World War 3 Could Start This Month: 350,000 Soldiers In Saudi Arabia Stand Ready To Invade Syria - Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

World War 3 Could Start This Month: 350,000 Soldiers In Saudi Arabia Stand Ready To Invade Syria

Posted: 14 Feb 2016  Michael Snyder  THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE

350,000 soldiers, 20,000 tanks, 2,450 warplanes and 460 military helicopters are massing in northern Saudi Arabia for a military exercise that is being called “Northern Thunder”.  According to the official announcement, forces are being contributed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain, Sudan, Kuwait, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia, Oman, Qatar, Malaysia and several other nations.  

This exercise will reportedly last for 18 days, and during that time the airspace over northern Saudi Arabia will be closed to air traffic.  This will be the largest military exercise in the history of the region, and it comes amid rumors that Saudi Arabia and Turkey are preparing for a massive ground invasion of Syria.

If you were going to gather forces for an invasion, this is precisely how you would do it.  Governments never come out and publicly admit that forces are moving into position for an invasion ahead of time, so “military exercises” are a common excuse that gets used for this sort of thing.

If these exercises are actually being used as an excuse to mass forces near the northern Saudi border, then we should expect an invasion to begin within the next couple of weeks.  If it happens, we should expect to see the Saudi coalition storm through western Iraq and into Syria from the south, and it is likely that Turkey will come in from the north.

The goal would be to take out the Assad regime before Russia, Iran and Hezbollah could react.  For the past couple of years, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their allies have been funding the Sunni insurgency in Syria, and they were counting on those insurgents to be able to take down the Assad regime by themselves.

You see, the truth is that ISIS was never supposed to lose in Syria.  Saudi Arabia and her allies have been funneling massive amounts of money to ISIS, and hundreds of millions of dollars of ISIS oil has been shipped into Turkey where it is sold to the rest of the world.

The major Sunni nations wanted ISIS and the other Sunni insurgent groups to take down Assad.  In the aftermath, Saudi Arabia and her allies intended to transform Syria into a full-blown Sunni nation.

But then Russia, Iran and Hezbollah stepped forward to assist the Assad regime.  Russian air support completely turned the tide of the war, and now the Sunni insurgents are on the brink of losing.

Aleppo was once the largest city in Syria, and Sunni insurgents have controlled it since 2012.  But now relentless Russian airstrikes have made it possible for Syrian, Iranian and Hezbollah ground forces to surround the city, and it is about to fall back into the hands of the Syrian government.

If this happens, the war will essentially be over.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their allies have invested massive amounts of time, money and effort into overthrowing Assad, and they aren’t about to walk away now.

If the war was to end right at this moment, a weakened Assad regime would remain in power, and Iran and Hezbollah would be the dominant powers in the country for years to come.  And once Assad died, it would be inevitable that Iran and Hezbollah would attempt to transform Syria into a full-blown Shiite nation.  This is something that Saudi Arabia and Turkey want to avoid at all costs.

So they are actually considering what was once absolutely unthinkable – a massive ground invasion of Syria.

But if Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their allies go in, they run the risk of a full-blown war with Russia, Iran and Hezbollah.  Just consider some of the comments that we have seen in recent days…

Reacting to a potential troop deployment, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said Saturday, “Let no one think they can attack Syria or violate its sovereignty because I assure you any aggressor will return to their country in a wooden coffin.”
Pavel Krasheninnikov, a deputy of Russia’s State Duma, has warned Saudi Arabia that any military ground operation in Syria without Damascus’ consent would amount to a declaration of war, Press TV reported.

We could literally be looking at the spark that sets off World War 3.  I can’t believe that Saudi Arabia and Turkey are actually considering this. And if it does happen, you can rest assured that Barack Obama gave them the green light to go in.

Unfortunately, it sounds like the decision may have already been made.  Just consider what Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu is saying…

“If we have such a strategy, then Turkey and Saudi Arabia may launch a ground operation,” he added, fueling concerns that a foreign troop invasion may soon further complicate the already turbulent situation in the war-torn country.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE voiced their readiness to contribute troops for a ground operation in Syria on the condition that the US would lead the intervention. Damascus and its key regional ally, Iran, warned that such a foreign force would face strong resistance.

And in addition to all of the forces massing in northern Saudi Arabia, the London Independent is reporting that the Saudis have sent troops and aircraft to a military base in Turkey…

Saudi Arabia is sending troops and fighter jets to Turkey’s Incirlik military base ahead of a possible ground invasion of Syria.
The Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, confirmed the deployment in a statement to the Yeni Şafaknewspaper on Saturday, days before a temporary ceasefire is due to come into force.

There are reports that Saudi officials are saying that the decision to send in ground troops is “irreversible”, and Reuters is reporting that the Syrian government claims that some Turkish troops have already entered the country…

The Syrian government says Turkish forces were believed to be among 100 gunmen it said entered Syria on Saturday accompanied by 12 pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns, in an ongoing supply operation to insurgents fighting Damascus.
“The operation of supplying ammunition and weapons is continuing via the Bab al-Salama crossing to the Syrian area of Azaz,” the Syrian foreign ministry said in a letter to the U.N. Security Council published by state news agency SANA.

Of course the Turkish government is not going to confirm that report, but what we do know is that Turkey is shelling Kurdish forces on the Syrian side of the border.  The funny thing is that these Kurdish forces are actually being supported and supplied by the U.S. government.

So the Turks are not supposed to be doing this, but according to Reuters they have been doing it for two days in a row anyway…

The Turkish army shelled positions held by Kurdish-backed militia in northern Syria for a second day on Sunday, killing two fighters, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said.
Turkey on Saturday demanded the powerful Syrian Kurdish YPG militia withdraw from areas that it had captured in the northern Aleppo region in recent days from insurgents in Syria, including the Menagh air base. The shelling has targeted those areas.

The hostility between Turkey and the Kurds goes back a long, long way.  The Syrian Kurds are not threatening Turkey in any way right now, but Turkey is using the instability in the region as an excuse to lob artillery shells at a hated enemy.  It is an act of naked aggression that the Obama administration should be loudly denouncing.

In addition, it is being reported that Syrian government forces have also been getting shelled by the Turkish military…

Anatolia news agency reported that the Turkish military hit Syrian government forces on Saturday, adding that the shelling had been in response to fire inflicted on a Turkish military guard post in Turkey’s southern Hatay region.
Turkish artillery targeted Syrian forces again late on Saturday, according to a military source quoted by RIA Novosti. The attack targeted the town of Deir Jamal in the Aleppo Governorate.

Needless to say, the Russians are quite alarmed by all of this.

In fact, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev is warning about what could happen if things spiral out of control…

In the wake of Saudi Arabia’s proposal to send in ground troops on Thursday, the Russian Prime Minister claimed the move could spark a new world war.
“A ground operation draws everyone taking part in it into a war,” he told the Handelsblatt newspaper.
“The Americans and our Arab partners must consider whether or not they want a permanent war.”

If Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their allies launch an invasion and make a mad dash to take out the Assad regime in Damascus, the Russians will inevitably respond.

And if tactical nuclear weapons are necessary to keep the invading forces out of Damascus, the Russians will not be shy about using them. I don’t know if I have ever seen a scenario which was more likely to initiate World War 3 than the one that we are watching unfold right now.

So what has the mainstream media been saying about all of this?

Incredibly, they have been almost entirely silent.  When he went looking for news about these events, James Bailey could find almost nothing on either Fox News or CNN…

I just visited the home page for Foxnews.com and found not one single mention of the insane events now unfolding in the Middle East. I could not believe it, so I used my Find tool to search for Syria and Saudi Arabia. Not one mention!
Of course that could change at any moment, but nothing there when I checked. Their stories were all about the meaningless Presidential election, which has already been decided regardless of what we think about it, and other stories about entertainment, sports, Congressional political theater, etc.
So I went to CNN and found just about the same thing with one news story about the Syrian cease fire, but when I read it there was no mention of any of the big events that have developed this week. This is truly an amazing media blackout!

But Fox News does have space to run headlines like these…

–Spanish man skipped work for 6 years, still got paid
–48 people rescued from stuck tram cars at New Hampshire ski resort
–Lovelorn elephant takes out his rage on more than a dozen cars

And CNN apparently thinks that these news stories are more important than the potential beginning of World War 3…

–Kanye West drops album, says he’s $53 million in debt
–Dutch cops train eagles to hunt drones
–Teen hands out 900 flowers to girls at school

If Saudi Arabia, Turkey and their allies are going to conduct an invasion of Syria, the most likely time for this to happen will be by the end of this month during these military exercises.

If we can get to March 1st and no invasion has happened yet, perhaps we can breathe a little sigh of relief. But if it does happen, and the Russians and the Iranians decide to shoot back, it really could be the start of World War 3.

If you have not been paying attention up until now, you need to start, because this could literally change everything.

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Know that you are loved today.

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that He gave His only begotten Son, 

that whoever believes in Him 

shall not perish, 

but have eternal life."

John 3:16, NAS

Let the Dead Bury the Dead - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Let the Dead Bury the Dead

  

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Yeshua said, “Let the dead bury their own dead; you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God!” 

(Luke 9:60-61 Complete Jewish Bible)

For years I had thought this was a rather harsh response Jesus (Yeshua) gave to the one who said he wanted to follow Him and be His disciple. Jesus didn’t say, “Great! Just come along, do what you want when you want, and I will be sure to accommodate how you live so it won’t cramp your style.” It even seems in some circles that our response nowadays would be, “Wow! Someone who wants to be a Christian! Let’s not make it too hard on them so they won’t start the walk and then later quit. We need all the ones we can get.”

No, Jesus gave the man the one choice he had. Follow Him by letting go of his current life, and live the one I (Jesus) would direct him in. My way is the only way.

Jesus clearly told the one the way it would be, as Luke recounted for us in this historical report.

“As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, "I will follow You wherever You go." And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have  nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."  And He said to another, " Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father." But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." 

Another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:57-62 NASU)

I like how The Message words it in a similar, but unique way.

“On the road someone asked if he could go along. "I'll go with you, wherever," he said. Jesus was curt: "Are you ready to rough it? We're not staying in the best inns, you know." Jesus said to another, "Follow me." He said, "Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father's funeral." Jesus refused. "First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God's kingdom!"

Then another said, "I'm ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home." Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day." (Luke 9:57-62 THE MESSAGE)

(Just one minor side thought to point out before moving on. Jesus said, “We're not staying in the best inns, you know." I wonder how many leaders in the church today would still follow Jesus if they lived as He did? Or walked as He walked? I am sure the numbers would be reduced if such were the case. Maybe they missed it somewhere? And what example are they giving to those who follow them? It doesn’t appear to be Yeshua’s.)

So my thoughts on this now, to let the dead bury the dead?

I think it is time that we quit sugar-coating the Gospel message, trying to make it fit in today’s world, so as not to put too much inconvenience on those needing to hear the Gospel, and repent from living the sinful life. Jesus didn’t make it a convenient choice to become His disciple. He spoke right up front to let them know, “This will change your life. What you did yesterday you will no longer do today. The life you led then, it needs to be gone. Repent, take up your cross and follow Me.”

Maybe it is time we quit making our Sunday morning a nice place to bring people to, hoping they will receive a “helpful message so you can get saved today”, but rather use it as the time to really train Christians to get out into the world to take the Gospel to the dying. For as you may have already realized, they aren’t coming to us. We have to go to them. And when we do, we need to tell it the way it is to be.

Let the truth be known. You want to follow Jesus? It will cost you everything you have. You can’t have it both ways – to continue living the way you have been six days a week and then “be the Christian” one hour on Sunday. Jesus is requiring a complete lifestyle change. He calls it “repentance”. We should too.

Rather then offering a Gospel that allows one to keep doing that which was leading to death anyway, it is time we offered the “radical” Gospel that Jesus did. To all those He came in contact with, He said come, repent, and He would then give eternal life in exchange. There cannot be any other way. There has to be a life change through repentance.

“From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17 NASU)

He also made it clear that if there was no repentance, there would be no salvation. They would perish in their sin.

“There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:1-5 NKJV)

We are called as believers to demonstrate the Kingdom of God in the world around us, by living a life of repentance. We have been called to leave the old life behind, and walk in the new one that Jesus gives us as we do so. And then, the Gospel message is to tell others to do the same. Repent, believe, and follow Jesus. And in that following, they won’t be doing the same thing they were doing, with just a slight change. They will be letting go of the old in order to receive the new.

They too will be leaving the dead to bury their own dead. They too will no longer be participating with the things in life that are here today and gone tomorrow. They too will be living the way of the cross, which will eternally bring life.

Just like you and I should be doing ourselves.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the New Year of our Lord 02.14.16 - #243 –“Let the Dead Bury the Dead” – Sunday at 5:15 am

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

On Mt. Zion, a Donkey to Redeem Israel is Blessed in Rare Biblical Ritual [PHOTOS] - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

On Mt. Zion, a Donkey to Redeem Israel is Blessed in Rare Biblical Ritual [PHOTOS]

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz February 12, 2016 , 7:30 am  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“And the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before Me empty.” (Exodus 34:20)

The firstborn donkey redeemed in a rare Biblical ritual on Mt. Zion. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

There are many Torah commandments (mitzvot) that even the most observant Jew living outside of Israel will never see or perform. Some of these mitzvot are making a comeback and having a most unanticipated effect.

Last Saturday night, a baby donkey was brought to the Tomb of King David on Mount Zion to be redeemed. What many consider an obscure agricultural ritual turned into a joyous celebration that ended with passionate cries for the coming of the Messiah.

Petter Chamor (redeeming a firstborn donkey) is mentioned three times in the Torah (Exodus 13:13; Exodus 34:20; Numbers 18:15). Redeeming the firstborn donkey is necessary since, when it is born, it is considered Hekdesh, or sanctified, and belonging to God via his emissary, the kohen, or high priest. The owner of the donkey’s mother has the right to use the donkey after he redeems it by giving a sheep to the priest in its place.

The story begins with a man from Bnei Berak who owned a jenny – a female donkey – which gave birth to a foal. He approached Rabbi Berger, the rabbi of King David’s Tomb, which is located in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Rabbi Berger told Breaking Israel News that the man wanted to redeem the donkey in the place that symbolizes the unity of Israel under one king. As Rabbi Berger explained, “This is the place where the entire nation of Israel will be redeemed, so it is only fitting.”

Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

The rabbi was thrilled by the prospect of performing the rare commandment, and arranged for it to be done at the most auspicious time for the Kingdom of David: Saturday night after the Sabbath ends. A special feast, accompanied by music, is usually held at that time at the Tomb of David, but with the addition of one tiny foal, this became an extra-special occasion.

Rabbi Simcha Hacohen Kook, Chief Rabbi of Rehovot and the Hurva Synagogue in Jerusalem, served as the kohanic emissary to receive the young donkey. Other esteemed rabbis, among them Rabbi Aharon Yitzchak Stern and Rabbi Shalom Arush, attended the ceremony as well.

The small donkey was decorated and adorned with a crown, since, as Rabbi Berger explained, “This donkey, by bringing about this mitzvah, connects us to God, so it is fitting we should honor it and make it beautiful.”

Alongside the donkey stood a sheep that would be given in its place to redeem it. The owner of the donkey stood in front of Rabbi Simcha Hacohen Kook, and requested to redeem the donkey.

He then recited the blessing:

Blessed art thou, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with his commandments, and commanded us to redeem the firstborn donkey.

Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

Then he recited the blessing of shehechayanu, a blessing which is said on special occasions when one is celebrating a “first”. The blessing thanks God for sustaining the reciter until this auspicious moment.

Document attesting to the redemption and “exchange” of the donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

Rabbi Berger described the great excitement of the gathered crowd when they heard the rare blessing. Those gathered chanted together, “God, just as you redeemed this donkey, please redeem all of Israel and bring moshiach (messiah) now!”

Breaking Israel News asked Rabbi Berger about the significance of the mitzvah. He explained that it was connected to the Exodus from Egypt, which is one of the major principles of Judaism.

“The Torah says that we do the mitzvah of redeeming the firstborn of a donkey in memory of the final plague in Egypt, in which the firstborn of Egypt were killed (Exodus 11:5). We know that every Jew who has a first-born son must redeem him for this reason as well,” Rabbi Berger said.

The rabbi explained why the donkey, out of all the animals, was chosen for remembering the Exodus. “The Talmud (oral law) says that the mitzvah is a reward for the donkey, a merit it is given through helping Israel connect to God,” he told Breaking Israel News. “It earned this reward by helping Israel carry the Jews and all the wealth out of Egypt. In the Torah, gratitude is very important, so we must show gratitude to the donkeys that carried us out.”

Redeeming of the firstborn donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

In these days which seem to clearly be paving the way for the messiah, it is exciting to see that every creature, great and small, will play a part.

An attendee takes a selfie with the redeemed donkey.  (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

The gathering celebrates after the redemption of the donkey. (Courtesy Behadrey Haredim)

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Today's Israel Destination: Rosh Hanikra ✡ "Mountains Sing for Joy" - ISRAEL365

Let the floods clap their hands; let the mountains sing for joy together. PSALMS (98:8)   נְהָרוֹת יִמְחֲאוּ-כָף יַחַד הָרִים יְרַנֵּנוּ תהילים צח:ח n'-ha-rot yim-kha-u khaf ya-khad ha-reem y'-ra-nay-nu

Today's Israel Inspiration The sharp sounds of waters crashing into the rocks, as if calling out to God, and the juxtaposition of great mountains which stand as an affirmation of God’s wondrous creations, can only be referring to one place in Israel: Rosh Hanikra. In the northwestern tip of the country, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, there is a unique geological phenomenon. A cliff made of soft white chalk rock hovers over the sea. Over time, the crashing of the waves into the soft rock of the mountain has created different rock formations as well as cavernous tunnels called grottoes. A special site representing nature’s grand praise of God in the Land of Israel. Breathe in the geology, history and spirit of the Land of Israel with the Israel Bible. Includes the original Hebrew text and a classic English translation, alongside commentary to better illustrate the significance of the Land.   Get the complete set of the Israel Bible with FREE shipping! » Explore Israel's Beautiful Grottoes On Israel's Mediterranean coast lies a magical site of natural caves and the steepest cable car ride in the world. As the wave rush in and out of the caverns, they create a sound-and-light of water and shadow. Watch here » Weekly Torah Portion: A Tabernacle for All The Tabernacle was not meant for the wealthy elite, but rather was a Tabernacle of the people. Every person was commanded to do something, to contribute in some way towards its beauty and completion. Read more » Stunning Leather and Silver Bracelet with Hebrew Letter Choose from any of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet and have that one letter prominently displayed on your wrist in the most stylish of fashions. 19.5mm domed silver disk with adjustable leather strap. Catch is sterling silver. By Israeli artist Josh Burde, whose artist gallery Burde Silversmiths represents the mystical energy and history of Safed in northern Israel. Josh Burde handcrafts a unique array of silver and gold jewelry and Israeli Judaica inspired by the ancient Kabbalistic teachings famous to this city. Get this Great Deal with 10% off with coupon code LOVEISRL » Today's Israel Photo A spectacular photo of Rosh HaNikra, where the sea meets the cliffs at Israel's northernmost tip. See more photos by Bar Artzi Photography » Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel! Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “I Look Forward to the Emails and Pictures of Israel” It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!   Stay in Touch » Hi, my name is Hillary and I live in Johannesburg South Africa. I look forward to the emails and the pictures of Israel. My husband is an Israeli Jew, so I hope to visit Israel this year with our daughter to show her where her grandmother was borne. We love Israel the Jewish people. Kind regards, Hillary Foukx Hello from Bolivia. We are praying every day for Israel, thanks for the news, Blessing, Anamaria Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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