Happy New Year?

Happy New Year?  - Wendy Wippel - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8361

 

I hope one and all had a blessed remembrance of our Lord's birth and found exactly what they wanted under their respective trees.  But does anybody else get the feeling, from our daily headlines, that those of us waiting for the Lord's return and according to a boat load of verses in the New Testament, we all should be, right? It seems to indicate that we may have another reason for celebration coming? One spelled R-A-P-T-U-R-E ?

Is it just me, or do the headlines seemingly push the date closer every day?

 

Exhibit A: The United States' decision to abstain from the UN vote on restricting Jewish settlements in land that they won fair and square, after being attacked, in the 6-day war in 1967.  A vote that every one of the other countries with voting rights enthusiastically supported.

 

Which makes a chilling confirmation of a prophecy by  Micah official: Micah 4:11:  

 

'But now many nations are gathered against you. They say, "Let her be defiled, let our eyes gloat over Zion!"

 

Other versions translate the word translated as 'gloat'  here-- as to "feast on", or to "react in ecstasy" at what they see.

 

Having read a fair amount of world reaction to the UN vote -the fact that finally, a unanimous vote against Israel had been achieved--a unanimous vote to strip them of their land -I think all of the above translations were spookily exact descriptions of the world's reaction.

 

Officially, as you read this, just as Micah described, the whole world is licking their chops and anticipating Israel's defilement.  The leaders of the whole world, in unison, are licking their chops thinkng about  Israel's ultimate destruction. 

 

Which means that last Friday really was a momentous moment in Israel's history.  A day prophesied by Micah  about 700 B.C. That the whole world would, together anticipate an imminent demise of Israel.

 

I said a momentous moment, not a merry one.

 

A momentous day fulfilled in our presence on Friday, December 23, 2016.  You probably missed it. I know I did.

 

I myself personally was making fudge Friday.  Israel was not on my radar.

 

But there was another thing, at least as prophetic that was not on my radar Friday, and probably, ditto, not on yours.

 

Exhibit B: Assad wasn't finished.

 

Destroying Aleppo and its largely innocent population wasn't enough.  Leaving bodies of babies with their intestines displaced onto Aleppo's streets wasn't enough.  Killing whole families wasn't enough. Giving the Syrian army tacit permission to rape Aleppo's fleeing women wasn't enough. There were still pockets of resistance.   

 

Mostly near Damascus.

 

So on the same Friday on which Micah's prophecy was fulfilled,  Assad began shelling another section of his own country, a rebel held valley just northwest of Damascus. Same tactics, and probably the same tragic effects. (This area also provides most of the city's water.)

 

Anybody remember that section of Isaiah called "the burden of Damascus"? Tantalizing short, it's time of fulfillment has been discussed for millennia: 

 

"Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap." Isaiah 17:1

 

That's all there is. The next few verses just confirm that Damascus and its environs will sometime in the future be toast. Whatever point at which God has ordained that this verse will be fulfilled. 

 

When exactly that will be has been hotly debated.  But many believe that the destruction of Damascus is a prelude to Armageddon.

 

Seemingly, the destruction of Damascus could be imminent.

 

Exhibit C: Assad had help. 

 

Russia and Syria have been bosom buddies for a while now,  with Soviet forces playing a big part in achieving the destruction of Pesky Aleppo for Putin's BFF Assad. We all know this, right?  

 

What has seemingly escaped the radar-I guess lost in the Santa and stockings we've been concentrating on in the states-is that Iranian  forces joined Assad's forces and helped to clinch the victory.

 

That should be setting off some mental alarms. Because  any alliance of Iran and Russia, for prophecy students, inevitably conjures up one specific passage in Ezekiel. One that talks about rulers named Gog and Magog, who come together to make war on Israel.  

 

And that series of battles is also considered by most a prologue to the ultimate final final battle on the plains of Megiddo, also known as Armageddon.  

 

No worries, though. We know where we'll be. Watching from the  mezzanine.

 

(I started to say the cheap seats, but the these seats weren't cheap!)

 

 And we know What God has ultimately promised to His people; again through Micah: 

 

"I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, Like a flock in the midst of their pasture; They shall make a loud noise because of so many people. The one who breaks open will come up before them; They will break out, Pass through the gate, And go out by it;" Their king will pass before them, With the Lord at their head. Micah 2:12-13

 

What a day that will be, and I can't wait to see it.!!

 

Is the stage being set?

 

Happy New year, Saints!  And maybe this will be the year we meet Our Savior face to face!

Did Obama Just Bring a Curse on America With Anti-Israel Vote?

Did Obama Just Bring a Curse on America With Anti-Israel Vote? - http://www.charismanews.com/world/62093-did-obama-just-bring-a-curse-on-america-with-anti-israel-vote

 

There are consequences for our actions, and on a national level, we are going to experience tremendous consequences for the very foolish decisions of our national leaders. When Barack Obama decided to betray Israel at the United Nations, he made the most fateful decision of his entire presidency. Because the Scriptures tell us that those that curse Israel will be cursed, and so America is now under a great curse due to what Barack Obama has done.

 

All throughout the Scriptures, there are equations. What I mean by that is there are many passages that tell us that if we do things God's way, we will get one result, and if we do things another way, we will get another result. One of my favorite examples of this is Matthew 5:19. I have been on both sides of that particular equation, and being on God's side of the equation is much better by far.

 

As far as Israel is concerned, all throughout the Bible we see the principle that those that bless Israel are blessed and those that curse Israel are cursed. The very first place where we find this is in Genesis 12 where God makes his famous promise to Abraham. The following is what Genesis 12:1-3 says in the Modern English Version:

 

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country, your family, and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless them who bless you and curse him who curses you, and in you all families of the earth will be blessed."

 

In the book of Numbers, we see almost the exact same wording being used. In this case, Balaam had been summoned to cast a curse on Israel, but God had him deliver a blessing instead. This is what Numbers 24:9 says...

 

"He crouches, he lies down as a lion, and as a lion, who will stir him up? 'Blessed is he who blesses you, and cursed is he who curses you.'"

 

So how does one curse Israel? There are lots of ways to do that, but one thing that God really doesn't like is when someone tries to divide up His land. In Joel 3 we find a prophecy about the last days, and one of the things that God says He will really be upset about is the fact that the nations have "divided up My land."

 

"In those days and at that time, when I restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. I will enter into judgment with them there regarding My people and My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land" (Joel 3:1-2).

 

This warning has been around for well over 2,000 years, but our leaders are completely ignoring God's warning that He will judge them for dividing up His land. On Friday, U.N. Security Council Resolution 2344 declared that all Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank are illegal, and it gave the Palestinians legal ownership of those territories.

 

Is this the dividing of the land that Joel 3 warns about? If not, it is pretty close. Many are still anticipating that there may be another U.N. Security Council resolution that would formally establish a Palestinian state, and if that happens, it would definitely fulfill Joel 3.

 

In Zechariah 12, we are told that the city of Jerusalem will be particularly troublesome in the last days. The following is what Zechariah 12:3 says in the Modern English Version:

 

"And it will be on that day that I will set Jerusalem as a weighty stone to all the peoples. All who carry it will surely gash themselves, and all the nations of the land will be gathered against it."

 

And of all the issues that separate the Israelis and the Palestinians, the status of Jerusalem is perhaps the most controversial. You see, the truth is that the Palestinians will never accept any solution that does not give them East Jerusalem as their capital, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged that the city of Jerusalem will remain undivided forever.

 

By attempting to divide God's holy city, Barack Obama and the United Nations are setting themselves against God, and the consequences are likely to be quite dramatic.

 

Sadly, relatively few Christian leaders are speaking out about this. There has been only a limited uproar against this betrayal of Israel, and this is something I simply do not understand.

 

Fortunately, there are a few who are speaking out. One of them is Franklin Graham, and I really like what he had to say about this crisis on his Facebook page.

 

Israel is America's closest ally in the Middle East and the only true democracy in that region of the world. I'm disappointed that the current administration in Washington seems to have such contempt for this nation and its elected leaders. For the U.S. not to stand with Israel is shameful.

 

Without a doubt, what we have done to Israel is shameful. And now that we are on the wrong side of the equation, we will most definitely be cursed.

 

Nothing extremely dramatic has happened so far, but there have been some rumblings. For example, it is being reported that there have been nearly 700 earthquakes in California and Nevada over the past week.

 

A reporter for KWTV News tweeted that there have been at least 28 reported earthquakes since the early morning hours in California and Nevada.

 

A map put out by the Southern California Earthquake Data Center shows that in the last week that have been almost 700 light-to-moderate tremors in the area.

 

And on the east coast, a horrible winter blizzard is set to dump nearly two feet of snow on some areas of New England.

 

A powerful winter storm will unleash heavy, wet snow and howling winds across portions of New England from late Thursday through midday Friday, with blizzard conditions possible in some areas.

 

Much of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine should see a foot of snow, with nearly two feet expected in some spots, the National Weather Service said. "This looks to be a high-impact storm with power outages and significant drifting issues likely," the weather service warned.

 

But if God continues to respond to U.S. moves toward diving the land of Israel as He has in the past, we could potentially see something much more dramatic happen in the days ahead. In a previous article, I detailed 10 of the most striking examples of how God has hit America with disaster when our government has cursed Israel.

 

1. The last time the U.S. government refused to veto an anti-Israel resolution at the UN Security Council was in 1979. On March 22, 1979, the Carter administration chose not to veto U.N. Resolution 446. Four days after that on March 26, the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty was signed in Washington. As a result of that treaty, Israel gave up a tremendous amount of territory. Two days later, on March 28, the worst nuclear power plant disaster in U.S. history made headlines all over the globe. The following comes from Wikipedia:

 

The Three Mile Island accident was a partial nuclear meltdown that occurred on March 28, 1979, in reactor number 2 of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station (TMI-2) in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was the most significant accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant history.[2] The incident was rated a five on the seven-point International Nuclear Event Scale: Accident With Wider Consequences.[3][4]

 

2. On Oct. 30, 1991, President George H.W. Bush opened the Madrid Peace Conference which brought Israelis and Palestinians together to negotiate for the very first time. In his opening speech, Bush told Israel that "territorial compromise is essential for peace." At the exact same time, "the Perfect Storm" was brewing in the north Atlantic. This legendary storm traveled 1,000 miles the wrong direction and sent 35-foot waves slamming directly into President Bush's home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

 

3. On Aug. 23, 1992, the Madrid Peace Conference moved to Washington, D.C., and the very next day, Hurricane Andrew made landfall in Florida, causing $30 billion in damage. It was the worst natural disaster up to that time in U.S. history.

 

4. On Jan. 16, 1994, President Clinton met with President Assad of Syria to discuss the possibility of Israel giving up the Golan Heights. Within 24 hours, the devastating Northridge earthquake hit southern California. It was the second worst natural disaster up to that time in U.S. history.

 

5. On Jan. 21, 1998, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House but received a very cold reception. In fact, President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright actually refused to have lunch with him. That exact same day the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke, sending the Clinton presidency into a tailspin from which it would never recover.

 

6. On Sept. 28, 1998, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was working on finalizing a plan which would have had Israel give up approximately 13 percent of Judea and Samaria. On that precise day, Hurricane George slammed into the Gulf Coast with wind gusts of up to 175 miles an hour.

 

7. On May 3, 1999, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was supposed to hold a press conference to declare the creation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital. On that precise day, the most powerful tornadoes ever recorded in the U.S. ripped through Oklahoma and Kansas. At one point one of the tornadoes actually had a recorded wind speed of 316 miles an hour.

 

8. On April 30, 2003, "the Road Map to Peace" that had been developed by the so-called "Quartet" was presented to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by U.S. Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer. Over the next seven days, the U.S. was hit by a staggering 412 tornadoes. It was the largest tornado cluster ever recorded up to that time.

 

9. In 2005, President George W. Bush (son of George H.W. Bush) convinced Israel that it was necessary to remove all of the Jewish settlers out of Gaza and turn it over entirely to the Palestinians. According to the New York Times, the very last of the settlers were evacuated on Aug. 23, 2005. On that precise day, a storm that would be given the name "Katrina" started forming over the Bahamas. The city of New Orleans still has not fully recovered from the damage that storm caused, and it ranked as the costliest natural disaster in all of U.S. history up to that time.

 

10. On May 19, 2011, Barack Obama told Israel that there must be a return to the pre-1967 borders. Three days later on May 22, a half-mile-wide EF-5 multiple-vortex tornado ripped through Joplin, Missouri. According to Wikipedia, it was "the costliest single tornado in U.S. history."

 

Barack Obama is scheduled to leave the White House on Jan. 20, and many are hoping that the new Trump administration will rapidly repair the damage that has been done to our relationship with Israel. One of the things that is already being discussed is cutting off U.S. funding for the United Nations.

 

Congress is already setting the stage to cut off U.S. funding to the United Nations in the wake of a contested vote last week in which the Obama administration permitted an anti-Israel resolution to win overwhelming approval, according to congressional leaders, who told the Washington Free Beacon that the current administration is already plotting to take further action against the Jewish state before vacating office.

 

Other punitive actions by Congress could include expelling Palestinian diplomats from U.S. soil and scaling back ties with foreign nations that voted in favor of the controversial measure, according to multiple sources who spoke to the Free Beacon about the situation both on and off the record.

 

Hopefully members of Congress will take very swift and decisive action once they return to Washington in early January. Because at this moment, we are definitely under a curse, and we need to do whatever we can to change direction.

 

And let us pray that the Obama administration will not betray Israel again by supporting a U.N. Security Council resolution that would officially establish a Palestinian state before Jan. 20. If that happens, all hell is going to break loose in America.

Simeon Found Jesus

Simeon Found Jesus - Nathele Graham - twotug@embarqmail.com

 

Joseph and Mary knew who Jesus was, but that knowledge didn't make them think they were above the Mosaic Law. Under that Law there were certain requirements a woman was to do after giving birth, and Mary was not exempt from following those requirements. When a woman gave birth to a male child, she was considered unclean for seven days (Leviticus 12:2). "And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days; she shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary, until the days of her purifying be fulfilled." Leviticus 12:4. In addition to the mother's requirements, on the eighth day the male child was to be circumcised. "And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." Leviticus 12:3. This requirement actually pre-dated the Law by many years; God had given this directive to Abraham as the sign of a covenant between Him and the children of Abraham. Mary did all that was required by the Law. Even though she bore the Son of God she was merely human and subject to the Law of Moses.

 

According to the Law, after the time that she was considered unclean a woman was to bring a Lamb and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering (Leviticus 12:6). If for some reason she was unable to bring a lamb then two turtledoves or two pigeons were acceptable. "And if she be not able to bring a lamb then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean." Leviticus 12:8. Mary followed the requirement of the Law by bringing her sin offering and a burnt offering. "And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord...and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." Luke 2:22 & 24. Joseph and Mary must have felt bad because they could only bring birds but no lamb for the sacrifice. Did they understand that Jesus was the Lamb? Just like people today, Joseph and Mary only knew day by day God's plan and followed as best they could. We can be sure that the Magi hadn't visited yet because Joseph and Mary would have been able to buy a lamb to offer as her sin offering. With no gold, frankincense, or myrrh she could only offer the birds. Also, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to Jerusalem but on the night the Magi visited, Joseph was warned in a dream to leave for Egypt immediately. Being obedient they left that very night.

 

It was on the day that Joseph and Mary took the offerings to the priest that a man named Simeon had his prayers answered. "And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ." Luke 2:25-26. In just a few words we learn so much about Simeon. He loved God. There are many prophecies in the Old Testament that foretold the Messiah's birth and Simeon took the words of the prophets seriously. He was looking for the Messiah and his faith was strong. Because the prophets had foretold of the coming Messiah, many people were looking for Him, but not everyone had the depth of yearning that Simeon had. It's hard to understand how the Scribes and Pharisees missed the Messiah's birth because they studied Scripture, but they didn't look for Him. They didn't have the desire that Simeon had to see the Messiah. The religious leaders had head knowledge of Scripture, but Simeon had heart knowledge. The Holy Spirit still speaks to people today, but most people ignore Him. Many people have head knowledge of Scripture and only a few truly desire to seek the Messiah. Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit so it should be easier for us to hear His voice, but too many of us are distracted by the world and ignore God's leading.

 

The Holy Spirit came upon Simeon but didn't indwell him, yet Simeon was devout and heard His voice. When a person is led by the Spirit, wonderful things will happen. Unlike the Priests and Pharisees, Simeon desired to see the Messiah...the consolation of Israel. "And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou has prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." Luke 2:27-33. We can all learn from Simeon. His great desire was to see "the Lord's Christ" and was watching for Him. Then, when he saw Him, Simeon embraced Him. Do we do that? When we see our need for Jesus and finally accept Him for our salvation, do we truly embrace Him or do we just go on as if our life hasn't been changed? Simeon also blessed Him rather than waiting to be blessed by Him. Think about it and see if you truly embrace Jesus and if you just sit around waiting for Him to bless you. Embrace Him and bless Him and your life will be changed for the better.

 

Simeon had insight that few people had in those days. He understood that the Messiah would come to Israel, but he also understood that He was coming as a light to the Gentiles. That fact is something that many religious leaders couldn't come to grips with. Many years later a Pharisee named Nicodemus would come to Jesus to seek understanding. Jesus talked a long while with Nicodemus and gave him much to ponder. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Jesus said that God loved the "world", not just the Jews. There was separation between the Jews and the Gentiles and much resentment. Jesus came first to the Jews and when they rejected their Messiah, the Gentiles were also welcome to accept His sacrifice for salvation. When Jesus spoke these words to Nicodemus He didn't exclude Gentiles from this gift. God's love is offered to everyone, but His gift needs to be accepted. It would be wonderful if everyone had the desire to see "the Lord's Christ" like Simeon did, because it is God's desire that all people come to salvation. "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:17. Simeon found the desire of his heart when he saw Jesus. What is the desire of your heart? Do you want to see Jesus, or are you willing to settle for fleeting desires of this world? Jesus didn't come to condemn us but to save us. Salvation through Him should change us.

 

The King of kings was born as a baby in a humble manger. Most people were aware that one day the Messiah would come to them but few were actually seeking to find Him. The Shepherds were the first ones to receive the Good News, and they left their flocks to go find Him. The Magi were looking for Him. They saw His star and followed it to Bethlehem and found Him. Among the few who were looking for Him was Simeon and his prayers were answered. Today we are living in a time that prophecy is being fulfilled. Are you ignoring the signs of the times? Jesus came once to offer salvation to everyone. He will come again to bring judgment upon the unbelieving world that follows Satan. Before God's wrath begins, all those who have placed their faith in Jesus for salvation will be called Home. Right now, today, is when you need to embrace Jesus. If Simeon hadn't been seeking Him he would have missed the greatest gift of all. "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation." Luke 2:29-30. Because Simeon saw Jesus he found peace. Can you say that you have found peace? Sin brings death and we are all sinners. Only faith in Jesus Christ will bring forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

 

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near" Isaiah 55:6. If you were to die today do you have the same peace that Simeon found by embracing Jesus? It's a fact that we all face death. It's also a fact that God's wrath is very near. Whether death takes you or you are called Home in the Rapture prior to God's wrath, the only way to live eternally with God is to give your life to Jesus right now. You have a choice so choose wisely.

 

God bless you all,

 

Nathele Graham

Thousands fulfilling End Times prophesy in Israel

Thousands fulfilling End Times prophesy in Israel - Michael F. Haverluck - https://www.onenewsnow.com/missions/2016/12/18/thousands-fulfilling-end-times-prophesy-in-israel

 

Thousands of Jewish people around the world are fulfilling End Times prophesy by making "Aliyah" - the Hebrew word meaning "going" up, or immigrating to Israel.

 

On an annual basis, thousands of Jewish people from every corner of the Earth are resettling in Israel - even though the transition is often difficult, but they are often the recipients of assistance along the way.

 

The Bible indicates that in the Last Days, the Jewish people will return in droves to unite in their homeland after being dispersed around the world for two millennia.

 

Answering the call to go home

 

Neal Brinn, a Jewish American, made Aliyah with his family back to Israel after serving 20 years with the United States Navy.

 

"The highest position I had was the commanding officer of the U.S. warship, the USS Carter Hall, which was an amphibious ship about 200 meters long," Brinn told CBN News.

 

Today, the 20-year veteran lives in a religious neighborhood in Jerusalem with his wife, Shoshanna, and their four children. Even though many believe that Brinn and his family made a great sacrifice to move from the comforts in the West to live in the war-torn Middle East, the young family insists that they are now truly home.

 

Leaving the luxury of living in America, Brinn found himself living a quite different lifestyle in Israel. Without a car, Brinn spent the entire summer accompanying his four-year-old twins on a bus to public school.

 

"We do have a car," Brin mused. "It's got four wheels; it's got one seat. Only one person can sit in it and that's Yudi, who's five months old. The propulsion system is human legs attached to arms. It's a stroller. That's our car. It holds everything we need. If we need to go shopping, we can take it everywhere, even up the steps."

 

Major turnaround

 

Less than a decade ago, Brinn began taking his Jewish heritage more seriously.

 

"About eight years ago, Brinn's life took on major changes," CBN News' Chris Mitchell and Julie Stahl - who work out of the Christian organization's Jerusalem bureau - reported. "He became more religious, met Shoshanna and married. They knew they would come to Israel at some point; they just didn't know when."

 

While in the Navy, Brinn went back-and-forth as to whether he would stay 20 or 30 years ... keeping in mind that an additional 10 years would prove to be more financially rewarding - but a decade would make the transition more difficult for his children.

 

"For staying 30 years, I'd make 2.4 more times retirement pay every month, which is a tremendous difference," the Jewish American-turned Israeli Jew pointed out.

 

Brinn and his wife finally came to the conclusion that Israel was their true home, spurring the Naval officer to retire and move immediately.

 

"This is where we feel every Jew needs to be," Brinn asserted. "And our children will learn the language so much better at the ages of between five months, three-and-a-half, and our twins who are four, than if it was 10 years later."

 

Brinn and his family had to make some major adjustments in their transition to Jerusalem, where they were amazed at the amount of litter people left around his neighborhood - a practice that seemed to be tolerated by most. Not as tolerant as his neighbors, the ex-Navy officer used an idea he had from being the executive officer of a ship and orchestrated a weekly cleaning campaign he dubbed the "Hour of Power."

 

"We're hoping this will be a habit and stays and can really clean this space up," Brinn shared. "We go from just picking up litter to be actually cleaning. I mean, these stone stairs could look like clean stone - as opposed to stones with weeds here and dirt here."

 

The motivation behind it all

 

When asked why he decided to make the transition from a luxurious lifestyle in America to a lower standard of living in Israel, Brinn said his Jewish heritage - and what it means to be a Jew - made the decision easy.

 

"I can't tell you why some people would move, but I can tell you why a Jew would," Brinn offered. "We have a national anthem called HaTikva -- which means 'the hope' - and it says in HaTikva that as long as the heart of the Jew beats -- I'm not quoting it exactly, but - as long as the heart of the Jew beats, this 2,000-year dream is just finally being realized."

 

Help along the way

 

Helping Brinn make the difficult transition, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass' organization, Nefesh B'Nefesh, made the move from America to Israel possible.

 

"We have this modern-day miracle of the state of Israel that is just unfathomable -- it's fantasy stuff," Fass explained. "For 2,000 years of wandering and dreaming ... and all of a sudden, you get on a plane and change your status and become a citizen of this country - it's incredible."

 

Brinn and his family were just six of tens of thousands who the Jewish organization helped make the move to Israel a reality.

 

"Two hundred twenty-three North American immigrants arrived on a flight just weeks after the Brinns, including 75 young people who came to join the Israeli Defense Force - the IDF," Mitchell and Stahl informed. "One of them was Nefesh B'Nefesh's immigrant No. 50,000, Rebekkah Glanzer, from Brooklyn, New York."

 

Each of the immigrants seem to have an innate sense of belonging once they arrive in the Holy Land.

 

"There's a feeling of belonging here that you really don't have anywhere else, and I just couldn't see myself spending the rest of my life any other place - so I'm here," Glanzer expressed. "IDF service is part of what makes Israel such a united country. It makes everyone feel like it's really their own. So, I didn't feel I could make Aliyah without contributing or participating in that way."

 

Ally Strauss also made Aliyah and shared that she could not support Israel from afar as well as she could as an Israeli citizen.

 

"It's something I've dreamed about doing since [I was] seven years old," Strauss shared. "I think Israel has a right to be a country, and I want to do what I can to make sure it stays a country as long as possible."

 

Zachary Olstein was even more compelled to make Aliyah and join the IDF after witnessing the remnants of the Holocaust in Europe.

 

"I went to Poland ... I saw the concentration camps ... I saw the ghettos," Olstein recalled. "It became so much more real. My purpose for coming to the army, I think, is that I want to help protect the one place that I know - God forbid it ever happens - the place that's safe for the Jewish people."

 

Two Jewish Americans from Washington, D.C., Tammy and Gene Berman, decided to make Aliyah after their retirement in order to fill a void that would exist until they went home.

 

"It's our destiny - we're Jewish," Tammy Berman insisted. "America's a wonderful, fantastic country; I love it. My parents were immigrants to America, but we're visitors there. We belong here."

United States Betrays Israel: Why?

United States Betrays Israel: Why? - J.L. Robb - http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=8362

 

One reason: It had to happen. This may seem like a simplistic answer to a complicated question, but not really. It is similar to the question asked for the last 2,000 years as to why the Jews "killed" Jesus. If they had not, Jesus would not have been the Messiah. It was written that a messiah would be revealed to the Jewish people, but he would be rejected and killed by those he came to save.

 

"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing." Matthew 23:37 NIV

 

According to biblical scholars, the ancient Jewish prophet Ezekiel spoke to the Jews of his day and wrote the Book of Ezekiel about 2,600 years ago. Israel had been conquered and Jerusalem sacked, because the country continued to defy God. The prophets would warn the people, but they hardly ever listened and often killed the prophets. It was their history since rescue from Egypt. God is speaking to Ezekiel:

 

"...and say to them, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.'" Ezekiel 37:21-23 NIV

 

In an unprecedented move last week the United States government betrayed Israel at the United Nations for the first time... ever. The President's legacy continues to grow, devastatingly.

 

If you haven't had time to read the resolution that was passed, there are many ramifications and possibilities. Below are the first 3 of 13 parts. Click on The Security Council for the entire resolution 2334.

 

The Security Council

 

1. Reaffirms that the establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace;

 

2. Reiterates its demand that Israel immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and that it fully respect all of its legal obligations in this regard;

 

3. Underlines that it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations;

 

Israel can no longer build in the West Bank because the UN-One World Government claims it is occupied by Israel instead of conquered war-booty like other nations usually take and keep in times of war, especially when attacked first. If not, the Native Americans and Hispanics would own Canada and the United States. A war-booty relinquishment is purely voluntary, except when it comes to Israel.

 

The new UN resolution calls for Israel to give back Jerusalem and return the borders defined before the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, the third time Israel was attacked by the Arab communities.

 

The hatred toward Israel throughout history is supernatural in origin and part of a long, extraordinary war that would culminate in what the Essenes described in the Book of War, a forty-year war between good and evil. The War Scroll was part of the magnificent find along the banks of the Dead Sea.

 

The reformation of Israel was one of the prophecies that remained unfulfilled until 1948.

 

Thanks to a push and a letter from England's Arthur James Balfour in 1917, the wheels of Zionism began turning at a faster pace than any other time in history toward the reestablishment of Israel to her ancient lands as a single state, never to be divided again into two states."

 

Dear Lord Rothschild,

I have much pleasure in conveying to you, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, the following declaration of sympathy with Jewish Zionist aspirations which has been submitted to, and approved by, the Cabinet

His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavors to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.

I should be grateful if you would bring this declaration to the knowledge of the Zionist Federation.

Yours,

Arthur James Balfour, November 2nd, 1917

 

Ezekiel was born into a family of priests who served in Solomon's Temple until Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem and took him captive in 597 BC. The name Ezekiel translated to God is strong. Though Ezekiel is not mentioned in the Quran, he is mentioned by Muslim scholars to be in the list of Islamic prophets.

 

I suppose the Muslim scholars must believe Ezekiel was also a liar since he wrote of the Temple, which they say did not exist. That is why, when the Muslims conquered Jerusalem in 637 AD, they built their Al Aqsa Mosque right on the site of Solomon's Temple, stating it never existed. Building mosques on the holiest sites of Judaism and Christiandom is a common practice in Islam, as they seem to prefer to wipe out previous history with a lie.

 

Solomon's Temple, the First Jewish Temple, never even existed according to Islamic teaching; nor did Yahweh who Islam claims was always Allah. Tell a fictional story long enough and the people will buy it.

 

The Book of Ezekiel berates the Jews for their idolatry and inability to follow the Law of Moses and prophesies times of trouble in their future that would be followed by an eventual restoration of the Land of Israel to her ancient borders. Some believe this prophecy occurred when the Second Temple was built on what was believed to be the site of Solomon's Temple; but the Land of Israel was not restored nor were Jews brought back from all the nations.

 

This is happening now and has been, thanks to the Zionist movement and Christianity, working hand-in-hand to provide the catalyst for the fulfillment of Ezekiel's Valley of the Lost Bones vision:

 

Ezekiel suddenly finds himself in a valley; and there are dry, bones lying everywhere, bones of long dead Israelites and the hopeless. In the vision, the bones of the Israelites begin to move, and then tendons and flesh appear on the once-scattered bones, finally coming back to life to be restored to their land.

 

Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.'" Ezekiel 37:11-14 NIV

 

Based on the accuracy of biblical prophecy, it is not likely there will be a two-state solution of the land of Palestine. Palestine has never been a country or a state. Israel was and now is again. God laid out His plan plain and simple. The followers of Muhammad in Palestine just won't accept God's wishes for His people.

 

"There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms."

 

This prophecy of Ezekiel that Israel will be restored to her ancient borders has not yet completed its journey to fruition. Prior to the final negotiations that led to Israel's rebirth in 1948, the British maps of the new country included most of Israel during the time of King David and King Solomon. By the time the Islamic countries got through with the map, it was a tiny sliver of land along the Eastern Mediterranean and did not even include Jerusalem, the City of David and Ancient Israel's capital.

 

In 1967, Israel was once again attacked by surrounding Arab countries and once again they gained more land, including Jerusalem. Ezekiel's prophecy continued to be fulfilled.

 

Now the World of the UN wants to undo it. That will lead, of course, to Armageddon, the war the Essenes forecast 2,000 years ago. The war the Jewish prophets forecast 2,600 years ago.

 

God is speaking:

 

"I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'" Isaiah 46:10 NIV

 

President Obama, like Islamic scholars, has denied the truth of Ezekiel and betrayed the Apple of God's Eye in the process. I don't know if he knows the gravity of his decision to abstain from voting in the UN resolution condemning Israel, but it had to happen.

 

It was written.

 

On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves. Zechariah 12:3 NIV

 

The world has always been against Israel, because Satan has been hard at work for millennia. If the UN believes that forbidding Jews to pray at the Temple wall, their Temple wall and if they think Israel will give up its capital, good luck. They are in for a rude and unpleasant awakening.

 

Armageddon the Play is coming to a climax as the world continues its attempt to make it happen.

Top Bible Prophecy Stories of 2016

Top Bible Prophecy Stories of 2016 - By Jan Markell - www.olivetreeviews.org

 

At the end of each year I like to review how Bible prophecy played out during the year.  Seeing dark news items from a prophetic perspective causes the darkness to be more bearable.   I often post these stories to my "headlines" daily which can be found here.  

 

These Tribulation stage-setting events aren't in any particular order. But we must keep our eyes on Israel, God's timepiece. The minute-hand is Jerusalem and the second-hand is the Temple Mount. They have all been prominent in the news.

 

1) Zechariah 12:3 became a blunt reality on December 23. This was the day the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to come against Israel. America abstained which is essentially voting with the other members. She symbolically became the world's burdensome stone. This was initiated and instigated by the President of the United States which means terrible repercussions are coming to this land. So Israel is to return to 1967 "Auschwitz" borders. The holy city of Jerusalem becomes "occupied territory." And Israel is further isolated and alienated as predicted.

 

2) The great falling away didn't stop falling in 2016. Many evangelical churches became nothing more than advocates for open borders and multiculturalism. The social gospel made such giant inroads and salvation issues became unrecognizable. Emergent/Postmodernism raged. Other churches fell into lukewarmness. Hardly any would deal with the issues of the day or the Lord's return.

 

3) The longing for a "man with a plan" was never so prominent. Even CNN's Home page begged for a man who could restore order. It asks in smaller print, "Is there a leader who can stop the chaos and heal America?"

 

4) II Timothy 3 character was on overdrive in 2016. Various presidential candidates were consumed with pride and self-aggrandizement. Values seemed to tank this past year. National industries featured same-sex ads with no shame. It seemed like everyone was drowning the lake of me-myself-I. 

 

5) Israel's re-convened Sanhedrin took the momentous step of nominating a High Priest for the Temple--for the first time since it's destruction in 70 A.D.  The Tribulation Temple is in the works, even though the United Nations just declared this area off-limits to the Jews!

 

6) Israel struck Damascus in early December, targeting some weapons. This is a precursor to what is predicted in Isaiah 17:1.

 

7) God continues to intervene for His sovereign nation of Israel. In November, he sent a pillar of a cloud of dust and rain to push back ISIS on Israel's border. See it here. He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps (Psalm 121). The cloud of dust and rain stayed right at the border and did not cross into Israel.

 

8) There was stage-setting for the Tribulation's natural disasters which will be far worse than anything the world has known thus far. Publications called many events "record setting," "unprecedented," and "of biblical proportion."  The Bible calls them "birth pangs."

 

9) The war on cash intensified. A few nations are banning cash and this will eventually lead to "Mark of the Beast" accounting. Technology was introduced that enables the total payment of goods and services using only an embedded chip.

 

10) Gog-Magog players are getting ready. Russia is the new power player in the Mideast thanks to America's absence. So is Iran. Turkey is in chaos and looking to Russia for support. These are the three primary players in Ezekiel 38-39, although other nations participate.

 

11) Europe is in a meltdown--setting the unstable stage for the arrival of the Antichrist out of Europe. Its godless culture welcomes all things dark and occultic. Their refugee policy has thrown the continent into chaos. It will welcome a "Mr. Fix-It" to calm the storm. On June 1 they had a literal Satanic ceremony as they dedicated the Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland. European leaders cheered this. Below is the demonic "goat man" who was celebrated. This was addressed by Amir Tsarfati at our October 15 conference.

 

12) The season of mocking the Lord's return intensified. The Christian publication "Christian Today" scorned the Lord's return and said a "zombie apocalypse" was more likely.

 

13) The predicted rise of evil continues as foretold in II Timothy 3:13.  A new term was introduced in late 2016: "Spirit Cooking." It is too dark to write about but you can Google the information. We don't recommend it for sensitive people. It is borne out of the occult followers of Satanist Aleister Crowley and it would have entered the White House and Oval Office had Hillary Clinton won. This may be the biggest reason the Left lost as many in the Clinton campaign were cheerleaders for this evil.

 

14) The run-up to the lawlessness in the Tribulation has begun. There was post-election rioting with the promise of much more to come -- all a blatant rejection of Donald J. Trump. Barack Obama was the most lawless president in U.S. history. He even told illegals they could vote with no consequences. Now the Left is making daily comments about assassinating Donald Trump.

 

15) The gay agenda has turned blatant. Many major corporations promoted this with their national advertising. The "days of Noah" have returned as predicted by Jesus. The transgender agenda also flourished. In both cases Target led the way with promotion.

 

16) The predicted rise in the persecution of Christians and Jews intensified.  At the same time, some pastors were forced to turn over sermons for inspection in America and Christian businesses were hammered for trying to stand for righteousness. Yet Islam is protected and no condemnation can be given.

 

17) For most of these to play out required the prophesied rise in strong delusion (II Thess. 2:10-12). Those who take delight in mocking and rejecting Him, He will condemn, confuse their thinking, and cause them to believe fables. And they do! Remember, global warming is a greater danger than radical Islam. Today it would seem the Mad Hatter is in charge.

 

18) Technology giants came against righteousness once again. From Facebook to YouTube to Google to Twitter, their progressive agenda rejected a conservative and Christian message. The Christian film "I Am Not Ashamed" had their YouTube trailer taken down one year in advance, marginalizing ticket sales.

 

Things are not falling apart -- they are falling into place. Can you hear the hoof beats of the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the distance? 

 

I won't be silent about the signs of the times. If Jesus chastised the Pharisees for not knowing the signs of His first coming, why would we not be expected to be aware of today's apocalyptic signs? 

 

Rise up, wake up and look up!