God Has Already Decreed The Future For This World — Be Assured Of His Sovereignty

God Has Already Decreed The Future For This World — Be Assured Of His Sovereignty

Jonathan Brentner

Have you ever thought about the role God’s sovereignty plays in the fulfillment of Bible prophecy? Far too often, we ignore this divine attribute as much too abstract or of having little to do with our daily lives when, in reality, it’s the basis of how we know the Lord is able to deliver on all His promises to us. Author and pastor Paul David Tripp put it like this in his book, New Morning Mercies: “I don’t know whether you have ever thought of this before, but God’s promises are only as good as the extent of his sovereignty. He can deliver what you need only in the places where he rules. If his rule is not firm and unchanging, his promises are not either.”

Tripp then explained how the Lord exercised control over history leading up to Jesus’ birth. Through many centuries of turmoil, wars, and rebellion against Him, He orchestrated history so precisely that Christ fulfilled forty-eight specific prophecies related to His first appearing on Earth. God worked through a myriad of events and outcomes over a vast expanse of time so that upon His arrival, the Savior would fulfill all the Scriptures concerning His first appearance.

Several students of Bible prophecy have calculated that the first sixty-nine weeks of Daniel’s prophecy ended precisely on the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem just a week before His crucifixion (Daniel 9:24-27). So not only did he fulfill the words of Zechariah 9:9, He did so at the exact time that the Lord told His prophet Daniel it would happen. Only a sovereign and all-powerful God could accomplish such precision.

What’s the relevance for today? Despite the troubling news we read concerning the Middle East war, the warnings of impending economic disaster as a result of the growing oil crisis, and the political strife of our day, we rest assured that the Lord is still in the business of orchestrating events so that the result of all we see will in the end turn out exactly as He prophesied in His Word.

I have recently read many predictions of imminent economic disaster due to the war in the Middle East, and while they are troubling, I remind myself of two things. First, if not for the Lord’s restraining hand, we would already be in the midst of a great economic depression that many experts warned would soon happen a dozen years ago. Second, as He has done throughout history, God is still sovereignly orchestrating events to bring about all that He has promised us regarding the Rapture and to Israel concerning His restoration of a kingdom to them.

That’s again when Scripture, along with God’s sovereignty, brings relief to my troubling thoughts. God didn’t intend for us to find comfort in looking at this vile and violent world, where everything seems out of control and about to erupt into further chaos. We rather find encouragement in Scripture with its amazing promises that pertain to us as New Testament saints. We know that our Lord is more than able to make good on His word because His sovereign power is so much greater than we can even begin to imagine.

As someone who has watched for the Rapture for a very long time, it’s easy for me to grow impatient at times and tell the Lord that “today would be a very good time for it to happen.” Thoughts of His sovereignty, however, remind me that His appearing and all the other prophesied events concerning the world and Israel will happen at the precise time the Father set long ago.

In the words below from Isaiah 46:9-10, God declares His sovereignty over history, assuring us that no matter how crazy and dark our day seems, He remains in total control of future events: “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’”

God has already decreed the future for this world. That’s a key reason for resisting the temptation to “fret” over wickedness that is rapidly growing around us (see Psalm 37:1-20). Furthermore, our relief also comes from the assurance that He’s more than able to do what He’s promised us and will soon take us home to the place He’s preparing for us.

Israel shifts to hitting Iran’s economy, as it enters ‘completion phase’ of war

Israel shifts to hitting Iran’s economy, as it enters ‘completion phase’ of war

Emanuel Fabian

A month into the war with Iran, the Israeli military has almost completed bombing all of the targets it defined for itself at the start of the conflict, and has now been ordered by Israel’s political leadership to shift to hitting “economic” targets of the Iranian regime, The Times of Israel learned on Monday.

Israel launched its campaign against Iran, alongside the United States, to degrade the regime’s military capabilities, distance threats posed by Iran — including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs — and “create the conditions” for the Iranian people to topple the regime, the military and other Israeli leaders have said.

The Israeli Air Force has conducted hundreds of waves of strikes in Iran, dropping over 13,000 bombs on Iranian regime and military sites, including air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, weapon production sites, some nuclear facilities, and various headquarters.

Israeli strikes have also killed dozens of top Iranian officials, including former supreme leader Ali Khamnieni, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour, and many other senior military commanders.

On Saturday, IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said that “within a few days” the military would complete targeting all of the “critical” assets of Iran’s military production industries, sites used to develop weapons that threaten Israel. The military has also said it has taken out most of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and air defense systems.

Israel’s defense establishment is now in what it described as the “completion phase” of the goals it set out at the start of the war, meaning it believes it has largely achieved its objectives of degrading Iran’s military capabilities and “creating the conditions” for the Iranian regime to fall, The Times of Israel has learned.

While Israel has carried out several strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during the current conflict, as well as in the 12-day war in June 2025, the effort against the Iranian nuclear program is being led by the US. This includes the issue of Iran’s stockpile of over 400 kilograms of 60 percent enriched uranium, which Israeli officials say is enough for 11 nuclear bombs.

The Times of Israel has learned that the defense establishment believes that the Iranian weapon production capabilities have been severely degraded, setting Iran back years. The goal of “creating the conditions” for the Iranian regime to topple has also been achieved “above and beyond,” according to the defense establishment, although it still remains unclear when, or if, the Iranian population will rise up against its oppressive government.

As the IDF has almost completed bombing all of Iran’s weapon production sites, Israeli leaders, including Defense Minister Israel Katz, have ordered the military to carry out strikes on targets that cause economic blows to the Iranian regime.

This included a strike on major Iranian gas infrastructure in the country’s south nearly two weeks ago, and strikes on two of Iran’s largest steel factories on Friday. In both cases, Israel aimed to cause massive economic damage to the Iranian regime, according to security sources.

Unusually, the IDF did not comment on either strike.

Last week, US President Donald Trump threatened to target Iranian energy sites, giving Iran a deadline of April 6 to agree to an American proposal to end the war. As such, Israel has also agreed to suspend strikes on energy infrastructure in Iran, and instead has targeted other sites that cause economic damage, such as the steel plants.

The Times of Israel has learned that additional such strikes against Iranian economic targets are planned by Israel’s defense establishment, aimed at causing even more damage to the regime.

In addition to the strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, the US is also leading the effort to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz, with recent reports suggesting the US has been preparing options for ground operations in Iran. According to Israeli defense sources, the IDF has provided the US with intelligence regarding the strait and nearby islands, including Kharg Island.

Israel hits 250 Iran, Lebanon targets in major assault

Israel hits 250 Iran, Lebanon targets in major assault

Joshua Marks

The Israeli Air Force struck more than 250 targets simultaneously in Iran and Lebanon over the weekend, the military said on Saturday night.

More than 100 sites belonging to the “Iranian terrorist regime” were hit, according to the Israel Defense Forces, including ballistic missile production facilities, ready-to-launch missiles, air defense systems, drones and missile storage facilities. 

In a statement later that night, the IDF said its air force had completed a third wave of “wide-scale” strikes across Tehran, targeting dozens of additional terrorist infrastructure sites. Further details were provided on Sunday morning, with the IDF saying that the strikes targeted temporary command centers and weapons production sites in the capital.

“As part of the strikes, the IDF has deepened the degradation of the regime’s weapons production infrastructure, targeting dozens of weapons storage and production sites,” the IDF said, noting that the temporary command centers were hit after the IDF in recent days identified the Iranian regime had begun relocating its command centers to mobile units after most of its command centers were struck by the IAF over the past month.

Israeli warplanes also struck the regime’s ballistic missile production and storage facilities, aerial defense systems and observation posts, according to the statement.

In Lebanon, over 170 Hezbollah terror targets were struck, with the IDF noting that since the start of targeted operations across the border, more than 800 terrorists from the Iranian proxy have been eliminated from the air, sea and ground.

Jerusalem launched “Operation Roaring Lion” against the Iranian regime in coordination with Washington’s “Operation Epic Fury” on Feb. 28, conducting continuous airstrikes targeting senior leadership, the regime’s missile and military capabilities, its nuclear program, and its security apparatus of repression.

Hezbollah launched rockets and suicide drones at Israel on March 2 in retaliation for the targeted killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei during the opening strikes of “Operation Roaring Lion/Epic Fury.” In response to the violation of the U.S.-brokered Nov. 27, 2024, truce with Lebanon, Israel carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah and ordered troops to seize additional positions in Southern Lebanon to stop cross-border attacks.

“Contrary to the declaration by the Lebanese government earlier this year, Hezbollah is still operating and conducting attacks from Southern Lebanon,” IDF Spokesperson Effie Defrin said on Saturday. “If the Lebanese government will not disarm Hezbollah, the IDF will. We will not allow Hezbollah to rearm, and we will continue operating in order to protect our civilians on our northern border.”

Four IDF divisions are operating in Southern Lebanon to expand ground operations and eliminate Hezbollah terrorists, the military said on Saturday. Troops from the 36th Division located weapons and killed dozens of terror operatives, while Golani Brigade troops dismantled more than 100 terrorist infrastructure sites and over 10 operational shafts. Forces from the 7th Brigade discovered a cache of RPGs, mines and machine guns.

“The IDF will continue to deepen its operations against the Iranian terrorist regime and the Hezbollah terrorist organization simultaneously, in order to remove threats against the civilians of the State of Israel,” the military said.

Iran’s president slams IRGC, warns economy on verge of collapse – report

Iran’s president slams IRGC, warns economy on verge of collapse – report

World Israel News Staff

Iran’s civil and military leaders are reportedly clashing over the handling of the war, according to an Iran Internationalreport citing sources familiar with the dispute.

The sources say that there is a growing rift between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ahmad Vahidi regarding the regime’s future as the war with the United States and Israel enters its second month.

Pezeshkian has reportedly warned that continued escalation and attacks on neighboring countries could push Iran’s economy toward collapse within three to four weeks if no ceasefire is reached.

The sources cited in the report also said that Pezeshkian criticized the Revolutionary Guards’ approach and pressed for greater authority to be returned to the civilian administration.

Vahidi is said to have rejected Pezeshkian’s call for the IRGC to give greater control to civil authorities, while blaming the Iranian government for failing to carry out structural reforms before the war broke out.

This is not the first time Pezeshkian has publicly signaled his concern over the stability of the regime.

According to the report, Iran’s economy – which was already under heavy strain prior to the outbreak of the war – is showing signs of continued decline, with disruptions at ATMs and online banking systems.

More....

YouVersion CEO: The Best AI Models Misquote the Bible at Least 15% of the Time

YouVersion CEO: The Best AI Models Misquote the Bible at Least 15% of the Time

Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz

YouVersion, the most widely used Bible app in the world, with over one billion downloads, is refusing to let artificial intelligence answer spiritual questions — and the reason is damning. Bobby Gruenewald, founder and CEO of YouVersion, has gone public, warning that the best AI models on the market misquote the Bible at least 15% of the time, and  some err as much as 60% of the time.

This technical glitch has grave spiritual implications. The Torah commands lo tosif al ha-davar — “you shall not add to the word” (Deuteronomy 4:2). Yet AI systems are inventing verses, altering punctuation and wording, and presenting fabricated text as authentic..

Jeremy Hodes of Evangelical Missions Quarterly documented ChatGPT inventing a verse and labeling it John 5:5: “We know that we shall behold a Mocker of Defamers; and, as the defamers, we are of the mockers.” The actual John 5:5 describes a man at the Pool of Bethesda who had been ill for 38 years. Fox News reported another fabrication, attributed to Jesus: “there is no man or woman.” No such verse exists anywhere in the Christian or Jewish canon.

YouVersion uses AI internally to accelerate coding and streamline workflow. Gruenewald utilizes the technology, describing himself as an early AI adopter. But he has drawn a sharp line between back-office automation and putting AI in front of a billion users to answer questions about God. “When it comes to answering life’s most important questions and trying to give direction from God’s Word,” he said, “we need it to be better in order to rely on it.”

He added: “The best model with the best performance, with the most popular versions of the Bible that are most indexed, misquotes Scripture at least 15% of the time. Some of them as much as 60% of the time.”

Gruenewald said that YouVersion has privately challenged AI developers to improve how their models handle Scripture.  He has told them that if they can consistently quote the Bible accurately, YouVersion will help them gain access to reliable biblical texts. So far, no model has cleared that bar.

The broader Christian world is moving in the opposite direction. Churches are using AI to draft sermons. Platforms allow users to “chat” with biblical characters. Prayer apps are being powered by algorithms. Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis and the Ark Encounter, put it plainly in Harbingers Daily: “AI can be a useful tool, but it should never replace careful study of the Scriptures for yourself. Remember, it is programmed by fallible, sinful humans.”

Gloo, a faith-oriented technology firm, is attempting to build guardrails — evaluating AI systems against standards like theological integrity and human flourishing. The effort is serious, but it remains upstream of the problem. The models generating Scripture responses are general-purpose systems trained on vast swaths of the internet, not curated biblical texts reviewed by scholars.

For Gruenewald, the technology may get there eventually. “If we ever do fully adapt AI, it will be because we feel very confident that it can be done safely and be done with a level of accuracy and integrity,” he said. But “eventually” is not now.

Younger generations already turn to chatbots before they turn to clergy. Most users have not memorized Scripture. They will not catch a fabricated verse. They will not know when a comma has shifted the meaning of a passage that took scholars centuries to translate. They will simply read what the machine tells them, assume it is accurate, and carry that error forward.

It should be emphasized that Gruenewald is not telling people to avoid AI entirely. He is saying that speed and popularity do not outweigh fidelity to the text. That is not a conservative position. That is the only defensible position.