Category: Politics

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2015 January – The Holy City of Jerusalem

The Holy City of Jerusalem

“Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof.” Psalm 102:13-14

By Mike Wingfield

Just a few weeks ago, I once again stood within the ancient walls of the most important city in the world – Jerusalem. Strangely enough, when I am in Jerusalem, my heart fills with joy because it feels like “home” to me.

For almost three decades, I have been making trips to Israel. What a privilege I have had to walk where so many prophets and kings of Israel, and especially our Lord Jesus, walked. With each of my tours, I have purposely left Jerusalem as the final destination of our pilgrimage in the Holy Land. As a lifetime student of the Word of God and believer in Jesus Christ, my heart has been greatly stirred each time I have visited the holy city of Jerusalem.

There is no city on earth like Jerusalem. It is the only city with a divine destiny. The sovereign power and zeal of God guarantees that this city will ultimately fulfill its divine purpose. (Read Isaiah 62:1-7.) When the old Jerusalem passes away with the old earth, the New Jerusalem will appear on the New Earth. (Revelation 21:1-2)

No other city in the Bible demands attention like Jerusalem. It is mentioned by name over 800 times. When other names for this city are considered, the Biblical references to Jerusalem number over 1,000. Jerusalem is called “Zion” over 150 times in the Scriptures. Other names include: “The city of the great King,” “The city of the Lord of Hosts,” Ariel, City of God, City of David, City of Judah, City of Righteousness, City of Truth, Holy City, Faithful City.

The Lord considers Jerusalem to be holy. This means that this city is different than all other cities. It is a city set apart from all other cities. It is not the largest city in the world, or the most populated. The uniqueness of Jerusalem is bound up in the eternal purposes of God.

(Psalm 102:13-21; 125:1) It has played a major role in God’s plans in the past and is destined to be at center stage during the last days of man’s time on this earth.

In many ways, Jerusalem is totally unique. With this in mind, let us look at five ways Jerusalem is unique:

1. Jerusalem is geographically at the center of the earth.

When the Lord created the nations, He placed the nation of Israel and the city of Jerusalem at the center of the earth. (Ezekiel 5:5) Literally, Ezekiel 5:5 declares that Jerusalem is the “navel” of the earth. Just as the umbilical cord has been designed by the Creator to transfer life sustaining substances to the baby while in its mother’s womb, even so the Lord has chosen that spiritual life for the soul has come through Jerusalem to the nations of the world. The Word of the Lord and our redemption have come out of Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is destined to be the center of the Messiah’s global administration during His reign over the nations for 1,000 years. (Isaiah 2:1-3) Jerusalem will serve as the spiritual, political, educational, and economic hub of the world. All nations will be required to go up to Jerusalem annually to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. (Zechariah 14:16) Those who dwell in the kingdom will call the Holy City “the throne of the LORD.” (Jeremiah 3:17) How fitting for Jerusalem to be located in the center of the nations.

Before we continue with our consideration of Jerusalem being unique among the cities of the nations, I would like to point out that Ezekiel’s statement about Jerusalem being the geographical center of the nations could not have been humanly determined in his time. The first attempts to construct a global map took place only a few hundred years before the time of Christ. These maps were very crude and inaccurate. Therefore, Ezekiel’s declaration about Jerusalem being the center of the earth must have been due to divine revelation. This is the only logical explanation.

2. Jerusalem is the focus of divine attention.

The divine will and purposes of God are always at the center of His focus. While speaking about the Promised Land, the Lord told Moses that the land He was giving to His people was a land that He cared for, and that “the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.”

(Deuteronomy 11:12) Hundreds of years later, when Solomon had completed the Temple in Jerusalem, the Lord repeated the Davidic covenant to the King (a covenant that guarantees a future descendant of David will rule from Jerusalem). In doing so, He spoke concerning Jerusalem and swore: “mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.” (1 Kings 9:3)

When the Lord looks upon Jerusalem, He uses the language of affection that a young man would use as he looks upon his virgin bride. (Isaiah 62:5) God rejoices over Jerusalem and longs for her with a great love. Under divine inspiration, the Psalmist wrote: “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion.” (Psalm 48:2) In Psalm 50:2, he declared: “Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.” This beloved city is known as “the mount Zion which he loved.” (Psalm 78:68) “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. … for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. … And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.” (Zechariah 1:14; 2:8, 12)

In a very unique way, Jerusalem is known in the Bible as symbolically being the dwelling place of God. (Psalm 74:2; 76:2) Psalm 132:13-14 proclaims: “For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.” It is called “the throne of the LORD.” (Jeremiah 3:17) It is “the city of our God” (Psalm 48:1, see also Psalm 87:3), “the city of the great King” (Psalm 48:2), and “the city of the LORD of hosts” (Psalm 48:8) The Lord has determined that His name is to be associated with Jerusalem. (Deuteronomy 12:5, 11) Jerusalem is “a crown of glory,” and “a royal diadem” in the hand of the Lord. (Isaiah 62:3) While speaking of His Son, the Lord Jesus, the Father has announced to the nations: “Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion.” (Psalm 2:6)

The Lord has promised that He will never forget Jerusalem. In a very unique way He has declared:

“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isaiah 49:16)

When we begin to grasp the reality of these truths, we can begin to fathom the purposes behind Satan’s great efforts to destroy the very city that the Lord loves. Satan hates what the Lord loves.

3. Jerusalem is the epicenter of the spirit world

Satan is known in the Bible as the prince of this world. It is his objective to dominate and control the kingdoms of this world in his war against the Most High God. God’s name, “the Most High God,” indicates that He is “the possessor of heaven and earth.” (Genesis 14:19, 22)

Satan knows that the creation belongs to God. However, it is his desire to dethrone God and take control of the creation for his own purposes. There is a sense in which the Lord has allowed Satan to have temporary control over the godless kingdoms of this world. All of this is reflected in Satan’s strategy in the temptation of Jesus at the beginning of our Lord’s earthly ministry. (Matthew 4:8­10) Jerusalem is at the center of Satan’s efforts to dominate the kingdoms of this world in his opposition to God’s eternal plan. (Isaiah 14:12-14) The prophetic Word of God clearly demonstrates that Satan’s messiah, the Antichrist, will desire to dominate the city of Jerusalem, especially the Temple Mount. (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15-24; 2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 11­12) It is not an accident that Israel is locked in a death duel with Islam over the occupation and possession of Jerusalem, and especially the Temple Mount.

While speaking to Satan about His divine purposes for Jerusalem, the Lord referred to Jerusalem as “a brand plucked out of the fire.” (Zechariah 3:2) Indeed, Jerusalem has faced the attack of satanically inspired Gentile forces for centuries. What God has chosen to bless and use for His glory, Satan has desired to curse and abuse for His own purposes in his war against the Lord. At the epicenter of the war in the spirit world is the city of Jerusalem and the land of Israel.

While in Israel in November, my Israeli guide informed us that more foreign journalists live and report out of Jerusalem than any other city in the world, with the exception of Washington D.C. It is interesting to note that the occupation and control of Jerusalem was of little significance to the world until the return of the Jewish people in the last century. It is very apparent that Satan opposes any Israeli control of the Holy Land or holy city of Jerusalem because of its relative significance to the approaching kingdom of God upon this earth and his doom in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years. (Revelation 20:1-3)

This struggle for Jerusalem is made even more complicated because it is the center of three monotheistic religions: Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. It is most unique to be in Jerusalem for a weekend. The Muslim’s holy day is Friday. The Jewish people worship on Shabbat, beginning on Friday evening and ending the following evening. The Christians worship on the first day of the week, Sunday. Most Israeli churches have their worship service on Saturday evening, which according Biblical reckoning of time begins at sundown. (Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31) In the Jewish frame of Biblical time, Sunday begins at sundown, not at midnight. The weekend in Israel consists of Friday and Saturday. Their workweek begins on Sunday morning.

4. Jerusalem is at the heart of God’s redemptive plan

The city of Jerusalem is at the center of God’s stage in His eternal plans. The city is first mentioned in Genesis 14:18 as “Salem,” which means “peace.” The name Jerusalem means “city of peace.” It is not a coincidence that the eternal God sent His Son to die outside the walls of Jerusalem to reconcile sinful men to Himself, thereby establishing a way that redeemed men can be at peace with God. The final mention of the earthly Jerusalem is found in Revelation 20:9. Here, it is the location of the final satanically induced rebellion against the Lord. This final revolt is the last recorded activity upon this old earth before it passes away and the new earth appears in the new heavens. (Revelation 21:1)

The Lord has ordained that Jerusalem is at the heart of the story of His plan of redemption. The details of God’s redemptive purposes were in place before the world was created by Him in the beginning of time. Revelation 13:8 speaks of Jesus as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” An examination of the hundreds of prophecies of the first coming of the Messiah overwhelms the Bible student with the precious reality that our redemption is a beautifully planned and orchestrated divine provision. At the heart of that plan and its development on earth, the Lord ordained that Jerusalem would be the city of redemption.

It was on the temple mount in Jerusalem, the same as Mount Moriah, where Abraham was tested to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. (Genesis 22:1-14) Later, it was this same mountain where the Lord directed Israel to build the temple. (Deuteronomy 12:5-16; 2 Samuel 24:18-25; 1 Kings 11:32) This location became the only divinely approved place of sacrifice for all of the animals that pointed to the final perfect sacrifice that would come, the Messiah. (Isaiah 53:1-12; Hebrews 9:11-14) Therefore, it was very fitting that the place of Christ’s crucifixion was a part of Mount Moriah.

Historically, the Word of the Lord has gone forth from Jerusalem. The Old Testament prophets were focused upon Jerusalem. The revelation given to them about Jerusalem certainly helped them understand the significant role this city would have in the coming of their Messiah. Jerusalem was the hub of divine activity for the church, and the apostles of our Lord in the beginning decades of the church. The Great Commission given to them by Jesus made it clear that it was God’s plan that the message of redemption was to be sent out to the nations from Jerusalem. (Acts 1:8)

Prophetically, the Word of the Lord will once again flow out to the nations from Jerusalem during the Tribulation Period and the Millennial Kingdom. The two Jewish witnesses (Revelation 11:3-12) and the ministry and training of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses (Revelation 7:1­

8: 14:1-5) will be centered in Jerusalem. The ancient Jewish prophet, Joel, proclaimed: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance…” (Joel 2:32) During the Millennial Kingdom the city of Jerusalem will be the spiritual capital of the world. The prophet Isaiah wrote: “… for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3) During the reign of the Messiah on earth, all nations will be required to annually go up to Jerusalem to worship the King. (Isaiah 2:2; Isaiah 60:3; Zechariah 14:16)

The zeal of the Sovereign Almighty God of Israel guarantees that Jerusalem will become a spiritual light

unto the nations. He has declared: “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.” (Isaiah 62:1)

5. Jerusalem is at the core of divine protection

Jerusalem is the epicenter of the war in the spiritual realm. Since this holy city is so vital to the eternal redemptive plan of God, the human mind, apart from Scripture, cannot begin to understand the magnitude of the spiritual attack upon Jerusalem by Satan and all those who aid his ancient rebellion against the Lord. This is why Jerusalem must remain at the core of divine protection for the purposes of God to unfold as He has promised. The Lord has declared: “I have set watchmen upon thy walls O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence, And give him to rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.” (Isaiah 62:6-7)

The Lord’s promises to defend Jerusalem are numerous. In Psalm 125:1-2, the Lord pledged: “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed but abideth forever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.” In Isaiah 29:1-8, the Lord calls Jerusalem “Ariel,” “the Lion of God.” In this text He warns all those who dream about capturing Jerusalem as their possession, that they will have their dreams frustrated. While speaking about Jerusalem in Zechariah 2:5, the Lord declared: “For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midist of thee.” When the end of this age comes, He has given the following assurance: “I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”

(Zechariah 12:9)

According to the Bible, when the end of this age comes, it will produce the final phase of the spiritual war that has been raging in the spirit world since the fall of Lucifer. We call this final phase – the Tribulation Period. This seven-year period will represent Satan’s greatest effort to defeat God. He must do everything in his diabolical power to detain, disrupt, or defeat the return of Jesus to set up His earthly kingdom in Jerusalem for 1,000 years. If he fails in his attempt to stop Jesus, he knows that there is an angel that has the key to the bottomless pit, and he will be bound by that angel and cast into that pit until the end of the millennial kingdom. (Revelation 20:1-3) Then, he will be released from his prison for one more final attempt to overthrow Jesus. This final confrontation will once again, take place in Jerusalem. (Revelation 20:7-9)

The fact that the world is riveted upon a godless plan that calls for two countries to share the Promised Land, with Jerusalem as their capital, is a clear sign that we are near the end of the Church Age. The world is united in passionate opposition to the eternal plan of God for His people and the Holy City. It is not a coincidence that the Arabs are descendants of Ishmael and Esau, those whom God rejected and made certain in the Scriptures that they were not to inherit the land given to the Jewish people.

Today, the Palestinians are demanding that Israel give up the heartland of what God promised His chosen people, Judea and Samaria and the very city that is mentioned in the Bible over 800 times. And, the world is supporting the Palestinian cause. This all indicates that the stage is set for the Antichrist to appear and the Tribulation to begin. Long ago, the Psalmist wrote: “Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favor her, yea, the set time is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. … When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. … This shall be written [for the last generation].” (Psalm 102:13-14, 16, 18)

As this newsletter goes to press, the U.S. administration continues to badger Israel for building residential dwellings within their own capital. World opinion is rapidly turning against Israel for not capitulating to their demands and thereby committing national suicide. The world wants Israel to turn over the very heart of the land to a sworn enemy that continues to demonstrate that they hate the Jewish people and are determined to drive them from the Middle East.

A study of history will reveal that the Arabs and Muslims have never had a compassionate desire to make Jerusalem one of their major cities. Jerusalem is never mentioned in the Koran by name. Islam’s two major cities are Mecca and Medina. It was not until the 20th century and the modern return of the Jewish people to Israel that the Arab/Islamic world began to view the Promised Land and Jerusalem as being important. Why? The answer is found in Ezekiel 36:1-8. In this text, the Lord revealed that when Israel would return to their land in the last days, the surrounding nations would demand that the land is not Jewish land, but Arab land. Concerning this, the Lord announced that these Arab nations “have appointed my land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out for a prey.” (Ezekiel 36:5)

However, Jerusalem has been in the dreams, ambitions, and hearts of the Jewish people for over 3,000 years since King David established it as their capital. I was reminded of this last summer when I read the following article, “We never forgot Jerusalem,” that appeared in The International Jerusalem Post. This article, written by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, was an edited version of a speech he gave as part of the annual Jerusalem days in Israel; in which Israelis celebrate the stunning capture and reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. In this article he eloquently reminds us of the incredible love attachment that the Jewish people have had for Jerusalem for 3,000 years.

“No people ever loved a city more. We saw Jerusalem destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, captured and recaptured 44 times, and yet in all those years, wherever Jews lived they never ceased to pray about Jerusalem, face Jerusalem, speak the language of Jerusalem, remember it at every wedding, in every home they built, and at the high points of the Jewish year.

“I ask myself, how could Jews believe so much in a city they had been exiled from for so long? The answer, of course, is very powerful and is contained in [the] words in the story of Jacob. Recall, the brothers return home and show Jacob the blood-stained coat of Joseph. Realizing Joseph has gone, Jacob weeps, and when the brothers move to comfort him we are told, Jacob ‘refused to be comforted.’ Why? There are, after all, laws in Judaism about the limits of grief; there is no such thing as a bereavement for which grief is endless. The answer is that Jacob had not yet given up hope that Joseph was still alive. To refuse to be comforted is to refuse to give up hope.

“That is what Jews did with Jerusalem. They remembered the promise that the people of Israel had made by the waters of Babylon. ‘If I forget Jerusalem, may my right hand lose its cunning.’ We never forgot Jerusalem. We were never comforted. We never gave up hope that one day we would return and because of that Jews never felt separated from Jerusalem.

“When it happened, in 1967, my Jewish identity was transformed when the world heard, ‘The Temple Mount is in our hands.’ These … words changed a generation. ….”

“Twenty-six centuries ago, the prophet Jeremiah said that a time would come when we would not thank God for bringing us out of the land of Egypt, but rather for bringing our people together from all lands of the earth. This second exodus, Jeremiah described, would be even more miraculous than the first. We lived to see this day, when Jews from 103 countries speaking 82 languages came to Israel to build not just their lives but the Jewish homeland. After generations it was Jerusalem that brought Jews together from all over the world as one people, in one voice, singing one song. …

“Never has a city had such power over a people’s imagination. Never did God love a people more and never were a people more loyal than the ancestors who endured and grandchildren or great-grandchildren could come home to Jerusalem, the Holy City, the home of the Jewish heart.” (“We never forgot Jerusalem, Jonathan Sacks, The International Jerusalem Post, June 13-19, 2014, pp. 10­11)

The Jewish people have never forgotten Jerusalem. The Lord has declared that He has never forgotten Jerusalem either. (Isaiah 49:14-16) He will also never forsake Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:4, 12)

As we begin this year, we must have our spiritual hearts focused upon the promise of our Lord’s return. The key that unlocks the understanding of Biblical prophecy is the nation of Israel, and especially the Holy City of Jerusalem. So, keep your eyes upon Jerusalem. The Lord does!

Israel a Blessing to the Nations

About 4,000 years ago, when God called the first Jew, Abraham, the Lord told him that his descendants would be a blessing to the world. (Genesis 12:3) In these modern times, the Jews, who represent just .2 percent of the world’s population, have won 22 percent of the Nobel prizes. How ironic that Satan has successfully deceived the nations to hate the people who have blessed them.

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2014 June – Making Sure You Will Not Be Left Behind – Part One

Making Sure You Will Not Be Left Behind – Part One

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own yourselves.” -2 Corinthians 13:5

By Mike Wingfield

My 17 years of preaching and teaching the Word of God in churches across America have aroused great concern in my heart for the people sitting in the pews. More specifi­cally, when I speak on the Second Coming of Christ, I sense that deplorable spiritual conditions exist in some of our churches. And my concerns are heightened when I consider the fact that I am only invited to speak in church­es that consider themselves to be conservative and evan­gelical.

It is very apparent to me that most church members’ lives are no different than those who are lost or not attending church. Several decades ago, Dr. Billy Graham said he estimated that 85 percent of American church members are not saved. I agree with his observation.

This means that a great number of professing Christians in America are living under the deception that they are saved, when they are not. When the rapture of the church takes place, a majority of church members will be left be­hind. This will be utterly shocking for those who thought they were ready for the coming of the Lord, only to be left behind to face the horrors of the Tribulation Period.

Many wonder about the mass chaos that will erupt throughout the world when millions disappear during the Rapture. The sad reality is that fewer will be raptured that we think. Jesus asked the following rhetorical question: “…when the Son of man cometh, shall he find [the] faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8) The obvious reply is: “The state of the church at the end of the age will be such that very few will accept the faith and be truly born again.”

We have arrived at that point of self-deception and aposta­sy within the professing church.

Part of the problem is the gospel has been watered down to a few chosen promises of the Lord that make it easy to “make a decision.” Most professing Christians and churches hurry a person through a few verses and then ask the person if they are ready to “invite Jesus into their heart.” They do not really present the core truths of the gospel. Does the person know and believe that Jesus Christ is God? Do they believe that He died as God’s sin­less, perfect sacrifice as their substitute on the cross, pay­ing for their sin? Do they believe that Jesus bodily arose from the grave? Do they believe that Jesus’ payment for their sin on the cross is the full payment for their salva­tion? Do they understand that the Bible demands them to repent (turn from) their sinful lifestyle? Do they know they are a sinner and are living under the sentence of the wrath of God, having already been condemned to hell? Do they understand God is holy and their sin is an offense to the holiness of God? Do they understand salvation is a work of grace on God’s part, accompanied by their re­sponse of faith in all that He has done? Are they willing to count the cost of surrendering their life to the Lord and serve Him for the rest of their life?

Jesus never lowered His standards or demands so He could attract a larger number of followers. Instead, He repeatedly demanded that those who were considering following Him count the cost. For example, He said: “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoev­er doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27) How many times have people been warned or instructed that if they want to be saved (become a disciple of Jesus Christ) they must con­sider the sacrifices they must make to follow Him?

Many people have been left with the impression that if they say a certain prayer that they possess eternal life and never need to question the probability that they may not really be born again. Jesus warned His followers that there would be many people who would go through life thinking they have received the gift of eternal life, only to find out after death and final judgment that they were nev­er saved. Jesus gave the following sober warning: “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out [demons]? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work in­iquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23) Notice that in this context, Jesus is speaking about those who are deceived and de­ceiving others. He makes it clear that real issue is not what people say or claim. Jesus said: “Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20) This simply means that the real examination of one’s claim to faith must not focus on his words or claims, but on his lifestyle or works for the glory of God.

It is my experience that when most people are faced with this truth, they become angry and feel threatened that any­one would question their salvation. From their perspec­tive, their salvation experience is confirmed in their mind and they are frightened to consider the possibility that they are deceived and may not really be saved. How sad! It is better for a person to deal with his pride now and be sure where he really stands with God, than to rely on a mean­ingless confession that is not substantiated by what the Bible demands – a changed life. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Some people do not believe that a person can know for sure they are saved. However, the Bible says: “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life …” (1 John 5:13) As a person examines his salvation experience in light of his lifestyle, he must never question God’s promise of salvation. God will always honor His Word and promises. However, the Bible demands that we question our genuine reception of God’s offer of salvation.

2 Corinthians 13:5 gives us the following command and question: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

Once again, in 2 Peter 1:10, the believer is commanded to examine himself to make sure he is saved: “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure…”

One might ask “How can a person examine himself to make sure he is saved?” The Bible provides the means to do so. First, we must recognize that our assurance of sal­vation is not based upon what we have said, think, or feel. Our thinking and feelings can be deceptive because they come out of our sinful way of reasoning. (See Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 16:25) The assurance of our salvation comes from a Biblical evaluation of our works and changed lifestyle. The Bible declares: “What doth it prof­it, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can [that] faith save him? … Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (James 2:14, 17)

It is has been my observation for many years, that the Lord has given us a wonderful book in the Bible to help us examine ourselves to make sure we are saved. That book is 1 John. The theme of this book is given in 1 John 5:13:

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.” I would like to share with you nine tests in this short epistle that deal with the assurance of the believ­er’s salvation. I highly recommend that you thoughtfully and prayerfully consider these nine tests. It could make a difference in where you will spend eternity.

Test #1: Do you have fellowship with God?

(1 John 1:3-2:2) When a person is born again, he becomes a child of God. At that moment, he enters into a personal and intimate relationship with God. He begins to develop a personal relationship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, with the help of the Holy Spirit. This relationship is demonstrated in the believer’s life by his daily fellowship with the Lord. “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:3) The word “fellowship” means sharing. To have fellowship with God means that God is sharing eternal life (a deep and meaningful life of purpose) with us. We will commune with Him in prayer and read His Word. We will worship Him. We acknowledge the reality of His presence and desire to walk with Him, know Him and please Him.

The spiritual basis of this fellowship with God is holiness. Above all considerations about the nature and person of God is the fact that He is holy. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light [holy], and in him is no darkness [sin] at all.”

(1 John 1:5) When a person claims to walk with God, he is claiming to walk in holiness, because he is fellowshipping with a holy God. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness [sin], we lie, and do not the truth.” (1 John 1:6)

When a person becomes a child of God, he is justified, or declared righteous, at the moment of conversion. (Ro­mans 4-5) His position or standing with God is based up­on his holy position through the blood of Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:9) The daily demonstration of the reality of this standing will be seen in his victory over sin. It is im­possible for a person to be sinless. The believer will sin every day! “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth [God’s Word] is not in us. … If we say that we have not sinned, we make him [God] a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8, 10) When he does sin, he will be convicted and confess his sin because he has offended the holy God he loves and who lives in him. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to for­give us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous­ness.” (1 John 1:9)

The message of the Bible is clear. A person who walks with a holy God on a daily basis cannot live a lifestyle of sin. (1 John 3:6-10) A real believer cannot ignore sin in his life. He cannot say he does not sin, or that sin doesn’t matter! What we think about sin and how we deal with it in our daily lives, is at the heart of our daily walk with God. The Holy Spirit, who lives in every believer from the moment of conversion (Romans 8:9), will not allow the true believer to continue in a lifestyle of sin without a work of conviction and discipline. (Hebrews 12:7-13)

This work of the Holy Spirit to convict the believer of his sin is connected to the impact of the Word of God upon the conscience of the believer. The conscience of the be­liever is strengthened as he meditates upon the Word of God. (Psalm 119:11) The true believer will meditate up­on the Word of God and be daily cleansed by it. (John 15:3; 17:17; Ephesians 5:26) Having a strong conscience that is strengthened by God’s truth is at the heart of the practical goal of all those who walk with a holy God. (1 Timothy 1:5) Please notice that God says that if we ig­nore our sin, it is evidence of the reality that God’s “truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

The believer will experience the joy of the Lord when he is walking with his holy God in God’s truth, and confess­ing his sin. “And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” (1 John 1:4) In John 15, Jesus spoke of the believer abiding in Him and His Word, bearing much fruit. He said that the result of all of this is real joy.

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” (John 15:11) Real joy in life can only be found in a personal, dynamic relationship with God as we walk in His pres­ence. Long ago, the Psalmist declared: “Thou wilt show me the path of life, in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16:11) It has been my observation that the joy of the Lord is really absent in the lives of most people who claim to be believers in Jesus Christ. The joy of the Lord is not impacted by all of the trials and tribulations of life. (Acts 16:20-25) The joy of the Lord is anchored in His pres­ence, blessings, and the forgiveness of our sins. And, nothing can take that away from us.

While I was a pastor, I learned that the people who always caused division in a church are those who probably could not pass this test. People who are always judging people and focusing on other peoples’ sins or failures usually are filled with religious arrogance and pride. They seem to think they have spiritually arrived at a state of perfection, and it is their calling to rebuke others about their sin. I believe that when a person has a lifestyle of being broken over his own sins, there will be a spirit of humility and godly patience as they deal with other believers. A true believer is filled with the Spirit, the Word of God, and the joy of the Lord. There is a time and place for rebuking others. However, when it is needed, it should come from one who is patient and filled with the Word of God. (2 Timothy 4:2)

Before we move on to the next test to examine our salva­tion, let us focus on the great measuring stick of our rela­tionship and fellowship with God. At the core of all of this is the believer’s daily hunger for the Word of God. This alone sets him apart from the ungodly. (Psalm 1) Our time in the Word is essential to our walk with God. As you reflect upon the first chapter of 1 John, please con­sider this: If a person is not in the Word, he will not con­fess his sins. If he does not confess his sins, he will not have forgiveness of his sin. If he does not have for­giveness for his sins, he does not have fellowship with God. If he does not have fellowship with God, he does not have any power to live the Christian life. If he does not have the power of God, he will not experience victory in his life. If he is defeated in his Christian life, he will not have any joy. All of this goes back to the believer’s time in the Bible.

Sadly, statistics show that an overwhelming number of church members never look at their Bible throughout the week. If that is your habit, and you think that everything in your life is spiritually fine, you are living in spiritual deception. If you are not in the Word of God on a regular basis, you are living with unconfessed sin in your life. You are not walking with God, and maybe, you are one of those who think they are saved and are not. Think back to your conversion experience. Since that time, if you have never had the lifestyle of being in the Bible and really be­ing sensitive to your sin, then you are not saved!

In the next two newsletters, we will look at the remaining eight tests in 1 John to help you examine your claim to salvation. You really need to do this, so that you can made sure you are saved and not be left behind when the rapture takes place. And, that could happen any day now!

Be ready for the shout that will take us out!

They will Never Forget

Each time I have gone to Israel, I have concluded my tour with a visit to Yad Vashem – the memorial to the Holo­caust – in Jerusalem. This memorial is an attempt to maintain a lingering memory in Israel of the 6 million Jews who were brutally murdered by the Nazis during World War II. Each time I view the records and remains of these victims I am moved to tears to think of the sheer hatred that was heaped upon these Jewish people and oth­er minorities.

The Jewish people know all too well that what happened during the Holocaust was not an isolated incident. The nation of Israel and the Jewish people have suffered great­ly from the time of their beginning. Psalm 129:1-2 de­clares: “Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: Many a time have they afflict­ed me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.” All of this has happened because the nations “hate Zion.” (Psalm 129:5) In an earlier Psalm, the Psalmist helps us to understand why so many people hate Israel.

“Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederated against

thee.” (Psalm 83:1-5) Then in verse 6-8, the Psalmist lists these enemies of God and Israel. They are the Ar­ab/Islamic nations of the Middle East.

Each year, Israel has a day dedicated to the memory of the 6 million victims of the Holocaust. At 10:00 a.m., sirens wail over Israel and for a few minutes everyone stands in complete silence. During this solemn time, traffic stops, people get out of their cars and stand in silence. During that day, there are special ceremonies held at Yad Vashem. This year, the day of memorializing the Holo­caust victims was Monday, April 28. I was deeply moved by the speech given by the Israeli president, Shimon Per­es, who is 90 years old. He remembers the Holocaust and lost many of his own family members who were murdered by the Nazis. Here are some of his remarks:

“My brothers and sisters, at this very moment I see before my eyes a heartbreaking image.”

Tens of thousands of people; young and old, male and fe­male, all concentrated on the banks of the Danube River. They are all under orders to face the river, each one tied to the next. Behind them stand Nazi storm troopers, Germans and locals, who cut them down with bullets to the back. To save bullets they tied weights and stones to them so that the dead will drag the living down with them. Chil­dren were tied to their mothers, the young to the elderly. The bodies of the victims are pushed into the chilling, foaming waters of the Danube. Their cries rise to the heavens and are left without an echo. The perpetrators stand with smiles on their faces, as if they carried an act of heroism and won a brave battle. The blue Danube is paint­ed red, in a single moment it became a floating grave, in­nocent victims, innocent people. Itamar Yaoz-Kest, a Jew­ish poet born in Hungary and sent to Bergen-Belsen, screams in one of his poems, “What is there to drink? They tell me people. Water with blood?” It happened in Hungary.

But then another image comes to my mind, a photo of the town where I was born and spent the first decade of my life, Vishneva. In Vishneva the Nazis used a different technique. They didn’t shoot the Jews. They burnt them alive. The Nazis, Germans and locals, gathered up all the Jews left in Vishneva, (half had already immigrated to Israel) and forced them to march to the synagogue which was made of wood. My grandfather, wrapped in a Jewish prayer shawl, stood at the head of the march, Rabbi Zvi Meltzer may peace be upon his soul. The same prayer shawl that I huddled under every Yom Kippur to listen to him recite the Kol Nidre prayer in his beautiful voice. They locked the doors of the synagogue and set it on fire with all the Jews still inside. No-one survived. Nothing was left of the synagogue. I can still hear the Kol Nidre prayer, which my grandfather would recite, in my heart. I visited Vishneva when I was Foreign Minister of Israel and I was accompanied by the Foreign Minister of Bela­rus, a delegation of senior government officials, and a honor motorcade. On the way to Vishneva we passed the train station at Bogdanov. The station still operates but during the war years the rails were heaving with carriages packed with Jews on the way to Auschwitz-Birkenau. I imagined hearing the trains. The contradiction between the noise of the motorcade and the screams of help from the trains was ghastly. This station, from which we travelled to Israel, is the station that took my people to the death camps. What happened to them could have happened to me. It could have happened to many of us here tonight. …

The State of Israel of today is not only the only possible memorial standing for our perished brothers and sisters. Israel is a deterrence against any attempt at another Holo­caust. A strong Israel is our response to the horrors of anti-Semitism but it does not excuse the rest of the world from its responsibility to prevent this disease from returning to their own homes. Allow me to say, based on 90 years of experience, that without a state of our own we would con­tinue to live on our weakness rather than, as we do today, live on our historic and contemporary abilities. The State of Israel is not a passing event; it is based upon 4000 years of life. The history of the Jewish people contains no lack of anguish but it is filled with hope – the eternity of Israel will not die. Israel seeks peace. Between people and be­tween nations. Peace with nations near and far. We pursue peace because we pursue justice for all regardless of origin, regardless of faith. The right to peace is the right to life. I say with confidence – we are strong enough to repel dangers, we should not be scared of threats and we must not give up on peace.

As a member of the Jewish people I may not and I cannot forget the horrors of the Holocaust. As a citizen of Israel I will do everything in my power to ensure that the Nazis will not rise again. As a human being I will do everything in my power to bring peace between peoples. Between races. Between religions. Between nations.

We lost the best of our parents and the best of our chil­dren. But our faith that victories are temporary and values are eternal never erred. We will forever be a people who believe in values of man and values of heaven. In the name of the six million, among them one and a half mil­lion children, we will carry the torch of Jewish independ­ence. The torch of freedom. The light of man. The belief that we will know an enlightened world in which every person treats the other as a fellow human being. And in which we are all born in the image of the Lord. May their memories be blessed.” (E-mail from Joel Rosenberg, April 28, 2014)

A Legacy of Hate

The founding prophet of Islam, Mohammed, hated all who opposed him. Therefore, it was his custom to murder them. This included Jews, Christians, and even Muslim apostates. Therefore, when Muslims kill non-Muslims, they are following the legacy of Mohammed.

In recent months, we have been reminded of this legacy of hate. In April, a radical Islamic group, Boko Haram, in Nigeria kidnapped 300 teenage Christian girls and are holding them for ransom. This militant Islamic group has been on a killing spree for almost four years in Nigeria and no one seems to care, or made an attempt to stop them. To make matters worse, the U.S. State Department and media fail to publicly disclose Boko Haram as an Is­lamic group. At the same time, they blame Israel for the failure of the “peace talks.” This demonstrates moral col­lapse at the highest levels of our society.

In Sudan during the month of May, a Christian mother who is eight months pregnant, was jailed, along with her two-year-old so. This woman has been sentenced to be hanged because she is considered an Islamic apostate. The Sudanese authorities view the young Christian mother as having had illegitimate sex with a Christian man, be­cause they do not recognize her marriage to him. The au­thorities say she is to be flogged and allowed to give birth to her child. She and her two children will remain in pris­on for two years after the birth of her second child. If she does not repent from her Christian faith, she will be killed.

According to the command of Mohammed, all apostates of Islam must be killed. In recent years, several Muslim clerics have openly declared that if they did not have this to exist, parents are prisoners of Islam.

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2013 September – Violence and the End of a Culture

Violence and the End of a Culture

By Mike Wingfield

Violence is permeating our world at every level of socie­ty. The Middle East is spiraling out of control with vio­lence as radical Islam flexes its muscle in an attempt to terrorize the world into submission. Islam’s ultimate goal is to dominate the world and subject it to Allah. Violent attacks against individuals across Europe and around the world are viewed by Muslims as acts of obedience to the Koran’s commands to wage holy war against the infidels. Moderate Muslims are also being targeted who refuse to submit to the ritualistic law of the Koran in their daily lives. At the same time, all cultures are experiencing an escalating violence in their societies. Here in the U.S., our educational institutions have become places of vio­lence. Bullying has become an all too familiar occur­rence. Our daily news media are filled with graphic sto­ries involving of murder and violence. We talk about road rage, violence acts against women, children, and infants in the womb. In addition, violence associated with wars has become all-too common for millions living in our world. All the while, our entertainment industries thrive on sell­ing violence. Sports, music, video games, television pro­gramming, and movies are filling the minds of consumers with an increasing diet of graphic violence.

Before we turn to the Bible to understand what all of this means, let us listen to the concerns of some in the secular world who are very alarmed by the increase of violence in our culture. The Media Education Foundation [www.mediaed.org] reports the following facts about me­dia violence: “Research indicates that media violence has not just increased in quantity; it has also become more graphic, sexual, and sadistic. By the time the average child is eighteen years old, they will have witnessed 200,000 acts of violence and 16,000 murders. Media vio­lence is especially damaging to young children (under 8) because they cannot easily tell the difference between real life and fantasy. Most of the top-selling video games (89%) contain violent content, almost half of which was of a serious nature. The level of violence during Saturday morning cartoons is higher than the level of violence dur­ing prime time. There are 3-5 violent acts per hour on prime time, versus 20-25 acts per hour on Saturday morn­ing. Nearly 75 percent of violent scenes on television fea­ture no immediate punishment for or condemnation of violence.” (www.mediaed.org)

According to the Bible, when violence permeates a cul­ture it ultimately leads to self-destruction and the judg­ment of God. For example, a permeation of violence in the culture during Noah’s day led to divine judgment of the entire world. In Genesis 6, the Lord has given us a written indictment on Noah’s generation. The Bible clear­ly states that the moral climate during Noah’s time pro­voked God’s holy wrath in the form of a global flood. That society had become morally “corrupt.” (Genesis 6:11-13) A part of that moral corruption was violence. Notice that the Lord repeatedly told Noah: “the earth is filled with violence.” (Genesis 6:11, 13) This simply means that the people of Noah’s age were in love with sensuality and violence. Their minds were continually filled with pornographic and violent images. Note Gene­sis 6:5: “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” They enjoyed it: Immorality and violence no longer produced any shame or guilt in their consciences. They explored it: Searching for more bizarre and sadistic forms of wicked­ness. They embraced it: Violence became normal, bring­ing a change in their lifestyle. They proudly exported it: Spreading their sin to engage others in their shame.

Let us examine five Biblical considerations about vio­lence:

1. The Biblical Definition of Violence

After doing research on this subject, I am convinced that very few Christian leaders or believers understand the Biblical view of violence. It is most interesting to observe that the Hebrew word that is translated “violence” in Genesis 6 is “hamas.” Please note that this is the name of the Islamic terrorist group in the Gaza Strip that has been chosen by the Palestinian population to govern them. This Islamic terrorist group wears the badge of Islamic jihad with great pride. They have openly adopted the name VIOLENCE. Their charter openly calls for the complete annihilation of the Jewish population in Israel from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River – all of the land of Israel! Everyone in the Middle East knows that Hamas and another radical Islamic element, the Muslim Brother­hood are the same group. They have different names, but they are two different divisions of the same organization. It is their stated purpose to fill the earth with violence to accomplish their agenda of global control for the glory of their God – Allah.

The Hebrew word, “hamas”, means: to bring great harm to people both physically and mentally… to act in a way that is destructive, hateful, lawless, disrespectful, wicked, wild, ruthless, or brutal. Often, these actions are accom­panied by loud expressions of hate. Proverbs 10:6 states: “violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.” According to the Bible, violence is an action, gesture, or expression due to the lack of moral restraint. In Amos 3:9-10, the Lord informed Israel that the governments of Ashdod (the Gaza Strip today), Egypt, and “the mountains of Samaria” (the “West Bank” today) “know not to do right” while they “store up violence and robbery in their palaces.” Clearly, the Lord stated that these former and present en­emies of Israel are filled with violence against His people because they lack moral restraint.

Violence is an expression of defiance and disrespect for the very basic code of behavior that the Spirit of God wishes to instill in the conscience of mankind. Violence, and its ultimate expression – murder, are the exact oppo­sites of the character and nature of God. (Read 1 John 2:11-16) The Biblical law of God, and specifically the 10 Commandments, are aimed at a reverence for God and respect for human beings who have been created in the image of God. The law of God supports and promotes the very foundation of life. Therefore, violence is the result of a total departure from this law and its author – God! In essence, the culture that espouses violence is in a mode of self-destruction! The testimony of Scripture indicates that murderers and those who commit acts of violence against human beings are acting like Satan, not God! In John 8:44, Jesus called Satan “a murderer from the beginning.” In Revelation 9:11, Satan is called “Abaddon” (Hebrew for “destroyer”), and “Apollyon” (Greek for “destroyer”).

2. The Cultural Impact of Violence

From the very beginning, God instructed Israel that vio­lence and murder defile a culture. Read Numbers 35:29-34. In response to willful murder, God demanded capital punishment. In verse 31 God said: “Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.”

When expressions of violence are allowed to permeate a culture, they will create a society that is void of a godly conscience, leading to increasing levels of wickedness, lawlessness, sensuality, and brutality. When a society travels down the path of depravity and rebellion from God, they will suppress “the truth in unrighteousness.” (Romans 1:18) This will lead to “their foolish [con­science being] darkened.” (Romans 1:21) Eventually, they are “filled with …. murder” and many other forms of violence and wickedness. (Romans 1:29 -32)

3. The Divine Judgment due to the Permeation of Violence in a Culture

A study of the Bible and human history will demonstrate that cultures filled with violence come to an end. That is because violence brings a lack of fear or respect for God. This is visually manifested in their lack of respect for man, who has been created in the image of God. The Bi­ble consistently teaches that our love and respect for God is clearly illustrated by how we treat others. (Exodus 20:1­17; Matthew 22:34-40; 1 John 4:20-21) While comment­ing on Genesis 6:11, Matthew Henry, a godly leader and author of a well-known Bible commentary a few genera­tions ago, wrote: “Take away conscience and the fear of God, and men become beasts and devils to one another, like fishes of the sea, where the greater devour the less. Sin fills the earth with violence, and so turns the world into a wilderness, into a cock-pit.”

When a culture reaches this spiritual point of no return, the Spirit of God can no longer “strive with man.” (Gene­sis 6:3) As a result, God’s holiness demands that He de­stroy that culture in divine judgment. It has happened several times in human history and it will happen once again. The global violence today, as in the days of Noah, is demanding the divine judgment of God. That global judgment will take place on a global scale during the sev­en-year tribulation period.

4. The Violence at the End of this Age

After the restraining influence on sin through the minis­try of the Holy Spirit in the church has been removed at the Rapture, the world will erupt into a cycle of violence and murder that is unprecedented in the history of man. This violence will be aimed at Israel, the Jewish people (Daniel 12:1; Revelation 12:6, 13-17) and believers in Je­sus Christ. (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 6:9-11; 13:7; 17:6; 20:4) Leading the violence will be the religion of Islam (pictured as the harlot in Revelation 17-18), and the Islam­ic Antichrist and his false prophet. (Revelation 13:15) Early in the Tribulation Period, the Antichrist will engage in a global jihad “to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another.” (Revelation 6:4) The opening months of the Tribulation will feature a bloody war of jihad that will result in the death of one-fourth of the world’s population. (Revelation 6:8)

At this very hour, violence and death are being waged by Muslims against the Christian populations in Syria, Egypt and throughout the Middle East. It is a powerful witness to what is coming in the immediate future. If the West does not act against these radical Islamic elements to stop the killing of innocent Christians, this war will spread to Europe and the United States. It is only a matter of time before this happens. The free world was standing in a similar place only 73 years ago when Hitler was brutally murdering Jews and taking control of the countries of Eu­rope. Humanly speaking, if the free world does not re­spond, the forces of evil will multiply and violence will fill the earth. Only the Lord knows what course the world will take in the next few months and years. With America and Europe being swept into socialism, it appears that they will not rise to the occasion. They fail to heed the lessons from World War II only two generations ago.

My father and father-in-law fought in World War II. am very thankful for the sacrifice they and millions of others made to protect our freedom from Nazi and Japa­nese tyranny. They willingly made these sacrifices be­cause our American leadership recognized the need to deal with critical threats to our faith and freedom. However, today, many in our leadership not only lack the resolve to do something about this threat, but are supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, the perpetrator of the growing vio­lence in the Middle East and around the world. Can you image what would have happened during World War II if the United States had sided with the Nazis? Yet, that is what is occurring at this very hour. America is standing in the wrong place in the war against evil. Most tragically, we are not standing on moral high ground with God. America has morally collapsed. It is shocking to think of what has happened to our blessed country in the last 70 years.

May God have mercy on America!

5. Biblical Admonitions Concerning Violence

The message of the Bible is very clear – God hates vio­lence. When violence flows out of the human heart to harm or kill human beings for selfish gain or hatred, it arouses the anger of God. It must be understood that there is a righteous anger or indignation that flows out of the very holy character of God. Finally, after being patient for thousands of years with the violence of the wicked, Jesus will systematically deliver His holy wrath against the sin­ful masses through massive global judgments for seven years. At the end of the Tribulation Period, Jesus will vis­ibly and bodily return to this earth and speak a word of holy judgment and death against the armies of the world gathered against Him and Israel at Armageddon. Revela­tion 19:15 says He will “smite the nations… and tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.” At the end of this battle, the Lord will invite the birds of prey to feast on the corpses of the thousands who will have fallen on the mountains of Israel. (Revelation 19:17­18)

Sometimes, war and violence must be waged against the wicked who are murdering others. God demands this of human governments! (Read Genesis 9:6; Numbers 35:29-34; Romans 13:1-4) For example, God used the nation of Israel to carry out His righteous judgment against the wicked and murderers of Canaan. (Deuteron­omy 18:9-14) The Lord will use the nation of Israel in the last days to destroy the nations that are killing His people. (Jeremiah 51:19-23)

Psalm 11:5 states that the Lord hates those who “love violence.” During the millennium, the Lord will directly exercise His divine sovereignty over the nations of the world. He will not permit any violence or war! Isaiah 2:4 declares: “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into prun­inghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” The war-torn Middle East, which has been ravaged with violence since the days of Abraham, will finally become a place of peace. Those who will be saved out of the former Arab/Islamic nations in the Middle East and survive the Tribulation will be spiritually transformed. They will no longer hate Isra­el, but will confess that the Jewish people are the people of God, and will bless those they have hated for genera­tions. (Isaiah 60:6-19) Please notice Isaiah 60:14: “The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow them­selves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee , The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel” Because of this heart change among the Arab nations, the Lord has joyfully declared to Israel: “Violence shall no more be heard in thy land.” (Isaiah 60:18) Fi­nally, true peace will come upon the cities of Israel. The great prophet of God, Isaiah, wrote about this: “And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” (Isaiah 35:10)

As individual children of God we should be known as peace makers, not troublemakers. Jesus declared: “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) The Scriptures exhort the individual believer: “[Return] to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be pos­sible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:17-19)

As believers, we must protect our consciences by refrain­ing from viewing or listening to violent expressions of any kind. We must not permit violence to enter our homes or minds with any level of acceptance or pleasure! We must guard our ears and eyes from any kind of violence that can desensitize our conscience. (Proverbs 4:23-27) We must fill our minds with Scripture and God’s way of peace. The Bible demands: “Follow peace with all men, and ho­liness, without which no man shall see the Lord:” (He­brews 12:14) We are exhorted to let grace and peace be multiplied in our hearts. When the Apostle Peter began his final epistle, he began with the exhortation: “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter 1:2) When we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit, we will be persons of peace. Read Galatians 5:22-23.

As violence escalates around the world and especially in the Middle East, we need to remember that Jesus taught that evil thoughts and murder come out of the human heart. (Matthew 15:19) The only real answer to the vio­lence in our world is in the person of Jesus Christ – the Prince of Peace. After He judges the nations with His ho­ly wrath, He will establish His kingdom of peace. That peace will be maintained by the firm hand of our Lord as He rules the nations “with a rod of iron.” (Revelation 12:5) Also, the fear of the Lord will permeate the nations because “the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habak­kuk 2:14) That is why He has instructed us to pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heav­en.” (Matthew 6:10) Come, Lord Jesus. We need you more than ever before!

Descending into Darkness

According to the prophetic Word of God, the world will descend into one of the darkest periods of human history before King Jesus returns to establish His kingdom. Con­trasting the spiritual light that will dawn upon this earth at the beginning of our Lord’s kingdom with the spiritual darkness that will precede it, the prophet Isaiah wrote: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee [Israel], and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1-2)

From a human perspective it appears that mankind is falling into the dark, deep pit of depravity that will engulf the wicked during the Tribulation Period. The world is in a moral, spiritual, and economic free-fall. The nations are embracing Islam, worshipping Allah. At the same time, Christians are being killed and persecuted, and many hate the name of “Jesus.” Violence is permeating the global culture, and the threat of war in the Middle East seems to increase with each passing day.

It is not an accident that the Middle East is going through a major shift in the political/religious power-structure that controls the region. Israel finds itself sur­rounded by nations where national sovereignties are breaking down and radical elements of global Islamic ji­had are taking control.

Egypt, the largest Arab/Islamic country in the Middle East, is descending into a very dangerous cycle of vio­lence as moderate Muslims attempt to regain control of their country from the radical elements who were in con­trol. The radicals have seized the moment to attack the Christian community, claiming that they were responsible for the overthrow of Mohamed Morsi’s presidency, a prominent leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. Christians are being brutally attacked and killed. More than 60 churches have been destroyed by those who are supporters of the radical Muslim movement in Egypt. The outcome of this struggle for power in Egypt will be very critical to the future of the entire Middle East.

The two-year old war in Syria has claimed over 100,000 lives, many of whom were Christians killed by the radical Islamic rebels that are attempting to take control of Syria. The world has learned that the Syrian government used chemical weapons to kill thousands of its own people. Consequently, the world is about to topple the Assad re­gime to allow the rebels to take control of Syria. Several radical factions are fighting on the side of the rebel forces. The two major factions are the Muslim Brotherhood and Al Qaeda. So, the West, including the U.S., is arming Al Qaeda in the attempt to overthrow Assad. Isn’t it odd that the very same Islamic group we have attempted to destroy for several years in Afghanistan, we are now supporting in Syria?

It should be alarming for people when they realize that the Western powers are involved in turning the Middle East over to the very radical Islamic groups that have de­clared jihad against the West. This is very dangerous for Israel, the U.S., and the entire free world. There appears to be only two logical explanations for the West’s support of these radical jihadist groups. These governments must be operating in total moral and intellectual darkness, hav­ing been deceived by these groups. Or, they are joining hands with evil to enhance and promote their own agen­das. It is my opinion that it is the later of these two expla­nations.

It is possible that if the Lord does not come first, we will witness the beginning of a New World Order that will fea­ture a political marriage between socialism and Islam. An examination of the current working system within the United Nations will reveal that this is already becoming a reality. The political marriage will be very bad for be­lievers in Jesus Christ and all Jews, and especially the na­tion of Israel.

According to several sources, Israel realizes that it is only a matter of time before these Islamic forces will join together to attack the Jewish state. Israeli Lt.-Col. Jackie Ben-Yakar recently stated: “Our working assumption is an attack will happen. It’s only a matter of time. We are preparing for hostile action, we’re preparing the forces, training them, and keeping up their operational readiness.”

(The International Jerusalem Post, August 2-8, 2013, p. 12) It is my opinion that this war will set the stage for the one mentioned in Ezekiel 38-39.

As the world descends into this time of great deception and spiritual darkness, we need to remember the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11. Please take time to read this Scripture. It is time for the church of Je­sus Christ to awake out of its apathy and prepare for our departure. “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” (Romans 13:11)

A War against Christianity

In a recent article by Michael Snyder, “The Name Of Jesus Has Become A Dirty Word In Politically Correct America,” he warns that a real war on Christianity is un­folding in America. He gives the following examples:

“Evidence of this war on Christianity is everywhere these days. The following are just a few examples…

-An elementary school in North Carolina ordered a little six-year-old girl to remove the word “God” from a poem that she wrote to honor her two grandfathers that had served in the Vietnam War.

-The Ohio Statehouse banned Christian pastors from using the name of Jesus when they open up the daily sessions with prayer.

-The use of the name of Jesus was also forbidden in all prayers opening sessions of the North Carolina State-House.

-Last year, a federal appeals court ruled that prayers be­fore commission meetings in Forsyth County, North Caro­lina that included the name of Jesus were unconstitutional.

-Earlier this year, a Florida Atlantic University student that refused to stomp on the name of Jesus was banned from class.

-A student at Sonoma State University was ordered to take off a cross that she was wearing because someone “could be offended”.

-A teacher in New Jersey was fired for giving his own Bi­ble to a student that did not own one.

-An open air preacher in Illinois was recently threatened with arrest for “scaring people” with the message of the gospel.

-Volunteer chaplains for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Po­lice Department have been banned from using the name of Jesus in their public prayers. Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. Chaplains all over the nation are now being banned from using the name of Jesus.

A recently released 140 page report entitled “The Survey of Religious Hostility in America” included some more examples of how Christianity is being systematically op­pressed in America today…

A federal judge threatened ‘incarceration’ to a high school valedictorian unless she removed references to Jesus from her graduation speech.

City officials prohibited senior citizens from praying over their meals, listening to religious messages or singing gospel songs at a senior activities center.

A public school official prevented a student from handing out flyers inviting her classmates to an event at her church.

A public university’s law school banned a Christian or­ganization because it required its officers to adhere to a statement of faith that the university disagreed with.

The U.S. Department of Justice argued before the Su­preme Court that the federal government can tell churches and synagogues which pastors and rabbis it can hire and fire.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs banned the men­

tion of God from veterans’ funerals, overriding the wishes of the deceased’s families.

A federal judge held that prayers before a state House of Representatives could be to Allah but not to Jesus.” (www.theendoftheamericandream.com, July 25, 2013)

We live in the presence of God. Where ever we go, He is there. As believers, He is with us and in us. Do you acknowledge His presence? Proverbs 3:6