"Living On The Edge Of Eternity"

Are we living in the worst of times or the best of times?

Both, depending on your perspective.

For those of us who believe in the imminent return of Christ, these are exciting times. The signs pointing to His soon return are everywhere. For those concerned only with this present life and who either don't know or don't care about a Biblical worldview, these are trying times.

Ironically, the very events that frighten or depress those without a love for His coming, create a growing sense of anticipation in those of us busy waiting for His return. That's the beauty of Bible prophecy: It reveals your spiritual temperature.

For the prophecy student, world events are not arbitrary or accidental, but a carefully orchestrated plan with a divine purpose. Bible teacher Charlie Campbell explains what role fulfilled prophecy plays in validating our hope in the future as laid out in Scripture:

"Fulfilled prophecy is something that sets the Bible apart from all other religious books. There are 26 other books that people of faith (non-Christian) believe are divinely-inspired. And none of these writings contain any specific fulfilled prophecies. There are no fulfilled prophecies in the Qur'an, the Hindu Vedas, the Bhaqavad-Gita, the sayings of Buddha and Confucius, or in the Book of Mormon. The Bible on the other hand is filled with fulfilled prophecy. In fact 27% of the Bible spoke prophetically at the time it was written. And the authors of the Bible did not just predict a couple of vague things like Jeane Dixon or Nostradamus. The Old Testament alone contains hundreds of very specific prophecies that have already come to pass. The fact that these prophecies were literally fulfilled give us the intellectual basis for believing that future, unfulfilled prophecies regarding the rapture of the Church, the Thousand-year reign of Christ on earth, etc. would also be literally fulfilled."

Current events, viewed through the lense of Bible prophecy can (and should) have a purifying effect on the Christian's life. Why? Because as we see the world lining up precisely as predicted, the Bible comes alive for us. Jesus Christ becomes real for us. And the realization that we will stand before a holy God and give an account of our lives, motivates us to live in the way the Bible teaches us to live. What man views as a "good life" doesn't count. It is God's opinion that matters.

"We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).

Bible scholar Dr. Ed Hindson warns, "The clock of human history is ticking away. It neither speeds up nor slows down. It just keeps on ticking continually and relentlessly, moving us closer and closer to the end of the age. How close we are to the end will only be revealed by time itself. Don't gamble with your eternal destiny. Time may very well be running out. Make sure you are ready when Jesus comes." Visit http://www.heaven-gettingthere.blogspot.com/ to find out how.

A wise man once said: "It ain't over till it's over." - Yogi Berra

"And now, dear children, continue to live in fellowship with Christ so that when He returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from Him in shame" (1 John 2:28).

News:

• DEBKAfile: Iranian general says U.S. should expect 'strong slap in the face' regarding mistaken assessment of Iran's military power and ability to defend itself.
• The Jerusalem Post: IDF jets alledgedly attack Hezbollah targets in Syria overnight.
• Associated Press: Russian forms new branch of military: information warfare troops; comes amid Western allegations of Russian hacking

"Lady Gaga & God"

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight, Lady Gaga revealed what she said to her dance team moments before their Super Bowl halftime show:

"I told them their talent did not belong to them. God is the owner of their talent. And today was about sharing His wisdom with the world."

Surprising? Frankly, yes. Especially for those familiar with her graphically occult-laden music videos. 

Long accused of celebrating the "Darkside", Lady Gaga (aka Stefani Germanotta), frequently uses religious imagery in blasphemous ways even though she was raised in the Catholic Church.

"I struggle with my feelings," she once said in an interview, "about the Church in particular. But I guess, it's completely separate, isn't it? Religion and the Church are two completely separate things. But in terms of religion--I am very religious. I was raised Catholic. I believe in Jesus. I believe in God...so I suppose you could say I'm quite a religious woman, but very confused about religion."

Lady Gaga is right about being confused. True Christianity is not a "religion" at all. It is a very real and personal relationship with the real and living God. And as for the true Church? It's not a building, or a hierarchy or an institution--it is us--God's people, living out the Gospel message in obedience to God's Word--the Bible.

A wise man once said: "Too often, our basic assumptions about God lack a grounding in biblical truth. Yet, the Bible is the primary means by which God has chosen to reveal who He is and what He is like." -- John MacArthur, pastor/teacher

"For God is not the author of confusion..." 1 Corinthians 14:33

"...Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross..."   Hebrews12:  1 -2 

To understand the meaning of the cross, read the book of Romans.

To change your eternal destiny, click here.

News:

• Times of Israel: Defiant Iran test-fires another missile days after U.S. warning from Trump administration that it was "on notice" for previous missile tests.
• DEBKAfile: Russia to give Syrian Army high-precision weapons raising serious concerns in Israel that terrorists will get their hands on them.
• CBN: Democrats vow to continue campaign of obstruction preventing Trump form getting his cabinet in place.

"U.S. Military Has A New Trick Up Its Sleeve ala "Revelation 9""

The U.S. military has been experimenting with new strategies that will drastically change the way wars are fought.

One of the most promising? Drone "swarm" technology, recently tested by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

The new tool, dubbed LOCUST by the U.S. Navy, allows multiple drones to coordinate and swarm the enemy autonomously, and is designed to protect naval vessels against enemy attacks.

LOCUST--or Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Swarming Technology-is a program that marks a new era in autonomous warfare.

Imagine the tactical advantage of using a system that can launch swarming UAVs to overwhelm the enemy without any risk to the sailors or marines operating them.

"This level of autonomous swarming flight has never been done before," said Lee Mastroianni, program manager.

"UAVs that are expendable and reconfigurable will free manned aircraft and traditional weapons systems to do more, and essentially multiply combat power at decreased risk to the war fighter," he added.

Apparently, there's no down-side to the LOCUST and for an extra added attraction--according to "Prophecy News Watch", they might even be mentioned in the Bible.

Revelation 9: 3-11 describes a strange locust swarm that has "breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle..." Coincidence?

Maybe--or maybe 2,000 years ago the Apostle John, who was told simply to write down what he saw, couldn't quite figure out what he was seeing.

The LOCUST drones, with their swarm technology, look eerily insect-like. Isn't it possible John didn't have the vocabulary to describe 21st-century technology?

A wise man once said: "John had to describe in terms of his 1st-century knowledge what he saw. The prophecies can be understood only when we prayerfully seek to decipher what in today's vast arsenal of technical marvels fits best John's 1st-century description of them."  Hal Lindsey, Apocalypse Code

"This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave Him concerning the events that will happen soon...John faithfully reported the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ--everything he saw" -- Revelation 1: 1 & 2.

News:

• The Washington Free Beacon: China Tests Missile With 10 Warheads Amid Growing Tensions With U.S.
• Reuters: U.S. National Security adviser officially puts Iran on "notice" in response to Tehran's ballistic missile test; Trump says "nothing is off the table."
• DEBKAfile: Iran giving missile technology to anti-Israel proxy to use in terror attacks, says U.S. House Foreign Affairs Chairman
• Fox News Channel: Free Speech under attack at UC Berkeley as violent riots erupt to stop conservative speech.