Prophecy About Damascus

Very interesting passage in light of the ongoing civil war in Syria. 23 Concerning Damascus: "Hamath and Arpad are confounded, for they have heard bad news; they melt in fear, they are troubled like the sea that cannot be quiet. 
24 Damascus has become feeble, she turned to flee, and panic seized her; anguish and sorrows have taken hold of her, as of a woman in labor. 
25 How is the famous city not forsaken, the city of my joy? 
26 Therefore her young men shall fall in her squares, and all her soldiers shall be destroyed in that day, declares the LORD of hosts. 
27 And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall devour the strongholds of Ben-hadad." 
Jeremiah 49:23-27

Russia Back to Cold War Mindset

Russian leader Vladimir Putin expresses his frustration with nuclear Bears. Read this article regarding one of his favorite posturing/flexing methods here

Is an Israeli War with Hezbollah Next?

Israel recently ended hostilities with Hamas in Gaza, and calm is once again the norm in the Holy Land. Now Israel's biggest threat in 2014 is Hezbollah. Just as wariness of the Iranian and Syrian-supported Hezbollah is growing, Hezbollah's stores of rockets and missiles is growing. This arsenal's purpose is to target Israeli population centers throughout the tiny nation in the event of another Israel-Hezbollah war (last one was in 2006). Additionally, the Hezbollah rockets and missiles are supplied by Syria and Iran as a means of keeping Israel from acting out in ways that the two sponsors disapprove of. For example, Israel is fully aware that if they were to launch an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities, there would be an immediate and deadly attack delivered by Hezbollah from Lebanon (north of Israel). As this article explains, Hezbollah has gained combat experience fighting against Syrian rebels in defense of Syria's President Assad. They have been stockpiling weapons and are now being more bold in their approach toward Israel. Israel is aware that as the showdown over Iran's nukes looms, Hezbollah is ready.
Jerusalem Post News Article

Run-down of Hezbollah's missile threats against Israel from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Web Site

Why Israel Needs the West Bank to Survive

There is a lot of international pressure on Israel to withdraw from the West Bank. Israel insists that it cannot do so. Why can't Israel just go back to its pre-1967 borders? I'm sure no one in the Middle East would ever try to take advantage of such a situation. And history has demonstrated that everyone loves and tolerates the Jews and only wishes the best for them... I jest. 
Watch this awesome video to see why Israel cannot do this and also understand that anyone who wants this to happen also wants Israel dead. 
With a motto from the holocaust of "never again" and a history of being invaded by her neighbors, it is easy to understand why Israel refuses to give up this land. 

Stand up for Christians

Stand up for Christians. Read this article on the lack of response by the world to the genocides going on in Africa and the Middle East. 
Also check out my thoughts on the tragedy and how it relates to the end times. 

The Times, They are a Changin'

Things have changed. Since last decade. Since last year. Since last month. Is it just me, or has civilization taken a giant leap backward this year? Or has the veil that covers the true depravity of man been pulled back slightly? What should we expect? The world's history is almost entirely composed of atrocity. Why should we see better behavior today? The fact is, man's heart is still just as corrupt as ever. And now, with this century's explosion in weapons technology and proliferation, man has the tools needed to make his violent thoughts come into fruition.
Christians especially should not be taken by surprise by this year's sudden violent outburst--much of it directed toward Christians and Jews (God's chosen people). When speaking of the last days, Jesus said, “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me." (NIV)
But wait, Jesus said "Then..." What happens before this persecution? In Matthew 24, verses 6-8 He tells us:

 "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains."

After this Jesus goes on to speak to the previously mentioned persecution aspect of these birth pains.

As a father, I have observed (at a safe, observer-only level) birth pains from the start to finish. They start subtly, maybe while she sleeps and may seem no different from normal contractions, until suddenly she is awakened and knows that something is different. It hurts. Things don't slow down. Periods of calm get shorter and the periods of pain get more painful. They cannot be escaped. These are the beginning of birth pains. Here are more of these birth pains:

10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 

The rest of the chapter lays out very clearly what is to happen once this "labor" has begun. It isn't all bad! The gospel is preached to the entire world, despite, or maybe because of this persecution. Also, there is an epidural option! At some point, God will call His elect home to be with Him forever and escape this pain.   

You would have to be living under a rock to not be aware of these wars and rumors of wars today. It seems like every day has a new shocking development. The stage is being set, but nobody knows the script. No one predicted these most recent developments. Here is just a brief run-down of what is going on: The Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, has sprung up from no-where and has the entire world confounded and grasping for a solution. The Arab Spring is turning into the Arab Decade of Death with hundreds of thousands dead and no end in sight. Israel is at war yet again--and is completely surrounded by an increasingly tumultuous region filled with people that want her dead and gone. The cold war days seem to be coming back, as Russia has begun to throw it's weight around again. False teachings and doctrines have infiltrated our church. The love of many has grown cold. The gospel is being preached to the whole world. What did Jesus say comes next?
But what should we do? He tells us to stand firm. Hold tightly to our faith. Encourage one another. Pray for those who are being persecuted and also for their persecutors. Don't allow our love for Him or for our fellow man to grow cold. Watch and be aware of the times we are in. Be busy and be ready for His return.
Is this the end? I don't know. Should we be alarmed? Jesus specifically tells us not to be alarmed when we hear of wars and rumors of wars. Rather, we should keep our eyes open and watch.  
Read the rest of the Matthew 24 passage

US Military Action Against ISIS in Iraq

It looks as if the US military will not sit on the sidelines any longer regarding ISIS in Iraq. A drone strike on a mortar position was followed up by an air strike by 4 US Navy F-18's on a stationary convoy.

CNN reports

Now hopefully the US will also come to the aid of hundreds of thousands of Christians left stranded without food, water, or shelter. Children are dying in the blistering heat but the fear of falling into the hands of the brutal Islamic terrorists has made these families flee into the mountains. Breit Bart Story

Pray for these families safety and that they would be comforted during this time.

WeAreN--raise awareness of Christian persecution

As things get darker and darker, and closer and closer to the end, please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Persecution is mounting in Iraq at the hands of ISIS. ISIS has even began a Nazi-like systematic labeling and elimination of Christians living in and around Mosul. Syria has seen their Christian population dwindle from 160,000 to 1,000 according to media reports. Egypt has seen a steep rise in violence toward Christians as well. 
There is currently a hash tag movement underway to help raise awareness in the media of the persecution in Iraq: #WeAren. N being an arabic symbol for the Nazarene. This symbol is being used to mark the homes of Christians--for persecution. ISIS members give Christians 4 options: convert to Islam, pay a hefty tax, flee, or face execution. 
Pray for our brothers and sisters! 
CBN Article (Christian media)

Suggested "N" symbol social media profile pic below:

Hamas Wins if They Lose

Hama plans to win by losing: very accurate opinion piece

Is Putin Evil?

Putin is a fascinating person with a highly questionable past. He has managed to control Russia for years now and seems bent on controlling more than just Russia. Great opinion piece on CNN. Remember, Christian prophecy scholars maintain that Russia will be aligned with certain Mid-East countries (Iran, Turkey, Libya, to name a few) and lead an invasion into Israel in the last days.


CNN Opinion Piece by Alexander Motyl

Christian Persecution, Antisemitism Rise Sharply

 

US State Department released a report that shows a very troubling rise in antisemitism and Christian persecution across the world. The report states that since the start of the 3-year civil war,  the 160,00 Syrian believers have been reduced to 1,000. Recent demands in Germany to "Gas the Jews" also make more sense in light of the report of rising antisemitism in Europe.

News Report

With recent major events in the Middle East and even world, coupled with moral decay and now growing hatred for God's chosen people and Christians, we have to understand that His return is getting very near.  

Ukrainian PM Resigns; Russia Emboldened

I believe, along with many other biblical prophecy students, that Russia will play a key role in the end days (Gog and Magog as described in Ezekiel 38). Russia is bent on gaining strength and influence in the region and world. Today the story broke that the Ukrainian Prime Minister and his cabinet have resigned due to the fact that they could no longer effectively execute their duties. Russia has recently been observed firing artillery into Ukraine, no longer leaving the fighting up to the pro-Russian rebels. 

Even after the shoot down of the Malaysian Airlines flight last week, Europe does not seem to have the gumption to step in and put an end to Russia's bullying. 

This is only going to embolden Putin in his plans to revive the dominance Russia had during the days of the Soviet Union.  Stay tuned!

CNN article

Russian Moral Fortitude

Does Russia have a conscience? Where is the outrage or concern from her people after the shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines flight with Russian missiles? Do they completely buy the Russian media's claims of Ukraine being behind it? Anyone with answers please chime in!
Great article by Dennis Prager

Will Israel Go for the Knockout in Gaza?

It certainly seems as if the conflict in Gaza will continue to escalate. Hamas repeatedly rejects cease-fire proposals and Israel may be inclined to expand this pin-prick operation into a thorough dismantling of Hamas. The support seems to be present for this expansion with Egypt and Saudi Arabia backing Israel. Debka is reporting 75,000 more IDF troops are being mobilized. Time will tell what will happen here but I would expect things to intensify before calming. Pray for both sides, especially the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire (and even used as human shields). 

Read full Debka File Report

IDF Launches Gaza Ground Offensive

Israel's defense force has launched the ground invasion into Gaza that many have expected over the last few days. An Israeli official stated tht the operation is aimed to deal a "significant blow to Hamas' terror infrastructure."
This has the potential to escalate quickly with Hezbollah to the north, armed to the teeth with rockets.
Full Story

Hamas Steps Up Rocket Attacks

Get ready for large scale military/ground incursions into Gaza. Hamas has rejected Egypt's  proposed ceasefire (which Israel had accepted) and has begun to increase rocket attacks. With the unpredictability of the region, things could get way out of hand even overnight. 

News report 
Note: the ground invasion believed imminent at the time of this post began at around 1pm PST shortly after this post. Link

What made the "Wise Men" so wise?

Why do we call the three Magi that visited Jesus as a child, "The 3 Wise Men"? 
After reading Daniel chapter 9 today, I decided to investigate, knowing that a "week" is 7 years, whether or not the wise men could know from this passage when the messiah would come. These verses specifically got my attention: "Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. 

After a little research online I found a very interesting piece on the subject that outlines exactly the number of days between the decree for the Jews to return to Jerusalem from exile and the day that The Anointed One (Jesus) rode in on Palm Sunday. What do you know, exactly 69 weeks!  

The "Wise Men", from the vicinity of Persia (where Daniel ruled and wrote these words while the Jews were held captive),  were obviously aware of Daniel's prophetic words and were not going to miss the time of His coming. How did God's people miss it? They had neglected the study of prophecy concerning His coming! They failed to recognize that God's word is true and that scripture can be trusted, even to the smallest detail. Let us not make the same mistake in regards to His second coming. He says to watch, be ready, and understand the times in which we live. Let us all be "wise men" and heed this call. 

Obama Seeks $500 Million for Syrian Rebels

The BBC is reporting that President Obama is seeking for congress to approve $500 million for arming and supporting Syrian rebel forces aligned with ISIS.  Let us hope this is not approved. These weapons will inevitably fall into the wrong hands! 
Story

Both sides being armed in Iraq

Iran is arming the Iraqi government and the Saudis are arming a resistance faction aligned with ISIS. The US is allied with Saudi and opposed to Iran, but is supporting Iraq alongside Iran. Confusing? Yes. Read this Debka File article. 

http://app.debka.com/n/article/24034/As-first-US-advisers-reach-Baghdad-Iranians-and-Saudis-airlift-weapons-to-opposing-sides-in-Iraq

Middle East Made Easy

This newspaper clipping is certainly dated now and is thus far too simple. None the less, it is still entertaining and shows the insanity of the mid-east political scene. The complications that ISIS brings to the region is very disturbing. Though I know not all of the middle eastern nations descended from Ishmael, these verses from Genesis Ch 16 seem to be fulfilled today. 
10 The angel of the LORD also said to her, "I will surely multiply your offspring so that they cannot be numbered for multitude."
11 And the angel of the LORD said to her, "Behold, you are pregnant and shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has listened to your affliction. 
12 He shall be a wild donkey of a man, his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen." 
Pray for peace in the mid-east!
(Can't view image? Click here)

Ukraine Will be Russia

The Russian Senate has approved Putin's plan to intervene in the Ukraine. I can't help but feel this is both a power grab from a newly strengthened Russia, as well as a testing of the waters with regards to foreign reaction. With its down-sizing military and floundering economy, Putin knows the US will not stop him. But now it looks as if he may not even have to lift a finger with civil war beginning to erupt within Ukraine. Putin may be able to allow the pro-Russian militias to do his dirty work. 
If things begin to shift out if his favor though, be ready for overt Russian action. One way or another, Ukraine will be Russia.
If he does move on Ukraine, what are the political and economic repercussions Russia will face for invading a sovereign nation? I don't believe there will be much of an outcry, and Putin will be further emboldened. 

Russian armor builds up for Ukraine (Debka image) 

Putin wants to restore Russia to its previous power and is trying to do so without raising "red flags". Russia continues to arm Middle Eastern nations and strengthen ties with them, wisely gaining allies and resources without hostilities. In Ezekiel 38-39, there is much talk of what many believe to be a strengthened Russia (Gog and Magog) leading Middle Eastern nations in a massive invasion of Israel in the last days. It is very interesting to observe the Geo-political landscape in that region as it lines up exactly how the Bible says it will in the end.
Pray for the safety of the innocents, and keep an eye on what unfolds in Russia's latest power grab and test of the international community.   

Article on Gog and Magog Bible Passage
Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog 
CNN Article
Debka File Article

Ukraine Slides into Civil War

Interesting article on Debka.com:

Ukraine slides into civil war amid Merkel’s bid to bridge US-Russian differences. Putin resigns responsibility

Why should Russia invade if the Russians inside can take care of things themselves. I'm sure they are still getting plenty of help from Putin, however. 

Failed Peace Talks in the Holy Land

We should not be surprised when peace talks fail in Israel. Peace (and a false peace at that) will only come to Israel when the antichrist sets it up in the last days (Daniel 9:27). 

Debka File artical on the most recent failed peace talks. 

Christian Persecution

I have noticed over the last few years a form of persecution growing in America. Those of us who hold to the teachings of the Bible and to sound doctrine are being labeled fundamentalist Christians. We Christian Americans can feel the winds shift and know that our culture will be more and more hostile to us. However, whatever we will face will pale in comparison to how the church is persecuted abroad. This Wall Street Journal peice is an excellent article on this growing persecution in the Middle East.

NASA Study: It's the End of the World as We Know it

Interesting article by Tom McKay on PolicyMic.com 

I believe the alternative to the solution they recommend is to trust and believe in The Lord Jesus Christ. We need to live kingdom minded; this world is not supposed to last!

Matthew 6: 19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

NASA Study Concludes When Civilization Will End, And It's Not Looking Good for Us

By Tom McKay from PolicyMic.com

Civilization was pretty great while it lasted, wasn't it? Too bad it's not going to for much longer. According to a new study sponsored by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, we only have a few decades left before everything we know and hold dear collapses.

The report, written by applied mathematician Safa Motesharrei of the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center along with a team of natural and social scientists, explains that modern civilization is doomed. And there's not just one particular group to blame, but the entire fundamental structure and nature of our society.

Analyzing five risk factors for societal collapse (population, climate, water, agriculture and energy), the report says that the sudden downfall of complicated societal structures can follow when these factors converge to form two important criteria. Motesharrei's report says that all societal collapses over the past 5,000 years have involved both "the stretching of resources due to the strain placed on the ecological carrying capacity" and "the economic stratification of society into Elites [rich] and Masses (or "Commoners") [poor]." The so-called Elite population restricts the flow of resources accessible to the Masses, accumulating a surplus for themselves that is high enough to strain natural resources. Eventually this situation will inevitably result in the destruction of society.

Elite power, the report suggests, will buffer "detrimental effects of the environmental collapse until much later than the Commoners," allowing the privileged to "continue 'business as usual' despite the impending catastrophe."

Science will surely save us, the nay-sayers may yell. But technology, argues Motesharrei, has only damned us further:

Technological change can raise the efficiency of resource use, but it also tends to raise both per capita resource consumption and the scale of resource extraction, so that, absent policy effects, the increases in consumption often compensate for the increased efficiency of resource use.

In other words, the benefits of technology are outweighed by how much the gains reinforce the existing, over-burdened system — making collapse even more likely.

The worst-case scenarios predicted by Motesharrei are pretty dire, involving sudden collapse due to famine or a drawn-out breakdown of society due to the over-consumption of natural resources. The best-case scenario involves recognition of the looming catastrophe by Elites and a more equitable restructuring of society, but who really believes that is going to happen? Here's what the study recommends:

The two key solutions are to reduce economic inequality so as to ensure fairer distribution of resources, and to dramatically reduce resource consumption by relying on less intensive renewable resources and reducing population growth.

These are great suggestions that will, unfortunately, almost certainly never be put into action, considering just how far down the wrong path our civilization has already gone. As of last year, humans are using more resources than the Earth can replenish and the planet's distribution of resources among its terrestrial inhabitants is massively unequal. This is what happened to Rome and the Mayans, according to the report.

... historical collapses were allowed to occur by elites who appear to be oblivious to the catastrophic trajectory (most clearly apparent in the Roman and Mayan cases).

And that's not even counting the spectre of global climate change, which could be a looming "instant planetary emergency." According to Canadian Wildlife Service biologist Neil Dawe:

Economic growth is the biggest destroyer of the ecology. Those people who think you can have a growing economy and a healthy environment are wrong. If we don't reduce our numbers, nature will do it for us ... Everything is worse and we’re still doing the same things. Because ecosystems are so resilient, they don’t exact immediate punishment on the stupid.

In maybe the nicest way to say the end is nigh possible, Motesharrei's report concludes that "closely reflecting the reality of the world today ... we find that collapse is difficult to avoid."

Writes Nafeez Ahmed at The Guardian:

"Although the study is largely theoretical, a number of other more empirically-focused studies — by KPMG and the UK Government Office of Science for instance — have warned that the convergence of food, water and energy crises could create a 'perfect storm' within about fifteen years. But these 'business as usual' forecasts could be very conservative."

Well, at least zombies aren't real.

Limited Blogging Over the Next Months

My family and I are moving to a new base (I currently serve in the US Air Force). So don't expect much here over the next months! Sorry, just too much going on! I do plan to update with articles or cool videos when I can, but I will have little to no commentary. Thanks for reading, and may The Lord bless you! 

Emboldened Russia Moves on Ukraine

The Russian Senate has approved Putin's plan to intervene in the Ukraine. I can't help but feel this is both a power grab from a newly strengthened Russia, as well as a testing of the waters with regards to foreign reaction. With its down-sizing military and floundering economy, Putin knows the US will not stop him. But what are the political and economic repercussions Russia will face for invading a sovereign nation? I don't believe there will be much of an outcry, and Putin will be emboldened. 

Russian armor builds up for Ukraine (Debka image) 

Putin wants to restore Russia to its previous power and is trying to do so without raising "red flags". Russia continues to arm Middle Eastern nations and strengthen ties with them, wisely gaining allies and resources without hostilities. In Ezekiel 38-39, there is much talk of what many believe to be a strengthened Russia (Gog and Magog) leading Middle Eastern nations in a massive invasion of Israel in the last days. It is very interesting to observe the Geo-political landscape in that region as it lines up exactly how the Bible says it will in the end.
Pray for the safety of the innocents, and keep an eye on what unfolds in Russia's latest power grab and test of the international community.   

Article on Gog and Magog Bible Passage
Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog 
CNN Article
Debka File Article

Christian Martyr Deaths Double in 2013

I know for some this is old news already, but I felt I should share this. Christian martyr deaths doubled in 2013 across the world. A major reason for this is the uprising/civil war that has raged on in Syria. Sadly, the insurgents/freedom fighters/rebels/terrorists that are battling President Assad and have the US support in many ways, are some of the primary culprits, responsible for over 1200 murders. While Assad has certainly fit the description of a dictator, he, as a secular leader, has allowed Christians in his country to live in peace with little persecution. However, as his control has slipped away, these rebels have gained control over many cities and have persecuted Believers mercilessly in many places. The reports truly are disturbing so I will allow you to research them for yourself. 

While democracy is a wonderful thing, sadly, the Middle East has shown that it isn't for everyone. When Egypt elected a Muslim Brotherhood member as president, it became clear: a democracy is only as good as her people. This should be a solemn warning to the US foreign affairs and Christians alike. If the masses prefer violence and hate, democracy is not exactly the best option.
Pray for our brothers and sisters in the Middle East as the war rages on in Syria, unrest and persecution mounts in Egypt, and persecution continues as usual throughout the region. Also pray for our nation's leadership to have wisdom when making foreign arms support and diplomacy decisions.