ANOTHER REASON WHY GOD’S JUDGMENT IS IMMINENT

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Abortion has topped several infectious diseases as the world’s leading cause of death for at least the fifth year in a row, even though multiple abortion restrictions have gone into place at the state level following the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade. 

This statistic alone tells you there is something desperately wrong with our world.

Statistics compiled by Worldometer, a database that tracks quantitative data on health, the global population and other metrics in real time, show that more than 44.6 million abortions were performed worldwide in 2023. The last available snapshot of Worldometer from 2023, captured by the Internet Archive Wayback Machine by Dec. 31, shows that the number of abortions performed last year exceeds the combined number of casualties caused by the other leading causes of death listed.

Abortion is just one of the reasons God is going to pour out His wrath upon an unrepentant world once He has rescued His saints.

“Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” Revelation 6:15-17

This scripture is at the sixth seal being removed from the scroll by Jesus. It is at the trumpet blast as the seventh seal is opened that the rapture of the Saints takes place. The dead in Christ having been raised first. The wrath of God is then poured out with the seven trumpet (Revelation 8. 9 & 11) and seven bowl (Revelation 16) judgements.

The trumpet and bowl judgements will last one year and ten days. Why one year and ten days? The year before a Jubilee year is always one year and ten days on the Jewish Calendar. The year following Jesus’ return will be a Jubilee year. Also, of significance, the length of time God poured out His wrath upon the Earth during the flood of Noah’s day was 1 year and ten days. We know that at the fifth trumpet judgement, the locusts are allowed to torment people for five months. However, the bowl judgements happen in relatively quick succession.

In the Olivet Discourse in the three gospels, Jesus tells us that the world before His return will be like the days of Noah. Unbelievers will be taken by complete surprise. Lawlessness will be rampant and the amount of time God’s wrath is poured out on the Earth will also be the same.

US FISCAL AND ECONOMIC COLLAPSE INEVITABLE

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Republican Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), alongside Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), spoke out after earning some consternation for asking, “What have we done?” in regards to Republicans in the House.

He speaks the truth about what the government is doing. It is destroying America. Sadly, no representatives from either party were there to hear the truth.. The size of the debt problem is so large it is beyond fixing. It was an epic speech but it fell on deaf ears.

The U.S. national debt is growing so rapidly that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, interest on the debt, plus mandatory entitlement spending (like Social Security), will consume 100% of federal tax revenue by 2031.

It’s pretty hard to imagine the U.S. continuing to be the dominant economic and political power in the world when the government has to borrow money just to fund the military and that reality is just seven years away. Then, two years later in 2033, Social Security’s primary trust fund will run out of money and require a massive multi-trillion-dollar bailout.

The world is already moving away from the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency. All of the above will cause foreign nations to abandon the US dollar entirely further accelerating the fiscal and economic decline.

We are fast approaching the time when the US and other debt-ridden governments will hand over control to the UN for The Great Reset that the World Economic Forum and the U.N. have been planning for years.

All of this leads up to the Biblical prophesied one-world government, the emergence of the Antichrist, and the mark of the Beast.

“Also, it (False Prophet) causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast (Antichrist) or the number of its name.” Revelation 13:16-17

“But understand this, that in the last days, there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5

WHOM DO YOU WORSHIP?

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An organization describing itself as The Satanic Temple of Iowa erected an altar depicting a silver ram’s head on a mannequin adorned with a red cape and surrounded by candles and flowers in the State Capital, according to local KKCI Des Moines. The statue also holds a red wreath with an inverted pentagram.

How did it happen? • The Capitol structure falls under the control of the Iowa Legislature. The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) is charged with the management. • Currently, access for displays at the Capitol are open to anyone through an application process. Though there are some guidelines, they do not discriminate based on religion or ideology. • Displays are permitted to be displayed for two weeks. • All displays are required to communicate they are an independent display and not to be associated with the State of Iowa. • The Satanic Temple petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification. They wanted to use an actual goat head (I’m assuming a skull) and we’re prohibited from doing so. • The Iowa Legislature can set the rules and standards for any display. The current operating principle has been to either allow all displays or none. The Legislature has the power to change it if they deem it necessary.

Iowa state Rep. Jon Dunwell, a Republican and Christian pastor gave this helpful response:

My response as a follower of Christ… The display is an inanimate object that has no real power in and of itself. We have nothing to fear. Oppose the message of the display. It is not just another way to worship the same god. The DIFFERENCES need to be pointed out. The display glorifies the evil influence we oppose. The primary response required is prayer. The display itself shows us the work we have yet to do. Iowa needs Jesus. The display provides a teaching example for our families of the difference between the person and work of Christ and that of Satan. (Love, light, and sacrifice compared to a dark, foreboding creature). My faith is never imposed upon others, nor should it ever become a direct part of government. It is always a response to the person and work of Jesus Christ. I don’t want to mix the kingdoms! The government is a poor arbitrator of religion. Take full advantage of the opportunities to express our faith in appropriate displays and programs at the Capitol.

This Satanic image is a reminder that Satan and his demons will be cast down to the Earth and demonic activity will increase.

“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 12:7-9

THE AGE OF SELF: PRIDEFUL

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Where is the world according to God’s timetable? The world is now largely rejecting God by suppressing the witness of God’s creation. Paul says God’s eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and yet the world’s universities and schools teach the world came into existence by a Big Bang and evolved over billions of years. What nonsense: chaos and random chance produced this beautiful world with people who have the intelligence to create the internet, AI, robotics, etc. The following Scripture reveals what is ahead for those people who reject and rebel against God.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:8-32
Make sure you circulate this great presentation by Martyn Isles now CEO of Answers in Genesis.

BIBLICAL END TIMES DEPRAVITY

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Depravity: Professor Says We Need “Mass Movement” for Kids’ Right to Sex Work

As I read this, there’s one word that came to mind: depravity! It is just another one of the prophesied end times signs.

If reading the news headlines makes you cry out, “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20), you are not alone. It seems that evil men and women prosper with no consequences while the righteous are treated with contempt and hostility—and it’s just getting worse! Seeing this is both discouraging and sobering as we consider the consequences of evil flourishing in our nation—consequences that most dramatically impact the most vulnerable among us. What can we do?

As just one example of evil impacting the most vulnerable, consider this headline, “Professor encourages an activist to start ‘mass movement’ for kids’ right to sex work.” Yes, a Johns Hopkins University professor appears to have urged an activist during a recent Q&A at a conference to help remove the stigma around supporting child “sex work” by starting a “mass movement” to turn the tide of “moral panic” over the idea. It’s nothing more than an attempt to normalize child abuse in the name of adult sexual desire. It’s disgusting, it’s vile, and it’s hard to even begin to grasp the consequences of such depravity.

So what can we do when these headlines make us feel so helpless to stop the evil around us? Well, we do what Christians have done throughout the ages—we believe and obey God’s Word. We understand that, even in the midst of great evil, societal chaos, and depravity, God is still sovereign. He is working out his plan, and eventually, every single evildoer will receive just punishment for their sin (unless they repent and trust Christ, as we pray they do!). A great book of the Bible to turn to when you feel discouraged by evil is the minor prophet Habakkuk. He had the same questions about the ruthless Babylonians and God’s answer to the prophet’s complaint points to God’s sovereignty and mercy.

Throughout human history, evil in various forms has flourished. And God’s people have walked into the darkness with the light of Christ, starting ministries to rescue those who are exploited and abused. God has always used regular, faithful, obedient Christians to be salt and light during dark times, pointing people toward Jesus Christ and his gospel. And no matter how utterly hopeless our times may appear, we must continue to “do the business of the King” until he returns, understanding that the results aren’t up to us—they are up to God. We are just called to be faithful.

And we also must understand that the weapons we wield aren’t the weapons of the world—they are spiritual weapons designed for the spiritual battle we are in.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3–6

In the face of great darkness, don’t be discouraged. Put on your armor and fight as God has called us to do—by clinging to his Word, praying without ceasing, loving God first and neighbor second, and making disciples of all nations. And leave the results to our sovereign God!

ANOTHER PROPHESIED END-TIMES SIGN – ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

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America’s Banks Are Still Teetering on the Edge

Abstract from an article by Briton Hill, co-founder of Weber Global Management.

The U.S. survived the largest banking crisis in its history earlier this year… So far, at least.

It might seem like a distant memory. But in the first half of 2023, the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank wiped out nearly $550 billion.

When Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank collapsed over a three-day period in March, ripples of fear shot through the economy. Anxious depositors lined up outside nearly every financial institution. And they pulled hundreds of billions of dollars out of U.S. banks.

The panic initially hit regional banks the hardest. Some of these banks’ stocks fell almost 50% in a single day. It didn’t take long for the crisis to spread throughout the financial services industry. Even some of the country’s largest institutions fell victim to the panic… For example, Charles Schwab’s (SCHW) depositors and investors didn’t need to worry about bankruptcy. And yet, the panic caused the company’s stock to plunge more than 30% in a matter of days. The entire U.S. financial system teetered on the brink of collapse.

So on March 12 – a Sunday, by the way – the Federal Reserve stepped in. The central bank said it would “assure banks have the ability to meet the needs of all their depositors.” In other words, it guaranteed all depositors’ funds in the failing banks. Crisis averted. At least for the time being.

The unrealized losses on investment securities for U.S. banks in 2022 and 2023 make the financial crisis look like child’s play…

Bank of America (BAC) is the second-largest bank in the country. It holds $760 billion in U.S. Treasury securities. But recently, it was sitting on an unrealized loss of $110 billion.

That’s more than the entire financial system at any point during 2008 or 2009.

If U.S. consumers catch wind of how big this problem is, it could ignite another bank run…

We’re talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in unrealized losses. These losses are keeping banks’ balance sheets underwater. As a result, many banks’ “reserve ratios” are off. (The reserve ratio is the portion of cash that a bank needs to hold, rather than lend out or invest. It’s how the system makes sure the bank has enough cash on hand to meet customer withdrawals.)

In other words, the banks can’t lend. America’s banks are paralyzed. They’re still teetering on the edge of collapse today.

But just because the banks can’t lend doesn’t mean cash needs to completely disappear… This situation has created a vacuum. People and businesses still need cash. And they’re willing to pay premium rates. But banks can’t help because of their terrible balance sheets. As a result, a long-forgotten sector has been reborn over the past few years… Private credit.

Nonbank lenders are filling the void. They’re gobbling up billions of dollars in market share every day…

The size of the private-credit market totalled around $875 billion in 2020. These days, it’s around $1.5 trillion. That’s a roughly 70% increase in just three years. In fact, insurance companies are essentially becoming the “new banks” in the market. They’re making a fortune doing it. This helps corporations and investors but what about the average worker depending upon his bank for finance?”

The chasm between the rich and poor is only going to get larger and is one of the reasons Jesus must return to restore righteousness. Prior to God destroying this Earth by fire, it has another 1,000 years with Jesus ruling and reigning with the glorified Saints. The nation God established for His purposes, Israel, will finally fulfill its destiny but only with Jesus ruling from a new Jerusalem.

“From His (Jesus) mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:15-16

Then we will have had 6,000 years of unregenerate man ruling the world under the influence of Satan and his demons followed by 1,000 years with Jesus and the Saints ruling the nations with a rod of iron. At 7,000 years this Earth’s history is complete.

“Then comes the end, when he (Jesus) delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:24-26

Then comes the second resurrection of the dead followed by the White Throne judgement and only then does John see a new Jerusalem descending from a new Heaven onto a new Earth where only the righteous dwell.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

GOD WILL STOP THIS MADNESS

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Brave New World: Artificial Wombs Could Be Here in a Few ‘Short Years,’ Says German Molecular Biologist

A molecular biologist in Germany has announced he is creating a fully functional artificial womb and claims that in a few “short years” it would replace traditional birth.

Last December, Hashem Al-Ghaili released a concept video that features artificial womb pods for human babies.

The video below is titled Ectolife: The World’s First Artificial Womb Facility. It shows details of a factory that can incubate up to 30,000 babies per year by utilizing 75 state-of-the-art labs containing up to 400 pods.

According to the video, every pod is designed to replicate the exact functions of a women’s uterus allowing the baby to access nutrients, oxygen, hormones, and antibodies. Each pod would also monitor the unborn baby’s vital signs including the baby’s heartbeat, temperature, blood pressure, breathing rate, and oxygen levels. Physical and genetic abnormalities would be monitored as well.

Al-Ghaili is a filmmaker, producer, and molecular biologist who is using his background in science and technology to develop this brand-new concept, his website reads.

He told Science and Stuff that Ectolife would be life-changing. “It’s a perfect solution for women who had their uterus surgically removed due to cancer or other complications. It could also help solve issues that stem from low sperm count… [it] could ultimately make miscarriage a thing of the past,” he said.

Parents who use Ectolife would have the ability to monitor their baby’s growth through an app and virtually be in the pod with the baby, seeing everything he or she sees.

According to the video, parents will be offered an “elite package” that would allow them to genetically edit their baby’s traits. That  includes customizing the baby’s eye color, hair color, skin tone, physical strength, height, and level of intelligence.

Additionally, the baby will have the opportunity to hear a wide range of sounds that mimic what is heard in utero.

“Parents could even choose the playlist” or play their own voices, so their child gets more used to them,” Al-Ghaili said.

Al-Ghaili believes these pods can become a reality in the next 10 years.

As CBN News has reported, Israeli scientists have already been able to grow mice embryos for up to 11 days inside an artificial womb.

In a peer-reviewed scientific journal, Cell, biologist Jacob Hanna explained that without the use of sperm, egg, or fertilization, mice stem cells placed in a Petri dish spontaneously joined together, outside of the womb, and assembled embryos with beating hearts, intestinal tracts, and brains.

Hanna’s biotech company, Renewal Bio, claimed the synthetic mice embryos were not “real” embryos, but a research director at the Charlotte Lozier Institute told CBN News that the claim is misleading.

“My contention would be the technique to create them may be synthetic, but if you have something growing [that has] a beating heart and a nervous system and limbs and digits and other organs that look exactly like the organism you would take out of the womb, it’s an embryo,” Dr. David Prentice, Ph.D., said.

Renewal Bio later announced using this method to make human embryos to harvest tissue for organ transplants and anti-aging procedures.

Meanwhile, Al-Ghaili believes it is time to push a new form of birth and says Ectolife is the next logical step.

“This would put an end to age-related infertility, forever,” Al-Ghaili wrote on Instagram. “So, why aren’t we doing this now? Because there are needless restrictions on research that deals with human embryos. Research on human embryos is not allowed beyond 14 days, and that’s a big issue! We need to change the rules and begin exploring options that will help people who are suffering from infertility.”

Pro-life scholars say experimenting with living human embryos is unethical, violates the humanity of the experimental human subject, and crosses a line into a sci-fi world with unforeseen consequences. Man playing God reminds me of Satan’s original deception of Eve saying “You will be like God” Genesis 3:5

SEXUAL PERVERSION IS A MAJOR “END TIMES” SIGN

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The first chapter of Romans may give the greatest explanation of the sign of sexual perversion in the last days. We read that once
man perverts God’s plan for sex, they are given over to a depraved mind taking them deeper and deeper into sexual perversion. In that chapter, the depravity leads to an embracing of homosexuality and gender issues.
Compared to past generations homosexuality and gender confusion have reached unimaginable heights. In every debate against legalizing these perversions, it is constantly said that normalizing one sexual perversion is a slippery slope to something else. It truly is a downward spiral. Something the Holy Spirit made clear through the Apostle Paul in the epistle to the church in Rome. And yet nations are legalizing it and criminalizing anyone who speaks out against it. God calls these goat nations and He will judge them harshly. There are still some sheep nations see my post entitled Hungary – A Sheep Nation by God’s Standard, April 22nd.

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.
For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, and malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, and ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.” Romans 1:24-27

IMPORTANCE OF THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE

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Jesus used the symbol of the FIG TREE for Israel three times in His ministry.

First: He told the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree in Luke 13: 6-9. It’s about a tree that had no fruit in the first three years He visited it. This would equate to the first three years of Jesus’ ministry. So again, the fig tree is a symbol of the nation of Israel, based in Jerusalem, which Jesus visited yearly.

Second: In Mark 11: 12-20, Jesus cursed a fig tree for not bearing fruit, and it withered and miraculously died overnight. In the morning, the disciples saw this withered tree. In this parable it was obvious Jesus was referring to Israel. It was the very same day Jesus would tell them the Fig Tree Parable. So, when Jesus said, “Learn the parable from the fig tree,” this miraculous withered tree was prominent in their minds. These aren’t two unrelated accounts – it was the same day.

Third: When Jesus told the Parable of the Fig Tree it was as part of His answer to the disciple’s question:

“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3

The disciples knew that Jesus is referring to Israel when he commands them to learn from this parable.

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near — at the door! I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. Matthew 24:32-35

And just hours before telling the parable, Jesus had also confronted the Jewish leaders in the temple saying,
“See, your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘He who comes in the name of the Lord is the blessed One!’ Matthew 23:38

That was the moment Jesus withered the nation of Israel! This confrontation was also fresh in the disciples’ minds; and in fact, that heated denunciation of Israel by Jesus was the very reason that the disciples had begun to ask Him about the Last Days and the signs of His coming. Therefore, the Fig Tree Parable is about this withered fig tree that they had seen earlier that morning. It cannot be about anything else.

The creation of the state of Israel marks the beginning of the Final Generation and therefore the identity that we’re in the Last
days, and this makes sense as there are a multitude of end-time passages that require Israel to exist in the Last Days. Numerous
passages in the prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Joel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, as well as in the Gospels all refer to the Last Days Israel.
That’s why, in our opinion, Israel becoming a nation in 1948 is the fig tree sprouting leaves, the fig tree coming back to life.

Israel being miraculously re-established as a nation in 1948 was the first major “end times” sign.

Jesus said when the fig tree sprouted leaves, we could know “summer” was near. What did He mean by that? Is that a symbol as well? In the Hebraic calendar, there is a three-week period (17th of Tammuz till the 9th of Av) during summer which is observed as a period of mourning. It was during this period that both Holy Temples were destroyed (in 586 BC and AD 70). It is the bleakest period of the Jewish year. This reference would not have been lost on the disciples who would have recognized it as a symbol for a time of extreme difficulties, and tribulation – the Last Days.

PROPHESIED “LAST DAYS” WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS

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Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Ibrahim Raisi, in late July seeking a ‘green light’ to re-invade northern Syria. 

 The US, Iran, and Russia all agree that any Turkish aggression in northern Syria would enable a revival of the Islamic State. Frustrated but not deterred, Erdogan vowed to carry out the invasion anyway, saying he doesn’t need anyone’s permission to advance Turkey’s interests. Analysts suspect Turkey is preparing to invade the Kurds, Assyrian and Armenian Christians, and the Syrian Arab Army is preparing for that eventuality. 

In the northwest, Aleppo would be gravely imperiled. In the northeast, Christians across the entire Jazira region (the largest and most populous part of Hasakah Governorate) would be imperiled. After 10 years of war against the US-backed Sunni Axis, Islamic State, the Turkish state, and its jihadist proxies, a remnant of Christians remains in the north. Determined to maintain the Christian presence there, they desperately do not want to be erased from the map. However, as Nabil Warda of the Khabour Guards warns: “The Turkish occupation threatens the existence of the Assyrian people.” The Christians will resist to their last breath. Please pray it does not come to that.

Vladimir Putin has warned Russia would be prepared to use its ­nuclear arsenal to defend its territory as he dramatically escalated his war with Ukraine, mobilising 300,000 reservists to join the fight in response to the country’s humiliating battlefield defeats.

The Russian President ­declared in a national address on Wednesday that his country would use “all available means at our disposal” to protect itself against a Western plot to ­“destroy” it, as the Kremlin moved to annex occupied territories in Ukraine’s Donbas region. Beijing – which this year established a “no limits” partnership with Moscow – responded by calling for a ceasefire and peace talks.

“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.” Matthew 24:6-8