How Russian Society Views the War

Lots of folks told us that this was “Putin’s war” and that the Russian public would rise up and say “stop!”  But that’s not the case.  Most Russians support their troops, support the war effort and believe they’ve gone too far to back out now.  That means that we probably aren’t gonna see an end to war in Europe anytime soon.

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In the nearly two years since Russia launched its “special military operation” against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russian society has gotten used to living against the backdrop of a brutal armed conflict. A significant part of the population has reconciled itself to the idea that they will be living under the current state of affairs for quite some time, and that they must therefore adjust to reality, which ordinary Russians are in any case unable—and often unwilling—to change.

All the naïve predictions that popular discontent triggered by sanctions and the wartime restrictions imposed on daily life would bring down Vladimir Putin’s regime have come to nothing. In many ways, quite the opposite has happened. Most Russians might not identify with the regime, but they have consolidated around the Kremlin, which they believe to be fighting tooth and nail against a West that is seeking to destroy Russia. Despite the fact that such a depiction is at odds with reality, a great many Russians have accepted it as the most logical explanation for this protracted nightmare.

Naturally, some Russians are unhappy with the situation. Millions of people are opposed to authoritarianism and bloodshed, and some of them openly express their views and resist. There are also those known as “turbo-patriots,” who earnestly and aggressively support Putin. But the vast majority is apathetic, and simply passively and automatically “mostly supports” what the regime is doing while waiting for “all this” to end. This part of the population has chosen to become apathetic: their condition can be referred to as “learned indifference.” Putin is a legitimate leader in such people’s eyes, so his “special military operation” must be too. The next ritual imitation of a presidential election in March 2024 will surely confirm that there is no alternative to Putin. The apathetic majority can do little but wait for this difficult time to pass.1

 https://carnegieendowment.org/2023/11/28/alternate-reality-how-russian-society-learned-to-stop-worrying-about-war-pub-91118

North Korea Preparing for War With USA

It really does seem like something big is on the horizon.  You can’t have all this provocative talk without it leading to something.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered his nation's industrial and military sectors to prepare for war with the United States, citing "unprecedented" confrontational activity by the U.S. and its allies.

Kim, speaking at a 2024 planning meeting Wednesday of his ruling Workers' Party, said an in-depth analysis indicated the "severe political and military situation" on the Korean peninsula had "reached its limit," the state-run news agency reported Thursday. The news agency said the military-industrial sector, nuclear weapons sector and civil defense sector were urged to "further accelerate the completion of preparations for this war."

Kim's statements continue a pattern of threatening rhetoric in recent months. They come less than two weeks after the White House "reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to provide extended deterrence" against Pyongyang and dismissed no military options − including nuclear.

 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/12/28/north-korea-kim-jong-un-war-preparations/72047125007/

US Deploys Troops to European Country as Tensions Rise with Russia

 Is it possible that WWIII has already started?  Russia has no plans on putting their tail between their legs and going home and issuing an apology for attacking Ukraine.  And NATO, led by America, keeps pumping billions of dollars worth of weapons into the fight.  Today we read an ominous headline;

US Deploys Troops to European Country as Tensions Rise

Dozens of Iowa National Guard soldiers will depart for Kosovo on Friday as part of an alliance and new North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) peacekeeping mission.

NATO as a collective has been a vocal critic of Russia's efforts in Ukraine since the war there began on February 24, 2022, drawing the ire of Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin and leading to various threats throughout the 22-month campaign.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said just before Christmas that the efforts of NATO and Western allies have led to a "big strategic defeat" for Russia, adding that Russia "has lost Ukraine forever." The U.S. has provided more aid to Ukraine than any NATO member, though the war continues to be a stalemate.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in October that Putin could be seeking a diversion from his military directive to the Balkans, where that month a gun battle between Kosovo and Serbian representatives led to the U.S. warning of rising tensions and violence in the region.

Here;  US Deploys Troops to European Country as Tensions Rise (msn.com)

It would seem that it's only a matter of time before Russia realizes how many Russian troops and being killed with American-made tools and says, "American assets are now fair game for Russian attacks."

Can America print enough money to keep fighting all these wars?  How about when China invades Taiwan maybe in the next few weeks?  Can we send all our ships and planes their too and start shooting at Chinese troops?  We have already concluded in previous posts that Russia and China are acting together to bring down the USA.

I sure hope our "going woke" military is ready for wars on numerous fronts.

160 Christians Killed By Muslims in Nigeria Over Christmas Weekend

 Is CNN and MSNBC reporting on these Muslims butchering Christian farmers in Nigeria?  Haven’t seen it.  Where are the campus protests?  Where is the outrage and calls of “genocide!”  Don’t hold your breath.  For now the world is focused on shaming Israel for killing “too many innocent Palestinians.”

Islam is at war with the civilized world but MSM and Leftists, in their constant quest for tolerance and inclusion, want to treat the Muslim invaders in Western nations as part of “the victim class”.  In their brains, any minority class is eligible for “victim” status...except Christians and Jews living in Muslim nations.

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In a devastating outbreak of violence, at least 160 Christians were targeted and killed during what has been described as a “very terrifying Christmas” in north-central Nigeria’s Plateau state.

The affected area has seen a surge of violence over the Christmas Eve weekend, resulting in a death toll that has shocked communities and the nation at large.

Gunmen launched coordinated assaults in not fewer than 20 villages on the eve of December 24th, carrying out attacks that continued unabated into the following day, The Guardian reported.

The suspected attacker, nomadic herders, killed at least 140 people using guns and machetes. According to Punch Newspaper, over 10,000 people were displaced by the attacks.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/12/least-160-christian-farmers-killed-300-wounded-coordinated/

No Jews—No News

 Amir Tsarfati is an Israeli Jew who loves Jesus and is a frequent guest at prophecy conferences and radio shows.  He believes Jesus is returning for His bride any day now.  Yesterday he gave a video update that’s about 4 minutes long.  He tells of events that are happening in the Middle East that the media will never report on.  Why?  Because “no Jews equals no news.”  Watch it below.

https://youtu.be/RdT5O3r1k_E?feature=shared

Turkish President Compares Netanyahu to Hitler

Erdogan says Netanyahu is like Hitler.  Meanwhile he entertains the leaders of Hamas at his palace.  I think we can see where this is going.  No wonder Turkey never really fit in at NATO and no wonder they were never let into the EU...because they are a Muslim state that desires a global caliphate and once conflict arises they show their true colors.  Ezekiel 38 draws closer.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan once again attacked Israel regarding the war in Gaza.

During his speech on Wednesday, he compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. "What is the difference between you (Netanyahu) and Hitler? How do the actions of the Netanyahu government differ from the actions of Hitler?"

Netanyahu responded to the Turkish president, saying: "Erdoğan, who is committing genocide against the Kurds and who holds the world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his regime, is the last person who can preach morality to us." 

The prime minister added that "the IDF, which is the most moral army in the world, is fighting to eliminate the most abhorrent and brutal terrorist organization in the world, Hamas-ISIS, which has committed crimes against humanity, and which Erdoğan has praised and whose leaders he hosts."

Erdoğan spoke harshly against Israel last month during a meeting of his party's faction in the Turkish parliament in Ankara. 

"Israel is a terrorist state. It operates state terrorism. You identify Hamas as a terrorist organization, but Hamas is a political party that won the elections - and then was robbed of its rights," he said.

Later in his speech, Erdoğan claimed: "Genocide is taking place in Gaza, and Turkey will take steps in the international arena nationally to stop this genocide. I call on Netanyahu to declare whether Israel has nuclear weapons or not. In any case - he is lost and at the end of his journey."

 https://allisrael.com/erdogan-attacks-netanyahu-who-responds-the-last-one-who-can-preach-morality-to-us

Turkey Falls Further Into Anti- Israel

 Turkey refused to say anything negative about Hamas following the October 7 rape and massacre of Israelis by Hamas.  And every day they turn further away from their western fellow members of NATO.  They are being set up to fulfill Ezekiel 38.

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In the first days of the war that broke out following the October 7 massacre conducted by Hamas, Turkey employed a relatively balanced discourse about it. But after the bombing of Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on October 17, Ankara hardened its stance and bluntly condemned Israel. This change in Erdogan’s rhetoric reflects a long pattern of anti-Israel sentiment. Erdogan’s support for Hamas in the wake of the massacre pulls Turkey, a NATO member, further away from the West. As long as Turkey pays no price for its anti-Israeli rhetoric, it will continue, and the resulting distance between Turkey and the West could have serious consequences.

After the events of October 7, Turkey remained silent. It issued no condemnation of Hamas for the massacre and did not express any sympathy for Israel’s grief and shock. Following the explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on October 17, Turkey finally spoke out on the war by issuing a condemnation of the State of Israel.

Turkey’s support for Hamas is not new. The connection between Turkey and Hamas has long been a stumbling block on the path to normalization with Israel, and it became highly visible with the Mavi Marmara flotilla clash in 2010.

In 2011, Ankara issued a direct invitation to Hamas to establish a presence in Turkey, which it immediately did. Ever since, Turkey has served as a safe haven for Hamas senior leadership. Experts label Turkey the second-largest Hamas center after Gaza — a striking fact, as Turkey is a member of NATO.

Turkey is the only NATO country to maintain such close ties to a terrorist organization. The Hamas office in Turkey is well-armed, able to launder money through Turkish financial institutions, and equipped to facilitate the entrance of terrorists into Israeli territory.

In 2015, Cihat Yağmur, a Hamas operative involved in the kidnapping of IDF soldier Nachshon Wachsman, became the Hamas representative in Turkey. Among other responsibilities, Yağmur oversees terror units in Judea and Samaria and maintains connections with the Turkish government and its intelligence services.

In an interview with the Islamist newspaper Yakit in 2018, Yağmur said that unlike other Muslim leaders and most Muslim-majority countries, Erdogan genuinely loves Jerusalem, as is evident in Turkey’s substantial investments in charities and material and moral support for Jerusalem. According to Yağmur, Erdogan is the only leader who truly cares about the Al-Aqsa Mosque and understands what needs to be done.

Erdogan does not attempt to conceal his support of Hamas, and holds public meetings with senior Hamas leaders. In July 2023, he hosted the head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh. In 2020, Ankara granted Turkish citizenship to Haniyeh and 12 other Hamas activists. Haniyeh’s deputy, Saleh al-Arouri, who is referred to as the commander of Hamas West Bank, is a US-designated terrorist with a bounty of $5 million on his head. Al-Arouri celebrated the massacre on October 7 on social media and is believed to be one of the chief planners of the attacks. He holds a Turkish passport, which grants him freedom of movement worldwide.

https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/12/25/turkey-will-stay-anti-israel-and-anti-us-unless-its-forced-to-pay-for-its-actions/

The Fig Tree is Alive. Does That Mean We Are the Generation That Won't Pass Away?

 For 2000 years the Jews had been driven away from The Land promised to their forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  And then a miracle started to happen.  The Jews started coming back to a desolate land in the late 1800's and buying it up from it's current Arab owners.  The Ottoman Empire had ruled it for centuries and when when they lost WWI it became time for some other Gentiles to carve it up and control it.

I'll let you read all the history but when you do, it will be nearly impossible for you to deny that modern day Israel is a supernatural act of God  God has allowed the land to bloom again when under the control of the Jews and they now export fruit to Europe.  They also are one of the most technologically-advanced nations on earth.

So is it possible that because we have witnessed the fig tree bloom again that WE are the generation that won't pass away until "all these things" that Jesus spoke of come to pass?

Hebrews 1 says, "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds..." So, here we are seeing that Jesus never contradicted a single verse from the prophets. In fact, He continued in the same mantle.

Toward the end of His ministry, Jesus was on the Mount of Olives surrounded by His disciples. None of His disciples were "Christian" at that point. They were Jewish.

So, Jesus taught his Jewish disciples while He was in Jerusalem. And to make it very clear, in the history of planet Earth, Jerusalem was never the capital of any other nation but Israel. So, here you have the Jewish Messiah speaking to His Jewish disciples in the Jewish capital of the Jewish people.

We have to understand that the questions He was asked by his disciples--to which He gave a great, lengthy, and detailed answer--were authentic Jewish issues related to the Jewish Temple, the Messiah, and the last days.

No Gentile at the time was thinking about the last days, the Messiah, or the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus was talking to Jews about Jewish matters that only interested the Jews. He spoke on the Mount of Olives. That is why Matthew 24 is called the Olivet Discourse.

By the way, He was not angry with their questions. He understood exactly where they were coming from and took His time to give them a detailed answer. First, in verses 4 to 31, He spoke to His Jewish disciples about the future of the Jews. But then, starting in verse 32, He also gave them a different perspective of things to come. And He was talking about something else, someone else, another group of people which, by the way, they are also part of.

Israel Reborn

Israel in the Scriptures was described by three different types of trees: the vine, the fig tree, and the olive tree. Each of them was a symbol of something else. The vine symbolizes Israel's spiritual privileges (Psalm 80, Isaiah 5, and Jeremiah 2). The fig tree symbolizes Israel's national privileges (Hosea 9, Jeremiah 24, and, of course, Matthew 24). The olive tree represented Israel's religious privileges (Hosea 14, Isaiah 17, Isaiah 24, Psalm 52, Psalm 128, and Romans 11). Romans 11 speaks specifically of Israel as the "good olive tree" and the Gentiles as the "wild olive tree." Some of the branches of the original olive tree were chopped off, and the Gentiles, the wild olive tree, were grafted in.

So, Gentile believers are now partakers of the blessing with Israel--not instead of Israel. In fact, the Church can trust the promises of God because He keeps His covenant with Israel. And the fig tree is coming back to life! It was cursed, but it is not dead forever.

When the Jewish people started coming back to the land of Israel toward the end of the 1800s, they found exactly what Mark Twain wrote in his diary as a traveler: "I've never seen such a barren wasteland in my life where we hardly saw a living creature." So God first inspired the Jewish people to return to their homeland. That is the meaning of "Zionism"--the Jewish belief that your place is in Zion. So, the desire to go to Israel was the beginning of that fig tree returning to life! In Ezekiel 36:8, God said: "But you, O mountains of Israel, you will put forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel, for they will soon come."

The Lord knew that there was no way that hundreds of thousands and later millions of Jews could thrive in a barren wasteland. It would never work. So what did the Lord do? He spoke fertility, and boom! Look what happened--today Israel exports food. While farm workers are only 3.8% of the workforce in Israel, they produce almost 100% of our food. Israeli cows are the most productive cows in the world. Israel leads the world in technology to extract water even from the air. Israel invented the drip irrigation system and exports desalination installations around the world. It uses solar energy like no other country does. And 90% of its wastewater is being purified and recycle for agriculture.

One of the smallest nations on earth, Israel is thriving. That's God's way of saying, "The fig tree is coming back to life."

Ezekiel 36 talked about how God would heal the land in preparation for the Jews to return to their land. Then in Ezekiel 37, Ezekiel was brought to a valley full of dry bones. He was so terrified that he asked, "What is this?" The Lord replied, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold they say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope has perished. We are completely cut off!'" 

That means they're alive, but barely. Like a person with bones and skin--but hopeless and thinking that God has forgotten all about him. That was the picture we saw when Jews were liberated from Nazi death camps. Men, women, and children barely alive. Skin and bones, but no hope. And collectively believing, "God has forgotten all about us." But God had promised, "Behold, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel" (Ezekiel 37:12).

Not Palestine! Not Arab Land! The Land of Israel!

God Has Done It

Then He said, "Then you will know that I am Yahweh, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. And I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken and done it" (Ezekiel 37:13-14). Wow! And He has literally done that.

So, in 1948, the nation was born! Even then, Israel was born as a nation on the verge of annihilation every day--every single day of that year, the following year, and the following year after that. Every single day since 1948 has been a gift from God, because Israel was supposed to be destroyed!

The nations that came against Israel in 1948 have tried to destroy the land repeatedly and failed at every turn. What was it that they wanted in 1948? Oil? Gas? We had none of those. They wanted us to be cut off from being a nation so that the name of Israel would be remembered no more.

However, 1948 is also when we start counting a generation. Just consider what has changed since Israel's modern founding. Israel was small, vulnerable, insecure, dangerous, and very poor. Compared to then, Israel today is safe, secure, and prosperous. But 75 years have passed since 1948.

I believe the Feasts of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles will be fulfilled to the people of Israel when the Lord comes back. The Jewish people pray in Hebrew every morning: "May our eyes behold Your return to Zion with mercy." They want Him to come, but they do not believe the Messiah is returning for a second time. They think He is coming for the first time.

Jewish people also understand that before the Messiah comes there will be a terrible time of tribulation. They believe that there has to be a great time of repentance. The repentance and God tabernacling physically on Earth with His people will happen as God fulfills those feasts to Israel just as He did with the first four feasts.

The importance of the Church and Israel is conveyed in God's command in Numbers 10:1-2 for Moses to make two trumpets--two Silver trumpets. Why two? Why silver? Why trumpets? Trumpets are a means to announce the coming of someone. Silver is a precious metal, but not perfect. And two, because there are only two groups of people on earth that God called out, "You are My witnesses." Israel in Isaiah 46 and the Church in Acts chapter 1.

Throughout the Old Testament history of Israel, the Church did not exist. But from the moment the Church was born, the nation of Israel was thrown out of the Land. Only since 1948 have the two co-existed to bear witness to the coming Messiah. The trumpets are sounding!

Are You Ready?

Some Christians are ready to go; others are simply tired. Either way, their attitude seems to be, "How long can we still stay here?" My response is Philippians 4:4: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" Paul went on to affirm, "The Lord is near." That is why we need to rejoice, and why we need to "hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23).

What hope? Our Blessed Hope! (Titus 2:13).

What promises has He kept? All of them! Everything He said has happened. Israel is back in the Land just as He said. The fig tree is alive!

We can rejoice that we are in the generation to see the sign of Israel. And, we can bless the Holy One of Israel--Who is the Lamb of God, and the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Emmanuel--Prince of Peace, King of kings, and Lord of lords.

Yeshua is the "light of revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of [His] people Israel" (Luke 2:32). And, He's coming again soon!

Here;  The Fig Tree Is Alive: Are We Among The Generation That 'Shall Not Pass Away'? (prophecynewswatch.com)

I hope Jesus is coming soon!  We can see where the trajectory of America and the world is going...and it's not going to end well.  I'm excited to see what Jesus has prepared for us.  As we have said a lot lately, "if it wasn't true, He wouldn't have told us so."

World's Most Dangerous Combination: China and Russia

 We know that Russia plays a major role in Ezekiel 38.  We also know that China has been planning the implosion of America for quite some time.  Their plans include flooding the USA with fentanyl and turning our kids into mindless idiots by flooding them with Tik Tok videos.  They also are trying to figure out how to unseat the US Dollar from its status of Reserve Currency.

Do we know that Russia and China are sharing some plans for world domination and take over of the West?  It really shouldn't surprise us.  We know that they are not best friends but they do share a desire to see America fall.

China and Russia are more than just working together. They are forming the core of a new axis. Around this core are proxies and proxies of proxies, such as Iran, North Korea, Algeria, and a host of terrorist groups.

The Chinese and Russian leaders are forming this grouping because they believe the United States, the final guarantor of the international system that frustrates them both, must be taken down. Xi, by, among other things, declaring a "people's war" on America, has made it clear that the U.S. must be destroyed and Americans exterminated. Putin is less ambitious, only wanting the U.S. out of his way as he recreates the Russian Empire at its greatest extent.

"Washington has little leverage over Russia. There are no carrots to offer to Putin, and the sticks haven't worked." — Rebekah Koffler, author of Putin's Playbook and former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst, to Gatestone, December 2023.

In other words, China and Russia are preparing to go to war together. As no country threatens either of them, they are undoubtedly thinking of perpetrating more acts of aggression.

 Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy knows how to end the greatest threat to American national security. That threat would be the combination of the world's two most dangerous states: China and Russia.

"I would freeze the current lines of control," the candidate told Fox News's Jesse Watters during his prime time show, referring to the battlefields in Ukraine. "I would further make a hard commitment that NATO will not admit Ukraine to NATO. That's enough to get Putin to do the deal."

"But I would require something even greater in return, Jesse," Ramaswamy said. "Russia has to exit its military alliance with China."

Putin will take the deal, the charismatic candidate assured Watters: "He's gonna say, 'Ok' because I'm going to say, 'We'll reopen our economic relations with Russia and further, we'll end the Ukraine war and also make sure NATO never admits Ukraine.' "

The interview occurred in late August, but these themes are often heard, in America and elsewhere. Is Ramaswamy on the right track?

In theory, it should be possible to separate Moscow from Beijing. After all, China and Russia have for centuries been competitors, adversaries, and even enemies. Take something as fundamental as their common border. After border skirmishes, they finally settled the boundary only in 2008, when Moscow formally transferred various parcels to China.

Vladimir Putin knows, however, that no border is ever finally fixed, and Chinese migrants are pouring into the sparsely populated Russian Far East. There, many of them hope to "retake" lands ceded by the Qing dynasty to Moscow in the 1850s and 1860s in what Chinese officials now call "unequal treaties." Beijing has made no formal claim to Vladivostok and surrounding areas, but it has been continually pushing the idea nonetheless.

In short, China poses the greatest threat to Russia, at least over the long term.

The Ramaswamy proposal, however, ignores the reality that as long as Putin and Xi Jinping rule, there is no realistic possibility of breaking up the two states. Both dictators view the world in similar terms; believe that their short-term interests coincide; and identify the same adversary, the United States of America. As Xi said on December 20 as he welcomed Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin to Beijing, "Maintaining and developing China-Russia relations well is a strategic choice made by both sides based on the fundamental interests of the two peoples."

Here;  World's Most Dangerous Combination: China and Russia :: Gatestone Institute

Even a casual observer can look around planet earth and realize that we are sitting on the edge of the abyss.  Here in America we are going to occupy ourselves with fighting about the rights of queers, throuples, tampon machines in boys bathrooms, men competing in women's sports, how many genders exist, killing unwanted babies in the womb and free college of all.

Meanwhile our enemies are at the gates.  I sure hope all the woke women of America can drop what they are doing, pick up some guns and grenades and be ready to fight the Russian and Chinese soldiers in hand to hand combat!  Because they sure do believe in their hearts that "women can do ANYTHING a man can do!!"  Sadly, I believe they have been convincing the US Military to believe that lie.

Trump, “May They Rot in Hell”

 Former President Trump in an unusual Christmas message on Truth Social called for various people he sees as “looking to destroy” the nation to “rot in Hell.”

It was one of several Christmas messages on the former president’s preferred social media platform going after President Biden, special counsel Jack Smith and other political opponents throughout Monday.

The opponents included world leaders and people in favor of the use of electric cars.

“Merry Christmas to all, including Crooked Joe Biden’s ONLY HOPE, Deranged Jack Smith,” Trump began in a Truth Social post at 2:38 p.m. EST.

Trump frequently describes Smith, who is prosecuting the former president over his actions connected to the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, as deranged. The Supreme Court just Friday said it would not immediately consider a request by Smith to make a determination on Trump’s insistence he is immune from prosecution because he was taking presidential actions at the time.

“Included also are World Leaders, both good and bad, but none of which are as evil and ‘sick’ as the THUGS we have inside our Country who, with their Open Borders, INFLATION, Afghanistan Surrender, Green New Scam, High Taxes, No Energy Independence, Woke Military, Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Iran, All Electric Car Lunacy, and so much more, are looking to destroy our once great USA. MAY THEY ROT IN HELL. AGAIN, MERRY CHRISTMAS!” the former president concluded.

Trump remains the favorite to win the GOP presidential nomination. He has a 54 percent lead in the aggregation of polls kept by Decision Desk HQ and The Hill.

Trump is also looking strong in a one-on-one match-up against Biden. The Decision Desk-The Hill aggregation of polls shows Trump with a 1.9 percent lead.

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-may-rot-hell-merry-232118336.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFr6nEMbWmSdoDFl4E5qpUpnfGqRYIMryG35mFlCgfATdRwbW_w-TLBLUhtGwsdN6j-WezgAX5i2wivpNyh8jPGmMhXxgM8e0btg9Ho1aW2sNhuwC08F3HVmRisGiVvKUHOFAvGT_ImXuq9UfLn5-Q7skUaxYEQasVt1cf6iagOZ

Biden Orders Strike on Iranian Terrorist Group

 The wars and rumors of war continue to expand.  WWIII seems to be right around the corner.  And yet people are still eating, drinking, marrying, planting and building.  Just like they were doing in the days of Noah.  And they knew nothing of what was going on until the flood came and took them all away.  That’s how it will be in the days before the trumpet blows and Christ calls us into the clouds.

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A drone attack by an Iran-affiliated terrorist group on a military base in Iraq early Monday morning left three U.S. service members wounded, the Pentagon said, and prompted President Biden to order retaliatory strikes.  

The attack on the Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq was conducted by Kataib Hezbollah militants, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement. One of the three service members wounded is in critical condition, Austin disclosed.

In response, Mr. Biden — after being briefed and holding a call with Austin and his national security team — ordered retaliatory strikes on "three locations utilized by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups focused specifically on unmanned aerial drone activities," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

According to U.S. Central Command, the retaliatory strikes on the three sites, all located in Iraq, were conducted at 8:45 p.m. Eastern Time and "likely killed a number of Kataib Hezbollah militants." 

No civilians were believed to have been wounded or killed, CENTCOM said.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/drone-attack-iraq-military-base-3-u-s-service-members-wounded-kataib-hezbollah-retaliatory-strikes/

US Military Misses Recruiting Goals

 At a time when the USA might need lots of people serving in the military, most of our youth are too fat, too drugged up, to anxious, too gender confused or maybe too appalled at the idea of carrying a weapon.  China may be very close to success in collapsing America without firing a shot.  

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The U.S. military missed its recruiting goals in 2023 by 41,000 and faces a recruiting crisis heading into the new year, according to a Pentagon official. 

Ashish Vazirani, the Pentagon’s acting undersecretary for personnel and readiness, told the House Armed Services Committee last week that 77% of today’s youth would not qualify for military service without some form of a waiver and 11% would not qualify because they are overweight. 

"Young people today are not rejecting military service; the challenge is that they are not even thinking about it," Vazirani said, according to a transcript of his opening statement. "They are not looking at what we have to offer and telling us ‘no.’ They simply don’t K-N-O-W much about military service, and what they do know is probably not accurate or complete."

https://www.foxnews.com/media/us-military-grapples-recruiting-crisis-one-army-vet-says-he-knows-why?dicbo=v2-E1eYFMk

Why Aren’t We There Yet?

This article should strike a chord with many of us, as I know it did with me.  Why hasn’t Jesus blown the trumpet and removed us yet?  I’ve been blogging for 15 years now about the soon return of Christ. We’ve been on the edge of financial Armageddon for going on 20 years and yet they just keep printing money and the dollar is still the reserve currency of the world. 

I remember in 2007 when Israel attacked a secret nuclear reactor site in Syria and I had a moment of, “wow! we’ve got to be hearing the trumpet any day now!”  And today we have war in Israel, Jerusalem in the crosshairs, LGBTQ dominance sweeping Western civilization, collapsing marriage rates, collapsing birth rates, drug abuse, rejection of Christ, earthquakes increasing, lawlessness as bands of roving thieves shoplifting massive amounts of retail goods     while cops stand and watch.  Where is Jesus?  Is He coming as He promised?

Below is from Nearing Midnight section on Rapture Ready from December 18.

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 As I eagerly wait for Jesus to take us home to glory, I sometimes wonder, “Why aren’t we there yet?” With the multitude of signs converging at this time in history, why hasn’t the Tribulation already started with us safely in paradise with our Savior?

The only answer that makes sense to me is “the Lord’s restraining hand.” Apart from that, the world might even now be well into judgments described in the book of Revelation.

Paul refers to this factor in 2 Thessalonians 2:5-8 in reference to the Antichrist. We know this “man of lawlessness” cannot make himself known until after the Rapture. However, in restraining his appearance on the world scene, God’s Spirit is also delaying other scenarios that will accompany it.

Economic Desolation

During the past fifteen years, I have read books and articles warning that the U.S. is on the brink of a major economic collapse, the likes of which will cause a dreadful worldwide depression. Despite the fact that our government has printed an enormous amount of money during the past several years, incurred thirty-three trillion dollars in debt, continues to recklessly spend money, and invites millions of illegals into our country on our dime, somehow our economy has not yet collapsed.

How is that even remotely possible apart from the Lord’s restraining hand?

When Jesus opens the third seal (Revelation 6:5-6), a severe economic depression will fall upon the entire world. But for God keeping the American economy from utter collapse and, with it, the rest of the world, this has not yet happened.

The Deadliest Wars in Human History

The second and fourth seals of Revelation 6:1-8 warn of catastrophic wars ahead for our world. These conflicts will be a key factor in killing one-fourth of the world’s population at the time.

Today, we hear numerous warnings of World War III that analysts predict will kill hundreds of millions. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin of Russia has often threatened to attack NATO countries with nuclear bombs because of their support for Ukraine. Despite a show of force intended to intimidate the nations, he has not yet carried through on his threats.

Since Israel’s invasion of Gaza, many have speculated that Hezbollah would attack in full force from Lebanon, leading to a much wider conflict that could involve the U.S. and other major powers. Although fierce battles are taking place on Israel’s northern border, an all-out war with Hezbollah has not yet begun, although it may at any moment.

Despite the variety of sparks that could lead to WWIII, the Lord is restraining the hands of those willing to plunge the world into such a deadly devastation.

God’s Judgment of Wickedness

As I have written in many previous blog posts, God’s judgment of the U.S. seems long overdue. I’m certain that with the enormous number of abortions, the protection of sex trafficking by our government, the growing acceptance of vile, wicked practices, and now the anti-Semitism that is becoming commonplace here, the Lord’s wrath will fall upon the land that I love.

For now, the Lord is withholding His judgments on America as well as the rest of the world until the time of His choosing. The cup of His wrath is filling quickly (Psalm 75:6-8), but He’s giving more time for people to come to faith in Him and thereby escape the horrors of the Tribulation.

The judgments that the Apostle John describes in Revelation 6-18 are horrific. The many precursors to this time warn people that it’s coming, but so few, even in Bible-believing churches, recognize the myriad of signs.

Yet the Lord, in His mercy, continues to warn us that this day is near. 

The Establishing of the World Order

The books of Daniel and Revelation tell us that there will be a world government in place during the seven-year Tribulation with the Antichrist in charge. The globalists are working overtime to make this happen.

They have their eyes set on 2030 as the magical year when they hope to realize their dreams of world domination. Frustration with the lack of progress toward this goal comes through in their continuing efforts to recommit the nations to achieving their draconian objectives. At the recently concluded COP28, they negotiated for many hours in order to produce a consensus agreement.

I believe the elite will face continuing roadblocks until the Rapture of the Church. Although they will then have the worldwide chaos that they now desire, it will be the Antichrist who will galvanize the required support among the nations for the world order and thus finalize the deal. Until then, we will see the restraining hand of the Lord holding back the riders of Revelation 6:1-8, although we see precursors to these conditions as the Lord warns the world that these days are coming.

As believers, we await Jesus’ appearing to take us to His Father’s home in Heaven (John 14:2-3). Although it’s difficult at times, we know Jesus will fulfill all the prophecies concerning His appearing, judge the wicked, and reign over the nations.

The words that the Lord spoke to Habakkuk long ago are relevant today for those of us who wonder why Jesus has not already come for us:

“For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
it will surely come; it will not delay” (Habakkuk 2:3).

-Jonathan Brentner

Bethlehem, “Jesus in the Rubble”

 This article comes from the Washington Post and is being reported from “Bethlehem, West Bank”.  2000 years ago a Jewish God-man was born in Bethlehem, Israel to Jewish parents, both of whom were descendants of Jewish King David.  And yet the world refuses to see that Israel has ANY claim to the West Bank, Bethlehem and Jerusalem.  And the world attacks Israel and sides with its enemies at every given chance.  The claim that “if Jesus was born today he would be born in the rubble”, (because of those dang Jews bombing the crap out of innocent people) is patently false.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem because prophecy said he would be born there.  He was born to Jews, not Arabs, because God ordained it.  He was the Son of Promise that came from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  The illegitimate son of Abraham and Hagar, Ishmael, went on to become the Arab people who have been jealous of the Jews since that day.  Islam was added to the fire of Jew hatred  about 700 years after Jesus ascended and has been a destructive force on earth ever since.

Continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and remember that both the majority of Jews and Muslims have rejected Jesus and are on the wide road that Jesus spoke of.  Pray for the harvest of both.

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BETHLEHEM, West Bank — At Christmastime, the world comes to Bethlehem. The rooftop of the city hall is packed with camera crews from around the globe to capture a towering tree in Manger Square as the bells toll for midnight Mass at the Church of the Nativity, built upon the grotto where, by tradition, Jesus was born.

This year there will be no tree. No parades, bands or music. No lights. No markets, no feasts, no carols. No Santas handing out candy to the children.

And no pilgrims. No tourists.

Christian leaders here are careful to condemn the surprise Hamas attack on Israeli communities on Oct. 7, when the militants killed 1,200 people and took about 240 more hostage, triggering current hostilities. But they appear most focused on the war since. The Israel Defense Forces, fighting to eradicate Hamas, have killed more than 20,000 people in Gaza, the enclave’s Health Ministry said Friday. With water, food and shelter all short, international aid groups warn a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding.

The Holy Land is home mostly to Jews and Muslims. But 2 percent of the Palestinian population of the West Bank is Christian, with many of them proudly tracing their roots back a millennium or more. There also exists a tiny remnant of Christians — maybe a thousand people, no more — in Gaza.

In his annual Christmas message, Bethlehem Mayor Hanna Hananiaspoke this year of mourning — and condemned Israel’s prosecution of the war in Gaza as “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide.”

So did the head of the chamber of commerce. “I am sad and upset at the moral failure of the West” to stop the killing of civilians in Gaza, Samir Hazboun said.

Christian clergy here use similar language, blaming the failure to protect the innocent on world leaders including President Biden.

The Rev. Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church, stood beside the small Nativity scene in his chapel. The baby Jesus sat amid flickering candles atop a pile of busted cement and dirty stone.

“This is what Christmas looks like in Palestine,” Issac said. “This is the true message.”

At first, he said, the idea of placing the birth of Jesus in a war zone “was shocking — it was hard for even our own people. But it left a strong impression because the image is very real, it confronts you with the reality — then and now — in a very powerful way.”

“If Jesus were born today,” he said, “he would be born in Gaza amid the rubble.”

“Who can sing ‘Joy to the World’ today?”

Photos of the scene have gone viral. A similar installation is to be placed in Manger Square before Christmas Eve.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/23/christmas-celebrations-bethlehem-canceled-israel-gaza/