Will the U.S. back Israel?

Things with Iran are continuing to heat up. No surprise, right? The real question, in my mind, is when Israel acts will we support her? Israel’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, was quoted today during a meeting with the Italian Prime Minister as saying that if Iran has not responded to diplomatic efforts by the West within three months that “action must be taken.” Many people have already come out and attacked Lieberman saying he has no business making such deadlines. I say, the mere fact that such a deadline was made in such a public manner says a lot about Israel’s growing impatience with Iran and with the world’s lazy attitude towards quickly resolving the matter. The fact is that Iran will not stop, Israel knows it, everyone with half a brain knows it. What amazes me is how everyone is so biased against Israel in such matters.

I mean let’s look at an extrememly quick and honest overview of this whole situation.
1 – Iran began researching/purchasing/building nuclear technologies with a lot of help from Russia (those of us watching Bible prophecy find this alone to be particularly interesting).
2 – Most of the civilized world, not just Israel, found themselves very uncomfortable with the idea of a nuclear armed Iran. Especially given the fact that the country’s president is just such a nice guy.
3 – President Ahmadinejad says hateful things about Israel and the U.S. almost daily – which include the “wipe Israel off the map” comment.
4 – The mighty United Nations steps in to save the day by giving Iran a big sissy slap on the wrist and “enforcing” the ever-popular UN sanctions. They are so good at doing nothing.
5 – Iran laughs off all sanctions and pleas from the world community to stop nuclear development and continues with the hate-filled threats against the US and Israel.
6 – VP Biden is quoted just two hours ago as saying that if Israel doesn’t handle the Iran situation properly it could produce “the most tense face-to-face disagreement between the United States and Israel in the past 61 years.”
EEEEERRRRRRRKKK! (That’s my written impression of a car screeching to a halt)

Now wait just a minute here! Let’s look at this as a true and honest whole. Why is it that our fearless VP is so quick to come out and talk tougher towards our own ally than he ever has towards Iran? Hmmmmm? Why is it not blatantly obvious which country’s leader has been the one going around and making hate-filled speeches without provocation? When was the last time an American or Israeli leader just totally out of the blue verbally attacked another country and even promised to end their existence? What’s that you say? You don’t remember that ever happening? Hmm, well that is interesting. I have a question for our VP:
Mr. Biden, given the fact that Iran continuously threathens America’s and Israel’s safety almost daily, given the fact that most terrorist organizations in the world have some sort of direct ties to or receive support from Iran, given the fact that Ahmadinejad wants Israel to disappear, and given the fact that Iran is pursuing nuclear capabilities even when the majority of the rest of the world has said “stop” – just exactly how, in your infinite wisdom, would you have Israel deal with such a pleasant situation?
Not only that, just what do you mean it would be the most tense disagreement in the past 61 years? You do realize that would mean since 1948 – the year of Israel’s birth? Are you saying you may be willing to chastise our strongest ally like never before in history because of a situation between her and a Holocaust-denying dictator? Hmmm. Thank you for that bit of unintentional honesty, Mr. Biden.

Sadly, as I have mentioned before, there are even a lot of Christians today that are reluctant to side with Israel on anything. I am not about to say that Israel is perfect – no nation is, they are all ruled by men. What I am saying is that as a child of God and as a country whose blessings have come from God we had better forever guard against this willingness to begin turning away from Israel. To turn from Israel is to perish – it is that simple, folks.

Sadder still is the fact that even many churches today are encouraging the belief that no nation is more special than any other – this is a dangerous doctrine. I have said it before and I will say it forever – all people are loved by an undeserved and unexplainable love from God, but there is a nation on this earth that has a special purpose and a special place in God’s eye. That nation is Israel. I believe with all of my God-fearing heart that if anyone is to study God’s Word they can have no other belief. When one studies Biblical prophecy and things to come it becomes even more obvious – more on that at a later time.

I realize I have posted quite a bit regarding Israel recently. No apologies here. It has been said that in order for one to know where we are on the timeline of the world’s existence one must watch Israel. No matter what goes on in the world, both at home or abroad, we must always watch Israel as we watch for our Lord’s return.

So in regard to Israel and Iran? Israel stands ready to fight – we’d better be standing beside her.

A Man

Israel the Wise

Hello everyone.  So here’s the deal – Israel’s new government is showing the U.S. (specifically our new administration) how you are supposed to deal with hostile nations.  For those of you unaware, Israel recently elected a new Prime Minister, Netanyahu – no stranger to the Israeli political scene and a true hawk on Israel’s defense.  Naturally, our “let’s all hold hands and skip around the world” Obama administration immediately voiced “concerns” at how strong Netanyahu’s talk has been towards Iran.  May I ask a serious question to all those reading this blog for a moment?  Thanks.  Here goes:

If you are the new leader of a country that is geographically situated within “arms reach” of another country who has vowed to wipe your country from the face of the earth would it not be in your best interest to say “I’m going to try and stop that?”  Seriously.  That’s what we’re seeing here, basically.  We have a newly elected leader who is stepping in and saying “Iran, I’m not going to just sit back while you develop the weapons you need to kill us all…sorry.”  Go Netanyahu!  Shut up Obama and your administration!  Yep, I’m getting a little political with this post.

Look, here’s a major point that is too often ignored by the media and our hippie-like administration:
The president of Iran, Ahmadinejad, holds fast to an eschatology (end times theology) that teaches that the 12th Imam (the final annointed Muslim leader) will reveal himself just before the end of the world at a time of great world chaos and oppression.  This Imam will then, among other things, rule over the Arabs and the entire world for a period of seven years and bring total harmony and peace to the world.  The Imam will also lead a prayer in Mecca with Jesus by his side following along in prayer.  Ahmadinejad believes that he has been ordained by Allah to bring about this chaos that will hasten the arrival of the 12th Imam (who is believed to have been in hiding since sometime in the 13th century).  Ahmadinejad does not feel a need or even a slight care to answer to the rest of the world for anything he is doing or is going to do – he truly feels he is on a mission from Allah.  You CANNOT negotiate with someone of this nature.  Netanyahu understands this – Obama and his socialist goons do not.

At this time Netanyahu has instructed Israeli citizens to prepare for war at “any moment.”  They are preparing defensive drills for citizens to practice in order to prepare for retaliation efforts that may come from Iran should they carry out air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities.  Personally, I say again “go Netanyahu!”  I believe Netanyahu is right now the world’s only hope for the destruction of Iran’s nuclear capabilities – not America.  Will America step in to help should Israel carry out the much-needed air strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities?  Unfortunately, I can’t answer that with any certainty given our present administration.  Israel knows this as well…what a sad day for America.  Now we begin to see just how feasible it is that Israel has no ally during the War of Gog and Magog.  Her only true ally is even now slowly beginning to turn its back on her.  Woe to the U.S.

Pray for Israel daily my friends.  It is no mystery that God has a special plan for His chosen homeland.
Some say “but there are no favorite people in God’s kingdom.” To that I say “we are all equally loved but we are all set apart for different purposes.”
Same say “there is no favorite nation in God’s eye.” To that I say “then God lied to Abraham way back in Genesis.”
Some say “we are all equal and just as important as any other.” To that I say “we are all loved beyond comprehension but some have different roles to play in God’s great plan than others. Israel has a special role – not a special Heaven or a different savior or a different love – a special role.”
Some say “but I just don’t understand.”  To that I say “now you are beginning to understand.”
God has the plan.  God is in control. It really doesn’t matter if we believe it, understand it or even like it – it just is that way.

As for Israel and PM Netanyahu?  Well, if my God has instructed me to pray for your safety, and my God has a special purpose for you, and my God loves you then I say without apology and with all of my patriotic heart…
GO ISRAEL!

A Man

The End Times

I recently received a comment from a friend asking my opinion on something regarding a predicted future event.  Since then I’ve been thinking of just what to post to sort of explain my view of the future/end days of this world.  So here goes a somewhat abbreviated version – because if I’m not carfeul I’ll get off on a tangent and start rambling on specifics!

First, let me say that I view God’s Word as the ultimate authority on any end time/catastrophic event prophecies.  From time to time ministers and people will attempt to “prophecy” regarding specific events that are about to happen in the world.  I usually listen to such prophecies with interest but also with much scepticism.  Mainly for three reasons:
a) We all have equal access to the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit.  So, does the person I am listening to seem to be “in tune” with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit? I believe such questions have to be approached carefully and prayerfully if you feel someone may truly be speaking from God.  Afterall, if it is of God and you are seeking God’s guidance then you will have a peace regarding it, right?  Maybe not a worldly peace, mind you, but a spiritual peace.
b) Is it in line with the Bible?  The Bible actually gets fairly specific about certain end time events that will occur and the nations that will be involved. Is what I am hearing in tune with everything God’s Word says and teaches?
c) Here’s probably my biggest: Is this vision or prophecy being used for the glory of God and the building of His kingdom? All through the Bible people received visions from God for specific purposes in the ministry/saving of the lost and the advancement of God’s kingdom – not for the edifying of the person who received the vision.
In a nutshell, we must look earnestly at the person doing the prophecying and pray for discernment. When talking of visions the Bible actually tends to focus more on being aware of the dangers of false teachings and false prophets.  So, overall, I tend to seek only God’s Word when studying future events and I usually ignore any specific events that may be prophecied by others.

Now as for my personal views on future events, I know that the world will continue to decay, I know that knowledge will continue to increase (as spoken in Daniel), I know there is a coming war between Israel and Russia/Iran/Turkey/Libya/others (battle of Gog and Magog in Ezekiel), I know that peace in Jerusalem will only be accomplished by God Himself, I know that Jesus is coming again – first, for the Rapture and then the Second Coming, and on and on and on…

The point is that we don’t need a person to tell us any of these things.  God has already told us these.  God has already laid out the framework of His coming and instructed us to be vigilant and await His return.  Many men today may make predictions about just what events the future may hold based upon scripture (such as Dr. David Jeremiah), and some of these predictions may indeed come true, but this is largely different from “prophecying” specific events.  Godly men (like Dr. David Jeremiah) making such predictions are also quick to point out that our trust is to be placed only in God and to be spiritually prepared for whatever may come.  In other words, they tend to say “this is just my opinion of what could happen but only God truly knows” and then use the conversation to witness for the Lord…now that’s a man of God I can believe in!

Remember this also, friends: even when the Lord was telling us of the things to come He did so to show us #1) He is in control of all things, #2) He has the plan and #3) we are to fear nothing that this world can dish out because we are God’s children and nobody messes with one of His.  He is coming again!  There will be tough times between now and then – what will happen?  I whole-heartedly ask who knows?  Who knows?  God knows…and only God knows. 

One more note on future events: also note that the Rapture is a totally different event than the Second Coming.  There are things yet to be completed before the Second Coming but everything necessary for the Rapture to take place has been fulfilled.  We could all go home tomorrow.

A Man

A Word of Appreciation…

Hello everybody.  Before I begin I would like to take a moment to say that I am a nice guy.  I love people.  I realize my last couple of posts could possibly be taken as a little bit hostile…I guess.  I just want everyone to know that I’m really a nice and loving guy.  The thing is sometimes I just get so fired up and passionate about something that I think, “here’s the truth and if it steps on your toes then maybe they needed to be stepped on.”  Truth is, my toes stay bruised up just as much as anyone’s – just ask my wife.  I just get so frustrated at how lazy some people have become when it comes to standing up for the two most important things in our lives – God and freedom.  Don’t misunderstand – this is not an apology; never.  Just an explanation of why I can get so “passionate” – that’s what I like to call it.

Now, speaking of passionate:  I did something this past weekend that I haven’t done in a while and if you have never done it then you absolutely need to.  Every American does.  I read through the Declaration of Independence.  Let me tell you, I consider myself a stubborn “manly man” just like the next guy but I get choked up when I read it.  The Declaration does for me on a worldly level what the Bible does on a spiritual level.  It just grips you.  You realize while reading it just what this country was absolutely founded upon.  God and freedom.  You also begin to realize, just for a moment, what these men were doing as they signed this historical document.

We owe it all to those men.  Those men who were brave enough to stand up to the lone superpower of their day and say “no.”  They stood up with passion, conviction and solidarity and declared all ties with the Brittish empire fully broken and that they be from that day forward free citizens.  They stood up and prepared for what they knew was coming – a fight for their existence.  They knew as they signed that parchment that they were bringing the full wrath of the Brittish king upon not only themselves but their families…and they did it anyway.  That’s conviction my friends!  They were willing to pay the ultimate price for their beliefs – many of them did.

The most beautiful phrases of the Declaration, in my opinion, are within the last sentence.
The first: They supported and agreed to the Declaration “with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence.”  Did you get that?  Man!  These guys were literally handing their lives, their families and their futures totally over to God.  They knew that they would only succeed with God’s help and his blessing…otherwise they would be killed by the Brittish government.  It is plain to see that our country was not only founded upon God but, according to our founding fathers, it was founded by God.  I believe that with all of my God-fearing, patriotic heart.
The second: “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”  They meant it with total committment.  There was no option of backing down or giving up.  These men (and all of our American ancestors) were making this promise in such a way that it could not be broken.  They made this pledge to “each other” so that each man would hold the other accountable in his keeping and so that each man would hold the other up should he stumble in his committment to the pledge.  They pledged to give everything they had for each other.  That’s just plain awesome.

There is also a valuable spiritual lesson, I believe, to be gained by reading the Declaration.  On a daily basis, do we compare to these men in our faith and trust in God?  Would we be willing to do the same?   To place our lives, our families and our futures in God’s hands?  To pledge to our brothers and sisters in Christ that we will give all we can to work together in fighting for God’s kingdom?  I don’t know about you, but I think that if one of these great men were to somehow walk up to me today I would have to hang my head as he asked me how I let what he died for come to this…a country so far from God.  No, they weren’t perfect.  Yes, they were just men like us.  But they lived what they believed.  They died for what they believed.  They did their best to live with a total trust in God.  How can I be so sure?  We’re free aren’t we?

Those men proved what mere men can do when all trust and faith is placed in the Father’s hands.

A Man

To read our nation’s Declaration of Independence go to this link:
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters.html

A Word of Encouragement

The current state of our nation’s economy and our nation’s political leadership (from both parties) has laid it upon my heart to try and spread just a little ray of sunshine and hope.  Not the sort of “hope” that was in a certain politician’s campaign, but a true hope.  A hope that is based upon an undying truth and not the political ambitions of an unGodly man.  The hope that can only be found in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He is our rock upon which we anchor our ships in such uncertain times. 

I consider myself to be a patriot unlike anyone you will ever meet.  I love my country.  It breaks my heart to see what is being done to our country by the Washington “intelligencia.”  Just yesterday our fearless leader nearly doubled our nation’s debt with the stroke of a pen – where are all those who have so “boldly” opposed adding to the national debt in years past?  They are still right in the same political positions they were in.  Only this time their mouths are closed – hypocrites.  Open minded, environmentally friendly, cowardly, Israel bashing, tax raising, history ignoring, lying, freedom stealing, baby killing, America hating, treaty signing, Christian hating, having never lifted a finger to do any real work in their life hypocrites.  There I’ve said it.  I must love them as God teaches but I don’t have to like a single thing they are or what they stand for.  They are tearing down a mighty Christian nation brick by brick.  My friends it is time that we start marching on Washington like every other immoral special interest brigade in this country.  I’m serious.  Give me the date and time to march on our country’s lawn and I am there with bells on.

Now all that being said, you have gained a small glimpse into my heartache and concern for our country.  I know, however, that I am not alone.  I speak with people everyday who share in this concern for our country’s present path and its Christian heritage.  We all need hope and comfort.  You will not find that from a promise-breaking politicain.  These things can only be found through Jesus Christ.  Isn’t it great just to mention His name in reverance?  Our God is in control.  Our God is an awesome God.  Our God created all things.  Our God is God!  And through His son we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life.  I feel better already!

You know, I had more to say but I really don’t think I need to go any further.  How can you add to His name?  His Word teaches that in the last days we will look up and anticipate His coming.  Like a child looking up with outstretched arms when mom or dad walks into the room.  Just look up everyone.  Just stretch out your arms and reach for Him with all of your heart.  He is our hope.  He is our comfort.  He is our God.

A Man

Worldly Thought Traps (part three)

Well, I’m finally getting around to talking a little more about some of this world’s “thought traps,” as I call them.  As I’ve said in previous posts, I believe whole-heartedly that Satan has slowly but surely used our country’s “open-minded” social teachings to errode Christians’ willingness to make strong stands against immoral practices – homosexuality, abortion, etc.  This has gradually led to a society that is reluctant to hold anyone morally accountable for anything they do.  We may expect this sort of social behavior from non-Christians, but it is disturbing to note how quickly modern Christians are falling into the same trap – the same “thought trap.”  More and more I am encountering Christians who are seemingly unwilling to stand up and speak out when someone is behaving in an immoral fashion…but why?  They are falling into the worldly thought trap that goes something like  “only God can judge,” or “judge not lest ye be judged,” or “who am I to judge what they do.”  This all-too-dangerous and common thought trap effectively removes all accountability from our lives. Furthermore, it creates weak and powerless Christians who will never reach anyone for Christ because they are unwilling to stand up for and pass on their  Christian beliefs. Let me explain by addressing each of the above quotes which I have taken directly from the mouths of Christians…

1) “Only God can judge.” – This is a good one.  Bring God into it and no one will argue with you, right?  Wrong. This statement illustrates two things by my way of thinking.
First, the statement illustrates spiritual immaturity and ignorance of who God is and what He does.  On the surface this statement is correct – if you are referring to God’s ability to judge men’s souls in regard to where their eternal life will be spent; Heaven or Hell.  In that respect, God and only God can be the judge. However, there is nothing in God’s Word that instructs Christians not to judge whether or not their brothers and sisters in Christ are behaving according to God’s moral standards.  In fact, it is quite the opposite.  1 and 2 Timothy both contain instructions as to how Christians should rebuke and correct each other to ensure a strong walk with God.  Check out 2 Timothy 4:1-3.  The book of Titus is another.  The Lord encourages Christians to rebuke each other with love and without favoritism to make sure we remain upright examples, strong in our faith, and closer with God.  It is important for Christians to understand the difference between God’s eternal judgement and our moral judgement and rebuke that is encouraged and instructed by God.
Second, the statement illustrates the Christian’s unwillingness to step out and stand up for God…aka “laziness.”  When confronted with an immoral situation it is much easier to say “only God can judge” than it is to actually stand up and be a strong witness for Christ.  I assert that most Christians who make this statement probably aren’t even sure of what they’re saying, but rather they know it is a socially acceptable excuse that allows them to stand by and do nothing and not be socially condemned in the process.  Notice how it all seems to go back to social acceptance – not Christian acceptance.

2) “Judge not lest ye be judged.” – Now here’s a biggie.  It has been said that, in today’s society, this is perhaps the most misused scripture in God’s Word.  Everyone knows that it’s right there in black and white – “judge not.”  I mean, hey, I can’t judge anyone or say anything to anybody about what they’re doing wrong.  I have to just stand by quietly – God said so. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
This statement is yet another perfect example of spiritual immaturity and being ignorant of God’s Word.  This verse is misused on a daily basis.  It is usually used (even by Christians) to prevent anyone from condemning anyone else’s wrong-doings.  I get so frustrated when seemingly intelligent followers of Christ are aften times the very people abusing this verse.  Let’s set the record straight here and now.  This verse, Matthew 7:1, is not a verse telling everyone to keep their moral opinions to themselves but, rather, it is a call to all Christians to guard themselves against being hypocrites or spiritually unclean so that they may effectively hold each other accountable when they see one another acting immorally.  It is an instruction on how to effectively rebuke one another!  Not on how to keep quiet!  When this verse is read in its full context (Matthew 7:1-5) you discover a whole new spiritual application.  You discover that God is telling us to guard our own spiritual walk so that we can help those around us who stumble in their walk.  We cannot help someone overcome a battle with sin or call it to their attention when we are involved in the same battle ourselves or one that is just as consuming.  You see now?  Read those verses again with that simple principle in mind…
verse 1: “judge not lest ye be judged” – If you attempt to rebuke someone’s sinful actions you must know that you too will be judged in the process.
verse 2: “for in the same way you judge others, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” – When you are judging/rebuking the other person’s actions, the same sort of moral expectations that you have placed upon them will be placed upon you.
verse 3: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” – An illustration of how we need to search our own spiritual life for any flaws before we worry about the stumbling blocks of others.
verse 4: “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?” – Illustrates just how ignorant it is of us to be trying to set someone else straight if we haven’t even kept our own faith straight.
verse 5: “You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” – Ka-boom!  Here it is my friends.  If God was trying to tell us never to judge or hold others accountable He would have said it right here with a verse something like, “therefore never worry about anybody else’s eyes but your own.”  He didn’t do that.  Instead, God instructs us to first remove the stumbling blocks from our lives and then we will have the spiritual authority, knowledge, and maturity to lovingly guide and rebuke fellow believers who have stumbled in their faith.

3) “Who am I to judge what they do?” – Well this one is another that allows the lazy Christian to turn his head away when confronted with a situation where his leadership and witness is needed but he doesn’t have the guts to do it.  It’s also quite psychological if you think about it.  It goes right back to the verses we were just studying.  If a Christian is in a situation where someone is in need of moral correction, many Christians will spit out this statement for the mere fact of knowing that if they correct the sinner then the sinner is probably going to come right back and name a few of the planks in the Christian’s eyes!  All the more reason to walk close with the Lord my friends.

God’s Word teaches that it is a spiritual duty to hold one another accountable for our actions.  We are the witnesses of Christ and, as such, we cannot allow each other to stumble in ways that will tarnish His name.  However, God’s Word cautions us about the absolute need of ensuring that we guard ourselves spiritually so that we can then effectively keep each other straight and useful in God’s service.  Put very plainly – we are to hold ourselves accountable first and then each other.  And do not forget that we are to always do it out of love and the desire to see fellow Christians get ever closer to God.  God is our supreme example and He, as always, said it best:

“Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline.” (Rev 3:19)

If we love each other as God exemplified, we cannot help but attempt to correct those who are stumbling…but we must first correct ourselves…  many times through a loving rebuke from another Christian who loves us.

A Man

Israel is the Good Guy- Lay Off!

Wow, has it been two months since I posted?  That’s a little insane.  Needless to say it got a little hectic over the holidays…i apologize.  It’s been so long I had almost forgotten my password to even log in and put up a new post.  Well, here goes…

I am growing more and more impatient with Christians who fail to realize the Biblical importance/significance of Israel and the Jewish people and the danger set forth IN GOD’S WORD of “cursing” the decendants of Abraham!  At least you can somewhat “excuse” antisemitic comments or views held by those who do not call themselves Christians but for a child of God to join in the hatred, dislike or desired failure of the Jewish people is downright ignorant, naive and spiritually dangerous.  Would you like to disagree?  You can’t.  Read God’s Word and take your argument up with Him.  Let me “preach on it” for a moment:

1)  First, let’s look at our most recent example of international news – Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip against the Hamas militants.  There is no question that the world is quick to be critical of Israel and throw out that favorite CNN buzz word “disproportionate.”  Have you noticed it?  If not, pay attention to how the media refers to Israel’s attack on Hamas as largely “disproportionate” to the way they were being attacked by Hamas.  Let’s get this straight – Hamas (stationed in the Gaza Strip that sits in southwestern Israel along the border of Egypt) has been firing rockets into Israel for EIGHT YEARS while the almighty United Nations and other world powers have expected Israel to sit still and do nothing.  For eight years innocent Israeli citizens have found themselves as targets from rockets fired not in defense but fired out of hatred for Israel.  Get this straight – Israel DID NOT START anything with Hamas.  Hamas began firing rockets solely because of their hatred for Israel.  Finally, Israel’s patience is broken and they go in “guns blazing” to put an end to Hamas’ rocket-firing bull crap.  Is that “disproportionate” to eight years of rockets hitting innocent civilians?  What’s more, Israel has done their best to get innocent Palestinian civilians out of harm’s way by announcing their arrival before hand so they can evacuate soon-to-be warzones.  Israeli soldiers have led the efforts to get medical and food supplies to the civilians who are caught in the crossfire and to evacuate them from the areas.  Israeli hospitals are treating wounded Palestinians free of charge and keeping them safe and fed until the offensive is over.  Now you look me in the eye and tell me they are reacting in an inappropriate manner.  Israel is doing what any other country in this world would do – defending its people.  Keep in mind – they did not start the fight with Hamas.  Also keep in mind that it is extremely difficult to remove hostile forces without civilian casualties when the enemy is hiding among civilian targets – hospitals, schools, etc.  The leaders of Hamas are no fools.  They know the bleeding hearts of the world’s media cannot stand to see a dying child in the arms of a rescuer.  But where were the pictures of those who died in Israel from the past eight years of undeserved rocket blasts?  Guard your hearts and minds Christians.  Do your homework.

2)  Over the holidays I had the privilege of attending a youth conference that was filled with great speakers and music.  Overall, the trip was a great blessing that brought us all home filling full of the Holy Spirit.  I only had one complaint.  One speaker (whose name I will not mention) said something that most people probably didn’t even catch – I hope – but that troubled me deeply.  He was speaking about how Jesus pulled no punches and really shook things up in the religious community.  In a nutshell, he was demonstrating how Jesus preached that man could not live up to the law of God and that man’s only salvation was through Jesus Christ.  I was getting totally into it and thinking, “you got it, man…preach it!”  Then he said it.  His exact words that I cannot forget…”that’s why the Jews killed Him.”  My spirit was immediatly quenched and I literally felt sick to my stomach.  Now, did he realize or mean just how that statement came across?  I pray not but I fear that one would not make such a bold statement without having some thought behind it.  Here’s the thing, he didn’t put any dramatic pause after that statement in order to draw attention to it.  In fact, he barely even drew a breath between that sentence and his very next, but he said it.  For those young Christians who were present that day I fear that that could be a statement they reflect upon when thinking of how Jesus was crucified.  The fact is, too many Christians today feel that way.  They look upon the Jews as “Christ killers.”
Does that sound familiar?  It should.  That is how the systematic slaughter of God’s people has been justified all throughout history.  During the Crusades?  The Church was doing God’s will by eliminating the “Christ Killers.”  How about the Spanish Inquisition?  Christians were joining in left and right to get rid of the “Christ Killers.”  What about the Nazis?  Most of the people who were getting directly involved in seeking out Jews to persecute, torture and execute were good little German Christians.  But how could such a thing be accepted among Christians?  Easy – no one likes the people who killed their savior…the dirty “Christ Killers!”  Take it one step further my friends – America largely stood idly by while the Nazi attrocities happened due to a large amount of American anti-semetism at that time in our nation’s history. This was thanks, in large part, to American anti-semites like Henry Ford.  That’s right, the car guy.  Do a little research on his book from the Twenties, The International Jew.  The point is, guard your hearts against such disrespect for the Jewish people and KNOW GOD’S WORD!  For example, let’s go back to the whole “that’s why the Jews killed Him” comment that the speaker made:
   First of all, we as Christians should know that it makes no sense to claim that anyone killed the Son of God.  Jesus gave up His life – it wasn’t taken from Him.  Jesus gave up His life to save us from our sins.
   Secondly, Luke 22:2 tells us that the chief priests and teachers of the law wanted rid of Jesus but they “feared the people.”  Who were the “people” that they feared and why fear them?  “The people” they feared were the Jews but why?  Because the Jews loved Jesus and were astonished at His teachings (Matthew 11:18).  The priests and teachers knew that blatantly getting rid of Jesus would cause an angry revolt of the Jewish people.  The priests and teachers knew that they had to devise a sly way of getting rid of Jesus because He was loved by the Jews!
   Thirdly, stay with me here.  The Jews at this time were under Roman jurisdiction and had no real power in their government.  Herod was appointed by Rome (Mark Anthony) as the “supervisor” of Jerusalem and its surrounding areas – he wasn’t chosen by the Jewish people.  One of Herod’s first actions after gaining power was to have 45 members of the Sanhedrin (the chief priests) put to death so that the Jewish people basically had no say in their own government and Herod was free to rule any way he liked.  Herod then appointed a new High Priest – Caiaphus – who was nothing more than a political pawn of Rome.  Caiaphus was an illegitimate priest NOT CHOSEN by the Jewish people.  That is why the chief priests feared the Jewish people.  Rome would not look kindly upon Herod if he were dumb enough to allow an uprising of the Jews in Jerusalem.  Getting rid of Jesus had to be handled delicately because the Jews loved Him. 
   Fourthly,  Jesus Himself told who would physically kill Him.  The Gentiles.  Uh oh.  No way!  Yep.  Luke 18:32.

Man, there is so much more material and Bible to defend the Jews and Israel but I must stop for now – this is getting way too long!  I’ll absolutely post more on this subject later.  In the meantime, step up and defend the apple of God’s eye, Christians, or be willing to suffer the consequences.

A Man

A Call for Prayer

The elections are over.  No more pesky television ads or boring pre-recorded phone calls – who really listens to those anyway?  Let us now turn our attention to deep, fervent prayer for our nation and our president elect, Barack Obama.  I freely admit that he is not the man I had hoped to see giving an acceptance speech last Tuesday, but what is done is done and now we must turn our eyes, hearts and ears towards God and pray that our president-to-be will seek or be turned to seek God’s face in these trying times.  God’s Word reminds us that it is ultimately God who puts kings in power and brings them out of power (Daniel 2:21).  God has a plan and a will for this world that He is constantly working towards.

Let us also pray especially hard for the situations in Israel and the Middle East at this time.  It is no mystery that Iran’s leaders want to see Israel destroyed.  The Bible makes very clear the ramifications of mistreating or, in our case, turning away from Israel.  Israel is the blessed nation; the apple of God’s eye.  Right now there are rumors from within Israel and within Iran of preemptive strikes from either country against the other sometime during the next few months.  Israel’s concern, of course, is that they must prevent Iran’s acquisition/creation of nuclear weapons.  Who can really blame them seeing as how it is Ahmadinejad’s “direction from Allah” to wipe them from the face of the earth?  Iran’s concern, likewise is that they must prevent Israel from trying to stop their nuclear advances.  Israeli officials believe, as do I, that under president-elect Obama they will be dealing with the most anti-Israel administration in our country’s history.  Here is what one senior Israeli political strategist had to say of Obama’s administration:
“The State of Israel is now facing the most unfriendly American administration ever….Israel’s will to live will be tested in ways that will not be pretty. Many of Obama’s foreign policy team and Middle East advisors see Israel as the obstacle to peace.” (Joel Rosenberg Flash Traffic newsletter; 11/5/08)
It is clear that Israeli officials and citizens have fears of just how much support they can expect from the upcoming administration.  As a result, it is rumored that they may attempt a preemptive strike against Iran before the Bush administration leaves office.  I make no attempt whatsoever at predicting anything that may occur but merely relay this information to stress that we must be in constant prayer for the welfare of Israel and our own nation.  Make no mistake, our existence and blessings are directly related to our treatment of Israel.

It is time, like no other, to cry out to God in constant and heartfelt prayer.  Pray for peace in Jerusalem as God’s Word teaches (Psalm 122:6).  Pray that president-elect Obama and his staff will be open to the cries of God’s people and will seek God’s guidance in every issue of our nation.  Pray that we as Christians will not stand in silence when faced with issues or events that attack or degrade our moral beliefs or our God.  We are a nation in need of prayer…but have no fear.  Our hope is and will always be in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  God tells us that if we humble ourselves and seek His face He will forgive us of our sins and heal our land (2 Chron 7:14).  So what are we waiting for?  What better time for America to seek God’s face than right now?

A Man

 

 

A Call to Action

Well, it’s finally here – election day.  As I write, people all over this great country are at the polls casting their votes for who they think should be the next to lead the country.  Christians, I pray that you are making your voices heard.  I believe that this is a definite crossroad for our country.  I believe that it is time, regardless of who should win, for Christians to stand up and fight for our moral beliefs.  The moral beliefs and principles set forth in the Bible.  Do I really need to tell you which candidate seems to have no real moral compass?  Which candidate has a history of surrounding himself with those who hate our country?  Which candidate voted for measures that would prohibit doctors from coming to the life-saving aid of a baby accidentally allowed to be born during a partial birth abortion?  Which candidate has supporters that see a problem with the opposite party believing in the “misguided notion that those who attain wealth are entitled to keep it” [quoted from a Senator just today].  If I do then, sadly, I believe you shouldn’t be voting.  More and more I am starting to believe that people should be required to pass a simple test about the candidates they are about to vote for so that they do not make a totally un-informed decision based on some aspect totally unrelated to anything that matters.

I digress…regardless of who wins this election (although I definitely have a strong opinion as to who it needs to be) it is time for Christians to stop – STOP – sitting silently on the sidelines of our nation as we see our values and beliefs treated as though they are the ramblings of a half-drunk mad man.  Christians for far too long have sat in their churches and complained about the direction this country has been heading, but complaining accomplishes nothing – NOTHING.  Let the fact that this election – with the moral differences of the candidates so stark and obvious – is so close be our call to action to put forth every effort we have in every facet of our lives to start a revival of this nation.  It can start in your own home, in your own neighborhood, and in your own church.  Regardless of how and where it starts it needs to start.  No longer should we remain silent in public and complain in private.  Go public!  Let me ask this: if someone allows a drunk to borrow their car and the drunk wrecks the car who is more at fault?  Should the owner of the car be surprised and sit around complaining that the drunk wrecked the car?  No!  The drunk did exactly what would be expected – ruined the car.  Christians have handed the keys of this country over to the world.  What else would the world do except that which was totally expected of it?  Who is more at fault in our Christian nation?

Let this election and it’s clear drawing of the nation’s moral division be our sounding trumpet that calls us into action for Christ.  Study our nation’s history fellow believers.  A quick study of our nation’s history will empower every Christian in America.  Why?  A quick study of our history removes all doubt that Christianity was always intended to be the guiding authority in our nation’s laws and government.  There is no question that this land was built to be a nation that would follow the God of Abraham in every facet of government and social structure.  If you doubt me, please study our history.  If doubting me makes a Christian become a student of American history then DOUBT ME PLEASE.  Example: did you know that George Washington required his troops to attend the nearest church when not on active duty so that they could continuously pray for God’s guidance and blessings during our fight for independence?

Now is the time to act and speak up for Christ – live what you believe!  Pray for God’s wisdom and that you will be willing to act in whatever way God may call you to in order to bring this country back to God.  It can happen, but it will only happen if Christians move!

A Man

Worldy Thought Traps (part two)

Well, here it is – finally.  The second “Thought Traps” post.  As I had said, I will now begin calling worldly thought traps out by name and with full description.  So let’s get started:

This past Sunday I left church with a feeling of frustration, sickness, and amazement all wrapped up into one big prickly mess.  I was approached by an upset member of the church after services as I was shutting down our church’s sound/video system.  His comment (which was not even preceded with a “how do you do” or “good to see you today”) went something like this:
“I think some of these people in the pulpit need to stay out of politics.  It’s not their place.”  He continued on to say, “the church can’t talk about politics – that’s against the law.  If the church talks about politics then it won’t be long and the government will come in and say, ‘all right, if you can talk about politics then we can shut you down.'”
Needless to say, in a very kind and loving way I did my best to correct his flawed interpretation of our Constitution.  What was his weapon and his basis for his argument?  You guessed it.  The Separation of Church and State.  A truly necessary Constitutional amendment which Satan has gradually been able to turn into a successful Thought Trap through the ingorance of American citizens.  Let’s dissect the gentleman’s comment:

First, he was referring to our youth minister and our pastor who both made reference to a NON-partisan brochure that was available in the church’s lobby and which detailed each candidate’s views on many issues that are important (or should be) to Christians.  Neither person attempted to tell the congregation who to vote for but merely encouraged everyone to pick up a brochure so that he/she could make an informed decision on election day.  Our youth minister added that he believed the upcoming election was one of vital importance to our nation’s near future.  (I agree and take this moment to say to all Christians reading this, “make our voices heard and vote!”)  Their comments were not partisan or biased in any way.  They were only informing us of literature that was available to help us learn more about ALL candidates – end of story.

Second, and here is where Satan is gaining his foothold, this gentleman’s argument and interpretation of the Separation of Church and State is just wrong.  Sadly, it is the same interpretation that many Americans seem to believe today.  This is why it is so very important to know the history behind our country.  If you cherish our history and hold it in the vault of your mind you are much less likely to be fooled regarding our country’s fundamental efforts to preserve our freedom.  In an extremely small nutshell, where did our founding fathers get the whole notion of Separation of Church and State?  The best example in our history is that of the Pilgrims.
We all know the story of the first Thanksgiving and the Native Americans helping the Pilgrims survive and all that, but why did they come here in the first place?  To escape the persecution of the Church of England.  The Church of England was the centralized state church of England (hence the name, obviously).  In those days, citizens could actually be fined for every Sunday they were not in church.  It was required by the government that you attend only those church services sanctioned by the Church of England.  If you disagreed with “The Church” and tried to start your own services you could be imprisoned or even executed.  The Pilgrims were protestants who disagreed with the Church of England’s methods of worship and authority over people’s lives so they sought total safety and physical separation from the Church by sailing to the New World.  THAT, my friends, is why our founders placed into our Constitution the Separation of Church and State.  They made a solemn vow that our government would never force any citizen to worship in a specific way.  Each citizen would always have the freedom to worship or not worship in anyway he/she deemed personally fit.  That is IT!
It was never intended to be used as a tool to take God out of our government’s buildings or our school systems because guess what, my friends – the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is the very God upon whom this entire system of government is based.  It is ONLY meant to serve as a tool to make certain that our CHRISTIAN-based government never forces any citizen to worship in a specific way or to attend specific services.  Our government, because of the history from which it arose, is prohibited from ever requiring its citizens to adhere to specific religiously-based practices.

Satan has succeeded today, through the twisted uses of this great amendment, in setting the Thought Trap in the minds of so many Christians that our Christian beliefs have no place alongside our political beliefs.  This is why, for example, so many Christians have apparently become comfortable voting for candidates who have no value for human life.  I say to you with all conviction of my heart, woe to the Christian who can set aside his or her Christian principles when walking into the voting booth.  Satan has succeeded in slowly tearing down our country’s Christian heritage by using an amendment that was meant to protect people from the government’s power not from ever having to hear about God.  The most unfortunate aspect, and the part that I am sure gives Satan the most joy, is that so many Christians have joined in the fight against the representation of their very own beliefs in their daily life.  George Washington himself declared that any government that ruled without seeking the guidance of the God of Abraham was doomed to end up on the ash heap of history.

Oh yes, one final thought on the gentleman’s comment: if any church leader ever decided to actively campaign from the pulpit the government would still never be given the right to say “all right, if you can talk about politics then we can shut you down.”  This is actually a twist on the amendment that I have never encountered before…the wonders of confident ignorance in the face of our Lord will never cease to amaze me.  Please, for the sake of our faith and our future, please know God’s word and know our history.  As will be the overall point of every Thought Trap post, a Christian who is informed of God’s Word and informed of our Christian heritage is not likely to be caught by one of Satan’s Worldly Thought Traps.  Be careful and prayerful.

A Man

PS – Here’s some homework: what amendment further helps ensure that the government could not shut down a church  based on something that was preached from the pulpit?