Habakkuk 1:5 Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. -LORD God
When some people see you trying to better yourself & starting to do well in life, they will try to bring you down out of jealousy & bitterness. Don’t let them, keep doing the right thing & they will be seen for who they are. When you are bettering yourself, not everyone is meant to stay in your life & that’s okay. You can’t swim with dead weight dragging you down. Let go & move on.
1 Peter 2:15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the foolish talk of ignorant people.
Forgiving someone was an area I struggled in a lot at one time & still can if I’m not careful. You’re not forgiving them just for their sake, but for your peace. Forgiving allows you to let go & move on. Don’t stay stuck in bitterness.
Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
April 26, 2017: While the rest of the world is watching heightened political and military tension on the Korean Peninsula, this story is flying under the radar. ISIS and Al-Qaeda are considering joining forces, a terrorism dream team.
In the beginning, ISIS spun off from Al-Qaeda over philosophical differences. Al-Qaeda wanted to focus on the west and the United States. ISIS wanted to focus on the Middle East region. ISIS also believed Al-Qaeda was not violent enough for their taste. The two groups separated in 2014. Three years later, the two groups are discussing a reunion. Both groups are of the Sunni brand of Islam.
The country that appears to lose the most would be Syria. President Assad and his supporters (Iran, Lebanon’s Hezbollah) are Shia Muslims. Look at a current map of Syria.
Jeremiah 49:23 Concerning Damascus. “Hamath and Arpad are put to shame…
In the northern part of Syria is Aleppo. Ancient Arpad of Jerermiah 49 is located approximately 10 miles north of modern day Aleppo. Syrian government forces (Shia) are encountering Al-Qaeda in Syria or Al-Nusra (Sunni) in the north. Sunni Kurds are also battling Sunni Turks in the area as well.
Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan has recently gained more power via election. Erdogan is on the move with military intervention against the Kurds across southern Turkey.
Moving south in Syria, the next hot spot of conflict is modern day Hama. This is ancient Hamath from Jeremiah 49. Again, Syrian government forces (Shia) are encountering Al-Qaeda in Syria or Al-Nusra (Sunni). But, ISIS forces and territory are located east of Hama about 25-30 miles.
Furthest south in Syria is the capital of Damascus. Syrian government forces (Shia) are primarily encountering Al-Qaeda in Syria or Al-Nusra (Sunni). Israel and the Golan Heights are located approximately 30 miles to the south of Damascus.
Also consider an alliance of Sunni Arabs from the south consisting of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. President Trump has recently met with leaders from these three countries. Their concern is the growing threat of Iran and nuclear weapons.
The end result…
Isaiah 17:1 The oracle concerning Damascus. “Behold, Damascus is about to be removed from being a city and will become a fallen ruin.”
Joshua 1:3-4 Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the Great Sea toward the setting of the sun will be your territory.
At some point in the future, the Euphrates River will be the eastern border of Israel.
For now, the Euphrates River is a point of contention in the country of Syria. The issue is the Euphrates Dam or also known as the Tabqa Dam. It is located in northern Syria. The dam forms Lake Assad. The dam is a primary source of electricity and water in Syria.
ISIS has been surrounded on the southern part of the dam and in the town of al-Tabqah, Syria.
Leaflets from US and Kurdish have been dropped in Raqqa, Syria telling ISIS to surrender. ISIS is taking the leaflets seriously. They have moved their capital from Raqqa to Deir ez-Zur, Syria. Deir ez-Zur is about 90 miles southeast from Raqqa.
For those who are new to the site…it is the author’s position that we are not in the great tribulation. We are trending toward the events described by the prophets in the Great Day of the Lord, the end of days, or Revelation.
There is no Temple. There is no peace treaty in the Middle East with Israel. There is no 10 nation federation. And there is no antichrist. But, we are trending…
Luke 21:28 “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” -Jesus
Rather we mean to or not, most of us fail when it comes to gossip & rumors. But some thrive on it sadly. They think they can’t be happy unless they are trying to hurt others. The truth is they are miserable & want others miserable too. If they are gossiping to you about others, most likely they are gossiping about you to others as well. Avoid gossip & those that love to gossip. Untruth can destroy people. Misery loves company.
Proverbs 16:28 A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.
Proverbs 20:19 Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets; therefore do not associate with a simple babbler.
Revelation 2:20 But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.
Jezebel, she calls herself a prophetess. There is absolutely nothing that is divinely inspired about this woman. She does not have a clue about the future. She is only thinking about the here and now. She wants her way.
Jezebel is a bad influence. She could care less about others. She leads others into temptation.
…commit acts of immorality…This is an example of the translators providing a sanitary, politically correct interpretation. The Greek word is πορνευο/porneo. It is where the English term “pornography” comes.
Strong’s defines porneo as: to prostitute one’s body to the lust of another; to give one’s self to unlawful sexual intercourse; to commit fornication. Metaphorically: to be given to idolatry, to worship idols; to permit one’s self to be drawn away by another into idolatry.
…and eat things sacrificed to idols. This would be the case of food or animals killed in the name of other false gods.
A modern day example for the believer would be the Muslim holiday of Eid. Eid al-Adha is also known as the Feast of Sacrifice. This is a memorial of the Prophet Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael to Allah. As contrasted to the Bible in Genesis 22 where Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac to Yahweh (God).
During Eid thousands of sheep, goats, and cows are sacrificed. This event marks the end of what is called Dhu al-Hiijah. The sacrificed meat is given to the poor. Jesus is stating, “Do not eat foods sacrificed to idols or other gods.”
As a reminder…Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.”
Revelation 2:21 I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality.
God the Father, Son, and Spirit is patient. The message to Jezebel is a message for all of us today. We have a free will choice. He is not making any of us change our behavior. He wants us to change our ways. There is time NOW to change our minds and ways. But there will come a time, when time runs out.
Revelation 2:22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.
Jezebel loved the bed and to the bed she will go…not exactly what she is expecting. In this case, the bed is effectively a hospital bed. It is the Greek word κλινε/kline; a couch on which a sick man is carried.
God is not interested in lip service. He wants abstinence instead of prostitution and other forms of unlawful fornication. If not, trouble is coming in the form of seven years of hell on Earth.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
It saddens me when I see individuals or “hate groups” blame God for evil done in this world. God is love & I imagine all the evil saddens Him as well. There is no greater love than the love that God has for us. Such a great love that He gave His only Son to die for our sins. God wants us to overcome evil with love. Share love today.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one & only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The brothers of Magog…They include Gomer, Meshech, and Tubal.
Gomer means “complete”. Historians through the ages debate whether they lived north or south of the Black Sea. North of the Black Sea is modern day Ukraine. South of the Black Sea is modern day Turkey.
Meshech means “drawing out”; a people on the borders of Colchis (the land area east of the Black Sea). Armenia is on the eastern border of modern day Turkey. Today the region of Meshech is modern day Turkey, Russia, and Georgia.
Tubal means “thou shall be brought”; a region in east Asia Minor (modern day Eastern Turkey).
Beth Togarmah: Beth is Hebrew for house. Togarmah means “thou will break her”. People consider this to be Armenia. At its peak, the Armenian Empire was from modern day Syria on the Mediterranean Sea to south of the Black Sea and east to the Caspian Sea. Historically, Turkey is also known as the House of Togarmah.
The brothers of Magog (Meshech, Gomer, and Tubal) generally point to modern day Turkey.
Definitions are from Strong’s Concordance. Historical evidence from Google images, Wikipedia.
April 16, 2017: Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan was given increased authority from Turkey’s people. The “yes” vote won 51.4% of the vote. The “no” vote garnered 48.6% of the vote. The vote was held during a state of emergency in Turkey.
Recep Erdogan now has the power to appoint the majority of judges in Turkey. He has the ability to determine ministers. The president can now set the agenda for the budget. If necessary, Turkey’s president can create law by decree. A state of emergency can be declared by the president independently. He can even dismiss parliament if necessary.
Erdogan is now eligible to run for two more five year terms after his current term is complete. There is a provision in the new powers that could allow lawmakers to allow the president to run for a third five year term. This could potentially allow Erdogan to remain in power until 2034.
Historically, Erdogan has acted decisively and aggressively. Erdogan has previously discussed protecting Sunni brothers in Mosul or ancient Nineveh. He is not a big fan of Iraqi intervention in the region of Nineveh.
Turkey Map
Turkey’s president is not a big fan of the Kurds either. He divided the Kurdish region in and around the Euphrates River with Operation Euphrates Shield.
We can’t control how others treat us, but we can control how we react. It’s easy to want to get even with someone who has wronged you, but God says to leave it to him to avenge evil. Getting revenge may seem like a temporary good feeling, but in the long run it will leave you feeling sick inside. Be at peace & focus on those that love you & lift you up. Don’t allow wrong doers space in your head.
Romans 12:17 Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.
1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
The atheist, always wanting proof. The arguments are all the same. The Bible does not count as evidence so they say. Jesus is imaginary. The Bible is a fairy tale and just a book of stories. Religion is for the weak minded. Insert next cliché here…
The atheist claims to have read the Bible. They usually studied the Bible at a liberal university and read it cover to cover of course. They took a class under a liberal, tenured professor. And they were brainwashed and told what to think.
Here is my challenge to the atheist. Sit down by yourself. Read. Comprehend…and think. Stop regurgitating what somebody told you. As an introductory to Jesus, I recommend the book of 1 John.
So you want proof…
Eye Witness Accounts
1 Corinthians 15:6-8 After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also.
In the passage above, there are 512 plus eyewitnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
John 20:11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb;
Luke 24:10 Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
Salome is included with this group in Mark 16:1 for a total of at least 4 women.
Luke 24:13-15 And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them.
Cleopas and friend are two other witnesses.
Matthew 27:54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
And to close out the list, a Roman atheist and his fellow guards. Seeing was believing for these boys.
But Jesus was not the only person resurrected. He was the first but there were others.
Matthew 27:52-53 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.
The events took place during Passover. Jews were required per Mosaic Law to come to Jerusalem for the holiday. Tens of thousands of people would have been in the city visiting in addition to the population.
The evidence provided in Scripture would stand in a court of law. Harvard Law Professor Simon Greenleaf wrote A Treatise on the Law of Evidence. The document is viewed as “the greatest single authority in the entire literature of legal procedure.” The United States judicial system functions on the rules of evidence established by Greenleaf.
Professor Greenleaf, an atheist, took up the issue of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The facts changed his mind.
Professor Greenleaf’s legal standard of proof is not the issue. The case for the resurrection of Jesus is legally tight. Who cares if the facts stand in a man-made court of law??? The issue is this…
