"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. 

"2017 Doomsday Clock Announcement: Has The Donald Pushed The World Closer To The Brink?"

Exactly 70 years ago, the historic "Doomsday Clock" started its ominous tick...tick...tick. One of the most recognizable and lasting icons in popular culture, The Clock's hands move based upon whether events push humanity closer to or further from existential apocalypse.

For two years now, the Doomsday Clock has remained silent...but...

On January 26, 2017, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists hosted a live international news conference at 10:00 a.m. EST to announce "an adjustment" of the infamous Clock.

The reason? Donald Trump, of course.

"Never before has The Bulletin decided to advance The Clock largely because of the statements of a single person," said the scientists. Apparently, the Science and Security Board, in consultation with the Board of Sponsors, which includes 15 Nobel Laureates, fears a nuclear tweet.

While President Trump isn't the only reason The Clock inched 30 seconds closer to midnight, his influence is all over the 2017 "adjustment" which was made because of:

• a rise in strident nationalism worldwide
• a darkening global security landscape that is colored by increasingly sophisticated technology
• a growing disregard for scientific expertise (uh-oh)
• and last, but not least--The President's comments on nuclear arms and climate issues (you never wanna touch them climate issues, people. Not with a 10-foot pole)

And wait...there's more...

According to a brand-spanking-new Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Poll, 78% (of those who also fear a nuclear tweet) agree.

Tick-tock.

A wise man once said: "...we need not be so utterly vague in our discerning of the times. For Jesus gave a much fuller description of time markers that we must look for just prior to His Second Coming. For one thing, Israel is most certainly one of the Lord's most polished timepieces, in the countdown and close out.of this age." --Maranatha Ministries

"...Time is running out. Wake up, for the coming of our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes...

Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you..."          Romans 13:11-14 

"Yes, I am coming soon!" Revelation 22:20.

News:

• FNC: 2 Afghani immigrants accused of raping a Swedish woman for three hours live on Facebook; second rape by Afghani immigrants in 3 months.
• CBN News: State Department Blocks Transfer Of Funds To Palestinian Authority. In a stunning reversal, the U.S. State Department froze $221 million former President Obama quietly designated to the P.A. hours before Trump took office.
• NBC: North Korean Defector Says Leader Kim Jong Un's Days Are Numbered; control collapsing
• The Washington Times: ISIS-controlled drones drop precision bombs in new threat against the West; U.S. military alarmed for U.S. cities. 

 

"God Thinks Of Everything: Amazing Evidence Of Design'

Pregnancy changes the way a woman thinks--literally, says a brand new study detailed in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

In this first-of-its-kind study, researchers reported pregnancy alters the size and shape of a woman's brain during her pregnancy and for at least two years after the birth of her child.

Pregnancy involves radical hormone surges and biological adaptations that reshape the brain structure in areas controlling perception and needs of others.

Apparently, these brain-changes enhance a woman's maternal response and the more pronounced the physical change in the brain, the more bonded the mother is to her child.

The study, which took over five years to complete, was conducted by scanning the brains of women before and after giving birth. The results?

Researchers believe changes in the areas of the brain involved with the ability to register and consider the needs of others is profoundly enhanced in pregnant women and the mothers of toddlers.

"From nurturing to extra vigilance to teaching, the brains of mothers are changed," says Paul Thompson, a neuroscientist at USC.

In others words, according to Elselin Hoekzema, a researcher at Leiden University in The Netherlands and leader of this study:

"Pregnancy may help a woman's brain specialize in a mother's ability to recognize the needs of her infant, to recognize social threats or to promote mother-infant bonding."

Amazing. God thinks of everything.

A wise man once said: "In Psalm 139, David affirms that the work of God in his life extended back to his development in his mother's womb. The idea is that the life of a person, and the structure and meaning of that person's life, are all established from the beginning by God." -- Michael J. Beazel, Ph.D.

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works" Psalm 139:13-14.

News:

• i24 News: Russia, Turkey stage first joint strikes against ISIS in Syria
• Reuters: U.S. says ready for N. Korea threat while activity signals possible missile test-launch
• Jerusalem Post: ISIS using online 'headhunters' to recruit young Germans 

2017 Predictions: The Experts Weigh In

"If you thought 2016 was a big WikiLeaks year, 2017 will blow you away," WikiLeaks tweeted on Monday.

Jullian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, is hinting his 2017 revelations will be even more mind-blowing than last year's--and he's warning us to "prepare for the showdown."

The whistle blowing site some credited with bringing down the Clinton campaign (by leaking hacked Democratic emails and who claims Russia had nothing to do with it) isn't ready to let us in on what they say the future holds--just that it's (ala Donald Trump) "Huge".

Meanwhile, Internet data-mining expert Clif High, who calls what he does "Predictive Linguistics",  collects billions of data points to produce forecasts of the future. His prediction?

• The purchasing power of the U.S. dollar will start to "erode" by March
• Interest rates will jump to 9% or 10%
• Real estate price will fall by 90%
• Gold, silver and bit coin will rise drastically
• "Trump Euphoria" will end by April

(Yikes.)

Top trends researcher Gerald Celente predicts:

• The mainstream media will continue to lose creditability and the daily newspaper will die out entirely. Alternative media will take over.
• On the economy, Celente says a crash is coming with an "environment for financial panic"
• Trump's victory can only hold things together temporarily, Celente contends.

And if these three analysts weren't enough doom and gloom--let's not forget Planet X, scheduled to make The Fat Lady Sing this October, according to" expert" David Meade, author of Planet X-The 2017 Arrival. 

Good grief.

A wise man once said: "If it's Good News you're looking for--may I suggest you read the Gospel which means 'to bring or announce good news'. That's exactly what God is offering us with the Gospel: 'good news' about what He did for us through His Son Jesus Christ." --J. Warner Wallace, The Evidence Whisperer

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes--the Jew first and also the Gentile. For the Gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" Romans 1:16-14

News:

• PNW: January 15th: 70 Nations Will Gather In Paris To Discuss The Future Of Israel; "two state solution" is the goal.
• Breitbart: President Obama Awards Himself Distinguished Public Service Medal; Secretary Carter insisted his boss received the medal as a token of appreciation.
• Associated Press: U.S. official says Russia meddled in U.S. elections; Sen. John McCain calls it "act of war". Meanwhile, Trump dismisses intel assessment. 

"The Beginning of the End: Obama's Betrayal of Israel: How It Will Affect You"

For the first time in U.S. history, the United States of America joined forces with Israel's enemies.

UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which was passed on Friday because of U.S. abstention, is much, much worse than even its critics realize. President-elect Donald Trump tweeted: "This is the beginning of the End," meaning Obama's deal with Iran, coupled with this latest outrage, is the beginning of the end of U.S. friendship with Israel (not to mention God).

The resolution (a direct result of U.S. actions) is not just unfair, unbalanced,and untruthful--it is unimaginably stupid. Why?

Because it demands Israel do the impossible: withdraw to its pre-1967 borders. They might as well ask Israel to commit national suicide. The pre-1967 borders make Israel too narrow to defend. Palestinian missiles (among other things) would destroy them. It also demands Israel give up Jerusalem, the very heart of their Holy Land and turn it over for the Palestinians to desecrate, something the Jewish state cannot do.

Resolution 2334 wrongly claims that the Jewish "settlements in the Palestinian territory, occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law."

This is blatantly incorrect.

International law permits states to retain territory acquired in wars inflicted upon them by aggressive enemies. Israel won that land fair and square when attacked (though grossly outnumbered) by their invading Arab neighbors in 1948 and again in 1967. Israel has improved the land by building homes, hospitals and schools for both Palestinians and Jews to live side-by-side.

Resolution 2334 ignores the fact that the Palestinians are a dysfunctional, divided, violent, undemocratic society that rewards terrorists with a monthly income and whose Charter formally calls for the destruction of the Jewish state and the murder of all Jews. It overlooks the fact that the Arab community has over 600 times the land mass as the Jews and could easily assimilate the Palestinians.

How will this affect you? The Bible says that when the nations of the world gather against Jerusalem (as happened at the UN on Friday): "It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 12:9).

Like it or not, our government has set the stage for the destruction of the nation of Israel. First, through the deal with Iran and now through UN Resolution 2334.

Even if President Trump is able to reverse the vote in the UN, he'll never be able to walk this back in the minds of the Palestinians.

Resolution 2334 gives the Palestinians everything-but-the-kitchen-sink and turns the Jews living in the land God gave them (Genesis 12:6-7; Gen. 15:18; Gen.17:7-8; Numbers 34:1-5; 2Chronicles 20:7; etc.) into criminals.

Over 200 times in Scripture God calls Himself  "The God of Israel" and has declared the Jews "His Chosen People"--the apple of His eye. (And woe to those who poke it!)

We are witnessing the Last Days re-gathering of the Jews to Israel (Isaiah 43:5-6; Ezekiel 37:21; etc.) which is why they need to build housing for them.

The dividing of Jerusalem is the true story of what's happening here with no regard to Israel's security and exactly as foretold in the Bible. Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital for over 3,300 years. It is mentioned over 700 times in the Old Testament (not even once in the Koran). How dare the UN steal it from the Jews and hand it over to the Palestinians.

The Bible repeatedly warns that the nations who try this will bring God's Judgment down on their own heads.

If you think this won't affect you--think again.

"...I will judge them for harming My people, for scattering My inheritance among the nations, and for dividing up My land" (Joel 3:2).

 "On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone, a burden for the world. None of the nations who try to lift it will escape unscathed" (Zechariah 12:3).

A wise man once said: "The UN Security Council just targeted the only democracy in the Middle East: the State of Israel. This is a cultural genocide that is no less dangerous than terror attacks. It is based on anti-Semitic lies and creates the atmosphere not for achieving "peace", as disingenuously claimed, but for perpetual war." -- Hal Lindsey

News:

• DEBKAfile: UN vote against Israel was planned by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Palestinian Official Saeb Erekat a week before UN meeting condemned Israel.
• The Weekly Standard: Report: Obama made secret deal with Iran allowing the terror-sponsoring state to stockpile uranium in larger amounts than the "official" deal disclosed.
• Fox News Channel: Netanyahu claims "iron-clad proof" Obama helped craft UN Resolution 2334; will supply evidence to Trump.