Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

The World and the Church Without God
Aug 17th, 2020
CommentaryRoger Oakland
Categories: Exhortation

I am not a columnist for Wall Street Journal or a writer for the London Times. In fact, I am really a farmer with a ministry who loves the Lord and has a heart for exposing deception and pointing people to the truth. I only have a degree in Biology and have never studied journalism. However, there is one thing I know. The Bible has given me instruction in many areas of life. Common sense is one of them.

At the present time, the world is in absolute chaos. No individual or government of any nation knows what to do. Neither does the so-called United Nations able to legislate peace in the world. Countries hate one another. Terrorists cut off heads in the name of God and then promote their activities by what is called the social media.

Children are brainwashed and allow suicide bombs to be strapped to their bodies in order to kill adults who belong to a different religion. The Pope tells the world that all religions worship the same God. Can someone please stand up with the truth and say what is going on?

Without the Bible, none of this makes sense. We live in a fallen world. Satan, the great deceiver, has influenced the affairs of man since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. If one believes this in today’s world, and even in what is called the evangelical church, he is considered to be on the lunatic fringe. Satan has been explained away, and people do not believe God is still on the throne.

Man makes a feeble attempt to resolve global problems man’s way. Those running for President or other political positions debate endlessly over non issues while leaders of countries threaten to wipe out the world with nuclear weapons for the sake of power and greed.

Darwinian evolution provides the foundation for Marxist atheism and its cousin, humanism. Public schools, and now even “Christian” colleges and seminaries, have bought the lie. Young people have been brainwashed to believe they are no different than brute-like apes and then play the role.

Without God’s revelation to man found in God’s Word, society is led by false ideologies and religions that masquerade as the truth. Entire nations are held in darkness. Nations that perhaps started out right end up wrong. History repeats itself over and over.

From a biblical perspective, we are living at a period of history that was prophesied thousands of years ago. While the signposts are everywhere, the masses are blind. Professing Christians who say they believe in God are some of the worst offenders and most deceived. They should be able to see what is happening and warn others. Instead, they relegate Bible prophecy to mythology and waste their energy being purpose-driven or finding ways to get closer to Jesus through eastern mysticism.

When someone sounds the alarm, they are considered by the majority to be “the haters.” Making reference to the pleas of the Old Testament prophets to return to righteousness, their former colleagues or even church members hurl nasty names at them. Claiming to be God-loving Bible-believing Christians, they see those who are warning them as the enemy. Receiving the truth is not something they accept. For them, truth is now relative as they have fallen victim to the postmodern ecumenical mindset that all views are acceptable.

Of course while claiming that all views are acceptable, there is one view they have rejected. No longer are they obedient to God and God’s Word. Instead of teaching the Word, they tell stories. Instead of warning about hell and a lost eternity, they talk about how you can have whatever you want and be whatever you want to be. These wolves in sheep’s clothing are devouring flock after flock.

The churches that succeed are no longer churches. Instead, they become entertainment centers for adults, teens, and children. Venues are created to please everyone. One week there is a petting zoo, the next an art gallery. Every week the acid rock bands play, and the people love it so. Hymn books are discarded along with the doctrines of the Bible they once taught. Now, repetitive choruses repeat phrases over and over (phrases that say nothing about the Bible but describe the feelings one experiences from singing).

What is the solution? Get back to the Bible. Jesus is coming soon!

Riots and Protests from Portland to Jerusalem
Aug 17th, 2020
CommentaryCAROLINE GLICK/JNS.ORG
Categories: Warning

Over the past several years, public discourse in the United States has seen a lot of new lows. It saw another one this month when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi referred to federal officers in Portland, Oregon as "stormtroopers," that is, Nazi Brownshirts.

In a tweet on July 18 and in subsequent remarks, Pelosi accused the federal forces deployed to Portland of "kidnapping protesters and causing severe injuries in response to graffiti."

Pelosi's allegations would cause a political earthquake--if they were true. But they aren't true. And the fact that she slandered federal officers as Nazis is a deeply disturbing testament to where the Democratic Party--of which she is the senior elected official--stands today and what its intentions are.

For the past two months, the progressive city of Portland in the progressive state of Oregon, has been the scene of chaos and rioting. The liberal media have misleadingly characterized the riots as "peaceful demonstrations."

Night after night, hundreds of "peaceful demonstrators" have vandalized and destroyed stores and other businesses, transforming downtown Portland into a war zone. Over the past five weeks, the focal point of the violence has been the federal courthouse.

"Peaceful protesters" from Antifa and other radical groups have been attacking the federal courthouse in Portland with incendiary devices including pipe bombs and commercial grade fireworks. Federal officers charged with guarding the courthouse have been blinded with lasers and attacked with stones, metal balls shot from slingshots, bricks and two-by-fours, among other things.

The rioters are backed in their efforts by city and state officials as well as national Democrats, who have castigated federal forces protecting the courthouse as "occupiers," the "Gestapo" and of course, "stormtroopers."

As for the alleged "kidnapping" of peaceful protesters, local journalist Andy Ngo explained this week that Pelosi's statement channeled Antifa propaganda.

Ngo told Fox News, "That's an Antifa talking point that is being repeated by sympathetic media."

He explained that federal officers charged with protecting federal property are using plainclothes agents in unmarked vehicles to peacefully apprehend leaders of the violence. This is a routine, entirely legal tactic which Ngo explained is only being castigated now is because "it is quite effective."

On the face of it, as Democratic politicians, Pelosi and her colleagues in Congress and Oregon should support the federal forces trying to end the riots. After all, like New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and Los Angeles, Portland is a Democratic city. The businesses being destroyed are owned by their voters.

So why are Pelosi and her partisan colleagues and their media adjuncts instead depicting the rioters rendering downtown Portland a war zone as "peaceful protesters" and slandering the law enforcement officers defending federal property as Nazis?

The obvious answer is politics. The Democrats support the rioters because as they see things, the longer chaos reigns in the streets of America's cities, the better their chances of defeating President Donald Trump in November.

The Democrats have a number of resources that the Republicans lack and the riots bring them all to bear.

They have fanatical progressive activists angry that Bernie Sanders isn't the nominee but willing to burn America.

They have wall-to-wall support from the media, from NBC to The New York Times to Facebook and Twitter.

The Democrats have limitless funds to maintain the violence and mayhem indefinitely. This week, Alexander Soros, George Soros' son, announced that the family foundation has earmarked another quarter billion dollars to Black Lives Matter. And the Soroses are not alone.

As the past four years of Trump-Russia mythology and legally baseless, politicized prosecutions and investigations have shown, the Democrats control much of the so-called deep state that controls the levers of the permanent bureaucracy.

The Trump-Russia collusion narrative largely disintegrated under the weight of evidence and the absurd impeachment process over the past several months. And with its decline the Democrats began casting about for a new cause.

They found it with the coronavirus pandemic. In one fell swoop, the virus from China swept away Trump's fast-growing economy with record low unemployment across all ethnic and racial groups.

With schools abruptly closed and jobs abruptly lost, the optimistic America of 2019 became the destabilized, poor, frustrated and insecure America of 2020.

Yet, despite the best efforts of the commentators, support for Trump was not falling apart, at least not enough to ensure an electoral victory for Joe Biden. And Americans were beginning to figure out a way through, as the rising stock market indexes indicated.

But then came the riots. The proximate cause of the riots and protests was the police killing of George Floyd. But their context was the pandemic and the elections in November. The riots gave the Democrats a way to galvanize their radical progressive base (on the streets, in Congress and in the media) around their favorite issues--race and identity politics.

For the Democrats, the best part of the riots is that unlike the pandemic, for demonstrators and their media flacks, it is easy to make the case that Trump is to blame.

Trump's in charge and America is burning. Trump's to blame. Trump's in charge and there is racism in America. Trump's to blame.

If Trump quells the riots, he will be guilty of police brutality (with stormtroopers)--thus proving the point. If he fails to quell the riots, he is an ineffective boob. And so, with a bottomless pit of money, the riots will continue, at least so long as the Democrats feel they benefit from them and haven't figured out something else to do.

The demonstrations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that have been going on for weeks outside the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem, with satellite demonstrations in Tel Aviv, serve a similar function in Israel.

Like their American counterparts, the Israeli demonstrations are massively and sympathetically covered by the media, and enthusiastically supported by politicians from leftist parties. Like their American counterparts, they are disruptive and incredibly loud.

The Israeli protesters aren't as violent as their American peers, but their messages of hatred of Netanyahu are violent and there have been some violent incidents, which seem to be growing, over the past week or so. Certainly, the number of death threats against Netanyahu and his family published by leftists on social media has grown steeply over the past several weeks.

The protests in Israel serve the same purpose for their Israeli organizers as the American ones do for their organizers. The demonstrations in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are being conducted to incite hatred of Netanyahu as the enemy of the people and to instill the sense that the country is spinning out of control.

Just as Pelosi and her colleagues demonize law enforcement officers trying to restore order and safety in places like Portland, Seattle and Chicago, the media and Netanyahu's opponents in Knesset condemn the police for any effort to arrest demonstrators. If federal officers are "stormtroopers," the police outside the Prime Minister's Residence are the "personal protection force for the Netanyahu family."

There are stark differences between the U.S. and Israeli left, which point less to the goals of the protests than to the threat they pose to the long-term stability of both societies. The main difference is the ideological nature of the two lefts.

The American left has an ideological/religious bent. Progressivism, the creed of the American left, is a hybrid of political rather than economic communism and totalitarian messianism. It is anti-American and anti-Semitic. And while its popularity has grown, it doesn't enjoy the support of anything close to a majority of Americans.

In Israel, in contrast, the left is post-religious and ideologically bankrupt. Its two gods--peace and surrender--came crashing down 20 and 15 years ago, respectively. The failure of the Camp David peace summit in July 2000 and the start of the Palestinian terror war in September 2000 killed the religion of peace.

The left's "unilateral withdrawal" god was shattered when months after Israel expelled its citizens from Gaza and handed the area over to the PLO in August 2005, Hamas seized power and embarked on a war against Israel that has yet to end.

Although bereft of an ideological message to sell the public, the left in Israel has considerable power. Its control over Israel's deep state--including the entire legal system--is far more comprehensive than the American left's control over its state apparatuses.

The Israeli left controls most media organs, the universities and cultural institutions. It has limitless funding from foreign governments and private foundations in Europe and the United States.

And the Israeli left has demonstrators who are willing to cause mayhem to promote hatred of Netanyahu.

Like their American counterparts, the demonstrations in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are happening in the context of the pandemic. The demonstrators have hitched a ride on the economic distress the pandemic has induced. They also benefit from the closure of the public sphere.

With the bars and nightclubs shut down--and all travel abroad blocked until further notice--young people looking for a way to get together have only one option. The anti-Netanyahu demonstrations are the only parties in the country.

No matter who wins in November, it's hard to see how the situation in the United States will stabilize and how order will be restored. The rise of progressive politicians at the expense of moderate Democrats indicates the radicalization of the American left is not a flash in the pan. One electoral cycle won't fix what has been broken incrementally over five decades.

In Israel, in the absence of an ideological left, the main and most tangible danger posed by the demonstrations is that one of the incited protesters will try to kill Netanyahu and his family. Threats to assassinate the prime minister and his wife and children have proliferated on social media as the massively and sympathetically covered protests have grown more incendiary.

But as far as Israeli society as a whole is concerned, so long as Netanyahu and his family remain safe, the protests are not likely to gain much traction. The public on both the right and the left are more moderate than they were 25 years ago. Netanyahu's public resilience--despite the left's 25-year campaign to destroy him--is proof of the limits of the left's power.

There are many conservative commentators on the right side of America's unbridgeable political divide that believe the U.S. public will respond at the ballot box to the violence in their streets by reelecting Trump. Author Victor Davis Hanson wrote this week about the coming "counter-revolution."

In Israel's case, elections, and counter-revolutions, while necessary to enact the reforms required to rein in the deep state and restore Israel's democratic order, probably won't be needed to end the demonstrations. How many people will choose to stand outside screaming once the pubs reopen?

Revelation 11: 4-6 - Exploring Revelation
Aug 17th, 2020
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Prophecy;Book Study

This week we want to look further at the two witnesses. We stated last week that in our opinion the two witnesses are Moses and Elijah. Remember that immediately after the rapture there are no saved people on the earth, God has no witness on the earth. We know that God never leaves himself without a witness, and so immediately God sends the two witnesses to this world scene. The two witnesses begin to preach the gospel, first to the144,000 Jews who will be saved,12,000 from each of the tribes of Israel, and then a great mutitude of all nations are saved. In Revelation 7:9,14 we read about this multitude who have been saved and martyred for their faith in Christ, we see them in heaven after their martyrdom.

The world will be on rampage against God and His people. ( we read now about Iran and Hezzbollah, passing a law that permits the crucifixation of Christians, this seems to be preparation for the tribulation slaughter of the Saints). What satanic hatred there is in the hearts of men against God's people. Persecution and martyrdom today is greater than in the early centuries of church history. In that coming day all restraints will be removed from satan and the rebellious people of that time.

Verse 4, is a reference to Zechariah 3-4, the two witnesses are like oil lamps as they shine forth the truth in their witness.

Verse 5, tells us that these two witnesses will bring fire down upon those who oppose them. Why do these two witnesses bring such awful judgment on men? The answer is that God is a God of judgment who will judge men who reject His love. Men are deceived who think God is a God of love who will not punish men for sin. Those who have read the Old Testament understand the extent of God's burning anger against sin. To understand something of God's anger against sin look into the eternal fires of hell. Don't learn that lesson too late.

Verse 6, fits Moses and Elijah. Elijah prayed that the rain would be shut up from Heaven and it was for 3 1/2 years. Moses called down the plagues upon Eygpt. Evidently as they preach the message of repentance and faith many will scorn the message of the witnesses and try to kill them. The world will watch as Moses and Elijah call down fire and plagues upon a Christ rejecting world. Many will be convinced and be converted as a result of the actions of the witnesses. Moses and Elijah represent the salvation of the Lord from physical and spiritual bondage.

In the midst of judgment God will remember mercy, those who oppose and reject will be destroyed and those who repent and turn in faith to Christ will be saved. Here we have a vivid demonstration of the story of all of history, those who will repent and be saved and those who reject God,s love and mercy and are eternally damned. The last days will highlight this story of the human race. 

This is a dramatic and climatic episode in the conflict of the ages between God and satan.

Today as we preach the gospel, we are not unlike the two witnesses, though we do not bring temporal judgment upon those who reject our message, but the rejection of the gospel brings eternal judgment. It is an awesome responsibility to be a witness of Christ.

Next week we will look at the satanic war on the two witnesses.

Let the Headlines Speak
Aug 17th, 2020
Daily NewsFrom the Internet
Categories: Today's Headlines

For The Full Story Click on the Individual News Item

Trump Reacts to FBI Lawyer Guilty Plea: ‘That’s Just the Beginning’
President Donald Trump on Friday reacted to the news that former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith would plead guilty for doctoring an email in an application for surveillance of the Trump campaign. “That’s just the beginning I would imagine,” Trump said, describing Clinesmith as “a corrupt attorney” working for “James Comey’s very corrupt FBI.”

Huge Guilty Plea in RussiaGate Ignored by CNN and MSNBC Prime Time
Kevin Clinesmith, a former FBI lawyer, is expected to plead guilty to falsifying an email regarding former Trump aide Carter Page’s past association with the CIA. CNN and MSNBC employ at least three former FBI and CIA officials as analysts, though none appeared on air to discuss the Clinesmith case.

Trump says he will look ‘very strongly’ at granting pardon to whistleblower Edward Snowden
President Donald Trump said Saturday he’s considering granting a pardon to whistleblower Edward Snowden. “I’m going to take a look at that very strongly,” Trump said during a news conference at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey.

California Set To Pass The Nation’s First Wealth Tax Targeting The Ultra Rich
the SF Chronicle reporting that a group of CA state lawmakers on Thursday proposed a first-in-the-nation state wealth tax that would hit about 30,400 California residents and raise an estimated $7.5 billion for the general fund. “we can’t simply rely on austerity measures,” to close it. It wasn’t immediately clear why austerity doesn’t work considering that California has never actually tried it, but in any case the Democrat’s proposal was clear: “We must consider revenue generation.”

BEASTMODE: O’Brien Says Only Opponents of Israel-UAE Deal Are Ayatollah and Ben Rhodes
National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien said Sunday that the only two people who opposed the historic agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates were the ayatollah of Iran and former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes. “I think getting out of the JCPOA was the predicate for this fantastic deal between UAE and Israel,” he said on Meet the Press. “I never thought I would see President Trump being endorsed by Thomas Friedman on this deal and David Ignatius and others. I think the only people who were against the deal were the ayatollah and maybe Ben Rhodes.” Rhodes advised President Barack Obama on foreign policy and is best-known for his boasts to the New York Times about lying to neophyte reporters about the Iran nuclear deal. He is now an NBC News and MSNBC contributor.

Grade school requiring children to study ‘Book About Whiteness’
A grade school in a wealthy Pennsylvania school district is requiring children to study a book called “Not My Idea: A Book About Whiteness,” which claims “white people who relate to police officers or decline to watch the news are complicit in racism.”

DFL candidate supported by Walz screams at teenaged girls during Bob Kroll protest
A DFL-endorsed candidate for the Minnesota House screamed profanities at a group of teenaged girls during a protest Saturday outside the home of Bob Kroll in Hugo, Minnesota. “I’m a black man being terrorized by this f–ing Klansman right here,” shouted John Thompson, who won his primary Tuesday for House District 67A. “Y’all got the grand wizard living in your [vulgarity] neighborhood.” f– Hugo, Minnesota.”

Five countries that could be next to make peace with Israel
In the wake of the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, there are rumors that several other states could be next to sign an agreement with Israel. While there are hurdles to normalizing relations with some states in the Middle East, there are others who view the UAE decision as a trial balloon and will react positively based on how the next weeks and months play out between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi. What follows is a list of some countries that reports suggest may be in line to normalize relations.

Netanyahu: I have been talking to other Arab leaders apart from UAE
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News on Sunday that he has been speaking with leaders from Arab countries in addition to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following the American-mediated peace deal announced last week between the two countries.

Rare Triple Comet Makes Close Solar Pass as Cosmic Rays Increase
Earlier this month, a robotic satellite spotted a rare triple-comet flying past the sun. Scientists are unsure of the rare comet’s origins but it comes at a time when cosmic ray activity is on the increase in a manner that may have serious effects on the Earth’s climate. “Unfortunately, the prognosis for small fragmenting comets like this is not good,” he stated. “This was probably this comet’s first and last pass by the sun, as it has likely now crumbled away entirely. But SOHO will continue to keep watching the sun, and waiting for our next special cometary offering to come along.”

Lebanese President Open to Peace with Israel: ‘Facilitating Construction of 3rd Temple’ says Rabbi
A recent statement by Lebanon’s president suggested that he would be receptive to an agreement with Israel similar to the one signed with the United Arab Emirates. The announcement has huge political and security implications, suggesting that Hezbollah may be on its way out, but, more importantly, a pact of brotherhood with Lebanon would be an element in the construction of the Third Temple as it was in the days of King Solomon.

Freak Summer Fire-Ice Hail Storm hits California: As Written in Exodus
The conditions for the firenado began when a wildfire was reported on Friday afternoon, sending 300 firefighters from local agencies and the U.S. Forest Service to fight the fires. Despite their best efforts, by Saturday, the blaze spread to more than 2,000 acres and was only 5% contained. The NWS Reno office issued a warning that the fire tornadoes may be accompanied by penny-sized hail. The image of hail falling while a firenado ravaged the landscape is reminiscent of the Biblical seventh plague, hail, that appeared with its elemental opposite, fire.

Israel working on direct flights to Dubai over Saudi Arabia – Netanyahu
Israel is in talks to have direct flights to the United Arab Emirates fly over Saudi airspace, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on a visit to Ben-Gurion Airport on Monday. “It is a short flight of three hours, like to Rome, but it will greatly change Israeli aviation and the economy, with a great number of tourists on both sides and a great number of investments,” Netanyahu said.

Coronavirus: Japan suffers its biggest economic slump on record
The Japanese economy has shrunk at its fastest rate on record as it battles the coronavirus pandemic. The world’s third largest economy saw gross domestic product fall 7.8% in April-June from the previous quarter, or 27.8% on an annualised basis. Japan was already struggling with low economic growth before the crisis.

For 6th day straight, Israel strikes Gaza over balloon attacks
Israeli military attacked several sites belonging to the Hamas terror group in the Gaza Strip for a sixth night in a row over the continued incendiary balloon attacks and border unrest, the army confirmed early Monday. The army’s spokesperson said IDF tanks attacked two Hamas outposts in the coastal enclave after more than 30 fires broke out on Sunday…scorching over 250 dunams of land.

China welcomes Putin’s proposed summit on Iran
China welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposed summit of world leaders to avoid “confrontation” over a US attempt to trigger a return of all UN sanctions on Iran. The US lost a bid on Friday to extend a UN arms embargo on Iran. Russia and China opposed extending the weapons ban, which is due to expire in October under a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.

US helicopters attack Syrian army checkpoint: State media
Two US helicopters attacked a Syrian army checkpoint, killing one soldier and injuring two others, state media reported. The incident in northeastern Syria, near the largely Kurdish city of Qamishli, happened shortly after a US patrol was prevented from passing by an army checkpoint in the area on Monday, the agency SANA added.

Fears of new bloodbath in Idlib as Assad troops go on the offensive
Syrian leader Bashar Assad has re-mobilized his forces in northwest Syria, raising fears of a new bloodbath in militant-controlled Idlib province. The move follows Russia’s suspension of joint military patrols with Turkish armed forces along the M4 highway in what is supposed to be a de-escalation zone.

Where Was Five-Year-Old Cannon Hinnant’s ‘White Privilege’?
The murder of Cannon Hinnant exposed systemic bias in the mainstream media. The majority of news outlets not reporting the execution-style murder of a five-year-old white boy at the hands of a black neighbour wasn’t a glitch. WaPo dismissed concerns about media bias, claiming conservatives were politicizing Hinnant’s death because Hinnant’s family don’t believe “race was a motivating factor in the killing.”

Disney “Makes History” By Introducing Its First Bisexual Cartoon Character
“In [development] I was very open about my intention to put queer kids in the main cast…”

Macron to PA leader: Peace talks with Israel ‘a priority’
The resumption of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians remain a priority to reach a just solution in the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter on Sunday.

The Real Kamala Harris
Could the White House soon be occupied by a power-hungry authoritarian that will not hesitate to use the full power of the presidency to absolutely crush political enemies?  And no, I am not talking about Joe Biden.

Hollywood’s Apocalypse NOW: Rich and famous are fleeing in droves as liberal politics and coronavirus turn City of Dreams into cesspit plagued by junkies and violent criminals
Today, Los Angeles is a city on the brink. ‘For Sale’ signs are seemingly dotted on every suburban street as the middle classes, particularly those with families, flee for the safer suburbs, with many choosing to leave LA altogether.

Chinese security officials raid moms group affiliated with house church
Authorities in China’s Xiamen city raided a moms group affiliated with an influential house church as they held a meeting in a private home to talk about parenting. Officers accused the women of organizing “unauthorized” religious activities and apprehended them for interrogation at a police station, according to reports.

De Blasio’s New York: Bulletproof Vest Sales Are Skyrocketing In Parts Of The City
 “I love the city, but you can no longer feel at home and comfortable with a degree of safety.”

California plagued by scorching heat (130 degrees!), lightning, blackouts and even fire tornadoes
After a weekend of wild and scorching weather, California residents were warned Sunday to brace for the likelihood of rolling blackouts through Wednesday.

49 People Shot In Last 72 Hours In New York As City Hits Its “Expiration Date”
“We reached our New York expiration date. Things weren’t heading in the right direction. What we’re seeing now isn’t at all surprising.”

California Set To Pass The Nation’s First Wealth Tax Targeting The Ultra Rich
“Any tax that is actually effective at taxing wealth, however, would be equally effective at driving wealth out of state.

Abortions Are Tax Deductible? 100 Legislators Urge IRS to Change Tax Code – ‘Abortion Is Not Health Care’
More than 100 U.S. senators and representatives have signed a letter urging the Department of the Treasury to change IRS code so that abortion expenses are no longer tax deductible.

As Stealing Fuel Becomes More Difficult, Mexican Thieves Turn To Train Robbery
Last year an average of two railcars were robbed each week, but in the first six months of 2020 that number has increased to three per day, the newspaper Reforma reports.

Court sides with John MacArthur over church services
John MacArthur’s church has been told it can hold indoor worship with singing and no limit on the number of people attending.In-person services have continued to take place at MacArthur’s Grace Community Church in defiance of California’s lockdown orders.  MacArthur, whose church is located in Sun Valley, has maintained that the lockdown restrictions go too far.

How much is peace with the UAE worth?
Israel’s Economy Ministry is estimating that the new peace deal with the United Arab Emirates will lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in exports each year from Israel to the UAE, and in investments from the UAE into the Jewish state.

China decries US-Israel deal to exclude country from 5G network
Chinese media: “Chinese cities like Shanghai provided a safe haven to some 30,000 Jews fleeing Nazi Europe in WWII, but now Israel returns the favor by being a US poodle against China in 5G.”

Israel's Historic Deal With the Uae Could be Just the Beginning
Aug 17th, 2020
CommentaryISRAEL KASNETT/JNS.ORG
Categories: The Nation Of Israel

A joint statement by U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan--the crown prince of Abu Dhabi--announcing the "Abraham Accord," a peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, is the first since Jordan signed such an agreement in 1994. What does this deal include, and what does it portend for the future?

Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS that "the peace agreement paves the way for full normalization of diplomatic, trade and travel relations between Israel and the UAE."

But this is apparently only the start of a broader relationship between Israel and the Persian Gulf states.

Trump hinted as such during his statement to the press when he said, "I think you'll be seeing some very exciting things, including ultimately with the Palestinians."

Netanyahu also hinted at future diplomatic ties during his press conference when he said, "I believe there is a good chance we will soon see more Arab countries joining this expanding circle of peace."

Joshua Krasna, an expert on strategic and political developments in the Arab world at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, as well as a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told JNS that "over the last few years, there has been a slow, but steady buildup in relations between Israel and the Gulf states. Israeli businessmen have been going back and forth for a while, and Israeli ministers have attended conferences."

For example, former Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz visited Oman in 2018. Former Minister of Culture and Sport Miri Regev also visited the UAE that year.

"Since 2007, there has been a steady drumbeat of a message that Israel is improving its relations with moderate Arab countries," said Krasna.

But the big change came in 2018 when Netanyahu went to Oman. At the time, there was a great deal of talk that a diplomatic breakthrough was expected imminently.

The joint statement said that the three leaders had "agreed to the full normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates," and Krasna noted that the United States and Israel seem to be touting full normalization as a closed deal.

Still, Bin Zayed wrote on Twitter that the deal means "cooperation and setting a roadmap towards establishing a bilateral relationship," which is much softer and more ambiguous language.

Saudi Arabia has 'biggest decision to make of all'

The Arab Peace Initiative, a 2002 Saudi-led proposal that called for Israel's full withdrawal from the disputed territories in exchange for normalization with the Arab world as a starting point, has now been tossed out the window as clearly normalization has now come first.

According to Goldberg, Saudi Arabia now has "the biggest decision to make of all."

If presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden wins the U.S. election in November, Goldberg said "there are pro-Iran, anti-Gulf voices in the Democratic Party who will work to cut off U.S. arms sales to Riyadh next year."

If so, he noted, Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman will be "worse off politically if the UAE has a peace treaty with Israel and Saudi Arabia doesn't."

Goldberg even warned in an Aug. 7 Newsweek article of the consequences for Saudi Arabia and the UAE if they don't sign historic peace deals with Israel.

He wrote, "A Biden administration will be tempted to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal, returning to the Obama-era strategy of seeking a balance of power between the Islamic Republic and its Sunni Arab neighbors."

He also wrote that "with Iran once again flush with cash from U.S. sanctions relief and importing advanced conventional arms from Russia and China, MBS [Bin Salman] and MBZ [Bin Zayed] will have only one true ally in the Middle East: the State of Israel."

"Arab-Israel regional integration is critically important to isolate Iran," he added in his comments to JNS. "Iran's hold on the region will continue to weaken as its neighbors grow stronger both economically and strategically."

With regard to Israeli military cooperation with the UAE, Goldberg said "this certainly opens the door for expanded bilateral military relations and perhaps even multilateral military exercises hosted by the U.S."

According to Krasna, this is a win for both the UAE and Israel as "the UAE can claim it got annexation taken off the table. Netanyahu can claim a major achievement on the wider Arab-Israeli conflict front.

As opposed to the joint agreement that says annexation has been "suspended," Bin Zayed wrote on Twitter that "an agreement was reached to stop further Israeli annexation of Palestinian territories."

During his press conference, Netanyahu emphasized that annexation is still on the table, and that he plans to go through with it.

But according to Krasna, the current political climate doesn't allow Netanyahu to go ahead with it anyway, so with this deal, he "gets an elegant face-saving and significant reward for something he wasn't going to be able to do anyway. He wasn't going to be able to push the annexation, certainly not before the U.S. election."

Krasna said this is also a win for the United States as it gives Trump a major foreign-policy achievement ahead of the U.S. elections.

"It will give him a very strong win going into elections," he said.

Circling back to whether other Arab-world nations might follow suit and sign peace agreements with Israel, Goldberg said that over the last few years, "most people thought Bahrain would go first since they led the way on warming relations with Israel."

He predicted that Bahrain will be next to make peace with Israel.

"We should expect an announcement from Manama at some point soon," said Goldberg, adding that he presumes other nations will follow suit.

Crucified, and the Third Day Rise Again - Luke 24:7
Aug 17th, 2020
Morning MeditationF.B. Meyer
Categories: Commentary;Inspirational;Book Study

These are the two poles of Christian life-Death and Resurrection. That which was true in the history of our Lord must have its counterpart in our own experiences. That Jesus died and rose again is not only the dual basis of justification, but it is the dual basis of sanctification. Did He die? Then we must arm ourselves with the same mind. The crucifixion was not finished on Calvary; it has continued through all ages, and will continue unto the end; not in its mediatorial and atoning aspect, but with the view of each man denying himself and taking up his cross to follow daily. So also we are perpetually leaving the things of time and sense where Christ left His grave-clothes, and are pressing up and on in the wake of His resurrection and ascension.

It is a solemn question, how far we are participating in this daily dying and daily rising. "Be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed. Mortify your members which are upon the earth; seek those things which are above. If one died for all, then all died; that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again."

It is not that the old nature dies, but that we die to it. As a matter of experience and walk, the results will be very similar from either of these ways of stating the fact. But it is true to Scripture and experience also to speak of reckoning ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin - that is, the root-principle which so often fruits in sins. Reckon that the grave of Christ lies between thee and the solicitations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Deem thyself dead to thyself. All this, however, is only possible through the Holy Spirit.

Cardi B's New Hit Song Underscores Why We Need a Moral & Cultural Revolution
Aug 17th, 2020
CommentaryMICHAEL BROWN/ASKDRBROWN.ORG
Categories: Moral Decline

I'm quite aware that hip hop and rap lyrics have long been sexually explicit and vulgar. And I'm quite aware, that already in 1968, the Beatles were singing "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"

But when the latest hot song, expected to hit No. 1 next week, is too vulgar even to quote, and when you realize it will be sung by millions of young children, it's time to say, "Enough! We really need a gospel-based moral and cultural revolution."

Back in 2017, when Cardi B, the rapper and former stripper, began to skyrocket in fame, she said, "I realized, after Halloween, a lot of little girls, they be looking up to me. They love me, and I'm thinking to myself, like, 'yo, I really need to be a better example.'"

At that point, she had 12 million Instagram followers. Today she has 72 million. How many of them are "little girls"?

She continued, "But I be trying to be a better example, though, you know what I'm saying? I've been trying to be more PG-13, less rated R. But I be hanging out with my hood rat friends and then they [expletive] me up all over again."

Based on her latest hit, "WAP," which she performed together with Megan Thee Stallion, who is also known for salacious lyrics, it would appear that she was hanging out with her "hood rat friends" again. The results are virtually unquotable in a family friendly environment.

We're Wallowing in Moral and Sexual Pollution

Yet there is no doubt that little girls are singing along and dancing along to the filthy lyrics, even if they don't have the slightest idea what the words mean. As for the tens of millions who celebrate the song, they are a picture of just how depraved our culture has become.

In truth, this is nothing new, and music videos have been celebrating vulgarity for decades, with younger and younger audiences singing and dancing along.

But that doesn't mean we get used to it or we look the other way.

But that doesn't mean we get used to it or we look the other way. The truth is that the sexual revolution of the 1960s has scarred us more deeply than we imagine. We literally wallow in moral and sexual pollution. Not only so, but we glory in it. Filth has become a path to fame.

Yet my point here is not to attack the women who performed this song. As a preacher of the gospel, I recognize that all of us fall infinitely short of God's standards and that, through Jesus, all of us can receive mercy.

God's Mercy Transformed My Life

Speaking for myself, I started getting high at the age of 14 and was shooting heroin by the time I was 15. To my shame, I sunk as low as stealing money from my own father before having a radical conversion experience in 1971 at the age of 16.

God's mercy transformed my life, and I pray that Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion will receive His mercy too.

As for those who find nothing wrong with the content of their song, my point here is not to condemn them. The Church of America has little to boast about in terms of freedom from sexual and moral scandals. We dare not play the card of moral superiority.

My point is simply to say, no, to shout from the rooftops, "WAKE UP!"

We really are in a deep moral malaise. We really have become desensitized. We really are polluted.

You might say, "But how bad could this new song be? And, if lyrics like this have been around for a while, why make such a fuss about it?"

The answers are simple.

Our Society is Celebrating Filth. God's People Cannot Ignore That Which Grieves GodFirst, the lyrics are really, really bad. As Matt Walsh wrote on the Daily Wire, "I can't reprint any of the lyrics, but suffice it to say that the song begins and ends with the refrain 'there's some whores in this house' and everything that happens in between would seem very much to confirm those declarations."

Second, just because something has been around for a while doesn't mean we have to accept it. To the contrary, the longer the offense has been with us, the greater the outrage should be.

Third, the song is being celebrated.

According to the Los Angeles Times, "Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's 'WAP' is a savage, nasty, sex-positive triumph."

According to The Guardian, "Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's WAP should be celebrated, not scolded."

According to Teen Vogue, "'WAP' Reaction Shows How Threatened Men Are By Female Sexuality. Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's new anthem brought out an age-old debate over female sexuality."

And on and on it goes.

Have we totally lost our minds? Have we become so hardened that there is no place for purity, no place for personal honor, no place for sexual dignity?

As the headline to Matt Walsh's article stated, "Hit Song Encourages Girls To Degrade, Objectify, Prostitute Themselves. This Is Not Empowerment."

Indeed.

We Must Wake Up and Become Those Who Change Society With the Power of the Gospel

In the year 2000, at a massive, young-people's prayer gathering in Washington, DC, we gave away more than 70,000 copies of my just published book Revolution! I was convinced that a wide-scale, moral and cultural revolution was at hand, one that could be from above or from below.

I wrote: "Only the life-changing power of the gospel will ultimately change a society for good. Only new hearts will bring forth the new life that the oppressed so long for and desire. Only the Spirit of God will truly liberate captives! But if we do not rise up and act, Satan will. The dissatisfaction is rising. The discontent is growing thick. Revolution is near -- either heaven-sent or hell-bent -- and only we have the truth that will set slaves free."

A few months ago, my main publisher approached me, asking if I would be willing to produce a new, revised and updated version of the book to be released this October. (The new title is Revolution: An Urgent Call for a Holy Uprising.)

I immediately agreed, recognizing the urgency of the hour. But I must admit it was jarring to do the update. So much has changed for the worst in the last 20 years. The cultural degradation has become much more severe, and so much of what we warned about in 2000 has come to pass.

In short, if we desperately needed a moral and cultural revolution back then, how much more today?

But, to say it once more, my purpose here is not to point fingers at the "terrible sinners" out there. Instead, it is to say to my fellow-believers, let us awaken from our slumber and stir ourselves from our moral stupor. And let us seek God with holy desperation and repent of the sins that plague our own lives. The revolution starts with us.

Can we really wait any longer?