Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

The Lord's Day Prefigured in the Old Testament
Aug 16th, 2020
Commentarylifeassuranceministries
Categories: Exhortation

The great memorial day of the gospel seems to have been clearly prefigured in the law of shadows.

The Feast of Harvest. “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest: and he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it” (Lev. 23:10,11).

This took place “on the morrow after the Sabbath.” This was the eighth day, or the first day of the week. The sheaf that the priest waved before the Lord was of the “first-fruits of the harvest.” What did it typify? Paul gives the answer: “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20). That sheaf clearly pointed to the resurrection of Christ. True to the shadow, Christ rose on the first day of the week. So the eighth day on which the wave-offering was made, was a part of the shadow as much as the offering. As certain as the sheaf pointed to the resurrection of Christ, so certain did the eighth day on which it took place point to the day on which he arose—the Lord’s Day. That sheaf was a sample of the entire crop, so Christ’s resurrection is a sample and proof of the future resurrection of all the redeemed (see 1 Corinthians 15).

The Feast of Pentecost. “And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave-offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat-offering unto the Lord. And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat-offering, and their drink-offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savor unto the Lord” (Lev. 23:15, 16,18).

This offering “made by fire” pointed to the baptism of “the Holy Ghost and fire” received on Pentecost. The Feast of Pentecost was on the “morrow after the seventh Sabbath,” or fifty days from the wave-offering. “Pentecost” means fifty. How wonderful this shadow! The sheaf was waved before the Lord on the first day of the week. It pointed to Christ’s resurrection, which took place on the same day. Just seven weeks later came the Feast of Pentecost, an offering by fire. That fell also on the day “after the Sabbath.” Just seven weeks after Christ’s resurrection the Holy Spirit fire fell on one hundred and twenty, and the church of God was organized. Both took place on the first day of the week.

In the law of shadows we read: “And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be a holy convocation unto you” (Lev. 23:21).“Convocation” means assembly. “On the first day shall be an holy convocation.…On the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord: it is a solemn assembly” (vss. 35, 36). “On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly” (Num. 29:35). “On the eighth day they made a solemn assembly” (2 Chron. 7:9). “On the eighth day was a solemn assembly” (Neh.8:18). All this was a shadow. Notice that the eighth day, or first day of the week, stood out in great prominence.

The two feasts held on this day pointed to the two great triumphant events in the plan of redemption; viz., the resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the type, the eighth day was a day of assembly, a day when sacrifice by fire was offered to the Lord. This fore­shadowed the great memorial day of the gospel—the Lord’s Day. From the day on which Christ rose from the dead, the eighth day has been a day of assembling, a day of holy convocation for the church of God, a day when sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving by the Holy Spirit’s fire have been given to God.

Teachers Worried More Involved Parents Mean Less Sex - Ed Indoctrination
Aug 16th, 2020
CommentaryJONATHON VAN MAREN/BRIDGEHEAD.CA
Categories: Contemporary Issues

 BY JONA

A teacher within the school district of Philadelphia is lamenting the increased chance of parental oversight if classes are taught online amid the coronavirus crisis -- especially when it comes to so-called sex education.

"I am most intrigued by the damage that 'helicopter/snowplow' parents can do in honest conversations about gender/sexuality," the teacher said. The teacher, Matthew R. Kay, works for Philadelphia's Science Leadership Academy.

In 2018, he published his book Not Light, but Fire: How to Lead Meaningful Race Conversations in the Classroom. While his tweets are private, one Twitter user posted a screenshot of his thread of complaints.

"So, this fall, virtual class discussions will have many potential spectators -- parents, siblings, etc. -- in the same room," Kay began. "We'll never be quite sure who is overhearing the discourse. What does this do for our equity/inclusion work? How much have students depended on the (somewhat) secure barriers of our physical classrooms to encourage vulnerability? How many of us have installed some version of 'what happens here stays here' to help this?"

Kay then went on to mention "honest conversations about gender/sexuality" as an issue where parents who are involved in their children's education would be unhelpful.

Kay admitted that "'conservative' parents are my chief concern" but said "that the damage can come from the left too.

If we are engaged in the messy work of destabilizing a kids racism or homophobia or transphobia -- how much do we want their classmates' parents piling on?"

The Family Research Council (FRC) in May released a publication on "Sex Education in Public Schools" outlining how "sex ed programs push the limits on what is appropriate, both in terms of the material presented to students and the age at which it is presented."

Often, parents are unaware that these things are happening at school. According to the publication, "parents have two main concerns about sex ed to-day: That it sexualizes children and that it is load-ed with LGBTQ indoctrination."

 Consider that for a moment: Many teachers are actively attempting to indoctrinate kids without the knowledge of parents to ensure that the children will reject the views of the parents.

Parents are essentially seen as an impediment to the state's ability to raise and educate children as they see fit. This is especially true with the issue of transgenderism.

Abigail Shrier, the author of the recent book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters details how public schools keep parents in the dark even when children request transition and ask to be called by a different name.

And Robert Hoogland, a man from British Columbia was told by the courts that he must refer to his daughter as his son or be considered guilty of "family violence," and could risk having his child taken away from him.  Roger realized later that the school his daughter went to was bent on affirming a new gender identity for his child.

Revelation 11:3 - 5
Aug 16th, 2020
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Prophecy;Book Study

In verses 1,2 the Altar, the Temple and the Worshippers have been measured and found wanting. Israel is not ready for the kingdom and the blessing to be bestowed on them.

Verses 1,2 deal with the first half of the tribulation period, verse 3 deals also with the first half of the tribulation period. "And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy (preach) a thousand two hundred and threescore days, ..." The Lord sends two witnesses to Jerusalem to preach the gospel of the kingdom. The means of salvation is always the same, the method of savation never changes, it is always by repentance and faith in Gods' provision for sin, the sacrificial death of Christ and the shedding of His blood.

However the blessings of salvation are different, for the Christian, it is to be forever with Christ in heaven, for Israel it is to be a part of the earthly millenial kingdom, for the tribulation saints, it is to be before the throne of God forever (Revelation 7:13-17).

The question always arises as to who the two witnesses are?

Some have suggested that one of the witnesses is Enoch because he never experienced physical death. Genesis 5:24 says, "Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him". However Enoch was a gentile and these two witnesses are obviously Israelites, Enoch does not meet the qualifications. It seems to me that the obvious choice would be Elijah and Moses. Malachi 4:5-6 says that Elijah will come before the Day of the Lord. The most convincing evidence is the appearance of Moses and Elijah on the mount of transfiguration, talking with Christ, and sharing in the glory of the coming kingdom.

Verse 5, we see the two witnesses calling down fire from heaven to kill those who would attempt to kill them, Elijah called down fire from heaven to kill those who sought to kill him. Verse 6, we see them shutting the heaven that it rain not, that is exactly what Elijah did. They evidently produce signs and wonders even as Moses did. We see them smiting the earth with "all plagues" even as Moses did.

Notice their message, in verse 3, they preach, "clothed in sackcloth", every Israeli knows that this is the garment of grief and repentance. They are calling for repentance in an hour of great wickedness.

We need to be constantly reminded that God hates sin with an incredible and eternal hatred, we look into the eternal fires of hell to see the awful hatred of God for sin. We look to calvary to see God's amazing mercy and grace, we are also reminded that God's mercy and grace is conditioned upon repentance and faith, faith that demonstrates its validity by actions. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Bring forth works meet for repentance".

Here we see both God's mercy and God's anger at sin in the ministries of the two witnesses. We live in the age of grace, a time when God delays judgment for sin, the tribulation period will be time when sin will be directly and immediately judged by God. Shortly after the mid-tribulation point two thirds or more of the worlds population will have been killed for their sinfulness. Those who refuse to accept that God is God of Judgment have never read the bible, the bible is filled with judgment from cover to cover. Those who do not believe that God would send men and women to an eternal hell will find out when it will be forever too late.

Narrow is the Way
Aug 16th, 2020
CommentaryArt Sadlier
Categories: Exhortation;Warning

The other night I awoke from my sleep and as I lay there my spirit was troubled. I thought upon the issues surrounding the life of the Christian. I thought about separation from error and apostasy, I thought about separation from the world, from worldliness. I thought about spiritual decline and the love of the world in the lives of so many professing believers. I thought about the translation issue and how so few seemed to understand. The contemporary issues of the church and the believer swirled around in my mind. Am I right and so many wrong?

I had a sense of how isolated I was from so many around me, who claim to be believers. I began to cry out to God to give me wisdom and understanding. Lord, teach me your way, help me to discern where I am right and where I might be wrong.

As I lay there, suddenly out of the blue, there came to me the words of Jesus. “Straight is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

I realized afresh that we cannot change the demands of Christ and the Words of Christ in order to open the gate to all those who profess to be believers. That renews our confidence on the narrow road we are walking.  It also leaves us trembling for the many that seem to be self-deceived into thinking they are believers when they give so little evidence of it.

The Words of Jesus ring out, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-23).

Let the Headlines Speak
Aug 16th, 2020
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

For The Full Story Click on the Individual News Item

“Ghost Town”: Shocking Dystopian Video Of NYC Shows An Abandoned And Boarded Up 5th Avenue
“This is all Manhattan, boarded up. Have you ever seen Manhattan look like this? The media will not report this.”

‘Sterilizing children’ bill heads to Calif. Senate floor amid public outcry 
A committee in the California state Senate voted earlier this week to approve a bill creating a fund for experimental medicalized gender-transition procedures, including cross-sex hormones and body-altering surgeries for both minors and legal adults.

16 Facts That Prove America Is in Deep Trouble and Why ‘The Return’ Is so Critical
Is this the generation that will witness the end of America? Throughout human history, every great society has eventually entered a period of decline, and sadly that is happening to us as well.

Islamists Storm Christian Church in Nigeria, Killing Four Worshipers
A band of armed jihadists stormed the Lion of Judah Christian church in Azikoro, southern Nigeria, last week, shooting four of the faithful dead.

Israel rejects $1.5B Chinese water plant after Pompeo said it could affect working relationship with US
In an interview with Kan 11, a public broadcasting television channel, during his trip to Israel in mid-May, Pompeo said: “We do not want the Chinese Communist Party to have access to Israeli infrastructure, Israeli communication systems, all of the things that put Israeli citizens at risk and in turn put the capacity for America to work alongside Israel on important projects at risk, as well.”

California rejected 100,000 mail-in ballots because of mistakes
More than 100,000 mail-in ballots were rejected by California election officials during the March presidential primary, according to data obtained by The Associated Press that highlights a glaring gap in the state’s effort to ensure every vote is counted.

San Francisco Sen. Scott Wiener introduces bill to decriminalize men having sex with boys (and left-wing media DEFENDS it)
San Francisco state Senator Scott Wiener has introduced a new bill to decriminalize adult men having sex with boys and he and his allies in the media are smearing all opposition as “homophobic” and “anti-Semitic.”

Chicago Spent $66 Million on Hospital That Treated 38 Coronavirus Patients
Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot’s (D.) decision to renovate a local convention center into a makeshift coronavirus hospital cost taxpayers nearly $66 million—though only 38 patients received treatment at the facility, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on Friday.

Islamists Storm Christian Church in Nigeria, Killing Four Worshipers
A band of armed jihadists stormed the Lion of Judah Christian church in Azikoro, southern Nigeria, last week, shooting four of the faithful dead.

VICTORY! California Judge Says John MacArthur Can Hold Indoor Church
A California judge today ruled that Pastor John MacArthur and Grace Community Church can hold indoor church services and they can even sing songs.

Fiend who raped, murdered two Westchester moms is being freed
A man who beat, raped and murdered two moms as their young children listened to their screams in a Westchester County home invasion is about to be freed by the state parole board… But this year, the coronavirus surfaced.

They Caved: Project Veritas’ James O’Keefe Emerges Victorious in Second Amendment Fight With FBI
Project Veritas’ James O’Keefe tried to buy a firearm and was denied a few days ago. He later discovered that he was on the prohibited person list regarding the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Was this an error?

America Is a Hard Country to Kill and That Is Why Various Nation-Destroying Plots are Being Perfected in Australia, New Zealand, Venezuela
In the vernacular, this is a set up piece. The purpose of this article is to present a general overview of a theme. The theme is the takedown of the United States by any means necessary.

Drag Story Hour Twitter Account Claims ‘Love Has No Age’ in Controversial Tweet The UK Drag Queen Story Hour Twitter account was locked after drawing fury from various social media users due to a post containing a pro-pedophilia message.

The CHICOMS Have Troops and the Ability to Cross America’s Northern Border In Force
…At the present time, we have a large contingent of CHICOM troops operating in Western Canada just north of the US/Canadian border. The CHICOMS are moving drugs with the help of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The CHICOMS control British Columbia’s largest port, just like they did Long Beach before Trump put a stop to it.

Know That the Lord Hath Set Apart Him That is Godly for Himself - Psalm 4:3
Aug 16th, 2020
Morning MeditationF. B. Meyer
Categories: Meditation;Inspirational;Book Study

The Lord sets apart for his own enjoyment. - " A garden enclosed is my sister." Out of the wild prairie Christ encloses favoured bits of land, that they may become fair gardens in which to walk. God must have spirits with which He can commune; and therefore He shuts selected ones away in sick chambers, in loneliness, and in prisons, that there may be nothing to divert them from the holy intercourse with Himself which is his refreshment and delight.

The Lord sets apart for fellowship in intercessory prayer. - He leads three of the apostles into the shadows of Gethsemane, that they may add their intercessions with his. In each church there is a favoured band to whom He tells his secret anxiety for other souls, and whom He leads out in prayer on the behalf of them and of the world.

The .Lord sets apart for service. - Those that separate themselves from evil become vessels unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master's use. Do not be surprised if you are withdrawn from the madding crowd, from the ambitions and interests of earlier years; it is the Lord's way of engaging you for special service.

We can never forget how the Holy Ghost bade the early Church separate Barnabas and Saul to their appointed ministry. They were separated unto the Holy Ghost. A similar separation may become ours. Let us live in the world as those who are set apart for God, like the Temple vessels that might not be put, as Belshazzar attempted to put them, to idolatrous and lascivious purposes. Oh to know what God means when He puts his reserve on the soul, and says, This is my rest for ever, here will I dwell!

Chinese Military Experts Urge Beijing to Prepare for War With U.S.
Aug 16th, 2020
CommentaryLAWRENCE A. FRANKLIN/GATESTONE INSTITUTE
Categories: Warning

Chinese military journalists are publicly urging the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to prepare immediately for an attack by U.S. forces in the South China Sea. One expert at Zhejiang University's National Institute for South China Sea Studies, Shi Xiaoqin, claims that the U.S. is deliberately trying to provoke China. They also suggest the regime reinforce Chinese installations on reefs claimed by China.

If this analysis gains traction by Chinese political and military leaders, U.S. military commanders in the South China Sea should plan for the possibility that China might initiate hostilities in keeping with its doctrine of preemptive retaliation, a seeming attempt falsely to claim "self-defense."

One writer suggests that the PLA should immediately move fighter aircraft to Chinese air bases in the Spratly Islands at Fiery Cross, Subi Reef, and Mischief Reef. He also boldly claims that the augmented presence of U.S. naval and air assets in the South China Sea is no longer just a show of force by America.

Chen Hu, a Chinese military journalist, also asserts that the U.S. is now intent on provoking a conflict and is preparing for battle. Chen claims that the return of B1 bombers to Guam and continued deployment of two U.S. aircraft carrier groups in the South China Sea, despite the conclusion of military exercises, is supposedly a sign of Washington's aggressive intent.

Chen suggests that recent U.S. "Freedom of Navigation" maneuvers and the high number of U.S. surveillance collection missions along the Chinese coast is additional proof of American attack planning. Former PLA officer Wang Yunfei and naval equipment expert suggests that flights by American RC-135, E-8c, and RC-12X surveillance aircraft equate to "pre-battle strategic technical surveillance." As the joke goes from the children's playground: "It all started when he hit me back."

Wang further warns that U.S. President Donald J. Trump is likely to initiate a military conflict in the South China Sea region before the November 3 U.S. presidential election, speculating that "stirring up external frictions, especially military conflicts with China, will help the incumbent president for his re-election campaign."

The leaders of China's Communist Party (CCP) also see that nothing was done by anyone, including the U.S., to stop China's grab of Hong Kong this year -- 27 years early. This paralysis of the West must have looked to the CCP like a green light to keep on grabbing.

Wang even lays out his analysis on particular avenues of approach by which U.S. bombers might attack their Chinese targets. Wang, now a Chinese naval specialist, writes that the U.S. will probably ship-launch Tomahawk Cruise against Chinese bases in the South China Sea.

He further specifies that the PLA should deploy China's own aircraft carriers in the south central region of the sea, as the best strategy to counter any U.S. assault. He adds that China must also deploy fighter jets and air defense missiles on various Chinese reefs.

Wang singled out the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea's Paracel Island Chain as the most likely initial piece of real estate that the U.S. might seek to seize. The Scarborough (Huangyan) Shoal/Reef is claimed by both China and the Republic of the Philippines.

Perhaps one reason why China might expect that Scarborough Shoal is a likely target is that the U.S. wants to re-cement military agreements with the Philippines that would allow American military assets access to Clark Air Force Base, Subic Bay Naval Base and other newer facilities. U.S. support for Manila's claim to the Scarborough Shoal against China's might be sufficient to convince the mercurial president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, to patch up relations with the U.S.

Chinese writer Zheng Hao, who assesses that it is possible that U.S.-Chinese tensions in the South China Sea could escalate into a "hot war," cites U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's July 13 statement that the South China Sea is "not China's maritime empire" as indicative of the Trump Administration's hostile intent.

Zheng appears to be especially concerned about the July 7 U.S.-Japan naval exercise, which included an operation by the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan and two warships of the Japanese Maritime Defense Forces. Zheng laments that the 2018 draft of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea has not yet been signed by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China.

One hope to avoid or at least postpone an imminent clash in the South China Sea is for China and the U.S. to activate the crisis prevention apparatus established in November 2014. This diplomatic device includes a Memorandum of Understanding on notification of military activities and rules of behavior designed to keep air and naval encounters peaceful.

So far, there is no public acknowledgement that either China or the U.S. is employing the crisis prevention mechanism. One recent sign of efforts by both sides to avoid a military incident was the Pentagon's August 7 announcement that U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and his Chinese counterpart, Minister of Defense Wei Fenghe, held a 90-minute teleconference last week.

China, however, has been the party with the hostile intent, not only with Hong Kong, but also with an attack on northern India, an extensive military base build-up in the South China Sea, an attempted appropriation of the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands and a "fishing fleet" of 250 vessels showing up near the Galapagos Islands, off Ecuador.

Another recent move from Beijing was to conduct live-fire targeting drills in the South China Sea from July 25 through August 2. The announcement of this exercise was promulgated by the PLA and not, as is usual, by the Chinese government's maritime administration.

If China continues its aggressive posture toward the U.S.-allied free states of Asia, especially Taiwan, a direct confrontation between the Chinese and U.S. militaries in the South China may indeed be necessary.

Assisted Suicide for the Healthy - Euthanasia's Slippery Slope
Aug 16th, 2020
CommentaryJOHN STONESTREET/BREAKPOINT.ORG
Categories: Warning

Physician-assisted suicide is sold to the public as a "compassionate" measure, necessary to spare those with no reasonable chance of recovery the unbearable pain and suffering of the last days of their lives.

In every context in which it has been made legal, however, what might be called euthanasia-by-another-name has never remained limited to the rare instances on which it was sold.

There are reasons this slope has proven so slippery, literally everywhere it has been made legal. Once it is decided that certain lives are not worth living, the list of people eligible for physician-assisted suicide inevitably grows.

As the list of people without intrinsic value grows, it becomes impossible not to re-evaluate lives based on some other criteria, perhaps convenience or financial costs. It's a small step indeed from "eligible to die" to "expected to die."

Wherever doctor assisted suicide is legalized, in a bait-and-switch from what is sold to the public, the category of "terminal" illness is often expanded to include "chronic" illnesses and permanent disabilities.

Even mental illness and depression are now considered sufficient justification for suicide in places such as Belgium and the Netherlands. Given this trajectory, it's only a matter of time before we dispense with the requirement of any illness whatsoever.

In fact, that's what has just happened in the Netherlands. A recently introduced bill there would "allow healthy individuals over the age of 75 to request assisted suicide, if they have had a 'strong death wish for at least two months.'"

The bill, which is expected to be up for a vote sometime in 2021, would, according to the bill's sponsor, give the elderly "...the choice at an advanced age, if they consider their lives complete, to die with dignity, with careful help."

Thankfully, the two Christian parties in the governing coalition are strongly opposing the measure, but it will not be easy to keep it from becoming law. After all, the bill is the next logical step in the Dutch trajectory. Having embraced what novelist Walker Percy called "Thanatos Syndrome," every promise to limit euthanasia in any way has not only been broken, but any so-called "safeguards" have been swept aside.

For example, the people were promised that only those certifiably in their right minds would be euthanized. That was a lie. Anyone who goes into an American emergency room and tells doctors they had a "strong death wish" and were "done with life" would be diagnosed with "suicidal ideation" and immediately admitted to the psych ward.

To not do so, in fact, would be medical malpractice. Suicidal ideation is rightly regarded as a symptom of an underlying mental disorder. People with untreated mental illnesses are not allowed to make life-and-death decisions.

Or at least they weren't. In Oregon, since doctor-assisted-suicide was legalized, over 96 percent of people given lethal drugs did not undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Not to evaluate is neglect, but if this Dutch bill becomes law, any elderly person who admits suicidal wishes will be referred to those who will help them turn their desires into reality.

This is why, as our recent "What Would You Say" video so clearly explained, there's nothing compassionate about physician-assisted-suicide. In fact, it is the exact opposite of compassion, the abdication of a civilized people's responsibility to offer compassion to those who need it most when they need it most.

In his book The Thanatos Syndrome, Walker Percy described how a society devolves to the point of thinking that killing patients instead of healing them is compassionate. A psychiatrist, he wrote of well-trained and exquisitely credentialed doctors who "turn their backs on the oath of Hippocrates and kill millions of old useless people, unborn children, born malformed children, for the good of mankind."

Percy's literary prophecy, written in 1987, is becoming reality. Some form of assisted suicide is now legal in nine states and the District of Columbia. That number will only grow unless we convince people what true compassion is and make the idea that assisted suicide is compassionate unthinkable.