This Commentary page contains all entries for the year 2020. 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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1/7/2020 — From the "One More Step" Department...

As I'm sure you are all aware, last week President Trump green-lighted a drone strike near the Baghdad airport that killed Major General Qassem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who had just flown into the Iraqi capital. And to no one's surprise, the threats and counter-threats have been flying between the two countries ever since.

Just so you know, this was a long-planned and carefully calculated attack, not an impulsive "Hey, that Soleimani guy just landed in Baghdad...let's blow him to smithereens!" sort of thing. Soleimani was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans (most recently a civilian contractor in Iraq about a week earlier) and was known to be planning more, and he had been in the crosshairs of the U.S. military for some time. Not only that, but the fact that he openly flew back and forth between Tehran and Baghdad was correctly perceived as a clear diplomatic message to the United States:

"Neener neener neener!"

Which, needless to say, turned out to be one "neener" too many for Soleimani.

President Trump also let Iran know that the U.S. had targeted 52 sites in Iran (one for each hostage taken in 1979, perhaps?) that were "important to Iran and Iranian culture" in case Iran decided to carry out any further attacks on American assets.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif was quick to point out:

"...targeting cultural sites is a WAR CRIME."

(A point that was not lost on Democrats in the throes of impeachment fever, I might add.)

Mohsen Rezai, head of the Expediency Council in Iran, responded:

"Mr. Trump, you tweeted that you will attack 52 targets in Iran? You have said that you will attack again if Iran gets revenge? Be sure that Iran will turn Haifa and Israel's centers to dust in a way that Israel would be erased from the face of the earth."

All I can say is that in addition to the Qur'an, Mr. Rezai must be a man who knows his Bible:

Notice one thing: Iran doesn't distinguish between an attack on Israel and an attack on the United States. To Iran, America and Israel are part of the same Zionist entity: the Satans—Big and Little, respectively.

So it's a good news, bad news thing.

The bad news is that we have just taken one more step—another lurching, lumbering step—toward No. 3839 Ezekiel Boulevard.

The good news is that before the world arrives at that destination, we will arrive at ours.

You know, that new development out on Rapture Road.

1/14/2020 — From the "Back in the News" Department...

Trump's peace plan is back in the news recently, as a top White House official says that the plan could be rolled out before the March election in Israel.

In case you didn't hear, both Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz recently failed in their (second) attempts to form a coalition government, and their failure has plunged the country into uncharted waters: a third general election in the space of a year, scheduled for March 2, 2020. (And there is even talk among poll-mongers of a possible fourth.)

The Trump administration has been patiently biding its time, waiting for the ideal moment to reveal the plan in a manner that will give it the maximum chance of success. Many fear it will be DOA regardless of when it is announced, while others are trying to remain more optimistic.

Of course, the waiting game has taken its toll, and many are accusing the Trump administration of blatant electioneering, seeking to announce the plan at a time that is auspicious for both the plan itself as well as for the political fortunes of (former?) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Trump administration has been feeling the pressure of its own approaching election campaign, and the general consensus among many political pundits has been that the closer to the election Trump announces the plan, the more it makes it look like mere political grandstanding to enhance his re-election chances.

That political wisdom may well have applied up until recently, but in all honesty it seems the tone may be shifting ever so slightly—and that shifting tone may be revealing a somewhat more emboldened Trump. Here lately it looks increasingly as if the chances of Trump's re-election are growing rosier by the day, given the humiliating debacle the Democrats have single-handedly created for themselves and are growing ever more deeply embroiled in.

Of course, the electioneering accusations will fly freely from both the American and Israeli side no matter when Trump announces the plan, although U.S. officials are strenuously insisting they have no such thoughts. According to one senior White House official:

"The [US] president is looking for a solution on the Israeli-Palestinian front that is durable, is long-lasting, and we're not timing anything we do based on the domestic politics..."

(Which, of course, no one on the planet believes...but I digress.)

For prophecy watchers, it's still an even bet that this plan will in some way become or give rise to the treaty the Antichrist will confirm with Israel, so it's worthwhile to keep tabs on what is going on with it.

Especially with that plan back in the news.

1/21/2020 — From the "Pointing Toward Home" Department...

I recently ran across an interesting article posted on the website of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, and what made it so interesting is the fact that it reads as if it had been written by a fairly knowledgeable student of Bible prophecy.

The article discusses how the gigantic Leviathan natural gas field off the northern coast of Israel is set to be a game-changer in Israel's relationship with the EU, as well as the EU's reliance on Russian energy sources.

The Leviathan field alone (Israel does have others) is estimated to hold enough natural gas to supply Israel's energy needs for the next 40 years while providing large amounts for export. The key word is "exports."

According to the article, in January of last year Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus formed the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, and one of their first major projects is to construct a 1,200-mile pipeline connecting the Leviathan field with Europe via Cyprus and Crete, a project expected to be completed within seven years. This is welcome news to Israel, since it would turn the Eastern Mediterranean into a major energy hub, with Israel as the focal point.

However, it's not welcome news to Russia.

And the article very succinctly explains why:

"Israeli natural gas offers the EU a rare opportunity to loosen Russia's energy chokehold on parts of Europe. Moscow wields access to energy supplies as a political weapon. The Levantine basin offers the EU an alternative: a reliable and price-competitive source of liquefied natural gas."

That's why. Russia profits greatly from its control of the flow of energy to Europe, and I have a feeling one Vladimir Putin is eyeing these developments with no small amount of interest. I also have a feeling he is eyeing the Leviathan field itself with an equal amount of interest:

I personally don't believe Russia is cooperating with Iran in the Middle East to enhance peace and stability in the region. "Spoil" rhymes with "oil," and all of a sudden one of the world's largest supplies of it is there for the taking. Just one little thing stands in the way:

Little old Israel.

But surely the United States would protect Israel, right? We're their strongest and most loyal ally, aren't we? Well, the way things stand now, yeah. But...keep reading:

Things change at some point, and all we do is meekly protest. And I'll leave it to you to speculate what might place the United States in a condition of such unprecedented impotence.

The Ezekiel 38–39 scenario is just one part of the prophetic mix that is rapidly congealing before our eyes, and the world watches it unfold with their eyes wide open, but without a clue as to what it portends.

But we know what it portends—the signs are all pointing one way:

They're pointing toward home.

1/28/2020 — From the "Thy Will Be Done" Department...

It looks for all the world as if this might really be it. Benjamin Netanyahu is flying to the United States this week to meet with President Trump and discuss the peace plan, and ostensibly to announce is release later this week. Netanyahu's political rival Benny Gantz will also be in Washington to discuss the plan, but will meet with Trump separately for "political reasons."

It goes without saying that the timing of the plan's announcement is 100 percent politics all around. Trump certainly wants to do all he can to give Netanyahu a boost in the polls, as well as hose down those in Israel who would seek to investigate Netanyahu on charges of corruption. At home, Trump would certainly like to do something to distract the country's attention from the impeachment charade dragging on in Congress, and give the appearance that he has better things to do than respond to the vaporous "articles of impeachment" that the House has spun together like a ball of cotton candy.

Things like, say, achieving World Peace.

Well, world peace it ain't, but the Deal of the Century could be beneficial for both Trump and Netanyahu. Of course, the Palestinians (and apparently the Jordanians from what I read) will flatly reject the plan. Palestinian rejection of any plan is a given, and everyone involved has known it for the last two years.

The plan is "extremely generous" to Israel, and is expected to allow Israel to maintain control of the Old City and the Temple Mount area, and allows for a future Palestinian state to include some sections of East Jerusalem. Israel would control approximately 30 percent of the West Bank, but would agree to shut down some illegal outposts. Israel would give the Palestinians land in exchange for annexed areas, and the other 70 percent of the West Bank could become part of a demilitarized Palestinian state, with Gaza also being demilitarized. Also, Israel would maintain the right to military action in any future Palestinian state.

It isn't 100 percent clear if the plan openly calls for the formation of a Palestinian state in black and white, but it apparently leaves the porch light on and the welcome mat out for such a state.

It occurs to me that God raised up Donald Trump (as He does with all world leaders) in order to do certain things to advance His will—to implement His "Deal of the Century," so to speak. I am confident that increasing and enhancing America's support for Israel at this critical juncture of history is part of the reason. I believe Trump's peace plan, whatever it entails, is another part of the reason, because I believe it will at least lay the foundation for the treaty of Daniel 9:27, the implementation of which signals the official beginning of the Tribulation. As such, that's something we won't be here to witness.

What I wonder about, however, is that if this peace plan is released now, what does God have in store in terms of the next U.S. presidential term? Is it part of God's plan to give Trump another four years to continue the work on this Deal of the Century and possible other prophetically significant actionable items, or is Trump's role finished?

Personally, I am completely satisfied that the Democrats have neither the ability to remove Trump from office nor to beat him in the general election this November; but if it is God's plan to take things in a different direction, then I have only one thing to say:

Thy will be done.

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2/4/2020 — From the "Milestones" Department...

And so it begins.

On Tuesday, January 28, U.S. President Donald Trump, with Benjamin Netanyahu standing by his side, finally announced the long-awaited Deal of the Century for bringing a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

Most reactions have been fairly predictable so far. The Palestinians are having their anticipated hissy fit over a deal they are trashing as a Zionist conspiracy to abandon them. A statement from the Palestinian Foreign Ministry sums it up:

"Following the revelation of details of the American-Israeli conspiracy, it is unacceptable to hide behind ambiguous and murky statements in order to escape confronting this conspiracy."

This remark was in response to efforts by several Arab counties (namely Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan) to try and put a fairly positive spin on the plan—countries that are in the unusual position of being aligned with the U.S. and Israel in terms of confronting common enemy Iran.

They say politics makes strange bedfellows—but it doesn't make strange bedfellows nearly as well as state-sponsored terrorism by a satanically driven, regional bully that is on the brink of developing nuclear weapons that they openly threaten to use. That is what has these key Arab players offering support, albeit tentative and "balanced," to Trump's plan.

It is this Arab support for the plan, which seems to be a priority for these Arab states, that is crucial if this plan is to grow anything resembling legs. But legs or no, the timing of the plan's release could scarcely be more blatant electioneering for Benjamin Netanyahu, coming mere weeks before an unprecedented fourth Israeli election in the space of a year. Neither is it inconceivable that it could help Trump in November...as if what the Democrats are doing wasn't help enough.

It occurred to me that this announcement was made on the 34th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster that killed all seven crew members (seven...oooh). I don't tend to get too carried away with that sort of thing, trying to find connections under every rock...but I'd be lying if I said it didn't strike me as a bit foreboding. Foreboding, that is, for a world lost in sin and about ready to plunge headlong into the most terrifying period in human history.

So now is the time for watchers to begin watching with heightened interest, because this announcement marks a key milestone on the road to the treaty of Daniel 9:27 and the ensuing Tribulation. The only question that remains is how many additional milestones we have to pass before we get to that destination.

Or before we get to our destination.

2/11/2020 — From the "Previews of Coming Attractions" Department...

I'm sure you've all heard about the new virus that is spreading throughout China and is beginning to crop up around the world these days. The Wuhan virus, more technically known as a "novel coronavirus" (2019-nCoV) has infected many thousands within China and in other countries, and has now claimed over a thousand lives.

As you probably know, I live and work in Taiwan, which is an island about the size of Maryland over 100 miles off the coast of China...which says Taiwan is still a province of China, to which Taiwan says phooey. Politics aside, however, we've had a few cases of the Wuhan virus show up, and as a result there is a lot of fear and trepidation among people here now.

If this is anything like most other coronaviruses, then as the weather begins to warm up, it will begin to lose steam and fade. So I don't see this as the end of the world or anything—one just has to take common sense precautions.

I did, however, have a student in one of my classes ask me if this was something from the Apocalypse, or book of Revelation. I showed her the passage that pertains to what she was wondering about, which is this:

When Christ (yes, Christ) opens the fourth seal, about a fourth of the people on earth die. But how? Well, there's the sword, which may refer to violence and conflict in addition to the broader wars brought by the second seal, and there's also famine. Nothing to explain there.

But then there's death. The fourth seal also kills with death. Hmmm...

The Greek word used here is a form of thanatos, which can mean death (physical or spiritual), the danger or miseries associated with death, or pestilence, and many English translations do render the word here as disease or pestilence.

Ellicott's Commentary offers a bit of insight into why this is the case:

So, as I explained to my student, since the Tribulation hasn't even started yet, this obviously can't be the pestilence brought by the fourth seal judgment. But I told her what I do think.

It's a preview of coming attractions.

People in Taiwan are nervous, and misinformation is rampant. Surgical masks have long since disappeared from every store shelf, and the government has implemented a fairly third-worldish program to dole out two masks a week per person—all you have to do is wait in line for two hours. Other hygiene-related items such as tissue and alcohol are also now disappearing from shelves. Businesses are suffering because some people are nervous about going out and doing the things they normally do, like going to a department store, a movie, a restaurant, or a Starbucks.

So if what we're seeing now is a just a preview of what will occur during the Tribulation, there's only one thing I can say:

Glory to the name of Jesus—the name that is above every name—that I won't be here to see what the fourth seal judgment brings.

Or any of the seal judgments, for that matter.

2/25/2020 — From the "Vocabulary Lesson" Department...

Ahh, CNN. The "news" network I love to hate. Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is sounding off on a remark made by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh—a remark that has become more grist for the liberal mainstream media mill, as exemplified by CNN's recent article bearing the title:

Buttigieg responds to Limbaugh's
homophobic remarks: "I love my husband"

Rush Limbaugh, recent recipient of the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor an American can receive, is being roasted alive for a comment he made recently. Mayor Pete had this to say:

"Well, I love my husband. I'm faithful to my husband. On stage we usually just go for a hug. But I love him very much, and I'm not going take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh."

We usually just go for a hug...well, doesn't that just peg your adorable-ometer. And I'm sorry, but "the likes of Rush Limbaugh"? Uhm, he wouldn't by any chance be referring to millions of Americans who have the audacity to stand for biblical values, would he?

Yeah, the Bible...you know, that book that clearly and unequivocally condemns homosexual behavior as a sin in both the Old and New Testaments. That Bible.

Other Democratic  losers  hopefuls wasted no time in jumping on board the PC Express and chiming in with their own recipes for buzzword borscht. I'll limit myself to one sterling example from Elizabeth Warren, who even found a way to top it off with a jab at President Trump...surprise, surprise:

"These homophobic attacks against Pete Buttigieg are hateful and offensive. We will not tolerate this in the Democratic presidential race, and we will fight together against the hate and bigotry that Donald Trump promotes and rewards."

For the record, here is Rush Limbaugh's horrifyingly "homophobic" remark:

"Despite all the great progress and despite all the great wokeness, and despite all the great ground that's been covered, America's still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage president."

You know, it strikes me that "homophobic" is a strong word, as are all phobia words by definition. It also strikes me that the liberal left is in need of a vocabulary lesson. To that end:

phobia (n.) — An intense, abnormal, persistent, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to strenuously avoid it, despite the possible awareness and repeated reassurance that it is not dangerous.

Saying that the American people are not ready to elect a guy who kisses his husband on a debate stage is not homophobic. It is a statement of fact. The American people, by and large, are not ready to elect a guy who kisses his husband on a debate stage on national television. I know I'm not, and I know for a fact that many average Americans feel exactly the same way. And all those average Americans are part of America...not a basket of deplorables who deserve to be mocked, silenced, kicked to the curb, and dismissively discounted.

This does not constitute a homophobic remark, and viciously attacking it as such does not constitute a morally superior point of view.

At least as far as the likes of Rush Limbaugh are concerned.

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3/3/2020 — From the "Déjà Vu All Over Again" Department...

Israelis have gone to the polls for the third time in 11 months, and the results are still coming in as I write this. Although it appears at this point that Benjamin Netanyahu will win the election, earlier reports appeared to have him only securing 60 of the 120 Knessest seats. But more recent revised results show that he may only get 59 seats. He needs 61, a simple majority, to form a coalition government.

This, of course, toned down the initial excitement from Netanyahu's Likud party, who thought they were on the brink of ending the year-long political stalemate in Israeli politics. But now? In the words of Yogi Berra:

It's starting to look like déjà vu all over again.

The official results aren't actually due until March 10, and then Israel is likely facing weeks, even months of renewed wrangling over the formation of a coalition government—just like the time before and the time before that.

Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to go to trial on corruption charges on March 17, and if convicted he could be forced to step down. But the Israeli High Court of Justice has in the past ruled that an individual could not serve if he were facing a criminal indictment, and it is conceivable they could so rule again. So, even with the wind of another election victory at his back, Netanyahu faces an uncertain path to serving out his term as prime minister.

The unspoken fear for some is what this seemingly interminable political stalemate means for the security of Israel. Some fear that Israel's enemies will see in all this a unique opportunity to mount a major attack on the Jewish state—an attack that said enemies might imagine would be countered with a somewhat disorganized, ineffectual response.

I'm guessing no, but hope springs eternal for the enemies of Israel, who have not exactly been known for their tactical acumen in the past.

Plus, I for one don't believe Israel has a whole lot to worry about from those enemies, and the reason is pretty simple:

"The LORD that has mercy on you. That's what I'm talking about.

3/10/2020 — From the "Bread and Butter" Department...

As you may have heard, the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 has hit South Korea especially hard, with 7,513 reported cases and 54 deaths at the time of this writing. There are, however, glimmers of hope emerging as the numbers of new cases being reported daily are beginning to slow perceptibly.

You may have also heard that the primary reason for the unusually large outbreak of the coronavirus in South Korea is a church, and that would be the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a fringe Christian group with over 200,000 members with congregations throughout South Korea and abroad.

By late February, it was estimated that 50–60 percent of the mushrooming coronavirus cases in South Korea could be traced back to a 61-year-old woman who attended meetings of Shincheonji in the Daegu area. The church typically meets with large numbers of people in close quarters, and tends to be highly secretive in nature, normally withholding the names of members for fear of public backlash due to its rather negative image in South Korea and other areas.

A perfect storm for any virus.

Leader and founder of Shincheonji, 88-year-old Lee Man-hee, was initially reluctant to cooperate with authorities, but later publicly apologized for his failure to do enough to control the meetings of his infected congregants. By that time, however, it was a classic case of much too little, much too late.

When the virus first began spreading, Lee referred to it as the "Devil's seed," and claimed that it was the work of Satan meant to slow the growth of his church. But after reading about the nature of this group, I have my doubts about that.

I think Satan would be knocking himself out to spur the growth of this group like gangbusters.

Earlier, I referred to Shincheonji as a "fringe" Christian group. That was an understatement of biblical proportions, because Shincheonji is a poster child for cults steeped in blatantly false, dangerously manipulative doctrine.

The following blurb is from Wikipedia:

The group is apocalyptic and messianic in character, and has been described as a doomsday cult. The group's founder and leader Lee is a self-proclaimed messiah. Known for its secretive nature, adherents believe that Lee is the returned Jesus Christ and that the Holy Bible is written in secret metaphors which only Lee can correctly interpret. The group believes that on the Day of Judgment, Lee will take 144,000 adherents to Heaven with him, where they will enjoy eternal life. [Source]

So, Lee claims that (a) he is Jesus Christ, and (b) only he is qualified to interpret Scripture.

OK, we can stop right there, because these two items are the bread and butter of a long and ever growing list of cults. The rest is little more than imaginative window dressing with a smattering of Scripture twisted around it.

Of course, from a purely doctrinal viewpoint, we could easily stop with his claim to be Jesus Christ. That alone is enough to brand someone as a deceptive cult leader at best, and a whack job at worst (or maybe it's the other way around):

In practice, however, such deceivers need the second part to successfully pull off their deception. They must convince their followers that they cannot be trusted to read God's Word for themselves for some reason. It's been corrupted. Only they can rightly understand it, ad infinitum, ad nauseam. And the reason is simple:

When someone claims to be Jesus, anybody who knows the Bible from a box of dog biscuits can put the lie to it in two minutes flat.

This is why it is paramount for cult leaders to not let their followers get within a country mile of a Bible, or else convince them there's no way they can correctly understand anything it says on their own.

The real Jesus was the Son of God who died for our
sins and rose from the grave, not a Korean con artist.

God's Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our
path, not a gaggle of metaphors that no one can fathom.

3/17/2020 — From the "Come Together" Department...

As the world steadily continues to lose its collective mind over the spread of COVID-19, the following news article caught my eye:

World needs coordinated fiscal
response to pandemic: IMF chief

In light of the threat represented by the spread of the coronavirus, I have been thinking along these lines recently. So, when I saw this headline, I whispered under my breath:

There it is.

There is much that can be said about this rapidly growing pandemic, but this is one thing that stands out in my mind.

Those who are willing and able to rightly divide Scripture have a pretty good idea of what's coming. We know that during the coming Tribulation period the Antichrist will head a global government, a global economic system, and a global religion. But understand one thing:

These things are not going to just come rolling along on their own.

Think about it. In other words, world leaders aren't going to simply wake up one fine morning and say:

"Hey, wouldn't it be great if we all just gave up our sovereignty and joined together into a one-world government? And hey, while we're at it, why don't we form a one-world economic system? Wouldn't that be a swell idea?"

You don't have to be a member of a think tank to understand that these things will only come about because the world has no choice.

Let me repeat that:

Because the world has no choice.

For the last few years, it's been global warm...oops, I mean climate change. We all have to work together to avoid destroying our environment, right? Well, maybe so...but climate change doesn't exactly have people running around with their hair on fire. With the possible exception of a 17-year-old Swedish girl sporting pigtails, nobody is pushing the panic button over the environment. It's taken a backseat to the current global health crisis—a crisis that is sending the following message to the world and sending it loud and clear:

Come together or die.

OK, straight up...we're not all going to die, but that's the tone of many of the warnings being sounded. It is true, however, that the world is plunging headlong into some very unsettling territory, and it's clear that people (a) are scared, and (b) know that nothing will be the same for at least a while.

Over the coming months, as governments and various types of authorities take extraordinary and unprecedented measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, it will become increasingly clear that coordinated global measures are needed—coordinated global measures that will cost more money than any one country can easily afford.

In the words of IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva:

"As the virus spreads, the case for a coordinated and synchronized global fiscal stimulus is becoming stronger by the hour."

A number of international financial measures are already in the works, and more are sure to follow.

Come together or die...come together or die...come together or die...

Of course, although it is certainly going to give the world a push in that direction, an especially nasty case of the flu isn't going to single-handedly force the world into its one-world, Tribulational form. That's going to take something a bit stronger than any public health crisis.

That's going to take a harpazo crisis.

3/24/2020 — From the "Globalization 2.0" Department...

As you know, there is really only one story in the news these days, and that's the spreading of the coronavirus, or COVID-19. As you might guess, many are engaging in apocalyptic speculation as to what it all might mean and how it will play out. Students of Bible prophecy are no exception, and many are digging into how this relates to the end-time scenario as outlined in God's Word. Many are linking it with the birth pangs Jesus describes in the Olivet Discourse, and many are connecting it with things in the book of Revelation.

When it comes to such speculation, however, students of Bible prophecy invariably have the upper hand, and the reason is simple:

We know how the story ends.

Although we don't know how things will play out in detail, God has given us a sneak peek at the script. We know the general outline of events and some of the key milestones.

For example, I have been seeing a slew of articles bemoaning the fact that this coronavirus is going to spell the end of globalization. Global supply chains that grease the wheels of an increasingly globalized economy are cracking and fracturing under the stress of the current pandemic. Not only that, but many countries are hunkering down and taking care of number one first. Nationalistic and protectionist knee-jerk reactions are coming from many countries that had been flying the banner of unity for decades. In Europe, many EU nations have effectively slammed the door in Italy's face as their need for medical supplies and equipment reaches alarming levels. Around the world, many are singing the siren song:

Gosh, maybe this globalization thing
wasn't such a terrific idea after all.

Well, such people are entitled to their opinions, but we have something better: God's Word. And what relevant facts can we glean from its pages that might have some bearing on this situation, one might ask. Well, there's this:

Now, there are good Bible teachers who interpret this verse to suggest it will be a 10-nation confederation of existing European nations, while other equally good Bible teachers see it as suggesting a world divided up into 10 blocs of nations. I won't be dogmatic about it, but I've reached the point where I lean toward the latter. I don't believe this verse speaks to what amounts to a glorified EU, but to a world divided into 10 blocs of nations that are to be ruled by 10 "kings" who have yet to receive a "kingdom." Ultimately, they will end up transferring their power to the future Antichrist.

(For what it's worth, you can easily find and read all about currently existing plans to so divide the world into 10 regions. Of course, that doesn't prove anything...I'm just saying.)

So, is the coronavirus signaling the death knell for globalization as we know it? Yes and no, according to a fascinating article at Bloomberg.com. According to the author, it signals the death knell for Globalization 1.0, the first phase of globalization that began after the end of the Cold War and had been slowly eroding over the last few years. The coronavirus, according to the author, is providing a clean break from this first phase of globalization and is likely to set the stage for the second, or Globalization 2.0, if you will.

The author states that the second phase of globalization will separate the world into power blocs of nations that will all have their own militaries and separate supply chains that will primarily serve the needs of that bloc. According to the author:

"[Globalization 2.0] is a story about new and re-emerging global divisions, more friendly to pessimists."

Call me crazy, but what the author describes in his article certainly rhymes with Revelation 17:2–3.

3/31/2020 — From the "Deadlier Than Any Virus" Department...

Ever wonder why some Jews hate Christians? Ever wonder why some Jews call Christians "Nazis"? Ever wonder why a Christian standing on any street corner in Israel, speaking to people about the gospel and wielding a New Testament, is liable to be shouted down by angry passersby and pelted with rocks?

If you have, let me introduce you to a man who personifies the reason for this.

Rick Wiles is the senior pastor at Flowing Streams Church in Vero Beach, Florida, and founder of TruNews, a website that has been described as promoting racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. Wiles has described Jews as seeking to "obtain control of countries to kill millions of Christians," and says Jews are deceivers who will "do whatever they have to do to accomplish their political agenda."

In an article in the Times of Israel, Pastor Wiles has the answer for the coronavirus:

The Jews must repent.

After all, it's a punishment from God, didn't you know. According to Wiles:

The people who are going in to the synagogue are coming out of the synagogue with the virus. It's spreading in Israel through the synagogues. God is spreading it in your synagogues! You are under judgment because you oppose his son, Jesus Christ. That is why you have a plague in your synagogues. Repent and believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and the plague will stop."

He (erroneously) claims that the coronavirus started in the United States from the American Israeli Public Affairs policy conference in Washington, D.C. in early March. (Uh, close...try Washington State in mid-January).

Rick Wiles is a poster boy for those in the Church who hate the Jewish people, and who find every conceivable way in which to condemn and demonize them. And his diatribe against them in regard to the coronavirus is so much clueless, unbiblical nonsense. I'm not going to spend time here trying to sort through his plethora of doctrinal errors—it would take hours.

As a matter of fact, this sort of thing is a good litmus test for any professing believer. It's a pretty simple test, and it's based on the following two truths:

1. God loves the Jews. They are His Chosen People—they always have been and they always will be. And He will deal with them in His own way and in His own time, and it doesn't involve the Church.

2. Satan hates the Jews. They are the key to his being able to keep his current position as god of this world—to do so, he must kill them all before they implore the Lord to save them. He will ultimately fail, but he keeps on trying.

So when a professing Christian expresses hatred for the Jewish people, whose voice do you think he is listening to? Bingo.

My advice? Practice a little "social distancing" with the Rick Wiles of the world.

What spews forth from their mouths is far deadlier than any virus.

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4/7/2020 — From the "Heaping Coals of Fire" Department...

The anti-Israel movement known as Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) seeks to pressure governments, companies, and organizations all over the world to refuse to engage Israel in any way, to trade or do business with Israel, and to punish Israel both economically and politically for...well, for simply existing. Of course, the blurb on their website puts a slightly different spin on it:

"The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.

Same old song and dance. BDS has been around for awhile, and has done its share of damage to Israel...not as much as they would like, of course. But the founder of BDS, one Omar Barghouti, had some interesting comments in an article in the Times of Israel recently in regard to the current coronavirus pandemic.

Israel is well on the way to developing, testing, and producing a vaccine for the virus, which according to some could conceivably be available by late summer. Now, one might think that if you carry out boycotts, divestments, and sanctions against Israel, you might assume that would mean you wouldn't accept any medical products or assistance from Israel. After all, that is kind of what the words "boycott," "divestment," and "sanctions" mean, right?

Well, not so fast. According to Barghouti, it's perfectly OK to accept life-saving medicine developed and produced by evil Zionist pigs and monkeys, and it doesn't mean you are any less against the normalization of ties with them.

According to Barghouti:

"If you use medical equipment from Israel—it's not a problem. Cooperating with Israel against the virus—to begin with, we do not consider it normalization...If Israel finds a cure for cancer, for example, or any other virus, then there is no problem in cooperating with Israel to save millions of lives*...Up until now, we have not been in a situation where we need Israel urgently and no one else can save us but Israel. If that will happen, saving lives* is more important than anything else."

(*Correction: saving Arab lives.)

Did you hear that?! It's not a problem! Yippee!
Er...I mean, death to Israel and all that.

I have to hand it to Barghouti and the BDS movement—this level of hypocrisy is not easy to find. In fact, you'd have to travel all the way to Washington, D.C. and listen to the Democrats rip into Trump's virus response to find hypocrisy within spitting distance of what BDS is putting out.

In reality, I hope with all my heart that Israel does get a vaccine out the door quickly, and graciously offers it to the entire world—including those who, like Barghouti, are filled with venomous hatred toward Israel and the Jewish people. Nothing would please me more than to see Israel practice a little Romans 12:

Coals of fire...that's what I'm talking about.

4/21/2020 — From the "They Gotta Go" Department...

I think a little happy news is in order for all you folks out there who may be obeying your area's stay-at-home orders to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus.

According to a growing number of experts, the Wuhan virus is far more widespread and far less deadly than previously believed. (Yeah, Wuhan...I'm in a slightly more politically incorrect mood today than usual.)

According to an article in the Washington Examiner, a coronavirus antibody test recently conducted by scientists at Stanford University reveals that the actual number of infections is orders of magnitude higher than actually reported, which translates to a death rate that is correspondingly lower. And they are not the only ones—other researchers are coming to similar conclusions.

It's simple arithmetic, coupled with the fact that dead people are surprisingly easier to count than infected people. The death rate is a percentage that is calculated by dividing the total number deaths by the total number of infections (and multiplying the result by 100).

For example, if 1,000 people are infected and 50 die, that's a death rate of (50/1,000) x 100 = 5 percent.

OK, but what if there are a lot of people who are infected that we don't know about? For example, instead of the 1,000 in our example, what if there are actually 25,000 people infected, many of whom show no or minimal symptoms? (And a 25-fold increase—if not two or three times that—is extremely likely according to this and other studies.) In that case, we have a death rate of (50/25,000) x 100 = 0.2 percent, which is in line with many other common seasonal viruses—viruses you have already slogged through numerous times during your life.

The difference being that we don't nuke the economy and impose draconian measures on a terrified, grossly misinformed public when the flu hits.

Now don't misunderstand me. I'm not trying to downplay the Wuhan virus too much. The numbers I'm quoting are mere generalizations, but the principle is supported by an increasing amount of science. But still...this virus is a potentially nasty one, and I still don't want to get it and I don't want you to get it, either.

But the Black Death it ain't.

It's not going to devastate the human population and leave piles of rotting bodies heaped along every street in every city in the world unless we all join together as one and willingly sacrifice our livelihoods along with our civil liberties to by God stop it, which is the frightening message being pushed on us by the global elite and the mainstream media.

There can be little doubt that this virus, regardless of how it actually got started, along with the panic and chaos it has spawned is being used as a tool to help usher in the type of world that will exist during the Tribulation: a world with a one-world government, and an economic system and religion to match. To that end, it's becoming less and less about the disease itself and more and more about governmental control over populations and the obvious need for a global government to more efficiently and effectively deal with such global threats.

Of course, there are millions of people who have the Holy Spirit to illuminate God's Word to them and as a result have some insight into what is really happening. I'm sure the global elite would love to get rid of such people...they gotta go.

Well, they can relax. God's gonna do it for them soon enough.

4/29/2020 — From the "No One Else to Turn To" Department...

You are certainly aware of the fact that the coronavirus pandemic has sparked global fear like few things we've seen come upon the world in recent memory. As the fear grows, fueled by calculated misinformation and deliberate manipulation of facts and events by a willing mainstream media, people are searching for ways to deal with their fears and anxieties.

And it should come as no surprise that many are turning to Christ.

According to an article in Christianity Today, in the last month millions of people have turned to Google in search of hope in the midst of the despair wrought by COVID-19, and legions of them have found websites and other online resources that have presented them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This has led to a substantial spike in online decisions for Christ, as organizations such as Global Media Outreach (GMO), the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA), and Cru (formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ) all report a substantial increase in people seeking to know more about God online in just the past couple of months, and the cry they hear is the same, time and time again:

"I'm not really a religious person, but I don't know who else to turn to but God."

That was the line that cut me to the bone.

I know that God is using this virus to bring in one last wave of precious people into the kingdom, who will share in the joy of the Lord with all the rest of us "old-timers" soon enough. But still...when I read that line, the Holy Spirit drew blood with it.

That's what it's all about, on every level—how many are saved and how many are lost. And who among us doesn't remember that moment, that night, that church service, that conversation, that solitary moment, that whatever-it-took. Whatever it took to bring us to the foot of the cross, crushed and broken, and not knowing who else to turn to but God.

I pray that in all the study of Scripture and all the eschatological musings and machinations, I never forget what it's really all about: having no one else to turn to in the darkest hour, and finding a flood of God's love, grace, and mercy waiting at the other end of a choked, halting prayer.

And I pray you feel the same, because it's crunch time.

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5/5/2020 — From the "Previews of Coming Attractions" Department...

This idea of "Previews of Coming Attractions" may get to be a staple of this Commentary at the rate things are going. First it was the coronavirus, which is a preview of the pestilences of the fourth seal judgment during the Tribulation (Rev. 6:7–8). Now it's a preview of something else entirely.

Notice the sixth seal judgment includes a great earthquake, plus the following:

Not only does this sound a lot like an asteroid strike on the earth, but the trumpet judgments that follow also sound a lot like the results of a series of asteroid strikes. And with that cheery thought in mind, I give you the following current headline:

Surprise Asteroid Zips Very Close to Earth,
Grazing Path of Satellites in Geostationary Orbit

That's right, gang, we just had one of the closest approaches of an asteroid in history, and it popped out of nowhere. According to the article, it was about 4–8 meters in diameter, and actually passed within the orbit of one of the most distant satellites. According to the article, the asteroid came within 42,745 km of the earth's center, which puts it about 36,637 km of the earth's surface.

What, me worry?

Of course, an asteroid that small would not have likely caused any damage, since according to the article it almost certainly would have burned up in the earth's atmosphere anyway.

But naturally, it does give one pause. God loves to foreshadow things, and the basic reason He does that is because He wants to get mankind's attention. He wants us to grasp how completely in control He really is, and how small and helpless and utterly dependent on His grace and mercy we really are—and it takes things like earthquakes, famines, pestilences and asteroid flybys to get that through our heads. He wants as many as possible to avail themselves of His grace and mercy before He has no choice but to fulfill His Word and drop the hammer during the Tribulation.

Only then it won't be previews of anything, oh no. It will be the real deal and it will be terrifying beyond anything mankind has ever experienced. Men will know early on they are witnessing the wrath of a holy God, and many will repent and trust Christ for their salvation while others will harden their hearts and shake their fists in His face.

That first thing is better.

But the best thing is to do it now.

5/12/2020 — From the "Helping Thinkers Believe and Believers Think" Department...

I read an article today that literally made my heart ache, and it concerns someone for whom I have the utmost respect and admiration.

It has just been announced that Dr. Ravi Zacharias, in my humble estimation the single greatest living Christian apologist, is suffering from sarcoma, "a rare and aggressive cancer." Doctors say there is nothing more they can do for him, and treatment has been stopped.

Ravi, who just recently turned 74, is head of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), whose motto is:

Helping thinkers believe and believers think.

Indeed. I have watched countless YouTube videos of Ravi, and no one could match his unique ability to go for the philosophical jugular in defending the reality of God, the inerrancy of His Word, and the truth of the gospel. I've watched him leave the most arrogant, self-assured atheists utterly speechless, and then warmly embrace them and invite them backstage to chat.

If you wish you had better answers for people who throw out the same old tired canards, like "Who created God?" or "Why should we believe Christianity, which is just one of thousands of religions?" or "A scientific worldview is far more rational than a biblical worldview," etc., taking the time to watch some of Ravi's videos will help immensely.

If you are not familiar with Ravi's ministry, you owe it to yourself to drink deeply from this brilliant man's profound contribution to Christian apologetics, because he has no equal. Period.

At Easter, as he was undergoing chemotherapy, Ravi posted:

"Death is either a full stop or a comma. In the Christian worldview, it is a comma. There is for the Christian both the passing of all things and the abiding in Christ's provision...The resurrection makes the difference. Jesus's triumph over death captures my defeat and takes me into His victory."

So, Ravi, may God bless and be with you and your family in your remaining days, and know that we are eternally grateful for all you have done to advance the gospel and educate those within the body of Christ.

And in your honor, I'll end this commentary entry with a comma,

5/19/2020 — From the "This Ain't It" Department...

Well, it's official...in case you haven't heard, after a 510-day stalemate that saw three elections fail to produce fruit, Israel finally has a functioning government. Former rivals Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz have agreed to form a unity government, with Netanyahu serving as prime minister for the first half of a three-year term and Gantz the second.

Israel may have a government, but one thing they don't have is a crystal ball.

I say that because one would come in really handy right now for Israel so they could get a reliable indication of who will be the next U.S. president.

Benjamin Netanyhau is working overtime to advance the unilateral annexation of parts of the West Bank prior to the U.S. election (even as early as July) in order to circumvent the fact that a President Biden would openly oppose such unilateral action. The annexation of parts of the West Bank and recognizing Israeli sovereignty over such is widely seen as undermining the future of a two-state solution, and opposing such unilateral annexation has been America's party line for many years now.

But Trump's Deal of the Century has at least the potential to change that party line. The Trump administration has indicated that it would support Israel's annexation in the West Bank, but only if it were executed within the context of Trump's deal. But now, with the major focus on tackling the coronavirus, some in Washington are cooling their annexation heels, while some in Netanyahu's shiny new unity government are hot to trot.

But as soon as you say the word "deal" in regard to Israel, jerk go a whole lot of Bible prophecy knees. I've said it before, but it bears repeating:

This ain't it.

I see many of the same people getting all lathered up, thinking Trump's deal is the one that's going to kick off the Tribulation...but I don't think so. The treaty that starts the Tribulation may be a future agreement that grows out of Trump's deal, that's true. But as it stands, this ain't it.

Netanyahu's Likud party and the opposition Blue and White party signed a coalition agreement recently that states that the prime minster (Netanyahu) can bring the annexation move to a vote in the Knesset as early as July 1. If the Knesset approves it, he can proceed with annexation even without the approval of the Blue and White Party, which largely opposes such action.

According to the agreement, annexation will proceed in coordination with the United States and international dialogue...

"...while pursuing the security and strategic interests of the State of Israel, including the need for maintaining regional stability, maintaining peace agreements and striving for future peace agreements."

Ah, yes...future peace agreements. One of which is described in Daniel 9:27.

That is it.

5/26/2020 — From the "Lose-Lose" Department...

As I mentioned recently, Israel has a new unity government with Benjamin Netanyahu serving as prime minister for the first 18 months of a three-year term, and Benny Gantz serving the second half. Benjamin Netanyahu fought hard for well over a year to save his political life, and succeeded...at least to a degree.

But for Netanyahu, the fight of his political life is just beginning.

Netanyahu's trial on charges of corruption is now set to begin, the first time in Israel's history a sitting prime minister has been put on trial. According to an insightful commentary piece in the Jerusalem Post, however, no matter the outcome of the trial, Israel loses.

New York Times columnist Brett Stephens recently wrote:

"Few things in politics are as despicable as efforts to use the power of the state to criminalize a political opponent."

Even though he was talking about the Michael Flynn case, his remarks certainly apply to what is set to go down in Israel. The article makes the following assessment:

If Netanyahu is convicted on charges of corruption, he would at least be removed from office and could possibly go to prison, and half the country will be convinced he was railroaded à la Michael Flynn. These are the same people who made it clear in three inconclusive elections in the last year and a half that they wish to see Netanyahu continue running the country. These people will lose faith in the country's political system if the trial exposes the popular and charismatic man who has led the country so well for so long as a crook.

On the other hand, if Netanyahu is acquitted, a large part of the country will lose faith in the country's legal system, since they went after the prime minister—something they should have only done if they had a compelling, ironclad case—and came up empty, à la the Democrat's decidedly unfunny Russian collusion comedy skit. These people would wonder what possessed Israel's legal minds to put the country through such a painful, pointless, and ultimately humiliating farce based on what was apparently flimsy, trumped-up evidence and hearsay.

(Gosh, that last line sure has a strangely familiar ring to it.) In other words, the whole sordid affair is a lose-lose proposition:

Much of the country will either lose faith in the political system, or lose faith in the legal system.

And neither bodes well for Israel moving forward.

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6/2/2020 — From the "Written in Advance" Department...

After kicking up a few perfunctory clouds of dust over Israel's efforts to annex parts of the Jordan Valley, Judea, and Samaria and place them under Israeli sovereignty, key Arab leaders are now apparently quietly and passively giving it a nod in private, according to an article at World Israel News.

While the Palestinians pound their fists in rage, senior officials from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan have confirmed privately that in spite of public denunciations of the annexation, they are far more concerned with countering the threat of Iran and maintaining close ties with the U.S. than in raising a ruckus about the planned annexation of land that the Palestinians are anxiously waiting to be handed over to them on a silver platter through the efforts of those same powerful Arab countries.

One Palestinian official summed it up:

"If Arab states allow annexation of the Jordan Valley and West Bank, it's nothing less than a knife in the back of the Palestinians."

Apparently Mahmoud Abbas is planning an Arab summit in order to allow those Arab leaders to "clarify" their positions. This is because, according to Palestinian sources, Abbas is "trying to save the peace process."

Which is the best one-liner I've heard all week.

I for one am anxious to see how this annexation idea works out, since I am still of the opinion that the ultimate deal of Daniel 9:27 will call for a division of Israel's land to accommodate the Palestinians, although I do not claim to know how or where the land will be divided. In addition, I for one remain unconvinced that Trump's Deal of the Century is the treaty of Daniel 9:27. I'm willing to wait and see.

What I do know, however, is that God is stirring the pot, and I can't wait to see how things transpire.

According to Dr. Saeb Erekat, PLO Executive Committee Chair and senior adviser to Abbas:

"The following weeks [including the upcoming Arab summit] will determine whether the next decades will be peaceful, or if we will have decades of violence and war."

But what people like Abbas and Erekat don't realize is that the Bible has already told us exactly what the outcome will be: a short period of false peace followed by several years of war...followed by a thousand years of peace.

And it certainly doesn't depend on the outcome of a summit of Arab leaders. Not only that, but in reality there is no "peace process" to save—there are only the geopolitical gyrations that will bring about the history that has been written in advance by a sovereign God.

History that is now playing out before our eyes.

6/9/2020 — From the "It's That Simple" Department...

Like most everybody else, I have been following the ongoing protests/riots in the streets of most major American cities over the last couple of weeks with an aching heart and a churning stomach. What started out as an apparent incident of police brutality has erupted into a seemingly inextinguishable national crisis that threatens to further tear our country to pieces.

There's not a whole lot I can add about the situation with the protests, but one related thing that did catch my attention and compelled me to toss in my two cents came courtesy of the NFL.

Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, got sacked recently for comments he made in an interview with Yahoo Finance. In the interview, he took a stand and made it clear that he didn't support players kneeling during the national anthem at NFL games. At one point, Brees commented that:

"[I will] never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America."

To the surprise of no one, Brees was immediately gang-tackled for his comments, and the very next day offered an apology:

"[My remarks] lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy...and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country."

To the surprise of no one, Brees' apology drew a flag from the referees for apparently missing the  mark  moving target yet again.

On the heels of Brees' apology, President Trump took the handoff straight up the middle by making known his own patriotic feelings and his disappointment with Brees' apology in the following tweet:

"I am a big fan of Drew Brees. I think he's truly one of the greatest quarterbacks, but he should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag. OLD GLORY is to be revered, cherished, and flown high..."

In the aftermath, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fumbled the ball with the following announcement:

"We were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest."

The only positive aspect of the whole exchange from my point of view is that nobody mentioned the name of Colin Kaepernick.

What I feel compelled to toss in here is that, although I don't agree with every single thing President Trump says or does, I agree with him 100 percent on this one. I think Brees was right in his original comment, and punted the ball with his so-called "apology." Once again, the forces of the liberal left win the day and the PC machine chalks up another W.

I'm a simple man, and to me it's a simple issue: I genuinely don't mind if someone wants to peaceably protest something they think is wrong or draw attention to something in this country they think needs to be fixed or changed, because that's their right under the First Amendment. That's the kind of stuff our great country was forged with.

But disrespecting that country by disrespecting
its flag and what it stands for is not the way to do it.

To this simple man, it's that simple.

I'd like to recommend that all the members of Antifa and Black Lives Matter and their ilk arrange a six-month sojourn in another country, say, Iran. Or Iraq. Or Afghanistan. Or Syria. Or mainland China. Or North Korea. Then let them come back and extol the wonderful freedoms and dignified treatment they all received there. Let them regale us with accounts of how their rights were fastidiously and dutifully protected by all those in authority. Let them tantalize us with tales of how life in the United States of America pales in comparison with the way truth, justice, equality, and the rule of law so magnificently prevail for all citizens in those countries.

I'll be waiting.

6/16/2020 — From the "Momentum" Department...

In another clear sign that Trump's Deal of the Century isn't quite going to pan out in terms of being the treaty of Daniel 9:27, the European Union has urged the United States to get on board the EU-led push for a Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, while simultaneously rejecting Trump's plan.

If you have been following these commentary entries, you know that I've stated on numerous occasions that I'm just not convinced that Trump's deal is The Treaty, and slowly but surely the arrows seem to be pointing more and more in that general direction.

It is true that Trump's deal actually does contain an embryonic possibility of a future Palestinian state, but it falls disappointingly short of the Palestinians' aspirations. Specifically, Trump's deal apparently allows for the possible Israeli annexation of significant parts of the West Bank (which is currently in work), all of which is seen as an integral part of a future Palestinian state in the eyes of not just the Palestinians, but other major players as well.

That would include the EU, which is champing at the bit to try their hand at the peace process.

At the same time, key Arab players, specifically Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan, have made it as clear as they possibly can that if the aforementioned annexation of large parts of the West Bank goes through, it will bring to a screeching halt the recently budding atmosphere of rapprochement that has seen these Arab nations genuinely seek a normalization of ties with Israel. In other words:

If this annexation thing happens, it's no more Sheik Nice Guy.

After nixing the Deal of the Century, however, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell was nice enough to throw the Trump administration a bone, saying that:

"[We in the EU] recognize the merit of the US plan because it has created a certain momentum where there was nothing."

High praise indeed—after more than three years of effort, Trump managed to move things from "nothing" to "a certain momentum." Woo hoo! In reality, both the EU and the Arabs see Trump's deal as heavily biased toward Israel and a serious threat to regional stability—sufficiently so as to make it completely unacceptable.

Of course, Borrell then wasted no time in clarifying what the real deal was going to look like:

"This momentum can be used to start a joint international effort on the basis of existing internationally agreed parameters."

In other words, the boilerplate two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders with a few possible land-swaps and East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

It's like a Porsche: There is no substitute.

At any rate, it will be interesting to see if (a) current Israeli efforts to annex parts of the West Bank go through as planned, and (b) what the fallout will be if they do.

No matter what happens, however, I ultimately expect to see greater momentum toward the EU's plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and away from Trump's Deal of the Century.

In my humble opinion, that's the momentum that will move the world toward the treaty of Daniel 9:27.

6/23/2020 — From the "What Took Them So Long?" Department...

As I'm sure you know, the left-wing hordes are now defacing and/or tearing down statues of various people who don't quite measure up to the liberal left's standard of greatness. Across the United States and in other parts of the world as well, statues of individuals ranging from Andrew Jackson and Teddy Roosevelt to Winston Churchill and Gandhi (go figure) have been the targets of left-wing graffiti and (sometimes badly bungled) attempts to tear them down.

Why, you ask?

Well, isn't it obvious? Statues of these loathsome racists offend a small handful of juvenile delinquents who know less about history than they do about the way society functions, if that's possible.

But they aren't done, oh no.

Shaun King, formerly a leading member of Black Lives Matter, recently tweeted that all statues of Jesus Christ should be torn down—especially ones that show Him with light-colored skin (which would arguably be the great majority).

Why, you ask?

Well, isn't it obvious? Statues of Jesus Christ are a symbol of white supremacy, didn't ya know. Here is the tweet in question:

Yes, I think the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down.

They are a form of white supremacy.

Always have been.

In the Bible, when the family of Jesus wanted to hide, and blend in, guess where they went?

EGYPT!

Not Denmark.

Tear them down.

King later added in a follow-up tweet that such statues were "created as tools of oppression" and were "racist propaganda," and has stated that white people would never have accepted a religion "from a Brown man."

*Sigh*...where to begin? There's little point trying to dismantle the profound ignorance of such a clueless rant, but at least allow me to point out just for the record that Joseph and Mary didn't settle on Egypt as a place to flee to because they were looking for an area where they would "blend in." They went there in direct obedience to an angel of the Lord who specifically told them to go there in order to protect them from King Herod's efforts to kill all the male children under the age of two (Matt. 2), as well as to fulfill Old Testament prophecy concerning the fact that God would call His Son out of Egypt (Hos. 11:1).

Also for the record, every culture has traditionally depicted Jesus as one of their own—including Ethiopians, who have had a black Jesus for 1,500 years and Asians, who routinely display an Asian Jesus.

Because they're all racists, right?

No...because Jesus Christ is all things to all men, and His message of salvation by grace through faith and reconciliation to a holy God completely transcends any and all cultural or ethnic affiliation.

See wall. Bang head.

I suppose such nonsense should come as no surprise to biblically knowledgeable believers, however. My only real question is...

What took them so long?

The current maelstrom of turmoil is being orchestrated by none other than Satan himself, who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Or perhaps I should say God is allowing him to orchestrate such for His own sovereign purposes. Thus, no one should be surprised that they've finally come around to protesting the very One who gave His life so that all men might be saved.

And I for one have difficulty seeing what that has to do with white supremacy.

6/30/2020 — From the "Pulling Out All the Stops" Department...

In a desperate bid to prevent Israel from annexing large portions of the West Bank in a move that what would significantly shrink any future Palestinian state (i.e. reduce it to what is envisioned by Trump's Deal of the Century), the Palestinian Authority has announced that it is ready for direct talks with Israel for the first time since the last round of such bilateral talks failed in the middle of Obama's second term in 2014.

The Palestinians even went so far as to say they would be amenable to "minor territorial concessions" in their counter-proposal to Trump's deal. That is, minor mutually agreed upon border changes based on the pre-1967 borders. At the same time, they also threatened to scrap any such counter-proposal if Israel annexed one square centimeter of "Palestinian territory."

In other words, the Palestinians appear to be pulling out all the stops to stop Trump's deal. But it still sounds a lot like the same old song and dance:

Just agree to all our demands, and then we'll negotiate.

In what could be construed by some as blinking, both Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz have indicated that the July 1 annexation date is not etched in stone, and are showing some signs of flexibility.

This is a key story to watch, because I am inclined to believe that the phoenix of Daniel 9:27 will arise out of the flames of whatever goes down in the next few months over the issue of annexation and the fate of Trump's Deal of the Century.

If Israel decides not to go through with annexation, it could be viewed as being tantamount to acquiescing to the Palestinians' demands and abandoning Trump's deal.

If they go through with annexation, assuming it doesn't lead to open conflict, it is certain to drive the Palestinians into the waiting arms of other major world players (the UN, the EU, the Arabs, etc.) who will be more than happy to pick the peace-deal torch and less inclined to play nice with nasty old, back-stabbing Israel.

This is a biggie—stay tuned.

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7/7/2020 — From the "Nothing to Fear" Department...

Michael Flynn, President Trump's first national security adviser, recently wrote an op-ed that was published in the Western Journal, and in it he said some things that many of us have been thinking and have known in our spirits for some time now. I admit, however, that I was a little bit surprised hearing it from a man who has been caught up in so much political and legal controversy.

But that doesn't change the fact that he's right on the money.

In it, he warns of "dark forces" that are intent on pushing socialism down Americans' throats and driving every trace of God out of American society, and says these forces could very well rob Americans of their very freedom:

"I believe the attacks being presented to us today are part of a well-orchestrated and well-funded effort that uses racism as its sword to aggravate our battlefield dispositions...This weapon is used to leverage and legitimize violence and crime, not to seek or serve the truth."

Amen. Don't think for a second these protests are really about racism. Don't think for a second that a group like Black Lives Matter truly seeks some type of social justice or has an agenda to effect social change that will benefit black people. It is a domestic terrorist organization that hides behind a cardboard facade that gives lip service to those ideals to draw in naive young people who are simply unable to see such a group for what it really is. Most just get caught up in the slogans and the chants and the passion and the exciting aura of being involved in something significant, and it's downhill from there.

Flynn went on to say:

"They are also intent on driving God out of our families, our schools and our courts. They are even seeking the very removal of God from our churches, essentially hoping to remove God from our everyday lives."

Amen and amen. As with all things orchestrated by Satan, the end goal is to remove God from it and to replace Him and His ways with himself and his own demonic programs. Flynn ended on a fairly upbeat note, saying:

"We must be tenacious in the ultimate end we wish to gain. That end is to remain an unwavering constitutional republic based on a set of Judeo-Christian values and principles. We must not fear these and instead embrace them."

I wish I could be that upbeat, but it's hard when you know the Bible well enough to know where this is heading.

Because where it's heading is something to fear and not something to embrace.

Satan's terrorists can try with all their might to drive every trace of God from America and the world—but of course, they cannot succeed. The temple of the Holy Spirit is encamped here in the form of the Church, and will remain so in spite of their best efforts.

And we have nothing to fear.

But the BLM and Antifa folks can relax: They don't have to worry about removing the Church from American society or any other society for that matter.

God's gonna do it for them soon enough.

7/14/2020 — From the "Holy Wisdom" Department...

Last week, Turkey's President Erdogan caused no small amount of controversy, as well as a few tremors on the Bible prophecy front, by announcing the decision to convert the world-famous Hagia Sophia (Greek for holy wisdom) from its current status as a museum back into a mosque.

Built in the sixth century in Istanbul, the magnificent Hagia Sophia was originally a Christian cathedral. In the fifteenth century, it was converted into a mosque, and since 1934 it has served as a museum. But in an effort to push a militant Islamic agenda in the region, President Erdogan has "resurrected" Hagia Sophia and at the same time vowed to "liberate al-Aqsa," a reference to the mosque currently occupying the southern end of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. According to Erdogan:

"The resurrection of Hagia Sophia heralds the liberation of the al-Aqsa mosque...The resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the footsteps of the will of Muslims across the world to come...The resurrection of Hagia Sophia is the reignition of the fire of hope of Muslims and all oppressed, wrong, downtrodden and exploited."

Translation: "...the reignition of the fire of the hope of Muslims to kill all of the Jews and take all of the land."

Although Jordan has maintained custodianship over the Temple Mount since the Six Day War of June 1967, according to reports Erdogan dreams of doing one better by driving the Jews completely out of the Jerusalem's Old Quarter where the Temple Mount is located. And it doesn't take a genius to follow that train of thought to its logical (read "satanic") conclusion.

It has become apparent that Erdogan has Jerusalem in his sights, and is dreaming of "liberating" it as well from the hands of the Jews. At the same time, however, there are reports that Saudi Arabia has been in secret talks with Israel concerning topics that include the custodianship of the Temple Mount, and has no intention of allowing Turkey to pursue their hard-line agenda—a hard-line agenda has been made all the harder recently by current Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank.

As always, if you want "holy wisdom" in the area of Bible prophecy, keep your eyes on what's happening in regard to Israel. Israel is the key, and this brewing conflict certainly has prophetic overtones—overtones that rhyme with Psalm 83 and Ezekiel 38–39.

7/28/2020 — From the "Time to Let Go" Department...

A few days ago I read that John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, is refusing to obey California's order to maintain restrictions on church gatherings...restrictions that now seem to have no end in sight.

According to an article in the Daily Wire, MacArthur originally made the decision to obey the state's restrictions in the interest of the health and safety of his congregation and the public in general. He rightly and appropriately took the state's concerns seriously, since no one had any choice but to believe the official statistics being promulgated.

That was then. This is now:

"But we are now more than twenty weeks into the unrelieved restrictions. It is apparent that those original projections of death were wrong and the virus is nowhere near as dangerous as originally feared. Still, roughly forty percent of the year has passed with our church essentially unable to gather in a normal way. Pastors' ability to shepherd their flocks has been severely curtailed. The unity and influence of the church has been threatened. Opportunities for believers to serve and minister to one another have been missed. And the suffering of Christians who are troubled, fearful, distressed, infirm, or otherwise in urgent need of fellowship and encouragement has been magnified beyond anything that could reasonably be considered just or necessary. Major public events that were planned for 2021 are already being canceled, signaling that officials are preparing to keep restrictions in place into next year and beyond. That forces churches to choose between the clear command of our Lord and the government officials. Therefore, following the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, we gladly choose to obey Him."

About two weeks ago, Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered a resumption of lockdown restrictions that had just recently been eased, restrictions that had originally been put in place back in March. But now there is data readily available that clearly confirms that the initial death-rate estimates being put out in March were grossly overstated. Rev. MacArthur is absolutely right—this virus isn't anywhere near as deadly as feared four months ago (and is still often reported as being in the mainstream media).

Perhaps I will never convince you that this virus, although certainly a very real infection, is being used as a tool by the powers that be to help pave the way toward global governance. Maybe you think I'm a conspiracy theorist. Or a kook—same difference.

That makes little difference to me. As I wrote recently, it is becoming roaringly clear that the world is now like a roller coaster train being pulled up the lift hill—and as you know, once that trip up the lift hill begins, there's no turning back. The ride is about to begin. So it's time to hang on, right?

No...it's time to let go.

It's about time for us to let go of this sick, sin-infested world. We've got a wedding to attend—no masks required.

And may God richly bless you, Rev. MacArthur. Plenty of us feel the same way and support you 100 percent.

P.S. I strongly encourage you to read the full article I quoted above. It blessed and encouraged me tremendously.

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8/4/2020 — From the "No Poster Boy" Department...

Well, this is embarrassing. So, according to Rev. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas and hardcore Trump ally and supporter, a vote for Biden is a vote for Satan.

Or at least a vote motivated by Satan.

In an article in the Christian Post, Jeffress said that any Evangelical Christians who deigned to vote for Joe Biden in November "have sold their soul to the devil," citing the Democratic position on late-term abortions:

"I mean, it's so barbaric, Joe Biden believes in unrestricted abortion. He can't even get his own church, the Catholic Church, to stomach it. They have denied him communion because of that."

Personally, I don't know and don't much care what the current Roman Catholic position is on abortion (or anything else, for that matter), but I feel compelled to comment on the utter silliness of what Jeffress said about Christians who would vote for Joe Biden.

OK, let's get a couple of things straight. First, all leaders are human, and all humans are sinners, including Robert Jeffress and every Christian on earth, not to put too fine a point on it. I suspect you knew that.

Second, God raises up and removes leaders for His own sovereign purposes (Dan. 2:21). And He doesn't raise up leaders simply because He approves of their policies or their exemplary moral behavior, nor does He remove them because they support policies He disapproves of or have otherwise strayed from biblical principles. He does so because He has a sovereign agenda, and we are not always privy to that agenda.

Third, guess what? You can't sell your soul to the devil, OK? It's like I tell unbelievers from time to time. The concept of selling your soul to the devil is the stupidest idea anyone ever came up with:

If you're saved, the devil has no claim over you at all—you belong to God. But until you are saved, the devil totally owns you anyway. So either way, it's an absurdity.

Of course, I know that Rev. Jeffress knows that. I know he's not that stupid. I realize it's just a figure of speech used to refer to someone who has totally sold out to sin and has abandoned God and His Word.

This isn't just silly, it's actually insulting. The inconvenient truth is that Donald Trump is no paragon of biblical virture by anyone's standards. Even though I basically support Trump and will unquestionably vote for him again in November (primarily for his unapologetic and unwavering support for Israel), I am painfully aware of the fact that he is a deeply flawed individual who, just like his opponent Joe Biden, is not exactly a poster boy for biblical Christianity.

The point is that it's not only insulting, it's incredibly naive to accuse other born-again believers of selling out to sin and abandoning God and His Word because of which equally flawed candidate they might choose to vote for.

And I can only hope that Rev. Jeffress isn't so naive as to believe that such histrionic comments actually help Trump, because it's difficult for me to believe they do.

8/11/2020 — From the "As the Truth Spills" Department...

I'm sure you heard about the big explosion that occurred in Beirut, Lebanon last week, a horrific blast that killed at least 150 people and wounded many thousands more. Lebanese officials were quick to label it a "work accident," a "work accident" that involved the explosion of an estimated 3,000 tons of weapons-grade ammonium nitrate that were being stored in a portside hangar, alongside thousands of weapons stockpiled in an adjacent hangar that actually initiated the explosion.

The mainstream media has largely played their requisite role, wasting little time labeling anything that disagrees with the official "work accident" tale as a conspiracy theory (which has become a code word for "an uncomfortable truth"). Unfortunately for the CNN-ophiles of the world, however, the truth about the explosion is spilling out like the geopolitical soap opera that it is.

The existence of stockpiles of vast quantities of ammonium nitrate within Lebanon, as well as upwards of 150,000 mortars, rockets, and missiles has been known for years to Mossad, Israel's answer to the CIA (only better). Just as well known to Mossad is their intended use:

A devastating sneak attack on Israel.

The port city of Haifa, to be precise, according to many reports (not to mention a less than subtle threat by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in 2016).

Needless to say, the people of Lebanon are in a screaming outrage over the incident, which screams of the endemic corruption of the Lebanese government and the consuming preoccupation with destroying Israel that is the hallmark of Hezbollah. On Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab and the entire Lebanese cabinet resigned in response to protests by the Lebanese people. In a televised address, Diab said:

"I declare today the resignation of this government. May God protect Lebanon."

May He indeed. But beyond that, may His kingdom come and His will be done.

And may we take comfort in the fact that the events that are transpiring will work together to facilitate both.

8/18/2020 — From the "Kick Start" Department...

I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't heard much about this, what with all the political hoopla going on in the United States, including Monday night's kick-off of the Democratic National Telethon. Just to keep you up to date: Israel has forged an agreement with the UAE to normalize relations...and it is a prophetic tsunami in the making.

Israel agreed to temporarily shelve the annexation of the West Bank, and in return the UAE agreed to establish a treaty with Israel that would be only the third such treaty between Israel and an Arab country in modern history (the others being Jordan and Egypt).

What is exciting, however, is that there appears to be a significant amount of groundswell among other Arab nations to lean in the same direction. I have read there are at least five other Arab countries that may well follow suit in the near future, and likely even more beyond that.

Naturally, the Palestinians are doing their usual pout-in-the-corner routine, which I am happy to say is having even less effect than normal as more Arab countries give fresh consideration to the possibility of a comprehensive peace in the region that is not contingent on placating an implacable Mahmoud Abbas.

Oh, did I say "peace in the region"? How about a strong, united front against everyone's favorite enemy—Iran?

Do I have to say it? This is huge. Not to gush all over myself or anything, but I honestly believe this is a clear, tangible step toward the treaty of Daniel 9:27. This is a step beyond the kinda sorta could be might be we'll see stuff.

It's on.

The treaty of Daniel 9:27 is a treaty that is ultimately confirmed by the Antichrist between Israel and her Arab neighbors that will usher in a false peace, among other things. And that is exactly where this agreement with the UAE is leading.

Of course, this is just the beginning—but things are now officially moving in that direction. No one knows how long it may take, but we are now heading towards that treaty and from the looks of things, it's going to pick up momentum.

Personally, I have long been of the belief that the exact geopolitical conditions required for the confirmation of the treaty of Daniel 9:27 will not exist until the after the Rapture. So, it's especially exciting to see the sequence of events that will lead to Daniel's treaty suddenly get a kick start like this.

Our kick start into the clouds may well be closer than we think.

8/25/2020 — From the "Bump in the Road" Department...

According to an article in the Times of Israel, a bump has appeared in the road to peace between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Just when it seemed that Israel and the UAE were on their way to a stunning normalization agreement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly panned the United States intentions to sell F-35s to the Arab nation.

Apparently the United States had been working on an arms deal with the UAE prior to the announcement of the normalization agreement—an arms deal that would promise the UAE one of the world's most sophisticated fighter jets that would be the centerpiece of any country's military arsenal.

After Netanyahu's remarks, the UAE nixed a meeting with Israeli and American officials last week, and also announced it intended to skip meetings with Israeli officials until the prime minister "clarified" his position on the U.S. arms deal. Apparently UAE officials had somehow been led to believe that Netanyahu would hold off on any public criticism of the arms deal, even if privately opposing it.

In the meantime, Netanyahu is saying that the F-35 sale was not part of the normalization agreement with the UAE, and says he had no prior knowledge of such a deal.

Be aware that ever since the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the United States has pledged to maintain Israel's military superiority in the Middle East, and that commitment was later encoded into law. So, for decades the United States has been legally restrained from selling advanced weaponry to Israel's regional Arab neighbors. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently reaffirmed this commitment to Israel, reassuring Netanyahu that nothing had changed in that regard.

So, the road to the treaty of Daniel 9:27 is shaping up to be a bumpy one. This makes reasonably good sense, however, since the more obstacles that have to be overcome along that road, the greater the excitement and exultation when The Treaty finally becomes reality.

It almost makes me wish I could be here to see it.

Almost.

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9/1/2020 — From the "Saddle Up" Department...

You probably caught wind of this story, but Rev. John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California recently defied Governor Gavin Newsom's order to stop holding church services. The church's legal team took the matter to court, and just last week, according to an article at the Christian Post website, the church won at least a temporary victory as "a California judge made the decision that the county's attempt to obtain a restraining order did not meet statutory requirements and that the Court of Appeals' order did not justify a new temporary restraining order."

Translation: The church won.

Glory to Jesus. It seems, however, that this was not the end of the story.

California is looking to get even.

For some reason, Los Angeles County is now trying to evict the church from a parcel of land it has leased for parking on a continuous basis for the last 45 years. According to the county, if the church fails to vacate their parking lot as required, the "District may enter the premises and remove Grace's personal property in accordance with the Agreement and applicable law, and Grace will be responsible for any resultant expenses incurred by the District."

Ooooh. Lawyers for the church have pointed out the obvious: This is nothing more than harassment and retaliation for being humiliated in court. Now, what is unclear to me at this point is the legal justification being used by the District to terminate the lease the church has held since 1975. I'm no lawyer, but I was under the impression that leases don't work that way.

But I believe the words "harassment" and "retaliation" are spot on. Los Angeles County officials are still stinging from their legal pratfall, and are desperate to scare the church into submission to their oppressively unconstitutional will. To which I have only one comment:

Good luck with that.

The point I want you to ponder, however, is that it really doesn't matter how all this legal wrangling turns out. It ultimately doesn't matter if Los Angeles County "wins" and Rev. MacArthur is tossed in jail like a Prohibition-era bootlegger and his church is shut down like a speakeasy. In the end, it makes no difference if Rev. MacArthur and Grace Community Church "lose" this battle.

What matters is that they honor the Lord and His Word, no matter what. And John MacArthur is certainly that type of preacher.

The point is that We. Will. Win. We have God's Word on it. But to an ever increasing degree, the world is after us—just as Bible prophecy tells us the world would be. We have governments that want us cowering at home, afraid to question their authority. They want us silenced. They want us disappeared. They want us dead. They will wring their hands and do nothing as thugs riot and rampage with impunity and blood flows in the streets—but hold a church service? By golly, that's where they draw the line.

But make no mistake—this battle isn't political. It's not about Democrats or Republicans, liberals or conservatives.

This battle is spiritual, and it will continue to rage regardless of who wins the election in November.

We need to warm up to the fact that this is it. It's on. The world is clearly entering a period of violent gyrations that will ultimately lead to the establishment of the Antichrist's kingdom, and there's no going back. There is no returning to "normal."

We need to focus on God and His Word. We need to live lives that honor Christ as never before. We need to focus on carrying out the tasks He has set before us in whatever time we have left—which isn't a whole lot by most estimations.

It's time to saddle up.

P.S. Please pray that God would continue to bless and strengthen Rev. MacArthur and that he would continue to honor the Lord and proclaim the gospel in whatever he does in regard to this case.

9/8/2020 — From the "DO NOT PASS GO" Department...

According to a Reuters news article, Saudi Arabia's King Salman reaffirmed in a recent telephone call to President Trump that he is eager to achieve a "fair and permanent solution" to the Palestinian issue. This comes on the heels of Saudi Arabia's reluctance to jump on the UAE bandwagon and normalize ties with Israel before such a deal with the Palestinians is achieved.

Of course, "fair and permanent solution" is a well-worn code phrase for a two-state solution that chops Israel down to its pre-1967 borders, and is precisely what is called for as a starting point in the Arab Peace Initiative that was proposed by Saudi Arabia in 2002. Other Arab nations are echoing similar sentiments, which one would think might dampen the enthusiasm of senior advisor Jared Kushner, who is possibly still a tad hungover from the celebrations following the deal reached with the UAE.

An undaunted Kushner, however, is giddily averring that there is an excellent chance that all 22 Arab nations will eventually follow suit and normalize ties with Israel, but it didn't take long after the UAE deal for reality to set in. That is, the reality that for the major Arab players, it's a give-it-all-back, pre-1967-borders two-state solution or nothing.

The overall Arab position remains unchanged: Until there is a two-state solution in place, it's like the old Community Chest card in Monopoly:

DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200.

Towing the party line, the King's son Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is similarly discussing with Jared Kushner the need for the Israelis and the Palestinians to resume negotiations to reach a peace agreement.

Prophetically, of course, this all makes perfect sense. We know that the treaty of Daniel 9:27 will divide the land of Israel and make a false peace with her Arab neighbors. And that's exactly the dish that's being whipped up in the Middle East kitchen as we speak.

This is arguably the number one story to keep an eye on right now, because this is prophecy unfolding before our very eyes. And since we know that we will not be here to see the outcome of this process, it calls to mind the Monopoly Chance card that reads:

ADVANCE TOKEN TO BOARDWALK.

Except where we're heading, Boardwalk will be pure gold.

9/15/2020 — From the "Spin" Department...

As you probably know, on Tuesday, September 15, President Trump will sign peace agreements with both the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain in the White House, and from all appearances more are sure to follow in coming months as the Arab nations respond to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's agreement to put the annexation of the West Bank on hold.

It remains to be seen, of course, but this cannot help but be a boost for Trump's effort to get re-elected in November—there's scarcely any other way to see it. In fact, for all anyone knows, this just might prove to be the straw that broke the donkey's back as the Democrats continue to pour 100 percent of their time, effort, and resources into tearing down Trump and propping up their do-nothing puppet Sleepy Joe.

Now, regardless of your opinion of Donald Trump, this is legitimate headline news. Remember that word? News. This is a world event of note. So, what's going to be fascinating is to see how the liberal left-wing media loses its mind over how to handle this noteworthy world news event that, unfortunately for them, actually reflects positively on President Trump and his administration. There's really no way around it.

(Cue "Twilight Zone" theme...) Or is there?

The liberal media spin doctors are working overtime, concocting exotic, convoluted ways in which this can be morphed into something that will make Trump look bad in some way, and I am almost relishing the opportunity to see their strained lies and twisted, demonic logic put on public display once again.

Joe Biden tossed in his attempt to spin this against the president, claiming that Trump's role in these peace deals was "accidental," as if it had gone down something along the following lines:

A White House phone rings early one morning, and a groggy Trump answers...

"Uh, hello?"

"Hi, this is the leader of the UAE. Hey, listen...we wanna make a peace treaty with Israel and give you a bunch of the credit. Is that OK?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"OK, cool. See on the 15th."

Trump hangs up, rubs his eyes, and mumbles to Melania...

"I gotta talk to security about these darn crank calls."

An even lamer spin came from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (who sagaciously observed recently that "Mother Earth is angry" in regard to the wild fires that are burning out of control along the U.S. West Coast). She lamented that these peace deals were just a "distraction" to divert people's attention away from Trump's COVID-19 "failures":

"Good for him for having a distraction on a day when the numbers of people who are affected and the numbers of people who are dying from this virus only increases."

Makes me wonder if she'll be present at the signing ceremony to rip a document in half at the climactic moment. I sure wouldn't put it past her.

And sorry, Nancy, but there is no "Mother Earth." There is only Father God, and yes, He is angry...that billions of people just like you have spurned His grace and mercy and spit in His face, and He is about to unleash His righteous judgment on all of you.

Spin that.

9/22/2020 — From the "Insouciant" Department...

I've commented on this continuing situation several times, but Rev. John MacArthur is back in the news. MacArthur recently revealed to Fox News' Laura Ingraham that he had received a letter from California authorities threatening him with up to six months in jail if he refuses to stop holding indoor services at his Sun Valley, California church.

I guess last month's lame attempt at getting his lease for the church's parking lot revoked fell through.

MacArthur made the following comments during the course of the Fox News broadcast:

"Of course, my biblical hero apart from the Lord Jesus Christ is the Apostle Paul, and when he went into a town he didn't ask what the hotel was like. He asked what the jail was like because he knew that's where he was going to spend his time...So I don't mind being a little apostolic—if they want to tuck me into jail, I'm open for a jail ministry. I've done a lot of other ministries and haven't had the opportunity to do that one. So bring it on."

Bring it on. An article at the Christian Post website called MacArthur's attitude "insouciant," and it struck me as an interesting choice of words.

insouciant (adj.) — Marked by blithe unconcern; nonchalant; carefree.

Not exactly the ideal choice of words in this writer's opinion, and I say that because John MacArthur does not have a "blithely unconcerned, nonchalant, carefree" attitude in regard to the preaching of the gospel.

It is the only thing that matters to him—more than life itself.

John MacArthur is the type of person who has a laser-beam focus on doing what God called him to do, which is preach the gospel of Jesus Christ—any way he can, any time he can, any place he can, and to anyone he can. And as such, he is someone I look up to and seek to emulate in my own limited way.

I have a feeling that when MacArthur said "Bring it on," it wasn't so much like "I don't care," it was more like "Try and stop me."

"Insouciant"? How about "scriptural"?

9/29/2020 — From the "When the Going Gets Tough" Department...

As I'm sure you know, President Trump has wasted no time in nominating someone to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court left by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and it promises to be an affair that rivals the ugly, hair-on-fire free-for-all that ensued after Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh two years ago.

If that's possible.

According to Patricia Heaton, who is best known for her role in the popular sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, that free-for-all is going to be of a religious nature this time around.

In a recent article at ChristianHeadlines.com, Heaton warned:

"Friends, be prepared for social media to be filled with an onslaught of arrogant pronouncements based on breathtaking ignorance of religion in general, Christianity specifically and Catholicism in particular by people who wouldn't recognize God if He bit them on the bum."

OK, let's put aside for a moment the fact that Trump is just doing his job, and doing it the manner prescribed by the Constitution (for any left-wing liberals reading this, that's a big four-syllable word that refers to the document that forms the basis of the government of the United States). Let's put aside the knee-jerk howling of Democrats who can barely keep their noses above the rising storm surge of their own hypocrisy. All that can wait for another day.

Amy Coney Barrett is a woman who served as a law clerk for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. She was a professor of law at the University of Notre Dame for 15 years, and in 2017 she was appointed by President Trump to serve as a circuit judge on the Chicago-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. And it was widely known that she was at the top of Trump's short list for Supreme Court nominees.

Oh, and one other thing: She happens to be religious.

Amy Coney Barrett is a Catholic, and it has caused her to draw heat in the past. During her confirmation as a district judge, she faced stinging attacks from several senators regarding her faith. At one point, she calmly and appropriately replied:

"It is never appropriate for a judge to apply their personal convictions whether it derives from faith or personal conviction."

To which Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) retorted:

"The dogma lives loudly within you. That's of concern."

Yes, it is of concern when someone who has faith in the God of the Bible reaches a position of power, especially today when the forces of Satan are already mustering for their final assault on the world in preparation for the kingdom of their fearless leader.

I think Heaton's words will turn out to be prophetic, because the Bible clearly tells us what the world will be like prior to His return, and surprise, surprise: It's begining to resemble that more with each passing day. So, it's sort of a bad news/good news sort of thing:

The bad news is that it's only going to get tougher.
The good news is that the tougher it gets, the closer He gets.

Put another way:

When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Going up, that is.

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10/6/2020 — From the "Who Is He?" Department...

U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman recently stated that if Joe Biden wins the presidency in November, it could seriously undermine the efforts of the Trump administration to reverse the damage done by the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, crafted by the Obama administration of which Joe Biden was a part.

A minor, inconsequential part perhaps, but a part nonetheless.

Speaking to a UAE website, Friedman said that Trump has done much to curtail Iran's nuclear activities through crippling sanctions that have taken a major bite—but he warned that a Biden administration would likely reverse much of that progress. Friedman also said that Biden would most likely cause a shift in American policy in the Gulf region that would be bad for Israel as well as its Arab neighbors.

As I have stated in the past, it is mutual concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions that is motivating the current cozying up between Israel and the Arabs, with the UAE and Bahrain already signing normalization treaties with the Jewish state. And from all indications, more are likely to follow.

As I wrote in my latest article, these normalization agreements are little dress rehearsals for the treaty of Daniel 9:27 that will launch the Tribulation, and the current momentum in that direction will probably continue regardless of who occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for the next four years.

That said, however, having a weak puppet of the anti-Israel liberal left residing at that august address would almost certainly help pave the way for a strong leader to emerge from elsewhere to pick up the mantle of Middle East peace.

And I don't have to tell you what that means:

So who is "he"? I don't know (and neither does anyone else). But whoever he is, the geopolitical world is effectively preparing for his entrance into the world scene as a peacemaker par excellence, and he will ultimately confirm the treaty that will launch Daniel's 70th Week.

Say it with me:

"Aww...it's such a shame that we won't be here to see that."

Be that as it may, however, it appears likely that a Biden victory in November would roll out the proverbial red carpet for him.

Whoever he is.

10/13/2020 — From the "Hoofbeats" Department...

In my last article, I mentioned how Saudi Arabia was showing reluctance to jump on the "normalization with Israel" bandwagon, primarily because their official position has always been that there has to be a two-state solution for their Palestinian brothers in place before any such agreement with the Jewish state can be given serious consideration.

That was then. This is now.

Naturally, as soon as I say that, out comes a headline like this:

A Saudi Prince Declares
Independence From Old Obligations

In what amounts to a "writ of divorce" according to an article at Bloomberg.com, Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar bin Sultan recently issued the harshest denunciation of Palestinian leadership ever issued by any Arab government. And although Bandar—former Saudi Ambassador to Washington and former Secretary General of the Saudi National Security Council—is currently a private citizen, those in the know in the region have absolutely no doubt he is speaking on behalf of Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman.

In a three-part series aired on Al Arabiya television, Bandar gives a scathing review of over seven decades of failure and wasted opportunities on the part of Palestinian leadership and their betrayal of the Palestinian people. He also reassures any Arab nation (such as the UAE and Bahrain) who is being criticized by the current Palestinian leadership for making a deal with Israel that the "Saudis have their back."

But as I also mentioned in my last article, the Arabs are no true friends of Israel. These normalization agreements that will ultimately set the stage for Daniel's treaty that launches the Tribulation are born of political expedience, not warmth and friendship. This pesky little fact managed to stick its nose out from behind the curtain in the course of Bandar's remarks. After reaffirming that Saudi Arabia still supports the "legitimate rights of the Palestinian people," he added the following:

"The Palestinian cause is a just cause but its advocates are failures. The Israeli cause is unjust but its advocates have proven to be successful."

The Israeli cause is unjust...

Translation: It's not really your land, and so sooner or later we're gonna, you know, wipe you off the map.

Bandar may as well have quoted Scripture:

In an unmistakable diss directed at Mahmoud Abbas, Bandar made it clear that Saudi Arabia will only deal with "a new generation of pragmatic, moderate and dependable Palestinian partners." In other words, to quote Thomas Paine:

"Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

So no matter what Abbas does, the prophetic scenario is lurching forward, with him or without him.

I'm sorry...is it just me, or did the sound of the four horsemen's hoofbeats just get a little bit louder?

10/20/2020 — From the "No Surprise" Department...

Abdul Rahman al-Lahim, a Saudi Arabian lawyer, is protesting the fact that Palestinian Arabs on the Temple Mount cursed visitors from the UAE and Bahrain recently, and is publicly decrying what amounts to "bullying" by the Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Lahim characterized the PA's control of the Temple Mount as "the rape of Al-Aqsa."

No surprise—it's not the first time the Saudis have made such accusations.

Over the last several years, Saudi Arabia has sounded off on several occasions over the shoddy manner in which the Temple Mount is maintained, and openly hinted that the Saudis could do a much better job.

Which I don't doubt for a second.

The drive to put the control of the Temple Mount in different hands is growing stronger, and it fits the prophetic scenario nicely. In the current situation, with the Jordanian-controlled Waqf having sovereignty over the Temple Mount in conjunction with the Palestinians, there will never be a rebuilt temple on the Temple Mount.

Let me say that again:

As long as the Jordanians and Palestinians
are in charge, there will NEVER be a rebuilt
temple within 10 miles of the Temple Mount.

Not in a million millennia.

But that's just it. God's Word says there will be a rebuilt temple on the Temple Mount in full operation before the mid-point of the Tribulation, and that means it should surprise no one to hear talk of a change of sovereignty over that most sacred hill, the site of two previous Jewish temples.

At least no one who studies the Bible, that is.

In the current climate of rapprochement that is blossoming in the Middle East between the Israelis and the Arabs, it is certainly not beyond the scope of my imagination to see the Saudis finally tell the Jordanians and the Palestinians to pack sand and take control over the Temple Mount, and ultimately pave the way for the Jews to build the Third Temple as part of the grand treaty that will take the geopolitical world by storm in the foreseeable future.

The only thing that would surprise me is if we're still here when the Saudis actually do it.

10/27/2020 — From the "Dark Days" Department...

As you know, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the United States Supreme Court by a Senate vote the other day—a vote boycotted by Senate Democrats.

Now, maybe it's just me, but it doesn't strike me as being the wisest of moves for the Democrats to vividly remind the American people what a bunch of petulant, do-nothing crybabies they have become over the last four years a few days before the election. But I digress.

In remarks delivered prior to the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) somberly pronounced in regard to this day:

"It will go down as one of the darkest days in the 231-year history of the United States Senate."

No, Chuck, appointing an eminently well-qualified judge to the Supreme Court will not go down as one of the darkest days in the history of the Senate. Not by a longshot, if what Senate Democrats have busied themselves with over the last four years is anything to go by.

The political dope behind all this SCOTUS squabbling goes something like this:

Pennsylvania passed a state law that would allow mail-in ballots that arrived after election day to be counted. This is something many states do not allow—normally ballots have to be postmarked before the date of the election, sort of like your tax return. The Republicans are of the opinion that this is bad, and might help Biden in what could be a pivotal state. The Democrats are fine with it. The law went all the way to an 8-member Supreme Court and got frozen with a 4–4 vote. In the chaos that follows the election, it could again go to the Supreme Court, and the Republicans are betting that Amy Coney Barrett could be the tie-breaking vote to strike down this law in December, thus possibly benefiting Trump.

Or something along those lines.

But whoever wins the upcoming election, Chuck Schumer's words border on the prophetic. Like I said, confirming an eminently well-qualified judge to sit on the Supreme Court is not the darkest day of anything (except in the minds of desperate Democrats). That's just a president doing his job. But I think a lot of people are getting the uneasy feeling that whoever wins, there is going to be unprecedented unrest throughout the country.

And that's the point. We are effectively in the run-up to the beginning of the Tribulation, and so the darkest of days are ahead for the United States as well as the entire world.

And that's because of what God has prophetically ordained in His Word, and not because who happens to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

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11/3/2020 — From the "Shady Business" Department...

Well, this is it.

The most contentious, vitriolic presidential election in living memory is set to go down at long last. Of course, I felt the same way four years ago, but I don't think anyone foresaw this.

I have been fairly upfront about my support for Donald Trump in the past, and the key reason is his solid, genuine, and unwavering support for Israel. That's where it ends for me personally—some of the stuff that gets a lot of airtime is so much static in my book.

Now, I'm not saying that a candidate's character doesn't matter, but it's seldom the prime issue for me. I'm not voting for a Sunday school teacher, I'm voting for the man who can best lead this country. I vote for who I think is better for the nation overall, and after four years I am satisfied that's still Donald Trump and not Joe Biden.

Moreover, and this is of critical importance, I honestly believe that a vote for Joe Biden is not a vote for Joe Biden. His mental deterioration is becoming increasingly marked (and consistently concealed and ignored by the left-wing mainstream media), and I fail to see how anyone can miss that this is part of the plan. I have no doubt that if the liberal left is able to buoy Biden to an election victory, the narrative will slowly begin to change. Within months, there will be a story here and there expressing mild concern over his mental condition. These will steadily increase in gravity and frequency until the subject of the 25th Amendment comes up again (a move telegraphed with stark clarity by Nancy Pelosi recently).

And suddenly, with a tear in every Democratic eye, dear old Sleepy Joe "What color is the orange?" Biden will be ceremoniously trundled off to the best elderly care facility in the nation, and the coup will be complete. The insanely radical left will finally be in total control, and millions of average Americans who get their "news" from CNN will slowly begin to realize they've been lied to and played for chumps on an unprecedented scale. And many of them will be kicking themselves. I hope.

To be honest, I have no personal animosity toward Joe Biden—he's a flawed human being just like the rest of us who, like too many politicians, got caught up in some shady business. But that's just it: We all get caught up in some "shady business" at various points in our lives, in an infinite variety of ways.

Fortunately, we have a loving Heavenly Father who is quick to show mercy and slow to wrath, and those who respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and trust Christ for their salvation can be forgiven and restored to a right relationship with that loving Heavenly Father.

And that's infinitely more important than who wins some election.

Never forget that God raises up and removes leaders to carry out His will (Dan. 2:21), which means we can depend on a sovereign God to do what is in accordance with His sovereign will and keep the promises He has given us in His Word. So, whoever wins the election, I will be obedient to His Word and pray for him and support him as the leader of our country.

And I pray you do the same, regardless of who wins. (And I also pray that you go vote!) But whoever wins, the fact remains that as members of the body of Christ, we are called to a higher purpose than partisan politics.

(And whatever you do, don't go out and try to run somebody off the road.)

11/10/2020 — From the "Huh?!" Department...

There is really only one story right now, and you know what it is:

What passed for an election last week.

Like many Americans, particularly those who are Republican and support President Trump, I went to bed confident that Trump was clearly not only going to win the election, but win it by a significant margin. Uncle Joe had unsurprisingly come up well short of the mark.

I awoke the next morning to check the results, and literally rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Suddenly Michigan and Wisconsin were blue, and comfortable leads in several other swing states had mysteriously vanished during the dark of night. Suddenly, it seemed that all Biden had to do was win Nevada and it would give him 270 electoral votes and with it the presidency.

Huh?! (rub...rub)

And like millions of other Americans, I was stunned. I literally couldn't believe my eyes, and I wondered if I had misinterpreted the results the previous day. Had I misread something? Had I overestimated Trump's comfortable lead in certain states?

WHAT ON EARTH JUST HAPPENED?!

It wasn't long, however, before things started coming out about peculiarities in vote-counting procedures, mysterious loads of votes being dumped at polling stations in the middle of the night and being illegally accepted and counted (surprise—all for Biden!), etc., etc., etc.

Over the last few days the truth has begun to emerge, and there is only one way to describe it:

Voter fraud on an unprecedented scale.

Unprecedented by American standards, that is. I live in Taiwan, and I've had students tell me that this sort of thing is old hat for elections in Taiwan. After some of the things they described to me, I actually wondered if the Democrats had hired some Taiwanese operatives to help carry out their plan (I'm kidding, but just barely).

So, pretty much anyone with a brain can see the election results are fraudulent. We know the mainstream media and social media both are doing their utmost to stymie, dismiss, and trivialize the story, and paint Trump as a sore loser on the sidelines, squalling and bawling like a petulant child who can't accept the fact that he lost fair and square.

Unfortunately, with Trump's reputation, that's an easy sell.

I understand the first salvo of legal challenges has been fired off with more to follow, and I suspect it will end up going to the Supreme Court. Of course, the untimely death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg (and the subsequent appointment of Amy Coney Barrett) was the one kink the Democrats couldn't foresee and plan for, and it could conceivably be the kink that makes it all unravel for those who sought to steal this election.

Pray that God would give our leaders wisdom and strength to uncover the rot that has poisoned this election, and shine the light of truth on the evil that is in the process of undermining our democracy...no matter who ends up occupying the White House.

11/17/2020 — From the "Multitude of Counselors" Department...

I subscribe to Quora, a Q&A website that sends out a daily digest of questions and answers from numerous people that you are free to respond to. I chose to receive questions about religion, and so I get a lot of questions from atheists and unbelievers to peruse. But there are also many other types of questions, and recently Quora has been inundated with questions like these:

• Trump obviously lost the election...why on earth does he refuse to concede that Biden won?

• Biden has been elected president—why can't crybaby narcissist Trump admit that he lost fair and square?

• Should President Biden simply have Trump physically removed from the White House, or what?

• Trump is a nothing but a pathetic sore loser—does he think anyone actually believes his delusions of fraud?

Ad infinitum, ad nauseam. It is clear to me that these people all have one thing in common:

They all apparently get their news from CNN.

The mainstream media, led by CNN, has far more power than many realize. They have the power to shape and sway public opinion in whatever manner they deem desirable, and the sad results are on display front and center in the wake of this year's presidential election.

Case in point: Last week I read a report (and I wish I could find a link to it now) about someone who interviewed hundreds of people who voted for Joe Biden in one of the swing states. One of the questions was if they knew about the Hunter Biden corruption scandal, and a surprising percentage said they knew nothing about it. A follow up question was whether they still would have voted for Joe Biden had they known about the scandal, and 13 percent said they they would not have.

Don't look now, but 13 percent is more than enough to swing most elections.

And whaddya know...to my knowledge, CNN never breathed a word about the Hunter Biden scandal (and if they did, I have no doubt it was a quick dismissal as a baseless Republican conspiracy theory).

MSM 1, American public 0.

I'm not out to do some drive-by CNN bashing here, as deserving of it as they may be (and Fox News is almost as bad at times). My point is that CNN has gone beyond the pale: They have moved past simply lying and being heavily biased in favor of the liberal left.

They have been given over to creating an alternate reality.

In CNN Land, Joe Biden legitimately won the election in a dramatic landslide, and Trump is a narcissistic loser who refuses to concede and is embarrassing himself and the country with desperate delusions of fraud. He is threatening national security by refusing to begin the transition to a Biden administration, and anything that runs counter to this narrative in any way whatsoever is a baseless, unfounded conspiracy theory that is unworthy of even being reported on by any reputable news site.

Of course, there are also sources out there that are little more than Trump rah-rah sites. Now, I'm not going to sit here and tell you what news to watch—that's none of my business. But it actually matters whether you are content to listen to lies and a fictional narrative, or attempt to find news sources that report what is actually going on, whether good or bad for either side.

And there are some out there. Make an effort...go find one.

Better yet, go find a multitude of them.

11/24/2020 — From the "Dark Path" Department...

If you graduated from a Christian college or university, or your children attend a Christian school, you had better hope and pray that Joe Biden is never successfully installed into the White House.

Because if he is, you may as well use your diploma to light the yule log this Christmas.

The gay mafia is wasting no time, and is champing at the bit to press "presumptive President Elect" Joe Biden to strip any school who refuses to kowtow to the LGBT agenda of its accreditation. And that's about how much value degrees and diplomas from unaccredited institutions possess.

They look nice hanging on the wall, but good luck trying to get a decent job or get into a decent college with one.

This is part of the Human Rights Campaign's "Blueprint for Positive Change," and good old Uncle Joe has promised to advance the LGBT agenda, both in the U.S. and abroad. And I'm sure that won him a few votes; but as it turns out he didn't need them—he could have just stayed in the basement. The friendly folks at Dominion picked up the slack for him, but I digress.

Not to overstate things, but this would effectively represent the death knell for Christian education throughout the United States, a country that was once the most Christian nation on earth. But now? This is "openly demonstrate your support for a perversion that the Bible clearly condemns as sin and thus compromise God's Word, or shut up and shut down."

Welcome to Joe Biden's America.

• This is his idea of "uniting."
• This is his idea of "healing."
• This is his idea of "coming together as a nation."

On a cheerier note, pray that lawyers working on behalf of the president and on behalf of the Constitution itself continue making significant headway in their efforts to expose the fraud that has placed Joe Biden on the cusp of having the power to lead this country down a very dark path.

Overarching prophetic implications aside, it is a path I do not wish to see my country go down.

At least as long as I call this planet home, if you catch my drift.

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12/1/2020 — From the "Oopsie" Department...

As if people weren't having enough trouble providing evidence for election fraud...

According to an article at the Lutchman Report, one of the servers that officials in Georgia's Fulton County had recently purchased from Dominion Voting Systems crashed during the recount that had been requested by Trump's legal team.

Ahh, but fortunately, technicians from Dominion were dispatched to resolve the issue. What a stroke of luck!

Ahh, but unfortunately, it seems the server was accidentally wiped clean by a county employee.

Oopsie.

According to Republican Georgia Congressman Barry Loudermilk:

"A judge has as you reported basically impounded certain voting machines to make sure they don't wipe the data. Then we find out Fulton County effectively wiped its data because an IT technician which appears to be a county employee used the wrong server for the recount after Dominion told him not to use that server. And just in case there was a problem they backed up the data but they backed it up on the same server that crashed. Now [the question is] do we even have the data on the Fulton County servers. We don't know."

You know, there are times these days when I just want to throw my hands in the air and say, "You've got to be kidding me!"

This kind of report scarcely needs any commentary. Suffice to say the election thieves are still busy, destroying evidence hand over fist in order to prevent those who would prove the election is in fact a fraud from getting their hands on it. This is just one of many reasons why it is so maddening to listen to naive people ask in all sincerity:

"Where's the evidence? You don't have any evidence! There's no evidence of any fraud! It's just one of Trump's desperate conspiracy theories. Don't you watch CNN?! Sheesh...Trump lost—get over it!"

I'm no legal beagle, but perhaps the Trump legal team would do well to keep some of the evidence they do have a little bit closer to the vest in order to avoid informing the enemy (yes, the enemy) what to wipe/hide/destroy/shred/disappear, etc. Just saying.

I'm just praying for the truth to be revealed.

12/8/2020 — From the "Here to Stay" Department...

Two years ago, President Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, just as he had promised to do during his campaign. The left wing howled in agony and derided his decision, as if he had summarily doomed any possibility of peace in the Middle East, ever.

But the Iranian people...remember them? You know, millions of average, hard-working Iranian citizens who are just trying to live their lives in peace and provide for their families and hope for a better future?

They don't quite see it that way.

You don't hear much about this in the MSM, but the great majority of ordinary Iranian citizens hate (yes, hate) the ayatollahs who rule them, and their hopes for that better future revolve around seeing the radical Islamic government that has ruled the country since 1979 removed, and their death grip on the Iranian people and their society lifted.

The Iranian people are sick to death of their theocratic leaders' maniacal hatred for Israel that compels them to divert so much of the country's much-needed resources to developing weapons with which to dominate the Middle East and destroy the Jewish nation, instead of making their lives better. The Iranian people simply want to live their lives in peace like any other normal citizens of any other normal country, but they know there is no chance of that ever happening under the ayatollahs.

And then along came Donald Trump, an American president that clearly distinguished between the people of Iran and the radical Islamic leadership of Iran, and saw those leaders as the anti-Semitic maniacs they are and made it clear he would not play ball with them.

And it gave the Iranian people hope.

But according to an article in the New York Post, that hope will be dashed with an incoming Biden presidency. True, the people have endured economic hardship with the harsh sanctions the United States has placed on Iran, but at least they had hope that it would lead to their freedom from the ayatollahs.

But it is clear to them that Joe Biden is no Donald Trump. Many Iranian people are expressing bitter disappointment and resignation that Biden will go soft on the Iranian leadership and naively seek to "engage" them. But unlike Joe Biden, the Iranian people are smart enough to know full well what that means:

If Trump leaves, the ayatollahs are here to stay.

That is, until Someone comes along and rains judgment on them.

(See Ezekiel 38–39 for details.)

12/15/2020 — From the "Fun Facts" Department...

I hope you're having better luck than I am trying to keep up with the dizzying flurry of reports coming out about the efforts to expose and prove the fraud that stands to install Joe Biden in the White House. It's becoming a bit overwhelming.

My two sisters send me links aplenty on a daily basis, and sometimes it's hard to understand their full implications. But one of my sisters sent me a link to something interesting the other day, and it just floored me. Now, that's not easy to do, so I felt like sharing it with you just for fun.

Hey, speaking of fun...don't you just love Fun Facts? I know I sure do...I love Fun Facts. Well, here's a Fun Fact for you:

Did you know that it is scientifically possible to tell with 100 percent certainty whether or not a piece of paper has ever been folded?

Believe it or not, it is. When you fold a piece of paper, it creates very small traces in the wood fibers along the fold called a "kinematic artifact" that cannot be removed, no matter how much you try to smooth it afterwards. More importantly, if it has never been folded, you will find no evidence of these traces. The absence of these kinematic artifacts proves beyond any doubt that it has never been folded. And the technology exists to quickly scan literally millions of documents to check for these traces in a relatively short time.

Fascinating, huh? I can see you're spellbound. This technology was invented by the creator of the QR codes you see on products everywhere, and it makes it child's play to determine if a huge number of documents have ever been folded or not.

With me so far?

Good, because here's another Fun Fact for you, and I'll give it to you in the form of a question:

What's the last thing you have to do to a mail-in ballot before mailing it?

Give that happy camper a prize: That's right...you have to FOLD IT.

Biden supporters keep snidely demanding...

"Where is this 'mountain of evidence' you deluded Trumpers keep blathering on about? There isn't a trace of evidence of voter fraud! Get over it...Trump LOST!"

Ooh, I like that...a "mountain of evidence."

Well, in the swing states that appeared to give the election to Joe Biden, there are "mountains" of mail-in ballots that appeared in the middle of the night and that were, uh...handled in highly suspect ways, to put it mildly.

And you'll never guess what little detail the perpetrators of the fraud overlooked. Go ahead, guess.

Ooh, you are one sharp cookie. That's right: none of them were folded, as they certainly would have been if they had ever been mailed to anyone, anywhere. Let's follow the logic here, shall we?

1. If a mail-in ballot is real, that means it was mailed to someone.
2. If it was mailed to someone, it must have been folded.
3. If it was never folded, then it was never mailed to anyone.
4. If it was never mailed to anyone, it cannot be a real mail-in ballot.

So, if you happen to hear anything in the coming weeks about Democrats in the swing states trying very hard to prevent anyone from getting their hands on the physical mail-in ballots—and there is no legal reason why they shouldn't be able to accessed, or trying to destroy such ballots, heaven forbid, you'll know why.

Pray that the truth would prevail.

12/22/2020 — From the "Preview of Coming Attractions" Department...

In the midst of all the wild political gyrations that have been taking place recently, one telling fact is emerging. As it turns out, the liberal left is convinced of something concerning Americans who happen to hold to Christian values and love their country:

Such people are a threat to national security.

Didn't ya know. According to an article posted at Just the News, the Secular Democrats of America PAC (Political Action Committee) have submitted a report to Joe Biden and his team that delineates the need to...

"...boldly restore a vision of constitutional secularism and respect in the land for religious and intellectual pluralism."

Translation: Round up Christians and Trump supporters and lock 'em up.

Oh, and make no mistake: By "religious and intellectual pluralism," they mean "absolutely anything but the gospel of Jesus Christ."

(As if there was any doubt about who is the mastermind behind the political turmoil that is gripping the United States.)

That's right...they need to be locked up because they are clearly a danger to society, because Trump has empowered them like no previous administration to advance their "white Christian nationalist agenda."

They love God and they love America...
and by gosh they've got to be stopped!

Here's a taste to whet your appetite:

"The rise of white Christian nationalism is a national security threat. We recommend you: encourage the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to dedicate resources to de-radicalization programs aimed at hate groups, including, but not limited to, white nationalists; increase monitoring of such groups, including the online environment, and take action to address increased hate crimes toward minority faith communities; and shift rhetoric to label violent white nationalist extremists as terrorists."

Read this over slowly and carefully, and fill in the blanks:

Translation: If you are a Christian, you are a radical white nationalist extremist and a member of a hate group who needs to be de-radicalized and who should be branded as a terrorist.

A couple of other gems—sort of a preview of coming attractions:

"[The U.S. Attorney General should] confer with the Department Office of Legal Counsel to issue a memorandum regarding enforcement of the Establishment Clause in public schools, including students' protection from school-sponsored proselytizing and teaching accurate, evidence-based, secular curriculum rather than creationism in the schools."

Translation: The Constitution says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." They interpret the first part to mean that it is a punishable offense to mention anything about God or the Bible to anyone at any school, and nothing can be taught that in any way aligns or agrees with the Bible. And they completely ignore the second part.

"[The report urges the reversal of] policies that have allowed faith-based government-funded contractors to provide adoption and foster care services to discriminate on the basis of religion and work with Congress to pass the Every Child Deserves a Family Act."

Translation: If you are a drug addict, a prostitute, a convicted child molester, or a Christian, you are not fit to be a foster parent.

"[The government] should not do business with organizations or contractors that will use government funds to advance a sectarian agenda, or discriminate against its employees or program beneficiaries on the basis of religion."

Translation: If you stand for Christian values, good luck ever getting another government contract.

I just wish people who voted for Joe Biden (the real ones, not the 13–14 million who don't exist) could grasp what they actually voted for, because this is just a taste of what the liberal left has in the pipeline.

It is time to draw near to God and stand on His Word like never before, because He is our source of strength. As David proclaimed to the Philistines and their man Goliath:

Now that's a preview of coming attractions.

12/29/2020 — From the "Hero or Coward" Department...

As you may know, January 6 is The Big Showdown in terms of the results of the election. On that day, the President of the Senate (Vice President Mike Pence) will open the electoral votes and count them. Of course, many people, especially Democrats, assume that this means Joe Biden will at long last be officially certified as president.

I have been hearing a lot of conflicting things about this seemingly simple procedure, however. A total of seven states chose what are called "dueling electors," or two slates of electors: an "official" one for Biden and also one for Trump, just in case. These are among the electoral votes Mike Pence must "open and count."

I found a marvelous little video at the Epoch Times web site that explains some of these things, and I highly recommend it. The controversy comes down to how one part of the 12th Amendment of U.S. Constitution is interpreted, and the point is whether or not Mike Pence has the sole authority to decide which slate of electors to count from those seven states.

Here is the line in question from the 12th Amendment:

"[Th]e President of the Senate shall, in the presence
of the Senate and the House of Representatives, open
all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted."

Some people interpret this to mean the President of the Senate just passively counts the electoral votes he's "supposed" to count (in this case, for Biden), and in order to defer to the alternate electoral votes (for Trump), at least one representative and one senator must object. Then two hours of discussions are held and then the House and the Senate both vote separately.

I'm still a little hazy on the details; but my understanding is that in this event, Biden almost certainly wins.

Unfortunately for the Democrats, however, many top legal authorities don't interpret the 12th Amendment that way. The predominant interpretation seems to be that the President of the Senate has the exclusive and absolute authority to decide which set of electors to count in the case of dueling sets. He alone has the power to decide which set is flawed in a way that renders them unacceptable and which set legally represents the will of the people of that state. In that case, suddenly Mike Pence becomes the most powerful man in the country, literally holding in his hands the power to choose the next president.

And as if that wasn't enough, I also heard that Mike Pence is scheduled to leave the country on January 6 for the first time since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Apparently shortly after he's done at the Capitol, he's heading to the airport and is off to the Middle East.

Hmmmmm...

I don't mean to be blunt or dump too much responsibility on the vice president's shoulders, but what it essentially boils down to is this:

Will Vice President Mike Pence board that plane as a hero or a coward?

If it does come down to him, I really don't see a third choice. Or maybe some other crazy thing will happen...who knows at this point.

Please pray for our leaders, especially President Trump and Vice President Pence. Pray that God would give these men the strength and wisdom to do what is right in His sight and carry out His will for this nation.

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