Is America's Collapse Inevitable?

Is America's Collapse Inevitable? - Dr. David Reagan -

www.lamblion.com

 

"Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman... so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me." (Ezekiel 33:7)

 

Most pulpits in America are silent about our nation's moral problems - and that has certainly been true. But there have been exceptions over the years, like pastors Erwin Lutzer and David Jeremiah. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, is another one of the exceptions. He has never feared to tread - and tread boldly - where few pastors have been willing to go.

 

I often think of him as the "Harry Truman of American pastors" because, like President Truman, he spits words like bullets and seems to have no concern about who might be offended. To him, the truths of God's Word are more important than hurt feelings.

 

One very interesting thing about Jeffress is that he understands how the media works, and he makes the most of it. Thus, whereas his more than 20 books contain very thoughtful, in-depth discussions of the moral issues afflicting our nation, when it comes to being interviewed on radio or television, Jeffress always speaks in short, savvy and colorful phrases. He does this because he knows that the broadcast media thrive on "sound bites."

 

Consider, for example, the sound bites he has delivered on the following topics:

 

*         Homosexuality - "Gay is not okay. What homosexuals do is filthy. It is so degrading that it is beyond description. And it is their filthy behavior that explains why they are so much more prone to disease."

*         Same-Sex Marriage - "Such marriages are counterfeit."

*         Islam - "Islam is a false religion that will lead you to hell. It is based on a false book that is based on a fraud. It was founded by a false prophet who was leading people away instead of to the one true God."

*         Judaism - "The three greatest Jews in the New Testament - Peter, Paul and Jesus - all said Judaism won't do it, it's faith in Jesus Christ."

*         Roman Catholicism - "It is the Satanic result of Babylonian mystery religion."

*         Mormonism - "It is a heresy from the pit of Hell."

*         Obama - "President Obama is not the Antichrist. But what I am saying is this: the course he is choosing to lead our nation is paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist."

*         Spineless Pastors - "Wimpy pastors produce wimpy Christians - and that is why we are losing this culture war."

 

Jeffress began speaking prophetically about our nation in 2012 with the publication of his book, Twilight's Last Gleaming. In 2013 he was invited to be the keynote speaker at the annual Bible conference sponsored by Lamb & Lion Ministries. At that conference, he presented a condensed version of the thesis of his book. (Watch the conference presentation!)

 

The Implosion of America

 

Dr. Jeffress started his message with:

 

I believe America's collapse is inevitable.

 

I came to understand why this is true just a couple years ago when we were in the midst of preparing for the building of our new church campus. We had to first of all get rid of five of our buildings, consisting of about 600,000 square feet in the middle of downtown Dallas. And so the question arose: How do you get rid of that many buildings in the middle of downtown Dallas without bringing down the surrounding skyscrapers?

 

The demolition people met with me, and they said the best way to achieve this is through an implosion. And they explained to me what they were going to do. They said, "We're going to take 200 pounds of dynamite and attach it to key structural supports within those five buildings. We will then explode the dynamite, there will be a pause, and then the law of physics will take over. Without those foundational supports, the buildings will fall in on themselves under their own weight." I said, "Well, that sounds pretty good to me. Let's do it."

 

And so, on a brisk October morning in 2010, they closed downtown Dallas. The Mayor and I and our building committee chairman were on a nearby roof top, along with all of the media. CNN, Fox News, and all the local media were there to cover the implosion of our buildings. This was going out live on Fox and Friends and other media outlets around the world.

 

We did the countdown, 5-4-3-2-1. The Mayor and I pressed the ceremonial red button, and in the next block we heard the explosions going off just like they predicted. And those explosions were followed by nothing. Absolutely nothing! I cannot begin to tell you what all went through my mind over those next few seconds. I began to think, "Who am I going to fire first?" I could just see this scene being replayed endlessly on YouTube, "Pastor's Implosion a Dud." I mean it seemed like forever. But you see, I had forgotten what the demolition people told me. They had told me there was going to be a pause after those explosions.

 

And suddenly, without any warning, I heard a sound that could only be compared to standing in front of a jet engine. The roar increased in volume as we watched those once mighty buildings fall in on themselves, and within 30 seconds, they were reduced to nothing more than a plume of debris-filled dust.

 

I learned something that morning about implosions. They begin with a series of seemingly unrelated explosions, followed by a pause, and then a sudden collapse.

 

Four Explosive Decisions

 

Ladies and gentlemen, over the last 50 years our Supreme Court has made four explosive decisions that have so weakened the moral and spiritual structure and foundation of our country that our inevitable collapse is certain. Right now we're simply living between that time of the explosions that have weakened our basic foundation, and the coming implosion.

 

These four decisions have changed the direction of our country more than any congressional mandate and more than any executive order from the President of the United States. What are those four decisions?

 

 

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A Heavenly Perspective

A Heavenly Perspective - By Greg Laurie -www.harvest.org
 

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of
good cheer, I have overcome the world. " -John 16:33

When Mary and Martha found out about how ill their brother, Lazarus, was, they sent word to Jesus and simply said, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is
sick" (John 11:3). In other words, "Lord, remember us-Mary, Martha, and Lazarus here in Bethany? We're Your friends. You hang out at our home whenever You're in town. Remember Martha? She's the one who makes those killer meals. Mary is the one who sits at
Your feet. And Lazarus? He's Your friend, Lord. Your friend is sick."

They probably thought Jesus would just speak the word, and Lazarus would be healed instantaneously. Or perhaps He would rush back and lay His hand on
Lazarus' fevered brow.

Instead we read that Jesus delayed His arrival. In fact, when Jesus heard about Lazarus, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory
of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (verse 4). Although Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, He stayed where He was for the next two days.

You know the rest of the story. Jesus allowed Lazarus to die, but then He raised him from the dead. The point was that God wanted to bring greater glory
to His name.
It is true that God loves us and works all things together for good. But the problem arises with our definition of how God should show that love and what
we feel "good" ought to be in our lives. We think that good means no pain, no suffering, no hardship-that it means a problem-free life.

Our definition of good is what benefits us in the here and now, not in the by and by. We are interested in what will benefit us temporarily, but God is interested
in what will benefit us eternally.

 

 

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WORLD AT WAR: 8.26.17 - Magog Alliance Forming? - Russia, Turkey & Iran

Magog Alliance Forming? - Russia, Turkey & Iran - By Meira Svirsky -

http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/article.cfm?recent_news_id=1509

The chief of staff of the Iranian military, Mohammad Bagheri, made an "unprecedented" visit to Turkey this week, meeting with Turkey's military chief of staff
and marking the first such visit of the highest Iranian military officer since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran.

A Turkish pro-government newspaper called it a "milestone," noting that such a meeting between the two would never have been possible if the countries
weren't making alliances with one another regarding Syria and Iraq.

Since Ankara was forced to make amends with Moscow after shooting down a Russian plane making maneuvers in the Syrian war, Turkey has been towing the
Russian party line in the Syrian civil war - and thus, de facto,  in an alliance with Russia's ally Iran.

Yet the meeting was about much more -- more than the Sunni/Shia divide and more than Turkey's surreptitious support of ISIS in Iraq (more on that later).

Whatever the difference between these two powers vying for hegemony in the Middle East, a common ground between them is their absolute commitment to making
sure the Kurds don't gain autonomy and establish an independent state.

The Kurdish regions of Turkey and Iran span the border between the two countries (and also include parts of Syria and Iraq). Such a state would necessarily
be taken out of those regions.

The fact that Kurds from both countries are involved supporting each other over the border has been enough to cause Turkey to build a "security wall"
to prevent such cooperation.

The prospect of Kurdish independence for Turkey is so alarming that throughout the regional war, Turkey used the ruse of joining the American coalition
against ISIS as an excuse to bomb the Kurds.

Now that America is arming Kurdish forces fighting ISIS - arguably the most effective forces to date combating the brutal terror group - it is worth it
for Turkey and Iran to put their differences aside and join forces against what they perceive as ever-growing Kurdish power and world acceptance.
 
Turkey has much to gain by its alliance with Russia and Iran. It is in the closing stages of securing the powerful S-400 missile defense system from Russia,
and it recently signed a $17-billion agreement with Russian companies to supply Turkey with much-needed oil they are no longer able to buy at contraband prices from ISIS.

They are engaged as well in business with Iran, having signed large contracts with an Iranian company to supply them with natural gas.

No one should be surprised at the increased and "unprecedented" cooperation between Turkey and Iran. When it comes to advancing its own agenda, Turkey
will not hesitate to make alliances even with those who might be their natural enemies.

With Turkey's move away from the United States, Turkey has significantly less constraints in advancing its extremist Islamist agenda. Certainly Iran (or
for that matter Russia) will not complain while Turkey crushes the Kurds, injects massive funding into Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, and pumps up Qatar in its current dispute with the Gulf and Arab states over Qatari terror funding.

Turkey's alliance with Iran only lends it additional stability and throws more weight behind these dangerous causes.

Hegemony for the region can wait.

 

 

 

Netanyahu to warn Putin not to cross red lines - Herb Keinon
- http://www.jpost.com/printarticle.aspx?id=503089

Former National Security Council Advisor Yaakov Amidror says Netanyahu's visit to Sochi is important so that the Russians have an understanding of how
Israel will act if its hand is forced.  


Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's primary objective during his upcoming talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be to try to convince the
Russians to prevent an Iranian permanent presence in Syria, but rather to let them know what Israel plans to do if Tehran tries to set up such a presence, former National Security Council Advisor Yaakov Amidror said on Tuesday.

Netanyahu is scheduled to fly to Sochi on the Black Sea for a meeting with Putin on Wednesday, returning home the same day. This will be his fourth trip
to Moscow in the last 16 months.

The main goal of the meeting, Amidror said, needs to be for the Russians to have a better understanding of Israel's concerns and red lines, and how Israel
is likely to react if those red lines are crossed.

"Israel is not coordinating with the Russians, but it's very important for Israel that the Russians understand where Israel stands," he said in a phone
call with The Israel Project.

Israel should not try to convince Putin, but rather what is important is to make sure that if Israel is forced to act in the future, "the Russians will
not be surprised. They will understand what motivated Israel and why Israel is acting as it will."

Netanyahu, said Amidror, who has sat in on numerous meetings such as these in the past, will bring to Putin all of Israel's "facts, assessments and concerns"
so that the Russian leader will be able to take them into account. This way, he continued, if Israel feels compelled to act, the Russians -though they might not agree - will understand why it happened.

Israel has come out clearly against the ceasefire being brokered in Syria between Russia and the United States, fearing that it will enshrine a permanent
Iranian military presence in the country. Neither Moscow nor Washington, however, have apparently been moved to alter their positions because of Israel's concerns.

Amidror did not hold out any high hopes that Netanyahu's visit to Sochi will change that situation.

"We can give them our perspective and I think it's important they will have it, but I'm not sure that they will agree with us about the details," he said.

Amidror defined two issues as of critical importance to Israel in the future arrangements in Syria. The first is that Iran will not have the ability to
build bases there that will serve as a launching pad against it in the future, and the second is that Syria will not turn into a state through which "game changing" weapons -- including Russian weapons systems -- are moved into the region.

"It should be well understood all over, mainly in Moscow, that Israel will do whatever is needed not to let the Iranians build these bases, and not to
let Hezbollah get these weapons systems," he said. "These are the two main concerns for Israel and they should be very clear in this meeting."  

Israel's red lines in Syria long crossed by Iran -

http://www.debka.com/article/26193/Israel's-red-lines-in-Syria-long-crossed-by-Iran-

 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu set out for President Vladimir Putin Israel's red lines against Iran establishing a permanent, expanded military presence in Syria. This theme dominated their three-hour conversation in Sochi on Wednesday, Aug. 23. Netanyahu stiffened his warning with a veiled threat that should Iran or Hezbollah cross those lines, there would be a regional war.

 

It was the first time that the prime minister had publicly threatened to go to war against Iran and Hezbollah. After talking to Putin, he said to reporters that what is new today is Iran's attempt to "Lebanonize Syria." in the same way as it seized control of Lebanon through its surrogate, Hezbollah. "We are looking at Tehran's future takeover of Syria through its Shiite militias.

 

if that happens, "we will not remain passive," he said - nor if Syria becomes a link in Iran's overland corridor via Iraq and Syria to Lebanon. And we certainly can't accept Iranians and Hezbollah close to the Golan.

 

"We told President Putin plainly that we won't put up with Iran using Syria as a military base for attacking Israel.

 

Putin, in the part of the meeting to which reporters had access, did not address Netanyahu's remarks about Iran's role in Syria, nor his warning of unilateral military action. The Russian president just repeated the standard Moscow line that foreign forces would not stay in Syria at the end of the war, but offered no timetable or guarantees.

 

The Russian leader would clearly prefer not to see an Israel war against Iran and Hezbollah breaking out in Syria, debkafile's sources say, especially since Russian special forces, naval and air force contingents are deployed there - albeit not in large numbers.

 

At the same time, he may well find Netanyahu's strong words useful for boosting Russia's clout in Syria. If Tehran believes an Israeli war against its forces and Hizballah is potential, it will be in Iran's interest to strengthen its military ties with Russia so as to gain its military and political backing.

 

For Putin, this would be a welcome change from the atmosphere of acrimony prevailing for some weeks between Iranian and Russian officers in Syria. Russian colonels have been posted at the most sensitive sectors in Syria, such as Aleppo, Hama, Homs and eastern Damascus. They are taking over both the military and civilian administration there and, in effect, shouldering the Iranian officers aside.

 

In Iraq, the Iranians seized control of the country from within, by setting up armed militias and getting them integrated in the national army, as Trojan horses. Tehran knows how to manage this ruse on the quiet, without drawing unwanted attention from the powers on the spot.

 

In Syria, the problem facing Israel is quite different. If Netanyahu shared sensitive intelligence with Putin that he had not known before, he can't help noticing that Israel's red lines for Iran's expansion were crossed months ago, some of them with Russian assistance.

 

Four instances stand out:

 

1. Iran and Hezbollah have already set up a chain of military bases in Syria - notably in the Qalamoun Mountains on the Syrian-Lebanese border, from which missiles can be launched against Israel.

 

2. Iran has already won its coveted land bridge through Iraq to Syria. Bashar Assad's army has taken over whole sections of the Syrian-Iraqi border, and opened the door for pro-Iranian Shiite militias, Hezbollah and Iraqi Shiite groups to move into strategic positions on both sides of the border.

 

3.  Netanyahu warned of the danger of planting an extremist Shiite entity in the heart of the Sunni Muslim region. But this is already underway. On orders from Moscow, the Syrian army's 5th Corps is in the process of absorbing the pro-Iranian Shiite militias which fought for Assad.

 

The prime minister did not inform Putin of any timetable for Israeli action. But the Russian leader will take it for granted that the Israeli army will not move into Syria without a nod from the Trump administration in Washington.

 

For now, Putin and Trump are synchronizing their operations is Syria with better results than Netanyahu's understanding with the US administration.

 

Netanyahu Tells Putin Iran's Growing Role in Syria Threatens Israel -

http://www.breitbart.com/jerusalem/2017/08/23/netanyahu-tells-putin-irans-growing-role-syria-threatens-israel/

 

Iran's growing role in Syria poses a threat to Israel, the Middle East and the world, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

 

"Mr. President, with joint efforts we are defeating Islamic State, and this is a very important thing. But the bad thing is that where the defeated Islamic State group vanishes, Iran is stepping in," Netanyahu told Putin during talks at Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi.

 

"We cannot forget for a single minute that Iran threatens every day to annihilate Israel," Netanyahu said. "It (Iran) arms terrorist organizations, it sponsors and initiates terror."

 

Netanyahu also said that "Iran is already well on its way to controlling Iraq, Yemen and to a large extent is already in practice in control of Lebanon".

 

Iran denies sponsoring terrorism.

 

Putin, in the part of the meeting to which reporters had access, did not address Netanyahu's remarks about Iran's role in Syria.

 

Russia intervened in Syria on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2015, its forces fighting what it deems Islamist terrorists. Russia is acting in partnership with Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah group, Israel's arch-foes.

 

In the past few months, Russia has been the main broker of de-escalation zones set up in Syria. Israel worries those zones will allow Iranian troops and Hezbollah forces to deploy in greater strength.

 

Moscow argues its big-power clout deters Iran or Hezbollah from opening a new front with Israel.

 

In comments published last week, the chief of Israel's air force said Israel had struck suspected Hezbollah arms shipments in Syria around 100 times during the Syrian civil war, apparently without Russian interference and rarely drawing retaliation.

Can Putin keep Hezbollah from Israel's borders? - http://www.debka.com/article/26191/Can-Putin-keep-Hizballah-from-Israel's-borders-   Israel's northern borders with Syria and Lebanon were on edge this week, as Prime Minister Binyamin prepared to raise Israel's concerns about southern Syria at a critical meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, Aug. 23, at the Black Sea resort of Sochi.   The Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem noted that he would be accompanied by Mossad Director Yossie Cohen. He has just returned from a failed attempt in Washington to draw the Trump Administration's attention to the deteriorating security situation on Israel's northern borders, where Russian Muslim troops are already in position.   Our sources report that he left Washington empty-handed for three reasons:   1. The White House was inundated in political crises on the home front. 2.  President Donald Trump had resolved to cut to the bone any US military involvement in the Syria conflict outside of the war on the Islamic State. 3.  Trump refused to hear of any compromise on his deal with Putin for cooperating in Syria, especially in the creation of de-escalation zones for gradually winding down the conflict.   Israel, like Jordan, repeatedly put forward objections to this arrangement, especially in relation to its Golan border with Syria. Neither Washington nor Moscow was interested.   This week, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis visited Amman to discuss Jordan's concerns about the pro-Iranian Shiite militias landing close to its border with Syria.   Both their concerns were borne out in the last few days, when the Syrian army and its pro-Iranian Shiite allies including Hezbollah launched four simultaneous warfronts at Deir ez-Zor in the east, Sweida in the southeast, Hama in the center and the Qalamoun Mountains on the Syrian-Lebanese border in the west - all with Russian air support, often including paratroop drops.   Gaining the upper hand on those four fronts, our sources point out, will restore Syria's border regions with Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon to their status quo ante the outbreak of the 2011 civil war,  and bring Israel's enemies closer than ever before to its northern door.   Their rapid battle momentum will effectively override the effect of the de-escalation zones established by the two presidents on two of Syria's borders - with Russian support! Their Sweida offensive has already brought the Syrian army and Hizballah right up to the Jordanian border by circling around the Daraa de-escalation zone - under Russian cover.   This tactic is expected to be repeated in short order in the Quneitra zone which faces Israel's Golan border, even though Russian troops are installed there as monitors, just as they are in Daraa..     Furthermore, as Syrian government and pro-Iranian forces gain ground, the Syrian anti-Assad rebel front is breaking up, except for the Islamic State and other Islamist groups. Some former rebels are throwing in the towel or crossing the lines to Assad's army. The disintegration of the Syrian resistance, if not halted, will sooner or later reach the rebel groups entrenched on the Syrian Golan. Israel will then see the buffer which served it as a security barrier for the past four years melting away.   Even if a Russian guarantee against Syrian and pro-Iranian forces reaching the Golan border is offered by Putin to calm Netanyahu's worries, it will be of limited value - first, it was refused by Washington and second, it is unlikely to be respected. Although Russia is in a dominant position for determining Syria's agenda, it is not the sole arbiter in Damascus. Iran and Hezbollah - and even Bashar Assad - are quite capable of taking matters in their own hands and embarking on a limited expedition for heating up the border with Israel - if only as a reminder to Putin, Trump and Netanyahu that Israel will not be permitted to determine the situation on that border, only their own interests.

Iran versus Turkey, again - By Daniel Pipes - http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/22/middle-east-rivalry-between-iran-and-turkey-interm/   The Middle East's great rivalry isn't likely to end   News that Iran's and Turkey's governments reached an accord on Idlib, a Syrian town now the focus of American interests, brings relations between the two of the largest and most influential states in the Middle East momentarily out of the shadows.   Their rivalry goes back a half-millennium, included 11 wars and now remains, in the words of the Washington Institute's Soner Cagaptay, the region's "oldest power game." What does the recent accord signify, and how will their competition influence the region's future?   Iranian and Turkish parallels are noteworthy. Both countries have populations of 80 million. (Egypt, the region's third large country, has 96 million.) Both boast ancient civilizations, long imperial histories, tensions with Russia, and a successful avoidance of European colonialism. In modern times, each came under the rule of a ruthless modernizer after World War I, followed more recently by an even more repressive Islamist.   The current leaders, Iran's Ali Khamenei and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan, enjoy near-absolute power and both feverishly try to hide this reality under a large and noisy apparatus of elections, parliaments, cabinets, laws and nongovernmental organizations. Both aspire to lead the entire Muslim community, perhaps someday claiming to be caliph. In an era of muted anti-Zionism from Arab states, Tehran and Ankara now lead the charge, with the Islamic Republic of Iran loudly denying the Holocaust and the Republic of Turkey comparing Israelis to Nazis.   In several ways, Iranians lead Turks, but the latter are catching up. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini came to power in 1979 and Mr. Erdogan in 2002. Iran has long enjoyed massive oil and gas reserves, but Turkey recently built an impressive economic base. Tehran deploys forces abroad, dominating four Arab capitals, while Ankara still fights domestic opponents, especially Gulenists and Kurds. Both governments despise the West, but Iran's is openly hostile while Turkey's formally remains in NATO and ostensibly seeks European Union membership.   Ayatollah Khamenei's thugs capture American sailors on the high seas while Mr. Erdogan's takes resident Americans hostage. Conspiracy theories, long an Iranian art form, have made huge strides over the past two decades in Turkey, which may now boast the region's most fantastical speculations. Both became enthusiastic allies of Venezuela's dictator, Nicolas Maduro. As a longer-established dictatorship, Ayatollah Khamenei can allow relative freedom of expression compared with Mr. Erdogan's obsessive desire to control, including what basketball players in the United States say or what travelers transiting through Istanbul airport think.   Their most major difference concerns the attitudes of their subjects. Whereas Ayatollah Khamenei enjoys the support of only about 15 percent of the populace, Mr. Erdogan can count on some 45 percent, affording him a legitimacy and confidence that Ayatollah Khamenei can only dream of. In part, this results from longevity under Islamist rule, in part from difference in per capita income, which is only $4,700 and stagnant in Iran, $10,700 and rising in Turkey.   Regime collapse in Iran is within sight and will diminish Islamism, encouraging Muslims to move toward a more modern and moderate form of their religion. The Turkish government's greater popularity and more advanced version of Islamism gives it greater staying power that makes it the more worrisome long-term opponent. Thus is the Middle East likely to witness a grand switch, with Iran on course to moderation and Turkey becoming the region's supreme danger.   Bilateral relations flourished during the first years of Mr. Erdogan's rule (2002-10), when they shared a Islamist worldview and a suspicion of U.S. intentions in Iraq. But relations then soured, primarily because both regimes seek foreign influence and, as neighbors, they inevitably clash. The civil war in Syria, where Tehran backs Shiite-oriented jihadis and Ankara backs Sunni jihadis, is their biggest but not only problem. Other matters also aggravate relations, such as their supporting opposing sides in Yemen, Turkish installing a NATO radar tracking Iranian activities, and Iranian support for al Qaeda against Turkey.   Tensions have reached the point that Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group finds Tehran and Ankara "on a collision course." Left unchecked, he expects the present dynamics to point "toward greater bloodshed, growing instability and greater risks of direct military confrontation." More poetically, Mr. Cagaptay observes that the Middle East has room for "one shah or sultan, but not a shah and a sultan."   In this context, the Idlib accord looks flimsy and transient. Tehran and Ankara will probably soon turn against each other and with renewed vigor continue their perpetual rivalry.

 

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Hope in a hopeless world

Hope in a hopeless world - Greg Laurie -

http://www.wnd.com/2017/08/hope-in-a-hopeless-world/

 

Pastor Greg Laurie says, 'Dying without Jesus is the sum of all fears'

 

In 2002, Paramount Pictures released the film "The Sum of All Fears," a story about a terrorist group that gets hold of a nuke and detonates it, trying to bring the United States and Russia into war. The story, which was based on a novel by Tom Clancy, seems not only possible but plausible.

 

Without question we are living in frightening times right now. There are things worth being afraid of. Jesus gave some words of advice for living in fearful times, words he spoke to his disciples after telling them something that turned their world upside down.

 

What he said to bring comfort and assurance to them in their frightening times also can bring comfort and assurance to us as well: "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am" (John 14:1-3 NLT).

 

Life is full of troubles isn't it? Really, from the day we are born, troubles begin. There are health troubles. There are family troubles. There are parent troubles. There are children troubles. There are relationship troubles and financial troubles.

 

Disappointments are a form of trouble as well, and there are many disappointments in life, aren't there? We're disappointed with ourselves because we are not always what we want to be. We want to be strong, but we are weak. We want to be successful, but we often fail. We want to be liked, but people often are indifferent toward us.

 

Circumstances are a source of trouble, too. There are job losses. There are unexpected illnesses. And of course there is uncertainty about the future.

 

Jesus began by telling his disciples, "Don't let your hearts be troubled." A more literal translation of this statement would be, "Don't let your hearts be agitated or disturbed or thrown into confusion."

 

Jesus continued, "Trust in God, and trust also in me." In the original Greek, that is a command. He was saying, "I order you, I command you as my child, to believe in Me." Jesus was essentially telling his disciples, "I haven't brought you this far to dump you. I'm not going to abandon you in your hour of need."

 

To be candid, I'm addressing these statements to the person who has put his or her faith in Jesus Christ. If you don't have Jesus living in your heart, then you ought to be shaking in your shoes right now. Politicians won't save you. Washington won't save you. Technology won't save you. You need God.

 

On the other hand, if you're a Christian, then you can have hope in a hopeless world. Why? Because as a believer, you know Jesus. And while there is cause to be troubled, there is greater cause not to be.

 

Maybe something unexpected has happened in your life. Maybe tragedy has befallen you. Maybe something very difficult is happening, and you don't know what to do. Remember this: The word oops is not in God's vocabulary. He is in control of your life. And when you don't understand what is going on, fall back on what you do understand. He loves you and has a good plan for you. He says His plans for you are good. His thoughts toward you are constant.

 

The Bible says, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them" (Romans 8:28 NLT). That is the hope of the believer.

 

The disciples were afraid because Jesus had dropped a bombshell. He told them he would be leaving them. Not only that, he said that one of them would betray him. Another among them, Simon Peter, would deny him. It didn't make sense.

 

What they didn't realize was that Jesus was going away for a purpose. He was going to die on a cross, and they could not see how that possibly could be a good thing. But with 20/20 hindsight, we can look back and understand that the only way the sin of the world could be dealt with was through the death of Jesus on the cross.

 

Why? Because we have sinned. We all have fallen short of God's glory. But God loved us so much that he came to walk among us as a man. Jesus was not just a good man; he was the God-man. He was God in human form, experiencing the challenges and difficulties that we face in life. He walked among us and willingly went to the cross, dying for your sins and mine.

 

He had to do it, but the disciples could not understand why. Jesus was saying, "Guys, I'm asking you to trust me on this, OK? I know what I'm doing. Believe in me."

 

Take the most frightening aspect of what is happening in our world today. Imagine the worst-case scenario. In the end, if you are a Christian, you will go to Heaven. Therefore, you don't have to be paralyzed by fear.

 

The worst-case scenario is not dying. (That will happen no matter what.) The worst-case scenario is dying without Jesus. If you die without Jesus Christ living inside of you, then to be quite blunt and thoroughly biblical, you will not go to heaven; you'll go to hell. That is an unpopular subject, but if I didn't tell you that, I wouldn't be doing my job. I have to give you the whole story.

 

Dying without Jesus is the sum of all fears. Jesus said, "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28 NLT). That doesn't mean you have a death wish. It simply means that you don't have to be afraid.

 

 

 

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What Do You Do with A Miracle?

What Do You Do with A Miracle? - Nathele Graham -

twotug@embarqmail.com

 

In the few short years that Jesus Christ walked this earth He touched many lives. He fed thousands of people with just a few fish and a little bread, He brought people back from the dead, and forgave sin. Let's take a look at a few of these wonders.

 

Many blind men were healed, but one in particular caused quite an uproar. This man had been blind from birth and when Jesus saw him He healed his blindness by spitting on the ground and making clay which He put on the man's eyes. "And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing." John 9:7. People who had seen him begging and knew he was blind were confused, and asked him how he could now see. He told them what Jesus had done and when he washed in the pool of Siloam he received his sight. So, they took him to the Pharisees. This had been done on a Sabbath day and the Pharisees were very upset. They showed their own blindness by accusing Jesus of violating the Law. "Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them." John 9:16. There are none so blind as those who will not see. They didn't believe the man when he said that he had been blind so they called in his parents. They confirmed he was their son and had been blind but said he was old enough to speak for himself as to how he was healed. "These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." John 9:22. This miracle should have brought joy to the parents, but they were only concerned about their own self-interest. The Pharisees should have been convinced that God had done a miracle, but instead they insisted that Jesus was a sinner. Because the blind man wouldn't deny what Christ had done for him, he was cast out. When Jesus heard He found the man and asked him if he believed on the Son of God. "And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him." John 9:38.

 

Jesus was always willing to heal people wherever they were found, no matter what their infirmity. "And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him." Mark 7:31-32. Jesus answered their request and healed this man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking. "And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain." Mark 7:33-35. Joy swept through the crowd! Jesus told them not to tell anyone, but they just couldn't contain themselves. "And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak." Mark 7:37. It's easy to understand their joy. When a miracle happens we want to tell everyone about it.

 

Jesus healed the blind and deaf, but He also healed those who were unable to walk. His fame had grown and people came from far and wide to hear His words and receive healing. One day He was in a house teaching and a large crowd had gathered, including Pharisees and doctors of the law. Oh, they weren't there for healing or to hear Jesus' words; they were there to criticize and condemn Him. "And behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him." Luke 5:18. This man was paralyzed and unable to walk, but he had friends who were willing to carry him to Jesus for healing. When they were unable to get through the door they carried him onto the roof and lowered him on his cot down through loosened tiles to rest before Jesus. "And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, they sins are forgiven thee." Luke 5:20. Of course the scribes and Pharisees could only find fault. They accused Jesus of blasphemy because only God can forgive sin. What feeble minded fools they were! Jesus was not being blasphemous because Jesus is God. "But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Rise up and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house." Luke 5:22-24. That was all it took. Just a word from Jesus and the man was healed. "And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying. God." Luke 5:25. The people who received healing were always full of joy and praised God. It was the Pharisees who were displeased.

 

Demons are real and have caused much trauma throughout time. They can cause various physical troubles and one such trouble is dumbness. The Pharisees had a way of casting out demons which involved causing the demon to give its name, so if the physical problem was the inability to speak that demon could not be cast out. Or at least so the Pharisees thought. "As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil. And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake: and the multitudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel." Matthew 9:32-33. Jesus has authority over all things, including demons which cause dumbness. The Pharisees accused Him of evil. "But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of devils." Matthew 9:34. That, of course, was not true. Jesus did His miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Although the religious leaders were miffed over the healings, those who received them were filled with joy.

 

Of all the miraculous things Jesus did, raising people from the dead seems to be the most amazing. There was a widow whose son and died leaving her alone, and Jesus brought her son back to life. Jairus' daughter is another one whom Jesus raised from the dead. The one that rankled the Pharisees the most was Lazarus. Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus were friends of Jesus. One day word reached Jesus that Lazarus was ill. Instead of rushing to Lazarus, Jesus took His time. "Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already." John 11:17. Jewish thinking of the time was that a soul would stay near a body for three days hoping to re-enter the body, but after that there was no hope of coming back from the dead. When Jesus arrived He was met by Martha who said that if He had been there her brother wouldn't have died. "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" John 11:25-26. Do you believe that? I do and so did Martha. "She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." John 11:27. So Jesus went to the tomb where Lazarus had been laid four days earlier. "Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days." John 11:39. Martha just spoke what she knew to be true. After four days a body goes through certain changes that would make it uncomfortable to open the tomb. Jesus insisted and they obeyed. First, Jesus prayed giving thanks to God the Father for hearing His prayer. "And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." John 11:43-44. Though his hands and feet were bound, Lazarus came out of the grave. Alive.

 

Jesus never allowed the Pharisees to stop Him from fulfilling His ministry on earth. They criticized everything He did, but they couldn't stop Him until all Scripture was fulfilled. Even then nobody took Jesus' life from Him but He willingly gave His life when the time was right. "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John 10:17-18. When the time had come for Jesus to lay down His life He was illegally arrested, illegally tried, and condemned to be crucified. Jesus had healed multitudes of people, but I wonder where they were on that day. Jesus healed a blind man---did that man see Him hanging on the cross? Jesus healed a deaf man---did that man hear Him cry out "My God why have You forsaken Me?" Jesus healed a lame man---did that man walk with Him as He carried His cross? Jesus healed a dumb man---did that man cry out "Hosanna" or did he cry "Crucify Him"? Jesus raised people from the dead so they knew first hand Jesus' power over life and death---were they there to hear one criminal mock Jesus as He hung on the cross but hear the other one receive the promise from Jesus of eternity with Him?

 

There were many people who had received healing or who had a loved one who had been healed. "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." John 21:25. John was an eyewitness to all that Jesus did so we know this to be true. We also know that the miracles didn't stop upon Jesus' crucifixion. We still have power through the Holy Spirit to be God's instrument of healing. Jesus has given every Christian the miracle of new life through Him. We have been born again and we need to share the Gospel with the people around us who remain dead in their sins. Friends and family may mock us as we share the Gospel with them, but how each of us use our eyes, ears, voice, and feet reflects how much we love Him. Through His death, burial, and resurrection He has given us eternal life.

 

What do you do with the miracle Jesus gave to you? Live so people around you will see Him living in you.

                                                                                               

God bless you all,

 

Nathele Graham

 

 

PLEASE VISIT MY WIFES WEBSITE. SHE RUNS "YOUNG LIVING" WHICH PROVIDES ALL NATURAL OILS THAT CAN BE USED INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY INCLUDING A DEFUSER WHICH PUTS AN AMAZING ODOR IN THE AIR. THIS PRODUCT IS SO AMAZING AND KNOW THAT YOU WILL GET YEARS OF ENJOYMENT FROM IT. GOTO HTTP://WWW.YOUNGLIVING.ORG/CDROSES