How Does Russian Chaos Impact Prophecy?

The recent Russian attempted coup by Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has created some chaos in Russia. Prigozhin was furious at the leaders of Russia’s Ministry of Defense, whom he repeatedly accused of sending tens of thousands of Russian soldiers to certain death through their corruption, incompetence, and cowardice. Over 20,000 of his own fighters were killed in the bloody battle for Bakhmut – a town of only 70,000 inhabitants before the war. He publicly blamed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov for Russia’s casualties and battlefield struggles. This led him to try to a mild coup, which ultimately failed and led to his exile to Belarus. While the coup did little to impact Russia today, it did show that the nation is in serious chaos with the war in Ukraine.

This was by far the most serious threat to Putin’s 23-year rule. On the one hand, you’re not supposed to be able to defy Putin in Russia this way and get away with it. Yet the men who shot down and killed an estimated 13 Russian pilots on their way to Moscow were pardoned. And the man who openly defied Putin’s orders, discredited his rationale for the war in Ukraine, and whom Putin declared a traitor on public television, is still alive (at least for now). Putin has jailed and killed people for a lot less, so this makes him look weak before the Russian public and the elites.

On the other hand, Putin’s regime was tested over the weekend, and the regime ultimately held together. Yes, there were a lot of people who didn’t fire to stop Wagner troops from advancing, but there were virtually no defections inside the Russian government, the military, or among elites. The government is still functioning normally, and the war in Ukraine is going the way it did before the mutiny. Putin is more vulnerable on the back of it, but that’s more a long-term than an immediate issue. The likelihood of regime change in Russia remains near zero … until it happens. But these events show that the risks are more than initially thought.

How does this coup impact the war in Ukraine? The incident is a problem for Putin’s credibility with elites and the Russian public, and this political vulnerability could make him more sensitive to major battlefield losses in the coming months. If we get to a point later in the summer or fall where Ukraine starts to threaten Crimea or the land bridge, the risk of a major Russian escalation (such as blowing up the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant or using a tactical nuclear weapon) in response would go up.

Biblical Connection: How does this chaos impact Russia in prophecy? When the Ukraine war began, many students of Biblical prophecy saw this aggression as a sign that Russia could be moving toward the Gog-Magog prophecy of Ezekiel 38-39. However, with the weakness of the Russian forces in Ukraine, it is clear that Russia is not as strong military as many thought. If Putin feels threatened or feels desperate, then he really only has two options. First, he may try to sue for peace and turn his resources to reestablishing his strength in his own nation. This would seem to point away from more Russian aggression in the near future. However, if Putin feels pressure to continue to show Russia is strong on the world stage, it could lead to more Russian aggression, which could lead to something like the Gog-Magog situation, especially if Putin turns to Iran to help its military exploits across the globe.

PRAY: Pray that the situation in Ukraine would end peacefully and that Russian aggression would be limited and halted.

World Economic Forum Calls for AI to Rewrite Bible

A top official with the World Economic Forum (WEF) has called for religious scripture to be “rewritten” by artificial intelligence (AI) to create a globalized “new Bible.” Yuval Noah Harari, the senior advisor to the WEF and its chairman Klaus Schwab, argued that using AI to replace scriptures will create unified “religions that are actually correct.” Harari, an influential author and professor, made the call while giving a talk on the “future of humanity.”

According to Harari, the power of AI can be harnessed and used to reshape spirituality into the WEF’s globalist vision of “equity” and inclusivism. Speaking with journalist Pedro Pinto in Lisbon, Portugal, Harari told the elitist audience: “It’s the first technology ever that can create new ideas. You know, the printing press, radio, television, they broadcast, they spread the ideas created by the human brain, by the human mind. They cannot create a new idea. You know, Gutenberg printed the Bible in the middle of the 15th century; the printing press printed as many copies of the Bible as Gutenberg instructed it, but it did not create a single new page. It had no ideas of its own about the Bible: Is it good? Is it bad? How to interpret this? How to interpret that?”

Harari then revealed that he and his allies at the WEF have a solution to the supposed problems he’d just highlighted. “AI can create new ideas; it can even write a new Bible,” he declared. “Throughout history, religions dreamt about having a book written by a superhuman intelligence, by a non-human entity,” he added. “In a few years, there might be religions that are actually correct … just think about a religion whose holy book is written by an AI. That could be a reality in a few years.”

Harari noted in another recent gathering that software like ChatGPT has mastered human languages and can harness that function to influence culture. “For thousands of years, prophets and poets and politicians have used language and storytelling in order to manipulate and to control people and to reshape society,” he said. “Now AI is likely to be able to do it. And once it can… it doesn’t need to send killer robots to shoot us. It can get humans to pull the trigger.”

Harari frequently pushes ideas that involve humanity being replaced by machines. He gloated last year that “we just don’t need the vast majority of the population” in today’s world and that most of the general public has now become “redundant” and will be of little use to the global elite in the future.

“The future is about developing more and more sophisticated technology, like artificial intelligence and bioengineering. Most people don’t contribute anything to that, except perhaps for their data, and whatever people are still doing which is useful, these technologies increasingly will make redundant and will make it possible to replace the people” he stated.

Biblical Connections: Romans 1:22 states “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” Throughout history people have tried to replace God and His Word with their own creations. In Biblical times, it was with pagan idolatry. Now, the invention of AI has given a new way to try to replace God. Sinful man will always try to find ways to replace God with the things of the world.

PRAY: Pray that those people who are trying to replace God and His Word with the inventions of man will understand the errors of their ways.

Fox News: Donate to Satanic Temple but not Christian Organizations?

Fox News donated money to several left-leaning advocacy organizations, including The Satanic Temple, according to a recent report, as the network comes under fire for its behind-the-scenes embrace of LGBT ideology and other progressive causes. Fox News has developed a reputation as the go-to media outlet for conservative Americans. However, whistleblowers who either currently work at or once worked at the media outlet recently said that Fox News’ parent company is willing to match donations of up to $1,000 to several left-wing advocacy groups through its “Fox Giving” app.

Blaze Media’s Director of Programming Rikki Ratliff-Feldman spoke with two Fox News employees and one former Fox News producer who revealed that the company matches donations to three notoriously liberal advocacy organizations: abortion provider Planned Parenthood, LGBT activist group the Trevor Project and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Fox also matches donations to The Satanic Temple, which is known for its After School Satan Club launched to counter the Good News Club.

Screenshots provided in the Blaze report back up the whistleblowers’ accounts. A close-up screenshot of the company portal’s page offering employees the opportunity to donate to Planned Parenthood describes the company as “a respected leader in educating Americans about reproductive and sexual health.” The portal makes no mention of the company’s role in performing nearly 400,000 abortions in fiscal year 2021-'22. As for the Southern Poverty Law Center, the organization came under fire recently for listing the parental rights group Moms for Liberty on its “hate map” alongside the Ku Klux Klan. The SPLC has developed a reputation for labeling opponents of progressive ideology as “hate groups.”

Ratliff-Feldman reported that “I watched one source physically log in to their company portal, at Myfox.okta.com to confirm the giving app and to see some of the questionable charities and the donation match option for myself to verify nothing was photoshopped.” The former producer who spoke with Blaze Media cited the company’s willingness to match donations to the far-left advocacy groups as evidence of “complete disregard and hatred for Fox’s core audience, which is a huge part of the country.”

While some can argue that as long as the company is consistently matching donations to other groups as well, then it is not a big deal. However, Fox’s internal donation policy stresses that the company “will not match or provide volunteering rewards to: Donations to organizations that discriminate on the basis of a personal characteristic or attribute, including, but not limited to, age, disability, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity characteristics or expression, marital status, … pregnancy or medical condition either in its selection of recipients of the organization’s services, funds, or other support; in delivery of services or in its employment practices.” Additionally, the company does not match “donations made to organizations that are private and non-operating, or political, religious, or fraternal in nature.”

This means that Fox is fine with donating to these liberal leaning groups but will not match the same type of conservative leaning groups because they are “political or religious” in nature. How can Christian groups be considered religious, but the Satanic Temple not be considered religious? It is a double standard that makes no logical sense. It is clear that the head of the company making these decisions is picking and choosing which organizations they will support and not support, even while claiming to be a neutral or even a conservative leaning organization.

Biblical Connections: 2 Corinthians 11:14 states “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” Satan has always attempted to make himself seem as a legitimate option in comparison to God and yet true believers know that this is clearly a deception that only fuels the powers of sin and darkness.

PRAY - Pray that these companies that donate to radical anti-Christian agendas will see the error in their ways.

Are Technological Advances Moving toward Mark of the Beast?

The Elon Musk-founded Neuralink, the medical device company developing implantable brain-computer interface microchips, has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to start human clinical trials as early as this summer. The company announced what it calls “an important first step” and expects to share more information on recruitment for the clinical trial in the near future. “We are excited to share that we have received the FDA’s approval to launch our first-in-human clinical study!” the company tweeted. “This is the result of incredible work by the Neuralink team in close collaboration with the FDA and represents an important first step that will one day allow our technology to help many people. Recruitment is not yet open for our clinical trial. We’ll announce more information on this soon!”

While details are still scant, the trial is expected to focus on Neuralink’s brain-computer interface (BCI), a Class III medical device that connects the brain to an external computer using a Bluetooth signal. With this connection, the device — a coin-sized chip called the “Link” — allows for continuous communication and is designed to not only “read” neural activity but “write” signals into the brain. Musk has said Neuralink could potentially restore eyesight and motor function for disabled patients and offer the ability to control electronic devices mentally. Neuralink does not currently have any clinical trials available for enrollment but has created a patient registry for those interested in participating in future trials.

Musk has said his inspiration behind the company in the first place was to be a “risk mitigation for digital super-intelligence.” “The reason I created Neuralink long-term as a risk mitigation for digital super-intelligence, in that if we are able to effectively achieve symbiosis with digital intelligence, then … the collective human will is better able to steer things in the direction that we’d like, or even with benign AI, at least go along for the ride,” he said in a 2021 interview. Among other goals, Musk said he’s confident Neuralink will ultimately allow paraplegic or even tetraplegic to operate a phone “faster than someone who has … working hands.”

Dr. Travis Losey, the vice-chair of the department of neurology and co-director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at Loma Linda University in southern California, said in a 2021 interview that when it comes to the use of brain interface technology, the purpose should be to heal something that was harmed by disease or a disorder. “The core ethical issue with the brain-computer interface is similar to issues with medication,” he offered. “I think it’s only ethical to use medications when they are being used to restore function that has been lost or affected by a disease. The same principles would apply to brain-computer interfaces.”

Biblical Connections: While the technology that Mr. Musk and others are creating could be a great benefit in the medical field, it could also be possible that this type of technology or something close to it could be used in the future to create the Mark of the Beast, written about in Revelation 13. If one combines the idea of a completely digital currency with the combination of neurochips like this technology, then one could easily see how a Mark of the Beast could be pushed through in the times of the Antichrist that cannot be faked, that could be taken everywhere and that would allow for access to the global markets. While we should not reject technology meaninglessly, we also should recognize that the advancements could be getting us closer to the Rapture and the Tribulation.

PRAY: Pray that these types of technological advancements will be used worldwide for good and to truly help people.

Digital Currency Continues to Create Controversy

Florida has become the first state in the nation to ban the use of any federally adopted central bank digital currency (CBDC) by excluding it from the definition of money within Florida’s Uniform Commercial Code. Under Senate Bill 7054, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law, both domestic and foreign-issued CBDCs are prohibited in order to “protect consumers against globalist efforts to adopt a worldwide digital currency.” “The government and large credit card companies should not have the power to shut off access to your hard-earned money because they disagree with your politics,” DeSantis said in a statement.

The signing of SB7054 comes just over a year after President Joe Biden signed an executive order last March to explore the creation of a U.S. version of a CBDC, which is a digital form of a country’s sovereign currency. Part of the reason for SB7054, said DeSantis, was that any CBDC “aims to increase government control over people’s finances, and we will not allow it.”

In a statement, DeSantis warned that any federally sanctioned CBDC, as proposed by the Biden administration, would “diminish the role of community banks and credit unions in our financial system as CBDC currency would be a direct liability of the federal government, rather than of a chartered financial institution, shrinking market lending power. “In Florida, we value personal freedom and won’t allow self-interested elites to chip away at our liberty,” he added.

While any Federal Reserve-backed digital currency won’t be used in Florida anytime soon, Texas is also taking steps that would allow the state to issue its own digital currency backed not by the U.S. dollar but by gold. Senate Bill 2334 would grant authority to the Texas comptroller to establish a digital currency backed by gold and to mint coins so that each unit of the digital currency would represent a particular fraction of a troy ounce of gold, the traditional unit of gold weight, according to the bill’s text.

If passed, SB2334 would also authorize the state comptroller to contract with a private vendor to establish the digital currency, as well as “a means to ensure that a person who holds the digital currency may readily transfer or assign the digital currency to any other person by electronic means” for everyday use. Those with digital currency accounts would see their balances fluctuate based on gold prices, which are currently around $2,000 per ounce.

While gold has been a trusted storage of wealth for millennia, it’s usually considered as either insurance or an investment rather than for everyday commerce. However, with central banks across the world increasing their gold reserves sharply in 2022 — up as much as 18% from the previous year — last year, the Federal Reserve of New York, along with other major banks, launched a pilot program for a digital dollar that will test the use of such tokens in the U.S. banking system.

According to Chuck Bentley, CEO of Crown Financial Ministries, since roughly one-third of all retail transactions in the U.S. are still conducted in cash, the implementation of a cashless economy is still likely a ways off. “It is not likely that this will go away as quickly as we may think for a couple of reasons: retailers want to retain the customers who use cash, and policymakers want to be sure that the ‘unbanked’ are not discriminated against,” he said. Still, the movement away from traditional forms of currency and to digital currency that could easily be controlled through a central governmental force could be a sign we are getting closer to the type of economy needed for the rise of the Antichrist.

Biblical Connection: Revelation 13:17 states “and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

PRAY: Pray that as we are moving toward the end, that God will spare more time for unbelievers to come to salvation.

Aborted Pregnancies in England, Wales Soars to New High

Sometimes it is easy to think that the tragic slip away from a countries Christian foundation will have little impact on the culture of that nation. However, that could not be further from the truth. England has moved away from its Christian principles and the results have led to a catastrophic disaster. The number of aborted pregnancies in the United Kingdom soared to a record high last year, according to government data. Between January and June 2022, the number of pregnancies that were aborted in England and Wales soared to 123,219, up more than 14% compared with the first half of 2021, according to data released by the U.K.’s Department of Health & Social Care. The 2022 number topped the previous high of 110,299 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Christian Concern, a British Evangelical advocacy group, said the record number equates to roughly 680 pregnancies aborted in England and Wales every day, or the equivalent of “28 lives ended every single hour.” “It is with heavy hearts that we witness the devastating toll upon innocent lives. Each number represents a precious child, fearfully and wonderfully made, but whose lives have been cut short,” said Andrea Williams, CEO of Christian Concern. “May God, in His mercy, use these sorrowful statistics to ignite a renewed determination within society to protect the lives of unborn babies, to offer compassionate support to those who need it and support families through good policies.”

While data for the second half of 2022 have yet to be released, the sharp jump in the latest numbers indicated they could top 2021’s numbers. The jump in the number of aborted pregnancies last year, said Williams, comes as more DIY at-home abortion products are becoming available, along with other factors, including a “cost-of-living crisis and a lack of pro-family policies.”

Just two years after government officials voted in favor of allowing women to undertake abortions in their own homes without medical supervision, DIY at-home abortions accounted for 54% of all aborted pregnancies in the first six months of 2022, up slightly from 52% in 2021. In August 2022, lawmakers amended the 1967 Abortion Act to allow eligible women in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy to continue to take both medicines for early medical abortion at home. Thus, the United Kingdom not only allowed for all sorts of abortions, but also simplified the process to allow it to occur at a much greater frequency.

“The sheer scale of these statistics underscores the urgent need for a collective awakening, a return to valuing and protecting every human life, no matter how small or vulnerable,” Williams said. “Our culture's embrace of abortion as a solution to complex problems is a chilling reflection of our diminished respect for the sanctity of life. Let us strive for a future where we, as a nation, choose compassion and hope in the recognition that every life, from conception to natural end, is a precious gift from God.”

Biblical Connection: The sanctity of life is one of the hallmarks of the Christian faith. Psalm 139:13 states “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.” Jeremiah 1:5 states “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” We have seen the Western world at large move away from the Christian faith and the results have led to a complete disregard for human life.

PRAY: Pray that the United Kingdom, once the leading mission-sending country in the world, would turn away from such blatant disregard from Biblical principles and would choose life.

Military Maneuvers in the Middle East

The U.S. military is arming aircraft sent to the Middle East with “bunker busting” bombs. A squadron of A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft — otherwise known as “Warthogs” — have been saddled with the structure-penetrating payload in response to increasing aggression from the Islamic Republic of Iran, according to The Wall Street Journal. The warthogs are each capable of carrying approximately 16 bunker busters, otherwise known as GBU-39/B bombs.

Additionally, the Biden administration sanctioned Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence organization, accusing it of wrongfully detaining Americans. Iran’s Guard Corps was sanctioned at the same time as Russia’s Federal Security Service.

“Today, and every day, our message to Russia, Iran and the world is holding hostage or wrongfully detaining Americans is unacceptable. Release them immediately,” Biden said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Iran renewed threats to target former President Donald Trump and top members of his former Cabinet, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, for the 2020 killing of its top military commander, Qasem Soleimani.

“God willing, we are looking to kill Trump [and] Pompeo … and military commanders who issued the order should be killed,” Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps aerospace force, told Iranian state television. The threats themselves were nothing new, though they came as Tehran announced a new long-range cruise missile capable of flying more than 1,000 miles, which could give it additional capabilities to strike U.S. forces in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Iran has shipped over 300,000 artillery shells and a million rounds of ammunition to Russia across the Caspian Sea in the past six months, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. Iran has mostly used cargo flights to ship weapons to Russia, which are nearly impossible for Western countries to stop, and blocking the shipment of weapons in the Caspian Sea would require the agreement of former Soviet republics in the area. US-allied British forces in the region have also intercepted several Iranian weapons smuggling attempts over the past few months. The US Fifth Fleet is based out of Bahrain and is active in the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and Arabian Sea. Among their many responsibilities is maritime security in the region, which includes combating attempted Iranian smuggling efforts. For example, recently the US Navy managed to intercept an Iranian ship that was smuggling several weapons over to Yemen, where they would have gone to the Iran-backed Houthis.

This all comes amid deepening ties between Moscow and Tehran. This stronger relationship was forged amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Iran providing Russia with drones and Russia providing Iran with cash and seized Western weapons. Exactly how Iran manages to ship these drones to Russia is unclear, though a report indicated that many of them were smuggled by way of Iranian ships on the Caspian Sea. Iran has continued to try to smuggle as many munitions and drone technology as possible to Russia for use in Ukraine. They are doing this so that Russia will continue to cover for them, both in the United Nations and in a renewed nuclear deal. They hope that the threat of Russian intervention would protect them from any western interference if they ever went to war with Israel. Indeed, Iran knows that it cannot defeat Israel if they are backed by the American military. However, if America is limited by Russia, then Iran believes that they and their proxy allies could attack Israel in the future.

Biblical Connections: Ezekiel 38-39 has Iran, Turkey and possibly Russia in a future alliance with a few other nations in an invasion of Israel. Forty years ago, people questioned how Iran and Russia would ever work together. That seems to no longer be an issue in our modern context.

PRAY: Pray the threat of western interference will cause Iran to back down from their aggression and peace will be restored in the region.

Global Military Spending at an All-time High

Global military spending increased by 3.7% in 2022, bringing the total to $2,240 billion, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported. In Europe, military spending has seen the steepest rise in the last 30 years. SIPRI released an annual report detailing the heightened levels of military spending in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and its global implications. The United States, China and Russia have been largely responsible for the sharp incline, as they accounted for 56% of the global total.

Military spending has grown over the last eight years, although 2022 saw the most significant rise. Europe’s spending jumped 13%, which SIPRI explains is largely due to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia War. Many countries have offered military aid to Ukraine, increasing their total expenditure, and dedicating more funds to their own militaries out of fear of Russia’s future military excursions.

“The continuous rise in global military expenditure in recent years is a sign that we are living in an increasingly insecure world,” said Dr Nan Tian. “States are bolstering military strength in response to a deteriorating security environment, which they do not foresee improving in the near future.”

“The invasion of Ukraine had an immediate impact on military spending decisions in Central and Western Europe. This included multi-year plans to boost spending from several governments,” said Dr. Diego Lopes da Silva. “As a result, we can reasonably expect military expenditure in Central and Western Europe to keep rising in the years ahead.”

Central and Western European military expenditure surpassed that of 1989, when the cold war was ending, totaling $345 billion. This is a 30% increase from 2013. Some of the countries which border Russia saw the sharpest increase. Finland, which recently joined NATO, saw a 36% increase. Lithuania saw a 27% increase and Poland saw an 11% increase. Russia’s own military spending has estimated to have grown by 9.2% in 2022. SIPRI estimates that this would total $86.1 billion, around 4.1% of Russia’s GDP. The amount increased by 3.7% from 2021, before it began its invasion of Ukraine. “The difference between Russia’s budgetary plans and its actual military spending in 2022 suggests the invasion of Ukraine has cost Russia far more than it anticipated,” said Dr Lucie Béraud-Sudreau.

In response to the invasion, Ukraine’s military spending went through a significant increase. Ukraine’s military expenditure reached a total of $44 billion, which is a 640% increase from 2021 and the highest single-year increase that SIPRI has ever recorded. Despite global increases, the United States remains the biggest military spender with expenditure reaching $877 billion in 2022. This constitutes 39% of global military expenditure but is only a 0.7% increase since 2021.

The US gifted Ukraine military aid packages valued at $19.9 billion throughout 2022, 2.3% of the total US military expenditure. “The increase in the USA’s military spending in 2022 was largely accounted for by the unprecedented level of financial military aid it provided to Ukraine,” said Dr Tian. “Given the scale of US spending, even a minor increase in percentage terms has a significant impact on the level of global military expenditure.” China was the second biggest military spender, spending $292 billion in 2022. This was a 4.2% increase from 2021.

Biblical Connection: Matthew 24:6 states “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” It should not surprise readers of the Bible that instead of moving to a peaceful utopia, the world will instead move closer and closer to global conflict as we move closer to the end times.

PRAY: Pray that all of this increase in weaponry and military spending will not lead to another massive global conflict.

Secularists try to Keep Morals without God

Adults in more than a dozen countries say it’s not necessary to believe in God to lead moral lives or have good values, according to a recent study. The research was based on responses to the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Survey conducted in the spring of 2022. When asked if it was “necessary or not necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values,” majorities of respondents based in the secular Western European countries of Sweden (90%), France (77%), the United Kingdom (76%), the Netherlands (76%), Spain (74%), Belgium (69%), Italy (68%), Germany (62%) and Greece (60%) said it wasn’t necessary.

Most respondents in other countries located outside Western Europe but still considered to be part of Western civilization, including Australia (85%), Canada (73%) and the United States (65%), also maintained that a belief in God is not necessary to “be moral and have good values.” Majorities of respondents in the Eastern European nations of Poland (67%) and Hungary (63%), which have governments sympathetic to traditional values and religion, said the same. People in Israel and Singapore were more evenly divided on the question, with 50% and 54% of those surveyed, respectively, saying that a belief in God was a prerequisite for morality and having good values. Malaysia was the only country where the overwhelming majority of participants (78%) saw belief in God as necessary for leading a moral life with good values.

In the U.S., those who believe religion is not important (92%) and the religiously unaffiliated (88%) were most likely to view a belief in God as unnecessary for living a moral life and having good values. Majorities of all subgroups based on partisan identification, education level, gender and age group indicated that a belief in God was not necessary to live a moral life. Even among those who described religion as “important” to them, a narrow majority (51%) suggested that a moral life is possible in the absence of a belief in God.

The issue that arises with these types of beliefs is what is the moral standard that is being used and where is it coming from if it is not coming from God? If you eliminate God as the Giver of the moral standard for society, then the moral standard is simply created by either whoever is currently in power or by a simple majority of a given population. Thus, the standard can constantly change throughout history based on the whims of the current society. We can see how this works with the changing sexual revolution in western culture. Things that were considered taboo barely ten years ago are now being accepted as morally allowable. It also allows for different standards across the world. What is acceptable in America may be different than Denmark, China or Kenya. Therefore, there is no universal moral standard that applies for all humanity in this worldview.

Biblical Connection: Two passages come to mind when thinking about rejecting God’s moral standards. In the Book of Judges, Israel ended up in chaos because they continuously rejected the things of God. Several times in the book its states, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Paul writes that in the last days “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” Turning away from the moral standards that God has established can only lead to chaos and destruction.

PRAY: Pray that the forces that are trying to destroy biblical morality in our society will be stopped and we will return to the standards that God has established.

Many Americans Want Religion Without God

While less than half of adults in the U.S. believe in God without a doubt or attend religious services frequently, the majority, almost 80%, say they still pray, a new study from NORC at the University of Chicago shows. The study is based on the 2022 cross-sectional data for the General Social Survey, a biennial, nationally representative survey that NORC has conducted since 1972 to track “societal change and study the growing complexity of American society,” a release from the University of Chicago said.

“The past three years were a period of great trial and change for the United States. Understanding how these times affected Americans’ thoughts, beliefs, and opinions is critical to understanding social change,” René Bautista, director of the GSS and associate director of Methodology & Quantitative Social Sciences at NORC explained in the release.

Of some 2,336 people in the survey who responded to a question asking them to describe what they believe about God, only 49.6% said they believe in God with “no doubts.” Some 16.4% said they “believe in God with doubts,” while another 5.4% said they “believe sometimes.” A 14.4% share said they believe in a “higher power,” while 7.5% said they “don’t know and have no way to find out.” The share of respondents who indicated they “don’t believe” in God followed close behind with 6.8%. A majority of American adults also reported that they never had a born-again experience, which is described in the study as “a turning point in your life when you committed yourself to Christ? Some 61.7% of the 3,451 people who responded to this question said "no," while just 38.3% said yes.

Despite the majority of U.S. adults being doubt-ridden or having no faith in God, just under 80% reported that they still pray from “several times a day” to “less than once a week.” When asked, “About how often do you pray?” 29.6% of some 3,501 respondents said, “several times a day.” Another 19.5% said “once a day,” and 11.8% said “several times a week.” Some 5.4% said “once a week,” 12.9% reported praying “less than once a week,” while 20.9% said they “never” pray at all.

The question then arises on who exactly are these people who reject God and yet still pray praying to? They either like the comfort of praying because it makes them feel better or they are simply doing it because it is something that they are doing because they grew up in a religious family. They want religion without God but ultimately their religion is useless if they continue to reject God. It also shows that many want the trappings of religion and the benefits of prayer in their lives, but they do not want to accept it through God’s way.

Biblical Connection: In Isaiah 1:11-13 God told the people, “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?” Says the Lord. “I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs or goats. “When you come to appear before Me, who has required this from your hand, to trample My courts? Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.” The Jews wanted to have religion that made them feel better but did not want to have a relationship with God. God instead told them they if they were not willing to come to Him properly, then He did not want their false religion. Similarly, those that pray to God without being willing to have a relationship with Him will also suffer the same consequences.

PRAY: Pray that those who want religion without God will have a true conversion experience and begin a relationship with God.

Utah Parent Demands School Library Remove Bible

The attacks on the Bible continue to ramp up, this time in the surprise state of Utah. With a list citing verses from Genesis to Revelation, a parent is calling for the Word of God to be removed from a high school library for being “pornographic.” A request filed on Dec. 11, 2022, with the Davis School District, located just north of Salt Lake City, calls the Bible “one of the most sex-ridden books around” and, therefore, violates Utah state code, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. According to a copy of the request obtained by The Tribune, which has since been taken down, the parent — whose name, address and contact information were not disclosed for privacy concerns — specifically asked for the Bible to be removed at Davis High School in Kaysville, about 15 miles north of Salt Lake City. The parent also included with the request a list of more than 130 passages from Scripture the parent described as offensive, even including the very words of Jesus Himself.

The code referenced in the request defines pornographic and harmful materials as those which include a “description or depiction of illicit sex or sexual immorality” or a “nude or partially denuded figure.” However, the code notes that such definitions do not apply to any material with “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value for minors,” which could likely include the Old and New Testaments. In submitting the request, the parent referred to Utah Parents United, a conservative parental rights group that, in recent months, has challenged various books in school libraries under Utah’s HB374. The statute prohibits “certain sensitive instructional materials in public schools.”

Some of the Bible verses referenced in the request include several laws for the people of Israel given to Moses at Mount Sinai, including laws regarding homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22), incest and bestiality (Deuteronomy 27:20-23), and sexual assault (Judges 19:22-29). According to the request, red-letter verses — denoting Jesus’ words — from Revelation 2 are also pornographic: “But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.”

Davis School District spokesperson Christopher Williams said has received 81 requests to review books following the passage of HB374, including one request to review the Bible. “At this point, it is also one of many that is in the process of being reviewed by a Sensitive Material Review Committee,” Williams said via email. “The process to review any book for possible removal from school libraries is time-consuming. However, parents, at any time, can request that their individual child not have access to specific books. Those requests have always been granted.” The challenge is expected to take roughly 60 days to complete from the original submission date.

Utah Parents United, meanwhile, called the complaint a “political stunt.” “It is clear from the petition that challenging the Bible was a political stunt. It has nothing to do with content in schools,” the group said in a statement on Facebook.

Biblical Connection: The Bible is inspired by God and is perfect (2 Timothy 3:16). Satan has been casting doubt on the words of God from the very beginning all the way back to the Garden of Eden. It was there that Satan first questioned God’s commands and has been continuing this process throughout history. As our culture moves away from our theological foundation, it will continue to attack the Bible and try to discredit it in any way possible.

PRAY: Pray that these baseless attacks against the Scriptures will be thwarted and that a respect for God’s Word will again reign throughout the land.

Israel Won’t Criminalize Sharing the Gospel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that his government will not pass a bill that would criminalize Christian evangelism, a proposal that drew concern from American Evangelicals. In a tweet posted in both English and Hebrew, Netanyahu expressed his opposition to a bill proposed by members of the United Torah Judaism party to punish Christian proselytization with one year in prison. “We will not advance any law against the Christian community,” Netanyahu tweeted in response to concerns.

 The bill was introduced by two Knesset members Moshe Gafni, a long-serving lawmaker who has frequently proposed such legislation over the past couple of decades, and Yaakov Asher. “Recently, the attempts of missionary groups, mainly Christians, to solicit conversion of religion have increased,” the English translation of the bill states. “At times these attempts do not involve monetary promises or material gains and are therefore not illegal according to the current law, but the many negative repercussions, including psychological damages, warrant the intervention of the legislature.” The proposed legislation would have also prohibited the creation of Hebrew-language online videos that preached about Jesus out of concern that Jewish minors might watch them.

 Joel C. Rosenberg, an American Evangelical bestselling author who also has dual Israeli citizenship, warned the bill would create “a major new headache for Netanyahu’s government by sparking a serious clash with Evangelical Christians in the United States and around the world who are among the biggest supporters of the State of Israel.” Israel already has legal measures to curb Christians from evangelizing to minors in the nation’s Jewish majority and jail time for anyone who offers financial incentives for Jews to convert to Christianity.

 Israel Today reports that Gafni has proposed similar bills in one form or another for 25 years, introducing anti-missionary bills at the start of every Knesset. Each time, those bills have failed to gain the minimal support needed to advance. Only ultra-Orthodox factions in Knesset have supported the bills. In June 2020, Israeli authorities removed the U.S.-based Evangelical Christian station GOD TV from the Israeli cable television provider HOT over claims that it was trying to evangelize Jews.

Asher Biton, chairman of Israel’s Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Council, explained at the time that GOD TV, also known as Shelanu, “appeals to Jews with Christian content,” violating an earlier agreement that the station would only engage in “targeting the Christian population.” Ron Cantor, Shelanu regional director in Israel, told the Messianic Jewish news site Kehila News at the time that the allegations against the station were “simply not true.” “From the first day we met with HOT, it was very clear what we wanted to broadcast: Messianic Jews sharing their faith in Yeshua in a variety of ways, from interviews, to music, to personal stories. And that’s what we do to this day,” said Cantor at the time. “Our content providers are Israelis. Sabras. Serving in the Army. Paying their taxes. And we are people of integrity. If we really lied to get a license, of course we would have been caught. It does not make sense. It goes against everything we teach.”

 Last November, Netanyahu secured enough seats in the Knesset to be again elected prime minister, 16 months after losing the office to Naftali Bennett, who had held on to power with a slight majority. The political coalition that brought Netanyahu back to power is recognized as being more right-leaning than the previous government, with Netanyahu’s Likud Party allying with two smaller political parties known as Jewish Power and Religious Zionism.

 Biblical Connection: One day the Jewish people will again come to faith and 144,000 Jewish evangelists will take the Gospel around the world during the Tribulation period.

 PRAY: Pray that Jewish evangelism will continue to be allowed and continue to flourish throughout Israel and the world!

Satanists Brought “SatanCon” to Boston

Last weekend, the Satanic Temple kicked off what was billed to be the largest gathering of Satanists in history in Boston. One pro-life leader warned about the “connection between Satanism and abortion” as churches braced for the influx of Satanists in the city.

Known as SatanCon 2023, hundreds gathered for a sold-out event hosted by a group known for making fun of Christians and theologically conservative beliefs. Many of those in attendance displayed their support for abortion. The Satanic Temple promotes what it calls abortion rituals and has filed legal challenges against state restrictions on legal access to abortion, arguing that abortion is a religious right.

Priests for Life National Director Frank Pavone said in an interview that while many attendees deny that they are coming together to worship Satan, he was “very sensitive to the connection between Satanism and abortion.”

“These Satanists who are gathering will claim that they do not worship the devil. In fact, they will claim that they do not even believe in a personal spiritual being called the Devil or Satan,” Pavone said. “Anything that even appears to be worship of the devil or being elite with the devil is dangerous stuff because the devil is real.”

Held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place, SatanCon 2023 featured discussions on topics like “Re-imaging Lilith as an Archetype for Reproductive Justice,” “Sins of the Flesh: Satanism and Self-Pleasure,” “Reclaiming the Trans Body: Atheistic Strategies” and “Deconstructing Your Religious Upbringing.”

A Christian event called “ReviveBoston” was also planned during the same time to counter the event. ReviveBoston organizers called for thousands of Christians to overcome evil by gathering for worship, prayer and evangelizing the city. Spearheaded by Jaymz Sideras, a revivalist from London, he and his evangelism team preached God’s Word to the city.

Kris Kubal, chief program officer at Intercessors for America (IFA), told Fox News Digital that approximately 120 people converted to Christianity during this event. “These were not necessarily all Satanists,” Kubal said of those reportedly converted. Many were onlookers curious to see what was touted as “the largest satanic gathering in history.”

Based in Purcellville, Virginia, IFA’s approach was different that what may have been seen on the news, they sought to “speak in love” said Kubal. “We were more interested in people being set free, not praying against them; having conversations, not shouting.”

The increase in both secularism and Satanism, especially in the Western world, has come as Christianity has lost much of its place in the public square. As Christianity has been on the decline for decades, that vacuum has been filled with the rise of these types of movements. Satanism especially has jumped on the abortion train with the Supreme Court decision to stop Roe v. Wade. Radical feminists’ groups have allied themselves with this movement in order to try to push for “abortion rights”.

With the rise of the transgender movement in the last decade, the Satanic Temple has also pushed itself to gain a stronger following in these movements. This is incredibly impactful at the younger levels, as something like 25% of children under the age of 22 are now identifying in this way. If Satanism continues to ally itself with abortion and transgenderism, expect it to gain a considerable following in the coming years.

Biblical Connection: Satan’s methods have always been to reject the words and standards of God. All the way back in Genesis 3 he is seen questioning God’s words and intentions in his interactions with Eve. It should not surprise Christians to see Satanism pushing against the things of God and getting involved in abortion and transgenderism, two things that go against the standards that God has set in His Word. It also should not surprise Christians to see Satanism on the rise in these days as we approach the end of history. One day, the Antichrist, indwelled by Satan himself, will claim to be God and the world at large will follow him.

PRAY: Pray that this rise in both secularism and Satanism will be quenched and people will turn back to a relationship with God.

National Archives Forced to Apologize

The National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., has apologized and agreed to provide a personal tour to a pair of visitors who sued the federal records agency after being told to cover up their pro-life attire when visiting on the morning of the March for Life. The plaintiffs alleged they visited the museum on Jan. 20 with their daughters and over 30 members of their Catholic school class. A Feb. 8 lawsuit claims security officers “chilled their religious speech” by “requiring plaintiffs to remove or cover their attire because of their pro-life messages.” They wore hats, buttons and other attire with various messages including “Life is a Human Right” and “Life Always Wins.”

According to court papers, the museum promised the plaintiffs a personal tour and “a personal apology on that tour regarding the events.” The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) apologized for the incident, citing its status as “the home to the original Constitution and Bill of Rights,” which enshrine First Amendment rights. “NARA policy expressly allows all visitors to wear t-shirts, hats, buttons, etc. that display protest language, including religious and political speech,” the NARA statement reads. “We are actively investigating to determine what happened. Early indications are that our security officers quickly corrected their actions and, from that point forward, all visitors were permitted to enter our facility without needing to remove or cover their attire. We have reminded all of our security officers at our facilities across the country of the rights of visitors in this regard.”

The plaintiffs are represented by the American Center for Law and Justice, which is advocating for a total of four clients who were a part of three separate groups that visited the National Archives three different times on Jan. 20. “When one of our clients questioned the order, a National Archives security officer said that the apparel would ‘incite others’ and that she was ‘disturbing peace,’” ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow explained in a statement.

“Yet another one of our clients was told that her T-shirt was ‘offensive’ and had to be covered up or removed. Her shirt read simply, ‘MARCH 4 LIFE 2014: Saint Cecilia’s Youth Group, Glen Carbon, IL.’ Perhaps most disturbing of all were the National Archives security officers who instructed a whole group of Catholic students and chaperones to remove or cover up ALL their religious and pro-life clothing while standing in the same room as the Constitution of the United States.” “In the weeks ahead, the ACLJ will be demanding answers on how and why such a clear violation of our clients’ rights occurred and who all was involved in the decision to target pro-life visitors,” Sekulow stressed.

The ACLJ helped multiple plaintiffs file a similar lawsuit against the Smithsonian Institution after National Air and Space Museum security guards allegedly asked them to leave for wearing beanies with pro-life messages during March for Life weekend. ACLJ delivered a demand letter to the museum on behalf of several students from Our Lady of the Rosary School in Greenville, South Carolina, and their parents. The Christian legal nonprofit requested that the Smithsonian preserve information relevant to the incident in anticipation of possible litigation.

Sekulow called the incident a “clear-cut First Amendment violation.” “The federal government simply cannot ban speech with which it or its employees disagree,” he stated. A spokesperson for the museum stated that the security officer who told the students that they were not allowed to wear their pro-life hats inside made a mistake. “Asking visitors to remove hats and clothing is not in keeping with our policy or protocols. We provided immediate retraining to prevent a re-occurrence of this kind of error,” the spokesperson stated.

Biblical Connections: Psalm 139:14 states, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” A nation that rejects the sanctity of life is a nation that has turned its back on God.

PRAY: Pray that the push to criminalize or discriminate against the pro-life movement will be stopped.

Christianity Under Attack in Academia

A federal court has ruled that Christian colleges and universities with traditional views on sexuality and marriage can continue to receive funding through Title IX, rejecting LGBT students’ efforts to strike down a religious exemption to federal discrimination law. U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken in Oregon dismissed the case filed by a group of LGBT Christian college students and former students who sued the U.S. Department of Education for providing religious exemption to Title IX discrimination laws to Christian higher education institutions.

 Aiken concluded that plaintiffs failed to show that the original religious exemption granted by Congress decades ago for Title IX has a discriminatory purpose. “Plaintiffs have submitted no allegations of discriminatory motivation on the part of those enacting the religious exemption. To the contrary, Plaintiffs argue that when Congress enacted Title IX, protections for — or discrimination against sexual and gender minorities — were ‘of no concern,’” wrote Aiken. Title IX of the Civil Rights Act forbids sex-based discrimination in education, but colleges upholding traditional definitions for marriage and sexuality can request exemptions that allow them to adhere to scriptural beliefs on matters of sexuality.

 The court rejected the plaintiff’s claim that religious exemptions violate the First Amendment of the Constitution, noting that “the Supreme Court has interpreted it to allow, and sometimes require, the accommodation of religious practices.” The Alliance Defending Freedom, the legal nonprofit representing three Christian higher education institutions, celebrated the ruling. “Title IX, which applies to schools receiving federal financial assistance, explicitly protects the freedom of religious schools to live out their deeply and sincerely held convictions,” said ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman in a statement. “A group of activists asked the court to strip that protection away from schools that educate the next generation and advance the common good. The court correctly concluded that Title IX’s religious liberty exemption doesn’t violate any of the plaintiffs’ claimed rights.”

 However, across the pond things are very different. An Evangelical Christian teacher in England could be permanently banned from teaching after he was suspended for referring to a biologically female student as a “girl.” Joshua Sutcliffe was removed in November 2017 from his position as a teacher at the Cherwell School in Oxfordshire after he allegedly discriminated against a student by stating “well done, girls” when addressing the student’s small group during class. Sutcliffe was the focus of a number of allegations by the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) during the group’s professional conduct panel last week, according to the London-based Christian Legal Centre (CLC). The hearing could ultimately result in Sutcliffe no longer being allowed to teach in the U.K.

 Sutcliffe is also accused by officials at Cherwell of sharing his opposition to same-sex marriage after he was asked by a student about his views. That incident, according to CLC, occurred during a Bible study that was organized by a Christian group at the school. In response to the allegations, Sutcliffe was expected to cite a statement from former Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, who said, “Any teacher, if asked direct or invited to share his view by a parent or a student, is perfectly at liberty to say, with equal marriage — as with adultery, divorce or abortion — what their own moral view might be.” Thus, the attacks on Christianity in the area of education will continue to be pushed by followers of the liberal agenda until they are stopped or until every Christian that believes in Christian standards is driven out.

 Biblical Connection: Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

 PRAY: Pray for the teachers and administrators that are in the crosshairs for simply holding traditional Christian beliefs.

Earthquakes Continue to Rock the Middle East

Another earthquake struck Turkey’s Hatay province near the Syrian border, killing at least eight people and injuring hundreds of others shortly after a massive tremor killed over 47,000 people and damaged thousands of homes. Christian groups are in the area to provide relief. At 6.4 magnitude, the new earthquake’s epicenter was in the town of Defne. The quake was also felt in Jordan, Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon and even Egypt. A second magnitude 5.8 temblor and dozens of aftershocks followed.

At least six people died and 294 others were injured with 18 in critical condition in Turkey, according to that country’s disaster management authority, AFAD. Across the border in Syria, a woman and a girl died in the provinces of Hama and Tartus, according to pro-government media outlets. According to the White Helmets (also known as Syria Civil Defense), over 130 people were injured in rebel-held areas of northwest Syria. At least six people were wounded in Aleppo, Al Jazeera reported.

 “I thought the earth was going to split open under my feet,” a young mother in the area, Muna al-Omar, told Reuters. Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca was quoted as saying that some hospital buildings also cracked in the latest earthquake, requiring patients to be evacuated. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington is willing to help “for as long as it takes,” even as the U.S. State Department said America’s humanitarian assistance for Turkey and Syria had reached $185 million.

 Evangelical Christian relief group Samaritan’s Purse, which has nearly 100 disaster assistance response team members on the ground in Turkey, said in a statement to The Christian Post that its Emergency Field Hospital in Hatay province is uniquely positioned to immediately begin meeting emergency needs of those affected. The group, whose doctors and nurses have treated nearly 1,000 patients and performed dozens of surgeries since Feb. 13, said the field hospital experienced “an influx of patients as ambulances rushed to the field hospital carrying newly injured patients.”

 “I just returned from Turkey where I saw first-hand the devastation caused by the earthquakes,” Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, said. “Today’s quake caused more injuries and damage, but it also traumatized survivors. We are seeing patients with broken bones and other earthquake injuries. I can’t imagine the fear these families are experiencing. They need our prayers, and they need to know that God loves them and they are not alone.”

 The Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations, an independent medical relief foundation whose staff are also receiving and treating victims, told CP in a statement that most of the injuries were a result of people panicking, as many even jumped from buildings during the quake. “The region has been experiencing hundreds of aftershocks since the initial earthquake,” the charity said in a statement. “Many more buildings could collapse after these earthquakes as a result of weakened foundations and structures from the previous earthquake and aftershocks.”

 Biblical Connection: It should not surprise readers of prophecy to see earthquakes in this region. The Book of Revelation describes several earthquakes that will occur in the Middle East, centering around the nation of Israel, during the Tribulation period. Describing Jerusalem, Revelation 11:12-13 states, “And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.”

 PRAY: Pray for the people in the region that are impacted by these horrific earthquakes and for the families that have lost loved ones in the natural disasters.

New Archaeological Find Defends Biblical History

An Israeli professor claims that a recent translation of an eighth-century B.C. inscription containing the name of Judean King Hezekiah in Jerusalem’s City of David is “one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Israel of all time.” Prof. Gershon Galil, head of the Institute for Biblical Studies and Ancient History at Haifa University in Israel, alongside Eli Shukron, from the Bible and Ancient History research institute, deciphered Hezekiah’s name on a palm-sized limestone tablet discovered in 2007.

 The inscription also summarizes the first 17 years of Hezekiah’s reign and his accomplishments, as described in 2 Kings 20 of the Bible. The verse describes how Hezekiah brought water to the city through the discovery of a pool and a tunnel, and the inscribed stone was found at a pool in the Gihon Spring area. Shukron and archaeologist Ronny Reich found the fragment near a man-made pool in the Siloam tunnel. The discovery was made during excavations at Jerusalem’s City of David National Park in 2007, with Shukron and Galil spending over a decade deciphering it.

 The inscription measures about 5.3 inches long by 3.8 inches wide, and there are two lines of writing containing six letters inscribed in Old Hebrew script. Galil and Shukron concluded that the full inscription reads: “Hezekiah made the pool in Jerusalem.” “This is an extremely important discovery that changes some basic assumptions of research, since until today it was commonly accepted that the kings of Israel and Judah, unlike the kings of the ancient Middle East, did not make themselves royal inscriptions and monuments… to commemorate their achievements,” Galil was quoted as saying.

 The professor explained that these inscriptions are the “earliest manuscripts of the Bible,” that we have to date, noting that they predate other ancient artifacts, such as Hinnom silver amulets by 100 years and the Dead Sea Scrolls by hundreds of years. “They also support the claim that scriptures in the Book of Kings are based on texts originating from chronicles and royal inscriptions and that the Bible reflects historical reality and not imagination,” he added.

 The Jerusalem Post reports that the researchers deciphered five royal inscriptions of King Hezekiah, which include dozens of lines and hundreds of letters. According to Galil, the inscriptions indicate the date the water project was completed in the 17th year of Hezekiah’s reign, around 709 BCE. The researchers believe that the stone was attached to a public building and that the inscription was much larger.

The inscription carries a link to another fragment discovered at the Gihon Spring in 1978 by archaeologist Yigal Shiloh. The text includes the word “seventeen/seventeenth,” which could be a reference to the length of Hezekiah’s reign. Notably, both inscriptions are of the same type of limestone and have the same lettering. The letters also look similar to the Siloam Inscription, which describes how the tunnel was constructed to carry water into the city to prevent the Assyrians from cutting off Jerusalem’s water supply.

 These types of archaeological finds are very important in establishing the credibility of the Bible to the outside world. Many will downplay these discoveries and minimize their findings because they want to reject God’s Word, others will find them helpful in showing that we can trust God’s Word as authoritative.

 Biblical Connections: 2 Timothy 3:16 states, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” If God’s Word says an event happened in the past, then we need to trust that God’s Word is correct. These discoveries can help give us stronger confidence in the reliability of the Bible. While the discoveries themselves will not lead people to Christ, they help to alleviate some of the stumbling blocks people create to avoid the reality of the Bible.

 PRAY: Pray more discoveries will be made in the field of archaeology that will continue to defend and confirm God’s Word.

Living in the Last Days

A large number of Americans across various religious backgrounds believe we are living in the last days of humanity, a recent study showed. Nearly two in five Americans, including both Christians and the religiously unaffiliated, responded affirmatively when asked if they believe “we are living in the end times,” according to a Pew research study. The study addressed Americans’ views regarding the earth, environmentalism and climate change, but a specific portion addressed views about the end of the world.

 Even though a majority of respondents at 58% did not believe we are living in the end times, four in 10, or 39% said they believe we are. The majority of those who believe the end is near were self-professed Christians, 47% of whom believe we are living in the last days. The study further broke down the statistics to determine that 14% of such Christians believe that the end of the world will culminate with the return of Jesus Christ and that the conditions of the world will worsen until then.

 Black Protestants (76%) and evangelicals (63%) were the most likely to believe we are living in the end times. Mainline Protestants (31%) and Roman Catholics (27%) were less likely to assert they are living in the last days. These views are also divided along political lines with 45% of Republicans saying we are currently at the end of times as compared to 33% of Democrats. Geography also had an influence with 48% of adults in Southern states saying that we are at the end of times as compared to 37% in the Midwest, 34% in the Northeast, and 31% in the West.

 Among those who adhere to a non-Christian religion, nearly three in 10 (29%) said they think the world is wrapping up. A quarter of U.S. adults overall said they believe they we are living at the end of the world but do not hold such specific views about how it will take place, according to the study. The study also found that “most U.S. adults – including a solid majority of Christians and large numbers of people who identify with other religious traditions – consider the Earth sacred and believe God gave humans a duty to care for it,” the researchers said. The survey cited an article in The Journal of Religion and Health which noted a rise in both secular and religious “apocalypticism” attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 One of the great challenges we have in this area is because of the nature of the imminent return of Christ — meaning Jesus could return at any time — essentially every generation from the time of Paul until now has thought it was in the last generation before the return of Christ. Paul wrote 1-2 Thessalonians to believers who were concerned they had missed the return of Christ. Many of the reformers believed  the return of Christ would occur during their lifetime. Jonathan Edwards in the early 1700s believed the Great Awakening would lead into the return of Christ. Thus, it is not unique for a large segment of the population to believe  Christ could return soon.

 However, there are important signs that have occurred in the last 100 years that seem to hint the return of Christ could be on the horizon. First, Israel, erased from the map for thousands of years, has been reestablished as a nation. This is critical as so many of the prophecies of the end times require a national Israel. Second, technology has allowed for the world to “grow smaller”, both in terms of communications and travel, which would allow for the Antichrist to control the world much easier. Finally, the existence of weapons of mass destruction both resemble some of the events in the book of Revelation as well as put a limit on how long the earth will exist in its current format before a nuclear apocalypse could occur. These events lend credence that we may be rapidly approaching the return of Christ. 

 Biblical Connections: Matthew 24:36 - “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”

 PRAY: Pray that if the coming of Christ is soon and the Rapture is on the horizon that we will be faithful to witness to as many people as possible in the time that remains.

Doomsday Clock Moved to Closest Setting Since the End of World War 2

The world is closer to annihilation than it has ever been since the first nuclear bombs were released at the close of World War II, The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists said recently. The time on the Doomsday Clock moved forward from 100 seconds to midnight to 90 seconds to midnight. It’s a reset of what has come to be known as the Doomsday Clock, a decades long project of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists featuring a clock face where midnight represents Armageddon.

Between Russia's nuclear brinkmanship in its war on Ukraine, the real threats of climate change becoming increasingly dire and ongoing concerns about more possible pandemics caused by humans encroaching on formerly wild areas, the Bulletin chose to set the clock the closest to midnight yet. The world is facing a gathering storm of extinction-level consequences, exacerbated by the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. This explains the latest advance of the clock, said Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "The threats are even more acute, and the failures of leadership even more damning. We live today in a world of interlocking crises, each illustrating the unwillingness of leaders to act in the true long-term interests of their people," she said.

The Bulletin was founded in 1945 by Albert Einstein and University of Chicago scientists who helped develop the first atomic weapons at the Manhattan Project. Two years later they launched the clock as a way to warn humanity just how close to nuclear apocalypse the world was. "It's a way to remind people of issues that are so big they pose a threat to civilization as a whole," said Steve Fetter, a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland and member of the Bulletin's Science and Security Board, which sets the clock each year.

The clock has ticked minutes or seconds toward or away from catastrophe over the years. Wars bring it closer, treaties and cooperation further away. For the past two years, it has been at 100 seconds to midnight. The movement of the clock to just 90 seconds to midnight sends a message that the world's situation is urgent, with possible broad consequences and long-standing effects, said the Bulletin's president, Rachel Bronson. "What we're conveying with this clock move is things are not going in the right direction, and they haven't been going in the right direction. Those who are listening say 'The world doesn't feel safer today,' – they're not alone," she said.

Their hope is that this year's announcement will focus on world awareness and push people toward action and away from a business-as-usual mindset. Scientists are unequivocal, said Robinson. "Leaders, wake up! This is your responsibility. This is on your watch," she said. The clock ticked forward largely, though not exclusively, because of the nuclear dangers posed by the war in Ukraine, the Bulletin said in its statement. "Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict – by accident, intention, or miscalculation – is a terrible risk. The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyone’s control remains high," the statement read.

Biblical Connection: Matthew 24:36 states, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.” While no one knows the time of Jesus’ Return, the dramatic events of the last few years certainly seem to portray a dark future. How much longer the world can continue to move forward before all-out nuclear war seems to lessen every year.

PRAY: Pray that as many people as possible will hear the Gospel and be saved before the time finally comes for Jesus to return for His bride.

Israel, US Hold Air Drill Simulating Striking Iran Nuclear Program

The Israel Air Force held one of its largest drills in years with the United States Air Force simulating offensive strikes against Iran’s nuclear program. The drill took place over the Mediterranean Sea and Israel. It included long-range flights such as those that Israeli pilots might need to make in order to reach the Islamic Republic. The exercise included refuelers as well as fighter jets from both forces. Washington and Israel have signed an agreement that would see the US come to assist Israel with missile defense in times of war, and the two militaries have held numerous joint air defense exercises in recent years.

 These drills occurred at a time when tensions between Israel and Iran remain high. Iran, which possesses over 1,000 short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, continues to smuggle weapons to countries and non-state actors such as Hezbollah, which is estimated to have an arsenal of some 50,000 missiles on Israel’s northern border. With tensions high over Iran’s nuclear program and regional hostility, Israel and the Islamic Republic have been threatening each other with senior officers stating that their militaries are capable of striking the other. Israel has significantly increased its readiness level and has taken steps throughout the past year to prepare a credible military option against Iran’s nuclear facilities.

 The NIS 58 billion defense budget set for the IDF in the coming year is expected to allow the Israeli military to focus on the threats posed by Iran across the region, with some NIS 3.5b. designated specifically for this very task. The drill was discussed by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi during his visit to Washington recently. Kohavi, who returned to Israel a day earlier than planned following a deadly double bombing in Jerusalem, met with senior American officials including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, and CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla. In the last year, the IDF and CENTCOM forces have held several joint drills as well as operational missions.

 Kurilla was in Israel a week prior to Kohavi’s visit and toured the northern border as well as the IAF’s fleet of F-35 Adir stealth fighter jets. “We are operating together on all fronts to gather intelligence, neutralize threats, and prepare for various scenarios in either one or multiple arenas” Kohavi declared. His counterpart, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Aviv Kohavi, also stated, “We are operating together on all fronts to gather intelligence, neutralize threats, and prepare for various scenarios in either one or multiple arenas,” adding that the two countries were “developing joint military capabilities at an accelerated rate” against Iran and other threats in the Middle East.

 Outgoing Defense Minister Benny Gantz told reporters that while Israel has the capabilities to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu must consider the issue “carefully” before giving the order. “Israel has the ability to act in Iran. We have the readiness, development capabilities, and long-term plans we are managing. We need to prepare for this possibility, and we will also need to consider this issue very carefully before carrying it out,” he said.

 Biblical Connections: Ezekiel 38-39 has Israel being invaded in the future by a coalition in which Iran is a major player of in the battle of Gog and Magog. The fact that Iran and Israel continue to have major tension in the region should be a warning to followers of Biblical prophecy. In prophecy, Israel is attacked without allies and only through God’s intervention are they delivered. It will be interesting to see what role, if any, America would play in that future invasion.

PRAY: Pray for peace in the region and that the tension between Iran and Israel would not lead to a major war.