TC Kim in Heaven:
A Conference Call in His Tribute
Today, starting at 11:00 a.m. EST
Call: 712-770-4010
Code: 900655#
Mute: *6
"But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble." (Psalm 59:16)
From the White House
Remarks by President Trump on Iran:
"Our soldiers are safe, and America is prepared"
President Donald J. Trump addressed the nation this morning in the wake of Iran's air attack against bases where American troops were stationed in Iraq.
"No Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime. We suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases," the President said from the White House's Grand Foyer.
President Trump: Iran will never have a nuclear weapon on my watch.
"Iran appears to be standing down, which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world."
For four decades, the world has tolerated Iran's destructive and destabilizing behavior across the Middle East and beyond. Appeasement only emboldened a regime that is now the leading state sponsor of terrorism on Earth. After the foolish Iran nuclear deal was signed in 2013, the hostilities and violence only increased.
Instead of thanking the United States and President Obama for the $1.8 billion cash windfall under the nuclear deal, Iran went on a terror spree. It created hell in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The regime brought violence even to its own backyard, recently killing 1,500 people at the protests taking place throughout Iran.
As the leader of the lethal Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani was personally responsible for many of the worst atrocities. He trained terrorist armies, including Hezbollah, to launch strikes against civilian targets. He fueled bloody civil wars across the Middle East. He viciously wounded and killed thousands of American troops, often with ghastly roadside bombs. His most recent American casualties came less than 2 weeks ago.
Those days are over. Soleimani is dead, and terrorists everywhere just received a powerful message: If you threaten innocent lives, you will suffer grave consequences.
New measures to counter Iran were announced today, as well. The United States will immediately impose more powerful economic sanctions on the regime in Tehran, which will remain in place until Iran changes its behavior. President Trump has also asked that NATO allies become much more involved in the Middle East process.
America has new leverage to pursue real, lasting peace in the region. "We are now the number-one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. We are independent, and we do not need Middle East oil," President Trump said. He added that on his watch, America's great military has been rebuilt to the tune of $2.5 trillion.
When America is strong, the world is safer. "The fact that we have this great military and equipment, however, does not mean we have to use it," President Trump said. "We do not want to use it. American strength, both military and economic, is the best deterrent."
> > > Go here to read the full text of the President's speech.
Focus on Israel
1. Defense Ministry announces 'breakthrough' in anti-missile laser development - Times Of Israel
Israel's Defense Ministry on Wednesday announced that it was developing a laser beam capable of shooting down incoming rockets and small drones, which it plans to test throughout the coming year.
According to the ministry, the development of this laser system was possible due to a recent unspecified "technological breakthrough," following years of investment in research efforts by defense contractors and academic scientists.
The futuristic defense system is only in the early development stages and won't be operational in the near future, the ministry said.
(Read more)
2. Netanyahu: Iran will 'suffer overwhelming blow' if it attacks Israel - Jerusalem Post
Israel will strike back hard if Iran attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned at the Kohelet Policy Forum's conference on Wednesday.
"The state of Israel is the stable anchor in the stormy [Middle East] waters," Netanyahu said. "We stand firm in the face of those who seek to destroy us. Anyone who tries to attack us will suffer the most overwhelming blow."
Netanyahu said Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani, who the US killed last week, "was responsible for the death of countless innocent people. He destabilized many countries. For decades, he sowed fear and misery and anguish and he was planning much worse."
"President Trump should be congratulated for acting swiftly, boldly and resolutely," he said. "What I've said openly in the past few days, many leaders in the Middle East think."
The prime minister added that Israel "stands completely besides the United States."
(Read more)
3. Watch: Pompeo Says US is 'Disavowing' Hansell Memorandum - Jewish Press
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that the United States is "disavowing" the 1978 Hansell Memorandum, a State Department memo that claimed Israeli settlements violate international law.
In a video statement to the Kohelet Policy Forum in Jerusalem, Pompeo said, "We're recognizing that these settlements don't inherently violate international law. That is important.
"We're disavowing the deeply flawed 1978 Hansell memo, and we're returning to a balanced and sober Reagan-era approach."
"In doing so, we're advancing the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians," he added.
(Read more)
4. Bennett: Area C of West Bank belongs to us, we're waging a battle for it Jerusalem Post
Israel is waging a "real battle" against the Palestinians for control of Area C of the West Bank, Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said on Wednesday, as he declared "officially" that the territory belongs to Israel.
"Our objective is that within a short amount of time, and we will work for it, we will apply [Israeli] sovereignty to all of Area C, not just the settlements, not just this bloc or another," Bennett told the Kohelet Policy Forum in Jerusalem.
Bennett, who heads the New Right party, added that he intended to make that demand part of his coalition agreement to enter the new government after the elections.
The second goal, Bennett said, was to ensure through the promotion of settlement construction to ensure that within a decade a million Jews will live in Judea and Samaria.
In the interim, Bennett said, "We are embarking on a real and immediate battle for the future of the Land of Israel and the future of Area C.
It started a month ago and I am announcing it here today."
(Read more)
5. WATCH: Deaths mount as massive storm pounds - World Israel News
Among the fatalities caused by a huge storm in Israel is the death of a man in Nahariya who perished saving a mother and daughter from an overturned car during a powerful flood.
(Read more)
6. Israel on Target - Bridge Connector Ministries
Go here.
The Daily Brief
1. Iran's supreme leader says ballistic missile strikes on Iraqi-US bases 'are not enough-Washington Examiner
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said missile strikes on military bases housing American forces were not sufficient retribution for the U.S. killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
"They were slapped last night, but such military actions are not enough," Khamenei said on Twitter following the attacks.
Khamenei's statement appears to contrast Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif's comments about the strikes. Zarif said his nation "concluded proportionate measures in self-defense" and does "not seek escalation or war."
Read more
- Father God, we bind the spirit of strife and chaos over Iran and the Middle East. We pray you would loose the spirit of unity in the Middle East ceasing all attacks on Americans and innocent civilians.
- In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. (Psalm 4:8)
2. Nancy Pelosi said 'I'll call him back' when Mike Pence called to tell her about Iranian missile attacks-The Daily Mail
Pelosi was in a meeting with House Democrats when she was handed a note that Pence was on the phone. She responded: 'Tell him I'll call him back,' Politico reported.
Two minutes later, she was handed note that Iran attacked two bases in Iraq that housed American troops in retaliation for the U.S. killing General Qassem Soleimani.
Her spokesperson said the speaker returned Pence's call after she presided over the opening of the House of Representatives, which was having its first meeting since the start of the new year.
Later Tuesday night, however, Speaker Pelosi was spotted at the opening of Maialino Mare - a Roman-style trattoria that held its grand opening in the hipster Navy Yard neighborhood of Washington D.C.
Read more
- Father God,we pray that you would give our representatives wisdom and clarity when notified about American troops being attacked in the Middle East. We ask that you help cleanse the House of those who do not have America's best interest at heart.
- Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.(Proverbs 13:10)
3. Army warning of fake texts telling people they've been drafted-The Hill
The U.S. Army is warning Americans not believe any text messages they receive that say that they've been drafted.
The Army's recruiting wing said in an "urgent" statement on Tuesday that "fraudulent text messages informing individuals they have been selected for a military draft have circulated throughout the country this week."
It noted that U.S. Army Recruiting Command does not have the authority to enact the draft.
Read more
- Father God we bind the spirit of fear that seeks to lie to innocent people causing stress and anxiety. We pray You continue to expose the frauds lying to the public.
- Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you." (Deut. 3:22)
4. Trump Goes There: 'The Missiles Fired Last Night at Us Were Paid For by the Funds Given to Iran by the Obama Administration'- The Gateway Pundit
The President called out Barack Obama for the sham nuke deal that gave Iran $150 billion.
Trump also blasted Obama for the additional $1.8 billion in cash that he delivered to Iran in unmarked cargo planes on wooden pallets.
President Trump said the missiles that were fired last night were funded by the Obama Administration.
The Obama Admin admitted that the Iran nuke deal wasn't "an executive agreement" or even a "signed document."
Read more
- Father God, we pray you continue to expose the bad foreign policy decisions made in the past. We pray in the name of Jesus you would guide and direct the Trump administration to fix those wrongs. Amen.
- So be humble under God's powerful hand. Then he will lift you up when the right time comes. Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)
5. Former CIA officer: Iranian sleeper cells in US a 'real threat,' but attack on our soil would be 'new 9/11'-Fox News
Potential terrorist sleeper cell operations in the United States are a credible threat in the wake of Tuesday's Iranian missile strikes, former CIA officer Bryan Dean Wright said.
Appearing on "Fox & Friends" with hosts Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade on Wednesday, Wright said that there are "unquestionably" sleeper cells operated and directed by the Iranian regime in the U.S.
"The CIA and the FBI have long had a pulse on this threat...So we know that the risk is there," he said. "The other deep concern is that we have to be right 100 percent of the time to mitigate these individuals [and] find this threat. And, unfortunately, we're not going to be able to do that every time."
Read more
- Father God, we bind all the evil plans of the enemy to activate these sleeper cells to cause harm to America in Jesus Name!
- "Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you." (Luke 10:19)
6. Trump Describes Iranian Missile Attack as 'Standing Down'-Breitbart
President Donald Trump described Iran's attack on Iraqi bases hosting U.S. troops Tuesday night, in which there were 15 missiles fired but no American casualties, as a decision by Iran to stand down.
While announcing immediate "punishing" sanctions, the president also said that the door was now open to negotiations - "toward making a deal with Iran that makes the world a safer and more peaceful place. We must also make a deal that allows Iran to thrive and prosper, and take advantage of its enormous untapped potential. Iran can be a great country."
Read more
- Thank you Father for protecting Americans and innocent civilians from further evil and harm. Continue to lead president Trump in the right direction concerning tensions in the Middle East.
- "The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." (Psalms 34:7)
7. Puerto Rico earthquake: Roughly two-thirds of island without power amid dozens of aftershocks - CNN
Roughly two-thirds of Puerto Rico remains without electricity, many still don't have water and frightened residents were staying outside as a series of aftershocks rocked the island following a magnitude 6.4 earthquake.
The quake was the strongest and likely the most damaging of hundreds of temblors that have struck the island since December 28. It hit before dawn Tuesday, leaving a man dead and causing dozens of homes and structures to crumble.
Hundreds of aftershocks have hit the area in the past few days. As of Wednesday afternoon, the island in just 24 hours had experienced about 50 seismic events of magnitude 2.5 or higher, the US Geological Survey said. (Read more and view pictures here.)
- Father, we are grateful to learn that today, President Trump has authorized the release of federal resources to assist the people on this devastated island. We ask for miracles as the quakes cease and order is restored, in Your name, amen.
- "Nothing is too difficult for Thee!" (Jeremiah 32:17)
8. Epstein accuser reveals details about flight with Bill Clinton aboard 'Lolita Express'-The Sun
Now, for the first time, Chauntae Davies has revealed the extraordinary details of Clinton's long distance flight to Africa with Maxwell and a number of other celebrities.
The star-studded group - which included actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker - visited Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, Mozambique, Johannesburg and Cape Town in a five-day humanitarian trip.
There is no suggestion Clinton, Spacey, 60, or Tucker, 48, did anything wrong during the tour, or knew of Maxwell's alleged activities on Epstein's behalf, or the abuse Chauntae suffered at his hands.
However, it will further raise concerns about how some of the world's most famous and powerful people were drawn into Epstein's circle at a time when he was committing horrific sex crimes.
Read more
- Father God, we pray that you would shed more light on this investigation and that those who committed crimes against young women would be brought to justice.
- He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death. (Job 12:22)
9. Muslim charged for starting Australian wildfire laughs after court hearing-Wnd
A Muslim teen who was accused along with his brother of starting a fire in Australia was seen laughing as he left court in Sydney on Tuesday.
Fadi Zraika and his brother Abraham, both 18, allegedly set off fireworks that started a grass fire at a park in Guildford, near Sydney, on Dec. 22, the Daily Telegraph reported. On Monday, the New South Wales police force announced it had charged 24 people with deliberately starting catastrophic fires that have ravaged many parts of the country. The blazes are so widespread they can be seen from space.
The Daily Telegraph said police were called to the park about 2:40 p.m. after reports of several loud explosions were followed by small grass fires that spread rapidly in sudden winds.
Read more
- Father God, we pray you continue to expose the root cause of these fires in Australia and reveal the truth to the public. Bless those who were affected and the firefighters.
- Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)
10. Warning to Parents: New Disney Cartoon Teaches Kids How to Be Witches, Using a Demon to Do So-CBN News
In this so-called fantasy world, the main character, Luz, "pursues her dream of becoming a witch by serving as Eda's (the rebellious witch's) apprentice."
It's called "The Owl House" and is set to premiere on January 10th on the Disney Channel. Here is the link to the show's trailer if you're inclined to watch it.
The show tries to portray witchcraft as a positive tool to fight evil. That's similar to what real-life witches have been promoting over the past few years as they've been putting hexes on President Trump and others in order to fight for their beliefs.
Folks, if you think this latest "Owl House" show is just "fantasy and fun," think again. Over the years, Disney has gone farther and farther into the darkness of the spiritual world that opposes the living God, coming up with programming and characters that lead the vulnerable into that dark world of deception.
Read more
- Father God, we pray you would guide parents when making decisions on what their kids should watch. We pray you would raise up strong children on fire for You, and that they would reject this wickedness.
-"When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? Consult God's instruction and the testimony of warning. (Isaiah 8:19)
The Daily Jot
by Bill Wilson
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
The Islamic Jesus
Islam believes in "Jesus, the Son of Mary." There is an entire chapter of the Qur'an devoted to Mary. The Islamic name for Jesus is Isa, but the Qur'an interchanges the names in various verses. There are three main concepts that Muslims are taught about Jesus. First, Jesus is the Son of Mary, but not the son of Allah. Second, Jesus never died on the cross, but was delivered from his death by Allah and Jesus ascended to heaven in similar fashion as did Elijah. Third, Jesus will return in the "Last Days" to proclaim Islam as the one true religion; require conversion to Islam or death; and he will live out his life on earth, marry, have children and die as a human on earth. But the story has even more twists . . .
The Qur'an in Sura 4:171 says, "Allah is only one Allah; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector." Sura 17:11 says, "Praise be to God who has never begotten a son; who has no partner in His kingdom." There are many other verses in the Qur'an that deny Allah had a son. The Bible, however, says in 1 John 2:20 " . . . no lie has its origin in the truth. Who is a liar at all, if not the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? Such a person is an anti-Christ -he is denying the Father and the Son. Everyone who denies the Son is also without the Father, but the person who acknowledges the Son has the Father as well . . "
The Qur'an's account of Mary is very similar to that of the Bible's with subtle, but significant differences. "She (Mary/Marium) said: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me?" He said: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: When He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it, 'Be,' and it is!" . . . And He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel, And He will teach him the Book and the wisdom and the Tavrat (Muslim Torah) and the Injeel (Muslim Gospel) (Sura 3:047-48)." As we review the Bible, we find that the not so subtle difference is Jesus is not just the creation of Allah, but rather the Son of God.
Luke 1:30-35, "The angel (Gabriel) said to her, "Don't be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb, bring forth a son, and call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called Son of the Highest: and the Lord God will give him the throne of his forefather David; and he reign over the House of Jacob forever-and of his Kingdom there will be no end." "How can this be," asked Mary of the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, the power of the highest will overshadow you; Therefore the holy child born to you will be called the Son of God." In the next Jot we will explore Islam's account of the Crucifixion and the Return of Jesus.
House to Vote on "War Powers Resolution" Today
Pelosi says House will vote Thursday on War Powers Resolution to limit Trump's actions with Iran
Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced plans for the House to vote Thursday on a War Powers Resolution that aims to limit President Trump's military action toward Iran, saying Democrats have "serious, urgent concerns about the administration's decision to engage in hostilities against Iran and about its lack of strategy moving forward."
The Democrat-authored resolution would reassert congressional authority and rebuke Trump's decision to take out Iran's top general without their consent. Pelosi said the resolution will go to the House Rules Committee on Wednesday and will be brought to the floor for a vote Thursday.
"Last week, the Trump administration conducted a provocative and disproportionate military airstrike targeting high-level Iranian military officials," Pelosi said. "The administration took this action without consulting Congress. This action endangered our service members, diplomats and others by risking a serious escalation of tensions with Iran."
Fox News obtained the text of the resolution the House is prepping for debate on the floor. The resolution "requires the president to consult with Congress 'in every possible instance' before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities."
The measure also appears to handcuff Trump when it comes to future strikes. The resolution says "Congress has not authorized the president to use military force against Iran." The measure also "directs the president to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities in or against Iran or any part of its government or military" unless there is a specific blessing by Congress.
In other words, the plan would have specifically forbidden the drone strike ordered last week that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
Republican leadership aides argued to Fox News that this War Powers Resolution is "toothless," saying it has "NO chance of becoming law." They noted how it is a "concurrent" resolution - which are not submitted to the president and do not have the force of law.
. . . Addressing the nation, Trump said Wednesday morning that Iran, though, appears to be standing down and there were no causalities in its retaliatory attack.
"The American people should be extremely grateful and happy," Trump said in an address from the White House. "No Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime." (Fox News) Read more.
- Father God, we bring these members of Congress before Your Throne of Grace, and we ask You to forgive each one, for they know not what they do. Abba Father God, these men and women are traitors who are opposing our President's right and actions to defend our national security. Lord God, once again, they are calling "good, evil" and "evil, good." We decree the demise of this plot, in Jesus' name, amen.
- "But before you have begun the attack, and while your plans are ripening like grapes, he will cut you off as though with pruning shears. He will snip the spreading tendrils." (Isaiah 18:5 TLB)
> > > See also the following verses, all quoted from The Living Bible:
- Psalm 1:6
- Psalm2:4
- Psalm7:16
- Psalm 71:4
- Psalm 94:23
- Psalm 146:9
- Job 5:12
- Proverbs 10:30
- Proverbs 22:12
- Isaiah 18:5
DHS Warning: Red Alert
DHS/FBI/NCTC warn of Iranian threats to the homeland
DHS/FBI/NCTC issue intel bulletin warning Iran could, directly or thru proxies/partners, carry out attacks in the homeland. Vigilance urged.
Supplemental Info:
While it would be inappropriate to share the full text of the intelligence bulletin published earlier today, the following is a synopsis:
1.) The US Intelligence Community has assessed that Iran is capable of carrying out disruptive and destructive cyber attacks against public and private business networks.
2.) In the last three years, numerous individuals have been arrested acting on behalf of either the Government of Iran or Lebanese Hizballah who have conducted surveillance indicative of contingency planning for lethal attacks in the United States against facilities and individuals. The most recent, previously referenced by AlertsUSA, is as follows: (Go here)
3.) The Government of Iran also has a history of conducting assassinations and assassination attempts against individuals in the United States. In August 2018, the USGOV arrested two individuals for acting as agents of the Government of Iran by conducting covert surveillance of targeted individuals in New York, Washington, DC, and Chicago. (Go here)
In another example: On 11 October 2011, Iranian nationals Manssor Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri were charged with a plot tied to the Iranian government to assassinate Saudi ambassador Adel al-Jubeir in the United States, as well as bomb the Saudi embassy and the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. (Go here)
The FBI, DHS, and National Counterterrorism Center advise federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government counterterrorism, cyber, and law enforcement officials, and private sector partners, to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities related to terrorism, including but not limited to potential material support to foreign terrorist organizations.
- Father God, over all the intel cited here, as well as all other plots our enemy may be planning on our homeland, we decree Job 5:12,13 --
"He frustrates the plotting of the shrewd, So that their hands cannot attain success. He captures the wise by their own shrewdness, And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted."
FRC Bulletin
FRC Files Amicus Brief in Louisiana Abortion Case Taken by Supreme Court
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Family Research Council (FRC) has submitted an amicus brief in the case of June Medical Services v. Gee, which is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. At issue is a Louisiana law (Act 620) that protects women's health by requiring persons who perform abortion procedures to also maintain admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. Abortion facilities in Louisiana sued to block the law from taking effect.
In our amicus brief, we argue:
"The admitting-privileges requirement of Act 620 is a legitimate and sensible health-and-safety regulation that falls squarely within the State's police powers. This Court has long recognized that the State has a significant role to play in regulating the medical profession, and that abortion providers do not have a constitutional exemption from health-and-safety regulations."
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins remarked:
"As someone who worked on the first version of this law decades ago, I'm glad to see the effort to protect women from often unsanitary and unsafe environments advance through subsequent generations. Protecting the lives of both unborn babies and their mothers requires sustained vigilance. By doing the hard work of passing this law and defending it all the way to the Supreme Court, the state of Louisiana is proving that the pro-life movement is pro-woman."
Travis Weber, FRC's Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs, who assisted in filing our brief, commented:
"It is time that abortion providers are no longer given a pass on ignoring women's safety. Abortion providers should be subject to the same neutral regulations as everyone else."
Katherine Beck Johnson, FRC's Research Fellow for Legal and Policy Studies, who also helped develop our brief, added:
"This legislation that works to provide protections for women is within Louisiana's legitimate jurisdiction. Women's health and safety should be prioritized over the politics of abortion, and that is just what Louisiana has done."
To review the full amicus brief, please go here.
Family Research Council
801 G Street NW,
Washington, D.C. 20001
1-800/225-4008
A Prayer Guide for our Troops
A Prayer Guide for our Troops
> > > To access this valuable prayer guide for our troops, written by our friends at Intercessors for America, please go here.
More Daily Features…
More Daily Features
(See below . . .)
- The Persecuted Church
- Classic Hymns
- Signs and Wonders
- The Good News Corner
- Worship with Us Today!
Prayers for the Persecuted Church
”Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body." (Hebrews 13:3)
Please visit the website for International Christian Concern to lift up prayers for the persecuted around the world, every day. Their link is: www.persecution.org -- or go here to connect. Thank you for interceding for our brothers and sisters who are suffering in Asia, the Islamic World, and the Far East.
Classic Hymns
NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE
"He saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to Heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it." (Genesis 28:11-12)
Lyrics
1 Nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee! E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me, still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to thee; nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
2 Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down, darkness be over me, my rest a stone; yet in my dreams I'd be nearer, my God, to thee; nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
3 There let the way appear, steps unto heaven; all that thou sendest me, in mercy given; angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to thee; nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
4 Then, with my waking thoughts bright with thy praise, out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise; so by my woes to be nearer, my God, to thee; nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
5 Or if, on joyful wing cleaving the sky, sun, moon, and stars forgot, upward I fly, still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to thee; nearer, my God, to thee, nearer to thee!
Melody
Please go here.
About the Author:
Words:Sarah F. Adams, 1841
Melody: Lowell Mason, 1856
About the Hymn:
To read how this hymn impacted the life of President William McKinley (upon his death), go here.
Signs and Wonders
Just days before the conflict in the Middle East exploded, a mirage of 'red devil horns' rose above the Persian Gulf in eerie end times harbinger
Mere days before the attack on the US Embassy in Iraq, and right before the targeted killing of Iran's top Quds general Qassem Soleimani, an eerie natural phenomenon took place right in the Persian Gulf. An optical illusion known as the Fata Morgana, caused by a rare solar eclipse, gave the appearance of red devil horns rising over the water. Not only that, when it was done, the eclipse caused the sun to appear as the crescent moon of Islam, glowing an most evil shade of red. These stunning photos were taken by Elias Chasiotis.
No one could have predicted the stunning violence that has followed in the wake of the 'red devil horns', just as no one but God knows just how far the current state between Iran, the United States and Israel will devolve. This could all blow over tomorrow, or, we could be on the precipice of World World 3. But in any event, I find it fascinating that red devil horns would rise over the Persian Gulf right before it all started. Are you ready for what comes next?
THE 'RED DEVIL HORNS' RISING INTO THE CRESCENT MOON OF ISLAM OVER PERSIAN GULF ON DECEMBER 26, 2019
FROM THE SUN UK: Elias Chasiotis had planned on capturing the solar eclipse on December 26 while on holiday in Al Wakrah, Qatar. And he knew because it came at sunrise he had a chance to capture an even rare phenomenon - a solar eclipse combined with the light-bending mirage effects seen near the surface of the ocean.
He told BoredPanda: "I hoped that optical effects like inferior mirage would be visible and I was lucky enough to capture them."
This type of mirage over the ocean is called Fata Morgana and occurs when rays of light are bent when they pass through air layers of different temperatures. It is named after the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay because it was once believed the mirages they were fairy castle created by her witchcraft to lure sailors to their death.
Elias added: "I was worried that nothing would come out of the eclipse.
"However, when the sun finally began to rise, it looked like two separate pieces, some sort of red horns piercing the sea. It soon took the form of a crescent, with the so-called 'Etruscan vase' inferior mirage effect visible. "Due to its shape, the phenomenon was nicknamed the 'evil sunrise.'"
Elias said it was the most stunning sunrise he had ever seen. After the sun came above the horizon, he was able to see in a crescent shape behind the clouds with a plane passing in front. (Read more)
"I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke." (Acts 2:19)
The Good News Corner
Mom 'Moved to Tears' at 5-Year-Old Son's Kind Heart When He Did This
[CBN News] A Nebraska mother was brought to tears after watching her 5-year-old son stop and talk to a police officer for nearly an hour.
While playing at an Omaha, Nebraska mall, Oliver Navejar saw Officer William Klees sitting alone at the food court.
Oliver's mom, Danielle Navejar wrote in a Facebook post that he stopped playing and shifted his attention to Officer Klees.
"Tonight I saw Oliver's eyes light up like I never have before. We were at the mall and he was mid tuck and roll in the play area when I saw his eyes shift to something behind me."
Read more