This Commentary page contains all entries for the year 2019. Commentary entries are posted weekly (normally Tuesday in Taiwan) and briefly discuss recent news events. Although any news story that catches my attention is fair game, I make no bones about the fact that these entries tend to lean toward news events that might be of interest to believers who, like me, have an interest in end-time prophecy and its fulfillment.

You can use the text links provided at the beginning of each month if you want to move around the page, and the menu below will take you to similar pages for previous years.

*Entries normally include a link to an external article. It's always
possible that any such article may have been moved or deleted.

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1/14/2019 — From the "Where Did You Put It?" Department...

According to a recent news report, 2018 was the Roman Catholic Church's year from hell.

A newly released Gallup poll shows that in just the past year, the percentage of Catholics who had a "high" or "very high" opinion of the honesty and ethical standards of Roman Catholic clergy plummeted from 49 to 31 percent.

That's in one year.

Similarly, another Gallup poll showed that in the same time frame the percentage of Catholics who had a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the Roman Catholic Church as an institution fell from 52 to 44 percent.

Again, that's in one year.

And the reasons should be no surprise to anyone who has been watching the news lately. The Roman Catholic Church has been rocked to its stinking, putrid core by one devastating sex scandal after another. For example, the year 2018 saw 88-year-old Theodore McCarrick, the former Archbishop of Washington, resign in disgrace following credible allegations of sexually abusing a teenager. In Pennsylvania, 300 Catholic clergymen were accused of sexually molesting children, and it has reached the point where even high-ranking Roman Catholic leaders are urging the pope himself to step down. And the beat goes on.

Considering the scandals that have shaken the Roman Catholic Church, one can hardly fault Catholics for losing faith in both their church and those appointed to lead it. Speaking of those appointed to lead it, Pope Francis had this to say:

"The church's credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes, but even more by the efforts made to deny or conceal them. [...] God's faithful people and the Church's mission continue to suffer greatly as a result of abuses of power and conscience and sexual abuse, and the poor way that they were handled, as well as the pain of seeing an episcopate (body of bishops) lacking in unity and concentrated more on pointing fingers than on seeking paths of reconciliation."

Correction #1: A spiritually bankrupt, man-made religion's credibility has been seriously undercut and diminished by these sins and crimes, not that of the capital "C" Church, an entity roundly disparaged and condemned by Rome as a dangerous gaggle of fundamentalists who need to be silenced for the good of the whole world.

Correction #2: "God's faithful people and the Church's mission" (that of the true, biblical Church, that is, which is to take the gospel of salvation through faith in Christ alone to a lost and dying world) are doing just fine and dandy, thank you very much. This has nothing whatsoever to do with them.

Whenever I hear someone lament about "losing their faith," the same response always pops into my mind:

So, you lost your faith. OK, think carefully: Where did you put it?

If you put your faith in sinful men and equally sinful man-made institutions, your faith is doomed to be lost.

Guaranteed.

If you put your faith in the grace and mercy a holy God expressed to mankind through His Son, the man Christ Jesus, your faith is secure.

Guaranteed.

Oh, and when I said the true Church was "an entity roundly disparaged and condemned by Rome as a dangerous gaggle of fundamentalists who need to be silenced for the good of the whole world," I misspoke. I meant to say removed, not silenced.

And we will be soon enough.

1/22/2019 — From the "Big Talk" Department...

I just couldn't resist posting a few brief comments on this burst of hot air coming from Iran's military leadership in the Jerusalem Post. The JPost headline reads:

Iran says ready for war with Israel
that will 'lead to its destruction'

My oh my...such bluster from Iran always brings a smile to my face, but this was special. Here are a few highlights:

The fantasy: "[Iran is prepared for a decisive war with Israel] which will bring an end to the IDF's attacks on Syria."

The reality: Iran is prepared to bring the judgment of a holy God upon itself, and He won't need the IDF to do it.

The fantasy: "Our armed forces are prepared for a war that will bring the crushing destruction of Israel. We are ready for the day when we will see the end of Israel."

The reality: Iranian armed forces are prepared for a war that will bring the crushing destruction of Iran, along with Russia, Turkey, and whoever else is foolish enough to come against God's people.

The fantasy: "[Israel will] fear the day when Iranian precision missiles hit you and take revenge of all the blood of oppressed Muslims which you have shed."

The reality: Iran and her partners in crime will fear the day when God's precision judgment will hit them and take revenge on all the blood of Jews they have shed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is making it clear to Iran that he will not stop attacking Iranian positions in Syria until the Iranian threat is neutralized, and Iran is dismissing Netenyahu's "threats" as "ridiculous" and assuring Israel that the Iranians aren't going anywhere.

The fantasy: "Be sure, we do not take into account your ridiculous threats. You know that if we have chosen to wait against your hostile measures, some considerations lie behind it."

The reality: Since the Iranians knows Israel can kick their butts, they are waiting for the big moment when they and their partners can all gang up on Israel at once. They know that's their only chance.

The fantasy: "Don't play with the lion's tail."

The reality: Don't play with the lion.

The Lion of Judah, that is.

1/28/2019 — From the "Poetic Irony" Department...

Two months ago, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made some remarks about Israel that express the feelings of the regime about as clearly as they can be expressed. Speaking to the annual Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran, he said of the Jewish state:

"One of the ominous results of World War II was the formation of a cancerous tumor in the region."

Oooh...a cancerous tumor. And just the other day, Revolutionary Guard deputy leader Hossein Salami said that Tehran aims to wipe Israel off the "global political map." You know, what with Israel being a cancerous tumor and everything, and Iran wanting to be the "cure" for that cancer.

With thought fresh in mind, a little news item in the Jerusalem Post caught my eye. Apparently, a team of scientists in that "cancerous tumor" known as Israel have beaten Iran to the punch:

They have developed a cure for cancer.

According to Dan Aridor of Accelerated Evolution Biotechnologies Ltd. (AEBi):

"We believe we will offer in a year's time a complete cure for cancer. Our cancer cure will be effective from day one, will last a duration of a few weeks and will have no or minimal side effects at a much lower cost than most other treatments on the market....Our results are consistent and repeatable."

I won't even attempt to plow through the technical details, but the results are positively stunning.

So, let's review:

Iran slams Israel as a cancer.
Israel finds a cure for cancer.

Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor...not to mention what I can only call poetic irony.

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2/4/2019 — From the "That's Not My God" Department...

A story from the NBC News website caught my eye the other day, and it drove home the following point:

Sometimes the devil is his own worst enemy.

In Kobani, Syria, a city near the Turkish border, the fledgling Church of the Brethren is attracting Syrian converts who are turning away from Islam, primarily as a result of what they experienced and witnessed first-hand from ISIS.

Although ISIS was run out of Kobani four years ago, deep scars remain on the residents—and it is driving some of them into the waiting arms of the Lord...people such as 23-year-old mechanic Farhad Jasim, who became a Christian only a few months ago.

"If ISIS represents Islam, I don't want to be a Muslim anymore. Their God is not my God."

The sickeningly violent, extreme brand of Islam pushed on other Muslims by ISIS is forcing some in Syria to do the unthinkable: leave Islam and convert to Christianity. According to 38-year-old church administrator Omar (no last name given for security reasons):

"Even under the Syrian regime before the revolution, it was strictly forbidden to change religion from Islam to Christianity or the opposite...Changing your religion under ISIS wasn't even imaginable. ISIS would kill you immediately."

Farhad is just one of many thousands of Syrians who saw with their own eyes the true nature of Islam, and that nature is satanic to the bone:

"After I witnessed their brutality with my own eyes, I started to be skeptical about my belief. It didn't take me long [after getting up the nerve to visit the church] to discover that Christianity was the religion I was searching for."

Again and again, Satan overplays his hand. He just can't help himself. I believe this is one reason why Satan has devoted so much effort to convincing people he doesn't exist: When the mask comes off and people have a chance to see his true face, he drives them straight into the arms of a loving God.

In the words of one Kobani resident:

"If heaven is made for ISIS and their belief, I would choose hell..."

I would just say to this person that luckily, that won't be necessary—ISIS won't be anywhere near heaven. Not only that, but the demonic beings who control ISIS are all gonna get the boot, and soon.

Right along with their boss.

2/12/2019 — From the "Happy Anniversary" Department...

This week marks a special occasion in Iran—it is the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. That's the revolution that saw the ouster of the Shah of Iran and the establishment of rule by the Ayatollahs.

And it is the revolution that put into place a major piece of the prophetic jigsaw puzzle.

United States National Security Adviser John Bolton is not one to pull punches, and certainly pulled none in his recent remarks published in Arutz Sheva in regard to Iran:

"Iran under the Ayatollahs remains the central banker of international terrorism, and its conventional military forces are all over the Middle East: In Yemen, Iraq and Syria. Perhaps worst of all, the people of Iran have suffered grievously. Right now, unemployment is at record levels, inflation is at all time highs, the Iranian currency has gone through the floor....So, Ayatollah Khamenei, for all your boasts, for all your threats to the life of the American president, you are responsible for terrorizing your own people and terrorizing the world as a whole. I don't think you'll have many more anniversaries to enjoy." (emphasis added)

Now, I have no idea if Mr. Bolton is a Bible-believing man, but it occurred to me as I scanned the article that he is absolutely correct:

Iran isn't going to have many
more anniversaries to enjoy.

In fact, if you listen to some Bible prophecy teachers, you might come away with the idea that they have just celebrated their last anniversary.

I don't know if I'd go quite that far, but the point is that Iran is going to be swiftly and severely judged at the hands of a holy God when the Ezekiel 38–39 coalition that Iran is part of descends upon little old Israel to take a spoil. I've written about this before, but I am convinced that since God uses His miraculous intervention on behalf of Israel in the battle of Gog Magog to re-introduce Himself to His people, the climax of that battle would most logically occur after the catching away of the Church.

Not only that, but it's looking more all the time like we are barreling headlong towards the outbreak of Gog Magog in the Middle East. Note also that from all indications, it is not going to be a long, drawn out conflict—the Bible would seem to indicate that the battle of Ezekiel 38–39 is over almost as soon as it begins. The coalition descends upon Israel quickly, and is struck down by the hand of God even more quickly.

Iran's Islamic Revolution may be 40 years old, but it's a bit harder to say exactly how old the Church is. But if Christ was crucified in AD 32 (many go with AD 33, but I still lean toward AD 32), then this spring would be the 1,987th anniversary of the Church. So...

Happy Anniversary, Iran!
May it be your last.

Because if it is, then it's the Church's last, too.

2/19/2019 — From the "Stand Up and Be Counted" Department...

I ran across this item the other day, and it warmed my heart because it reminds me that there are still people in this country who are willing to stand up and be counted amid the flood of perversion that is engulfing not only the United States but the world.

In Tennessee, Sen. Mark Pody and Sen. Jerry Sexton, both Republicans, have re-introduced a bill known as the Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act. (It was first introduced in 2016, but failed to pass.) This bill effectively undoes what the U.S. Supreme Court did in June 2015 when it made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, rendering the effect of that decision null and void in the state of Tennessee. It unequivocally states that marriage is between one man and one woman, and no government official will be allowed to do anything to facilitate a same-sex marriage.

So, and I love this, not only would state employees be free from punishment for refusing to do things such as issuing marriage licenses for same-sex couples and so forth, but they would be mandated by state law not to do so.

Oh yeah...that's what I'm talkin' about.

The bill holds the 2015 SCOTUS decision to be unconstitutional, and Pody says that the Supreme Court overstepped its authority four years ago. Of course, liberal, pro-LGBT critics wasted no time in crowing their disapproval, and Nick Morrow, press secretary for an LGBT advocacy group called the Human Rights Campaign, wasted no time in crowing his:

"As a native Tennessean, it's disappointing to see lawmakers pushing more mean, pointless legislation that would do nothing except single out LGBTQ people in an effort to make us feel less than equal....Marriage equality is settled law, and if Tennessee wants to continue to be a welcoming destination for businesses, tourists and transplants alike, our representatives need to join us in the year 2019."

In other words:

"Get with the times, you slobbering cretins. This is 2019 and marriage equality is the law of the land, didn't ya know."

Correction: Not "marriage equality"—sin.

It's not "marriage equality."
God's Word calls it sin.

There is one thing Pody said, however, that I would take issue with. He said:

"[Marriage is] a state issue, not a federal issue..."

Uh, no. Actually, he's right—marriage isn't a federal issue. But neither is it a state issue.

It goes a little higher up than that.

God instituted marriage, not man. That means it's not man's to redefine and defile—and doing so isn't something that has any business being held up and waved around as if it were the shining epitome of tolerance and equality wrought by a truly enlightened society. (Is "endarkened" a word?)

But like I said, it warms my heart to know that there are still people in this country who are willing to take a stand for what is right, and it reminds of the old saying:

If you don't stand for something,
you'll fall for anything.

And may God bless the great state of Tennessee.

2/26/2019 — From the "Laugh or Cry" Department...

Astonishing. Absolutely astonishing.

It just never ceases to amaze me what passes for the preaching of the gospel these days—and if the following item wasn't so sad, it would be comical.

I hope you've never heard of him...but if you have, you have my condolences. Joshua Holmes...oops, sorry, make that Prophet Joshua Holmes is a flamboyant young African-American "minister" and self-proclaimed "prophet" who preaches a sexy, souped-up version of the prosperity gospel and spouts pearls of wisdom of the following ilk:

"I'm talking about entertaining God, the prophet and the angels. If you understand these three realms, you'll never be broke, you'll never have another sin that you commit in your life. You'll never commit another sin if you learn this...Over 95 percent of what Jesus would tell you to do is not for you...everything that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you is for someone else. He not talking to you about you and when you get into you that's why you invite the demon of depression. That's why you invite the demon of self-centeredness [sic]. That's why you become wicked. That's why you become evil. Whenever you start speaking or you start focusing on you. That's when you fall into error. That's when you fall into deception because it becomes about you and God don't want it in that vein."

I'm not even going to waste my time trying to dissect any of this drivel, but you can have some fun taking it apart if you like. Have at it.

Sorry...I'm being facetious. There's nothing fun about anything that comes out of this young man's mouth, because he's nothing but yet another wolf in designer clothing. And oh, what's this...shocker of shockers...a sex tape of him with a couple of his female followers surfaced recently. According to one of his female followers:

"For all you haters if you don't know Prophet Joshua Holmes you ain't got the Holy Spirit. That's all I gotta say...He is changing lives every day. He is Jesus in the flesh. He is very tangible. He's got the power of God on him."

Well, Mr. Jesus-in-the-Flesh evidently changed her life. This is beyond sad—it's revolting. And it leaves me not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

The smart money is on "cry" though.

On second thought, rather than crying, I think I'll just savor the apostle Paul's words to Timothy:

Mmmm...yeah. That was much better than crying.

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3/5/2019 — From the "Gender Stupidity" Department...

I suppose it was just a matter of time before the LGBTQ+WHTVR movement moved in for the kill: Now they're going after innocent babies.

Er, innocent genderless babies, that is.

In what represents a new low in parenting, a new trend has parents deliberately raising their babies without any reference to their gender or anything that smacks of "gender assignment."

("Gender assignment"? I'm sorry, when did that stop occurring in the womb?)

Such parents (and I use the term in the strict legal sense) avoid using gender-specific pronouns like "he" and "she," opting instead for the gender-neutral plural pronouns "they" and "them." They also avoid gender-specific colors like pink and blue, and gender-specific toys like dolls and trucks.

According to Bonnie Love, a lesbian woman who is raising her new baby daughter Isabella in this manner with her female partner:

"We don't want our children pigeon-holed. We don't want our children to not be able to be as successful as they potentially could be. So, you know, kids learn the very most in this world from toys that they play with, so if girls don't get to play with blocks or toys that would teach them spacial [sic] understanding or mathematical concepts, then they're missing out on that really important aspect of learning, because they are pushed really more towards dolls, learning how to nurture through that sort of toy."

"Pigeon-holed"? What pigeon hole? You're a boy or a girl—when did that become complicated?

But complicated it is for parents who have bought into this idea.

Idea for a cartoon: A female dog is discussing her new litter of puppies with another dog. The female dog proudly announces to the nonplussed second dog: "I'm letting each of them decide whether they're a dog or a cat."

(Hey, just be thankful I can't draw.)

The Bible makes it perfectly clear that God created us to be male and female (and incidentally, we will be male and female for eternity):

He created us one way or the other, and that obviously means it's not our choice. It could scarcely be any clearer that the Bible gives no quarter to any such concept as gender fluidity.

Which means the whole thing is just more gender stupidity.

Bonnie reports that her daughter Isabella has apparently decided she wants to be a girl, of all things:

"She definitely wants to be a princess and wants to marry a prince, and she wants to be a mom, if you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up. She wants to be a mom."

Congratulations, Isabella. You have proven that you, as a toddler, have more God-given common sense than your Mommy.

Either one of them.

3/12/2019 — From the "Evangelical Facepalm" Department...

It's another one of those "I don't know whether to laugh or cry" moments, thanks to a number of prominent Evangelical leaders who met with President Trump the other day to discuss their "concerns" over the administration's Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.

Yes, they have some concerns, didn't ya know.

And why do they have concerns? Well, you see, it's like this:

"Evangelicals are a crucial part of Trump's political base and senior officials in his administration, like Vice President Pence and Secretary of State Pompeo, are Evangelicals. Most U.S. Evangelicals are strong supporters of Israel, and many Evangelical leaders are stanch allies of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu...[and they are worried that the plan] will give the Palestinians a capital in parts of East Jerusalem."

What?! A capital in East Jerusalem?! Say it ain't so!

S-L-A-P... (Excuse me while I remove my face from my palm.) Are you kidding me?! Which part of the prophetic end-time scenario do these people not understand? Or do they understand any of it?

The entire point of the treaty of Daniel 9:27 is to divide Israel! And that includes Jerusalem. And divide it they will, when the time comes when God's people make a covenant with death and an agreement with Sheol (Isa. 28:15).

The implementation of this deal is what triggers the Tribulation, one purpose of which is to serve as the final phase of God's judgment on His people for the rejection of their Messiah. Dividing the land He gave them for an eternal possession with evil men who seek only their destruction is what finally tears it for God, and as soon as they do so...it's on, baby.

Oh, and one other little tidbit to bear in mind: The Rapture must occur before this deal is implemented.

So, just what exactly are these prominent Evangelical leaders thinking? That they don't want Daniel 9:27 to be fulfilled? That they don't want the Rapture to occur? That there won't be a Tribulation, or that it was over by AD 70? Somebody help me out here.

Concerns? For heaven's sake...my only concern is that Trump's deal will fall apart and turn out to be yet another red herring, while the real deal looms several years down the road. I'm not necessarily inclined to think that way, but you never know.

My only advice to President Trump is to politely ignore all the prominent Evangelical leaders nipping at his heels and get in there and make that deal.

Get in there...because we wanna get outta here!

3/19/2019 — From the "Previews of Coming Attractions" Department...

Researchers at Harvard University have made strides in unlocking the secrets as to why some animals can regrow body parts, and why animals such as jellyfish, sea anemones, and planerian worms can essentially regrow their entire bodies when cut in half. The recently published results of their study pose the obvious question:

If a jellyfish can do it, why can't we?

The researchers discovered that non-coding or "junk" DNA of such animals controls the activation of a gene known as early growth response (EGR), which acts like a switch that turns on the regeneration process. According to the lead author of the study Andrew Gehrke:

"Basically, what's going on is the non-coding regions are telling the coding regions to turn on or off, so a good way to think of it is as though they are switches."

But humans also have this EGR gene. It can also "turn on." But for some reason humans cannot regenerate body parts, and the researchers are hopeful their study can help them understand why this is so. According to lead researcher Dr. Mansi Srivastava, Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology:

"The answer may be that if EGR is the power switch, we think the wiring is different. What EGR is talking to in human cells may be different than what it is talking to in the three-banded panther worm. What Andrew has done with this study is come up with a way to get at this wiring."

So, if all goes well, it may not be all that long before we will be able to regrow arms and legs and other parts of our bodies.

Woo hoo. OK, I can hear some of you out there thinking:

Well that's just swell, Greg. So, forget all that boring Bible prophecy stuff...now you're into genetic engineering. That's exciting (yawn)."

Not so fast, my fearfully and wonderfully made friend. The reason stuff like this excites me is precisely because of Bible prophecy. Let me explain.

When I read about exciting advances in various fields like this, advances that cause the world to think mankind is making progress toward that wonderful new world they wish to believe is right around the corner, it makes me realize something:

There is a wonderful new world right around the corner, and it will be characterized by advances in human knowledge that we can scarcely imagine now.

When we see advances in human knowledge and technology like this, advances that will clearly lead the way to a far better world than what we have at present, God is giving us a sneak peek at what the Millennial Kingdom will be like.

He's giving us previews of coming attractions.

Q. If we see advances developing now, advances that will come to fruition in the Millennial Kingdom, what does that tell us?
A. It tells us that wonderful new world really is right around the corner.

But there's a catch, and tragically it will exclude the vast majority of people today who are anxiously looking forward to that wonderful new world.

It's called the gospel.

3/26/2019 — From the "Canteen Full o' Gasoline" Department...

As you may know, the big story right now is the proclamation signed by President Trump that officially recognizes Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, a smallish patch of land the lies between northeastern Israel and Syria that Israel took control of in the Six Day War in 1967. Ever since that time, no one from the UN on down (including every U.S. president since) has recognized Israel's sovereignty over the area, insisting on calling it "occupied" territory.

It ain't. It's part of Israel—always has been and always will be.

But I digress. Naturally, everyone is screaming and writhing in agony over Trump's decision, decrying it as a blatant flouting of international law.

So what else is new?

The Trump administration's rationale, of course, is that with Iran and Russia in Syria and threatening Israel, Israel needs the Golan Heights as a buffer to defend itself.

Here's a key snippet:

"Any possible future peace agreement in the region must account for Israel's need to protect itself from Syria and other regional threats. Based on these unique circumstances, it is therefore appropriate to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights."

It's also a gift to Benjamin Netanyahu that will boost his already good chances of getting re-elected on April 9, according to many observers.

What it also may be, however, is a spark. Attacks by Hamas are suddenly ramping up and an Israeli response is apparently in the works. Oh, and the response from Hamas was priceless:

"Oops, that missile was an accident! Sorry! Oh my gosh, that second one was an accident too!"

Hardy har har. Someone needs to remind the leaders of Hamas that Israel is about to have an "accident" as well. According to Netanyahu:

"As we speak, Israel is responding forcefully to this wanton aggression. Israel will not tolerate this. I will not tolerate this."

My fear is the same fear many have right now, and that is that something like this may be the canteen full o' gasoline that sets things ablaze. It has the potential to ignite broader and more serious conflict in the region of Syria, and what that may ultimately lead to is anyone's guess.

But my guess rhymes with Ezekiel 38–39.

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4/2/2019 — From the "Feeling Light-Footed" Department...

As if we needed another blazingly clear sign that the world's largest apostate church was a spineless, spiritually bankrupt whore who knows neither God nor the gospel...

Pope Francis was in Morocco over the weekend, where he had some good, Christian advice for the 30,000 Catholics in the small North African nation that is 99 percent Muslim:

"Please, no proselytism."

That's not a typo...he actually said that. In other words, whatever you do, don't try to convert anyone to Christianity or anything like that. Perish the thought. The pope sternly warned the Catholic faithful that attempting to convert others to one's own religion "always leads to an impasse."

Excuse me, an "impasse"? Uh, no...last time I checked, "proselytism" (a fifty-dollar word for "preaching the gospel") led to people hearing the message of salvation through faith in the redemptive work of Christ. And call me a fundamentalist whack job, but what better place to do it than in a country where 99 percent of the population is ensnared in the spiritual chains of a false religion? Of course, this begs the rhetorical question:

What exactly would the leader of the Roman Catholic Church know about the gospel?

And it is rhetorical, since the excruciatingly obvious answer is "nothing."

Proselytize this: Can you imagine the apostle Paul speaking to the believers in Corinth or Ephesus and saying "Now, I want you all to peacefully coexist with the false religions around you, so be sure you don't preach the gospel to anyone. I sure don't want you to create an impasse or anything."

Speaking of peacefully coexisting, joining Pope Francis was Moroccan leader King Muhammed VI, and the two discussed the nature of Jerusalem, which according to the king should be a "symbol of peaceful coexistence" for all religions, specifically Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The two signed a statement released by the Vatican that stated:

"The specific multi-religious character, the spiritual dimension and the particular cultural identity of Jerusalem...must be protected and promoted."

Listen to me carefully: These words are satanic. This statement is directly from the father of lies, because Jerusalem is God's city.

He put His name on it:

The "multi-religious character" that has temporarily overtaken God's city is an abomination to Him that will be judged soon enough. This statement is not merely satanic—it is part of the groundwork for the coming one-world religion that is being spearheaded by the pope.

And I get to feeling a bit light-footed when I read things that make me realize that he's making progress.

4/9/2019 — From the "Something's Gotta Give" Department...

Big doin's from Bibi Netanyahu on the eve of the Israeli elections. According to reports, Netanyahu is now pledging to extend Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank, a move seen as a potential precursor to full-blown annexation and one that is sure to appeal to his right-wing constituency just in time for Tuesday's election.

Not to mention make the rest of the world bounce off their politically correct walls.

According to many, however, the announcement, which is being viewed by some as little more than Israel's version of political theater, could very well cause the "dream" of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians to crash and burn once and for all (or "bury it in an unmarked grave" in the words of one such report in the Guardian).

Most experts are convinced that Netanyahu has received at least a tacit wink of approval from President Trump for the election-eve proclamation, but at the same time some fear such a controversial announcement could cause things to go south for the Prime Minister by galvanizing the left-wing and Arab segments of the population, who could still conceivably be responsible for a Trumanesque come-from-behind victory for Netanyahu's opponents.

The move to extend Israeli sovereignty would play well with right-wing conservatives in Israel, because many such people tend to fear that the Palestinians' true goal is the destruction of Israel, not the establishment of an independent state coexisting with Israel. Naturally, most liberals naively dismiss these fears.

That is a grave mistake, because those fears are as justified as any fears can be.

The Palestinians have succeeded in utterly duping liberal, politically-correct politicians all over the world, with their fictional Palestinian narrative about how the evil Zionists are illegally occupying their land, and how the poor, oppressed Palestinian people want nothing more than peace with their Israeli neighbors.

Balderdash. The Palestinian National Charter openly calls for the destruction of Israel and it hasn't changed one iota since it was written in 1968, promises to tone down some of the more belligerent bits notwithstanding.

Many observers believe, and I lean toward agreeing, that in his heart Benjamin Netanyahu does not want a two-state solution with the Palestinians, political statements also notwithstanding. Good grief, why should he? No Israeli Prime Minister with an ounce of common sense would. Netanyahu knows he can trust the Palestinians and their keepers about as far as he can throw them. Like many in Israel, he knows the entire issue of Palestinian statehood is little more than a deeply anti-Semitic danse macabre that must be sidestepped at all costs. But politics being what it is, Netanyahu has little choice but to play along with what is in reality a political charade that is unlikely to come to fruition in the context of the current geopolitical landscape (emphasis on the word "current").

Sorry, but that's my honest opinion. I know a lot of good people are falling all over themselves about the upcoming announcement of Trump's Israeli-Palestinian peace deal and its potential implications concerning the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27 and the Rapture, but I can't shake this feeling in my gut that it's not quite that simple.

I hope and pray that I'm wrong. I hope and pray that this is really it. I hope and pray that we're outta here in a matter of a few months. Or weeks.

But I am beginning to suspect that the conditions under which the treaty of Daniel 9:27 can become a reality will not be in place until something big happens. Something's gotta change. Something's gotta give.

But take heart...because there's always the possibility that this "something" could be the sound of a trumpet.

4/16/2019 — From the "Dieu Est Grand!" Department...

As I'm sure you all know, the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris suffered serious damage the other day in a devastating blaze, and firefighters are scrambling to save whatever they can of the historic items housed within the twelfth-century French icon. Videos of the cathedral's spire collapsing have gone viral, and President Macron of France has averred that Notre Dame will be rebuilt.

As you can imagine, expressions of sympathy, support, and solidarity have been pouring in from all over the globe, as the entire world expresses its collective shock and sorrow over the extensive damage incurred to one of the world's most recognizable landmarks.

Well, not quite the entire world.

As the fire raged, there were Muslims who celebrated in the streets of Paris, taking pictures and videos of themselves laughing and smiling with the burning edifice in the background, no doubt shouting "Allah est grand!" (Allah is great!) as French passersby looked on with icy stares.

Incidentally, although no blame of any kind has been assigned to the blaze, it might interest you to know that just last month, there was a one week period during which 12 Catholic churches around France were burned and/or desecrated in the most egregious manner, with some cases involving vandalism that can only be described as satanic. It didn't get a lot of news coverage, so I just thought I'd share that with you.

Oddly enough, at the exact same time the Cathedral of Notre Dame was burning in Paris, a fire broke out in the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, with a section of the mosque becoming enveloped in smoke. Now, before anyone runs off and gets all conspiratorial, it was reported that the fire may have been caused by children playing in the area. But still...

What are the odds, ya know?

I hope you know that I am not the type to make much of oddball events that many herald as "signs" that aren't signs, but even I admit that this is one that makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just a little straighter. Is God sending the world a message? Is He giving us a sneak preview of coming attractions, tipping us off that the worst conflagration in history is looming on the horizon?

I will never put forth such statements, but it certainly does invite speculation as to just what God is up to.

At any rate, I have to believe the Muslims celebrating the destruction of Notre Dame in Paris were not aware of the fire at the Al-Aqsa Mosque that was burning at the same moment. I have a funny feeling that would have wiped the smiles off their faces toute de suite.

But whatever God is up to, we can trust Him and we can trust His Word. And His Word is clear:

And from the looks of things, it's going to happen tout de suite.

And to those young Muslim men who were laughing and smiling as Notre Dame burned—you men for whom Christ died, you will learn soon enough:

Allah n'est pas grand. Dieu est grand!

4/23/2019 — From the "Pot...Kettle...Black" Department...

News flash: The Israeli-Palestinian Deal of the Century has once again been delayed! Details at 11.

Color me surprised. According to officials, the announcement won't come any earlier than June. I can see you're going into shock over this piece of news, so I'll give you a moment.

Better now? Meanwhile, according to reports, Saudi Arabia is putting intense pressure on Abbas to accept the deal that he has already sworn to reject sight unseen. According to an unnamed Palestinian official:

"They are using all means, including political and financial blackmail, to force the Palestinians to accept the deal of the century despite all the dangers it poses to the Palestinian cause."

Oh yes, dangers to the Palestinian cause. "Dangers" such as failing to give the Palestinians every single thing they want, which is all the land and the total annihilation of Israel.

Abbas also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "not believing in peace." Yes, you read that correctly. According to Abbas:

"We know from his positions, statements and insinuations that he doesn't believe in peace between us and them...Therefore, he was always saying that there is no Palestinian partner, although we extend our hand to him for real peace based on international legitimacy."

Pot...kettle...black. Since this leaves me fumbling for a place to begin and utterly speechless, you'll have to pardon me while I silently savor the exquisite aroma of hypocrisy at its finest.

Abbas also complained about the fact that once upon a time Trump seemed to be virtually champing at the bit to offer the Palestinians their state and East Jerusalem as their capital, but here lately there are unsubstantiated rumors (aren't they all) swirling around that he has backed away from the concept of a fully formed two-state solution. As a result, there have been officials from the UN who have stated that if Trump doesn't come through for the Palestinians, the UN will.

Luckily for us, we already know there will be a two-state solution of some kind, and we don't need to be concerned whether it comes from the hands of Donald Trump or the UN or anyone else.

We know it's coming—we have God's Word on it.

And that's where it ends for me.

4/30/2019 — From the "Something in the Air" Department...

Just like you if you've been following recent developments, I have been detecting an odd aroma in the air in regard to Trump's deal of the century, which is to be unveiled—at last report—in June. Once upon a time not all that long ago, Trump was making it patently obvious he was 100 percent behind the traditional two-state solution that would give the Palestinians an independent state and East Jerusalem as their capital, among other things. Sure. No problemo. Let's git 'er done.

But here recently, there is a different scent wafting through the air around Washington, and it doesn't smell much like a two-state solution.

There is increasingly telling evidence that Trump's yet-to-be-revealed plan stops short of giving the Palestinians their state, although, of course, no one knows for sure what the plan will look like. I am convinced that Trump's team has crafted dozens of variations of this plan already, and are just undecided on which version to release. But U.S. officials have been doing a bit of something that looks and sounds suspiciously like back-pedaling.

For example, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently gave a vaguely non-committal response when asked about this while testifying before a Senate subcommittee. When asked by Democrats to endorse the two-state solution, he simply remarked:

"Ultimately the Israelis and Palestinians will decide how to resolve this."

And just last week a senior White House official released a statement in which he discouraged the use of the term "two-state solution" in discussions concerning the issue and the upcoming deal.

Huh?

What is happening in concert with the Trump administration's sudden attack of cold feet in regard to the two-state solution, however, is a newly invigorated call for precisely that coming from every quarter, including the United Nations and regional Arab leaders. If nothing else, this back-pedaling is steeling the resolve of all others concerned to push forward for a two-state solution—the only solution, in the words of many—and they are talking as if it must be negotiated ASAP.

For example, Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah recently stated:

"Stability and security in the world will continue to suffer as long as there is no fair solution to the Palestinian issue, a solution that ends the occupation and leads to the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital...We need to stress that any arrangements for peace in the Middle East that are not based on these references will be far away from reality and will not achieve the realisation of stability and security in the Middle East."

Whistling the same tune is UN Secretary General António Guterres:

"Jerusalem is capital of both states...There is no solution without the two-state solution."

And so on. In other words, if Trump doesn't do it, we will. The bottom line is that the world is making one thing quite clear:

Dividing the land of Israel with her
sworn enemies is the only game in town.

Don't look now, but the world isn't the only one who made that quite clear.

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5/7/2019 — From the "Utmost Clarity" Department...

The Muslim American Society (MAS) is an organization with 42 chapters around the United States, and part of its stated goal is to "move people to strive for God-consciousness, liberty and justice, and to convey Islam with utmost clarity."

The MAS put on a program last month at an Ummah Day celebration at their Philadelphia center, and in a video of the program that was posted on the MAS Facebook page, young children wearing Palestinian scarves can be seen singing songs and reciting poems in Arabic that include "The Revolutionaries' Anthem," a chart-topping hit with Islamic jihadist groups, and some other various and assorted delightfully classic lines such as the following:

"The land of the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey is calling us.
Our Palestine must return to us...
We will defend the land of divine guidance with our bodies,
And we will sacrifice our souls without hesitation...
We will chop off their heads,
And we will liberate the sorrowful and exalted Al-Aqsa Mosque.
We will lead the army of Allah fulfilling His promise,
And we will subject them to eternal torture."

"Doo-dah, doo-dah..."

When parents and other concerned individuals realized through English translations what the children were actually saying, storms of protest erupted. In response, the MAS has completely disavowed the program and its contents, claiming the material presented in the program was not properly "vetted." According to Ayman Hammous, Executive Director of the MAS, the video is "disturbing":

"It does not represent our understanding of Islam, nor the understanding of the mainstream Muslim community."

Iftekhar Hussain, chairman of the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, reassured people by stating:

"[Islamic tradition] categorically rejects either speech or actions that harm in any way our Jewish brothers and sisters."

Honk if that makes you feel a whole lot better.

All I can say is that the Muslim "condemnation" of this program is nearly as comical as it is disingenuous, if that's possible. These Muslim officials are claiming that they had absolutely no idea what the words to any of these songs or poems were, and are essentially expecting naive Americans to believe something along the following lines:

"What!? You mean these songs and poems were inciting violence toward non-Muslims? Oh my gosh, say it ain't so! We thought these were songs and poems that expressed our love and respect for our Jewish brothers, and our willingness to work toward a fair and equitable way in which to peacefully coexist with them. How could this have slipped under our noses?! Boy, is our face red!"

As I mentioned earlier, the stated goal of the MAS is to "convey Islam with utmost clarity."

Clearly they succeeded.

5/14/2019 — From the "To Boycott or Not to Boycott" Department...

On March 25, a Chicago man was issued a warning by police for exposing himself to a young girl in the women's restroom in a Target store, which has a policy of allowing people to use the bathroom of their choice in support of the LGBT agenda. According to reports, the man was intoxicated and unwilling to wait, and so he burst into the stall, pushed the girl aside, and commenced doing his business.

To the surprise of no one, numerous Christian groups are calling for a boycott of Target in protest of their pro-LGBT policy of accommodating transgender individuals by allowing people to use the restroom of their choice, regardless of their biological gender. Some big Evangelical names have signed on to promote the boycott, including Franklin Graham, head of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as well as the charity organization Samaritan's Purse (and for whom I have the utmost respect).

I have read several things written by various Christian leaders that I respect about this issue of calling for boycotts of Target and other businesses that have such blatantly unbiblical policies as allowing biological men to use the women's restroom if they choose to identify as women, and so on. Of course, many lean toward being in favor of such boycotts; but some lean toward being against them for various reasons, with many thoughtful, biblical arguments on both sides.

Reading some of these different views, however, got me to thinking as well, and to my own surprise I came to the conclusion I am against this type of highly visible boycott of a store like Target for such a policy, irrespective of how loathsome I deem that policy to be as a born-again believer.

Naturally, Target pulls no politically correct punches in the buzzword gumbo it serves up to support their actions:

"Inclusivity is a core belief at Target...It's something we celebrate. We stand for equality and equity, and strive to make our guests and team members feel accepted, respected and welcomed in our stores and workplaces every day...In our stores, we demonstrate our commitment to an inclusive experience in many ways...Most relevant for the conversations currently underway, we welcome transgender team members and guests to use the restroom or fitting room facility that corresponds with their gender identity...All individuals have a right to use restroom facilities that correspond to the individual's gender identity, regardless of the individual's sex assigned at birth."

Yada yada yada...this is just the world being the world. And, of course, it begs the artfully evaded question: How "accepted, respected and welcomed" do you suppose that young girl felt? But one thing that makes me lean toward not being in favor of such a boycott is something Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

Paul is talking about not tolerating sexual immorality within the Church, not the world, because there was no conceivable way they could escape the sin that permeated the society in which they lived. Paul is only concerned here about what goes on in the body of Christ, and rather than judging those in the world, leaves them for God to judge. He never said anything about going out into the world to inform sinners that what they were doing was sin—he only preached Christ and Him crucified for the remission of sin.

It seems to me that when the Church organizes a boycott against a store to protest something they are doing that is indeed a vile perversion, we are doing something that we are neither called nor equipped to do. What are we trying to do? Make the world realize that it is sinning? Only the Holy Spirit can convict the world of sin. That's His job, not ours.

Are we trying to let the world know that we as Christians think letting biological men use women's toilet facilities is wrong? Why? Has the Church reached the point where we are genuinely afraid that if we don't, then the world might form the opinion we think it's OK? Really?

All a boycott does is reinforce a fallen world's opinion that the Church is nothing but an anemic bunch of holier-than-thou hypocrites who feel compelled to wag our bony fingers at those we feel morally superior to. Is that what we are? And does that make the world more likely or less likely to listen to us when we actually do what we're supposed to do, which is preach Christ and Him crucified for the remission of sin, and while we're at it live overcoming lives that radiate the love of a holy God that wants only their repentance and faith?

Boycott?! Here's a wild idea: Why don't believers get together and go to Target to share the gospel?

Just my two shekels.

5/21/2019 — From the "Love Is Love" Department...

In a move that caused widespread celebration in many quarters around the island, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.

Public opinion is sharply divided on things LGBT—particularly the issue of same-sex marriage—in this relatively conservative Buddhist/Taoist country. But many saw the handwriting on the wall two years ago when Taiwan's Constitutional Court ruled that existing laws stipulating that marriage was by definition between one man and one woman were "unconstitutional."

So, the "Love Is Love" movement has arrived in Taiwan, and now mainland China is falling all over itself to offer their "support" and score a few political points in the process. Mainland newspaper People's Daily tweeted the following after the decision:

Local lawmakers in Taiwan, China have
legalized same-sex marriage in a first for Asia.

This, of course, incensed people here in Taiwan, who chafe at the slightest suggestion that Taiwan has any connection whatsoever with the People's Republic of China. Now, many in the mainland Chinese LGBT community are hoping to ride Taiwan's wave of momentum and press for change in a country that has traditionally taken a harshly negative stance toward homosexuality, which it officially classified as a mental disorder until 2001.

Not a sin...a mental disorder.

According to Chinese LGBT rights activist Xiaogong Wei:

"It offers us a lot of hope...The Chinese government has pointed to cultural tradition as a reason for same-sex marriage being unsuitable in China. But the decision in Taiwan, which shares a cultural tradition with us, proves that Chinese culture can be open, diverse and progressive."

Huh...so same-sex marriage is "unsuitable" because of "cultural tradition." You don't say. And there's the magic word: diverse.

You now, maybe it's just me, but I think it's interesting that even people such as the leaders of mainland China, who know essentially nothing of God, innately grasp that same-sex marriage is just wrong on some level.

Of course, anyone who has ever cracked open a Bible grasps that God condemns homosexual behavior as a sin about as clearly as He condemns any other particular sin, in both the Old and New Testaments.

Not a mental disorder...a sin.

At least here in a Buddhist/Taoist country, you don't have to listen to people twisting the words of Scripture in an effort to con people into believing God feels otherwise.

The LGBT folks are right about one thing, though: Love is love. But behavior God condemns as sin isn't love.

That's love.

5/28/2019 — From the "Something's Gotta Give" Department...

In a surprising turn of events, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has seemingly found himself at an impasse in forming a new coalition, which is needed to form a government as per Israeli law. A resolution to dissolve the Knesset has been introduced, and if it passes a final vote on Wednesday, the country will automatically be forced to hold new elections later this year.

Just weeks ago, it appeared that Netanyahu, fresh off a snap-election win on April 9, was all set to roll gloriously on to his fourth term as Prime Minister with a 65–55 majority in the 120-seat Knesset. But as they say:

That was then. This is now.

The burr in Netanyahu's saddle is former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose five-seat party of Yisrael Beiteinus is needed by Netanyahu to maintain the minimum 61-seat majority to form a coalition government. And it appears for all the world that Lieberman isn't about to budge on his demand that the ultra-Orthodox Haredi Jews be subject to the draft, something they have always been exempt from. Having the Haredi Jews subject to the draft is an issue steadily growing in popularity in Israeli society, which is increasingly beginning to see the Haredi as hyper-religious freeloaders who are all take and no give. But it has been politically expedient for Netanyahu to keep their draft exemption in place, otherwise he can kiss the support of the ultra-Orthodox and nationalist parties that he needs goodbye. On the other hand, if he does keep the exemption in place, he loses the support of Leiberman's Yisrael Beiteinus that he needs.

So, barring a last minute miracle, it looks as if Netanyahu will face new elections in a few months, and who knows what will happen.

One reason this is of interest to me is that I am personally convinced of one thing:

As much as I genuinely admire and respect Benjamin Netanyahu, I am convinced that there will never be a two-state solution as long as he is the Prime Minister of Israel.

Any grand-sounding political statements to the contrary are just that: grand-sounding political statements. I believe Netanyahu has long counted on his useful idiots in the form of Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinians to come through for him and continue to turn their noses up at whatever type of deal is offered them—that suits Netanyahu just fine, because he is smart enough to know that a genuine two-state solution with the Palestinians represents the beginning of the end for Israel.

The upshot of this is the fact that any future leader of Israel, no matter who it may be, will be less opposed to the two-state solution than Benjamin Netanyahu.

So, in a convoluted, roundabout way, I am convinced that this political upheaval is actually good news for Rapture watchers, because in my opinion the status quo is a no-go for the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27, which triggers the Tribulation.

Something's gotta give, and it just may be about to start giving.

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6/4/2019 — From the "Breaking News" Department...

Breaking News:

TV star Sandy Yawn announces lesbian
relationship with female singer Leah Shafer.

Well, OK, maybe not breaking news, considering the condition of the world today. Would it be breaking news if I told you that Leah Shafer was a popular gospel singer?

Sadly, probably not, considering the condition of the gospel music industry and what passes for Christianity today.

Sandy Yawn is the star of the reality television show Below Deck Mediterranean, and has publicly announced her newfound romance with gospel singer Leah Shafer, founder of Fuse Worship. According to a recent article at Pulpit & Pen, Shafer has quite the résumé:

• A Christian/Gospel Recording Artist and Concert Headliner has [sic] recorded over 6 CDs.
• Has appeared 20 times on TBNs [sic] International Praise the Lord broadcast.
• TBN is featuring a re-occuring 30 minute special called Story of My Life.
• She was a main soloist at Rick Warrens [sic] Purpose Driven Life Church for over 17 years.
• She and her husband, Ross, are thrilled to call Colorado their home.
• And mother to their amazing daughter, Lolo.
• God placed in her heart of [sic] creating a WORSHIP CONCERT EXPERIENCE outside of the church walls.

Interestingly enough, after listing the above accomplishments (in rather sloppy fashion, I might add), the article ended with the words "Enough said," as if the writer (Cherie Vandermillen) had just proved something. Presumably something like...

"So there! See? She's a fabulous Christian and she's gay, so that just goes to show all you Bible-thumping bigots that you're wrong!"

Or something along that line. Actually, you did prove something, Cherie:

You proved yet again that the world is full of sweet, sincere people who call themselves Christians, but who don't have the slightest idea what the Bible they claim to believe teaches about some of the things members of the body of Christ shouldn't do because God condemns those things as sin—and they don't seem to be concerned by this in any discernible way.

As for Sandy Yawn, she had a timely quote to add:

"God is love. He doesn't care."

Sigh. No Sandy, the god you have created in your fleshly imagination doesn't care, because that's a god you will never be held accountable to. Actually you're right, Sandy. The God of the Bible is love. And there are things He doesn't care about.

He doesn't care about your fame or your failures. He doesn't care if you're a superstar or a slug in the eyes of the world—He loves you, and wants you to be spiritually reconciled to Him.

Of course, He does care about other things. He cares about sin. He cares about sin because it has made you unholy and so unable to live in His presence. He also cares about sin because His perfect justice requires Him to judge it, and the penalty is death.

In fact, He cares about sin so much that He sacrificed His only Son, who came to live among us in a body of flesh and die to pay your sin's eternal penalty on your behalf—that is, if you will but change your mind about your sin and your need for salvation and ask Him to forgive you, believing in faith that His Son did what I just said.

This is all in His Word, which is also something He cares a lot about because His Word is who He is. And His Word condemns homosexual behavior as an abomination that is contrary to His designs in numerous places, Old Testament and New.

So, Sandy, when you say "God is love—He doesn't care," you're only telling people part of the story, and it's certainly not breaking news. It's a refrain that roars from a world bent on following its own lusts at any cost.

The only breaking news people need to hear is the part you didn't tell them.

6/18/2019 — From the "Gettin' Charged Up" Department...

Don't look now, but Team Satan is giving us yet another clue that the Rapture is looming. The clue? Easy:

A recent spike in UFO sightings and a corresponding increase in public interest in the UFO/alien phenomenon.

Before I go any further, let's review a couple of basic facts:

1. There are no UFOs and no aliens, at least not in the way the world has been conditioned to think of them over the last seven decades.

2. UFOs are a demonic phenomenon that is controlled by Satan, and so they appear whenever, wherever, and in whatever form Satan chooses.

3. UFOs and aliens will figure prominently in Satan's version of the Rapture, and will be a key part of the deception that will damn countless millions.

4. Official disclosure of alien contact will follow shortly after the Rapture, and it will make Satan's explanation of what happened seem plausible.

(See this and this for more.)

Well, UFOs are back in the news again. According to an article at Fox News, there was a rash of UFO sightings during 2014–2015 (you suppose Satan caught wind of the Blood Moons?), and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Christopher Mellon has publicly stated that UFOs are real and is currently involved in a new History Channel series called Unidentified, which, according to the article, "gives military personnel on the frontlines a voice about what they are encountering in the skies."

According to Mellon:

"We know that UFOs exist. This is no longer an issue. The issue is why are they here? Where are they coming from and what is the technology behind these devices that we are observing?...Pilots observing these craft are absolutely mystified and that comes through clearly in their public statements...These are reactions between intelligently controlled vehicles operating in and around U.S. military facilities, hence the concern."

I admit that I get a little charged up whenever a fresh wave of UFO-mania comes out, because I know Satan wants to keep UFOs and aliens in the public consciousness to a certain extent. That way, as soon as the Rapture occurs, he can put his plan into action with the disclosure of alien contact and the subsequent explanation of the Rapture as a safe, temporary evacuation of people who aren't quite prepared for the coming earth changes by a benevolent alien race that has come to lovingly help mankind evolve spiritually and attain a higher plane of spiritual development.

Sounds like a real hoot, but I'm not going to be here for that.

I trust you won't either.

6/25/2019 — From the "No Peace, No Prosperity" Department...

Trump's Middle East point man and son-in-law Jared Kushner is in Bahrain as I write this, presenting the economic side of the Trump administration's Deal of the Century, a deal hoped and hyped to bring peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Uh, which is being boycotted by the Palestinians. Oh, and the Israelis weren't invited.

I could probably end this commentary right there, because that sums up pretty succinctly the chances of success for Trump's deal—either the economic side or the political side, which is supposed to be released at an unspecified future date.

Hmm...where have we heard that before.

Trump is intent on using an economic carrot-and-stick approach on the Palestinians, and while those carrots are admittedly big, juicy ones, most in the region are eyeing Trump's deal with "a mixture of derision and exasperation," according to an article at the Thomas Reuters Foundation news site.

"Non-starter" and "dead on arrival" were also phrases tossed into the mix.

Honestly, as a watchman who studies the Word, who eagerly looks for the Lord's return for His Church, and who diligently reconnoiters the prophetic landscape, I just can't quite bring myself to believe that Trump's Deal of the Century is going to be the fulfillment of Daniel 9:27. It hasn't been looking that way from my perspective for some time now, and Jarod Kushner's presentation, which has been dubbed "Peace to Prosperity" (more like "No Peace, No Prosperity") and which has been caustically compared to a real estate broker's brochure, doesn't strike me as something that is going to fundamentally change that. Of course, others can certainly hold out hope—but this dogface is looking elsewhere.

I am increasingly of the opinion that there is more to this business of the treaty of Daniel 9:27 than many of us have long believed, and that in our zeal for the Lord's return we just may be overlooking a few details. As always, I could be wrong. Things could suddenly turn around and this really could be it. The Palestinians could cave and take the money, and we could be outta here by Labor Day...yeee-haw!

But keep one thing in mind:

The driving force behind the Palestinians is the satanically inspired hatred for Israel and the Jews, and all the glowing promises of economic prosperity anyone can offer can never change that.

The bad news is that many who are still anxiously looking for Trump's deal to be the treaty of Daniel 9:27 may be in for a letdown.

The good news is that God may have a few surprises in store for us.

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7/2/2019 — From the "Window of Opportunity" Department...

It's like I've been telling you:

Israel's Arab neighbors want very much to play nice with Israel and get a regional peace deal done with the Palestinians because they're all afraid of Iran getting nuclear weapons, and getting a deal done will enable them to focus on the real enemy—Iran. Not only that, but many in the region feel that just such a window of opportunity may be opening.

Of course, nobody listens to me...I'm a nobody.

But now we're hearing it from a somebody.

Joseph (Yossi) Cohen, the Director of Mossad (Israel's version of the CIA, only better) seldom makes public appearances, but did so on Monday to tell the Herzliya Conference near Tel Aviv that he sees a window of opportunity to strike a regional peace deal, and that key players are shifting into position behind the scenes in preparation to take advantage of such an opportunity:

"The Mossad today espies a rare opportunity, perhaps for the first time in Middle East history, to arrive at a regional understanding that would lead to a comprehensive peace accord...Common interests, the fight against rivals such as Iran and jihadist terrorism, the close relations with the White House, and channels of communication with the Kremlin all combine to create what might be a one-time window of opportunity."

So, is this all about Trump and his Deal of the Century? Maybe. But the kind of agreement Cohen is envisioning may be bigger and more comprehensive than that. Ideas from Trump's deal may come into play, but whatever deal is ultimately put together may include things that extend beyond Trump's deal.

I plan to have more to say about this later, but when it comes to the treaty of Daniel 9:27, I have a sneaking suspicion that it's going to be a blockbuster of a deal that will dwarf whatever Trump is hiding in his back pocket.

Satan may not be very creative, but he does have one thing going for him:

He's got a sense of showmanship.

7/9/2019 — From the "Twists and Turns" Department...

According to U.S. envoy Jason Greenblatt, President Trump may release his peace plan before the Israeli elections in September of this year!

(I'll give you a moment for the giddy excitement to dissipate...)

Better? OK. Anyway, Greenblatt said the president is "mulling" the decision, and will announce his intentions "soon."

You'll have to forgive my sarcasm, but do I have to state he obvious?

Nobody who's anybody in the Middle East cares about Trump's peace plan anymore. Get over it.

Some are being diplomatic about it and not necessarily saying in public what they are all thinking, but it looks very much as if the proverbial handwriting is on the proverbial wall. Open oven, insert fork. It's Delta Oscar Alpha, and if you've ever served in the military you know what I'm saying.

Oh, and then there's this:

According to an Israeli news article, Jordanian Prime Minister Omar Razzaz threw another log on the fire the other day by publicly reiterating the Arab party line and stating that Jordan will never accept any Israeli-Palestinian deal that fails to...

"...end the occupation and lead to the creation of an independent Palestinian state along 1967 the borders with East Jerusalem as its capital."

"Doo-dah, doo-dah..." Somebody thump the jukebox—it's the same old song and dance.

And its beat gets a little bit louder with each passing day.

I am satisfied that we need to be looking beyond Trump's Deal of the Century for insight into what lies ahead for the Middle East. In other words, I have some bad news: It appears the road to Daniel 9:27 may still have a few twists and turns left in it.

The good news?

There's a trumpet in there somewhere, too.

7/16/2019 — From the "It's in the Bible!" Department...

Linda Sarsour is a New York City-born daughter of Palestinian immigrants to the United States, and is a political activist who is virulently anti-Semitic and tirelessly campaigns for a number of left-wing, anti-Israel causes like the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions), etc.

A few days ago, she got into lengthy Twitter exchange concerning the ethnicity of Jesus (of all things) with Yair Netanyahu (of all people), son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At one point, Sarsour tweeted:

"Jesus was Palestinian of Nazareth and is described in the Quran as being brown copper skinned with wooly hair."

She went on to insist that Jesus was the "first Palestinian freedom fighter" (that's "terrorist" to the rest of the world). To his credit, Yair Netanyahu wasn't buying a word of it.

Yair responded with the following tweet:

"Are you that stupid? On the cross above Jesus' head was the sign 'INRI'—'Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm,' which means in Latin—Jesus of Nazareth king of the Jews! The Bible says that Jesus was born and raised in Judea!"

Indeed He was, Yair. Your statement is historically correct, if the vast majority of secular historical research is anything to go by. And you're biblically correct as well, because the Bible does say these things, and says them quite clearly.

The Bible absolutely says that Jesus was born and raised in Judea...

...in the New Testament.

Oops. According to an article at the Israel Today website, there are a number of mainstream newspapers and journalists in Israel that are currently taking clueless Palestinians like Sarsour to task by strongly supporting and substantiating the Jewishness of Jesus in response to their utterly moronic claims that He was a Palestinian.

So, what an ignorant, embittered, Jew-hating Palestinian woman intended for evil is serving to turn Jewish attention to the Messiah they pierced two thousand years ago, as well as turning their attention to the part of the Bible that so thoroughly documents the birth, life, ministry, miracles, death, and resurrection of that wholly Jewish Messiah that they rejected—the part of the Bible they have been indoctrinated to strenuously reject.

And that's a good thing.

7/23/2019 — From the "Will It or Won't It?" Department...

According to a recent article in the Jerusalem Post, U.S. envoys Jason Greenblatt and Jared Kushner are deliberately refraining from using the phrase "two-state solution" when speaking of Trump's much anticipated Deal of the Century, the political side of which has yet to be released. According to Greenblatt:

"The reason we do not use the term is that you cannot take a conflict as complex as this and boil it down to those three words... So we have avoided the slogan, if you will."

(Slogan?! I've got a news flash for you, Jason: It's a whole lot more than a "slogan" to the Palestinians and other regional Arab nations.)

According to the same article, the U.S. is not even looking at a one-state solution. As Greenblatt confided in a PBS interview recently:

"Our plan does not contemplate one state. I think if it did, we would have released it over two years ago. I am not sure that there are many people that think that one state is good for either side."

Actually there are a few, but they hold little sway over the current direction the U.S. deal is taking.

So, it's not a one-state solution, it's not a two-state solution...so what is it, already? As far as Bible prophecy is concerned, however, there is only one question:

Does it meet the criteria of the treaty of Daniel 9:27?

I believe that, among other things, the treaty of Daniel 9:27 will divide Israel, and I say that because I believe it will include the eschatological fulfillment of Joel 3:2 ("They have divided my land..."). So, however many states you wanna have, the question on my mind is simply this:

Will it or won't it?

Divide Israel, that is. I keep saying I really don't think Trump's Deal of the Century is going to be the treaty of Daniel 9:27—I think it's liable to crash and burn...but I could still be wrong. It could still conceivably turn out to be the real deal, because nobody knows which version of the plan (and there are probably several) is ultimately going to be released. We won't know until we know. Period. Until then, everything is just talk.

And you all know the going rate for talk.

Believe me, I desperately hope I am wrong about this deal, because if I am, that trumpet could sound even sooner than I thought. So that's the real question:

Will it or won't it?

7/30/2019 — From the "Kissing Christianity Goodbye" Department...

Joshua Harris, Christian author and former pastor of Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD, made an announcement recently that caught a few people off guard:

He's decided that he's no longer a Christian.

Joshua is the author of I Kissed Dating Goodbye (Multnomah Publishers, 1997) and has been one of the leading "purity" advocates for millennials in the Church over the last two decades. He got divorced from his wife not long ago, and since then he has been expressing a lot of regrets for the things he has taught, even going so far as to state in a recent Instagram post that he no longer considers himself a Christian. That's right—he's kissing Christianity goodbye.

In the same post, he also expresses regret for his past positions on a number of things:

"Martin Luther said that the entire life of believers should be repentance. There's beauty in that sentiment regardless of your view of God. I have lived in repentance for the past several years—repenting of my self-righteousness, my fear-based approach to life, the teaching of my books, my views of women in the church, and my approach to parenting to name a few. But I specifically want to add to this list now: to the LGBTQ+ community, I want to say that I am sorry for the views that I taught in my books and as a pastor regarding sexuality. I regret standing against marriage equality, for not affirming you and your place in the church, and for any ways that my writing and speaking contributed to a culture of exclusion and bigotry. I hope you can forgive me."

You read it right. Joshua is sorry for being against homosexual marriage, for not affirming the place of (apparently practicing) homosexuals in the Church, and for contributing to a "culture of exclusion and bigotry" in regard to homosexuals and their lifestyle.

Shame on you, Joshua! How dare you stand against something the Bible clearly and unequivocally condemns as an abomination to God! You should be sorry, you former Christian, you.

Down, boy. Sorry...I really don't mean to come across as if all I wanted to do was rough this guy up, because (a) I honestly feel bad for him and pray to see him restored spiritually, and (b) I don't know him. In fact, I've never heard of him before. All I know of him is what he wrote in his Instagram post and what it says in the article linked to above.

But what Joshua wrote is very telling:

"By all the measurements that I have for defining a Christian, I am not a Christian."

"By all the measurements I have for defining a Christian..." Well, Joshua, I have some good news for you. Luckily, salvation doesn't depend on "your measurements"—it only depends on God's. And it's not "measurements" plural—it's "measurement" singular. And what is that singular measurement by which God defines a Christian, you ask?

Joshua, where does this fit into "your measurements" of how you "define a Christian"? Just curious.

Or are you defining a Christian by how you think a Christian should act, or by what you think a Christian should say, or by what you think a Christian should do on his own power, which according to your own words includes backing away from condemning what the Bible clearly condemns and shying away from being called a "bigot" or "intolerant" by the world for calling something a sin that God calls a sin?

Joshua, in your post you said "I hope you can forgive me."

There's nothing to forgive—and besides, you're already forgiven anyway.

For the record, God's Word makes it crystal clear that a Christian cannot "kiss Christianity goodbye."

And I pray you find a measurement to define that.

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8/6/2019 — From the "Not Coming Back" Department...

A couple of days ago, there were two mass shootings in the United States: one in El Paso, Texas and a second later that night in Dayton, Ohio. A news item concerning the latter, however, caught my attention.

Connor Betts, a 24-year-old from Bellbrook, Ohio, has been identified as the gunman who shot and killed nine people and wounded 27 others in a popular bar district in Dayton before being shot and killed by police. The dead include the gunman's sister, who, according to reports, was on his "kill list."

My initial response was probably not a lot different from yours:

Here we go again...yet another sicko shoots a bunch of innocent people. How much worse can this world possibly get before the Lord takes us home?

But the article linked to above pierced my spirit, and I felt compelled to comment on it.

According to the article, Connor was radically left-wing, and had a history of being fascinated with guns and violence. OK, so what? But one thing the article mentioned caught my eye:

Apparently, young Connor deeply admired Satan.

On Connor's Twitter page, which included the hashtag #HailSatan, he added the following tagline:

I'm going to hell and I'm not coming back.

It grieves my spirit deeply to see a young person completely given over to the dark realm of the spiritual world—so utterly overtaken by darkness that he would gun down his own sister and eight other innocent people and hail the one who led him down that path with lies and deceit.

Unfortunately, you're quite right, Connor. You are going to hell, and you're not coming back. And as I write this, you are just coming to the sickening, horrifying realization that Satan isn't quite as hip and cool as you thought he was. Hip and cool? How about a pathetic wannabe who can do nothing but twist and pervert what God has done or created and use it for his own ill-fated purposes. He is the father of lies and the enemy of all that is good.

So no, Connor, Satan isn't hip and cool—he's the ultimate loser.

And you've succeeded in making yourself one more of the billions who will spend eternity with him.

It's too late for you, Connor, but it's not too late for others out there, who may yet respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, admit they are sinners separated from a holy, just, loving God by their sin, and ask for the forgiveness Christ purchased for them on the cross...forgiveness you crushed under your heel like a cigarette butt.

You're right, Connor...you're not coming back. But all those who have trusted Christ for their forgiveness and their salvation are coming back, and we will rule and reign with Him for a thousand years.

And for the entire thousand years, we won't give a thought to the pathetic wannabe you so admired, until the time comes for him to be defeated once and for all, and be cast into hell. Then Satan and the demons who deceived you will spend all of eternity in a lake of fire that will never be quenched.

And it breaks my heart to say it, Connor, but so will you.

8/13/2019 — From the "Not In Anymore" Department...

It was only two weeks ago that I posted a commentary about Joshua Harris, a well-known Christian author geared toward millennials who publicly announced he had fallen away from the Christian faith.

Don't look now, but it's déjà vu all over again.

Marty Sampson, worship leader at Sydney, Australia's Hillsong megachurch, has announced he is losing his Christian faith, apparently due to his struggles with science and "contradictions" in the Bible, plus the fact that it seems that Christianity has become just like any other religion to him. According to a recent Instagram post (that has since been removed), Marty is "not in anymore." Here are a couple of Marty's more revealing comments:

"Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it.

Sigh. Where do I begin? It saddens me to see anyone actually listen to people who live for no other purpose than to undermine people's faith with some of the slickest falsehoods the father of lies can muster.

Every single so-called "contradiction" anyone has ever claimed to have found in Scripture can typically be dispatched with little more than a dash of common sense and the ability to read at a high-school level. A few require one to do a little homework to ferret out the real meaning of a passage, but in the end every single one falls.

Every. Single. One.

I don't have the time of day for people who rant and rave about contradictions in the Bible, because they are fools, and the Bible tells us how to deal with such people:

And a good working definition of a fool is someone who literally has no idea what he is talking about, and all the patient explanations in the world fail to convince him otherwise.

"How can God be love yet send 4 billion people to a place [presumably hell, although I'm sad to say it'll be lot more than four billion Ed.], all coz they don't believe? No one talks about it.

That's easy, Marty. Because, yes, the God of the Bible is love, but He is also holy and just. And because He is love, He sacrificed His sinless Son to satisfy His requirements of holiness and justice on your behalf so that you could be forgiven and eternally reconciled to Him through faith.

Marty, I hate to point out the elephant in the room, but if you were really a Christian, you would understand that because that's what it means to be a Christian. You would have understood it the day you heard the message of the gospel preached, responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and asked in simple faith to be forgiven of sin and trusted in Christ's finished work of atonement for your salvation. So, the fact that you don't understand that speaks volumes, and it says one thing pretty clearly:

You never did that.

You know, when I started writing this, I was actually all set to be nice and conciliatory and offer some spiritual encouragement and all that...but as I read some of Marty's comments, it suddenly struck me:

I'm talking to an unbeliever.

"I want genuine truth. Not the 'I just believe it' kind of truth."

I'm sorry...the "I just believe it" kind of truth? Listen Marty, you can take the "I just believe it" kind of truth and toss it in the trash can on your way out the door of the church, because that's where it belongs. How about the "God's prophetically self-confirming Word establishes it beyond any reasonable doubt" kind of truth? How about the "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" kind of truth? You know, the "my life has never been the same" kind of truth?

Apparently, you're not familiar with those kinds of truth. And it is manifestly clear to me why.

"All I know is what's true to me right now, and Christianity just seems to me like another religion at this point."

Of course it does...and that's because a shallow pretense of Christianity is like every other religion, and leaves people just as damned.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but sometimes the truth is harsh. Marty, you say you're "not in anymore," but your words make it quite clear that you were never in to begin with. Those are not the words of a believer who is struggling in their Christian walk—they are the words of an unbelieving poser. The only thing I have to say has already been said by the Savior you do not know:

You don't need coddling or encouraging words—you need Christ.

8/20/2019 — From the "Not Quite Dead Yet" Department...

One potential solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue that hasn't received much public exposure until recently is getting talked about more these days, given all the hubbub about the impending announcement (and feel free to interpret the word "impending" any old way you please) of Trump's Deal of the Century. It is known as the Jordan Option, and although it's been kicked around in Middle East political circles since around 1980, many who follow the Israeli-Palestinian issue are not familiar with it. But...

Some people are now saying that Trump's Deal of the Century is the Jordan Option.

As anyone who follows this issue knows, it is clear that PA President Mahmoud Abbas and King Abdullah of Jordan are absolutely insistent on a two-state solution that divides Israel along the pre-1967 borders to create an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Nothing less will do—there is no substitute. It looks for all the world as though neither will ever accept the Jordan Option.

So what is the Jordan Option? In a nutshell, this plan basically turns the existing country of Jordan into the "Palestinian state," and Palestinians in Israel will become card-carrying Jordanian citizens living in Israel. Here are a few of the particulars taken from an article at the American Thinker website:

• The Palestinians living west of the River will no longer be stateless. They will be Jordanian citizens living in Israel as foreign residents.

• Thus, Israel will be able to extend its sovereignty over the entire area without the need to grant citizenship to the Palestinians living west of the river. The reason this is so is because when you annex land or claim sovereignty over it, there is no law that obligates you to grant citizenship to citizens of foreign countries who may live there.

• These Jordanian-Palestinians will be entitled to live in Areas A and B as foreign residents with full autonomy, just as they do now.

• Over the next few years, Jordan will replace the P.A. as the administrator of these areas, and the P.A. will wither away.

• These foreign residents will be incentivized to emigrate to Jordan with funds provided by the Gulf States and the U.S., as announced in the Bahrain Workshop.

• The Oslo Accords will be subsumed in the Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty.

• Hebron, which is an Area A, will be absorbed into Israel and will no longer be an autonomous area.

• Gaza will be treated as an autonomous area A. Hamas will be outlawed, and Jordan will administer it, as it will be doing for all Area A.

• There will be no need for a peace process thereafter.

• The Palestinian state will be Jordan and not some new creation west of the Jordan River.

Of course, it appears Abbas and Abdullah will never agree to this. However, if King Abdullah were to abdicate (and it's not inconceivable he could choose to do so willingly according to some), he would almost certainly be replaced by one Mudar Zahran, leader of the Jordanian Opposition Coalition and chief proponent of the Jordan Option. And Abbas, at 83 years of age and in less than robust health, is slowly but surely becoming irrelevant as leader of the Palestinians.

The question for students of Bible prophecy, of course, is whether this could really turn out to be the treaty of Daniel 9:27 after all. As have many others, I have all but written off Trump's deal as being The Treaty, barring a highly unexpected turn of events. But...

Could the Jordan Option be just such a turn of events?

Well, it doesn't divide Israel in the way a two-state solution would, that's true. If you've read my recent articles, you know I still lean toward the idea of the treaty of Daniel 9:27 being one that divides Israel in some way, which I am inclined to believe is the eschatological fulfillment of Joel 3:2 ("They have divided my land").

Could I be wrong? Sure. I don't want to sound vein-poppingly dogmatic about it, because my view of that verse is certainly not the only game in town—it could conceivably be viewed in another light. Remember that when God says "my land" (i.e. the land He promised to His people Israel), we are not necessarily talking about the land that Israel claims today. In reality, the land in question includes all of Jordan, Lebanon, and Gaza, two-thirds of Syria, half of Iraq, and significant chunks of Egypt, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia (not to mention the land claimed by Israel today, disputed or otherwise). Not only that, but a good bit of that division has occurred in modern times.

As Mark Twain once famously quipped:

"The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."

Could the same be said of Trump's deal? I don't know, but as it stands and until I see clear evidence to convince me I'm wrong, I'd have to admit I still have my money on the two-state solution. Somehow. For now. Never forget that the treaty of Daniel 9:27 will be strengthened or confirmed at some point after the Rapture, and only God knows what kind of geopolitical tectonic shifts will occur in its aftermath.

But as far as the Deal of the Century is concerned, it's within the realm of possibility that it's not quite as dead as many think.

We'll see soon enough...but then again, as believers maybe we won't—something might come up unexpectedly.

Like us.

8/27/2019 — From the "How Much Longer?" Department...

You know, I almost hate to dwell on this sort of thing, but it's just so striking...and it's such a poignant reminder of how close we are to the catching up of the real Church out of this absolute cesspool we live in.

And when I say "cesspool," I'm talking about organized Christianity.

According to an article posted on a gay online magazine called Instinct, a long-running BBC television program called Songs of Praise, which is essentially a Christian reality show featuring hymns sung in many churches around the UK, has broken new ground:

They recently featured a gay wedding.

Songs of Praise recently aired the wedding of two Scottish men, Jamie Wallace and Ian McDowall, who exchanged their vows in Glasgow's Rutherglen United Reformed Church.

Now, I realize that such a thing barely registers a ripple on the radar of organized religion today, but some of the comments made in the article and by some of the people associated with the church and the show itself really grieved my spirit.

For example, the article reported that despite the joyous occasion...

"...there were moments of reflection on Christianity's oppression of gay love."

Now, when they say "Christianity" here, I take it they are talking about the real Church. The real Church doesn't "oppress gay love," it preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ. The real Church calls homosexual behavior sin because God calls it sin in His Word. And the last time I checked, God had the last say on that.

Newlywed Ian MacDowell reminds us that...

"Jesus preaches about love, inclusion, kindness, compassion."

Yes, Ian, He did. Jesus did indeed preach about love, kindness and compassion (not your LGBT version of "inclusion," though, which means to wink at the sin of others). But Jesus also preached about sin, and obedience to the Father's will and to His Word. And His Word is thunderingly clear on the fact that homosexual behavior is a sin...I'm sorry, no. It's an abomination, and it thumbs its nose at God's designs for mankind.

But Ian, luckily Jesus also preached about forgiveness, and forgiveness is what His finished work of atonement on the cross purchased for all those who recognize their brokenness before God and humble their hearts and ask for that forgiveness Christ made freely available.

In the program, Rev. Andy Braunston says...

"Support of gay love and marriage is up to each individual congregation."

No, Rev. Braunston, it's not. Since when is it up to us to decide what is or isn't sin? Since when is it up to us to decide whether or not to actively support and embrace what God calls an abomination? The good reverend added...

We didn't want to carry on arguing about it so we decided to live with the difference."

Translation: We weren't about to waste our time listening to anyone blathering on with their intolerant fundamentalist dogma, so we just agreed to leave the Bible on the shelf and do as we bloody well please.

There's more, but I don't have the heart to continue...because it's breaking. I mean, how low can the apostate church possibly sink? How utterly divorced from God and His Word can it possibly be? How alien can the gospel of Jesus Christ possibly be to people who call themselves "Christians"? How much more blatantly can people who name the name of Christ call evil good and good evil? How much more can Paul's prophetic words be fulfilled?

How much longer do we have here in this cesspool?

Translation: How much longer can it possibly be?

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9/3/2019 — From the "Play Ball or Else" Department...

A significant development on the Middle East peace front to pass on...the Saudis have a message for King Abdullah of Jordan:

"Play ball or else."

Abdul Hameed Al-Ghabin, a Saudi writer and political/tribal figure, has essentially thrown down the proverbial gauntlet in response to the Jordanian king's insistence on creating a new and separate independent state for the Palestinians, rather than turning Jordan into said Palestinian state, which is what many suspect Trump's Deal of the Century is going to call for.

Al-Ghabin's statements were published in an Israeli newspaper, and have not been disavowed in any way by the Saudi royal family. That fact is not insignificant, because it suggests that Al-Ghabin's remarks represent the current de facto position of Saudi Arabia.

Al-Ghabin asks how peace can be achieved if the Palestinian people don't have a place to call home:

"The answer is simple: Jordan is already 78 percent of historical Palestine. Jordanians of Palestinian origin constitute more than 80 percent of the population according to U.S. intelligence cables leaked in 2010. Jordan is essentially already the Palestinian Arab state. The only problem is, the king of Jordan refuses to acknowledge this."

Al-Ghabin continues with a not-so-thinly veiled threat to the Jordanian leadership:

"Nonetheless, the world will eventually recognize Jordan as the address for Palestinian statehood—and perhaps sooner than we think. We don't know if the Jordanian royal family will still be in power when Jordan officially becomes Palestine, but we do know that if the royal family leaves and the Palestinian majority takes over, Jordan will officially become their homeland and we Arabs won't feel guilty normalizing relations with Israel as another regional state."

But Al-Ghabin was just getting warmed up. He want on to basically threaten Jordan by saying they could well lose their long-standing custodianship of the Al-Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem if they don't shape up and get with the program:

"As for the Al-Aqsa mosque, we have been financing it for over 70 years now. Saudi Arabia has donated billions of dollars to Jordan's king and his father and grandfather, all in the name of 'protecting' and 'maintaining' Al-Aqsa. A quick look at the holy site is enough to show everyone that the king of Jordan has neither been maintaining nor protecting the site. The mosque is in a miserable state and unrest is always being stirred up there by the king's appointed guards and loyalists."

He then goes on to boast about how responsibly and respectfully Saudi Arabia has maintained other important Islamic holy Sites in Mecca and Medina in an equally not-so-thinly veiled reminder to King Abdullah that the Temple Mount could be removed from Jordan's control just like that.

All in all, the message to Jordan and their king could scarcely be any clearer:

We can do this the easy way or the hard way...
and we promise you're not gonna like the hard way.

So, as the hardball continues to heat up, it tends to make it look more and more as if Trump's deal could in fact be (at the very least) the forerunner to the treaty of Daniel 9:27. And if that turns out to be the case, feel free to say "Told ya so!" at the Bema.

9/10/2019 — From the "No Confidence" Department...

Several days ago, Jason Greenblatt, the chief architect of President Trump's Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, suddenly announced his resignation as Trump's Middle East peace envoy. But that's not the part that has become a source of consternation for many Middle East watchers.

It's the timing.

Trump has indicated that the Deal of the Century will finally be released—cross his heart and hope to die—shortly after the upcoming Israeli election on September 17. And with one week to go before Israeli voters head to the polls, the deal's chief architect up and quits.

OK, let me get this straight: After three years of herculean effort in crafting what would unquestionably be one of the biggest foreign policy deals of the century, the chief architect of that Deal of the Century suddenly decides to resign a few days or perhaps weeks before the plan's long-awaited and much hyped release in order to be with his wife and six children in New Jersey.

If you believe that, you might be interested in a bridge I have for sale in Brooklyn...it's a real beauty.

According to an article in the Times of Israel, early in Greenblatt's tenure as peace envoy, he was seen as an even-handed negotiator who spent as much time talking to the Palestinians as he did to the Israelis. But any sense of impartiality the Trump team tried to manufacture evaporated in December 2017, when the president recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and promised to move the U.S. Embassy there. Which he did.

So...sayonara, Mr. Honest Broker. Since then, Greenblatt, an Orthodox Jew, has aimed his fair share of antagonistic bluster toward various Palestinian officials; and no matter how justified and well-deserved that antagonistic bluster may be, that has only exacerbated the situation. Now, his sudden and inexplicably timed departure from Trump's Middle East peace team is being seen in the only logical light in which it can be seen:

In the eyes of many observers, it reveals the Trump team's lack of confidence in their own plan.

The consensus among some officials is that Greenblatt was shown the back door of Team Trump headquarters so that in the (seemingly likely) event the plan falls apart like a cheap piñata, Trump can pin the blame on Greenblatt. And if by some miracle the plan actually succeeds, Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner can soak up all the credit.

Very Trumpesque, in the view of those same officials.

So, with Benjamin Netanyahu struggling to keep his nose above water in the polls and now the inauspiciously timed exit of the plan's chief architect, things are looking slightly less rosy for Trump's Deal of the Century than they did a week ago.

9/17/2019 — From the "Music to My Ears" Department...

A couple of days ago, a drone attack was launched on a Saudi Arabian oil production facility, causing extensive damage and effectively knocking out 50 percent of Saudi Arabia's oil production (representing about 5 percent of the world's oil supply). Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in nearby Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, which caused the biggest spike in world oil prices in a decade.

I hope no one has to tell you that this is a very big deal. The United States and others have been quick to lay the blame where it belongs, which is squarely on Iran. This is the closest thing to a worst-case scenario we've seen for a while, with some ominously referring to it as a "Pearl Harbor Moment."

According to an article in the Huffington Post, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Chief of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is calling for a strike on Iran that would "break the regime's back," and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted:

"Tehran is behind nearly 100 attacks on Saudi Arabia while Rouhani and Zarif pretend to engage in diplomacy. Amid all the calls for de-escalation, Iran has now launched an unprecedented attack on the world's energy supply. There is no evidence the attacks came from Yemen."

And just when we were trying to play nice with Iran...

President Trump has recently kicked around the idea of lifting some of the sanctions on Iran and floating them a $15 billion line of credit, and has spoken of meeting with Iran's president Hassan Rouhani. Not only that, but in a somewhat ironic twist, Trump recently fired National Security Advisor John Bolton for essentially being too hawkish, especially in regard to Iran.

For one thing, this attack significantly ratchets up the urgency the Arab countries surrounding Israel feel in dealing with Public Enemy No. 1—Iran.

That in turn ratchets up the urgency they feel in getting the issue of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal squared away and put to bed.

That in turn stokes the drive toward the treaty of Daniel 9:27.

It's too soon to say what shape the fallout of this attack will take, but it's clearly hitting a very sour note.

For the world, that is.

But for those of us waiting for a trumpet to sound? You never know...

It just might be music to our ears.

9/24/2019 — From the "Delayed...Again" Department...

Shocking news: The release of Trump's Deal of the Century will be delayed...again.

As you may know, Israel held an election last week, and the U.S. was anticipating that Benjamin Netanyahu would emerge as the winner, an outcome that would have seen the U.S. release the plan in short order. Unfortunately, however, the election ended in a confusing deadlock that leaves neither Netanyahu nor his challenger Benny Gantz with a clear path to the premiership and a stable government.

I'm not even going to attempt to sort through the dizzying array of details of what is happening in Israeli politics right now, as President Rivlin is meeting with both Netanyahu and Gantz to try to cobble together a solution.

Even the Israelis don't have a good grasp of what's happening right now, nor do they have any idea of what the outcome will be. The situation is literally changing by the hour, and it may be another week or more before Israel's political future takes any clear shape. Theoretically, it could yet be Netanyahu, it could yet be Gantz, and it could even be both together in a "rotating premiership."

Hey, don't laugh. It's happened in Israel before (Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres, 1984–1988).

Of course, heaven only knows what this does to plans to announce Trump's Deal of the Century, except to say it's been d-e-l-a-y-e-d...quite possibly until next year, according to an article in Arutz Sheva.

If there is a moral to the story for born-again believers faithfully watching for the Rapture, I suppose it could be summarized thusly:

Yes, we are to watch for "signs of the times" in regard to end-time events. I don't dispute that. But straight up: I believe we err when we begin to rely too heavily on real-world events as timing devices for the Rapture, because...

Only. God. Knows. The. Future.

When we try to speculate about how we think things are going to work out and use our limited view of real-world events as a basis for speculation about the timing of the Rapture, that's when we begin to drift away from the shore. Not pointing any fingers here, but in my humble opinion saying things like "The Rapture must happen by Rosh Hashanah of this year because that's when the Deal of the Century is gonna be announced!" and so forth is a bridge too far. This sort of attitude, if allowed to fully germinate, can blossom into something that I see as being one small step above outright date-setting.

This might be a good time for a quick recap of the basics: We are to watch actively, continually busying ourselves with the Master's business as we watch and wait for that day—the day of our redemption. We need to remember that the confluence of events and circumstances that will ultimately bring the treaty of Daniel 9:27 to fruition is not and will never be known to us with any significant degree of precision. He has placed these things under His own authority. In other words:

There is absolutely no scriptural reason to think that God is going to send us a singing telegram the day before the Rapture.

Why? Because God makes it pretty clear in His Word that He sovereignly ordained for it to be that way, that's why.

Works for me.

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10/1/2019 — From the "Going Out With a Bang" Department...

It's wonderful to have a chance to report on something like this, because sometimes the scary apocalyptic stuff can make you temporarily lose sight of what's really important.

And that would be the gospel.

According to a recent documentary entitled Sheep Among Wolves Volume II, the fastest growing segment of the Church is not in poverty-crippled regions of Africa. It's not in secular swaths of Europe. And it's certainly not in the megachurches that dot the American landscape.

It's in Iran.

The Church in Iran is growing at an apostolic pace, and an unidentified Iranian woman who serves as a church leader sums it up this way:

"What if I told you Islam is dead? What if I told you the mosques are empty inside Iran? What if I told you no one follows Islam inside of Iran? Would you believe me? This is exactly what is happening inside of Iran. God is moving powerfully inside of Iran."

According to the same woman, Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini is one of the "best evangelists for Jesus" ever, since over the last 40 years the Ayatollahs have shown the Iranian people and the world the true face of Islam, and they have come to realize it's a lie.

According to the article linked to above, which is at ChrisitianHeadlines.com, the Church in Iran has no buildings, no property, and no central leadership, but is growing rapidly with the goal of growing disciples, not just "converts." According this female leader:

"The seismic shift that's happened in the church of Iran is, when all these church planters found out that converts run away from persecution, but disciples would die for the Lord in persecution. Disciples forsake the world and cling to Jesus 'till he comes. Converts don't. Disciples aren't engaged in a culture war. Converts are. Disciples cherish, obey, and share the word of God. Converts don't. Disciples choose Jesus over anything and everything else. Converts don't. Converts run when the fire comes. Disciples don't."

And not to put too fine a point on it, but I don't quite see where "your best life now" or "blab it and grab it" Churchianity fits into that model.

"Forsake the world and cling to Jesus until He comes." I'm gonna make a poster of that and hang it in my room. That's what I want, and I hope that's what you want, too. It's getting real, folks, and that means it's time for us to do the same.

The Lord is going to take us to be with Him soon enough—and when He does, this is what I hope we all want:

I wanna go out with a bang, not a whimper.

10/8/2019 — From the "MythBusters" Department...

The Old Testament is dotted with over one hundred references to a group of people called the Edomites, who lived in Edom—an area that today lies in southeastern Israel and western Jordan. For example, one such reference to Edom appears in Moses' song of deliverance, which was sung to celebrate the Israelites' glorious deliverance from bondage in Egypt:

The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob's older brother, who sold his birthright to his little brother for a bowl of stew.

But for centuries, many Bible critics have insisted there is no evidence the Edomite kingdom existed until at least three centuries after the Exodus. According to them, there is no archaeological evidence to suggest the Edomites existed as any sort of "kingdom" until at least 300 years after the Israelites' departure from Egypt (assuming it ever really happened, of course). The critics have long conjectured that in reality the Edomites were merely a loose alliance of primitive tribes at the time of the alleged Exodus, certainly not anything that could be described as a kingdom, and that the reference to them in Moses' song of deliverance was simply backfitted to portray them as such.

In other words, it's just another example of how the Bible is nothing more than a book of fanciful legends and myths written by Bronze Age nomads that's obviously chockful of errors, contradictions, and laughable historical inaccuracies.

So aren't you the silly goose for believing that any of it's true.

Enter the MythBusters.

Recently, a team of archaeologists uncovered a fascinating clue in the Timna Valley, which is in ancient Edom. This clue shatters the belief that the Edomites were little more than a ragtag gaggle of goatherds that couldn't have been what the Bible says they were. That clue?

Copper-smelting.

In ancient times, copper-smelting was the equivalent of a high-tech industry, and the archaeologists found evidence of an extensive and well-organized network of copper-smelting facilities in the area that date back to the time of the Exodus—an extensive and well-organized network of copper-smelting facilities that establishes beyond any doubt that the society that developed and operated it was a wealthy, powerful, and sophisticated one.

To put these findings into perspective, imagine that archaeologists well over three thousand years from now have somehow gotten the idea that twentieth-century America featured a simple, agrarian society with only the simplest of tools (like the eighteenth century). But then they dig up the remains of NASA in Houston. Oops...

The bottom line is this: Their archaeological findings are consistent with Scripture.

Translation: The critics are the ones who believe a bunch of myths.

Have a great day.

After reading about this, I know I will.

10/15/2019 — From the "Not Fitting In" Department...

The Democrats' determined efforts to further distance themselves from the majority of Americans continue unabated. In an apparent bid to out-radical his opponents, Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke called for churches and other institutions in the United States to be stripped of their tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status if they fail to toe the LGBT line by supporting homosexual marriage and all the other LGBT trimmings.

According to an article in the Christian Post, O'Rourke would seek to implement such a policy through executive action shortly after taking office. According to O'Rourke's website:

"Despite the progress we've made, members of the LGBTQ+ community are denied lives free of fear or discrimination. President Trump's administration has made it their mission to roll back protections for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender Americans, defying their constitutional guarantee of Equal Protection. Beto will take immediate executive action to end the assault on LGBTQ+ rights and enact policies that conform to our laws and values."

(Pardon me...I just threw up a little bit in the back of my throat.) At the recent CNN Equality Town Hall, CNN's Don Lemon (himself a member of the LGBT community) asked the following pre-arranged question:

"Do you think religious institutions like colleges, churches and charities should lose their tax-exempt status if they oppose same sex marriage?"

To which O'Rourke responded without missing a beat:

"Yes. There can be no reward, no benefit, no tax break for anyone or any institution, any organization in America that denies the full human rights and the full civil rights of every single one of us. And so as president, we're going to make that a priority and we are going to stop those who are infringing upon the human rights of our fellow Americans."

Correction: It's not a civil right—it's a sin. And just to be clear: We are compelled by God's Word to condemn it as such, not capitulate to it. As born-again believers, we are in the world, not of the world. That means we ultimately don't fit in here, and so we certainly have no business compromising God's Word in order to do just that.

Denny Burk, associate professor of biblical studies at Boyce College, and associate pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, responded to O'Rourke's statements:

"Christians, we need to be ready for a new reality. We are likely to face fines and other penalties for staying faithful to Christ's teaching. Our churches may eventually lose tax exempt status... Jesus prepared us for this. He told us that it would be this way, and it was always wrong to assume that such a thing could never happen to us here. Jesus' warning has always been relevant, especially now. 'If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you... But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.' We need to be ready to love our neighbors and our enemies and to bear witness in a culture that is increasingly hostile toward us. Ours will likely be a costly love and a costly witness."

A costly love and a costly witness. Make no mistake: The loss of the traditional 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status would force many churches to close down, especially smaller churches (which, ironically, are much more likely to be the type of churches that preach the Word and proclaim the gospel in a manner that honors Christ). Some big-money megachurches might survive, but most small congregations will be crushed out of existence.

Of course, I'm sure there will be no shortage of churches that will choose to please men rather than honor God.

I'm sure they'll fit right in.

10/22/2019 — From the "Friend or Foe" Department...

Elizabeth Warren, leading Democratic presidential hopeful (depending on what poll you read and on what day) is showing the true colors of the Democratic party in regard to America's top ally in the Middle East.

Those colors would be shades of backstabbing and betrayal, and that ally would be Israel.

At an event in Iowa the other day, Warren was asked about her position on making aid to Israel dependent on the cessation of settlement expansion. Her answer?

"Everything is on the table."

Translation: Withhold aid? You can hide and watch, hoss.

And it's not just Elizabeth Warren—Bernie Sanders has said essentially the same thing. Warren went on to elucidate her position:

"Right now, [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu says he is going to take Israel in a direction of increasing settlements. That does not move us toward a two-state solution. It is the official policy of the United States of America to support a two-state solution, and if Israel is moving in the opposite direction, then everything is on the table...everything is on the table."

It is the official policy of the United States of America to support a two-state solution... Oh really? According to who? Not according to the President of the United States, who might have something to say in that regard...don't ya think? Or maybe in Elizabeth Warren's mind, what the President of the United States thinks doesn't count because his name happens to be Donald Trump.

At any rate, you can bet your bottom dollar that "everything" includes the $3.8 billion the U.S. gives Israel in aid each year, aid that helps ensure Israel maintains its military superiority in the Middle East—military superiority that is crucial to its very survival.

Mark my words: If a Democrat gets elected next year, you can bet your second-from-the-bottom dollar that they will go right back to slapping Israel around like a drunken sailor, just like they did in the good old days under Barack "I've got your back" Obama.

My point is that the verse I quote in the sidebar of this website's main page hasn't changed:

God makes it pretty simple. As far as His people Israel are concerned, He sees you as one of two things:

Friend or foe.

The friends get blessed—the foes get cursed. And the Democrats have made it abundantly clear which one will apply to America if they somehow manage to win the White House in 2020.

I'm praying they don't.

10/29/2019 — From the "Gun Lap" Department...

Amid the ongoing political impasse in Israel, U.S. presidential adviser Jared Kushner is in Israel to meet with both presidential hopefuls Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz in an effort to test the waters as to when the Trump administration's peace plan may be rolled out.

At the time of this writing, I am not exactly certain where things stand as far as how close Israel is to forming a new government under either Netanyahu or Gantz—or Netanyahu and Gantz. If the answer turns out to be "none of the above," then Israel will be dragged into yet a third round of elections in February 2020, which would put off the formation of a new government until late spring of next year.

For sound, practical reasons, the United States would strongly prefer not to roll out the peace plan until there is a new government firmly in place in Israel; but if Gantz is unable to form a ruling coalition in the next few days (Netanyahu already tried and failed), then it leaves few options other than that third round of elections.

The problem for President Trump, however, is that if Israel does go to a third round of elections next year, by the time they have a new govenment in place his 2020 re-election campaign will be in full swing, and it could prove difficult for him to channel sufficient time and energy into making the peace plan a success without taking a bite out of his campaign efforts. Plus, if the plan is released in the heat of the campaign and it flops as spectacularly as some fear it may, it would certainly be fodder for Democratic cannons, regardless of the candidate. It could turn into a plumper, juicier albatross than the Democrats could have ever dreamed of, thank you very much.

On the other hand, to borrow one of my favorite Mark Twainisms, the reports of the peace plan's death are greatly exaggerated. According to the above-linked article in the Jerusalem Post, Trump's plan received some support from an unlikely source recently when former French ambassador to Israel and subsequently to the United States Gérard Araud wrote in an op-ed piece for a major Lebanese newspaper that Trump's plan may be the right move for players like the Palestinians and the Israelis, who will clearly never be able to come to any sort of agreement on their own. He went on to say that Trump's approach—even if it falls short of the goal this time around, may serve as a model for future peace efforts in the region.

So, to Monsieur Araud I would say: vous m'enlevez les mots de la bouche—you took the words right out of my mouth. I believe that all the momentum behind Trump's deal is neither a mirage nor a red herring, regardless of its particulars and regardless whether it succeeds or fails. I believe it is likely that Trump's deal is at the very least the beginning of the gun lap in the race for the treaty of Daniel 9:27, and as such remans worthy of the attention of watchmen everywhere.

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11/5/2019 — From the "Ungrounded Optimism" Department...

There is an interesting article that was just posted on the website of The Atlantic entitled "The Coming Middle East Conflagration," and it thoughtfully and expertly discusses how Israel is seriously gearing up for a major attack by Iran and its proxies that it knows is coming.

Another issue that is broached in the article is whether or not—and to what extent—the United States would come to Israel's aid and defense in the event of such a conflict. The article is worth reading, so I won't go into the details of what is brought out; but the author, former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren, finishes the article on an optimistic note. Although Oren addresses some realistic issues in an even-handed manner, he remains confident that the U.S. would in fact do whatever is necessary, including in a military sense, to defend Israel from her enemies.

I wish I shared Mr. Oren's optimism. I, too, would very much like to think that the United States would do whatever is necessary to defend her staunchest ally in the Middle East, including direct warfare inflicted on the biggest bully on the block—Iran. And under ordinary circumstances, I probably would have such confidence.

But these are not ordinary circumstances.

Any student of Bible prophecy who has anything on the ball will tell you the same thing—we are watching the run-up to the battle of Gog Magog in real time. The Ezekiel 38–39 pot is being stirred like it has never been stirred before, and the scenario is inexorably congealing into its biblically specified shape.

But 2,600 years ago, the prophet Ezekiel told us all we need to know about the response of the United States when this attack goes down.

And it suggests that Mr. Oren's optimism is ungrounded.

This well-known verse tells us all we need to know. There's no need for us to wring our hands and speculate what the United States of America will do when Israel is attacked with overwhelming force by a Russian-led coalition that includes Iran and others:

We will sit on our hands and meekly protest.

Why? Because this is going to be Israel's chance to see their God fight for them, not a fickle Western ally that will duck for cover at the moment of truth for any one of a number of reasons.

Including the chaos that will paralyze our once great nation in the aftermath of the Rapture.

11/12/2019 — From the "He's B-a-a-ck" Department...

Leave it to the Roman Catholic Church...

Like a lot of born-again believers, I am aware of many of the useless, man-made rituals they have substituted for salvation through faith in Christ alone. I am familiar with many of the ways in which they have perverted and subverted the gospel of Jesus Christ for the last fifteen centuries, and did everything in their considerable worldly power to keep the Word of God out of the hands of the common man for the first ten of those centuries.

Yeah, yeah , yeah...I get all that.

But Molech?! I am seldom at a loss for words, but this brought me close.

We are first introduced the infamous Canaanite deity Molech in the book of Leviticus:

The expression "pass through the fire" refers to the preferred method of worshiping Molech, which was to place infants onto the outstretched hands of the bronze deity—bronze hands that had been heated to a flesh-melting temperature, that is. God clearly warned the Israelites to have nothing to do with the worship of pagan gods, with Molech being one that got mentioned by name. Two chapters later, God tells them that any Israelite that so sacrifices a child to Molech was to be put to death by stoning.

Even King David's son Solomon was guilty of worshiping Molech:

No trip to Rome is complete without a visit to the Colosseum, a World Heritage Site that is one of the most visited historical sites in the world. Within the confines of this ancient arena, early Christians were torn to bits by wild beasts for the entertainment of the masses.

And now it seems the Colosseum has a new mascot at its gates to welcome those throngs of tourists:

An imposing statue of Molech.

OK, so why does this have anything to do with the Roman Catholic Church, you might wonder. Here's why:

"There is no way that such a thing could be done without direct permission from the highest levels of the Vatican. The Colosseum of Rome is owned by the Vatican, and specifically the Diocese of Rome, also called the Holy See. If anyone wants to do anything there, they must get permissions from the office of the Diocese of Rome. This exhibition, called 'Cathargo: the immortal myth' could not be held there at all unless permissions were granted at high levels." (emphasis added)

Of all the people or things they could have placed at the entrance to the Colosseum, they chose Molech: one of the most detestable pagan gods in the entire Bible.

He's b-a-a-ck!

Why am I not surprised. How fitting the world should be introduced to this abomination to God, courtesy of the RCC. Why fitting? Because it serves to remind those who know God's Word that the world is just about to be introduced to another abomination to God, namely Satan's man who will unsuccessfully attempt to usurp the place of Christ on earth.

But that's OK, because the body of Christ is just about to look up and say those very same words:

He's b-a-a-ck!

11/19/2019 — From the "Prophetic Fireworks" Department...

The Trump administration announced on Monday that it does not see settlement activity in the West Bank as being contrary to international law, a decision that effectively overturns decades of American foreign policy in the region.

To the surprise of no one, proponents of the two-state solution are screaming bloody murder over what they see as a flashing green light to build more Jewish settlements on what they claim is land that will be part of a future independent Palestinian state.

They also point out that the timing of the announcement is highly suspect, and it's tough to disagree with them on that point. Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu's rival for the job of Prime Minister, has until this Wednesday to form a coalition government, a task that Netanyahu has already failed at. If he doesn't (and at this point it's looking very much as if he won't, but Israeli politics is nothing if not full of surprises), the country will be forced to head to the polls in early 2020 for the country's third round of elections in less than a year. Trump's announcement of the shift in America's stance on settlement activity in the West Bank (which Netanyhau had been lobbying for over the last several months) was clearly timed to give Netanyahu a desperate, last minute boost in his efforts to cling to power.

Among those boo-hooing the decision is U.S. State Department official Aaron David Miller:

"The administration has gone about dismantling the core elements that have constituted a traditional approach to a two-state solution. [The latest move] fits within the broader context of what the administration has been involved in."

...clearly referring to Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the American embassy to said capital, both moves that sent the Palestinians and supporters of the two-state solution into delirium tremens.

Naturally, Netanyahu was all smiles, referring to the West Bank by its biblical name:

"This policy reflects a historical truth—that the Jewish people are not foreign colonialists in Judea and Samaria."

Political machinations aside, however, the fear of some prophecy watchers is that a period of internal political instability in Israel that now looks to extend until late spring/early summer of next year may present an irresistible temptation to those who would seek to attack Israel...namely Iran.

If that's the case, prophetic fireworks may be closer than many suppose.

11/26/2019 — From the "Something Is Up" Department...

For some time now, a number of high-ranking military officials in the United States have been singing the same song, and the first line of that song goes like this:

"Iran's planning a big attack, doo-dah, doo-dah."

Here lately, however, the volume has been getting cranked up to troubling levels. That is, if the steady stream of top brass visiting Israel is anything to go by.

For the last several months, scarcely a week has gone by without some top American military official paying a visit to their Israeli counterpart, and anyone who knows anything knows why:

Something is up, and that something is spelled I-R-A-N.

According to an article at the Times of Israel website, Iran has not been deterred by an increase in the number of U.S. troops in the Middle East. In an interview in the New York Times, General Kenneth F. McKenzie said:

"It's the trajectory and the direction that they're on. The attack on the oil fields in Saudi was stunning in the depth of its audaciousness. I wouldn't rule that out going forward."

The lack of a response to several of Iran's recent shenanigans has Israeli officials concerned that the rogue Shi'ite nation has been emboldened to the point where they may decide to plow ahead with another major attack, most likely on Israel.

For example, back in June, President Trump called off a retaliatory strike at the last minute in response to Iran's downing of an American drone. (A bluff? Probably. A bad bluff? Not necessarily.) In September, roughly half of Saudi Arabia's oil production capacity was destroyed in an attack linked to, blamed on, and denied by the Iranians. And in the last six months, there have been a series of attacks on oil tankers in Iran's backyard that Iran similarly denies.

And the octopus talks of peace and security while the tentacles do the dirty work.

As usual, other major news stories tend to grab everyone's attention as these things escalate (the impeachment charade in the U.S., the presidential gridlock in Israel, etc.), and I for one don't believe that's an accident. This has been Satan's modus operandi for a long time, and he has a reputation for using it to good advantage. When major news stories occupy the headlines for extended periods of time, it's time to look behind the curtain.

In many cases, that's a sign that something is up.

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12/3/2019 — From the "Steer Clear" Department...

There is a growing Evangelical group today that thinks Donald Trump was chosen by God to be president.

Oh, but that's not all. They also believe he was chosen by God to advance the establishment of God's kingdom on earth.

Known as INC Christianity ("Independent Network Charismatic"), these people believe that Christians are to busy themselves Christianizing the world, and can only do so by taking control of the "seven mountains of culture," which would be business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, family and religion.

And the surprising election of one Donald J. Trump to the presidency of the United States, wresting control of our government from the godless Democratic liberals, was a major step in the right direction, didn't you know.

There was only one thing I could say when I saw this article:

Oh brother.

The ranks of INC Christianity include the likes of former Texas governor and 2011 presidential candidate Rick Perry, who correctly points out that in the Old Testament God chose some imperfect men to lead His people.

And Donald Trump certainly qualifies on that count.

According to an article in the Times of Israel, talking to these people reveals something rather disconcerting:

To oppose President Trump is to oppose God.

OK, this is wrong on so many levels I scarcely know where to begin.

First of all, I actually do support President Trump, and I am not ashamed to say so. Yes, he is a very imperfect man. But so am I, so I can forgive him for that. Yes, I cringe at some of the things he says. But I cringe at some of the things I say, too. The point is that I support him because I like his politics much better than anything I have seen coming from the Democrats for a very long time. And when I say "a very long time," I mean since John F. Kennedy.

But liking or supporting Trump is not the issue. We are commanded in Scripture to pray for our leaders, be they Republican or Democrat, so that we may live in peace (1 Tim 2:1–2). The issue is doctrinal, and this is deeply, grievously flawed. This is something called Kingdom Now theology, aka Dominion theology. It goes by several names and flavors, but the bottom line is pretty much the same:

The Church's job is not just to spread the gospel, oh no. Our job is to take over the world for Christ and establish His kingdom on earth through our own human efforts. To that end, we must work to put Christians into positions of leadership in key areas, and in so doing we will gradually Christianize the world and make it a suitable place for Christ to return to rule in the sweet by and by.

I wrote an article about Kingdom Now theology back in 2015, and I ripped it to shreds. And my opinions have not changed one iota. The Church's job is not to "take over the world for Christ." Simply put, it is to be a tangible display of the incomparable riches of God's grace, fulfill the Great Commission, and edify believers. Christ Himself is going to establish His kingdom following His physical return to earth. That's His job, not ours.

The bottom line is that this is unbiblical, man-centered nonsense, and it reeks of the flesh.

Now, did God choose Donald Trump? Yep, He sure did. But He also chose every single one of our presidents since George Washington. Why? One simple reason:

To carry out His sovereign will.

NOT to make it easier for men to establish His kingdom on earth by their fleshly efforts.

Kingdom Now theology is a theological train wreck.

Steer clear of it.

12/10/2019 — From the "Inching Forward" Department...

According to an article at the Haaretz website, top U.S. military officials say that Iran is sneaking weapons into Iraq that have the capability to hit Israeli, American, and Saudi troops in the region. Amid anti-government protests and related distractions in Iraq, Iran is secretly installing short-range missiles in various locations around Iraq that reportedly have a range of just over 600 miles.

That's roughly the distance from Baghdad to Jerusalem, in case anyone is curious.

The Haaretz article cites a New York Times report that states:

"Iran has used the continuing chaos in Iraq to build up a hidden arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq, part of a widening effort to try to intimidate the Middle East and assert its power."

In other words:

The bad news is that Iran is developing nuclear weapons.

The worse news is that they don't need them to threaten Israel with massive destruction.

So as both the U.S. and Israel sink ever deeper into their respective political quagmires, the Bad Boys on the Block are inexorably moving into position to Start Something—inching forward to the point where they are able to launch a major attack on their enemies.

Or enemy singular, as the case may be.

It's worthwhile to keep tabs on what Iran is doing, since they pose the most imminent threat to Israel. As they say, Israel is God's timepiece—so if you want to know what time it is prophetically, just look at Israel. That doesn't just apply to what's going on in Israel, however. It very much applies to what Israel's enemies are doing in regard to their futile future plans to destroy Israel.

So, we owe it to ourselves to keep an eye on how the military situation in the Middle East is inching forward in its God-ordained direction to maintain a sense of just where we are.

Or maybe I should say just how close we are.

12/17/2019 — From the "Gimme That End-Time Religion" Department...

An international organization known as Religions for Peace held a conference in New York recently, and the message coming from these religious leaders is becoming quite a familiar tune:

"Gimme that end-time religion,
Gimme that end-time religion,
Gimme that end-time religion,
It's good enough for man."

For the uninitiated, here's the blurb at the Religions for Peace website:

Different faiths. Common action.

Religions for Peace is the world's largest and most representative multi-religious coalition advancing common action among the world's religious communities for peace. Religions for Peace works to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies and protect the earth. The global Religions for Peace network comprises a World Council of senior religious leaders from all regions of the world; six regional inter-religious bodies and more than 90 national ones; and the Global Women of Faith Network and Global Interfaith Youth Network.

Common action. Peace. Just and harmonious societies. Protecting the earth.

Wow! Does that sound great or what?

You bet it sounds great...to people who sincerely believe we can solve the world's problems and make the world a better place through our own actions.

At that recent conference, world religious leaders were urged to be the "'moral conscience' of their countries to promote a more effective agenda of peace."

I won't bother to go into the details of what was put out at this conference, because most biblically literate, born-again believers in the gospel can pin the tail on that donkey with relative ease:

It's the message of the global religion that is growing stronger by the day and that will sweep the world during the Tribulation.

And it has absolutely nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

An agenda of peace? What happened to the agenda of the Prince of Peace?

As I'm sure you know, the essential elements of the gospel are rapidly being swept under the carpet of political correctness to an ever increasing degree, and the religious world is trampling them underfoot like never before. Chief among those elements is the bone that sticks in the craw of every single man-made religion on earth:

The fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

Oh, and that He was crucified and rose from the grave on the third day for the remission of sin for those who would believe in faith.

I've said it before, but I never tire of saying it. In fact, I think I'll keep saying it until I'm blue in the face:

The job of the Church is not to fix the world's problems, because the world's problems all stem from one little three-letter word: sin. And Jesus fixed that problem on the cross two thousand years ago. The Church's job is simply to spread the Good News.

Heaven knows the end-time religion doesn't want anything to do with it.

12/24/2019 — From the "I Surrender All" Department...

Ever get into a disagreement with someone over Bible translations? Ever get an earful from a KJV-Onlyist? Ever inwardly roll your eyes at somebody trying to prove some doctrinal error to you from God's Word?

Well, if you have, you can thank your lucky stars you don't live in China—and because you are fortunate enough to not live in China, the following news item doesn't apply to you:

The Chinese Communist Party is ordering the Bible to
be re-written to express a pro-communist viewpoint.

Yes, you heard me correctly. No mistakes. No typos.

Last month, a group of Chinese religious representatives were asked to attend a meeting of the (ahem) Chinese Committee for Ethnic and Religious Affairs of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. (OK, I'm gonna go with the PCC [the Political Consultative Conference] if that's OK with you.) At that meeting, Wang Yang, Chairman of the PCC, told these religious leaders that they had to interpret the views of their religious texts in ways that "conform with the values of the country's communist party doctrine."

A-n-d in other news, a Catholic church in Jiangxi province was ordered by the government to remove a painting of Mary and baby Jesus and replace it with a picture of Chairman Xi Jinping. And hang PRC flags and slap up party slogans. Oh, and take down the church's name and replace it with a banner reading:

Follow the party, thank the party, obey the party.

I suppose it's just a matter of time until they get around to changing some of the lyrics in the hymnals:

"I surrender all,
I surrender all,
To the party and the Chairman,
I surrender all."

According to the article, churches that do not join the state-run Patriotic Catholic Association would be branded as cults and face further persecution.

So, there's only one thing to do: pray.

Pray that legions of believers in China would be strengthened and empowered to continue spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in spite of such incredibly ham-fisted and draconian measures, which will do nothing but help the Antichrist's global religion feel right at home in mainland China when it comes to that.

Because it's coming to that faster than many realize.

12/31/2019 — From the "As If I Needed Another Reason" Department...

Well, at least they don't mince words or beat around the bush or any one of a number of other clichés. Once again, we have been shown for the umpteen thousandth time (although I quit counting in the summer of 2016 during the election campaign) just what the liberal media thinks of Bible-believing, God-fearing Americans:

The liberal left-wing media hates you, thinks you're an idiot, and delights in saying so to your face.

But they honestly expect you to believe everything they say. Oh, and vote for a Democrat.

NBC News Anchor Chuck Todd is being pilloried by anyone out there with a molecule of decency and self-respect after his comments on Meet the Press this past Sunday. Todd went on at length about a letter to the editor of the Lexington Herald Leader, and I'll grit my teeth and quote a salient portion thereof:

"Why do people support Trump? It's because people have been trained from childhood to believe in fairy tales... This set their minds up to accept things that make them feel good... The more fairy tales and lies he tells the better they feel... Show me a person who believes in Noah's ark and I will show you a Trump voter."

This is the message from the liberal left that is being paraded on the mainstream media, waved in the faces of millions of Christians, and oozing from your television screen if you watch CNN or any of its left-wing ilk:

1. Even a childish moron knows the Bible is a book of fairy tales.
2. People who've been trained to believe in fairy tales enjoy being lied to.
3. People who enjoy being lied to are the kind of people who voted for Trump.
4. Therefore, if you voted for Trump, you are a childish moron.

One commenter named Zach Parkinson remarked:

"If Chuck Todd's wondering why Trump voters don't trust the mainstream media, one reason might be they don't like supposedly impartial reporters insinuating the real reason they support the President is because they 'want to be lied to' and comparing the Bible to 'fairy tales.'"

Couldn't have said it better myself...and as if I needed another reason to completely ignore the mainstream media.

So, have a Happy (CNN-free) New Year!

I know I will.

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