Israel Is Being Set Up

Conflict off the Coast of Gaza: Flotilla and the Facts

by Sandra Teplinsky
Light of Zion
www.lightofzion.org


"What has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9) The biblical truism applies only too well to Israel and her enemies today---as it did yesterday. How has Satan manipulated world weapons of deceit against the Jews? The father of lies, lies."

The above is an excerpt from my 2004 book, "Why Care about Israel?" The book includes a section describing and documenting Satan's timeless weapon of deceit about the Jewish people and Israel. From the era of the Egyptian pharaohs, to the days of Queen Esther, to the rebuilding of Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah, and up through the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the Nazi regime, and today, the father of lies, lies.

Sadly, On May 31, 2010, we awoke to the news that early that morning, Israeli naval troops were forced to respond to an armed attack against them aboard a convoy of ships illegally attempting to "break Israel's blockade" against Gaza.

Purpose of the Flotilla

Rather than repeat fabrications already circling the globe, this article describes today's conflict off the coast of Gaza according to Israeli reports. Bear in mind that not all the facts are yet in. But one thing is certain: The purpose of the flotilla convoy was not primarily humanitarian and not primarily peaceful. This is evidenced by the following: (1) Leftist extremists, jihadist Muslims and terrorists calling for the destruction of Israel were aboard, heading toward Israeli territorial waters. (2) The flotilla of ships was loaded with humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza---but also with weapons. (3) The Israeli navy issued numerous warnings to the flotilla to turn back and offered to peacefully unload and distribute all the humanitarian aid aboard. If their true aim had been to alleviate suffering in Gaza, the "peace actibvists" would have followed this simple procedure. (In fact, this is the same procedure we had to follow as Israeli citizens when we shipped our personal belongings here from America.) (4) As seen on video, the ship's passengers then opened fire on the Israeli navy. (5) Israel already allows a daily influx of tons of aid into Gaza. Tragically, this aid is regularly stolen by the Hamas-run Gazan government, which now boasts a small but very wealthy class of individuals. The media does not depict the flourishing businesses, including upscale restaurants, large department stores, luxurious homes and Olympic size swimming pools that exist in Gaza amid the more widespread squalor. (The Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2010, p. 19)

The main purpose of the flotilla was to stage a media event to make Israel look bad. Accordingly, Israel was placed in a dilemma no other nation would be forced to tolerate. On the one hand, had Israel let the ships into Gaza, our national sovereignty and security would have been breached by terrorists----not just peaceful protestors. On the other hand, it was known in advance that by stopping the flotilla, the international media would inevitably falsely assail Israel, with serious consequences in the political realm. Israeli commentators described the matter a few days ago, before the confrontation, as a "lose, lose situation."

Humanitarian Crisis

The flotilla was organized, in part by Turkey, in the wake of Amnesty International's recently released annual report. The report alleged Israel's blockade of Gaza has created a humanitarian crisis. (The organization has a long history of undue focus and attack on Israel.) The Israeli government replied that Amnesty International's report was false, was compiled without credible evidence, and rested on hearsay testimony. (The Jerusalem Post, May 27, 2010, p. 19) The Israeli government then released the following statement:

"Over a million tons of humanitarian supplies entered Gaza from Israel "over the last 18 months, equaling nearly a ton of aid for every man, woman and child in Gaza. ... Food and supplies are shipped from Israel to Gaza six days a week. ... In a typical week the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] coordinates the transfer of hundreds of trucks containing about 15,000 tons of supplies. ... No Palestinian is denied medical care in Israel. However, if the Hamas regime does not grant permits for medical care, the Israeli government can do nothing to help the patient. ... In 2009 alone, 10,544 patients and their companions left the Gaza Strip for medical treatment in Israel. ... Palestinians exploited medical care arrangements more than 20 times to carry out terror attacks."

The report also addresses issues such as building materials brought in to Gaza, school supplies provided, electrical and water infrastructures, and more. It points out that certain building materials are prohibited only because they are used to construct weapons for ongoing terror attacks against Israel, mostly in or near Sderot. (http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/)

The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs justified the Gaza blockade on its web site last week: "Israel has imposed a maritime blockade on Gaza because Israel is currently in a state of armed conflict with the Hamas regime that controls Gaza." According to Sarah Weiss Maudi, the Israel Foreign Ministry's expert on maritime and humanitarian law: "Hamas has repeatedly bombed civilian targets in Israel with weapons that have been smuggled into Gaza by various routes, including the sea....Maritime blockades are a legitimate and recognized measure under international law, and may be implemented as part of an armed conflict at sea....The naval manuals of the US and UK recognize the maritime blockade as an effective naval measure that can be implemented in times of armed conflict." In fact, Egypt has agreed to, and also participates, in the blockade regarding Gaza. (http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA)

Events On Board

As reported today by the Jerusalem Post, based largely on information directly from the IDF, violence erupted this morning when "activists aboard the flotilla of ships on their way to the Gaza Strip opened fire on IDF soldiers who boarded the ships to prevent them from breaking the Israeli-imposed sea blockade.[/I] ... The international activists 'prepared a lynch' for the soldiers who boarded the ships at about 2 a.m. Monday morning after warning them to leave, or follow them to the Ashdod Port several hours earlier. [Click here to see videos of this warning and other aspects of the incident.]...At least 10 activists were killed during the ensuing clashes as well as 6 navy commandos, some of them from gunfire and at least one in serious condition with a head wound. ... Upon boarding the ships, the soldiers encountered fierce resistance from the passengers who were armed with knives, bats and metal pipes. The soldiers used non-lethal measures to disperse the crowd. The activists succeeded in stealing the weapon from one of the IDF's soldiers and opened fire, leading to an escalation in violence. 'It was like a well-planned lynch,' one IDF officer said. 'These people were anything but peace activists.'

"The IDF said the ships would be taken to the Ashdod Port where, despite the violence, the cargo that they are carrying will be inspected and then transferred to the Gaza Strip via land crossings." (www.jpost.com, May 31, 2010) Indeed, as of this writing, the ships are en route to Ashdod.

According to the IDF's web site earlier today, "[Israeli naval] forces operated in adherence with operational commands and took all necessary actions in order to avoid violence, but to no avail. ... All of the injured parties, Israelis and foreigners, are currently being evacuated by helicopter to hospitals in Israel."

Israel's deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said Israel regrets any loss of life and did everything to avoid this outcome. He described the convoy as a "premeditated and outrageous provocation," calling it an "armada of hate".

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, international leaders, and global bodies are quickly condemning Israel's actions, alleging we have committed a massacre and act of terror. Palestinians are rioting in protest today in various locations in Israel. Will the world ever hear the truth?

Pray!

Please join us in praying intently for this situation. Pray protection and wisdom for the Israeli navy, police and government officials. Pray for the salvation of all involved and for the wounded. Pray for truth to emerge. May even this tragic conflict be used for God's ultimate kingdom purposes.

That's Offensive - the Liberal War on the Gospel

By Justin Edwards

This is an excellent piece by Ron Graham on the Marxist path this country is on. The picture is bleak if you are an unbeliever, but for those of us who put our trust in Jesus Christ, we know it nicely fits among the "beginning of sorrows."  As another election year approaches, I urge you to put aside your ingrained politics and vote Bible. The less freedoms we have, the less we will openly be able to share the Gospel without penalty. The freedoms you have today will be the most freedoms you will ever have, so take the opportunity to slow the bleeding. The liberals in our government, spearheaded by Barack Obama, are destroying this nation and stealing our freedoms, and if you still don't believe that, I hope the veil will be removed from your eyes soon.

That’s Offensive

By Ron Graham

“Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.” 1 Peter 2:7-8.

“You can’t draw that, that’s offensive”. These were the words that a thirteen year old student in California heard a few days ago from her teacher. The student had drawn a picture of the American flag with the words “God bless America” inscribed on the flag. For this she was singled out and told her project was offensive. Then the teacher went on to praise another student who had drawn a picture of Obama. This is just a very small sampling of what’s happening across this nation.

Socialism is now the new flavor in America. We now see public school teachers promoting and indoctrinating our children into this new socialistic, godless, false utopian society, and our government leaders are consumed with promoting the same failed concept. It’s now an offense to be patriotic in America. And what’s much worse is that it is now considered almost criminal to publicly demonstrate a love for God.

“Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,” 1 Corinthians 10:32. Those of us who follow Jesus Christ and promote His Gospel have no desire to offend anyone. The Gospel of Christ is a take it or leave it reality. Most believers who are actually witnessing to others prepare themselves for the rejection of the Gospel. We can tell someone about Jesus and if during the conversation they make it plain they are not interested or they seem to be getting agitated we can excuse ourselves and move on. We don’t brow beat people into submission or attack them because they aren’t inclined to partake of the truth. We simply change the subject or stop talking all together.

It’s true that lost people have no problem with being offensive around Christians or even singling out Christians for abuse. We are ridiculed and even condemned by those who hate God. Even ending a conversation with “God bless you” is an offense to those who are perishing. The young girl mentioned above was simply expressing her patriotism and love for God which is a Constitutionally protected right. It seems America’s founding fathers were offensive by placing such high esteem on what they believed to be God given rights. At least that teacher thought so. Oh yea, and for those who think the separation of Church and state has anything to do with the U.S. Constitution it doesn’t. There’s no such thing as “the separation of Church and state” written into the founding fathers documents as they established this country as a sovereign, godly nation. But there is something called the Bill of Rights which says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech..., and so on. “The free exercise thereof” is the same as saying if you are in a classroom in America and you wish to exercise your Constitutional right to express your love for God and country you may do so unimpeded.

So what’s changed in the Constitution to allow a teacher to prohibit students “the free exercise thereof”? The Constitution of the United States of America has not changed, but we the people have placed ungodly leaders in control of our government and as such we are reaping what we have sown. God has been replaced with the religion of humanism. And this unholy saga continues as these misguided souls attempt to rid this nation of all vestiges of that old antiquated belief which emphatically maintains there is a God.

First, they change our laws. How can they get away with that, you might ask? Through evil deceptions they get themselves elected to the highest office in the land, the Presidency of the United States of America, then they proceed to fill all the cabinet posts associated with that office with Marxists and Communists. They infiltrate Congress through similar deceptions until they dominate that once revered and stately body. Then they place into the highest courts of the land those individuals who have no use for God. This will, in turn, give rise to new and devilishly thought-out rulings that will far and above favor humanism, socialism, and ultimately communism over anything that might be based on faith in the one true God of the Bible. After a few years of these socialistic, humanistic, Marxists leaders lording over the masses, most of America will become painfully aware that their “inalienable rights” have dried up and blown away.

Socialism is alive and thriving in America my friends and we now sit on the very precipice of evil completely consuming our national government and taking over our beloved country. We aren’t just slightly moving in that direction, the guy that occupies the Oval Office has placed America on the fast track to becoming a dictatorial and completely socialistic entity.

Recently it’s been revealed that any mention of God by students will be harshly dealt with. Wearing the American flag on your person is also becoming a crime in the godless halls of academia. But there’s a time coming, and is almost here, when one certain word will get you thrown into jail quicker then oil leaking out of a pipe in the gulf, that word is “Jesus” the name above all names. Unless of course you use the Lord’s name as a swear word then of course you’ll be excused.

Letters come in all the time rebuking me for my stance on our current leadership’s regime. They try to tell me that this is all biblical and that we need to just accept it as the inevitable. God places who He wills into the offices of government and we aren’t to question His motives or His plans. We are just to accept everything as from God no matter how bad and evil our government becomes. If that’s our destiny, so be it.

Of course in some respects I’m inclined to agree with them. When they point out that God has a plan and He is in control, of that I have no doubt. But, God in His word never tells us to simply give up our liberties or to stop standing up for righteousness. After all, our liberties are all God endowed. I must conclude from the letters that I receive that God has now taken those liberties back which He had graciously bestowed on this great nation over the past 234 years. Now with the establishment of our new socialist government firmly entrenched we are to just be passive and patient and take whatever is thrown at us as being from God? I don’t think so. You see, God establishes governments and places people in its leadership to run those governments as God wills. Let’s be honest, does anyone reading this commentary believe that America’s current leadership regime is in any way following God’s precepts or God’s will for the American people, or more specifically for His own Children?

The answer to that question is yes if we believe God is punishing America for her failure to follow His precepts, for giving Him the boot as it were. But that would mean that God is punishing the righteous along with the unrighteous. His word plainly states this will not be the case. But on the other hand could it be that our leaders are not following God’s precepts and His will for this land? I’m much more inclined to believe the latter.

“Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” Matthew 18:7. By referring to God as offensive those who make such claims are only condemning themselves. When Jesus uses the word “Woe” He is denouncing something, and in this instance He is actually judging those who bring offenses against God or against His children. If they only understood what they were doing they would be terrified to be in that position of denouncement. Alas, understanding is far from the minds of those who call God offensive.

Do I see any turnaround of our current rush toward socialism or communism or even Sharia Law? No. Wow, that’s depressing. Yes it is and we who follow Jesus Christ can plainly see where such a government made up of socialist Marxists will lead. Christians will be targeted as haters and dissenters, and will be seen as the enemy. If we become critical of the abuses which will certainly be manifest by the state we will feel the hand of persecution upon our backsides.

I’ve been accused of creating an atmosphere of fear among believers with some of my previous commentaries. I’m sure this one will fall right in line with the rest. It has not been my intention in the least to promote fear or be divisive. On the contrary, what I’ve been trying to induce is not panic or fear but the recognition of a new direction, a new and different playing arena if you will, in which our government leaders wish to lead us into a new and glorious utopian world where we will all live in harmony and peace. But knowing the word of God we can see that this is only an attempt by the enemy of God to move gullible people away from our Lord.

What does the Bible say about peace on earth? Only when Jesus Christ returns and makes an end of wars and eliminates the persistent evil will there be peace, one thousand years of it. Until then, while we have breath we are to be His mouthpiece, His disciples, His saints promoting His Gospel and telling everyone we can about His love for them. It’s not going to be easy from here on out, but that is partially our own fault. In many ways we believers in Christ have dropped the ball. It’s up to followers of Jesus Christ to pick it up again.

I believe there are some who’ve been called to be watchmen on the wall, and as such we watchmen will inevitably be singled out as the worst of the haters. There are many men and women who are courageously standing up for Jesus Christ and His Gospel and who will be the first to witness the strong arm of this new socialistic government.

Offensive people are going to increase and they will stand against us as we go about our Fathers business. That’s okay. We are told not to fear but to be of good cheer. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. Our peace is in Christ and we will never despair as long as we place our trust in Jesus Christ, and keep Him in our hearts.

Believe me when I tell you there will soon come a time when someone will say to you, “That’s offensive to me” and all you will have done is mention the name of Jesus our Savior to them. But do not fear what man will do to you for being a follower of Jesus Christ. Actually those who persecute us are the ones who need to be fearful. “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28.

If the world sees us as offensive for speaking the truth of Jesus Christ, that’s a good thing. It’s those who call themselves Christians but who are thoroughly engulfed in the world and never mention His name that I’m concerned about. Where do you stand?

God bless you all,

Ron Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

Psalm 83 and its Current Significance in the Midle East Crisis

Psalm 83 … Preview Of A Coming Attraction

by Jack Kelley

Hezbollah says that Israel’s disappearance after the next war is an established fact. Iran’s President has called Israel a dirty microbe and a savage animal that will soon disappear in a flash. The commander in chief of Iran’s army predicts that millions will soon receive the joyous news of Israel’s destruction. Israel’s chief of staff warns of a “tough ordeal” coming soon.With all the rhetoric flying around the Middle East about a major war this summer, and with multiple countries (including the US) rapidly beefing up their military preparedness, a quick review of Psalm 83 is in order to refresh our minds on the prophetic details of this coming attack against Israel.

Psalm 83 was probably written some time after the end of King Solomon’s reign (about 900 BC)  but the Bible contains no account of such a coordinated effort by all of Israel’s neighbors to destroy them, either during that time or since.  A partial fulfillment may be in view in 2 Chron. 20 when Moab, Ammon, and parts of Edom invaded Judah during King Jehosophat’s reign (872-848 BC) Interestingly, Jahaziel, a Levite who prophesied Judah’s victory in that battle was a descendant of Asaph, who wrote Psalm 83. Applying one of his favorite tactics, the Lord set Israel’s enemies against each other and they defeated themselves. Ezekiel 38:21 tells of a future use of this same tactic.

But the Battle of 2 Chron. 20 doesn’t fully meet meet the requirements of Psalm 83, having many fewer antagonists, so on that basis we’ll assume its fulfillment is still in the future, perhaps the very near future. If so, it could be the bridge between the current state of affairs in Israel and the conditions necessary for the Battle of Ezekiel 38 to happen.  Let’s find out.

Psalm 83
O God, do not keep silent; be not quiet, O God, be not still. See how your enemies are astir, how your foes rear their heads. With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.

“Come,” they say, “let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

With one mind they plot together; they form an alliance against you- the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, Gebal, Ammon and Amalek, Philistia, with the people of Tyre. Even Assyria has joined them to lend strength to the descendants of Lot. (Ps. 83:1-8)

The language is out of today’s headlines and the countries lined up against Israel in this Psalm inhabited the lands of Israel’s current neighbors. Edom and the Ishmaelites were in land occupied by southern Jordan today while the territories of Moab and Ammon make up the rest of that country. Ahman, the modern spelling of Ammon, is the capital of Jordan.   (While the government of Jordan has a peace treaty with Israel, we should remember that some 70% of Jordan’s population is “Palestinian” and in fact the country was originally formed to be the Palestinian home land.) .

The Hagrites were part of Aram, whose capitol was Damascus in modern Syria.  Gebal (also called Byblos) and Tyre can still be found in present day Lebanon. The Amalekites lived in Israel’s southern desert and Philistia settled in Gaza on Israel’s southern border. Assyria would conquer Aram shortly after Psalm 83 was written and the descendants of Lot is another reference to Jordan.  Remember, Moab and Ammon were the sons of an incestuous union between Lot and his two daughters.

So here we have all of Israel’s next door neighbors, all of them sworn to Israel’s destruction, and all of them being whipped into a frenzy by Syria and Iran.

Do to them as you did to Midian, as you did to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon, who perished at Endor and became like refuse on the ground. Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, who said, “Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God.”

Make them like tumbleweed, O my God, like chaff before the wind. As fire consumes the forest or a flame sets the mountains ablaze, so pursue them with your tempest and terrify them with your storm. Cover their faces with shame so that men will seek your name, O LORD. May they ever be ashamed and dismayed; may they perish in disgrace. Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD—that you alone are the Most High over all the earth. (Psalm 83:9-18)

Asaph, the Psalm’s writer, can’t resist telling the Lord exactly how he’d like Israel’s enemies to be dealt with. In that sense he’s just like you and me.

Midian was defeated by a vastly outnumbered force under the command of Gideon. It was another case of the Lord turning Israel’s enemies against each other and defeating themselves. (Judges 7)

Jabin was a king of the Canaanites and Sisera was the commander of his army. The Lord lured the Canaanite army into a trap and the Israelites destroyed them.(Judges 4) The commander of Israel’s army was named Barak, just like Israel’s current Defense Minister. Probably a coincidence.

Oreb, Zeeb Zebah, and Zalmunna were all leaders of the Midianite army defeated by Gideon.

Asaph’s prayer was that Israel’s current enemies will be just as soundly defeated as were the Midianites and the Canaanites, their armies scattered and their leaders executed.

Thousands of missiles and rockets located in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza are positioned to strike strategic targets everywhere in Israel.  As of this week, Syria has moved 800 long range missiles into firing positions, placed them on combat readiness, and given them updated target coordinates.  This was done in response to Israel’s nationwide civil defense drills.  To avoid duplication in targeting, Iran has created and will direct a unified command center in Damascus to coordinate the massive simultaneous deployment of these weapons upon the outbreak of hostilities.  Their thought is that the Israelis will not be able to protect themselves against such an all out attack and will be effectively disabled.

But Israel might pick this opportunity to launch a preemptive attack against the command center, wiping out Damascus in fulfillment of Isaiah 17.  Losing their command and control abilities  could cause the enemy attack to degenerate into a confused and chaotic effort that Israel will soundly defeat just like Gideon defeated the Midianites.

Should this be the case, Israel will become larger, not smaller, with the contention over the ownership of Gaza, the West bank and the Golan put to an end. Israel will become stronger, not weaker, its military reputation restored and even enhanced. The divided land will be divided no more, and Jerusalem will remain a unified city. The controversial security fence will likely come down, since the borders on all three sides will be safe and the threat of terrorist attacks eliminated. 60 years of war will have finally ended. It will be the perfect opportunity for Israel to be lured into a false sense of security and become a peaceful and unsuspecting people living in a land of unwalled villages. And it could all happen this summer.

Meanwhile, the Russians and Iranians, who will have fought this battle primarily by proxy, will study their defeat and learn from their mistakes, lying in wait for the next opportunity to strike. It won’t be long in coming. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

(HT: Gracethrufaith)

We Never Outgrow Our Need for the Gospel

From Tullian Tchividjian’s new book, Surprised by Grace: God’s Relentless Pursuit of Rebels


I once assumed the gospel was simply what non-Christians must believe in order to be saved, but after they believe it, they advance to deeper theological waters. Jonah helped me realize that the gospel isn’t the first step in a stairway of truths but more like the hub in a wheel of truth. As Tim Keller explains it, the gospel isn’t simply the ABCs of Christianity, but the A-through-Z. The gospel doesn’t just ignite the Christian life; it’s the fuel that keeps Christians going every day. Once God rescues sinners, his plan isn’t to steer them beyond the gospel but to move them more deeply into it. After all, the only antidote to sin is the gospel—and since Christians remain sinners even after they’re converted, the gospel must be the medicine a Christian takes every day. Since we never leave off sinning, we can never leave the gospel.

This idea that the gospel is just as much for Christians as for non-Christians may seem like a new idea to many, but, in fact, it is really a very old idea. In his letter to the Christians of Colossae, the apostle Paul quickly portrays the gospel as the instrument of all continued growth and spiritual progress for believers after conversion: “All over the world,” he writes, “this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth” (Col. 1:6 NIV).

After meditating on Paul’s words here, a friend once told me that all our problems in life stem from our failure to apply the gospel. This means we can’t really move forward unless we learn more thoroughly the gospel’s content and how to apply it to all of life. Real change does not and cannot come independently of the gospel, which is the good news that even though we’re more defective and lost than we ever imagined, we can be more accepted and loved than we ever dared hope, because Jesus Christ lived, died, and rose again for sinners like you and me. God intends this reality to mold and shape us at every point in every way. It should define the way we think, feel, and live.

Martin Luther often employed the phrase simul Justus et peccator to describe his condition as a Christian. It means “simultaneously justified and sinful.” He understood that while he’d already been saved (through justification) from sin’s penalty, he was in daily need of salvation from sin’s power. And since the gospel is the “power of God for salvation” (Rom. 1:16), he knew that even for the most saintly of saints the gospel is wholly relevant and vitally necessary—day in and day out. This means that heralded preachers need the gospel just as much as hardened pagans. (16-17)

(HT: Peter Cockrell)

Obama Launches Charm Offensive

By Joel C. Rosenberg
JoelRosenberg.com

President Obama’s support with the American Jewish community is plunging due to his administration’s hostility towards Israel over the past year. A full 78% of Americans Jews voted for Obama in 2008. But now a stunning new poll finds 46% of Jews are actively considering voting for someone else in 2012. Only 42% say they would vote to re-elect Obama.

On April 15, Ronald S. Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, sent a letter to Mr. Obama expressing rarely heard before public concern by the Jewish community over the actions of a Democratic President. In it, he expressed ”alarm” over “the dramatic deterioration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Israel.” He also publicly criticized the administration for beginning to turn against Israel, a longtime friend and strategic ally. ”Why does the thrust of this Administration’s Middle East rhetoric seem to blame Israel for the lack of movement on peace talks?” asked Lauder. “After all, it is the Palestinians, not Israel, who refuse to negotiate.”

The following week, Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Jewish Democrat from New York, publicly blasted the Obama administration for it’s “counter-productive” approach towards Israel and towards Iran.

There are no indications that President Obama has decided to change his policies. He still wants to force Israel to divide Jerusalem. He still wants to force Israel to give away the strategically critical West Bank and Jordan Valley to the Palestinians who still refuse to sit down and negotiate with Israel face to face. He is still doing nothing decisive or effective to stop Iran from getting the Bomb. He still wants to force Israel not to launch a pre-emptive strike against Iran’s nuclear sites. Most recently, he has begun trying to force Israel to disclose and then dismantle its (thus unacknowledged) defensive nuclear weapons, which would leave the Jewish State naked and vulnerable against genocidal enemies.

That said, the President and his administration have recently launched a charm offensive with Israel and the Jewish community, trying to undo the enormous damage that has been caused in the relationship between both countries by the White House’s hostility in recent months. Examples:

• Next week, President Obama will host Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House.
• This week, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel took his family to vacation in Israel and to do a bar mitvah for his son.
• Last week, rabbis were wined and dined at the White House.
• Last week, President Obama held an hour and a half meeting with Jewish Democratic Members of Congress.

Personally, I don’t believe the charm offense will be effective. What is needed is not cosmetic surgery in this relationship. What is needed is radical reconstructive surgery of the Obama administration’s policies. They need to start seeing Iran as the threat and the problem, not Israel, and take bold, decisive measures accordingly. Time is running out.

(HT: Bible Prophecy Today)

My Desire

By Justin Edwards

What is our purpose? What are we here for? I believe when one comes to understand this fundamental truth, they will be ready to fulfill all the good things God has intended for them according to His will. Ephesians 2:10 says,

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

"That we should walk in them." That is our purpose - that we should perform the good works He has prepared for us from the beginning. How do we do this? How does one know what God's will is and how does one know the works prepared for him to do?

The answer is simple, quite frankly. There are many who struggle with this perceived mysterious work God has planned for them. They often ask, "What is God's will in my life?" I know, because I used to ask that question myself. Understanding God's will for you begins with the foundational, fundamental, and essential surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ. Without complete and utter surrender to God, you will forever be searching and never come to the knowledge of His perfect plan and will. Jesus says in Luke 9:23-25,

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. ²⁵ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

This is the heart of the Gospel. This is repentance. To totally deny and give up on yourself and turn toward God for salvation. To realize you are a lost sinner in desperate need of a Savior. To deny your own will and relinquish control over to God. Steve Lawson says it like this,

"You must transfer ownership of all that you are and all that you have to all that He is...your life is no longer your life, it is His life. Your time is no longer your time, it is now His time. Your possessions are no longer your possessions, they are His possessions. Your future is no longer your future, it is His future. Your treasure is no longer your treasure, it is His treasure. And you have transferred all that you are and all that you have to all that He is. That's what it means to meet His terms of peace."

 This is the essence of surrender, and without it, you cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ. You cannot be a disciple. You cannot be a Christian. David Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, 

"Repentance means that you realize you are a guilty, vile sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the wrath and punishment of God, that you are hell bound. It means that you begin to realize that this thing called sin is in you, that you long to get rid of it, that you turn your back on it in every shape and form. You renounce the world whatever the cost, the world and its mind and outlook as well as its practice. You deny yourself, you take up the cross, you go after Christ. Your nearest and dearest and the whole world may call you a fool, or say you have religious mania. You may have to suffer financially, it makes no difference. That is repentance. (From gty)

Once you have come under the grace and mercy of the almighty and sovereign Lord over all creation, a process of sanctification will begin in you.  In Philippians 1:6 we learn ^"...that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;" and in Hebrews 10:14, "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." Sanctification means to be made pure, to be made holy, to be renewed unto conformity in Christ. This work of God conforms you to the likeness of Christ for you to be used by Him for His glory.

How is it that God sanctifies us? He purifies us through discipline, trials, afflictions, service to others, prayer, and revealing Himself to us in His Word. We have the responsibility to diligently seek after Him through studying the Scriptures. Everything we must know about God's character and will for us is found there. The Holy Spirit reveals these truths as we carefully search for Him in Scripture. And by the leading of the Holy Spirit, God's will can then be applied to our lives and we will be changed from the inside out. The Apostle Paul exhorts us in Romans 12:1-2,

 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

As born again believers, we will never be able to repay Christ for what He did on the cross. At least on this side of eternity, we will never understand the love He has for us in laying down His life, bearing the weight of sin of the entire world, and shedding His blood as the sacrificial Lamb to forgive those who receive His gift of salvation. We can, however, offer our bodies as living sacrifices to Him. As we draw closer to Him, shedding off our fleshy desires, we begin to set our minds on heavenly things and no longer on things of the world. We begin to store our treasures in heaven and come to loathe the deceitful attractions of the world whose only purpose is to distract us from an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus. Our hatred and tolerance of sin increases as our love for God increases. We no longer love the world or the things of the world because there simply isn't any room left in our hearts as our love for Jesus consumes us. In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul tells us,

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

We must put on the mind of Christ. That is our calling - to become more like Him in all that we do and in all that we are. And that is my desire.

My desire is to be used by God no matter where that takes me, no matter the hardships in getting there, no matter the sacrifices required, even if it means suffering for Him in death. The Apostle Paul counted it joy to suffer as Christ suffered, to suffer in His afflictions, and so should all we who profess the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. My desire is to be used by God. My heart cries out for His will to be fulfilled in my life and to perform the good works according to His purpose. My desire is to make His name known, to not be ashamed, and to proclaim His Good News to those closest to me and to the ends of the earth while there is still time. My desire is to look back at my life should I be given opportunity to live many days, and say as Paul did in 2 Timothy 4:6-8,

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

To hear the Lord tell me one day, "Well done, My good and faithful servant."

That is my desire, and I challenge you to examine the priorities in your life to see if your desire is to be used by God for His glory. Is there anything holding you back? Is there anything in the way? I pray you consider these things and are challenged to seek after God like never before. I believe the Midnight Hour is upon us and we must use our time wisely to fulfill His will for our lives - to love and to make His name known. It is not how you started the race that matters, it is how you finished. 

How will you finish?

I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain - Jesus in John 15:16

As the Life—So the Fruit

For if these thing be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:8) 

If we desire to glorify our Lord by fruitfulness, we must have certain things within us; for nothing can come out of us which is not first of all within us. We must begin with faith, which is the groundwork of all the virtues; and then diligently add to it virtue, knowledge, temperance, and patience. With these we must have godliness and brotherly love. All these put together will most assuredly cause us to produce, as our life fruit, the clusters of usefulness, and we shall not be mere idle knowers but real doers of the Word. These holy things must not only be in us, but abound, or we shall be barren. Fruit is the overflow of life, and we must be full before we can flow over.

We have noticed men of considerable parts and opportunities who have never succeeded in doing real good in the conversion of souls; and after close observation we have concluded that they lacked certain graces which are absolutely essential to fruit bearing. For real usefulness, graces are better than gifts. As the man is, so is his work. If we would do better, we must be better. Let the text be a gentle hint to unfruitful professors and to myself also. - C.H. Spurgeon


(HT: The Spurgeon Archive)

A Salvation That Really Saves

By Mike Ratliff

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)

In yesterday’s post, Grace of Acceptation With God, we saw that our salvation was far more than simply justification by faith, which in and of itself is incredible, but also includes the imputation of the actual active righteousness of Christ, His good works or keeping of the Law, which is required for our complete acceptation by God into His Kingdom. I know that many reading this may not see the point of this or have no idea what I am talking about. However, please understand, I am praying that you will understand the truth of this because this is a huge missing piece from the gospel in the church in our time. Without this teaching, the church is plagued with professing Christians who are in a form of self-salvation. They did the religious thing “to get saved” at church. They were sincere, but there is no real change in their lives. However, the Bible is very clear as in the passage above that we are saved “not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Therefore, there is a huge problem with a lack of assurance in these people. The issue is not their lack of sincerity or their lack of obedience since their religious experience, but that they have believed a false, man-made gospel that has no spiritual power to really save or regenerate anyone.


I am preparing to take a few days off to spend with my mother this first Memorial Day since my Dad’s death. I will return late Monday. However, I think that it is vital that I spend this time in this last post before I leave continuing to focus on this battle to “recover the Gospel” in the Church. There are many issues right now that we need to address such as new Calvinism. What is that? My friend Ken Silva said today that it is “Postmodern emerging Calvinism, which is no Calvinism at all.” I know that to many Christians that the term Calvinism has a very negative connotation. I can understand that. In some cases it may be called for, especially when it refers to those that have taken such an extreme Calvinistic position that we refer to them as Hyper-Calvinists. I am not one of those and actually do not know any one who is. All of the Calvinists I know are very evangelical.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1-10 ESV)

Preaching of the real gospel involves telling the truth from God’s Word of the Fall of Man and the result which we see above. All of us were born dead in trespasses and sins that made us children of wrath. Lest you think Paul is referring to “all people” as the “us” here look closely. He is speaking to Christians who are already saved. He is telling them that they once walking in the wrath of God “like the rest of mankind.” However, God was merciful. Those whom God made alive together with Christ by His grace, He also raise them up with Him and seated them with Him in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus. This is speaking of what awaits the believer in eternity. How were we saved? All real Christians were saved by grace through faith, not a result of works. No exceptions.

Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:1-7 ESV)

Carefully read this passage my brethren. The part in bold describes what happens to each person God saves. According to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit each are justified by His grace. The regeneration also speaks of the making of each believer into a new creation. This is that imputing of Christ’s righteous character to us at our salvation. As our faith grows and our flesh becomes more and more under control, as we become more and more humble before our Lord, the more this will be manifest. This is when people will see the transformed life, the Christlike character growing in us. Remember, this is not the Gospel itself, but the fruit of the Gospel. Through the Gospel, we become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Preaching of the real gospel of the grace of God based completely on God’s Word will contain four points that are invariably missing from what is preached in the sermons in most churches in our time. Here are the four points.

1. that all men are sinners, and cannot do anything to save themselves;
2. that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is a perfect Saviour for sinners, even the worst;
3. that the Father and the Son have promised that all who know themselves to be sinners and put faith in Christ as Saviour shall be received into favor, and none cast out (which promise is “a certain infallible truth grounded upon the superabundant sufficiency of the oblation of Christ itself, for whomsoever (few or more) it be intended”);
4. that God has made repentance and faith a duty, requiring of every man who hears the gospel “a serious full recumbency and rolling of the soul upon Christ in the promise of the gospel, as an all-sufficient Saviour, able to deliver and save to the utmost them that come to God by him; ready, able and willing, through the preciousness of his blood and sufficiency of his ransom, to save every soul that shall freely give up themselves unto him for that end.” – From The Death of Death in the Death of Christ by John Owen p295.

In other words, the real preacher of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is to display Christ, not entertain people, or build large churches. This entails explaining man’s need of Him, His sufficiency to save, and His offer of Himself in the promises as Saviour to all who truly turn to Him. He must also show as fully and plainly as he can how these truths apply to the congregation before him.

If preachers of the Gospel would preach this way again knowing full well that if anyone believed and was saved that it was a work of the Holy Spirit then we might again see the gospel advancing across the world with power instead of this man-centered demon-powered ecumenical evil thing that is only pretending to be Christian that is claiming to be on target to “change the world. “ Well, God is Sovereign. We must pray for His people to once again preach the gospel of offense with power, knowing full well that it could cost them everything. It is this gospel message alone that is genuine and the only one God has promised to bless as He did when Christianity overtook the Roman Empire. May we see that happen again in our lifetime! If not, then, come soon Lord Jesus!

Soli Deo Gloria!

(HT: Possessing the Treasure)

Lives Changed! Share Your Testimony on airō

By Justin Edwards

Do you have a testimony to share? Every Christian has one without exception, so what's yours? 

This may be a great opportunity for you to write a testimony if you've never done it before. Our testimonies are so important in that they share the life-changing salvation given to us by Jesus Christ, and you never know how God might use your life to bring someone else to the cross or be an encouragement for another believer. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 says,

 ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. ⁶If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. ⁷Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Writing a testimony is a great way to put your thoughts to paper and be able to confidently share it with someone in the future. I wrote my testimony last year and I can't tell you how much the Lord has blessed me by blessing others through it. You can find my testimony under the new page titled, Lives Changed! This is also where you will share your own testimony and you will see others have already done so. I previously requested testimonies on the inactivated facebook fan page of airō and have now transferred them to the blog. You can easily share yours by posting it in the comment box at the bottom of the page. Should you wish to keep up with testimonies as they are posted, you can subscribe by email under the comment box.

If you decide not to share your testimony on airō, I encourage you to write one anyway for personal use to help you discuss your faith and how God has changed you for His glory.

I believe with all of my heart that Jesus is coming for His church soon, so we must do everything in our power to get the Gospel out before it's too late. And what better way to share the Gospel than to show how the Gospel changed you!

I hope to be able to read many of your testimonies, and more importantly, I pray that God draws someone in a similar circumstance and reveals Himself to them through the work He has done in you.

Allah is Not Jehovah God

By Joseph Chambers

There is a dangerous and unfounded effort by many church leaders to equate Jehovah God of Holy Scripture with Allah, the god of the Islamic religion. Such extreme ecumenicalism is not just plain wrong; it is totally unfair to Bible-believing Christians around the world. It is also unfair to millions of Arab Christians who know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. This is not a matter of treating Muslim people wrong or persecuting them for their religious belief. Nothing is below the action of any genuine Christian more than to be unkind to a fellow citizen of our America or of another nation. We are all Americans and citizens of the world, and trying to blur the differences of our religious faith does nothing to stop prejudice. The fact: When you try to rob people of the distinction of what they believe, it only tends to enflame prejudice.

It is clear that Muhammad had an extremely good understanding of the Jewish and Christian beliefs but he clearly distorted them throughout his writing. Even his revelations were not revelations that had any semblance of Biblical unity. They were clearly the work of spirits, mental imbalance, or disease-induced fever. The very foundations of Muhammad’s early days were filled with raids on caravans of merchants and nearby communities, terrorist activities that included brutal slaughter of the male population, plus selling the women and children as slaves. He and his early converts were in every detail of their activity, terrorists, just as brutal as those that commandeered those planes over our Northeastern states. This certainly does not suggest that every Muslim has the same mindset.

I want to establish the sheer facts of the religion called Islam. My primary information is from the The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Edition 15, Volumes 22 & 25. This set of encyclopedias was chosen to make sure my information was unbiased. I have no desire to present a false picture of this religion. The Arab people, as a distinct part of the world’s population, must not be treated unfairly. They are creatures of creation by the Heavenly Father. They are in every sense of the word endowed by the Creator with inalienable rights and to choose their religion is one of the choices they must make. We must not persecute or war against them because of their choices. Neither should we try to blend the religions together as though there is no difference. Bible believers in America will not be a part of such a mindless blurring of our faith.

Foundational Facts of Islamic History

The foundations of Islam are dark indeed. The term Muslim means someone that submits himself or herself to Allah. The followers of the Islamic religion are Muslims. Muhammad was the founder of Islam. Actually, the Islam religion was a breakaway from an existing religion with a pantheon of gods and the Kab’ah (shrine) at Mecca had many idols worshipped by the locals and visitors. A description of this shrine and its deities can be researched from many sources. Here is a description from my chosen source. “Thus Mecca became an attractive site for large trade fairs that coincided with pilgrimage (hajj) to a local shrine, the Kab’ah. The Ka’bah housed the deities of visitors as well as the Meccans’ supra-tribal creator and covenant-guaranteeing deity, called Allah. Most Arabs probably viewed this deity as one among many, possessing powers not specific to a particular tribe; others may have identified this figure with the God of the Jews and Christians.” (The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Edition 15, Volume 22, p. 104.)

It is clear that Allah was a part of the large pantheon of gods and the idea of making Allah a monotheistic god was apparently Muhammad’s decision. There is nothing to suggest that Allah had a relationship to Jehovah God of the Bible. In fact, Allah had previously been worshipped as having three daughters that were gods themselves known as “Allah’s Trinity.” Notice this description. “Where more complex settlement patterns had developed, however, widely shared deities had already emerged, such as the ‘trinity’ of Allah’s ‘daughters’ known as al-Lat, Manat, and al-Uzzah.” (Ibid., p. 105.)

When Muhammad first suggested that Allah was the one and only god, he faced incredible resistance and this was one of the first schisms that caused the Meccans to break with him. He was also a threat to their authority because of his visions and the respect of most citizens in those times for superstitious activities.

Muhammad’s Revelations

Muhammad is said to have had visions and revelations almost all of his adult life from about AD 610 until his death. At first he was disturbed by the experiences he had. His first wife, much older than Muhammad, is said to have encouraged him and her cousin began to help him write down the revelations. This cousin, named Waraguh, is reported to having been a Christian. The general condition of Muhammad during these visions plainly shows from a Biblical point that they were demonic instead of Christian. The first rule for a vision or revelation in the Christian community is absolute harmony with the Bible. While there are some ideas in Muhammad’s revelation that have principles of Bible truth the majority of his thoughts fail miserably.

First, let’s look at his physical conditions when receiving his revelations. “In his later experiences of receiving messages there was normally no vision. (Occasionally there were physical concomitants, such as perspiring on a cold day, and these gave rise to the suggestion, now agreed to be unwarranted, that he was an epileptic.) Sometimes he heard a noise like a bell but apparently never a voice. The essence of such an experience was that he found a verbal message in his heart – that is, in his conscious mind.” (Ibid., p. 2.)

As the traditions of the Islamic religion are described, there was a very clear explanation of Muhammad’s revelations. Nothing in these revelations has a Biblical precedence. While Gabriel is credited, the explanation shows nothing but a spirit of some nature. “The angel Gabriel brought the Qur’an down to the Prophet’s ‘heart.’ Gabriel is represented by the Qur’an as a spirit, but the Prophet could sometimes see and hear him. According to early traditions, the Prophet’s revelations occurred in a state of trance when his normal consciousness was in abeyance. This state was accompanied by heavy sweating. The Qur’an itself makes it clear that the revelations brought with them a sense of extraordinary weight: ‘If we were to send this Quar’an down on a mountain, you would see it split asunder out of fear of God.’” (Ibid., p. 7.)

All of this is described as coming from a “Mother’s Book.” This laid the foundation for the Islamic people to believe that the revelations of Muhammad are infallible. “This phenomenon at the same time was accompanied by an unshakable conviction that the message was from God, and the Qur’an describes itself as the transcript of a heavenly ‘Mother Book’ written on a ‘Preserved Tablet.’ The conviction was of such an intensity that the Qur’an categorically denies that it is from any earthly source, for in that case it would be liable to ‘manifold doubts and oscillations.’” (Ibid., p. 7.) The presence of sweating, a state of trance where normal consciousness is absent, heaviness upon the body, all suggest a spirit indeed, but not a spirit or angel from Jehovah God. These are the kinds of activity always associated with evil and false demons operating for Satan to deceive and destroy the true faith of Holy Scripture.

Jesus Christ: Not The Divine Son of God

This point would create no problem for Orthodox Jews because we are all aware that they reject Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah. Yet, for the Christian, it clearly reveals the impossibility of Allah being Jehovah God. Here is a plain statement, eliminating the trinity of Jehovah God and denying the Sonship of Christ. “The doctrine about God in the Qur’an is rigorously monotheistic: God is one and unique; he has no partner and no equal. Trinitarianism, the Christian belief that God is three persons in one substance, is vigorously repudiated. Muslims believe that there are no intermediaries between God and the creation that he brought into being by his sheer command: ‘Be.’” (Ibid., p. 6.)

They do teach that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, but was saved from crucifixion from the Jews by God. “Not only was Jesus born from the Virgin Mary, but God also saved him from crucifixion at the hands of the Jews.” (Ibid., p. 7.) They believed that Jesus was a prophet, but that “All prophets are human and never part of divinity; they are simply recipients of revelation from God.” (Ibid., p. 7.)

Muhammad Was A Terrorist

No one can follow Muhammad to the letter without becoming a terrorist. From the very beginning, monies to fund his activities were gathered by raids on merchants and communities. In describing Muhammad’s followers at the very beginning of his development at Medina, we see this description. “A few emigrants carried on trade in the local market run by a Jewish clan. Others, with the approval of Muhammad, set out in normal Arab fashion on razzias (ghazawat, ‘raids’) in the hope of intercepting Meccan caravans passing near Medina on their way to Syria. Muhammad himself led three such razzias in 623. They all failed, probably because traitors betrayed the Muslim movements to the enemy. At last, in January 624, a small band of men was sent eastward with sealed orders telling them to proceed to Nakhlah, near Mecca, and attack a caravan from Yemen. This they did successfully, and in doing so they violated pagan ideas of sanctity – thereby making the Meccans aware of the seriousness of the threat from Muhammad.” (Ibid., p. 3.)

Further description is as following, “In March 624 he was able to lead about 315 men on a razzia to attack a wealthy Meccan caravan returning from Syria. The caravan, led by Abu Sufyan, the head of the Umayyah clan, eluded the Muslims by devious routes and forced marches. Abu Jahl, the head of the Makhzum clan, however, leading a supporting force of perhaps 800 men, wanted to teach Muhammad a lesson and did not withdraw. On March 15, 624, near a place called Badr, the two forces found themselves in a situation, perhaps contrived by Muhammad, from which neither could withdraw without disgrace. In the ensuing battle at least 45 Meccans were killed, including Abu Jahl and other leading men, and nearly 70 taken prisoner, while only 14 Muslims died. To Muhammad this appeared to be a divine vindication of his prophethood, and he and all the Muslims were greatly elated.” (Ibid., p. 3.)

We can hardly comprehend a great prophet receiving direct revelation from God, who at the same time must fund his new religion by stealing and robbing innocent people. The terrorist activities did not end with just robbing and stealing but also unwarranted slaughter and the selling of slaves resulting from his raids. Once Muhammad had secured his control of Medina he proceeded to reign terror on the citizens that refused his religion. “After the siege of Medina, Muhammad attacked the Jewish clan of Qurayzah, which had probably been intriguing against him. When they surrendered, the men were all executed and the women and children sold as slaves.” (Ibid., p. 4.)

Please note that he killed the men after they surrendered and then sold their wives and children as slaves. Over and over you find these kind of terrorist tactics characterizing his lifestyle and methods. The Jews could not accept Muhammad’s new religion so they were seen as enemies almost from the first day. Soon to follow were the Christians and their communities. While he had made some friends among Christians, that soon turned to hostility. “Some of the tribes near Syria were Christian and adhered to the Byzantines; chiefly as a result of this, Muhammad’s earlier friendship for the Christians, notably those of Ethiopia, changed to hostility.” (Ibid., p. 4.)

Holy Warfare (Jihad) From The Beginning

Deny it as we may try, “Holy War” or “Jihad” is a fundamental concept in the Islamic religion. Certainly, there are Islamic people that reject that idea. National leaders among the Islamic nations vary in how they see this issue and none of us will know the final purpose of one and all. Yet, the idea is fundamental to this faith if words mean anything as history verifies. Look at this expression again from the Encyclopedia Britannica. “However much the concept and practice of holy warfare is repugnant to many minds today, in the context of Islam it implies a sensitivity to evil and a conviction that evil has to be resisted and overcome in a total dedication.” (The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Edition 15, Volume 25, p. 701.)

The facts are clear. “Although greatly maligned by medieval European scholars – whose opinions still retain some influence – Muhammad came to be viewed more objectively in the 19th century. Some of the evidence against him, such as his connivance at assassinations and his approval of the execution of the men of a Jewish clan, are historical matters that cannot be denied.” (The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Edition 15, Volume 22, p. 4.)

The idea of “jihad” comes clearly to the front row in the Islamic theology because of this “community concept.” Listen to this intellectual description of the Islamic concept. “With this socioeconomic doctrine cementing the bond of faith, the idea of a closely knit community of the faithful who are declared to be ‘brothers unto each other’ emerges. Muslims are described as ‘the middle community bearing witness on mankind,’ ‘the best community produced for mankind,’ whose function it is ‘to enjoin good and forbid evil’ (Qur’an). Cooperation and ‘good advice’ within the community are emphasized, and a person who deliberately tries to harm the interests of the community is to be given exemplary punishment. Opponents from within the community are to be fought and reduced with armed force, if issues cannot be settled by persuasion and arbitration.

“Because the mission of the community is to ‘enjoin good and forbid evil’ so that ‘there is no mischief and corruption’ on earth, the doctrine of jihad, in view of the constitution of the community as the power base, is the logical outcome. For the early community it was a basic religious concept. Jihad, or holy war, means an active struggle using armed force whenever necessary. The object of jihad is not the conversion of individuals to Islam but rather the gaining of political control over the collective affairs of societies to run them in accordance with the principles of Islam. Individual conversions occur as a by-product of this process when the power structure passes into the hands of the Muslim community.” (Ibid., p. 8.) This entire idea is scary indeed.

Humankind: Some More Human Than Others

There is no other major religion in the world that sees certain races of humans as of less value than their own kind. Yet, this is very true within the Islamic theology. One of the big points in the Encyclopedia Britannica was concerning the Islamic view of man. It stated, “According to the Qur’an, God created two apparently parallel species of creatures, man and jinn, the one from clay and the other from fire. About the jinn, however, the Qur’an says little, although it is implied that the jinn are endowed with reason and responsibility but are more prone to evil than man. It is with man that the Qur’an, which describes itself as a guide for the human race, is centrally concerned. The Judeo-Christian story of the Fall of Adam (the first man) is accepted, but the Qur’an states that God forgave Adam his act of disobedience, which is not viewed in the Qur’an (in contradistinction to its understanding in the Christian doctrine) as original sin. ” (Ibid., p. 7.)

This view that there is a class of “Jinns” (other humans, not Islamic) can lay the foundation for calling Jews, monkeys and pigs as we have been hearing in Israel. How far this prejudice reaches in the Muslim communities no one really knows that I have found. You cannot look at the world’s situation without wondering how much of this attitude is affecting the way men think.

Conclusion

Our purpose in this article is not to create dark emotions toward Arab people. In fact, this article has nothing to do with Arab people, but only with the Islamic religion. Millions of Arabs are American citizens, as well as many spread around the world. A tremendous number are friends of Israel, flag waving Americans, Bible-believing Christians, and indeed wonderful citizens of the world communities.


As already stated, there must not be ill treatments of those who believe in Allah. It is wrong to use your faith to try and impose it on someone against his or her will. The citizens of Islamic countries should be absolutely free to choose the Christian faith, while citizens of any country should be free in the religion of their choice. The Word of God offers no hope of salvation to anyone that does not make his or her own personal choice to receive Jesus Christ. Conversion by cohesion is not possible. You would not have a convert; you would have a slave.

If you are a Bible-believing Christian, it is your responsibility to defend the truth of one God, our Heavenly Father, and one Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you compromise this point, there is nothing left worth believing in.

Joseph R. Chambers

jrc@pawcreek.org

Wars and Rumors of War

By Justin Edwards

The following are the current leading headlines on the Drudge Report as of 7:30pm May 25, 2010, under the main heading "Wars":

WARS:
US Prepares for Largest Battle in Afghanistan...
NKorea bracing, severing all ties with South....
New Chinese aggression..
Israel drill raises tensions...

When the secular media picks up on things the Bible has declared for millennia, one can't help get a sense that the Lord could be returning soon.   

Matthew 24:6-8

⁶ And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all^[a]these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences,^[b] and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of sorrows.

 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

 ¹ But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. ² For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. ³ For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. ⁴ But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. ⁵ You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. ⁶ Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. ⁸ But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁰ who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

¹¹ Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

 

Obama and the New International Order

By Michael G. Mickey
(5-25-10)

Speaking recently at West Point, President Obama called for what he referred to as a "new international order", a new world order if you will. Anyone surprised by that, in light of recent events as compared to bible prophecy? I know I'm not.

While witnessing what we have of late has been near physically painful to observe, from President Obama's world apology tour, during which he traveled the globe to bow before and apologize to practically every leader he could find for America being the great nation it has been, to his disenfranchisement with the nation of Israel to his tanking of the US economy's future through outrageous spending that is unsustainable, President Obama and his administration seems to be steering the U.S.A. toward what seems to be its prophetic destiny.

Finding the United States in end times bible prophecy is near impossible, at least if one is looking to see the U.S. as a superpower. Rather, bible prophecy foresees the global empire of the prophesied Antichrist to come (Revelation 13:7) as a key power, an empire which is going to include the European Union at the very least, along with Israel, the "kings of the east" (Revelation 16:12), the "king of the north" (Daniel 11:40) and the "king of the south" (Daniel 11:40). While we don't know with specificity who all of these key end times players will consist of, they will be locatable from the perspective of the nation of Israel at the time these prophecies are fulfilled so where do we see the United States in that picture? North of Israel? South of Israel? East of Israel? No. It is for that reason I conclude that if the U.S. is going to exist as a major player in the last of the last days, it is likely going to be as a component of the Antichrist's empire, a scenario which I would point out as capable of instantly giving the prophesied Antichrist the military might we see him in possession of in end times prophecy. This is not a pleasant thought for those of us who love the U.S.A., but worthy of consideration as a possibility at the very least, primarily because NATO, which the United States is the lynch pin of, is located in Brussels, Belgium, as are the vast majority of the EU's major institutions.

With both the dollar and the euro presently in crisis and the West clamoring to bring peace to the Middle East, particularly at the expense of Israel, the prophetic scenario foretold long ago is making better sense by the minute, isn't it?

For decades, respected biblical scholars examining bible prophecy have anticipated a decline coming for the United States. I'd be remiss not to point out that President Obama is doing everything he can, seemingly, to accomplish that end for the U.S. whether he knows it or not. It's a foreseeable future because of Obama's increasing willingness to align the United States with the international community that respects us little and, most worrisome of all, openly anti-Israel organizations which threaten to bring the curse of Genesis 12:3 upon our nation.

Let's look at what a secular personality, Glenn Beck, had to say about President Obama's speech featured in the video above. The following is a transcript from his daily radio show that addresses the issue. As you read it, consider the prophetic scenario described above, but also bear in mind Zechariah 12:3 which foretells a time to come when "all the people of the earth", perhaps a new international order, will be "gathered together" against Jerusalem.

GLENN: Also we would like to spend just a few minutes on this incredible speech given by our president to our global force for good. Here he is at West Point this weekend giving a commencement speech.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: We have to shape an international order that can meet the challenges of our generation.

GLENN: Hold it just a second. Could we just, just stop there. We have to shape an international order. Okay. You know, I think it was George H. W. Bush that first started talking about a new world order, and I was a little uncomfortable with the whole new world order thing. I've been hearing the talk of the new world order for a while. Of course, you can immediately go down a conspiracy theorist road, but you don't really have to do that. You don't have to go to the Star Chamber at all. You just have to look at the headlines of the day. You have to look at the banking bill, the reform, you have to look at any of the stuff that is coming out of Washington, you have to look at the IMF, and it's all very, very clear.

Now, in front of our soldiers we're now talking about a new world order militarily speaking.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: We will be steadfast in strengthening those old alliances that have served us so well. We will be —

GLENN: Stop for just a second. I don't think we have been steadfast in enhancing and holding together those alliances that have served us so well. Didn't we send the bust of Winston Churchill back? Haven't we insulted every — how are we doing with the whole Israel thing? That sounds like we're doing really — seriously. I think we've really done some good stuff holding the traditional alliance of America and Israel together. I mean, other than working out of a being with Benjamin Netanyahu after you invited him here and then not having a state dinner, I think that's totally — no, he understood.

Glenn Beck sees things for what they are, doesn't he, even if he doesn't understand bible prophecy from a fundamentalist Christian perspective? He sees President Obama as an actor in bringing us closer to the formation of a new world order that we know is going to come into existence based on God's prophetic Word. Not only that, he is cognizant of the fact that, while President Obama doesn't mind kowtowing to Muslim nations, Europe and the United Nations, he is completely disrespectful of Israel and its leadership which is emboldening all of Israel's enemies as never before, bringing us closer to prophetic fulfillment of a number of key end times conflicts than we've ever been before.

Not only do we see the stage being set for a new world order to come into existence, as well as the isolation of Israel by same, the global economy is a mess and, sooner or later, I believe this will result in a new global economy being built around the empire of the Antichrist who will subsequently implement the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:16-17) to control the masses of humanity through same. Again, can't we see this coming into view with the global markets being as unstable as they presently are on the heels of the international community's recent bailout of the economy of Greece?

The return of Christ for His Church? Conditionally, the likelihood of it being soon seems to rise daily from my perspective. As I read the daily news, I often feel like I'm following the bouncing ball of a sing-along song on a children's television show. There's something to that, you know!

Soon, Church! Soon!

The Good or the Best?

If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left —Genesis 13:9

As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, fascinating and physically gratifying possibilities will open up before you. These things are yours by right, but if you are living the life of faith you will exercise your right to waive your rights, and let God make your choice for you. God sometimes allows you to get into a place of testing where your own welfare would be the appropriate thing to consider, if you were not living the life of faith. But if you are, you will joyfully waive your right and allow God to make your choice for you. This is the discipline God uses to transform the natural into the spiritual through obedience to His voice.

Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our lives, it dulls our spiritual insight. The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best. In this passage, it would seem that the wisest thing in the world for Abram to do would be to choose. It was his right, and the people around him would consider him to be a fool for not choosing.

Many of us do not continue to grow spiritually because we prefer to choose on the basis of our rights, instead of relying on God to make the choice for us. We have to learn to walk according to the standard which has its eyes focused on God. And God says to us, as He did to Abram, “. . . walk before Me. . .” ( Genesis 17:1 ). - Oswald Chambers

(HT: My Utmost for His Highest)

Spirituality versus Jesus

By Justin Edwards

Below you will find a contrast between the spirituality the world offers and the saving grace offered by Jesus Christ. It is quite the contrast indeed.

From Stephen Altrogge:

Spirituality invites you to explore your inner self. Jesus invites you to explore his glory and forget yourself.

Spirituality invites you to find yourself. Jesus invites you to lose yourself.

Spirituality is a journey that ultimately results in you “saving” yourself. Following Jesus is a journey that begins when you stop trying to save yourself.

Spirituality leads to self-expression which results in self-fulfillment. Jesus calls you to die to yourself and find your fulfillment in him.

Spirituality begins when you resolve to “try harder”. Following Jesus begins when you give up.
Spirituality says you’re worth it. Jesus says that he’s worth it.

Spirituality allows you to take charge of your life. Jesus commands you to acknowledge him as King of your life.

Spiritual gurus dispense “wisdom”.

Jesus saves sinners.

(HT: Peter Cockrell)