim Challies; INFORMING THE REFORMING

• Together with Moody Publishers

Advertise on Challies.com

Show your support

Become a patron

Listen to this article

0:00 / 3:411X

It is one of the realities of the Christian faith that skeptics love to criticize—the reality that there are a host of different denominations and a multitude of different expressions of Christian worship. But while believers have become accustomed to responding to this criticism with a sense of shame, I choose to see it in a different light. I choose to see each tradition as highlighting different aspects of God’s purpose for the local church. As a prism refracts the light and separates it into its component colors, the differing traditions refract the Bible’s varying commands and emphases. And this is why I feel at home in so many different churches.

I feel at home in a Brethren church. I feel at home because of its commitment to simplicity in worship and to the necessity of celebrating the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis. Such churches are meek and humble and committed to honoring the Lord in ways that may be unflashy but are faithful to the Scriptures. They look with longing and pleading for the return of Jesus Christ. I always count it a joy to break bread with the Brethren.

I feel at home in an Anglican church. It feels familiar because its worship is so thoroughly steeped in Word and prayer. While there is always a sermon (though probably one shorter than I am accustomed to) and while there is always song (though often fewer than I am accustomed to) the service is structured around reading the Word and both corporate and private prayers. I love to participate in those readings and prayers knowing that as I do so, I am engaged in a tradition that wraps the world and spans the centuries.

I feel at home in a Presbyterian church because of its commitment to sound doctrine and expositional preaching. Few traditions have raised up as many powerful preachers as the Presbyterians or created as many resources to assist them. Few traditions have thought as deeply about what they believe and described it as thoroughly as Presbyterians have done through their catechisms and confessions. Few documents in the history of the Christian church surpass the Shorter Catechism and the Westminster Confession for depth and beauty.

I feel at home also in those Presbyterian churches that hold to a strict interpretation of the regulative principle. Such churches will only worship in ways the Bible explicitly commands. I admire them for their commitment to principle even as it extends all the way to singing only the Psalms and singing them without instrumentation. Where so many other traditions neglect the psalms, this tradition sings them exclusively and joyfully. I feel at home among them.

I feel at home in a Dutch Reformed church because it values simple, formal worship followed by warm and charitable hospitality. I admire the way they give such care to catechizing their children and often to building and supporting schools to educate them. Plus, almost no church sings louder or stronger than a Dutch Reformed church. (If you want to find men who still sing with confidence and gusto, this is where you will find them.)

I love to learn from them, I love to observe what they do so well, and I love to see how God blesses their labors to build his kingdom and declare his glory.

Share

I feel at home in many non-denominational churches as well, though most fit at least one of the descriptions above or below. Every church has its reasons to formally associate with other churches or to remain independent, and I respect those who choose to persist outside a denominational structure.

Of course, I feel at home in a Baptist church, for I myself am Baptist. As I search the Scriptures for its instructions on what a local church ought to be and how it ought to worship, I see it describing something very much like a church structured around the London Baptist Confession. I love the emphasis on evangelism. I love the emphasis on celebrating the baptism of one who has professed faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I love the balance of structure and freedom that permeates its worship services.

And while I am confidently and convictionally Baptist, I do love to experience other churches and consider it a blessing to worship among other traditions that teach the same Scriptures and preach the same gospel. I have worshipped in a host of churches spanning every continent and have found that I love to learn from them all, I love to observe what they do so well, and I love to see how God blesses their labors to build his kingdom and declare his glory.