tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30555088341413163492024-03-05T01:31:20.837-05:00Current Events Through the Lens of Bible Prophecy"Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Luke 21:28Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-6761516817265432502009-03-26T13:51:00.008-04:002010-04-22T14:17:09.787-04:00"....and him who dishonors you I will curse...."This country has been under God's blessing since early in the 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> century due to our support of the State of Israel and God's promise to Abram: " <span style="font-style: italic;">I will bless those who bless you....</span>" Genesis 12:3, part 1.<br />
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Now, however, we see below that:<br />
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<blockquote style="color: #990000;"><span style="color: red;">'The World Tribune reported this week that Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ashkenazi</span> cut short his visit to Washington after getting an "extraordinarily cool" reception from the new U.S. administration. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">General <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ashkenazi</span> reportedly attempted to arrange meetings with President Obama, Vice President <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Biden</span> and intelligence czars Bob Gates, Dennis Blair or Michael Mullen. None of them would see him. He had valuable intelligence information about Iran to share with them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">The Tribune quoted an unnamed diplomat who told them, "The administration is sending a very clear message to Israel, and this is we want to talk about Palestine and not Iran."</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">....</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;">And Israel Today is reporting that the Obama administration is not just cool to Israel. It alleges that President Obama "is about to break America's long ties of friendship with Israel, and maybe even take steps toward the dissolution of the Jewish state."'</span></blockquote><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">There is a second part to God's promise to Abram in Genesis 12:3: "</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">....and him who dishonors you I will curse....</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span><br />
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These actions by the Obama administration amount to a direct snub of Israel, and indicate that official policy will be to "honor" the Palestinians and to dishonor and betray Israel's trust in us. I believe that this has now put the USA under God's direct curse.<br />
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I have also read that President Bush, last August, refused to allow the Israeli Defense Force overflight rights in Iraq so that they could attack Iran's nuclear weapons program. I believe that this also dishonored Israel.<br />
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Add to this the millions of unborn children that have been murdered on the altar of human convenience. God hates this and has destroyed peoples and nations in the past for this outrageous sin. I believe that only God's blessing for honoring Israel has stayed his wrath for this and many other national sins. <span style="font-style: italic;">That blessing is no longer in place.</span><br />
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What has happened to the USA since last August? Has it been anything good? It seems to me as though we have "fallen off a cliff."<br />
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Those of us who are anxiously awaiting Christ's return probably don't have long to wait, now. However, we need to redouble our efforts to bring our lost family and friends, as well as the whole world, to faith in our Lord and fulfill the Great Commission.<br />
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The time from now until His return is certain to be tumultuous. He has not promised that it will be easy for any of us. We need to keep up our own faith and rest in the peace of the Lord, knowing that He has promised us that all things will turn out for the best for those who believe in Him.<br />
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<blockquote>From <a href="http://www.hallindsey.com/">The Hal Lindsey Report</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.hallindsey.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=340&Itemid=59"><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">A fearful thing, betraying Israel</span></a><br />
Posted: March 20, 2009<br />
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One can really tell that the International Herald Tribune is the sister publication of the New York Times. Like the New York Times, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">IHT</span> never saw a liberal it didn't love or a conservative it didn't hate – or a fact its editors couldn't spin.<br />
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The Times generally uses the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">IHT</span> as its international hit man, reserving its own pages to advance the policies of the Democrat Party.<br />
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The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">IHT</span> ran a story entitled "Is Global <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Rebranding</span> What Israel Needs?" The piece opened by recognizing Israel as the world's pariah state:<br />
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Its sports teams have met hostility and violent protests in Sweden, Spain and Turkey. Mauritania has closed the Israeli Embassy. Relations with Turkey, an important Muslim ally, have suffered severely. A group of top international judges and human rights investigators recently called for an investigation into Israel's actions in Gaza. "Israel Apartheid Week" drew participants in 54 cities around the world this month, twice the number of last year, according to its organizers. And even in the American Jewish community, albeit in its liberal wing, there is a chill.<br />
Having established that everybody hates Israel (even liberal Jews), the columnist, Ethan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Bronner</span>, went on to build his case that Israel deserves it:<br />
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Of course, for Israel's critics, including those who firmly support the existence of a Jewish state, the problem is not one of image but of policy. They say that four decades of occupation, the settling of half a million Israeli Jews on land captured in 1967, the economic strangling of Gaza for the past few years and the society's growing indifference toward a Palestinian state are all reasons Israel has lost favor abroad, and that no amount of image buffing will change that.<br />
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Does anybody remember how Israel ended up "occupying" the land it "captured" in 1967? Israel captured it after beating back the combined forces of the Arab world that had launched a war of annihilation against Israel. And this wasn't the first pan-Arab war aimed at annihilating the Jews – it was the third.<br />
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Israel fought them off in 1948. And again in 1956. And then again in 1967. And once again in 1973. This strip of land, so coveted by the Arab world, amounts to less than one-sixth of one percent of the Muslim Middle East.<br />
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While we're on the subject, does anybody remember what it was that spurred the Jews to return to their ancestral homeland in the first place? It was the Holocaust.<br />
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The Holocaust wasn't personally perpetrated by Adolf Hitler. Hitler never killed a single Jew. It was perpetrated by the Germans – aided by Frenchmen, Italians, Romanians, Ukrainians, Arabs, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">et</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">al</span>, while the Allies did their best not to notice.<br />
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The Palestinian State that the rest of the world insists that Israel owes the Palestinians could have been theirs in 1947. They turned it down in favor of a war of annihilation.<br />
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Does anybody recall exactly why Israel went back into Gaza? It was because Palestinian terrorists fired more than six thousand rockets into Israeli cities and towns.<br />
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The reason that Israel is a pariah nation has absolutely nothing to do with Israeli policies. Israel was a pariah nation before it even had time to formulate national policies. As already noted, long before there was an Israel, the world tried to exterminate the Jews.<br />
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After there was an Israel, the Arabs tried to exterminate the Jews. It isn't the Israeli state – it is the Jews that the world finds so offensive. But what has really caused this race of people to be so hated? This kind of racial hatred is unprecedented in history.<br />
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The true reason is this: Israel stands, as God intended, a sign to the nations. Israel was created as a visible proof of the true God's existence.<br />
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Israel's God of Love and mankind's redemption stands in sharp contrast to the gods of other religions. Islam's God is one of war and conquest. Conversion to it is at the point of sword. Its goal is to force the world into submission.<br />
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As the Bible declares, Israel was created to receive, write down and preserve God's Word. It was created to be the race through whom the Savior of the World would be born. Even their failures and disciplines were predicted in order that it would be a proof of the truth of God's Word. Their ultimate restoration to the land promised their forefathers was predicted in detail. These prophecies have been fulfilled before the eyes of our era.<br />
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All of this is lost on the liberal media, just as it apparently has been on the liberal Obama administration. <span style="color: #cc0000;">The World Tribune reported this week that Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Ashkenazi</span> cut short his visit to Washington after getting an "extraordinarily cool" reception from the new U.S. administration. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">General <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Ashkenazi</span> reportedly attempted to arrange meetings with President Obama, Vice President <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Biden</span> and intelligence czars Bob Gates, Dennis Blair or Michael Mullen. None of them would see him. He had valuable intelligence information about Iran to share with them. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">The Tribune quoted an unnamed diplomat who told them, "The administration is sending a very clear message to Israel, and this is we want to talk about Palestine and not Iran." </span><br />
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When an Iranian-made atomic bomb hits the U.S., they may wish they had never said this.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">And Israel Today is reporting that the Obama administration is not just cool to Israel. It alleges that President Obama "is about to break America's long ties of friendship with Israel, and maybe even take steps toward the dissolution of the Jewish state." </span><br />
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If true, America is in even more serious trouble than even the most pessimistic assessment can reflect. If America betrays Israel, then America is rejecting the Word of Israel's God.<br />
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The Bible warns, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:31) Fearful? That is an understatement of Biblical proportions.<br />
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I used to quote a wise saying: "History teaches us that man learns nothing from history." That doesn't really apply today. This generation doesn't even know history – and the liberal media reports the news counting on that.</blockquote><br />
God Save America!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-75358550393139554032009-01-19T11:32:00.006-05:002009-01-19T11:53:15.839-05:00Prerequisite to Ezekiel's War has been fulfilled!In Ezekiel 38 and 89, the prophet recorded God's prophecy about a great war against Israel in the End Times. There are a number of prerequisites for the fulfillment of this prophecy. Many have already been met (return of the Jews to restore the State of Israel, emergence of Russia as a major power, alliance between Russia and Persia (modern Iran), and many others.<br /><br />This prophesy also speaks of Israel being wealthy, providing great plunder and spoils.<br /><br />Through hard work and the blessings of God, the Jews have already made Israel much more prosperous than the surrounding Islamic countries. However, Joel Rosenberg (author of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Jihad</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Last Days</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Ezekiel Option</span>, and other novels and non-fiction books) contends that the scriptures speak of much greater wealth than that, and that prophecies in the Old Testament seem to point to the discovery of oil or gas in Israel.<br /><br />This has just happened!<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.jpost.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition</span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gas find may meet demand for 15 years</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jan. 19, 2009</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sharon Wrobel , THE JERUSALEM POST</span><br /><br />A historic natural gas reservoir found offshore from Haifa is poised to meet Israel's natural gas demand for about 15 years and reduce the country's dependence on gas imports from Egypt and offshore from Gaza.<br /><br />The discovery of the natural gas field 90 km. offshore from Haifa, known as Tamar, was made by a US-Israel consortium including the Delek Group, through its subsidiaries Delek Drilling and Avner Oil Exploration, Isramco Negev 2, Dor Gas Exploration and US oil operator Noble Energy Inc.<br /><br />Preliminary estimates indicate that the Tamar field might contain over 88 billion cubic meters of gas.<br /><br />"If the Tamar site opposite the Haifa coast succeeds in producing the significant quantities of natural gas predicted, we are talking about a revolution which will have an impact on the Israeli economy for the coming generations," said Dan Halman, CEO of Halman-Aldubi Group. "The vast reservoir is poised to bring down electricity prices, reduce the country's dependence on gas from foreign countries, in particular from Egypt, and thereby turn Israel from a gas importer into a gas exporter."<br /><br />Yoav Burgan, analyst at Leader Capital Markets, believes in the possibility of long-term deals resulting from the Tamar well which could generate a potential value of $15.5 billion.<br /><br />....<br /><br /></blockquote> Read the rest <a href="http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232292901878&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter">here</a>. This is a huge discovery, and could lead to a great deal more gas and oil being discovered in the near future.<br /><br />Not only should this discovery and others result in a much greater level of wealth in Israel, it could also provide a reason (aside from hatred of the Jews) for the Russian and Iranian led coalition to attack Israel.<br /><br />MaranathaRonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-9874955991528047752008-12-16T09:47:00.004-05:002008-12-16T10:52:49.005-05:00Beware of The Law of Unintended ConsequencesDick Morris and Eileen McGann, writing on their blog, <a href="http://www.dickmorris.com/">DickMorris.com</a>, posted a very interesting commentary yesterday.<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/2008/12/15/the-impending-collapse-of-our-enemies/">THE IMPENDING COLLAPSE OF OUR ENEMIES</a><br />By Dick Morris And Eileen McGann<br />12.15.2008<br /><br />The Depression — let’s call it what it is — leaves us, well, depressed. But there is very good news from around the world. Our enemies are collapsing under the strain of dropping oil and gas prices. What we had all hoped conservation and off-shore drilling would achieve, the global economic collapse is accomplishing: the defeat of OPEC, Iran, Chavez, Putin and the weakening of the financial underpinnings of Islamist terrorism. In each of these nations, the hold of the dictator is weakening as, one after the other, they face the consequences of dropping oil prices.<br /><br />In Iran, the sanctions imposed by the United Nations, the aggressive efforts of the U.S. government, and the actions of states like California, Florida, and Missouri to ban pension investments in companies that do business with Iran are having a big effect. Unable to expand its oil production for a lack of foreign investment, Iran faces the need to slash its budget drastically as energy revenues, the source of 85% of its income, crash. Iranian President Ahmadinejad is announcing harsh austerity measures. Having based his budget on $50-$60 oil, he now must recast it for at a $40 per barrel level. He boasts of cash reserves of $23 billion, but that sum won’t last long unless he makes major cuts. (Do the math: a shortfall of $25/barrel per day x 4 million barrels a day x 365 days = $36.5 billion, more than he’s got on hand).<br /><br />The question for Ahmadinejad and for the Ayatollah who stands behind him is: Can their regime survive economic collapse? Unable to buy social peace by handouts and subsidies, will the top blow off an country that hates the regime, is predominantly very young, and is only 40% Farci?</blockquote><br /><a href="http://www.dickmorris.com/blog/2008/12/15/the-impending-collapse-of-our-enemies/">Read the rest.</a><br /><br />They go on to discuss the plight of Venezuela and Russion.<br /><br />So, what has happened here?<br /><br />For the last year or more, the price of a barrel of oil has risen rapidly, peaking at about $140 per barrel. For all this time, our enemies, who are all big oil producing states, have licked their chops and <span style="font-style: italic;">built these prices into</span> their budgets and strategic planning. These unexpected billions have funded Iran's nuclear weapons program and subsidized the failing Iranian economy. Unexpected billions have funded Putin's plans stabilize the Russian economy, rebuild the Russian military, and pursue his expansionist aggression in Georgia (with more planned to come, I'm sure).<br /><br />So the oil producing countries have done their best to keep pushing oil prices higher, manipulating the market with all their might, rejoicing all the time at the sudden windfall. This caused a classic "bubble" in the oil market. Oil futures kept being driven higher because speculators and big purchasers (like airlines) kept bidding up the prices, driven by the fear of even higher prices yet to come.<br /><br />Every market bubble eventually bursts. Something happens that causes the hysteria to evaporate and reality to set in. When that happens, prices in that market collapse. We have seen that in the oil market as the price of a barrel of oil fell precipitously from around $150 per barrel to around $45 per barrel. This is about where supply and demand set the price of oil in an open market in the current economic conditions.<br /><br />But our enemies have built their short-term good fortune (the oil price bubble) into their long-term plans as though the bubble was never going to end. They were wrong.<br /><br />Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to put more money <span style="font-style: italic;">into</span> a budget than it is to take money <span style="font-style: italic;">out of</span> a budget? As Dick and Eileen said, our enemies are now in extremely serious budget difficulty. And the best thing about it is their troubles are mostly of their own making!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-24726085178368983832008-11-13T12:35:00.007-05:002008-11-13T13:35:05.519-05:00The Non-Event on Rosh Hashanna 2008<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">My brother-in-law, Alan Nelson, sent me an email with the following article from <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.ltradio.org">Longtom Radio End Times Ministries, www.ltradio.org</a>. All of you who read my <a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/10/oh-well.html">"Oh, Well...." post</a> know that I was very disappointed that our Lord did nor return for us on Rosh Hashanna. I did not lose hope or faith, but I certainly was puzzled how we could have so badly misread so many clear signs. I think this article makes a powerful, very plausable scriptural argument that we were right, but missed the full significance of the parable of the ten virgins.<br /><br />It's a bit long, but here's the full article:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><blockquote><a href="http://www.ltradio.org/articles/?admin=linkto&link=203&&quick=y"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Non-Event on Rosh Hashanna 2008</span></span></a><br /><br />There were many reasons for the expectation of the Rapture to take place on Rosh Hashanna/Feast of Trumpets 2008. One of them was the astronomical tetrad in the years 2014-2015 as discovered by US Pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries. For only the third time in 2000 years, there will be a succession of total lunar eclipses on the feasts of Passover and Tabernacles in this Jewish years, including unusual solar eclipses.<br /><br />It appeared that this could be the fulfillment of Yahushua’s (Jesus’) words, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light ...” (Mt 24:29).<br /><br />Calculating backwards 7 years, which is the duration of the 70th week of Daniel, called the Tribulation, the Feast of Trumpets 2008 became a focal point for the fulfillment of the pre-Tribulation Rapture.<br /><br />Also, and in support of this, the Feast of Trumpets 2008 appeared to be the beginning of a new sabbatical cycle, or year week; a period of 7 years that will conclude the 50 year Jubilee cycle around about the year 2015. Taking a re look at the Sabbath year, which many believed to have passed on Rosh Hashanna which was the end of the civil year, we discovered that the sacred calendar year only ends on the eve of 1 Nisan 5769 (around the end of March 2009). Rosh Hashanna is in it`s right position at the start of the seventh month of Tishrei on the sacred calendar.<br /><br />According to the Scripture, Yahushua (Jesus), the Kinsman Redeemer, will return to the earth on the Final Jubilee, defeat the armies of the world at Armageddon, and restore the land of Israel to the Jewish people and usher in the Thousand year peace.<br /><br />So then, are we prepared to be like the Bereans, “in that they received the word in all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11)? If we are willing to search and examine the Scriptures, and put a magnifying glass over them, we will surely find out why many have lapsed into a state of despair and disillusionment over the non-event of Rosh Hashanah 2008.<br /><br />Also we will see that because of this condition, we are closer than ever before to His coming.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ten Virgins</span></span><br /><br />“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom ... But while the bridegroom was delayed they all slumbered and slept” (Mt 25:1-5).<br /><br />Everything is summed up in these verses. It does not matter whether we agree or disagree about the timelines pointing to Rosh Hashanah 2008.<br /><br />The fact is, because of these timelines and teachings and understandings, millions of Christians around the world “took their lamps and went out to meet the Bridegroom” on this date, which was an appointed time [feast day] on the Hebrew calendar. And because “the Bridegroom was delayed” millions of Christians have lost hope that He is coming and are falling asleep.<br /><br />How I wish we could all see the simplicity of it all! Of course, there were five wise and five foolish virgins who went out to meet Him. The Greek word for “foolish” is moros [Strong’s 3474] and means “dull or stupid, blockhead.” Our English word “moron” is derived from it. Oh dear! But the trouble is, “they all slumbered and slept,” including the wise virgins.<br /><br />These two verses lay the foundation for the coming of the Bridegroom, for the words of Yahushua (Jesus) seem not only to be a parable, but also a prophecy.<br /><br />At some time in history, the Lord Jesus was saying that before He could come, ten [the number of ordinal perfection] virgins, representing the entire watchful church, would agree that the appointed time had arrived for their wedding day, the Rapture. And on that appointed Day, in their hearts, as it were, they would all go out to meet with Him “in the clouds” (1 Th 4:17).<br /><br />And when that happened - He would delay!<br /><br />Now, what does it take for all these virgins to agree upon a certain date? After all, they are not all at the same place but spread around the world, and all of them have somewhat different perspectives and understandings about this Day.<br /><br />We are not talking here about a cult, where all agree by decree. Half the virgins, we may assume, are the Bride of Christ, who are filled with the Holy Spirit, the ones who, according to Yahushua, had oil in their lamps. And this whole company, both wise and foolish, are persuaded that on a certain date their Bridegroom is coming to marry them.<br /><br />In the first place, it is not possible to go to an appointment without a time. Simply put, no person in their right mind will go to an appointment unless a time and date has been set.<br /><br />It is becoming clearer now why there were so many timelines pointing to Rosh Hashanah 2008, a date that was not set by cults and cranks, but based upon the prophetic Word.<br /><br />Moreover, if it had been a date set by a single person or ministry, it is doubtful whether this event could have been fulfilled as Scripture requires it to be.<br /><br />It is also clear that, since this was the wedding day of Yahushua Hamashiach, no such thing could have happened unless it had been sanctioned by the Holy Spirit. It is He that has been appointed to tell us “things to come” (Jn 16:13), and He alone, as at Palm Sunday [the delayed wedding date at the end of week 69 – Mt 22:1-14, Mt 21:1-11] could create this expectation in the hearts of men.<br /><br />Therefore many men and many ministries, and watchmen, all working together under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and guided by the Word of God, persuaded the ten virgins that the appointed time of their wedding day was Rosh Hashanah 2008.<br /><br />If we place a magnifying glass over the Scripture, we see clearly that unless we did what we did on Rosh Hashanah 2008, the Lord will not come. For reasons which are not yet clear to us, the Spirit of Prophecy has decreed that until all ten virgins have common cause that the Bridegroom is coming, and at a certain fixed time, and act upon it, He will not come.<br /><br />And if it was not this day, then this part of the Rapture process has not yet been fulfilled, for there has been no other day in the history of the church that has fulfilled this pre-Rapture condition. Or are we to wait for another day at another time that all, or many, will agree upon?<br /><br />Also, had we believed that He would delay; we would not have gone out to meet with Him?<br /><br />If I should say to you, I will meet you on such and such a time on such and such a day, but I will be delayed, will you come out to meet with me? How then shall I persuade you to come out and meet with me, for knowing that I will delay, you will not come?<br /><br />Yet He said, “But while the bridegroom was delayed.” And in another place, “Though it delays, wait for it, for surely it will come. It will not tarry” (Hab 2:3). And in another place, “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry” (Heb 10:37). And He also delayed on Palm Sunday, saying, “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy” (Mt 22:8). Did we forget?<br /><br />So then, He delays His wedding. Palm Sunday, the last day of the 69 weeks of Daniel, was His wedding day. It was delayed. Rosh Hashanah 2008 was also the appointed time of His wedding. It has also been delayed.<br /><br />Are we then to lose heart, or fall asleep? Surely not. For then He said, “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’” (Mt 25:6).<br /><br />He has only delayed so that He can come. Indeed, now that He has delayed, His coming is closer than ever. Until He delayed, He could not come. But now that the appointed time has come and gone, and He is delaying, He will come.<br /><br />And He will come suddenly, “at midnight.” It will be swift, sudden and unexpected for many.<br /><br />There will be no more time and no more warning.<br /><br />“Cry” is the Greek, krauge, [Strong’s 2906], “an outcry (in notification, tumult or grief), or clamour.” Will the global financial system finally implode, or World War III break out?<br /><br />Clearly, the Rapture is not going to take place on a sunny day, but in the midst of calamity.<br /><br />“Go out” is the Greek, exerchomai, meaning “come out of, or escape out of” [Strong’s 1831], and “to meet” is apantesis, “a friendly encounter” [Strong’s 529]. Did He not also say, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Lk 21:36)?<br /><br />My dear friends, I am also disappointed that He delayed at Rosh Hashanah. But I am fully persuaded that God’s watchmen were not wrong about this appointed time. And I am fully persuaded that the Rapture will be fulfilled exactly as it has been set out in the Scripture, with a date, with a disappointment, and with a delay. For without a date, there is no appointed time, and without an appointed time, there can be no delay.<br /><br />Whether men believe it or not, all who waited for the Bridegroom to appear in the clouds on Rosh Hashanah 2008, have now made it possible for Him to come at the Rapture. So do not be disappointed, but rejoice, for through our simple faith that we can know the time, that date setting is not an abomination to God but a pre-requisite for our wedding day to be fulfilled, you have collectively brought this incredible day so much closer.<br /><br />So how long is this delay?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Little While</span></span><br /><br />The Scripture gives us many clues, but no precise time [that we know of] for this crucial period.<br /><br />Unless there is clear revelation concerning this, we would be wise not to speculate with too much rigidity. One of the most comforting clues comes from the Greek text of Hebrews 10:37, which is a quote from the vision of Habakkuk 2:3. “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry.”<br /><br />The word translated “little” is the Greek mikron [Strong’s 3397/8], “a small space of time,” from which the English word “micron” is derived.<br /><br />A micron is “one millionth of a meter,” a distance which is too small to be visible. To emphasize how small this space of time is, the Greek text includes the words “oson, oson” which are translated as “a very [little while].” Oson means “much or great” [Strong’s 3745], so in effect it means “a great, great little while” or a “very, very, small space of time.”<br /><br />Is the Holy Spirit indicating that this delay is for such a microscopic period of time that it is, for all intents and purposes, almost invisible on the scale of Biblical prophecy? This is good news to those who were disappointed at the Feast of Trumpets.<br /><br />There is also comfort in the Hebrew text of Habakkuk’s vision. Habakkuk says, “For still the vision is for the appointed time, but it [the appointed time] pants to the end and does not lie.<br /><br />Though it delays, wait for it, for surely it will come. It will not tarry.”<br /><br />“Pants” is the Hebrew word puwach [Strong’s 6315], and means “to puff, blow with the breath of air.” It suggests a woman in the birth pangs of labour, and will proceed immediately after the appointed time. That is now. These then, are the birth pangs of the Tribulation, short, shooting pains that must come suddenly before the birth of this awesome Day of the Lord.<br /><br />No wonder we are dismayed.<br /><br />The word “tarry” is achar [Strong’s 309], and means “to loiter, by implication to procrastinate, be late.” In the first place, the appointed time is not a lie. This should give us hope. And however long the delay, we are told that this is not some aimless procrastination, but for a specific purpose, and undoubtedly for a predetermined but “very, very, small space of time.”<br /><br />What is this purpose? Is it not to separate the wise from the foolish virgins, those ‘blockheads’ that have no oil in the lamps and believe they can enter Heaven without being born again by the Spirit? This, I believe, is the primary purpose of the delay, to sift and separate the wise and foolish from each other. To want to escape this earth, for whatever reason, is not a qualification for the Rapture, for only the indwelling Spirit can take us home [Romans 8:11].<br /><br />As for the time, perhaps we are not given to know this, but to watch for the midnight cry. Of all things that come to mind, one stands out above all the rest, the threatening crisis in the Middle East. Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran, and many other Arab/Islamic countries, are all targeted for destruction according to the Bible.<br /><br />In real time, we are only 24 hours or less away from an incident that could unleash the greatest conflict since World War II, one that will lead to the 7 year Peace Treaty of Daniel 9:27. It will come swiftly and terribly upon a blinkered, oil depleted church that refuses to receive the Holy Spirit and believe the Word of God.<br /><br />The prophet Daniel was told to “shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase” (12:4). When knowledge increases it means that it becomes greater over time, especially the time of the end.<br /><br />Before Rosh Hashanah 2008, we did not think that this appointed time would be delayed, yet it stands clear in the Word of God. Since then, as prophesied through Daniel, our knowledge of these things has increased, and will continue to increase until the end.<br /><br />Let us not, therefore, despise these things and quench the Spirit of Prophecy. If you perchance have joined the ranks of those who have now become disillusioned or indifferent to the Lord’s coming because of His delay, let the final words of Hebrew chapter 10, as quoted from the vision of Habakkuk, speak to you; “Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him” (Heb 10:38).<br /><br />It is not for nothing that the final verses of this chapter speak so strongly to us, for they clearly envision this difficult and potentially destructive time in which we now find ourselves.<br /><br />We are in a new dispensation, as it were. The Church Age as we know it, is over, and all that remains of it is a micron of time called the delay.<br /><br />The Rapture, for the first time, is now imminent, and the destiny of millions of Christians, the wise and the foolish, is about to be determined for eternity. For this reason the writer to the Hebrews exhorts us so, saying, “Do not cast away your confidence which has great reward” (10:35), and “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of YHWH (God), you may receive the promise” (10:36).<br /><br />That promise is the Rapture, which, after a “very, very, small space of time” is coming “and will not tarry” (10:37).<br /><br />No more do we measure the time, for this we have done, but let our ears and our eyes be focused on what is to come, so that when it comes, we may be ready to “go out to meet Him!”<br /><br />This article was made possible with much help from two friends.<br /><br />© 2008 Longtom Radio. Some right reserved. Free to copy and distribute.<br /><br /></blockquote>So look up! Take heart! One of the things I have learned over the last few years studying Bible Prophecy is that it is difficult to see the full meaning of many prophecies. We now know - the Bridegroom was delayed, but He is coming soon! Be ready!<br /><br />MaranathaRonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-68947255245639195382008-10-01T13:13:00.001-04:002008-10-01T13:15:16.890-04:00Oh, Well....Since it is now past sundown in Jerusalem, it looks like God did not agree with my interpretation of His signs.<br /><br />Bummer.<br /><br />MaranathaRonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-83389955424192286852008-09-22T18:56:00.027-04:002008-11-13T13:36:00.668-05:00Blood Moons RisingOn June 11, 2008, at the <a href="http://www.maranathachapel.org/">Maranatha Chapel in San Diego</a>, Pastor Ray Bentley interviewed Mark Biltz. Mark Biltz is the pastor at <a href="http://www.elshaddaiministries.us/">El<span style=""> </span>Shaddai<span style=""> </span>Ministries</a> in Bonney Lake, WA. A <a href="http://www.maranathachapel.org/webcast/index.php?section=archive&id=1147&event=3">webcast of the interview is here</a>. Skip about 42 minutes into this church service to get to the beginning of the interview.<p></p>I have written three articles concerning the topics covered in this interview. The material in these articles is derived almost entirely from this interview, and I want to be sure to give credit where credit is due: Mark Biltz for explaining so clearly and effectively the nature of God’s feast days as prophecy, and for discovering the relationship of the four total lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses in the years 2014 and 2015 to the feast days, and their implications, and Ray Bentley for conducting an excellent, very coherent, interview.<p></p>The three articles covers roughly these three topics:<br /><br /><ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/gods-holy-days-as-prophecy.html">God’s Feast Days as Prophecy</a>;</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/feast-of-trumpets.html">Why we can expect the Rapture to occur on Rosh Hashanah (The Feast of Trumpets)</a>, and the Gentile Church’s misinterpretation of Jesus’ words concerning the timing of His coming; and</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/blood-moons-rising.html">The findings of Mark Biltz (and others) regarding the eclipses in 2014 and 2015</a>, and what they <i style=""><u>might</u></i> tell us about the timing of the Lord’s return.</li></ol> This is the third of these articles.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mn7CK9qcCxv_r2adcgMRGkbZ_1WPGsD-5vNzH7yFsjUkUvMhHOW8sPr-1_VaU8TkX3815NmvY2LV1op9BmKwmM8C9IauNooVMf74PhqlMyZN08FOLNsVb16rLkMXCcwYpED4WCNE3CCS/s1600-h/Blood+moon+over+the+Dome+of+the+Rock.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8mn7CK9qcCxv_r2adcgMRGkbZ_1WPGsD-5vNzH7yFsjUkUvMhHOW8sPr-1_VaU8TkX3815NmvY2LV1op9BmKwmM8C9IauNooVMf74PhqlMyZN08FOLNsVb16rLkMXCcwYpED4WCNE3CCS/s320/Blood+moon+over+the+Dome+of+the+Rock.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249003655730293634" border="0" /></a>When Pastor Biltz saw a photo of a total lunar eclipse over the Dome of the Rock earlier this year, it stirred his memory and curiosity. He remembered the verse in Joel (Joel 2:31), "The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes." He also recalled Mark 13:24, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light…."<br /><br />The plain meaning is that these passages refer to solar and lunar eclipses.<br /><br />As it turns out, NASA has a web site that has tables of solar and lunar eclipses for thousands of years. These web sites are:<br /><ol><li>lunar eclipses - <a href="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEcat/LEcatalog.html">http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEcat/LEcatalog.html</a></li><li>solar eclipses - <a href="http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/solar.html">http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/solar.html</a><br /><br /></li></ol>Pastor Biltz noticed that NASA had commented on a series of four total lunar eclipses in a row in 2014 and 2015, calling them a "tetrad." The dates didn't seem to mean anything, until he realized that he should be looking at the dates in the Biblical, Hebrew calendar, not our Gregorian calendar. (You can download a good Biblical calendar from aish.com. On the left click on "holidays", go to the bottom for free Hebrew calendar download.<br /><br />When he looked at them in the Hebrew calendar, he found that the first lunar eclipse in 2014 is on Passover. The second is on the first day of Succoth (Feast of Tabernacles). That seemed pretty unusual. Then he noticed that in 2015 they are on Passover and Succoth again! A lunar eclipse (blood moon) on the first and last of God's feasts for two years in a row!<br /><br />The next question was, how often does this happen?<br /><br />In this century there are other tetrads, but none occur on the festivals. In the last century, the last time there was a tetrad on Passover and Succoth was in 1967 and 1968, associated with the Six Day War when Jerusalem came back into the hands of the Jewish people. The next previous time was 1949 and 1950, marking Israel becoming a nation on May 14, 1948.<br /><br />In the 1800s, no tetrads at all. In the 1700s, no tetrads at all. In the 1600s, no tetrads at all. In the 1500s, 5 or 6 tetrads but none on Passover and Succoth.<br /><br />In 1492, Columbus (who was Jewish and a believer in Christ) sailed for America on the 9th of Av. All the Jews were kicked out of Spain on the 9th of Av in 1492. In 1493 & 1494 there was a tetrad on Passover and Succoth.<br /><br /><blockquote>As an aside, the 9th of Av is a really, really, really bad day in Jewish history! When the 10 spies brought the bad report of the Promised Land, and Joshua and Caleb brought the good report, this was the 9th of Av. The 10 spies became cursed in Jewish history for rejecting the land. When Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the temple in 587 BC, it was burnt to the ground on the 9th of Av. In 70 AD, Titus and the Roman 10th Legion destroyed the temple and burned it to the ground on the 9th of Av. In 1290 all the Jews were kicked out of England on the 9th of Av. In 1492 all the Jews were kicked out of Spain on the 9th of Av. WW I started on the 9th of Av. Hitler's proclamation to kill the Jews was issued on the 9th of Av. And Israel evacuated the Gaza strip on the 9th of Av. Truly a bad day for the Jews!</blockquote><br />What about eclipses? Throughout the Scriptures, a blood moon (total lunar eclipse) is a bad sign for Israel and a total solar eclipse is a bad sign for the nations (the gentiles).<br /><br />We've talked about lunar eclipses. What about solar eclipses in those years? A total solar eclipse occurs in 2015 just before Nissan 1, ending one religious year and beginning the next. Nissan 1 is the day Moses set up the Tabernacle and the Glory of God fell from heaven, marking a new beginning. On the Feast of Trumpets in 2015 is another solar eclipse (a partial eclipse).<br /><br />We have seen that God has used these Tetrads on His holy days to provide a sign to the world. It seems reasonable that He is doing it again. Although no one knows God's timetable, He just might be marking the return of Jesus Christ with these signs. If we make the assumption (and it is only an assumption) that Jesus returns in 2015, we know the Tribulation is seven years making the beginning of the Tribulation in 2008. Yes, this year! We also remember that <a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/feast-of-trumpets.html">many believe that Jesus will Rapture His church on the Feast of Trumpets, Rosh Hashanah</a>. Rosh Hashanah this year (2008) is on September 30 and October 1.<br /><br />One other set of signs seems to point to the beginning of the Tribulation this year. This has to do with a three week period known as the Dire Straits.<br /><br />The Dire Straits begin on the 17th of Tamuz, in the summer time. This is the day the Israelites worshipped the golden calf. The 17th of Tamuz is the same day Nebuchadnezzar broke through the Northern walls before he destroyed the Solomon's temple, and the same day the missiles went through the Northern border of Israel at the beginning of the last Lebanon war.<br /><br />They end on the 9th of Av, three weeks later. During this time, Jews are seeking God and repenting for the sins of their forefathers.<br /><br />The next three solar eclipses occur 3 years in a row right in the middle of the Dire Straits, on the last day of Tamuz and on the 1st of Av. The first one occurred this year on August 1, the 1st of Av. Things have been very interesting since then, haven't they?<br /><br />Does this prove that Jesus will Rapture His church this year? No. No, it does not. No one knows the mind of God.<br /><br />But it could be this year! The signs are pointing to it!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-55104607375982304272008-09-17T18:57:00.009-04:002008-09-23T10:07:19.038-04:00"Earthquakes in various places"In Mark 13:8, Jesus said "<span class="woc">For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.</span>"<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_1o-8tQbdFOmRuAwTu6r_TOjBuTvOAzdRGDOBxIvaSKgaC0XF3p4fqowcZeyPwG_W8qudh1PnYw2jVM7XPd2f-OnHc7vPzW4fzfSiZQeJUoTwV4-Usx_q_bbP81CjJ-vgVrfC82QJioE/s1600-h/Earthquake+Frequency.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_1o-8tQbdFOmRuAwTu6r_TOjBuTvOAzdRGDOBxIvaSKgaC0XF3p4fqowcZeyPwG_W8qudh1PnYw2jVM7XPd2f-OnHc7vPzW4fzfSiZQeJUoTwV4-Usx_q_bbP81CjJ-vgVrfC82QJioE/s320/Earthquake+Frequency.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5247136360754477314" border="0" /></a>Can anyone who sees this chart doubt that the birth pains have begun, at least for earthquakes?<br /><br />This information is derived from the <a href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/">USGS website</a>. I did not go back earlier than 1970 because I was not sure about the reliability of the data for earlier dates.<br /><br />Note that the data for 2008 is incomplete.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-62237936560492670832008-09-02T19:37:00.023-04:002008-11-13T13:36:31.611-05:00The Feast of TrumpetsOn June 11, 2008, at the Maranatha Chapel in San Diego, Pastor Ray Bentley interviewed Mark Biltz. Mark Biltz is the pastor at El Shaddai Ministries in Bonney Lake, WA. A webcast of the interview is here. Skip about 42 minutes into this church service to get to the beginning of the interview.<br /><br />Iwrote three articles concerning the topics covered in this interview. The material in these articles is derived almost entirely from this interview, and I want to be sure to give credit where credit is due: Mark Biltz for explaining so clearly and effectively the nature of God’s feast days as prophecy, and for discovering the relationship of the four total lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses in the years 2014 and 2015 to the feast days, and their implications, and Ray Bentley for conducting an excellent, very coherent, interview.<br /><br />The three articles cover roughly these three topics:<br /><br /><ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/gods-holy-days-as-prophecy.html">God’s Feast Days as Prophecy</a>;</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/feast-of-trumpets.html">Why we can expect the Rapture to occur on Rosh Hashanah (The Feast of Trumpets)</a>, and the Gentile Church’s misinterpretation of Jesus’ words concerning the timing of His coming; and</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/blood-moons-rising.html">The findings of Mark Biltz (and others) regarding the eclipses in 2014 and 2015</a>, and what they <i style=""><u>might</u></i> tell us about the timing of the Lord’s return.</li></ol> This is the second of these articles.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)</span></span><br /><br />This is the only feast where the Jews blow the Shofar (trumpet) one hundred times. Throughout Jewish history, the 100th blast has always been known as the Last Trump. Therefore, when Ephesians speaks of the Last Trump, Paul was talking about the Feast of Trumpets.<br /><br />All other feasts are on the full moon, 14 days after the last new moon. Their start can be determined by simply counting days. The Feast of Trumpets is on the new moon, the very first day of the month. In order to determine the new moon, two witnesses would need to go to the Sanhedrin and testify that they saw the new moon. Fires would be set to let all the Jews everywhere know that the feast had begun. They couldn’t just count days.<br /><br />Because of this uncertainty, when you woke up in the morning, the feast could already be half over. This was unacceptable, because the Jews were required to keep the entire day.<br /><br />To solve this dilemma, they kept the feast for two days, and it was known as one long day.Because it was based on the sighting of the new moon, the feast was known as “the feast where no one knew the day or the hour” when it was going to begin.<br /><br />Even to this day, on Jewish calendars it still covers two days. (Rosh Hashanah is also called the Feast of the Long Day.) “I don’t know which day it’s going to be on, but it’s one or the other.” It is also known as the Hidden Day. Because it is on one day or the other, it’s hidden from Satan so he won’t know the exact time, either.<br /><br />The Rapture begins the Wedding of the Messiah. Whenever any Jewish man was going to get married, the father did all the preparation. Whenever the groom was asked when the wedding would be he would respond “Only my father knows.” This was a common term of respect.<br /><br />The Feast of Trumpets is the sign. It’s the Last Trump. It is the crowning of the King. It is the day of Hiddenness. It’s the day the gates are opened, the opening of the books. It’s the long day. And, it’s the only feast where you don’t know the exact day or hour.<br /><br />God always warns before he brings judgment. For example, there are seven trumpet judgments in Revelation. Many people, including Mark Biltz, believe that the Rapture will occur on the Feast of Trumpets.<br /><br />When a statement like that is made, it is inevitable that someone will point out the words of Jesus in Matthew 24:36, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” However, as we have just seen, this was a common Jewish phrase in Jesus’ day, with a different meaning from our present day, gentile, understanding.<br /><br />In addition, Pastor Biltz cites several verses that show that Jesus was speaking to the sleeping church that is not watching and awaiting His return.<br /><br />In 1st Thessalonians 5:1-2 Paul says, “But of the times and the season, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.” What does Paul mean by “thief in the night?”<br /><br />Pastor Biltz shows a picture from The Temple Institute of a sleeping watchman being found asleep by the captain of the watch.<br /><br /><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 195px; height: 325px;" src="http://www.templeinstitute.org/day_in_life/day_images/night_shift.jpg" alt="" border="0" />Remember, God lit the first fire on the altar. The Israelites were commanded to never let the fire go out. Priests were assigned to guard the flame, two at a time. When the captain of the guard would come to check, if he found one of the priests sleeping, he would take a torch, light it with the fire from the altar, and set the sleeping priest’s garments on fire. The priestly guard would jump up screaming, tearing off his burning garments, and go running through the temple naked.<br /><br />The captain of the guard was referred to in the vernacular as “the thief in the night!” His job was to insure that the watchmen were keeping the fires burning.<br /><br />When Jesus talked about coming as a thief in the night, he was talking about this very circumstance. He was not speaking to those who are watching and waiting, He is warning the church that is not watching, asleep on the job. Jesus was writing to the religious community that didn’t believe that He was coming, weren’t watching, were asleep. In effect, He was saying to them “When things start happening, you’ll be running and screaming, exposing your shame because you were not prepared, even though you said that you were My children.”<br /><br />In Revelation 3:1-3, Jesus says “I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.” (My emphasis)<br /><br />Through John, He was writing to the “dead” church. He was telling them that He would come as a thief to those who are not watching!<br /><br />Revelation 3: 17-18 says, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.”<br /><br />This ties in with Revelation 16:15 - “Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!” He comes as a thief to the sleeping church.<br /><br />1st Thessalonians 5:3 says, “While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.”<br /><br />“Sudden destruction will come upon them” speaks to those who are not watching, not those who are watching, because those who are watching “are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.” (emphasis mine)<br /><br />In the parable of The Foolish Virgins, Matt 25:8-13, Jesus said “And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Jesus was speaking to the foolish virgins, not to the wise virgins. The wise virgins were already in the marriage feast.<br /><br />In the story of faithful and unfaithful servants, Luke 12:37-48, Jesus said, ‘Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Peter said, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed in coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful. And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.”’<br /><br />If you’re not watching and don’t believe the Lord is coming, THEN he comes like a thief in the night. Don't let that be you!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Every year on the Feast of Trumpets we should be watching for the return of our Lord.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) this year is on September 30 and October 1. Be ready!</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update!</span></span> After I posted this, I realized that to use the illustration from the Temple Institute I needed their permission. When I emailed them, not only did I receive permission, I also received some comments correcting my understanding of the temple guard. This is the email I received:<br /><br /><blockquote>Dear Mr. Smith,<br />Shalom and greetings from Jerusalem. Thanks for your email request. Permission is granted for this use.<br />Respectfully, I'd just like to comment on what you have written here, from the standpoint of Jewish scholarship...since the subject of the Holy Temple is a Jewish subject I would like to clarify one point. It was the Levites, not the priests, who stood guard in the Holy Temple at night. There were twenty four specific points within the Temple where these guards stood watch; however, the purpose of this guard was to honor the Divine Presence. No priests were assigned to guard the flame on the altar. Also, the sleeping Levite's garments were only singed. There were never allowed to actually catch fire. No one ever ran through the Holy Temple naked.<br />Sincerely,<br />Rabbi Chaim Richman<br />Director, International Department<br />The Temple Institute<br /></blockquote><br />I would like to thank Rabbi Richman for his kind comments, and I stand corrected.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-3546109543663678722008-09-02T15:24:00.011-04:002008-11-13T13:36:48.672-05:00God's Holy Days as Prophecy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Calibri; mso-font-alt:"Century Gothic"; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} a:link, span.MsoHyperlink {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:blue; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} p.ListParagraph, li.ListParagraph, div.ListParagraph {mso-style-name:"List Paragraph"; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:.5in; mso-add-space:auto; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.ListParagraphCxSpFirst, li.ListParagraphCxSpFirst, div.ListParagraphCxSpFirst {mso-style-name:"List ParagraphCxSpFirst"; mso-style-type:export-only; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-add-space:auto; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.ListParagraphCxSpMiddle, li.ListParagraphCxSpMiddle, div.ListParagraphCxSpMiddle {mso-style-name:"List ParagraphCxSpMiddle"; mso-style-type:export-only; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:0in; margin-left:.5in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-add-space:auto; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} p.ListParagraphCxSpLast, li.ListParagraphCxSpLast, div.ListParagraphCxSpLast {mso-style-name:"List ParagraphCxSpLast"; mso-style-type:export-only; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:.5in; mso-add-space:auto; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} /* List Definitions */ @list l0 {mso-list-id:2053964490; mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:1845815990 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715 67698703 67698713 67698715;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-tab-stop:.5in; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal">On June 11, 2008, at the <a href="http://www.maranathachapel.org/">Maranatha Chapel in San Diego</a>, Pastor Ray Bentley interviewed Mark Biltz. Mark Biltz is the pastor at <a href="http://www.elshaddaiministries.us/">El<span style=""> </span>Shaddai<span style=""> </span>Ministries</a> in Bonney Lake, WA. A <a href="http://www.maranathachapel.org/webcast/index.php?section=archive&id=1147&event=3">webcast of the interview is here</a>. Skip about 42 minutes into this church service to get to the beginning of the interview.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I wrote three articles concerning the topics covered in this interview. The material in these articles is derived almost entirely from this interview, and I want to be sure to give credit where credit is due: Mark Biltz for explaining so clearly and effectively the nature of God’s feast days as prophecy, and for discovering the relationship of the four total lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses in the years 2014 and 2015 to the feast days, and their implications, and Ray Bentley for conducting an excellent, very coherent, interview.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The three articles cover roughly these three topics:</p> <ol style="margin-top: 0in;" start="1" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/gods-holy-days-as-prophecy.html">God’s Feast Days as Prophecy</a>;</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/feast-of-trumpets.html">Why we can expect the Rapture to occur on Rosh Hashanah (The Feast of Trumpets)</a>, and the Gentile Church’s misinterpretation of Jesus’ words concerning the timing of His coming; and</li><li class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2008/09/blood-moons-rising.html">The findings of Mark Biltz (and others) regarding the eclipses in 2014 and 2015</a>, and what they <i style=""><u>might</u></i> tell us about the timing of the Lord’s return.</li></ol> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in;">This is the first of these articles.</p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Genesis 1:14 says “And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years”. The Hebrew word translated as “signs” carries a connotation of being a <i style="">signal</i> for His coming or appearing. The word translated as “season” means “appointed times”, as in feasts, convocations, dress rehearsals, and assemblies. Therefore, God himself has told us that the sun and the moon were placed in the heavens to be signs and signals for us.</p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">It is important to note that when God gave these feast days to Moses, He called them the Feasts of the Lord, not Feasts of Israel, or Feasts of the Jews. They are His. To man, this should emphasize their importance.</p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">If there are signs and signals during the feast days, the signs and signals would be solar and lunar eclipses. An eclipse on a feast day is a sign that Heaven is intersecting with earthly history and something exceptional is about to happen. More on this in the third article in this series.<br /></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Mark Biltz views the festivals/feasts as dress rehearsals of what Israel is going to go through in the future. The seven feasts are all to be fulfilled in Jesus, all are pictures of Him. The First four are a type of the First Coming and have already been fulfilled; the last three are a type of the Second Coming and will be fulfilled soon.</p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">In this article we will mostly discuss the first four of the seven feasts. These are Passover (Pesah), Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Weeks (also known as Passover).</p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><b style="">Passover<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">Christians know Passover as the day the Angel of Death passed over the children of Israel in Egypt, because of the blood of a lamb over the door of the Israelite’s house. We also know Passover because our Lord, Jesus Christ, died for our sins on Passover. We know Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” The Passover lamb was offered to God to cover up the sins of Israel for the year. Jesus atoned for them forever.<br /></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">The killing of the Passover lamb every year was a dress rehearsal of the death of Jesus on the cross.<span style=""> </span>The Lord was bound to the cross the third hour of the day (9:00 AM). This is the time of the morning sacrifice. At this very time, the priest was binding the Passover lamb to the horns of the altar. Jesus died at the ninth hour of the day (3:00 PM). This is the time of the evening sacrifice. Jesus died at the very same time that the high priest was killing the Passover Lamb, fulfilling this prophecy!</p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><b style="">Unleavened Bread<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">The Feast of Unleavened Bread is the next day after Passover, and celebrates the Israelites' release from slavery in Egypt. In the Bible, leavening (yeast) is used to represent sin, so unleavened means without sin. Jesus was without sin, and His body did not decay.</p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><b style="">Firstfruits<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">The Feast of Firstfruits is three days after Passover. This is the day that Jesus rose from the dead after his crucifixion. Imagine! The Jews had been celebrating the feast of Firstfruits for 1500 years before Jesus fulfilled it, for He is the firstfruits of the resurrection!</p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><b style="">Weeks (Pentecost)<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">The first Pentecost was the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. On this day God killed 3,000 Israelites who sinned against God by worshiping the golden calf. After Jesus’ resurrection, on this day the Holy Spirit was poured out, first on the disciples, then on the 3,000 who were redeemed by receiving Jesus on that day. The Jews kept Pentecost for 1500 years before its fulfillment by the Holy Spirit on our Pentecost!</p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;">There is a gap in the feasts, known as <b style="">the Summer Harvest.</b> This symbolizes the 2000 years from the first coming to the second coming. It is a time of harvesting. We are somewhere near the end of the Summer Harvest. Now the time of the Gentiles is almost fulfilled.</p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></p> <p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in;">The last three feasts are the Feasts of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and Tabernacles (Sukkot). We will discuss them in the next two articles.</p><p class="ListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 0in;"><br /></p>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-7840707007522220962008-08-21T14:00:00.003-04:002008-08-21T14:06:47.498-04:00Ezekiel's War Now?Current events in the Middle East and Russia have brought on speculation that Ezekiel 38 and 39 are about to be fulfilled.<br /><br />I believe that the conditions are not right for Ezekiel's War to happen in the near future. Israel is not at peace. I think this war will happen soon after the mid-point of the Tribulation, possibly the opening battle in the War of Armageddon.<br /><br />I think Psalm 83 may go with Isaiah 17, the Judgment on Damascus. The Psalm does NOT say that Israel will be prosperous afterwards, and Isaiah 17 definitely says the opposite. Israel will have suffered considerably during this war.<br /><br />The scenario that I see is this:<br /><br />Iran, hoping to deflect Israel's attention from its nuclear program, gets its puppets, Hezbollah, the Palestinians, and Syria (and others), to launch a war against Israel. Syria is known to have chemical weapons that can be delivered by missile. I could see Syria using one or more of these chemical WMDs on Israel. Israeli military doctrine calls for a nuclear response, most likely against Damascus, thus fulfilling Isaiah 17.<br /><br />The destruction of Damascus in this fashion could provide the push necessary for the Arabs/Muslims to accept a hudna (truce for the purpose of gathering the necessary strength to destroy an enemy), a peace treaty, with Israel. A seven year peace treaty is well within the Islamic doctrine of up to 10 years for a hudna.<br /><br />We know that a seven year peace treaty with Israel is the marker for the beginning of the Tribulation. (I'd always wondered why this peace treaty was only for seven years. Now we know. It's not really a peace treaty, it's a hudna.)<br /><br />Israelis right now are "girding their loins" trying to work up the resolve to attack Iran. Given the change in political leadership in Israel that is about to take place, I think it likely that this could happen in the next couple of months, maybe even September. To accomplish a preemptive strike, Iran would need to get Hezbollah and Syria to attack very soon to beat the Israelis to the punch. There have been rumors of such an attack since last Spring.<br /><br />This timing would work well with the possibility of the Rapture happening during the Feast of Trumpets (Sept 29 - Oct 1).Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-56727181138790678712008-06-23T16:32:00.007-04:002008-09-23T10:20:56.122-04:00Christian Explosion in ChinaOn the <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/">Chicago Tribune website</a>, there is a very interesting article about the surge of Christianity in China:<br /><h1></h1><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-jesus-1-1-webjun22,0,2458211.story">Jesus in China</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Christianity's rapid rise is reshaping the officially atheist nation, its politics and the way many Chinese view the world. The Tribune's Evan Osnos reports from Beijing and the countryside.</span></span><br /></span><span class="story-byline"><br />By Evan Osnos </span><span>|</span>Tribune correspondent<br /><span class="story-dateline">4:57 PM CDT, June 22, 200</span><br /><br />Rev. Jin Mingri peered out from the pulpit and delivered an unusual appeal: "Please leave," the 39-year-old pastor commanded his followers, who were packed, standing-room-only on a Sunday afternoon, into a converted office space in China's capital. "We don't have enough seats for the others who want to come, so, please, only stay for one service a day."<br /><br />A choir in hot-pink robes stood to his left, beside a guitarist and a drum set bristling with cymbals. Children in a playroom beside the sanctuary punctuated the service with squeals and tantrums. It was a busy day at a church that, on paper, does not exist.<br /><br />Christianity — repressed, marginalized and, in many cases, illegal in China for more than half a century — is sweeping the country, overflowing churches and posing a sensitive challenge to the officially atheist Communist Party.<br /><br />By some estimates Christian churches, most of them underground, now have roughly 70 million members, as many as the party itself. A growing number of those Christians are in fact party members.<br /><br />Christianity is thriving in part because it offers a moral framework to citizens adrift in an age of Wild West capitalism that has not only exacted a heavy toll in corruption and pollution but also harmed the global image of products "Made in China."<br /><br />Some Chinese Christians argue that their faith is an unexpected boon for the Communist Party, because it shores up the economic foundation that is central to sustaining party rule.<br /><br />"With economic development, morality and ethics in China are degenerating quickly," prayer leader Zhang Wei told the crowd at Jin's church as worshipers bowed their heads. "Holy Father, please save the Chinese people's soul."<br /><br />At the same time, Christianity is driving citizens to be more politically assertive, emboldening them to push for greater freedoms and testing the party's willingness to adapt. For decades, most of China's Christians worshiped in underground churches—known as "house churches"—that avoided attention for fear of arrest on various charges such as "disturbing public order."<br /><br />But in a sign of Christianity's growing prominence, in scores of interviews for a joint project of the Tribune and PBS' FRONTLINE/World, clerical leaders and worshipers from coastal boomtowns to inland villages publicly detailed their religious lives for the first time.<br /><br />They repeat a seemingly shared belief that the time has come to proclaim their place in Chinese society as the world focuses on China and its hosting of the 2008 Olympics, set to begin in August.<br /><br />"We have nothing to hide," said Jin, a former Communist Party member who broke away from the state church last year to found his Zion Church.<br /><br />Jin embodies a historic change: After centuries of foreign efforts to implant Christianity in China, today's Christian ascension is led not by missionaries but by evangelical citizens at home. Where Christianity once was confined largely to poor villages, it is now spreading into urban power centers with often tacit approval from the regime.<br /><br />It reaches into the most influential corners of Chinese life: Intellectuals disillusioned by the 1989 crackdown at Tiananmen Square are placing their loyalty in faith, not politics; tycoons fed up with corruption are seeking an ethical code; and Communist Party members are daring to argue that their faith does not put them at odds with the government.<br /><br /></blockquote>It appears that the Tiananmen Square massacre was a key event in bringing Chinese to Jesus. There is much more in the article. Read the rest <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-jesus-1-1-webjun22,0,2458211.story">here</a>. You will be glad you did.<br /><br />It's not often that we get such favorable, even-handed treatment in a mainstream newspaper. Thanks, Chicago Tribune!Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-62052183420518485752008-05-12T11:01:00.003-04:002008-09-23T10:21:22.531-04:00President Apostate?An Op-Ed piece in The New York Times, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/opinion/12luttwak.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print">President Apostate?</a>, states what those of us who have studied Islam have known all along: according to Islamic law, Barak Obama <strong>is</strong> a Muslim.<br /><br /><blockquote><p>May 12, 2008<br /><br />Op-Ed Contributor<br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/opinion/12luttwak.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print"><span style="font-size:180%;">President Apostate?</span><br /></a></strong><br />By EDWARD N. LUTTWAK<br />Chevy Chase, Md.<br /><br />BARACK OBAMA has emerged as a classic example of charismatic leadership — a figure upon whom others project their own hopes and desires. The resulting emotional intensity adds greatly to the more conventional strengths of the well-organized Obama campaign, and it has certainly sufficed to overcome the formidable initial advantages of Senator Hillary Clinton.<br /><br />One danger of such charisma, however, is that it can evoke unrealistic hopes of what a candidate could actually accomplish in office regardless of his own personal abilities. Case in point is the oft-made claim that an Obama presidency would be welcomed by the Muslim world.<br /><br />This idea often goes hand in hand with the altogether more plausible argument that Mr. Obama’s election would raise America’s esteem in Africa — indeed, he already arouses much enthusiasm in his father’s native Kenya and to a degree elsewhere on the continent.<br /><br />But it is a mistake to conflate his African identity with his Muslim heritage. Senator Obama is half African by birth and Africans can understandably identify with him. In Islam, however, there is no such thing as a half-Muslim. Like all monotheistic religions, Islam is an exclusive faith.<br /><br />As the son of the Muslim father, Senator Obama was born a Muslim under Muslim law as it is universally understood. It makes no difference that, as Senator Obama has written, his father said he renounced his religion. Likewise, under Muslim law based on the Koran his mother’s Christian background is irrelevant.<br /><br />Of course, as most Americans understand it, Senator Obama is not a Muslim. He chose to become a Christian, and indeed has written convincingly to explain how he arrived at his choice and how important his Christian faith is to him.<br /><br />His conversion, however, was a crime in Muslim eyes; it is “irtidad” or “ridda,” usually translated from the Arabic as “apostasy,” but with connotations of rebellion and treason. Indeed, it is the worst of all crimes that a Muslim can commit, worse than murder (which the victim’s family may choose to forgive). </p></blockquote><br />Read the rest of it <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/12/opinion/12luttwak.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=print">here</a>.<br /><br />The point is not that Barak Obama is a Muslim. By our standards, taking the man at his word, he is not. However, to the Muslim world he is a criminal of the worst kind, an apostate. Do you really think he will be able to just sit down and talk our Muslim enemies into making peace?<br /><br />And think of the unprecedented problem for the Secret Service if President Obama visited any place with a significant Muslim population (including Detroit!).Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-9992975127691559902007-12-20T10:51:00.001-05:002008-09-23T10:21:45.221-04:00You won't believe this!Is it any wonder that Christianity is rapidly declining in England and Europe, with "leaders" like this?<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=JHPSTTVO4EG5FQFIQMGCFGGAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/12/20/nwise120.xml">Archbishop says nativity 'a legend'</a><br /></span><br />By Sophie Borland<br />Last Updated: 1:25pm GMT 20/12/2007<br /><br />The Archbishop of Canterbury said yesterday that the Christmas story of the Three Wise Men was nothing but a 'legend'.<br /><br />Dr Rowan Williams has claimed there was little evidence that the Magi even existed and there was certainly nothing to prove there were three of them or that they were kings.<br /><br />He said the only reference to the wise men from the East was in Matthew's gospel and the details were very vague.<br /><br />Dr Williams said: "Matthew's gospel says they are astrologers, wise men, priests from somewhere outside the Roman Empire, that's all we're really told. It works quite well as legend."<br /><br />The Archbishop went on to dispel other details of the Christmas story, adding that there were probably no asses or oxen in the stable.<br /><br />He argued that Christmas cards which showed the Virgin Mary cradling the baby Jesus, flanked by shepherds and wise men, were misleading. As for the scenes that depicted snow falling in Bethlehem, the Archbishop said the chance of this was "very unlikely".<br /><br />In a final blow to the traditional nativity story, Dr Williams concluded that Jesus was probably not born in December at all. He said: "Christmas was when it was because it fitted well with the winter festival."<br /><br />His comments came during an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live with Simon Mayo yesterday. Later on in the show, the Archbishop was challenged by fellow guest Ricky Gervais, the comedian, about the credibility of the Christmas story.<br /><br />Gervais told Dr Williams he was concerned about "brainwashing" of children who are sent to faith schools at an early age, comparing teaching that God exists to belief in Father Christmas.<br /><br />Dr Williams said faith schools expose children to the full range of human experience and values and he did not believe they indoctrinated people.</blockquote><br />From the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/">Telegraph of London</a>.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-36765116904930558812007-12-17T13:13:00.000-05:002007-12-17T13:15:26.726-05:00Too Horrible for Words!<blockquote></blockquote><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Update:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/">The Washington Post</a>, in <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/17/AR2007121700215.html?nav=rss_world">this AP story</a>, reports:<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/17/AR2007121700215.html?nav=rss_world"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Saudi King Pardons Rape Victim</span></span></a><br /><br />By ABDULLAH SHIHRI<br />The Associated Press<br />Monday, December 17, 2007; 11:27 AM<br /><br />RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- A gang-rape victim who was sentenced to six months in prison and 200 lashes for being alone with a man not related to her was pardoned by the Saudi king after the case sparked rare criticism from the United States, the kingdom's top ally.<br /><br />Outrage over the sentence prompted unusually strong comments from President Bush, who said that if the same thing had happened to one of his daughters, he would be "angry" at a government that didn't protect the victim. The White House called the sentence "outrageous."<br /><br />In past weeks, Saudi officials have bristled at the criticism of what they consider an internal affair _ but also appeared wary of hurting their image in the United States.<br /><br />Bush's National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the White House thinks the Saudi king "he made the right decision" by pardoning the woman.<br /><br />With the pardon, King Abdullah appeared to be aiming at relieving the pressure from the United States without being seen to criticize Saudi Arabia's conservative legal system, a stronghold of powerful clerics adhering to the strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Justice Minister Abdullah bin Mohammed al-Sheik said the pardon reported by Saudi media Monday does not mean the king doubted the country's judges, but that he was acting in the "interests of the people."<br /><br />- - - -<br /></span></blockquote><br />Emphasis added.<br /><br />------------------------------------<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >Original post:</span><br /><br />Breitbart.com has published this article:<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.breitbart.com/print.php?id=071115145104.rykb7bub&show_article=1"><span style="font-size:130%;">Saudi punishes gang rape victim with 200 lashes</span></a><br />Nov 15 10:51 AM US/Eastern<br /><br />A court in the ultra-conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia is punishing a female victim of gang rape with 200 lashes and six months in jail, a newspaper reported on Thursday.<br />....<br /></blockquote><br />Read the rest of the article <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/print.php?id=071115145104.rykb7bub&show_article=1">here</a>.<br /><br />This is Islamic Sharia law.<br /><br />Notice the use of the term "ultra-conservative" in the article. This is part of a campaign to equate conservative Christians and conservative Muslims.<br /><br />What the two groups share is that each believes in the fundamental truths of their religion. However, the behavior and actions that result could not be more different.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-60299467535077315372007-12-10T15:33:00.000-05:002007-12-10T15:41:51.140-05:00The Devil Is In the DetailsMea culpa.<br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.omegaletter.com/articles/articles.asp?ArticleID=6207">Special Report: The Devil Is In the Details</a></span><br />Time for a Reality Check<br />In Defense of the Faith<br />Friday, December 07, 2007<br />Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor<br /><br />The new NIE consensus opinion that Iran abandoned its active quest to build nuclear weapons four years ago, whether accurate or not, brings back to the forefront of discussion the two main principles of accurately understanding Bible prophecy.<br /><br />The first is the scholar’s adage warning of the dangers in interpreting Bible prophecy by the light of current events, instead of the other way around.<br /><br />We’ll discuss that in greater detail in a moment.<br /><br />The second is summarized by the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans; “Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.” (Romans 3:4)<br /><br />Bible prophecy tells us what to expect, but not exactly what to look for. That is an important distinction. God accomplishes His will according to His plan, not ours.<br /><br />For example, for centuries, students of Bible prophecy knew to expect the existence of a physical nation called “Israel” but they didn’t know what to look for until it happened.<br /><br />God tells us the “end from the beginning, and from the ancient times the things that are not yet done,” (Isaiah 46:10) but He doesn’t always reveal the exact mechanism by which He intends to accomplish it.<br /><br />For a better example, let’s use Hal Lindsey’s 1969 book, “The Late, Great Planet Earth.” If these ARE the last days, as Hal argued in 1969, then from the Bible Hal knew he could expect three specific geopolitical events -- events that no secular analyst could possibly have predicted at the time.<br /><br />First, there must be the development of a single, European super state that would eventually attain superpower status.<br /><br />In 1969, the idea of Europe unification was decades away, if ever. But since Bible prophecy demanded the existence of a revived Roman Empire, if these were the last days, a European super state would have to come into existence.<br /><br />But the Bible didn’t give details of how that would come about – only that it would, so in 1969, that was all Hal had to work with.<br /><br />Second, the Bible makes no mention of a vast, Soviet superpower overshadowing Europe, but rather, the other way around. If these were indeed the last days, Hal argued, then the Soviet Union must decrease so that revived Rome could increase.<br /><br />Third, since there is no reference to the existence of a Western superpower resembling the United States overshadowing revived Rome, somehow, America must decrease so that revived Rome could increase.<br /><br />Hal couldn't know the exact details of how it would all happen -- only that they must happen-- if these are indeed the last days.<br /><br />In 1969, at the height of the Cold War, the most likely scenario to accomplish these three events was a war between the United States and Russia that would leave Europe intact to pick up the pieces.<br /><br />That scenario was perfectly consistent with both probability and Bible prophecy, but it turned out to be the wrong one.<br /><br />When the Soviet Union collapsed, the Berlin Wall came down, and Europe reunified, critics were quick to call Hal a ‘false prophet’ because he got some of the details of ‘how’ wrong.<br /><br />To this day, that is still the first criticism leveled at him. In so doing, the critics missed the ‘what’ part, which he got right -- and more importantly, its significance.<br /><br />The point Hal was making in 1969 was this: IF this is the generation that will see the return of Christ, those three things would happen. None existed in 1969 -- but in 2007, two of them are history, and the third, the decline of the US as a global superpower, is already well advanced.<br /><br />Does that mean Hal Lindsey is a prophet? No. Prophecy comes from the Bible. Hal merely cited examples that demonstrated that global current events were all trending in the Bible’s predicted direction. They still are.<br /><br />What it proves is that this is the generation that will see the return of Christ.<br /><br />From his vantage point forty years ago, Hal Lindsey (and everyone else in 1969) might have been wrong on a few details of how things would come together, but history continues to prove him 100% right on what the Bible said would develop as a result.<br /><br />The point, than as now, was this: “If this IS the generation of His return, somehow, some way, God will bring about the predicted end results." Beyond that, the best any human can do is take the Bible's predicted results and work backwards to try and figure out how.<br /><br />Everybody was so busy nit-picking Hal’s details back then that they missed the point the book was written to make. Many still do.<br /><br />The point was, and is, that the prophetic time clock has begun the final countdown.<br /><br />Among the list of old sayings that become 'old sayings' because they are universally true is "the devil is in the details." Once one makes their stand on their interpretation of the details, rather than the Bible's Big Picture, one becomes most vulnerable to his attack.<br /><br />Every year, somebody stakes their reputation on their interpretation of the details, calculating using various formulas, the exact date of the Rapture. Others will argue all day regarding their interpretation of the timing of the Rapture. What gets lost in it all the hubbub and argument is the Rapture itself.<br /><br />Or those who will argue all day that they know the identity of the antichrist. They are interpreting the Bible to fit current events. It is the Bible that is infallible -- current events are only current until things change.<br /><br />The devil is in the details.<br /><br />When it comes to Iran, the Bible says that Persia participates in a subordinate leadership role as part of the larger Gog-Magog alliance. That alliance, for reasons not entirely clear, eventually embarks on a surprise invasion of Israel at a time when Israel is “dwelling at peace” as a “land of unwalled villages.”<br /><br />When events began to suggest an impending war between Israel and Iran, it was tempting to look for ways to make that war fit into Ezekiel’s scenario.<br /><br />In addition, we have the developing trends that are moving Russia rapidly back into the arms of a new authoritarian dictatorship to consider. Coupled with Russia’s traditional ties with the same nations Ezekiel predicted will eventually be part of the Gog-Magog alliance, it is easy to speculate on how God will bring about His will.<br /><br />But no matter what, in order for Persia to participate in an invasion of Israel, it is clear that Persia and Israel must both be there at the time, precluding an imminent Iranian-Israeli nuclear war.<br /><br />As to the imminence of the Gog-Magog invasion, Israel is not a land of unwalled villages and it is not dwelling at peace.<br /><br />I’ve tried to be careful, but I know I’ve succumbed to the temptation to mold current events to fit Bible prophecy -- especially when it comes to connecting the current Iranian crisis .<br /><br />The fact of the matter is neither I nor anyone else has a crystal ball or some secret spiritual knowledge not available to anyone willing to crack a Bible and do a little research.<br /><br />The best anyone can honestly offer is an educated guess on the details -- guided by prayer and based on the Bible's certain foreknowledge of the outcome – but neither the source of that foreknowledge nor the predicted outcome are a secret.<br /><br />It’s all right there in the pages of Scripture.<br /><br />Bible prophecy wasn’t given to this generation for the purpose of amazing our friends by playing The Amazing Kreskin.<br /><br />That was never the point.<br /><br />Prophecy was given to this generation to impart a sense of urgency to the lost, and to provide evidences for the Church that, no matter how confusing things look at any given moment, the ultimate outcome is assured.<br /><br />That is the ultimate reason for the study of Bible prophecy. To credibly articulate the lateness of the hour, demonstrate the certainty of the judgment to follow, and share the good news that God has made Provision for our pardon.<br /><br />Even if the exact path sometimes seems murky, the outline of the predicted destination grows clearer with each changing event.<br /><br />And it is the destination that is important, not so much the details of how God intends to get us there. We are to watch for the signs of His return and to shout the warning.<br /><br />Regarding pet interpretations and nit-picking details, well, God has made provision for that, too.<br /><br />“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:6-7) </blockquote><br />From <a href="http://www.omegaletter.com/">Omegaletter.com</a>.<br /><br />I know that I have said it repeatedly, but Jack makes the point very well: No one knows God's timetable.<br /><br />But sometimes the temptation to think otherwise, to think that I know what is about to happen, is too much to resist.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-38350796054131306642007-12-03T15:39:00.000-05:002007-12-04T08:20:09.188-05:00Israelis hit Syrian ‘nuclear bomb plant’Last month the story broke that in September Israel had bombed and destroyed a target within Syria, a fact which Syria initially denied. Gradually, more and more information has surfaced about what really happened:<br /><ol><li>Israel bombed a location in Syria.</li><li>Russia's best air defense system, just sold to and installed in Syria, failed to even detect the presence of Israeli jets.</li><li>In spite of what could be trumpeted as an "act of aggression" by Israel, all of the nations in the area have attempted to pretend that the attack did not happen.</li><li>The Syrians have completely cleaned up the site of the installation that was bombed, leaving no trace behind.</li><li>Early reports claimed that the site was a nuclear reactor under construction. This evolved into several other things, including an installation for producing "dirty" bombs.<br /></li></ol>Yesterday, The London Sunday Times (<a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/">timesonline.com</a>) published this report:<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2983719.ece"><span style="font-size:130%;">Israelis hit Syrian ‘nuclear bomb plant’</span><br /></a>Uzi Mahnaimi in Tel Aviv and Michael Sheridan in Seoul<br /><br />ISRAEL’S top-secret air raid on Syria in September destroyed a bomb factory assembling warheads fuelled by North Korean plutonium, a leading Israeli nuclear expert has told The Sunday Times.<br /><br />Professor Uzi Even of Tel Aviv University was one of the founders of the Israeli nuclear reactor at Dimona, the source of the Jewish state’s undeclared nuclear arsenal.<br /><br />“I suspect that it was a plant for processing plutonium, namely, a factory for assembling the bomb,” he said. “I think the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] transferred to Syria weapons-grade plutonium in raw form, that is nuggets of easily transported metal in protective cans. I think the shaping and casting of the plutonium was supposed to be in Syria.”<br /><br />All governments concerned - even the regime in Damascus - have tried to maintain complete secrecy about the raid.<br /><br />They apparently fear that forcing a confrontation on the issue could spark a war between Israel and Syria, end the Middle East peace talks and wreck America’s extremely complex negotiations to disarm North Korea of its nuclear weapons.<br /><br />The political stakes could hardly be higher. Plutonium is the element which fuelled the American atomic bomb that destroyed the Japanese city of Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.<br /><br />Critics in the United States say proof that North Korea supplied such nuclear weapons material to Syria, a state technically at war with Israel, would shatter congressional confidence in the Bush administration’s diplomatic policy.<br /><br />From beneath the veil of military censorship, western commentators have formed a consensus that the target was a nuclear reactor under construction.<br /><br />But Even said that purely from scientific observation, he had reached a different conclusion - that it was a nuclear bomb factory, posing a more immediate danger to Israel. He said that satellite photos of the site, taken before the Israeli strike on September 6, showed no sign of the cooling towers and chimneys characteristic of nuclear reactors.<br /><br />Syria’s haste after the attack to bury the site under tons of soil suggested that hundreds of square yards were contaminated and there were fears of radiation, the professor added.<br /><br />Since then the Syrians have sealed up the location, levelled the site and diverted curious journalists to a place that had not been attacked by Israel.<br /><br />The professor’s theory fits with authoritative technical evidence about North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme. The North Koreans are able to produce weapons-grade plutonium, which is electro-refined, alloyed and cast into shapes ready to be machined to fit into a warhead, according to a team of distinguished American nuclear weapons scientists who visited the country’s laboratories.<br /><br />....<br /><br /></blockquote>Read the rest <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article2983719.ece">here</a>.<br /><br />My post last month, <a href="http://ronaldcsmith.blogspot.com/2007/09/syria-has-been-testing-missles-with.html">Syria has been testing missiles with chemical warheads</a>, spoke of other attempts by Syria to prepare for all-out war with Israel, and pointed to Isaiah 17 as a warning to the leadership in Damascus.<br /><br />This article in timesonline.com also calls to mind something called <span style="font-weight: bold;">The Sampson Option</span>, which is widely rumored to be official Israeli policy. According to these rumors (which I fully believe), if Israel believes that it is about to be overrun and utterly destroyed they will launch nuclear missles at the capitals of all of their Arab and Islamic enemies in the region. They will take their enemies with them, just as Sampson did in the Bible when he pulled his enemies' temple down on all of their heads.<br /><br />Ezekiel 38 and 39 speak of a coming war of Russia and the Arab Islamic nations against Israel. Isaiah 17 speaks of the utter destruction of Damascus, capital of Syria. Experts disagree about the exact timing of these events, whether they occur together or not and whether they occur before or after the Rapture and before or during the Tribulation. All agree that they will occur during the End Times. Since we are clearly in the End Times, the fulfillment of these prophesies must take place soon. Events like those discussed above only confirm that the stage is set.<br /><br />In Mark 16:15-16, Jesus commanded us "<span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.</span>" The time is short. Redouble your efforts before it is too late.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-33457146121092682952007-09-19T08:49:00.000-04:002007-09-19T09:04:04.233-04:00Syria has been testing missiles with chemical warheads<a href="http://www.jpost.com/">The Jerusalem Post</a> reported on Sept. 18, 2007, that Syria was attempting to test a chemical warhead on a missile earlier this year.<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1189411428847&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >'Dozens died in Syria-Iran missile test'</span></a><br />JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 18, 2007<br /><br />Proof of cooperation between Iran and Syria in the proliferation and development of weapons of mass destruction was brought to light Monday in Jane's Defence Weekly, which reported that dozens of Iranian engineers and 15 Syrian officers were killed in a July 23 accident in Syria.<br /><br />According to the report, cited by Channel 10, the joint Syrian-Iranian team was attempting to mount a chemical warhead on a Scud missile when the explosion occurred, spreading lethal chemical agents, including sarin nerve gas.<br /><br />Reports of the accident were circulated at the time; however, no details were released by the Syrian government, and there were no hints of an Iranian connection.<br /><br />The report comes on the heels of criticism leveled by the Syrians at the United States, accusing it of spreading "false" claims of Syrian nuclear activity and cooperation with North Korea to excuse an alleged Israeli air incursion over the country this month.<br /><br />According to globalsecurity.org, Syria is not a signatory of either the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), - an international agreement banning the production, stockpiling or use of chemical weapons - or the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).<br /><br />Syria began developing chemical weapons in 1973, just before the Yom Kipper War. Globalsecurity.org cites the country as having one of the most advanced chemical weapons programs in the Middle East.</blockquote><br />Given the Jews' experience with the Holocaust, it is my belief that any attack on Israel with chemical or biological weapons will be met by a nuclear response. Remember Isaiah 17:1:<br /><br /><blockquote>An oracle concerning Damascus.<br />Behold, Damascus will cease to be a city<br />and will become a heap of ruins.</blockquote><br />This has never yet taken place.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-40917778153672421542007-09-10T14:55:00.000-04:002007-11-15T13:32:37.567-05:00A 200-year-0ld lesson on 9/11I've known for a while that Chuck Norris is a Christian, but I did not realize how articulate and knowledgeable he is. In his article on <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">WorldNetDaily</span></a>, he gives an excellent summary of America's earliest wars, the Barbary Wars, and their relevance to today's struggle against the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Islamo</span>-Fascists.<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57542"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A 200-year-old lesson on 9/11</span></span></a><br />By Chuck Norris on <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/">www.worldnetdaily.com</a><br />Posted: September 10, 2007<br />1:00 a.m. Eastern<br /><br />With the 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> anniversary of 9/11 among us, as well as the imminent report on the status of the war from Gen. David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Petraeus</span>, the commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, America continues to face the fallout and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">frontlines</span> of the war on terror.<br /><br />Despite debates over the success of surges and the truths behind 9/11, one of the most significant deliberations remains how many Americans are still in denial about the depth and breadth of extremists' hatred for our nation, liberties and way of life. Do people really think ceasing a war in Iraq will quench their fire to destroy our country?<br /><br />Radical Muslims' guile existed far before 9/11, and it will be there far after an Iraqi war. In fact, it was apparent from the beginning of our nation, as seen in the Barbary Powers Conflict, a confrontation between the five Barbary nations (Tripoli, Turkey, Tunis, Algiers and Morocco) and what they considered the "Christian nations" (England, Denmark, France, Spain and the new United States).<br /><br />Though I am not a historian or a military strategist, I believe now is a good time to recall this 200 year-old lesson on extremist Muslim-American relations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The tower of terror in the treaty of Tripoli</span><br /><br />While the United States was mopping up from the Revolutionary War, it was also squaring off against largely Muslim pirates and countries in the Mediterranean. These sea bandits cruised the coastlines stealing cargo, destroying villages and enslaving millions of Africans and hundreds of thousands of Christian Europeans and Americans.<br /><br />Because America was a newborn nation with relatively little naval defense, its merchant ships were exceptionally vulnerable to attack in and out of the Great Sea. America's rebellion against Britain severed its protection by the Royal Navy. And while France helped some during the war, the U.S. was on its own as of about 1783. As a result, its cargo and seamen were captured, and our country's leaders were forced to negotiate with the Mediterranean Muslim contingency.<br /><br />In 1784, envoys began to be dispatched to secure peace and passage from the Barbary Powers. Treaties were made. Tributes and ransoms were paid. Our cargo and captives were freed. And our ships traveled safely. Over the next decade and a half, millions of dollars were given to these radicals – estimated at 20 percent of America's income in 1800. (Despite that men like Thomas Jefferson argued vehemently against paying ransoms and tribute – he believed the only road to resolve would be "through the medium of war.")<br /><br />America's first four presidents (Washington, Adams, Jefferson and Madison) all dealt with this East-West conflict of powers, though to varying degrees. Though numerous negotiations and treaties were made, including "the Treaty of Tripoli" in 1796-7, Tripoli (in present Libya) still declared war against the U.S. in 1801. It is sometimes called America's first official war as a new nation.<br /><br />So, shortly after his inauguration, President Jefferson declared America would spend "millions for defense but not one [more] cent for tribute." As a result, he deployed Marines and warships to the region, which eventually led to the surrender of Tripoli in 1805. It would take another decade, however, to completely defeat the pirates.<br /><br />----<br /></blockquote><br />Click <a href="http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57542">here</a> to read the rest of Chuck Norris' excellent article.<br /><br />The bottom line is this: the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Islamo</span>-Fascists don't hate us because of Iraq, or Afghanistan, or anything we've ever done. They hate us because we are not Muslim, and this has been true for as long as there has been a USA to hate. In the early 1800s we beat them militarily and they pretty much left us alone for the next 150 years or so out of fear of the consequences of attacking us. We need to teach them that lesson once again.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-69681815259937710622007-08-29T15:51:00.000-04:002007-08-29T18:11:58.782-04:00Ezekiel's War May Be About to BeginIn <a href="http://rawstory.com/">The Raw Story</a>, Larisa Alexandrovna and Muriel Kane have published a piece summarizing a study which essentially says that the US Military is capable, on very short notice, of launching a massive attack against Iran.<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://rawstory.com//news/2007/Study_US_preparing_massive_military_attack_0828.html"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Study: US preparing 'massive' military attack against Iran</span></a><br />Larisa Alexandrovna and Muriel Kane<br />Published: Tuesday August 28, 2007<br /><br />The United States has the capacity for and may be prepared to launch without warning a massive assault on Iranian uranium enrichment facilities, as well as government buildings and infrastructure, using long-range bombers and missiles, according to a new analysis.<br /><br />The paper, "<a href="http://www.rawstory.com/images/other/IranStudy082807a.pdf">Considering a war with Iran: A discussion paper on WMD in the Middle East</a>" – written by well-respected British scholar and arms expert Dr. Dan Plesch, Director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy of the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) at the University of London, and Martin Butcher, a former Director of the British American Security Information Council (BASIC) and former adviser to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament – was exclusively provided to RAW STORY late Friday under embargo.<br /><br />"We wrote the report partly as we were surprised that this sort of quite elementary analysis had not been produced by the many well resourced Institutes in the United States," wrote Plesch in an email to Raw Story on Tuesday.<br /><br />Plesch and Butcher examine "what the military option might involve if it were picked up off the table and put into action" and conclude that based on open source analysis and their own assessments, the US has prepared its military for a "massive" attack against Iran, requiring little contingency planning and without a ground invasion.<br /><br />The study concludes that the US has made military preparations to destroy Iran’s WMD, nuclear energy, regime, armed forces, state apparatus and economic infrastructure within days if not hours of President George W. Bush giving the order. The US is not publicising the scale of these preparations to deter Iran, tending to make confrontation more likely. The US retains the option of avoiding war, but using its forces as part of an overall strategy of shaping Iran’s actions.<br /><br />* Any attack is likely to be on a massive multi-front scale but avoiding a ground invasion. Attacks focused on WMD facilities would leave Iran too many retaliatory options, leave President Bush open to the charge of using too little force and leave the regime intact.<br /><br />* US bombers and long range missiles are ready today to destroy 10,000 targets in Iran in a few hours.<br /><br />* US ground, air and marine forces already in the Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan can devastate Iranian forces, the regime and the state at short notice.<br /><br />* Some form of low level US and possibly UK military action as well as armed popular resistance appear underway inside the Iranian provinces or ethnic areas of the Azeri, Balujistan, Kurdistan and Khuzestan. Iran was unable to prevent sabotage of its offshore-to-shore crude oil pipelines in 2005.<br /><br />* Nuclear weapons are ready, but most unlikely, to be used by the US, the UK and Israel. The human, political and environmental effects would be devastating, while their military value is limited.<br /><br />* Israel is determined to prevent Iran acquiring nuclear weapons yet has the conventional military capability only to wound Iran’s WMD programmes.<br /><br />* The attitude of the UK is uncertain, with the Brown government and public opinion opposed psychologically to more war, yet, were Brown to support an attack he would probably carry a vote in Parliament. The UK is adamant that Iran must not acquire the bomb.<br /><br />* The US is not publicising the scale of these preparations to deter Iran, tending to make confrontation more likely. The US retains the option of avoiding war, but using its forces as part of an overall strategy of shaping Iran’s actions.<br /><br />When asked why the paper seems to indicate a certainty of Iranian WMD, Plesch made clear that "our paper is not, repeat not, about what Iran actually has or not." Yet, he added that "Iran certainly has missiles and probably some chemical capability."<br /><br />Most significantly, Plesch and Butcher dispute conventional wisdom that any US attack on Iran would be confined to its nuclear sites. Instead, they foresee a "full-spectrum approach," designed to either instigate an overthrow of the government or reduce Iran to the status of "a weak or failed state." Although they acknowledge potential risks and impediments that might deter the Bush administration from carrying out such a massive attack, they also emphasize that the administration's National Security Strategy includes as a major goal the elimination of Iran as a regional power.<br />....<br /><br /></blockquote><a href="http://rawstory.com//news/2007/Study_US_preparing_massive_military_attack_0828.html">Read the whole thing</a>.<br /><br />Iran and Russia have had a mutual defense treaty for some time. Last year, Syria joined this treaty. If the US and/or Israel attack Iran, especially with the kind of massive strike envisioned in this article, Russia may find itself drawn into the conflict to honor this treaty, even if it is reluctant to do so.<br /><br /><blockquote>“And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet….” Ezekiel 38:4-5</blockquote><br />In Ezekiel 38 and 39, the prophet is clearly describing a nuclear war between Israel and a confederation headed by Russia (Magog) and including Iran (Persia) and all of the Muslim Arab countries of North Africa (with the exception of Iraq).<br /><br /><blockquote>"For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish of the sea and the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the field and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the people who are on the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence. And <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground</span>. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Lord God. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him, and <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples who are with him torrential rains and <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">hailstones, fire and sulfur</span></span>. So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord." Ezekiel 38:19-23 (emphasis mine)<br /></blockquote><br />Ezekiel 39:11-16 describes the surviving Jews decontaminating a large area where the bodies of the fallen from Russian Confederation armies lie. The procedure described fits well with cleansing an area contaminated with nuclear, chemical, or biological agents.<br /><br />Scripture is not clear whether Ezekiel's War takes place before or after the Rapture. Tim Lehay and Joel Rosenberg believe that it occurs before the Rapture, Hal Lindsey thinks it is part of the Great Tribulation.<br /><br />Whichever belief is correct, this will be a horrifying time to be alive, even for followers of Christ. How much so for those who do not know Him? You owe it to your family and loved ones to try to lead them to Christ before this war happens.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-38855400503498445452007-08-28T10:10:00.001-04:002007-08-28T10:17:43.452-04:00Ezekiel's War Draws NearThe prospects for the fulfillment of Ezekiel's War continue to increase. Even European countries such as France see the necessity to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power. Ynetnews.com reports:<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3442638,00.html"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> France's Sarkozy raises prospect of Iran airstrikes</span></span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> In his first major foreign policy speech, French president says diplomatic push by world's powers to rein in Tehran's nuclear program is only alternative to 'Iranian bomb or bombing of Iran'</span><br /><br />Reuters<br />Published: 08.27.07, 19:45 / Israel News<br /><br />French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday a diplomatic push by the world's powers to rein in Tehran's nuclear program was the only alternative to "an Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran."<br />_<br /><br />Sarkozy said a nuclear-armed Iran would be unacceptable and that major powers should continue their policy of incrementally increasing sanctions against Tehran while being open to talks if Iran suspended nuclear activities.<br /><br />"This initiative is the only one that can enable us to escape an alternative that I say is catastrophic: the Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran," he said, adding that it was the worst crisis currently facing the world.<br /><br /></blockquote>The Europeans have already thoroughly demonstrated the futility of trying to negotiate with those who believe it their duty to their god to bring about their version of the Tribulation. Failure of negotiations will certainly bring catastrophe. At that point there will be no good alternative, and nuclear war will be virtually inevitable.<br /><br />Pray for your friends and loved ones who have not already accepted Jesus into their hearts. His time is at hand.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-88411907543526161592007-08-08T15:11:00.000-04:002007-08-22T14:05:13.643-04:00Why is the USA not mentioned in the end times prophesies?Many of us have speculated about why the world's current super-power (the USA) does not seem to be involved in the events of the end times. Several possibilities have been put forth, including:<br /><ol><li>An EMF pulse-bomb destroying all electrical and electronic systems in the US. (Yes, that could happen!)</li><li>Nuclear attack by a foreign power, such as China.</li><li>Collapse of our Republic, perhaps due to foreign invasion (the border and illegal immigration problem carried to the extreme).</li><li>Collapse of our economy.</li></ol>There was an article in <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/">telegraph.co.uk</a> today that relates to item 4.<br /><br /><blockquote><span class="storyby"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/08/07/bcnchina107a.xml">China threatens 'nuclear option' of dollar sales</a></span><br /><br />By Ambrose Evans-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Pritchard</span></span><br /><div style="float: left;"><span class="filed">Last Updated: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">9:54am <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">BST</span></span> 08/08/2007</span></div><br /><br /><p class="small"><!--NO VIEW--></p><p class="story">The Chinese government has begun a concerted campaign of economic threats against the United States, hinting that it may liquidate its vast holding of US treasuries if Washington imposes trade sanctions to force a yuan revaluation.</p><div style="margin-top: 19px;"><table style="width: 4px; height: 2px;" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" hspace="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align: top;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="1" width="8"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="story">Two officials at leading Communist Party bodies have given interviews in recent days warning - for the first time - that Beijing may use its $1.33 trillion (£658<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">bn</span>) of foreign reserves as a political weapon to counter pressure from the US Congress.</p><p class="story"><br /></p><p class="story">Shifts in Chinese policy are often announced through key think tanks and academies.</p><p class="story"><br /></p><p class="story">Described as China's "nuclear option" in the state media, such action could trigger a dollar crash at a time when the US currency is already breaking down through historic support levels.</p><p class="story"><br /></p><p class="story">more ....<br /></p></div></blockquote><br />The bottom line is that China owns so much of our US Treasury notes that they could attack our economy by dumping them, that is, placing them all on the market to drive the price down into the basement. This could cause the value of the dollar to collapse, destroy the bond market, and drive the US economy into a severe depression.<br /><br />I've been reading warnings about this for some time, but this is the first I've seen of a Chinese government official acknowledging that they might attack us in this fashion.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-22534984816215962882007-07-24T10:34:00.000-04:002007-11-15T13:33:37.298-05:00Kidnapping brings unwanted attention to Afghan Christians<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE:</span></span> Today, August 28, 2007, The Associated Press (in the Charlotte Observer) reports:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.charlotte.com/news/ap_news/story/253858.html"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></a><blockquote><a href="http://www.charlotte.com/news/ap_news/story/253858.html"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Taliban agree to free S. Korean hostages</span></span></a><br />AMIR SHAH<br />Associated Press Writer<br /><br />GHAZNI, Afghanistan --<br />The Taliban agreed Tuesday to free 19 South Korean church volunteers held hostage since July after the government in Seoul pledged to end all missionary work and keep a promise to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year.</blockquote><br />The South Korean government has agreed to cease all missionary work. However, these church volunteers were not missionaries, they were doing aid work. (S. Korea had already said they were withdrawing their troops by the end of the year.)<br /><br />Of course, this capitulation makes it a certainty that the Taliban will kidnap more hostages. If a strategy works....<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">UPDATE:</span></span> <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan&printer=1;_ylt=AhQQW14dK73cxSk5mowPH8b9xg8F">The Associated Press reports</a> that at least one of the hostages has been brutally murdered:<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan&printer=1;_ylt=AhQQW14dK73cxSk5mowPH8b9xg8F"><span style="font-size:130%;">Korean hostage killed by Taliban</span></a><br /><br />By AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writer<br />Wed Jul 25, 4:19 PM ET<br /><br />Afghan police discovered the bullet-riddled body of a South Korean hostage Wednesday as the Taliban released eight other captives who were taken to a U.S. military base, officials said.<br /><br />Because of a recent spike in kidnappings — including an attempt against a Danish citizen Wednesday — police announced foreigners were no longer allowed to leave the Afghan capital without their permission.<br /><br />The male South Korean victim was found with 10 bullet holes in his head, chest and stomach in the Mushaki area of Qarabagh district in Ghazni province, the region where 23 South Koreans were kidnapped last week, said Abdul Rahman, a police officer.<br /><br />A police official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation, said militants told him <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">the hostage was sick and couldn't walk and was therefore shot.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070725/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan&printer=1;_ylt=AhQQW14dK73cxSk5mowPH8b9xg8F">More....</a><br /></blockquote><br />This hostage, reported to be a male pastor, is now a martyr for Christ. Shed no tears for him. Remember, Jesus will reward him for this with a crown following the rapture, but pray for his family.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Original Posting:</span></span> The following article is from <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/">The Independent</a>, a British newspaper (thanks to <a href="http://michellemalkin.com/">Michelle Malkin</a> for bringing this article to my attention):<br /><br /><a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2795629.ece"></a><blockquote><a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2795629.ece">Kidnapping brings unwanted attention to Afghan Christians</a><br />By Chris Sands in Mazar-e-Sharif<br />Published: 24 July 2007<br /><br />The kidnapping of South Korean church volunteers by the Taliban has sparked vigils in Seoul, and shone the spotlight on Afghanistan's small, underground Christian community.<br /><br />In Mazar-e-Sharif, home to one of Islam's most revered shrines, Ahmedi, 33, says he would be killed instantly if his faith were exposed. In this staunchly traditional society, conversion from Islam remains reviled by many Afghans - and by government officials.<br /><br />"If the war had not happened, if the Americans and foreigners had not come to Afghanistan, we would not have this freedom and we would not have this office," says Ahmedi, who was fearful of giving his full name.<br /><br />The "office" is a community centre set up by a Christian charity, and Ahmedi is one of 100 or so Christians living in the northern city.<br /><br />Rumours abound here that many aid organisations are used as a cover by foreigners to indoctrinate people into Christianity. And in Ahmedi's case, there is an element of truth - he converted from Shia Islam three years ago after meeting an American evangelical. Now his wife and four children are also Christian, and he is the priest of a local church. He has even helped convert other Afghans.<br /><br />The 23 South Koreans were kidnapped last week at gunpoint from a bus in Ghazni province, and belong to the Saemmul Church in Bundang, which says they are working as volunteer nurses and English teachers.<br /><br />However, boasts from some evangelical church leaders in South Korea about unofficially sending missionaries to Afghanistan has muddied the water between Christian volunteers doing humanitarian work, and those whose primary mission is to seek converts overseas.<br /><br />In Mazer-e-Sharif, a recent convert called Abdullah recalled how his family reacted when he revealed his change of faith. "When I received Jesus, I went to my house and I didn't say prayers any more like other Muslims," he said. "One night my father asked me to get up and pray, but I told him I can't. He asked me why, and I told him I was a Christian. He started to fight with me."<br /><br />Abdullah's parents have come to accept his religion, but his oldest brother continues to ostracise him, and most other people do not even know he has converted. "If I go out and say I am a Christian they will curse me, hit me and kill me," he said, matter of factly.<br /><br />Last year Abdul Rahman, a Christian convert, was arrested by police and threatened with the death penalty until the Italian government offered him asylum. His case is cited by many Afghans as evidence that President Hamid Karzai is a puppet of foreign powers.<br /><br />Mazar-e-Sharif is home to the shrine of Hazrat Ali, a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohamed. According to Ahmedi, there are also two large churches and a number of smaller ones in the city, all hidden inside houses and offices.<br /><br />Meanwhile, a group of foreign missionaries continues to work in the area and in other northern provinces. Taliban militants say the South Korea church volunteers are in good health, but they have threatened to kill them unless Seoul withdraws its troops from Afghanistan and the Afghan government releases Taliban prisoners. Yesterday the deadline for their lives was again extended.<br /><br />Despite the dangers they face, Afghan Christians refuse to give in to the fear that they will be found out. "If I am afraid I will never receive Jesus," said Abdullah.</blockquote><br />Where is the outrage over this kidnapping and threatened execution of these 23 South Korean missionaries in the mainstream media? Even Fox News is barely covering this story.<br /><br />It is encouraging, though, that the Gospel can win converts to Jesus even in the face of severe persecution. Pray for these missionaries, and all of the brave souls preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Islamic lands.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-6577720030795919652007-07-16T14:41:00.000-04:002007-07-24T10:48:36.987-04:00The Samson OptionHal Lindsey and I share the same concerns about the Middle East. He obviously has access to much better intelligence sources than I, and articulates his concerns very well. Here is his latest, from <a href="http://hallindsey.org/">The Hal Lindsey Report</a>:<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://hallindsey.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=172&Itemid=28">The Samson Option<br /></a><br />Last week, <a href="http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56567">WorldNetDaily reported</a> a stunning admission from a Syrian official. He said that Syria had "learned from the Hezbollah experience last summer and we can have hundreds of missiles hitting Tel Aviv that will overwhelm Israel's anti-missile batteries."<br /><br />He claimed Syria has "proof" Israel is also readying for a war. "We hear about special Israeli trainings to take Damascus. We see that Israel is re-establishing bases of the Israeli army in the Golan that are unusual and not needed except for war. We believe the Israeli government has an interest in confronting Syria to rehabilitate its image of losing to Hezbollah."<br /><br />The WorldNetDaily report also says that Damascus believes newly-installed Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, a former prime minister, "wants to prove he is a military expert." This information is perfectly in line with the official statements made by both Bashar Assad and Mushen Bilal to several major Arab newspapers.<br /><br />Furthermore, London's Daily Telegraph reported June 25 that Tehran was establishing a missile defense shield for Syria. Iran is also preparing to ship sophisticated military hardware, including "dozens of medium-range Shahab-3 and Russian-made Scud-C missiles, together with Scud-B missiles."<br /><br />Syria recently test-fired two Scud-D surface-to-surface missiles that have a range of about 250 miles. This puts virtually all of Israel's population centers within range. Analysts say the planned Iranian arms shipment to Syria may be coordinated with the delivery of advanced Russian fighter jets.<br /><br />Syria is also known to be producing non-conventional warheads, including those containing VX gas for delivery via the new longer range and more accurate Scuds. All Israel's cities are within range of these missiles. Most of them can be reached in less than three minutes. Syria is gambling that Israel's performance in the Hezbollah war of June 2006 means that it has seen all Israel has to offer.<br /><br />Apparently, Bashar Assad now believes Israel can be beaten. Assad is miscalculating. In the event Syria launches a gas attack on Israel, it's a virtual certainty that Damascus would be instantly obliterated by Israeli nuclear weapons.<br /><br />The thought of being gassed evokes a visceral response among Israel's Holocaust survivors and their descendants that Damascus wildly underestimates. Israel has more than 400 nuclear weapons in hidden silos in various places within its borders, as well as at least two submarines in the Mediterranean that are launch capable. And you can be certain that in the event of a massive WMD attack by the Syrians, Israel will respond in kind.<br /><br />There are two particular codes used by Israeli Defense Forces when planning worst-case scenario responses. One is called the "Masada Option." Masada was an ancient fortress taken by the Romans following a three-year siege. Just before they were overrun, the defending Jews committed suicide rather than be captured.<br /><br />The other code term, "The Samson Option," refers to Samson, who said just before he pulled down the house of the Philistines on himself – and them – "Let me die with the Philistines." Judges 16:30 records it this way: "Then Samson said, 'Let me die with the Philistines!' And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life."<br /><br />That's pretty clear imagery. Israel will not just meekly fade away into destruction. And it certainly won't die alone, even if it has to destroy itself in the process of nuking the Middle East.<br /><br />I once encountered Ariel Sharon in the Knesset in the late 1970s. I asked him if Israel still had a Masada Option. He boldly announced, "No longer 'Masada Option' – now 'Samson Option.'"<br /><br />Moshe Dayan and Golda Meir almost used that "Option" in the first days of the Yom Kippur War, when it appeared they were going to be overrun. Dayan gave the code for its use when he told Prime Minister Meir, "Arm the doomsday weapons, the Third Temple is about to fall."<br /><br />War with Syria threatens to bring all nations of the Middle East into direct conflict with Israel – even the supposedly moderate state of Jordan. Jordan has never recovered from the defeats it suffered at the hands of the Israelis, particularly in 1967, in which it lost both the West Bank and East Jerusalem.<br /><br />All of these events may well be setting up a prophecy that I have pondered for over 40 years. Isaiah predicts a catastrophic end to Damascus that I do not believe is part of the final war of Armageddon. It appears to be a regional conflict that will occur shortly before the anti-Christ is unveiled.<br /><br />Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city on earth. It has never been destroyed despite being besieged and captured many times in history. Its existence reaches back to the dawn of history.<br /><br />Yet Isaiah predicts in a series of oracles concerning ‘the last days’ that Damascus will suddenly be obliterated and cease being a city forever. Over 2700 years ago, Isaiah foresaw this terrible event, “An oracle concerning Damascus: ‘See, DAMASCUS will no longer be a CITY but will become a heap of ruins.’” (Isa. 17:1 NIV)<br /><br />Isaiah makes two statements about the destruction Damascus that indicates an instantaneous event. First, Isaiah says, “The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus …” (17:3) This refers to Damascus, which is in part of land allotted to Ephraim. The Hebrew word “disappear” used in this context means a sudden, total annihilation.<br /><br />Isaiah’s second description of Damascus’ destruction predicts, “In he evening, sudden terror! Before morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us (Israel), the lot of those who plunder us.” The great city of Damascus will “disappear” in a night. And it is the Israelites who will do this.<br /><br />Another important part of this prophecy is that it will occur at a time when some calamity hits Israel, “In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away.” (Isa. 4) This indicates some kind of terrible, physical attack.<br /><br />Here is where I believe all of this could be headed. Israel is going to be hit with WMDs from Syria that will kill a great number of Israelis. Israel will immediately implement the “Samson Option” against Damascus – totally obliterating it. This will cause the Muslim nations to back off out of fear of also being hit. It will also throw the world into a state of such fear that it will set them up for the anti-Christ’s arrival with a superhuman plan for peace and freedom from war. With his satanic powers, he will convince the world that the only hope is a one-world government under his leadership.<br /><br />According to my sources, there are fully armed Israeli aircraft sitting on the runway of Jezreel Valley IDF base with pilots in the cockpits on 24 hour alert. Normally, these aircraft are stored under ground. These planes can be over Damascus in 180 seconds from take off.<br /><br />Syria is playing a very dangerous game, and is being urged on by Iran. If just one-missile hits Israel with the deadly VX gas, the ‘Samson Option’ will be instantly implemented.<br /><br />Never in history have any of these events occurred. More than that, at no time in recorded history were any of these things even possible. But Israel can now fulfill these prophecies with the nuclear weapons it possess.<br /><br />Never before have all the causative factors of this event been present at the same moment in history.<br /><br />But today, they are the only logical conclusion if current events continue along their current path. It's a terrifying scenario, but to those who trust that these signs point to the imminent return of Christ for His Church, it is, nonetheless, an exciting time to be alive.<br /></blockquote>I emphasize his last sentence.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-62370904727764885252007-07-13T14:44:00.000-04:002007-07-13T18:26:38.695-04:00Old Testament figure named on 2600-year-old tabletThis is one more instance of the Bible being proven historically accurate:<br /><blockquote><br /><a href="http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22060312-2,00.html"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Old Testament figure named on 2600-year-old tablet</span></span><br /></a><br />By Dalya Alberge in London<br /><br />July 12, 2007 01:00am<br />Article from: The Australian<br /><br />THE British Museum yesterday hailed a discovery within a clay tablet in its collection as a breakthrough for biblical archeology - proof of the accuracy of the Old Testament.<br /><br />The cuneiform inscription in a tablet dating from 595BC has been deciphered for the first time - revealing a reference to an official at the court of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, that proves the historical existence of a figure mentioned in the Book of Jeremiah.<br /><br />It is rare evidence in a non-biblical source of a real person, other than kings, featured in the Bible.<br /><br />The tablet names a Babylonian officer called Nebo-Sarsekim who, according to Jeremiah 39 was present in 587BC when Nebuchadnezzar "marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it".<br /><br />The cuneiform inscription records how Nebo-Sarsekim lavished a gift of gold on the Temple of Esangila in the fabled city of Babylon, where, at least in folk tradition, Nebuchadnezzar is credited with building the Hanging Gardens, one of the Seven Wonders of the World.<br /><br />British Museum staff are excited by the discovery.<br /><br />Irving Finkel, assistant keeper in the Department of the Middle East, said: "A mundane commercial transaction takes its place as a primary witness to one of the turning points in Old Testament history.<br /><br />"This is a tablet that deserves to be famous."<br />....<br /></blockquote>Read the rest of the article <a href="http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22060312-2,00.html">here</a>.Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3055508834141316349.post-90636319712648943062007-06-20T08:16:00.000-04:002007-06-26T08:37:02.038-04:00Why Jesus folded the linen cloth after His resurrectionThe Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.<br /><br />The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed at the head of that stony coffin. Is that important? You'd better believe it! Is that significant? Absolutely!<br /><br />In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew this tradition. When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.<br /><br />Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table.<br /><br />For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm done". But if the master got up from the table, folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because the servant knew that the folded napkin meant, "I'm not finished yet." The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!"<br /><br />He is Coming Back!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >My mom sent this to me. I don't know the original source. - Ron</span>Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10163742940825228556noreply@blogger.com0