IRAN-THE RAM OF DANIEL 8

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Iran has “six armies outside its borders that work for it,” a senior Iranian general said in an interview to the Iranian Mehr Agency earlier this week, leading the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement to issue a statement correcting his comments, Arab media reported.

Israeli analyst: Israel must act before Iran, Hezbollah take over Syrian Golan
Iranian soldiers on parade. (Farsnews)

Iranian Maj.-Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, a prominent commander in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said that Qasem Soleimani, who led the IRGC up until his assasination by U.S. forces in January last year, had established six organized militias operating outside of Iran’s borders.

According to Rashid, these include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi movement in Yemen, Hashd al-Sha’bi in Iraq, Iranian militias in Syria, as well, Iran has inserted itself “into the Syrian army’s nervous system – its chain of command – and into the everyday lives of the local population,” Israeli commentator Ehud Yaari said. Finally, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas in Gaza.

“I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam (Iran). And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram (Iran) standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.” Daniel 8:2-4

“Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia (now Iran)…” Daniel 8:20

Iran Proxy and Sanctions Map Dec 2020
The ram (Iran) charging westward, northward and southward exactly as prophesied.
Elamites first occupants of Iranian territory followed by the Medes and Persians and now Iran “I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam (Iran)“

We need to watch for the next part of Daniel 8’s prophecy to be fulfilled. Sunni Turkey (Goat) will not tolerate Shia Iran claiming leadership of the Muslim middle east. Turkey (previously controlled the powerful Ottoman Empire) considers itself the leader of the Muslim world. Daniel’s prophecy predicts Turkey defeating Iran in what is described as a savage encounter but then we are told Turkey’s bid to re-establish a neo Ottoman Empire is short lived. We are not told who comes against Turkey, possibly a coalition of western nations that do not want to see a revived Ottoman Empire. Russia for one would not want to see a revived Ottoman Empire challenge its dominance in the region. We are told that it is broken up into four nations/kingdoms and it is out of these that the Little Horn (Antichrist) emerges.

Turkey’s attempt to re-establish a neo Ottoman Empire

“The goat (Turkey) had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came toward the two-horned ram (Iran) I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with savage fury. I saw him approaching the ram, and infuriated with him, he struck the ram, shattering his two horns, and the ram was not strong enough to stand against him... Then the male goat became very great, but when he became powerful, the large horn was shattered. Four conspicuous horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven.” Daniel 8:6-8

The Antichrist (little horn) arrives on the scene and is allowed to dominate the world for an allotted time, three and half years.

“From one of them a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land. It grew as high as the heavenly host, made some of the stars and some of the host fall to the earth, and trampled them. It made itself great, even up to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary. Because of rebellion, a host, together with the daily sacrifice, will be given over. The horn will throw truth to the ground and will be successful in whatever it does.” Daniel 8:9-12

Ezekiel 38 also links the Antichrist (Gog) to modern Turkey (and/or its immediately surrounding vicinity). Ezekiel singles out all Islamic nations in the Middle East and North Africa as comprising the vanguard of Gog’s invasion force during the Great Tribulation.

CHRISTIANS MUST EXPECT PERSECUTION TO ESCALATE

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It is important to remember that persecution come with the territory for Christians doing what God has called us to do. You are a Kingdom warrior in a spiritual war so expect demonic attacks. Moreover, Jesus tells us we should rejoice and be glad for we are blessed and our reward will be great in heaven.

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Timothy 3:12

“If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” 1 Peter 4:14

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12

Many times demons work through unbelievers to insult, attack, degrade and persecute believers. This should be expected and how we respond is of course key to our ability to influence them for God. We know that they cannot understand the word of God without the Spirit of God. All we can do is love them, pray for them and return good for evil

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14

“bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.” Luke 6:28

It is also important to remember that Satan is a created being under God’s control. He is limited by God as to what he can do to you. Read the story of Job again.

Demons do know your weaknesses, particularly long standing addictions and will challenge you again and again to exploit that weakness. The Holy Spirit will convict you and hopefully repentance is quick in response. Make sure you have a mentor with whom you are committed to confess your sins and will hold you accountable to the path of righteousness.

As we approach the last days before Jesus returns, He has told us that spiritual warfare intensifies. Satan knows his time is short. God uses the time of tribulation to purify His church. Many people who call themselves Christians will fall away and compromise with the world and its changing values.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13

But just as Satan intensifies his effort to deceive and destroy, God likewise intensifies His efforts in the natural and supernatural. Joel testifies to this “prior to the great day of the Lord comes”

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” Joel 2:28-29

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Joel 2:30-32

HARVEST RIPE: THE GOSPEL WELCOME NEWS TO THE YOUNG

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A recent study from Barna that found that two-thirds of teens and young adults (65%) agree that “many religions can lead to eternal life” compared to 58% of teens and young adults surveyed in 2018. Additionally, 31% of teens and young adults “strongly agree” that what is “morally right and wrong changes over time, based on society,” compared to just 25% in 2018.

A 2018 study from Barna similarly characterized Gen Z as the “first truly ‘post Christian’ generation,” with only 4% adhering to a biblical worldview. “Moral relativism hasn’t just crept into the worldview of Gen Z,” said Jonathan Morrow, director of cultural engagement and student discipleship at Impact 360 Institute. “It is now the majority opinion.”

whosoevers.com – MAINSTREAM STATS AND QUOTES ON 25 OF SOME OF LIFE’S TOUGHEST TOPICS TEENS STRUGGLE WITH TODAY, AND THE BIBLE’S RESPONSE TO THEM.

Ryan Ries, co-founder of The Whosevers, a movement that seeks to deliver the message of the Gospel to schools and empower students to live boldly for Christ, told The Christian Post that these recent statistics reveal how important it is for young people to have a positive, biblically-grounded influence in their life.

“Anxiety, depression, suicide, identity issues, all of these things are at an all-time high right now,” he said.

“We are seeing it across schools, we’re seeing across the country. “Parents, youth pastors, and anyone who works with teens and young people need to “be honest about the statistics and really let them know what’s going on,” Ries stressed. “Kids know they are depressed, suicidal, and struggling, and when you try to sugar-coat the Gospel and avoid hard issues, they aren’t going to know there is freedom that can take place,” he explained. “We’ve got to have good conversations and address these things because otherwise, we’re missing an opportunity to have a high impact and disciple these kids.”

Thanks to social media, young people are able “to sin in the most radical ways,” Ries said, adding: “When we were young, we had to figure out how to sin. We are now living in a whole different time, where kids who are 9 years old have the mind of teenagers because of the content that they’re exposed to. They’re getting immune to it, callous to it, and corrupted by it.” But as a result, Ries said, the “harvest is ripe” for the Gospel. He said that he’s seen an unprecedented increase in teens and young people dedicating their lives to the Lord in recent months. “The fruit is so ripe that it’s literally falling off the trees up to this point,” he said. “Everyone is giving their life to the Lord. You’ve got to have a conversation with them, be genuine with them, let them know that you love them and that God loves them. They are so eager for the freedom and truth the Gospel gives.”

Time is short so take this opportunity to present the greatest good news ever told to all in your circle of influence. If you are available the Holy Spirit will bring people to you. God loved us sufficient to send His Son to die for us that we have the opportunity to get back into a son/daughter relationship with Him. Not only that, but also to be assured of eternal life with Him on a new earth and heaven with an end to pain, suffering and death.

Embrace LIFE not DEATH.

WOKE OR AWAKE?

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It seems as though “wokeness” ideology is taking over our society with everyone from churches, to schools, to giant corporations seeing who can be the most “woke.”

“Woke” ideas emphasize feelings over facts, pretend that individuals determine reality for themselves (i.e. your “truth”), put a priority on affirming feelings, ideas, or behaviors rather than considering the good of others, and often deny even the ability to know objective truth, certainly not Biblical truth. Being “woke” means you have become enlightened to the alleged systemic oppression of various groups and you vow to fight for “social justice” which usually means working for equal economic and social outcomes in a given context. One example of bowing to woke culture is the increased popularity of Critical Race Theory, even in the Church. The theory utilizes race as the lens through which every area of life is examined, categorizing everyone into oppressor and oppressed groups. “This is a religious movement,” Christian pastor and apologist Voddie Baucham (dean of theology at African Christian University in Zambia) said. “It has all the trappings of a religion. It has its own cosmology, it has its own saints, it has its own liturgy, its own law. It has all of those elements. And a lot of those things are very subtle, which makes them rather attractive to religious people.” He explained that, because Christians are rightly concerned with fighting injustice, condemning racism, and promoting equality of opportunities, philosophies like CRT are appealing, even when their underpinnings are “absolutely” in contradiction to Scripture.

Historic Christianity, and even things like logic and science, are seen as oppressive, racist, bigoted, etc. Today’s “woke” culture is tearing our society apart and erecting barriers to people considering the true Gospel and the freedom it provides. In reality, the current popular understanding of “social justice” that undergirds the “woke” movement is the opposite of the good all humans should pursue and is anything but just (i.e. giving someone else their due).

We cannot love our neighbors well and lead them to the feet of Jesus if we sacrifice truth and goodness on the false altar of “wokeness” ideology. It’s time to wake up as we are fast approaching the last days when the Antichrist (The Lawless One) will be revealed. We need to be saying to the next generation, “Expect to be aliens and sojourners. This is not our home. Jesus places us here to be a light to this dark world, not to be part of the darkness”0 .

The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11
Stand Firm

Southern Evangelical Seminary and Bible College (SES) produced the following video to promote their resources to help young people to disciple the “woke” society.

TURKISH CALIPHATE RISING

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Geopolitics, Biblical prophecy and Muslim prophecy and how they intersect in these last days.

Biblical prophecy reveals in Daniel 8 that in the last days Turkey (Sunni) will defeat Iran (Shia) and become the dominant Muslim force but not for long. It will be broken up into four kingdoms and out of one of them the little horn (Antichrist) will come. Only a great power or coalition of nations will be able to break up what would effectively be a revived Ottoman Empire.

“Then the goat (Turkey) became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven. Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land (Israel).” Daniel 8:8-9

A critical shift is taking place in the Middle East. The Ballistic Missile Program of Iran (Ram) is significant considering its influence in Lebanon with Hezbollah and in Iraq and Syria as well as Hamas, but even more significant is the Turkey Caliphate (Goat) , a revised Ottoman Empire is rising. The Ottoman Empire collapsed in 1923 after 600 years ruling an amazing amount of territory.

Covid 19 Pandemic is providing an opportunity for leaders such as Erdogan. The combination of people’s disillusionment with the Saudi regime as well as Bin Salman’s ambivalence towards Sunni radicalism has led Erdogan to pursue a role as the new political leader of Sunni Islam.

Hagia Sophia from Museum to Mosque

We can see Erdogan’s ambition in a number of actions that he has pursued in the past couple months. The first and most obvious is the reconversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. This has obvious implications. For centuries, Muslim armies made the capture of Constantinople, the center of the Christian east, their chief goal. Various Muslim Hadiths (sayings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad) predicted the submission of the Byzantine capital to Islam. When the Ottomans finally captured the city on May 29, 1453 and turned the Byzantine cathedral of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, it spelled the end of Christian political power in the Middle East and the beginning of the Ottoman Empire as the center of Sunni Islam. Ataturk converted the mosque into a museum in 1935, uncovering some of the Arabic calligraphy to reveal the centuries-old Christian icons. This move, while imperfect, signalled that Turkey was no longer an Islamic state and that it would pursue secularization.

For years now, Erdogan has been undoing Ataturk’s vision. He has cracked down on the sale of alcohol, halted the teaching of the theory of evolution, and is even suspected of aiding Sunni Jihadist groups in Syria. The reconversion of Hagia Sophia serves as a symbolic reminder that in Turkey Islam reigns supreme and that, while Saudi Arabia shrinks away from its Wahabbist legacy, Sunnis who long for a return to a more muscular Islam can turn to Istanbul instead.

The second ominous sign of Turkey’s ambition is the recent onslaught of anti-Armenian sentiments made by pro-Erdogan figures in Lebanon. Lebanon, which is dominated by the Shia Hezbollah (funded and controlled by Iran), has faced increased criticism by Lebanese citizens for its corruption. Massive protests occurred just last year over endemic political corruption and economic stagnation in the country. This is where Erdogan sees his opening. The Sunni community of Lebanon, which doesn’t have nearly the same level of political representation as Shia Muslims or even Christians, and increasingly fears the domination of Hezbollah over the country, could easily turn to Turkey as a sort of protector. We should not be surprised that the bulk of anti-Armenian sentiment in Lebanon has come from the North, which is heavily Sunni.

Perhaps the most insidious result of this strategy is the propagation of anti-Armenian propaganda at pan-Muslim events in the United States. Just last year, during a Muslim American Society convention, official publications from the Turkish government denying the Armenian Genocide were distributed to visitors. The U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations, a major American Muslim Advocacy group, has also pushed Turkish propaganda, claiming that the Armenian Genocide of 1915 is taken out of historical context and that Muslim suffering during the same time period is never discussed.

The overall attempt has been to inflect a general Muslim hostility towards Christianity (which has very deep roots in Islam) with a more particular Turkish hatred of Armenians. Such an attempt, if successfully accomplished, would be a massive propaganda victory for Erdogan’s government. This would signal a shift in influence over radical Islam from the Saudis to the Turks.

Armenians should brace for increased hostility not only from the Turks, but also from the Sunni communities that they have lived with peacefully for decades. They are in turmoil right now, and Erdogan may have found them the perfect scapegoat.

2020 – YEAR FOR DISCIPLE MAKING MOVEMENTS

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Joseph Mattera joins the list of Christian leaders in the USA that recognise that God is bringing about radical change in His church. It is imperative that believers have truly died to self and live life directed by the Holy Spirit.

He says in an article in Charisma News entitled Five Ways God is Reforming His Church in 2020. “I believe 2020 is the year when more and more leaders will attempt to build “disciple making movements”. The corporate business model of doing church—which took off in the 1980s—has proven that, irrespective of the crowds they garner, they usually fail at disciple making. Jesus proved that focusing on disciple making was the key to building the largest and most effective movement the world has ever seen.

This will be the year when disciple making will gain the traction needed to eventually challenge the assumptions of the “CEO convert driven” model of church.

Image result for pictures of home group church

Luke called his historical narrative “the book of Acts” (or the book of Action), not “the book of theology or philosophy.” The Scriptures were written to tell the story of our missionary Father/God, who loved the world and gave up His only Son to save every tribe, nation and people. Those who are truly hearing the heart of God will read the Bible with a missional lens and desire to demonstrate the power of God to a lost and dying world!

In the context of the church, they will live to empower disciples for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12) and in the context of the world, they will desire to manifest His power in a way that proves Jesus rose from the dead. Consequently, many new evangelists will begin to arise (as we saw in the “voice of healing” movement in the 1950’s) and some will eventually fill stadiums, proclaiming the gospel and praying for the sick. (In the past decade, we have only seen a trickle of what is to come!)”

May the reformation of the church that started in the 16th century continue until the Lord Himself comes back for His bride. May all who read this post have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to His Body!

ONE STEP CLOSER TO THE MARK OF THE BEAST?

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Today, December 16th, the NJ legislature is voting for mandatory vaccines without parental consent (including flu vaccines!) for students of all schools, even for college students, eliminating the religious right of exemption from the current law. They will also break federal law.

Our God-given rights as parents are vanishing quickly in the eyes of lawmakers in New Jersey. It is part and parcel of a sign of wicked things coming quickly and further evidence we are in the biblical prophesied “end times”

It will not stop there, as totalitarians will not stop until they have complete control of your lives and behaviour. They have plans to link up the Real Drivers License that you will be required to have with all of your information (medical, etc). And you will not be able to function normally in society without it (sound familiar?) For example, you will not be able to fly on an aeroplane if you are not “up to date on your vaccines,” etc, etc. It’s all a tip of the iceberg of what is happening quickly nationally and globally.

LAST DAYS PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IS ESCALATING

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GOD”S WORD TELLS US CHRISTIANS WILL BE PERSECUTED IN THE LAST DAYS

If you are being used by God to bring many to Christ then you can expect to be the focus of Satan’s minions to stop you and discredit your efforts.

What has happened to Torben Sondergaad of The Last Reformation movement is stark evidence of the extent of the persecution coming our way. You need to watch this video. The following short summary by Torben should get your attention.

I have waited many months to share this with you. This is somehow the hardest and most emotional video I have ever done. But it is also a big relief to finally get this out. Yes, we are seeking Asylum in America, and I would like to share some of the crazy things that have happened in the last six months. We have experienced a crazy and organised persecution from many sides – a persecution that ended up with us leaving Denmark with 8 suitcases, in order to not go to jail, or lose our kids. Later, even going through a spiritual battle like never before, ending up in a hospital, thinking I was going to die. But it has also been a time with fasting and a closeness to Christ that I have never experienced before… How God has come to us, again and again, when we couldn’t take any more… How a man I didn’t know gave me a lot of money in an airport, and how we saw very strong miracles!

BIGGEST ANIMAL DISEASE OUTBREAK ON PLANET EARTH

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Fox News Flash: Top Headlines for June 6th, 2019

This is the biggest animal disease outbreak we’ve ever had on the planet,” Dirk Pfeiffer, a veterinary epidemiologist at City University of Hong Kong and swine fever expert, said. “It makes the foot and mouth disease and [mad cow disease] outbreaks pale in comparison to the damage that is being done. And we have no way to stop it from spreading.”

Related image

China is the epicentre for this outbreak, and it is also home to half of all the pigs in the world. Actually, to be more accurate, I should say that it used to be home to half of all the pigs in the world. In a normal year, China slaughters approximately 700 million pigs. But according to Rabobank, that number will be down 30% this year due to this outbreak. To put that into perspective, that 30% loss in production is equivalent to Europe’s entire annual pork supply, and almost 30% larger than U.S. annual pork production.

We have never seen an animal disease outbreak like this before, and it is rapidly getting worse. African Swine Fever, also referred to as “pig Ebola”, has already wiped out millions upon millions of pigs and it continues to spread to even more countries. There is no vaccine, and there is no cure, and so essentially, we don’t have any way to stop this disease. At this point, the only solution is to kill all the pigs wherever the virus is found and desperately hope that it doesn’t spread anywhere else. But that approach clearly hasn’t been working, and according to a recent Fox News report, this epidemic has now become the “biggest animal disease outbreak we’ve ever had on the planet”

Jesus on the “end times” prior to His return: “And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. “All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8) that lead up to the final seven years (70th week of Daniel) prior Jesus return and His Millennial reign on this earth.

IS INDIA’S AADHAAR A FORERUNNER TO THE MARK OF THE BEAST

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According to a story published in The Wall Street Journal (“India’s Biometric Feat: Big Boon or Big Brother” by Newly Purnell, Dec. 22, 2018), the nation of India has implemented an electronic data system which can control access to goods and services for India’s 1.3 billion people.

Does this sound like the basis of a system where “No man may buy or sell, except he who has the mark,” (Rev. 13:17) ?

Image result for microchip in hand picture

In 2010, India set out to develop a system that would provide national identification numbers to allow citizens to have access to government welfare. Many Indians are illiterate and are so poor that they have no electricity. So, to reach people living in primitive conditions, the Indian government turned to the rapidly developing science of biometrics. Using eye scanners for iris patterns and fingerprint readers, even the poorest and least educated can now be read into the most sophisticated data system in the world.

The system is named “Aadhaar,” a Hindu word meaning “Foundation.” True to its name, other uses beyond the intended welfare payment controls are being built on the “Foundation.” Aadhaar 12-digit personal ID numbers are now required to open a bank account or obtain medical treatment. In many cases, the number is now required for school enrolment, train tickets, telephone purchases and even admission to sporting events.

The Foundation has indeed been put in place for total government surveillance and economic control as described in Revelation 13:17.

Let us not be fearful but instead remind ourselves that we live in the greatest revival in history, when millions and millions of people are being added to the kingdom of God. Our prayers must also be focused on the great harvest.

But we must also be aware that before Christ returns, the Antichrist will come. He introduces the “Mark of the Beast”, probably a chip in the right hand or forehead. The chip is already being used by governments, companies and institutions and considering what India has already set up with Aadhaar, it will be a simple step to insist everyone takes the chip.

We are in the last days so let’s be sure we are in the centre of God’s will for us at this time.