Sifting Sand

Good morning friends, I hope I am not interfering with your day, but I feel a foreboding in my spirit over what has happened in the last few weeks with President Trump and some of the headlines that have dominated the news. This is not a bash fest, but a concern and call to intercession on behalf of Trump and his recent policies.  I am concerned by his mental state, flashes of anger, and profanity seems to be getting the best of him.  A call to pray for Trump! 

As a supporter of Trump as we all are, his latest steps have brought the covenant of Israel in the forefront.  Why the close affiliation with Qatar, who funds Hamas with hundreds of millions of $$.  What of his push with Saudi Arabia to join the Abrahamn accords?  (they won’t join without a Palestinian state).  Abraham Accords? Worship the same God, no we don’t. Qatar and Saudi governments have a plan to invest in America to destroy us and conquer us.  They do it with $$. Funding and investing in universities to get a foothold into America. Jihad comes into America in various ways.  Why accept the new mayor of NY Mamdani into the White House? Two years ago he was Al Qaeda?  Can two walk together except they are in agreement? Amos 3:3

The visual in one week of Sunni and Shite in the White House is striking.  The spiritual connotation of handshakes, agreements and smooth words is concerning.  Where is Israel in this? Have we begun to tell them, (no settlements in Judea & Samaria) not talk with them.  Netanyahu agrees, what else can he do?  Israel is fast becoming a vassal state to us and the Islamist have become investment partners.  Money is the mother’s milk in politics.  God will have the last say. Psalms 2 God laughs at our feeble plans, He has spoken. 

Again I am not bashing Trump, I am concerned in my spirit the direction we have turned.  Woe unto those who seek to divide Israel.  God will judge.  

We are at the precipice of decisions that may and will affect us as a nation.  I fear Trump has been given bad advice.  I don’t blame Trump because even few Pastors understand the importance of standing with Israel and the eternal covenant with Abraham and the Jewish people.  

Final note, he needs a real spiritual advisor, and he needs to listen to them.  Jack Hibbs, Tom Hughes, where are you? Intercession according to the will and purpose of God.  Rh

Epilogue : The Bible says when you see these things happening, look up for your redemption draws near.  Wars, rumors of wars, deception, earthquakes, floods in Ethiopia, Indonesian, Thailand, and dormant volcano erupting in Ethiopia, just in the last two days!  Maybe the worst is the genocide of Christians in Nigeria. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!  Maranatha

Turkey; A Rogue Nation On The Rise

I have said for many years that Russia, even though they will be leading the Ezekiel 38 coalition that moves against Israel in the last days, is not the primary nation to worry about. I think Turkey is going to be an instigator just as much if not more than Russia. Yes Russia seems to be the primary nation from the far north, however, many of the nations that are mentioned are not only Muslim but have been a part of the old Ottoman Empire.  

The leader of Turkey is a dictator. His human rights record is horrible.  Edorgen imagines himself an end time leader to bring a resurgence of the caliphate.  He has visions of grandeur.  He walks a tightrope as a member of NATO, but also staying true to his Muslim brothers. At times he has ignored Israel, but most recently the rhetoric that is being hurled against Israel by Turkey is troublesome. Turkey has 450,000 troops ready to march, second among NATO forces, and  a sophisticated drone wing as well as working on missile technology. Turkey is now a rogue nation, threatening Israel, and others in the Middle East, including Syria, and having a close relationship with Russia and China.  This is a nation that needs to be taken seriously.

Perhaps the most dangerous element of Erdoğan’s strategy lies to Israel’s north. Turkey has entrenched itself in Syria, creating zones of influence just across Israel’s border. This puts Turkish forces—and the Islamist militias it backs—perilously close to Israel’s northern frontier. For Israel, the nightmare scenario is clear, Turkey an established state with advanced weaponry, a massive army, and global alliances.

Again, we are living in prophetic times. We understand that Russia will lead a coalition from the north to move on against Israel in what is called Ezekiel 38 war. However, it is Turkey that will be right with them and maybe even pushing them in that direction . Russia will probably have much more economic reasons from moving the Ezekiel 38 war against Israel, but Turkey has an intense hatred of the Jewish people.  Religious  hatred in the Middle East is powerful for war. 

 Turkey has already reshaped battlefields from Nagorno-Karabakh to Ukraine, and its defense industry is expanding rapidly. This combination of military power, strategic geography, and ideological fervor makes Turkey a unique threat. Iran may be Israel’s most immediate adversary, but Turkey’s long-term potential is greater: 

  • a modern state
  • a powerful army
  • and a leader bent on empire.

More Dangerous Than Iran?

For years, Israeli leaders and analysts have worried about Tehran’s nuclear clock. But what if the greater danger is Ankara’s ambition clock?  Iran represents a sectarian Shi‘ite power; Turkey represents the possibility of a pan-Sunni revival.

Where Iran builds power through fear, Turkey builds it through influence—through trade, cultural ties, religious rhetoric, and the promise of Islamic unity. In many ways, this is the more potent formula. A leader who can unite diverse Muslim nations under the banner of Jerusalem’s “liberation” poses a threat that reaches far beyond rockets and centrifuges.

For those who read history with the Bible in hand, the rise of Turkey as Israel’s adversary should not come as a surprise. Ezekiel 38 describes a vast northern coalition led by “Gog of the land of Magog” that will one day march against Israel. Among the nations listed are Meshech and Tubal—regions that many scholars trace back to modern-day Turkey.

This prophecy outlines not just a sudden attack, but a deliberate alignment of nations under a leader who seeks to destroy Israel in the latter days. We are told that this coalition will include Persia (modern Iran), Cush, Put (North Africa), and others—but Turkey may very well be the spearhead of the end-time invasion

Never fear, it will not be Israel’s strength that saves them on that day, but it will be the very hand of God that will fight on Israel‘s behalf. As a noted radio personality, and defender of the faith Jan Markell has said recently, “the pieces are not falling apart, they’re falling into place.”  Maranatha

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

URGENT PRAYER NEEDED

ARE WE LOOKING AT ANOTHER BLACK MONDAY?

Good – BBB passed

Bad – Saudi Arabia: secret meetings 

Ugly – Judea & Samaria

Good: budget deal

Legislative Breakdown: What’s in the Big Bill

  • Tax Cuts Extended: The Trump-era tax reductions that were set to expire are now locked in, benefitting individuals and small businesses.
  • Tipped Wage Tax Eliminated: A major win for restaurant and service workers — and a clear political nod to working-class Americans.
  • Border Security Surge: Billions in new resources for the southern border — fencing, surveillance, and detention capabilities.
  • Regulatory Rollbacks: Additional deregulatory provisions aimed at streamlining federal red tape across sectors.
  • Planned Parenthoods lose $1 Billion close 200 facilities

Bad: Secret meetings 

Will this Monday be a “black Monday”, will Israel be sold out and told to accept a deal that is not in their best interest?  A few weeks ago Prime Minister Netanyahu flew from Europe to get Trump’s blessing to attack the nuclear facilities in Iran.  Trump told him to stand down and allow the US to broker a deal with Iran.  No deal was reached and the attacks happened anyway.  My fear is the same for this Monday, Israel needs to be in on all talks that concern peace in the Middle East. They are our long-time partners.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman secretly met with President Donald Trump and other key officials in the White House on Thursday to discuss de-escalation efforts with Iran, multiple sources confirmed with Fox News.

According to sources, the talks included discussions about de-escalation with Iran and getting to the negotiating table. The talks were also reportedly about ending the war in Gaza and negotiating the release of the remaining hostages – whether dead or alive – and about working toward peace in the Middle East. Although the talks were not exclusively about the possibility of normalization with Israel, sources said the conversation dealt with steps that needed to occur to get there.

The Saudis are in the process of finalizing a defense and trade deal with the U.S., and the message shared between the two allies, sources added, is that they see eye-to-eye on all issues.

  • Saudi Arabia – expansion of Abraham Accords
  • Likud Party deal to preserve Judea & Samaria
  • 60 day Hamas ceasefire
  • Who will rule Hamas?

Ugly: It’s all about the land.  

Remember James Carville ( insert crazy Cajun dialect) “It’s the economy stupid” to President Clinton on his re-election bid.  Well with Israel it is “all about the land.”

Fast forward to today: we are seeing signs of another round of Abraham Accord expansion, driven by geopolitical ambition and economic interests. Letters of warning have been sent to the White House by Pastors and Christian Conservatives, (myself included), but don’t yet know if they’ve reached President Trump’s desk. But the message remains the same

  • Genesis 15:18 (NKJV): On the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying: “To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.”
  • Joel 3:2 (NKJV): “I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and I will enter judgment with them there on account of My people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations: they have divided My land.”
  • Likud Party ministers in the Knesset demand that Netanyahu annex the West Bank (Biblical Judea and Samaria) before the end of the month.

Let us watch closely. Let us pray fervently. What are his faith advisors telling him?  

  • Are they speaking Biblical truth to Trump?
  • Do they understand the severity of dividing the land??
  • Or is Trump not listening to his counsel?
  • And let us speak truth boldly — that no campaign, no peace deal, and no political ambition is worth compromising the eternal covenant of the Lord.

Wrap up

  • Pray for discernment.  Someone needs to get into the President’s ear.
  • How badly does Trump want peace ?
  • Are financial deals more important?
  • Investments are great, but can two walk together???
  • Intercede because God frowns on division of the land of promise (covenant?)
  • Honoring God’s covenant with Israel is MAGA or America first.
  • Israel is the best friend we have in the world & in the most volatile area of  the world is Israel.

Sage words from Ambassador Mike Huckabee : “Hamas has “no future” in Gaza, it would be like the Nazis rebuilding Germany after WW2

Prayer points below:

  • Discernment for President Trump
  • No division of the land
  • No two state solution
  • Safety for IDF and citizens of Israel
  • Hostages returned first before a cease fire
  • Psalms 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem

The War of Tariffs: How Far Can Ego Go?

By Tania Koenig

This is an excellent look at the turbulent times we live in and the uncertainty of our times. It truly is a war of the heavenlies. We must learn to fight the spiritual war. Rh

Donald Trump began his second term not just with political momentum, but with global reverence. At the 2024 reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, world leaders, kings, and queens stood to honor him—a gesture not born of ceremony, but of deep respect for his resilience. He had survived two assassination attempts, led a bold campaign against immense odds, and returned to the world stage carrying both gravitas and a defiant spirit.

Yet somewhere between honor and hubris, something shifted.

President Trump’s initial diplomacy toward Vladimir Putin gave way to frustration. After weeks of behind-the-scenes talks, he told NBC News he was now “very angry” with Putin, threatening a 50% tariff on countries purchasing Russian oil unless a ceasefire in Ukraine is reached. Curiously, however, Russia and Belarus—central actors in the conflict—were not included in the retaliatory tariffs announced earlier this month.

Markets took note. So did the nations.

The American dollar tumbled. The euro surged to $1.30, shaking investor confidence. U.S. consumers are bearing the brunt of rising costs. The tariffs, intended as leverage, are beginning to resemble self-inflicted wounds.

This is no longer just a war of policy—it’s a war of pride. And ego is proving to be the most expensive currency of all.

Trump famously declared, “This war should have never happened—and it wouldn’t have happened if I were President.” But today, with no ceasefire in Ukraine, no progress in Gaza, no clarity with Iran, and no breakthrough with Putin, those words ring hollow.

Let’s be clear: Iran is not a place for simplistic posturing. The Iranians are masterful negotiators, many holding PhDs in international relations, law, and economic strategy. But beyond academic credentials lies a deeper reality: they are heirs of the Persian Empire, one of the most sophisticated civilizations in history.

From the days of Cyrus the Great to the intricate diplomacy of the Safavid and Qajar dynasties, Persians have wielded power not just with might—but with strategy, patience, and psychological brilliance. They understand time as an ally, not an enemy. They see the West’s rush for resolution as a weakness, not a virtue. In every negotiation, they think in centuries, not election cycles.

You don’t outtalk Iran. You outlast them—if you can.

And China? Xi Jinping isn’t reading The Art of the Deal. He’s studying The Art of War by Sun Tzu—a manual on subtlety, misdirection, and calculated control. Xi doesn’t shout; he waits. He lets the West play a loud, short game while he plays a quiet, long one.

This is not just a political reckoning—it’s a spiritual one.

The Bible warns us: “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” — Proverbs 16:18

This is the moment the Church must rise—not to take political sides, but to take spiritual position. We must step into the role of watchmen, discerning the times, praying with authority, and calling leaders back to humility and wisdom.

Because this war—whether in Gaza, Ukraine, or global markets—will not be won in press rooms or tariff threats.

It will only be turned by divine intervention.

When diplomacy becomes theater, when world leaders are moved more by ego than wisdom, it is the Church that must return to the wall in prayer.

Because if the course ahead is left to ego, the world will fracture.

But if it is turned over to the Lord, we may yet see the kind of breakthrough that only Heaven can orchestrate.