Have we reached a point of no return?  As I write this article, the world is waiting for news that Iran has attacked Israel.  If it happens, it is likely to be a significantly larger attack than the last one.  Of course once Iran attacks, then everyone will be watching Israel to see if they strike back or not.  If Israel chooses not to strike back, this could be the end of it for a while.  But ultimately this is a war that is still just getting started.  It is just a matter of time before all-out war erupts, and when we finally reach that point the death and destruction that we will witness will shock the entire globe. Everyone pretty much understood that there would be no Iranian attack until after the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Wednesday.  Following that meeting, Iran’s acting foreign minister warned that Iran “has no choice but to exercise its inherent right to legitimate defense”… Iran has no choice but to respond to Israel’s “aggressions,” Iran’s acting foreign minister said on Wednesday, as the Middle East awaits Tehran’s response to Israel over the killing of a Hamas leader in the Iranian capital last week. “In the absence of appropriate action by the Security Council against the aggressions and violations of the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to exercise its inherent right to legitimate defense against this regime’s actions,” Iranian media quoted Ali Bagheri-Kani as saying during an extraordinary session of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The meeting was convened partly at Iran’s request, following the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last Wednesday, an attack that Iran has attributed to Israel. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack. Elsewhere, the head of the Iranian Army also seemed to indicate that a decision to attack Israel has already been made… Chief Commander of the Iranian Army Abdolrahim Mousavi did not sound consolatory when he spoke of Israel’s pending destruction on Wednesday. “The Zionist regime will soon receive a strong and definite response, and there is no doubt about it,” Mousavi reportedly said, according to IRNA and Tasnim. “It is clear that they themselves have realized the speed of their own destruction, and by doing so, they want to save themselves from the quagmire, but they definitely cannot save themselves from annihilation.” It certainly appears that an attack will be coming. We just don’t know exactly when that attack will take place. Egypt made headlines when it issued instructions for its airlines “to avoid Iranian airspace for a three-hour period in the early morning on Thursday”… Egypt instructed all of its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace for a three-hour period in the early morning on Thursday. The NOTAM, a safety notice provided to pilots on Wednesday, said the instruction would be in effect from 0100 to 0400 GMT. It provided no further details as to why the notice was issued. An Egyptian official was quoted by the state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV as saying that the Iranian authorities said to avoid flying in Iranian airspace because of “military exercises.” “Based on a report from Iranian authorities to all civil aviation companies, flights over Iranian airspace are to be avoided,” the unnamed official was quoted as saying. Now that the period of time in that warning has passed, it seems clear that this was just a false alarm. And there are many that are hoping that Iran will ultimately decide not to attack at all. If you can believe it, that even includes the new president of Iran. It is being reported that the president of Iran specifically asked Ayatollah Ali Khamenei not to launch an attack… Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has reportedly asked the Islamic Republic’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to refrain from attacking Israel, according to a report by Iran International on Wednesday. Pezeshkian warned Khamenei of the potential attack’s effects on his presidency, with Iran International quoting sources familiar with the development. The new Iranian president cautioned that an Israeli retaliatory attack could cripple Iran’s economy, infrastructure, and even lead to the country’s collapse. I really wish that the Ayatollah would listen to him. On the other side, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is assuring the Israeli people that his government is prepared for whatever might happen… “We are prepared both defensively and offensively,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated during a visit Wednesday to the IDF induction base at Tel Hashomer. “I know that the citizens of Israel are concerned, and I ask one thing of you: Be patient and level-headed,” he said.“We are striking our enemies and are determined to defend ourselves.” And of course the U.S. stands ready to defend Israel as well. In fact, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is sending additional military assets to the region… “To maintain our carrier strike group presence in the Middle East, I’ve ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt later this month,” he said. “I’ve also ordered more cruisers and destroyers capable of ballistic missile defense to the region,” Austin stressed. Another fighter squadron has also been deployed to the Middle East “to reinforce our defensive air support capabilities here,” he added. We better hope that an all-out war does not erupt in the Middle East any time soon. Because the truth is that the U.S. military is definitely not prepared to fight a major war. Our military is in such bad shape that we were not even able to conduct a successful withdrawal from Afghanistan. We really need to get our act together, because it is just a matter of time before thousands of missiles start being lobbed back and forth in the Middle East. It isn’t going to happen yet. But as I have been warning for years, it is definitely coming. So don’t get too comfortable. This war in the Middle East will eventually blow up in a major way, and once that happens there will be no going back. Michael’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com. About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Chaos” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written seven other books that are available on Amazon.com including “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s  books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today. The post Is Iran About To Start World War III? appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

from BANNED.VIDEO:  TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/

by John Mearsheimer, The Unz Review: The question of who is responsible for causing the Ukraine war has been a deeply contentious issue since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The answer to this question matters enormously because the war has been a disaster for a variety of reasons, the most important of which […]

from SGT Report: Dr. Robert Young returns to SGT Report with his latest research and the absolute truth about the abominable secret about which most folks on earth are still completely clueless. Get the FREE video report from Dr. Gundry here: https://gutcleanseprotocol.com/SGT ⬆️⬆️ Get GUT HEALTHY! ⬆️⬆️ ——- Protect Your Retirement W/ a Gold and/or […]

from Revolver News: With the economy collapsing, geopolitical tensions threatening outright war, and an historic election on the horizon, one could be forgiven for missing one of the more interesting and portentous stories unfolding in the news—namely, the fact that two NASA astronauts seem to be stranded on the International Space Station as a result […]

A Prayer for Confidence in God’s Plan through Uncertain CircumstancesBy Keri Eichberger "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;" – Jeremiah 1:5 It was clear this was the summer. I would finally be the mom my kids needed. I'd felt MIA last year in full-on book launch mode, and almost sure I fit the description of absentee mom the prior full three months they were home while head-down writing my manuscript. But this summer, I would be all theirs. No more mom guilt here. And as sure as I was about my ministry call to write for God's glory five years ago, I knew first and foremost that God blessed me with the gift of being a wife and then a mom to five pretty awesome kids. They all needed me, deserved me, and besides, this was the summer before my oldest's senior year of high school (cue the tears). I was ready, and it brought joy to my heart at the mere thought of leaning into God's nudge to more deeply embrace my people. I had a handful of devotions I'd committed to write, but other than that, no work. Just love, serve, and be present with the fam. But...  A few days into living up to my self-defined mom-wife "A" game, unease and disappointment began to seep into the recesses of my recently certain soul. And it swelled quickly. Was this the beginning of the end of my writing career? The passion I'd poured years into with great confidence I was exactly where God wanted me. I had slowed down the past six-ish months already, and now I was sensing a near-complete halt. Was I launching into my new normal? Did God only call me for a short season, and now I needed to surrender the old to the new? I didn't want that to be true. At all.  Logic might say... Why so quick to draw such major conclusions based on a week of doing something else of great purpose? It's just one summer. Or... So what if this lasts a few more years? You'll have decades after to do other work for the Lord when the kids are gone. Just hang where God has you, hang tight with him, and be happy. And yes, this makes sense. I hardly had good reason to lose heart and hope. But the reality was that the uncertainty of my future really had me shaken.  Have you ever been in a season or set of circumstances where you lacked confidence in the future? Unsettled and longing to know that the plan ahead was good and that everything you spent your moments on through the uncertain days was on the path to God's best plan? Do you wonder that right now? Maybe you're in a job or with a company you're unsure is the best fit for your ability and gifting. Or you're serving at church, school, or a non-profit in a capacity that feels a bit much or slightly off what you thought God called you to. Or, possibly, you're spending loads of time with your kids but aren't sure if you should be investing a little more in a ministry, your spouse, your health, aging parents, or friends who need you. Me too. I feel uncertain about the future, too. And looking back, I've been here so many times. Questioning if where I am is precisely where God wants me. And will truly lead me to his best. But here's what I needed to remember. I've prayed consistently, every morning at length and then some, for God to lead and guide me. I hope you're doing or will begin doing the same. And if we are asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit, he is and will freely fuel us with it. So we can trust where we are and continue with confidence.  I believe God will redeem all the callings he's cast over our lives. But even if the unfolding doesn't match our timeline and exact description or seems to slip from the story of our lives, we can most certainly still trust his timing, order, and the way that each opportunity presents itself. We can trust that what he allows will be what's best and be confident in what he has ahead through the uncertainty. The truth is, he has you on the perfect path. And nothing on earth has power over his plan. Before the Lord even formed you in your mother's womb he knew everything about you, and everything about your future. A certain future–unraveling today, through tomorrow, and years from now–that is set apart, specific, unique, and tailor-made just for you.    Let's pray: Perfect Lord God, You have given me gifts, abilities, callings, and desires. You have led me and never let me down. And I am so thankful for your continual guidance. But for some reason, I become confused in the midst of so many crossroads of choices and all the distracting worldly voices and begin to wonder where you're leading and if it's truly what's best for me. I want to be 100% confident that I am where you want me. I want to be reminded that you have thoroughly known me and everything about me and chose the masterpiece of my future before I was even conceived. How wonderful. How purposeful. How perfect. Lord, allow my confidence to grow today in the purpose of today even when the boat of life is rocking, may I not be shaken, but remain sturdy on your good promises. That you love me, you are with me, and are crafting something beautiful with every day of my life.  Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Siri Stafford Keri Eichberger is a Jesus-loving Kentucky girl. She is married to her best friend, Mike, and has a full house of five kids. After years of writing for an online audience, Keri became ordained through Southeast Christian Church, giving her life to full-time ministry. She is the author of Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes, and has a passion for sharing faith-filled encouragement through devotional writing. Connect with Keri at KeriEichberger.com or Instagram. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for Confidence in God’s Plan through Uncertain Circumstances – Your Daily Prayer – August 8 appeared first on GodUpdates.

August 8, 2024 Shine Your Light - Share Your FaithBABBIE MASON Lee en español "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NKJV) Have you ever felt hesitant, shy or even fearful to share your faith in Christ with others? I'll admit I have. I've been following Christ for more than 50 years. As a Christian singer, I found sharing my faith from the stage was always easy because I could recite my testimony like a script. But speaking up for Christ in everyday encounters was often a struggle. When it came to telling someone about Jesus, my words never seemed to come out right. So I chose to say little or nothing at all. When my 50th year of walking with the Lord approached, I confessed to God that I wanted to change. I took a big leap of faith by praying, God, will You give me more opportunities to share my faith with others? If You'll open the door and give me the words, I'll obey Your command to shine my light and share my faith. Soon after, while standing in the grocery store checkout line, I greeted the clerk, asking how she was doing. She told me she was fine, but her grandmother was fighting cancer. My heart went out to her. I didn't want to say I'd pray for her grandmother and then forget later, so I offered to pray right there. For one holy moment, the young lady and I asked God to heal her grandmother. Based on her response, I think we both sensed deeply that God heard our prayer. I was leaving the store when a kind stranger approached me, saying, "I saw you praying for the grocery clerk. My husband is not walking with the Lord. Would you pray for him?" It was a humble privilege to pray for a sister in the Lord, asking that her husband might become a believer in Christ. As I walked to my car to load up my groceries, another young lady approached me and asked me to pray for her family. What a joy to be a light for Jesus at the grocery store - not only for those who needed prayer but also for those who may have observed our grocery store prayer meeting! Jesus desires that we tell others about Him. He also wants us to show Him to others. We don't need a pulpit or a platform. With kindness, love and compassion, we can all participate in spreading the gospel, as Matthew 5:16 instructs: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Jesus commands that we reflect His light, meeting those who need the hope of Christ right where they are. When we do, we'll experience immense joy as we lead others to Him. Inviting God to use our lives to love others is the first step. Heavenly Father, help me obey Your command to make disciples who love You. Whether it's online or in person, please give me courage to share the gospel with others, to shine my light for You with love and compassion. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS For more encouragement to share your faith in Christ, grab a copy of Babbie Mason's latest book, Each One Reach One: Everyday Ways You Can Shine God's Light. ENGAGE Babbie's book, Each One Reach One, is inspired by her hit song of the 90s. To hear Babbie sing "Each One Reach One," click here. To check out all things Babbie Mason, go to her website, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Enter to WIN your very own copy of Each One Reach One by Babbie Mason. To celebrate this book, Babbie's publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, August 12, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Matthew 28:19-20, "‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen" (NKJV). If Jesus went grocery shopping with you today, how might He show compassion for others? What is one action step you can take to demonstrate Jesus' compassion today? © 2024 by Babbie Mason. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Shine Your Light — Share Your Faith –  Encouragement for Today – August 8, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer for Confidence in God’s Plan through Uncertain CircumstancesBy Keri Eichberger "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;" – Jeremiah 1:5 It was clear this was the summer. I would finally be the mom my kids needed. I'd felt MIA last year in full-on book launch mode, and almost sure I fit the description of absentee mom the prior full three months they were home while head-down writing my manuscript. But this summer, I would be all theirs. No more mom guilt here. And as sure as I was about my ministry call to write for God's glory five years ago, I knew first and foremost that God blessed me with the gift of being a wife and then a mom to five pretty awesome kids. They all needed me, deserved me, and besides, this was the summer before my oldest's senior year of high school (cue the tears). I was ready, and it brought joy to my heart at the mere thought of leaning into God's nudge to more deeply embrace my people. I had a handful of devotions I'd committed to write, but other than that, no work. Just love, serve, and be present with the fam. But...  A few days into living up to my self-defined mom-wife "A" game, unease and disappointment began to seep into the recesses of my recently certain soul. And it swelled quickly. Was this the beginning of the end of my writing career? The passion I'd poured years into with great confidence I was exactly where God wanted me. I had slowed down the past six-ish months already, and now I was sensing a near-complete halt. Was I launching into my new normal? Did God only call me for a short season, and now I needed to surrender the old to the new? I didn't want that to be true. At all.  Logic might say... Why so quick to draw such major conclusions based on a week of doing something else of great purpose? It's just one summer. Or... So what if this lasts a few more years? You'll have decades after to do other work for the Lord when the kids are gone. Just hang where God has you, hang tight with him, and be happy. And yes, this makes sense. I hardly had good reason to lose heart and hope. But the reality was that the uncertainty of my future really had me shaken.  Have you ever been in a season or set of circumstances where you lacked confidence in the future? Unsettled and longing to know that the plan ahead was good and that everything you spent your moments on through the uncertain days was on the path to God's best plan? Do you wonder that right now? Maybe you're in a job or with a company you're unsure is the best fit for your ability and gifting. Or you're serving at church, school, or a non-profit in a capacity that feels a bit much or slightly off what you thought God called you to. Or, possibly, you're spending loads of time with your kids but aren't sure if you should be investing a little more in a ministry, your spouse, your health, aging parents, or friends who need you. Me too. I feel uncertain about the future, too. And looking back, I've been here so many times. Questioning if where I am is precisely where God wants me. And will truly lead me to his best. But here's what I needed to remember. I've prayed consistently, every morning at length and then some, for God to lead and guide me. I hope you're doing or will begin doing the same. And if we are asking for guidance from the Holy Spirit, he is and will freely fuel us with it. So we can trust where we are and continue with confidence.  I believe God will redeem all the callings he's cast over our lives. But even if the unfolding doesn't match our timeline and exact description or seems to slip from the story of our lives, we can most certainly still trust his timing, order, and the way that each opportunity presents itself. We can trust that what he allows will be what's best and be confident in what he has ahead through the uncertainty. The truth is, he has you on the perfect path. And nothing on earth has power over his plan. Before the Lord even formed you in your mother's womb he knew everything about you, and everything about your future. A certain future–unraveling today, through tomorrow, and years from now–that is set apart, specific, unique, and tailor-made just for you.    Let's pray: Perfect Lord God, You have given me gifts, abilities, callings, and desires. You have led me and never let me down. And I am so thankful for your continual guidance. But for some reason, I become confused in the midst of so many crossroads of choices and all the distracting worldly voices and begin to wonder where you're leading and if it's truly what's best for me. I want to be 100% confident that I am where you want me. I want to be reminded that you have thoroughly known me and everything about me and chose the masterpiece of my future before I was even conceived. How wonderful. How purposeful. How perfect. Lord, allow my confidence to grow today in the purpose of today even when the boat of life is rocking, may I not be shaken, but remain sturdy on your good promises. That you love me, you are with me, and are crafting something beautiful with every day of my life.  Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Siri Stafford Keri Eichberger is a Jesus-loving Kentucky girl. She is married to her best friend, Mike, and has a full house of five kids. After years of writing for an online audience, Keri became ordained through Southeast Christian Church, giving her life to full-time ministry. She is the author of Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes, and has a passion for sharing faith-filled encouragement through devotional writing. Connect with Keri at KeriEichberger.com or Instagram. Related Resource: Remember God’s Enduring Love for You in this Guided Meditation on Psalm 100! This guided Christian meditation from Psalm 100 will help you experience and praise God for his unending love for you. Become aware of God's presence with you, and praise God for his loyal and enduring love from the beginning of time and into the future. Listen to every episode of the So Much More Podcast on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for Confidence in God’s Plan through Uncertain Circumstances – Your Daily Prayer – August 8 appeared first on GodUpdates.

August 8, 2024 Shine Your Light - Share Your FaithBABBIE MASON Lee en español "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 (NKJV) Have you ever felt hesitant, shy or even fearful to share your faith in Christ with others? I'll admit I have. I've been following Christ for more than 50 years. As a Christian singer, I found sharing my faith from the stage was always easy because I could recite my testimony like a script. But speaking up for Christ in everyday encounters was often a struggle. When it came to telling someone about Jesus, my words never seemed to come out right. So I chose to say little or nothing at all. When my 50th year of walking with the Lord approached, I confessed to God that I wanted to change. I took a big leap of faith by praying, God, will You give me more opportunities to share my faith with others? If You'll open the door and give me the words, I'll obey Your command to shine my light and share my faith. Soon after, while standing in the grocery store checkout line, I greeted the clerk, asking how she was doing. She told me she was fine, but her grandmother was fighting cancer. My heart went out to her. I didn't want to say I'd pray for her grandmother and then forget later, so I offered to pray right there. For one holy moment, the young lady and I asked God to heal her grandmother. Based on her response, I think we both sensed deeply that God heard our prayer. I was leaving the store when a kind stranger approached me, saying, "I saw you praying for the grocery clerk. My husband is not walking with the Lord. Would you pray for him?" It was a humble privilege to pray for a sister in the Lord, asking that her husband might become a believer in Christ. As I walked to my car to load up my groceries, another young lady approached me and asked me to pray for her family. What a joy to be a light for Jesus at the grocery store - not only for those who needed prayer but also for those who may have observed our grocery store prayer meeting! Jesus desires that we tell others about Him. He also wants us to show Him to others. We don't need a pulpit or a platform. With kindness, love and compassion, we can all participate in spreading the gospel, as Matthew 5:16 instructs: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Jesus commands that we reflect His light, meeting those who need the hope of Christ right where they are. When we do, we'll experience immense joy as we lead others to Him. Inviting God to use our lives to love others is the first step. Heavenly Father, help me obey Your command to make disciples who love You. Whether it's online or in person, please give me courage to share the gospel with others, to shine my light for You with love and compassion. In Jesus' Name, Amen. OUR FAVORITE THINGS For more encouragement to share your faith in Christ, grab a copy of Babbie Mason's latest book, Each One Reach One: Everyday Ways You Can Shine God's Light. ENGAGE Babbie's book, Each One Reach One, is inspired by her hit song of the 90s. To hear Babbie sing "Each One Reach One," click here. To check out all things Babbie Mason, go to her website, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Enter to WIN your very own copy of Each One Reach One by Babbie Mason. To celebrate this book, Babbie's publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here. {We'll randomly select 5 winners and then notify each one in the comments section by Monday, August 12, 2024.} FOR DEEPER STUDY Matthew 28:19-20, "‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen" (NKJV). If Jesus went grocery shopping with you today, how might He show compassion for others? What is one action step you can take to demonstrate Jesus' compassion today? © 2024 by Babbie Mason. All rights reserved. Proverbs 31 MinistriesP.O. Box 3189 Matthews, NC 28106 www.Proverbs31.org The post Shine Your Light — Share Your Faith –  Encouragement for Today – August 8, 2024 appeared first on GodUpdates.