"A Supernatural Minefield"

Nearly three-quarters of American teenagers have experimented with at least one type of psychic or witchcraft-related activity according to a study done by Barna Research Group.

Surprised? You wouldn't be if you've ever checked out the Teen section in a bookstore or your local library. Talk about a supernatural minefield! That section is crawling with vampires, ghosts, goblins, magic, witchcraft and all things occult and creepy.

According to Barna Research:

• 30% of teens claim they've had supernatural encounters
• 10% say they have communicated with the dead
• 10% claim they have psychic powers
• while 30% claim to have seen an angel, demon, or some other supernatural being

Out of the 73% engaged in some form of occult activity, the most commonly named were using a Ouija board and/or reading books about witchcraft.

The researchers found that relationally-isolated teenagers and those experiencing a significant amount of stress and frustration were more likely to experiment with occult activities, while the least likely by far to do so were those with evangelical faith.

So how do parents steer their teens clear of this supernatural minefield?

David Kinnaman, author of the report, believes there are no simple solutions. "Unfortunately, we discovered the answers are quite complex. Teens need help becoming wiser consumers of media, but that takes a long-term, intensive process of coaching. They would also benefit from more integration of Scriptural perspectives into their decision-making--that is, they need to operate on the basis of a biblical worldview.

"But that takes years to develop, immense effort, and close cooperation between church and home," he continued. "Youth ministries need to address the supernatural more frequently as well as customize their ministry to each student."

In the meantime? If your teen is obsessed with supernatural themes, dare to find out why and explain why the Bible warns against the occult and witchcraft. 

A wise man once said: "The Bible repeatedly warns us against doing anything that might open the door to demonic influence over us. One of the ways they gain entrance into our lives is through occult practices--even those that seem amusing or harmless."  Billy Graham

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places" Ephesians 6:12

HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN!!

News

• Fox News Channel: Florida middle-school girls plotted to kill up to 15 students, drink their blood, police say; the 11- and 12-year old girls claim they are "Satan worshipers"
• Amaze Lab: Archaeologists uncover creepy masked statues in ancient abandoned city; the 19 statues found in Peru.
• CBN: Parents shocked when Drag Queen Invited To Middle School Career Day; district cites "inclusiveness"

"Assisted Suicide For Kids Leaves Parents In The Dark"

While Americans go coo coo for cocoa puffs over who will win the midterm elections, Canadian pediatricians are grappling with much darker questions.

Doctors from Toronto's Hospital For Sick Children, in a paper published in The British Journal of Medical Ethics, have spelled out policies and procedures for administering medically-assisted death to children, "including scenarios where the parents would not be informed until after the child dies."

"Usually, the family is intimately involved in the (end-of-life) decision-making process. If, however, a capable patient explicitly indicates that they do not want their family members involved in their decision-making, although health care providers may encourage the patient to reconsider and involve their family, ultimately the wishes of capable patients (under the age of 18) with respect to confidentiality must be respected," wrote pediatric doctors, administrators, and ethicists from the Toronto Hospital in the September issue of the prestigious journal.

Currently forbidden by law, the Canadian Council of Academies is slated to report to Parliament regarding "expert" medical opinion about extending voluntary euthanasia to minors without parental consent.

Their argument? "There is no meaningful ethical distinction between a patient choosing to refuse burdensome treatment and accepting an inevitable death versus patients choosing to die by chemical injection before the disease brings on death."

In the Province of Ontario, "capable" minors may refuse treatment without parental consent. Therefore, "there is no legal reason to require parental involvement in an assisted death."

Seriously? There's a huge difference between allowing nature to take its course without medical intervention and a lethal injection. And then to leave parents in the dark until after their child is dead? Pure evil.

Apparently, while it "takes a village" to raise a child, it only takes one doctor, playing God, to kill a child.

A wise man once said: "Earlier this year Belgium euthanized a nine-year old and an eleven-year old. Belgium has been sliding down the slippery slope since the law legalizing euthanasia was passed there. We really have no idea how 'terminal' these children were--and I doubt any limitation to 'terminal' will last as a qualifying criterion. There's no requirement for adults to be 'terminal' to request euthanasia."--Stephen Drake, research analyst for Not Dead Yet

"I am now giving you the choice between life and death, between God's blessing and God's curse, and I call heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Choose life that you and your children may live" (Deuteronomy 30:19).

News

• DEBKAfile: Israel surprised by Palestinian upgraded missile attack on two major cities; Iron Dome didn't react.
• FNC: Witches In New York To Hold Public Ritual To 'Hex' Kavanaugh; Proceeds From $10 Participation Donation Will Go To Planned Parenthood
• The Economic Times: France Hit By Worst Flash Floods In 100 Years; Rivers Turned Into Raging Torrents 

"Is The Left Unhinged?"

In every midterm election since the Civil War, the president's party has lost, on an average of, 32 seats in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate. This year's midterm could prove even worse.

The reason? Republican congressmen are retiring in droves. So far, roughly 40 members are slated for departure.

"If conservatives--and in particular, evangelical voters--do not turn out, the House will change hands," predicts Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council.

"One of the first orders of business will be the impeachment of President Trump," he said. "And while the Left may not succeed in removing him from office, they will most likely succeed in stopping what this administration is doing.

"And what is it doing? The Trump administration isn't just enacting a conservative agenda in line with the Constitution. It is systematically dismantling the policies of its left-wing predecessor," Perkins said.

"That's why the Left is unhinged. They won't be able to jump back in the driver's seat and shape policies that aim to remove Biblical values from the public square. They'll have to rebuild--and that will take time, especially if they don't have the courts to help them in their activism.

"Some of our fellow Christians remain skeptical or indifferent about our engagement in the political process. Don't be foolish. Elections have consequences--many of them far-reaching ones, as we continue to see from the years of President Obama."

The bottom line? It's up to us. If the Christian doesn't care, won't pray, refuses to vote: We lose with a capital 'L'.

A wise man once said: "We have to act while we can, to fortify our freedoms and ensure that government doesn't try to quarantine our Christian faith within the four walls of our churches." 
--Tony Perkins, Family Research Council

"So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days" -- Ephesians 5:15-16.

HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN!

News:

• The Los Angeles Times: Typhus outbreak fuels homeless debate; outbreak linked to overcrowding and poor hygiene on city streets
• DEBKAfile: U.S., Israel alarmed Moscow has armed missiles in Syria with Iranian teams.
• Reuters: Fed's hike rates amid major stock plunge 

"Hypocrisy, Panic or Spiritual Warfare: What's Happened To The Left?"

"You gotta wonder about the hypocrisy of Democrats and media going wall-to-wall coverage over allegations from 36 years ago concerning Judge Brett Kavanaugh as a 17-year old, without any corroborating evidence, yet pretty much completely ignoring the allegations of recent abuse by DNC Chair Keith Ellison," writes Nick Arama of Young Conservatives.

Dr. Dave Janda of the popular  radio show Operation Freedom, chalks it up to panic.

"What the Democrats are doing is panicking over the declassifying and release of incriminating DOJ and FBI documents that prove there was a plot to frame President Trump with phony evidence. The Dems and Deep State are fighting the confirmation of Judge Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court because they know when he is seated, Trump will have another judge loyal to the Constitution and a solid 5 to 4 court. This means that criminals in top positions in the U.S. government can and will be indicted."

But prophecy expert Hal Lindsey believes it's end time spiritual warfare.

"One of the hallmarks of the last days will be the rise of irrationality. Romans 1:28 says, 'And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind to do those things which are not proper.' The Greek context here means God gave them over to a mind that cannot even think in its own best interest."

Because Kavanaugh is a conservative Catholic, Lindsey goes on to say, "I truly believe that one of the strongest underlying fears of the left is that a future Justice Kavanaugh's religious faith, if given the opportunity, will compel him to undermine the sacred cows of the left, like abortion and gay marriage.

"That means that his confirmation has taken on the earmarks of spiritual warfare, not simply a review of his judicial qualifications to sit on the highest court."

So is all the craziness over Kavanaugh hypocrisy, panic or spiritual warfare? All three. We have a rule of law in this country: innocent until proven guilty--not the other way around. Kavanaugh was convicted in the MSM and in the minds of the left before the hearing ever began. Whether you're Republican or Democrat, Conservative or Liberal, none of us can be proud of what has happened to Brett Kavanaugh. As Senator Lindsey Graham said, "If this is our new way of doing business, then God help us."

In the meantime, warn your husbands and sons to never ever be alone with a woman--especially one who hates everything they stand for.

A wise man once said: "This is spiritual warfare. It doesn't have anything to do with rationality or intellectual debate. When the establishment comes after you because of your Christian beliefs, recognize that the source of that hostility is Hell itself." -- Hal Lindsey, author

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." John 15:18

HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN

News:

• C-SPAN: Biden in 1991: "The FBI 'Do Not Reach Conclusions' When Investigating Sexual Misconduct"
• USA: "Calculated political hit" Brett Kavanaugh says accusations rooted in anger over Trump
• AP: Lindsey Graham: "Dems Treatment Of Kavanaugh Despicable"

"The Key To Happy, Healthy Kids"

Want to raise happier, healthier, more well-adjusted and psychologically-balanced kids?

If so, pay close attention to what follows.

A new study from Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health comes to the same conclusions as countless other studies: Children who are raised in the church and taught to pray tend to do better in almost every category than those who are not.

The research, published last week in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who attended religious services at least once a week as children or teens were more likely to report being happier in their 20's than those who never attended by about 18%. They were also 30% more likely to do volunteer work and 33% less likely to use drugs or alcohol.

Those who prayed every day reaped even more profound effects, reporting greater:

• life satisfaction
• ability to process emotions
• forgiveness of others
• exhibited better academic performances

They were also less likely to become sexually active at an earlier age or to acquire an STD. And it works for adults, too.

According to the study, "Empirical research suggest that religion is associated with better health and well-being in adults. For instance, there is a gradient relationship between frequent religious service attendance and lower mortality risk, even in the most rigorous studies."

Benefits include:

• greater psychological well-being
• character strengths
• reduced mental illness
• and happier marriages

A wise man once said: "These findings are important for both our understanding of health and our understanding of parenting practices. Many children are raised religiously, and our study shows that this can powerfully affect their health behaviors, mental health, and overall happiness and well-being." --Ying Chen, study author

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN

News:

• Zero Hedge: Air Force Calls For 24% Increase In Squadrons To Prepare For Possible Wars Against Major Powers Such As Russia, China In Next Decade
• EurekAlert: Geo-scientists find unexpected 'deep creep' near San Andreas, San Jacinto faults; study may help predict bigger quakes
• DEBKAfile: Israel holds Syria responsible for downed Russian plane; IDF investigates, regrets loss of life

"Russia & China: Preparing For Nuclear War?"

This week Russia and China are holding the largest ever joint war games that will include simulations for nuclear warfare, according to U.S. Defense officials.

The drills, known as The Vostok 2018, have been condemned by NATO as a rehearsal for "large-scale conflict", and come at a time of escalating tensions with the West.

According to official Pentagon reports, "Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. has re-defined its national security and defense postures, and both documents point towards China and Russia, rather than terrorism or climate change, as the biggest threat to the U.S."

It appears that Moscow and Beijing have become BFFs and forged what they described as a "strategic partnership" in opposition to what they consider the U.S. global domination.

"They feel they need to embrace to deal with the increasingly high pressure and containment from the U.S., said Yue Gang, a retired Chinese Army colonel and military expert.

"For Russia, the increasingly robust alliance with China is particularly important amid growing tensions with the U.S. and its allies and a looming threat of more biting U.S. sanctions," reports Fox News.

According to Business Insider: "It's unclear how China and Russia may coordinate nuclear war, as they have very different models of nuclear strategy. Russia holds the most nuclear warheads in the world, and has employed them on a growing number of dangerous and devastating platforms. Russia hopes to soon field an underwater doomsday device that could cripple life on earth for decades. Also, U.S. intelligence reports indicate Russia is struggling with a nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile.

"China, on the other hand, has taken the opposite approach to nuclear weapons by opting for minimum deterrence."

Any way you cut this "strategic partnership" looks like another prophetic puzzle piece falling into place. Even the name Vostok seems to fit. Vostok means 'east'--as in 'Kings of the East?'

"Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great Euphrates River, and it dried up so that the Kings of the east could march their armies westward without hindrance. And they gathered all the rulers and their armies to a place called Armageddon in Hebrew."  Revelation 16: 12 & 16

A wise man once said: " The kings of the east in Biblical prophecy refers to another sphere of power which was to arise in the world at the same time as the great Northern Power, Russia." --Hal Lindsey, author

HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN!

News:

• FNC: U.S. intercepts two Russian nuclear-capable warplanes; second time this month
• DEBKAfile: Russian air defenses shown at Vostok 2018 exercise taking place in Siberia; advanced S-400 and S-300 systems tested.
• Behold Israel: The head of the Atomic Energy Organization in Iran announced: "We just completed the construction of a manufacturing facility for very advanced centrifuges."

"Sobering Stats: What's Killing Middle-aged White American Women?"

Suicides in the United States have surged to a 30-year high. This, along with an increasing death rate among middle-age, white American women due to alcohol and drugs, have U.S. mortality rates on the rise.

This turnaround reverses decades of falling mortality rates achieved through better medical care and lifestyle choices.

"This is absolutely a surprise to us. It knocked us off our chairs," said Anne Case, a professor at Princeton University who worked on the PNAS study that discovered the trend. "Every one's been stunned."

According to the study, over the last 30 years:

• Alcohol poisoning and drug overdose deaths increased fourfold in middle-aged white women
• Deaths from liver disease and cirrhosis rose 50% in middle-aged white women
• Suicides are up a shocking 81% in middle-aged white women

This alarming trend has driven up all-cause midlife mortality in the U.S.

In an interview on CBN, Pastor and New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado said he believes people are dying from a lack of hope and warns "Secularism sucks hope out of society."

"I don't want to simplify the whole issue of suicide--I know it's a very complex issue and I would never want to make it sound like there's a one-step solution."

But for people looking for hope, Lucado recommends the Bible.

"For every problem in life God has given us a promise. Make it your aim to get so acquainted with these promises that you can write yourself a prescription.

"God's promises can be that life preserver that's tossed to us when we're out in the water just giving us something to hold onto.

"God promises that He's with me forever, that the wages of sin is death but the promise of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. And we begin to filter all of the challenges that we face through the promises of God," Lucado said. "And remember--God is incapable of breaking His promises."

A wise man once said: "We've never been more educated and entertained. We have technological tools our parents could only dream of, and we are saturated with information, amusement, and recreation. Yet more than ever, we are starving for hope." -- Max Lucado

"Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are. In His kindness God called you to His eternal glory by means of Jesus Christ. After you have suffered a little while, He will restore, support, and strengthen you, and He will place you on a firm foundation. All power is His forever and ever. Amen" 1 Peter 5:8-11.

HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN

News:

• WHO: Heavy drinkers who snore are 34% more likely to die of sleep apnea
• International News: 1.4 billion risk disease from lack of exercise; women in wealthy nations at greater risk
• New Atlas Medical: New super-bug breaks through last line of antibiotic defense; threatens a return to the "dark ages of medicine"