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| − | <h3 class="panel-title">[[File:Page.png]] December's featured article</h3>
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| − | ==Christmas and other Festivals==
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| − | In the Old Covenant, New Covenant and Church<br><br>
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| − | Once a year the vast majority of professing Christians join hands with
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| − | their fellow inhabitants of the nominally Christian countries to keep
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| − | the festival of Christmas. Obviously there is variation in the forms of
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| − | celebration; but there is much common ground between believer and
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| − | unbeliever in giving presents, sending cards to friends and relations,
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| − | decorating houses with fir trees, holly and mistletoe and paper
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| − | garlands, and in eating and drinking special food, particularly on the
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| − | date of December the 25th.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | Nearly all Christians have accepted this tradition without question
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| − | from their earliest childhood and seek to make the occasion a
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| − | remembrance of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. They have misgivings
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| − | about the commercialising and overeating that characterise the season,
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| − | but have never examined the whole subject in the light of scripture to
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| − | know the mind of the Lord.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | In this writing I want to consider the keeping of festivals in
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| − | scripture, firstly under the old covenant and then under the New. After
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| − | that I will briefly survey the origins and history of Christmas
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| − | observance.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | '''Old Testament Festivals'''<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | Among the many laws and instructions that God gave Israel through Moses
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| − | there was an annual calendar of festivals. These are described in
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| − | Exodus 23:14-17 and in more detail in Leviticus 23 and with other
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| − | information in Numbers 28 and 29 and in Deuteronomy 16. In total God
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| − | ordained seven festivals which were divided into three groups.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | The first group centred on the Passover (Pesach) and contained also the
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| − | Festival of Unleavened Bread and the Festival of the First Fruits. This
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| − | celebrated deliverance from slavery in Egypt and also the beginning of
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| − | harvest. The Exodus from Egypt and the birth of the nation that took
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| − | place at the time were events that the Jewish people could never forget
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| − | and of course they remember them till this day. This group of festivals
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| − | was celebrated in the first month.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | The second group contained only the Festival of Weeks (Shavuot) or
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| − | Pentecost. This fell in the third month, fifty days on from the
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| − | Passover and celebrated the full grain harvest. Fifty days after the
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| − | Exodus the Israelites came to Mount Sinai where God gave them the ten
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| − | commandments. That also was an event they could never forget.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | The third group of festivals fell in the seventh month and centred on
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| − | the Festival of Tabernacles (Succot). It also contained the Blowing of
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| − | trumpets on the first day of the month and the Day of Atonement (Yom
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| − | Kippur) on the tenth. Once again this group of festivals was associated
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| − | both with Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and with the produce of the
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| − | land. The tabernacles reminded the Jews of how they had left their
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| − | houses in Egypt and dwelt in temporary abodes while they travelled.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | These festivals were clearly ordained by God. They were times of great
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| − | national solidarity. All Jewish males were required to go up to
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| − | Jerusalem three times a year to appear before God to celebrate. They
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| − | were times when all work ceased and, apart from the solemn festival of
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| − | Yom Kippur when all had to fast and afflict their souls, they were
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| − | times of joy and rejoicing before the Lord.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | Some time after Joshua the observance of these festivals declined, and
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| − | they were not observed regularly during most of the period of the
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| − | monarchy. They were restored by the kings Hezekiah and Josiah with much
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| − | repentance, and later by Ezra after the exile in Babylon. In New
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| − | Testament times we find much direct and indirect reference to the
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| − | festivals and indeed their observance among Jews has continued down
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| − | till this present day.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | We have a further festival described in 1 Kings 12: 31,32. After the
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| − | division of the kingdom between Solomon's son Rehoboam in the south and
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| − | Jeroboam in the north, Jeroboam felt it necessary to set up a rival
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| − | religion to keep his subjects from going up to Jerusalem to worship. He
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| − | set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan and instituted a festival on the
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| − | fifteenth day of the eighth month. Scripture describes this as a date
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| − | which he had'devised in his own heart'. As we read on through the pages
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| − | of Israel's history we find repeated references to him as 'Jeroboam the
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| − | son of Nebat who caused Israel to sin'.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | When we turn to the New Testament, as I have said, initially we find
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| − | the Jewish people still observing the Old Testament festivals. As the
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| − | revelation of the new covenant progresses however we begin to see an
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| − | altogether new dimension. The deliverance from Egypt which the Passover
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| − | remembers annually is seen to be a picture of a far greater spiritual
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| − | deliverance. Jesus is the new Moses who leads a new people out of a
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| − | much more serious slavery. He sets them free from sin and Satan. The
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| − | festival of Weeks, or Pentecost to give it its Greek name, becomes the
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| − | glorious baptism of the Holy Spirit, a transforming, vitalising
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| − | experience as described in the book of Acts. It is no longer the first
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| − | fruits of the natural harvest. Rather it is the first fruits of a
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| − | vastly superior and more important spiritual harvest.<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | The Festival of Tabernacles speaks of an even greater spiritual harvest
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| − | yet to come. God's purposes are not yet complete. There remains a
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| − | glorious ingathering of fruit of which Pentecost is only a foretaste.
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| − | Before we may enjoy it we must hear the trumpets sound and then pass
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| − | through a spiritual Yom Kippur when we afflict our souls and utterly
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| − | put off the works of the flesh. Then we can move forward into the great
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| − | inheritance reserved for us in heavenly places and ready to be revealed
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| − | in the last days (1 Peter 1:4,5).<br>
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| − | <br>
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| − | So we see that the two-dimensional shadows of the Old Covenant become
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| − | three-dimensional realities in the New. We find a revolutionary
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| − | teaching that all the sacrifices and ceremonies that God had most
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| − | solemnly commanded Moses are of value in themselves but point to
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| − | infinitely greater spiritual truth. We are not seeing a new religion or
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| − | a changed religion, but a mind-shaking development. The flat square has
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| − | become a solid and substantial cube, the circle has become a sphere,
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| − | the useless foundation has become the finished building, the dead has
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| − | become alive.<br>
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| | | | |
| − | [[Christmas and other Festivals]]
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| − |
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| − | [[Category:Church]]
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| − |
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| − |
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| − | ----
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| − | <font size="4" color="#000027">'''Do you have a ministry or a business'''
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| − | Do you have a called of God ministry where your whole purpose is to '''"feed the sheep"''', and God '''supplies your needs''', <FONT color="#aa0000" size="4">or do you have books, tapes, videos, etc. that you '''SELL''' for a "donation", or just outright '''SELL''', and your buyers supply your needs?</font>
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| − |
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| − | There is nothing wrong with being in business and selling things. However, if you are a church or any kind of "ministry", you may want to check your motive for how you are conducting the work of the Lord.
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| − |
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| − | '''Remember the money changers in the temple where JESUS turned over the tables and threw them out. They were selling things in the "CHURCH"'''. </font><FONT color="#aa0000" size="4">'''(God made it quite clear to us that we were not to charge for anything, that HE is our source.)'''</font>
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| − | </div>
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| − |
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| − | <th><div class="panel panel-primary">
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| − | <div class="panel-heading">
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| − | <h3 class="panel-title"> [[File:Smallinfo.png]] Our Pin Board</h3>
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| − | </div>
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| − | <div class="panel-body">
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| − |
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| − | <FONT color="#aa0000" size="4">'''MUST WATCH'''</font><br>
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| − | '''The Beautiful Feet Of The Homeless'''<br>
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| − | In this Christian homeless / poor television documentary, we're taking you to a Christian homeless shelter in Fort Worth, Texas called Beautiful Feet Ministries where the poor are cared for physically and spiritually. -<br>
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| − | See more at: http://www.channelc.net/tvchannel/The-Beautiful-Feet-Of-The-Homeless#sthash.fnGBYEaz.dpuf
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| − | ----
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| − | <FONT color="#aa0000" size="4">'''MUST WATCH'''</font><br>
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| − | '''The Truth About Islam - Interview with Brigitte Gabriel'''<br>
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmJGxA3TNG4<br>
| |
| − | ----
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| − | <FONT color="#aa0000" size="4">'''MUST WATCH'''</font><br>
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| − | '''1. Answering Islam: True Face of Islam | Shahram Hadian'''<br>
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASUnosseuEI<br>
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| − | ----
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| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''Alan's Real News | December 1, 2015'''<br>
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmpaeUK6S84<br>
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| − | <div id="youtube" data-youtube-id="ZmpaeUK6S84" data-ratio="16:9"> loading ... </div>
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| − | ----
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| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''Mid-East Prophecy Update – November 29th, 2015'''<br>
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq5DNjbk2yw<br>
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| − | <div id="youtube" data-youtube-id="Iq5DNjbk2yw" data-ratio="16:9"> loading ... </div>
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| − | Pastor J.D. presents a number of “what if” scenarios as it relates to the geopolitical reports, especially here in the United States, not comporting with the reality on the ground.
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| − | ----
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| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''Mid-East Prophecy Update – November 22nd, 2015'''
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mOVbp5NOkc<br>
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| − | <div id="youtube" data-youtube-id="8mOVbp5NOkc" data-ratio="16:9"> loading ... </div><br>
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| − | Pastor J.D. addresses the so-called Syrian Refugee Crisis, and explains the significance of what’s happening in the world today, and perhaps more importantly, where it’s all heading prophetically.
| |
| − | ----
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| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''Mid-East Prophecy Update – November 15th, 2015'''<br>
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rM3KZBlfTQ0<br>
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| − | <div id="youtube" data-youtube-id="rM3KZBlfTQ0" data-ratio="16:9"> loading ... </div>
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| − | Pastor J.D. peels back the layers of the Islamic terrorist attack in Paris so as to answer two important questions after pointing out some of the ironies surrounding what happened on Friday.
| |
| − | ----
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| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''Mid-East Prophecy Update – November 8th, 2015'''<br>
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNFPNVIw37Y<br>
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| − | <div id="youtube" data-youtube-id="rNFPNVIw37Y" data-ratio="16:9"> loading ... </div>
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| − | ----
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| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''NOAH: the TRUTH is BIGGER than you thought......the JourNey BeGins'''<br>
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lktmmd7YnD8<br>
| |
| − | NOAH (FULL Noah Movie ~ "NEVER TRUST THE ENKI" OWN NOAH http://godinanutshell.com/product/noa... is a JourNey into the vast evidence of the Global Flood, Occult, Demons, Nephilim, Enoch, the Watchers, the Enki, Tower of Babel, Mystery Teachings of Fallen Angels, God, Satan, Heaven, Hell and the dimensions between.... A FULL documentary investigation into the science behind the supernatural.
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| − | ----
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| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''Mid-East Prophecy Update – November 1st, 2015'''<br>
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGU8_W9hh2Q<br>
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| − | <div id="youtube" data-youtube-id="zGU8_W9hh2Q" data-ratio="16:9"> loading ... </div>
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| − | Pastor J.D. looks at a number of details we’re given within the scriptures concerning the specific fulfillment of certain prophesies in the Bible, which appear to be in play today.
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| − | ----
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| − | Alan talks about the Satanic influences and pagan background of the Thanksgiving Day holiday ... and points to the true holiday of Sukkot.<br>
| |
| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''About Thanksgiving'''
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPUC3Gp94VM<br>
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| − | <div id="youtube" data-youtube-id="ZPUC3Gp94VM" data-ratio="16:9"> loading ... </div>
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| − |
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| − | ----
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| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''The Nephilim Trail by LA Marzulli'''
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDW7VQozgB4<br>
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| − | '''MUST SEE'''
| |
| − | ----
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| − | '''Trey Smith'''<br>
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| − | [[File:Pin.png]]'''NephS: (NePhiLiM) A NEW documentary Nephilim, Hybrids, Satan, Demons and the End of the Age'''<br>
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| − | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEt59cBNsH0
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| − | ----
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| − | <div class="blog-box">You can visit our archive pin board items here: [[Our Pin Board 2]].</div>
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