PROTESTING ISRAEL'S RESPONSE TO ATTACKS FROM HAMAS IS PROOF THAT THE WORLD HAS GONE MAD

Anti-Israel protests in Europe

      I am absolutely dumbfounded at the international reaction to Israel attempting to defend itself from Hamas rocket attacks.  As I scan the news and see protests in major European cities, protests in which thousands, according to world news headlines, are turning out against Israel, I am completely dumbfounded.   I cannot imagine that any thinking person can logically defend an anti-Israel position on this point.  The only possible reason to hold an anti-Israel position in this particular case is a fundamental hatred for Israel.  It is no surprise that Muslims around the world are protesting against Israel in this case.  Islamic leaders from numerous countries have made no secret of their hatred for Israel and have made repeated threats to "throw the Jews into the sea".  Those who practice radical Islam and follow the Koran literally hate Christians and hate Jews... period.  

More protests in Europe

      A few days ago, I wrote about Islam being Satanism.

click here to read "Islam is Satanism"

 What other motivation could engender such overt and fierce hatred towards the only two groups who follow the Bible, besides satanic influence?  If you are not an Islamist, and you are feeling that Israel is wrong in this current military action, I would like to share some facts with you.  First, Hamas attacked Israel first.  Rockets came out of Gaza with the sole intent of killing Jews.  
Second, Israel has attempted to abide by two separate cease fires, one called for by Egypt and the other called for by the UN.   Each time, Israel was ready to begin negotiating for peace and each time Hamas continued to fire rockets into Israel, with the sole intent of killing Jews.
Third, Hamas is firing rockets into populated areas of Israel in order to kill civilians, the attacks are not on military targets, Palestinian attacks are designed with the sole intent of killing Jews. 
Fourth, Israel has sent warnings to populated areas before sending rockets in an  attempt to minimize the civilian casualties in Gaza.  Unfortunately, the radical Islamists have very little regard for the lives of the Palestinian people, as they are storing weapons in apartment buildings, mosques, schools and hospitals.  Israel is firing on Hamas military targets, but Hamas has seen fit to place these targets in populated areas, so when Israel takes out a weapons cache, it is forced to take out a hospital, school or apartment building in the process.  Hamas uses this tactic to bring world opinion against Israel.  Hamas is purposely placing it's most vulnerable citizens in harms way.  
Fifth, the world press is characterizing Israel's response to attack as "Israel's war against Hamas", or "The Israeli offensive in Gaza".  This is yellow journalism and does not represent the fact that Israel was attacked and is attempting to defend against the murderous intent of Hamas.  The world press is quick to show pictures of Palestinian civilians suffering from the "relentless and brutal attacks" from Israel.  Reports continually show the heavy damage suffered by Gaza and the relatively minor damage suffered by Israel, presenting the image of  big bully Israel beating up on it's weak, defenseless neighbor.  The truth is, Israel is surrounded by nations who have openly declared their intent to destroy Israel and wipe it from the map.  Israel has taken the steps necessary to protect itself from such attacks as those coming out of Gaza.  This is the only reason Israel is suffering minor damage as compared to the damage being inflicted in Hamas.   

I have to ask you, if an angry mob showed up at your house and began firing bullets and throwing Molotov cocktails through your window, would you run outside and try to negotiate with them?  Would you offer them part or all of your property for them to live on as a condition of peace?  If you had the ability to protect your home and you had the firepower to defend against such an attack, would you not use every resource at your disposal to protect the lives of your family?  It is ludicrous to expect anything different of Israel.  There is no international police force coming in to arrest the perpetrators of these Hamasian attacks.  There is not Global 911 that Israel can call.  Israel is on it's own and has the choice to defend itself or die.  Israel's counterattacks have been designed to put an end to rocket attacks, Hamas' attacks have been designed with the sole intent of killing Jews.  Israel's ground invasion is meant to destroy rocket launchers and tunnels used by terrorists to sneak into Israel to wreak havoc.  

Common sense would dictate that logical, thinking people would support a nation attempting to defend itself.  Common sense should also dictate that world opinion would be negative towards those who are condemning Israel for attempting to protect it's people. Sadly, when it comes to Israel, common sense has left the building. This is just further evidence that Satan is truly the god of this world, as the Bible has stated.  Please pray for the peace of Jerusalem and also pray that the Spirit of God would liberate the Palestinian people from the evil of Hamas and Islam.  There are many Palestinian Christians who need our prayers and support.  Pray that the Christians in Gaza would be able to boldly share their faith and bring a spiritual awakening to the region that would repel the Satanic influences of Islam and bring true peace between Israel and the Palestinian people.

WILL THE SLEEPING GIANT HEED IT'S WAKE UP CALL?

                               
A few years ago, the band Petra, had a hit song, Sleeping Giant, referring to the church.  One line from the song stated, "Can you hear the alarm echo down the hall, the sleeping giant gets a wake up call."  I believe the Sleeping Giant has been receiving many wake up calls lately, but for some reason, we keep hitting the snooze button.  Recently, the Center For Disease Control(CDC) released a report that should serve as a very loud wake up call to the church. 



PETRA - SLEEPING GIANT

 The CDC released it's findings from a survey on American sexual preference.  The results are quite astounding.  According to the CDC, the percentage of Americans that consider themselves gay, lesbian or bisexual(GLB) is not nearly the 10-15% we have been led to believe by the liberal left, it is less than 3%.  One would certainly expect a much higher percentage given we are living in an era that promotes homosexuality like never before.  In fact, one cannot deny that gay is more en vogue, more accepted and more mainstream than ever.  Even with all the pop culture exposure and endorsement of the gay agenda,  less than 3% of Americans identify themselves as such.

      What constitutes an alarm for the church is the fact that less than 3% of the population of America has undeniably changed the culture and attitudes of almost the entire country.  Why this figure is so alarming to the church is that it reveals the current influence, or lack thereof, the church is having on our nation.  A Pew Forum survey in 2012 concluded that 73% of Americans identify themselves as Christian.  This number is obviously overstating the true number of Biblical Christians, but an amazingly large percentage when you consider the moral decline our country has been experiencing.  A far more indicative number is the 28% of Americans who claim to believe the Bible is the literal Word of God, according to Gallup in May of 2014.  

      Though 73% of Americans identify as Christian, this number is not an accurate gauge of potential moral influence on society, for a few reasons:

1. Christians do not have exclusive rights to morality as many Jews      and moderate Muslims hold to a, more or less, Biblical                      worldview when it comes to the sanctity of the family and                sexual purity.

2. Not everyone who identifies as Christian is, in the true Biblical         sense.

3. Many mainline denominations have all but abandoned God's             word for a feel good social gospel.

While the 73% number is difficult to parse, the 28% who take the Bible literal is far more indicative of the size of the Sleeping Giant. If even only half of those who claim the Bible to be the literal Word of God are bona fide born again Christians, that is 14% of the population who should be actively living out the Great Commission.  Compare that to the less than 3% who are affecting so much change.  This means that, conservatively, there are almost 5 times as many born again Christians who should be actively living out their faith as those who claim to be GLB.  If you take the 28% who may or may not be actual Christians(Orthodox Jews, Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons make up a good portion of this number) you still have an overwhelming amount of people who should be championing true family values.

Instead, America has been experiencing a GLB spring, so to speak, while Godly values and beliefs continue to be marginalized in our so called Christian nation.  The recent Hobby Lobby court ruling, notwithstanding, it is impossible to name one example of American culture being positively influenced for Christ.  If 3% can affect so much change, imagine what 14-28% can accomplish if we united together as scripture commands us to do!  Imagine the impact if the people who claim to have a relationship with Christ began treating people the way Christ would, imagine if we policed the garbage our children listen to and watch, imagine if we exercised self control and said no to sinful entertainment.  Imagine if the Sleeping Giant heeded it's wake up call...

I am sadly reminded of a line from a Newsboys song from a number of years ago called Lost the Plot, "When you come back again, would you bring me something from the fridge, heard a rumor that the end was near, but I just got comfortable here....we've forgotten our first love, we have lost the plot"  



LOST THE PLOT BY THE NEWSBOYS

The numbers are in our favor, we just need the will.  The GLB lobby has the will to push their agenda with a tiny sector of America having a vested interest.  We need to love each other and take Jesus' command to make disciples seriously.  We are a indeed a Sleeping Giant, I just pray we wake up before we hear the approach of the Bridegroom and realize, too late, that we are out of oil.  


     

THE NEW YORK TIMES' INTOLERANCE FOR ISRAEL DEMONSTRATES HOW HATRED AND BIGOTRY HAVE NO PLACE IN A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW

      I hate the word racism.  The word racism suggests the anti-Biblical premise of multiple lines of human evolution creating different races of man.  According to the Bible, there is one race, the Human Race.  All men are descended from Noah.  No group of people is superior and no group is inferior, just different.  I also hate what the word racism stands for, hatred for a people based on their ethnic or geographical origins.  No person should ever be judged according to their heritage or descendancy.  Descendancy should never be a reason for division, derision nor discrimination, but behavior is a completely different issue.  Improper, sinful and negative behavior deserves to be censured by society and especially the church.

     The issue that got me thinking about this today is a story in the New York Times July 12, 2014 edition, covering the Palestinian attacks on Israel.  The headline screamed: "Israel Hits Mosque and Clinic" and the opening line of the story said: "As Israel's air war against Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters in Gaza entered it's sixth day..."  This article would suggest that Israel  has started a war with it's neighbors and is blowing up their churches and hospitals.  In reality, the Palestinians in Gaza began firing rockets into Israel, unprovoked. Furthermore, on Saturday, July 12, the same day as the NYT article suggests Israel has been an aggressor towards their peaceful neighbors, Hamas fired over 500 rockets into Israel.  Once again, Israel is called to task in the liberal press for defending itself.  Imagine if America suddenly came under attack from our friends from the North, Canada, would the NYT write slanted articles against the US for retaliation?

    The NYT is displaying bigotry towards Israel in it's reporting.  This fact is indisputable. This is just one more example of a acceptable bigotry from the so called progressive crowd who uphold tolerance as the holiest of all virtues.  The Bible tells us to love our brothers, to love our enemies, to bless those that curse us, to fight against injustice and to serve the poor and downtrodden.  The Bible does not teach tolerance, the Bible does not teach us to accept sin as an alternative lifestyle and the Bible does not condone any faith system that rejects the fact that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh, through whom is found the only way to salvation and reconciliation with God.  

     The type of reporting found in the mainstream press is further evidence of what the Bible has already told us, that Satan is the god of this world.  Satan controls the media, the entertainment industry, and world politics.  Satan's control is not unlimited, it is subject to God's sovereignty.  Satan cannot go past any of the boundaries that God has set before him.  As believers, it is imperative that we are discerning when it comes to what we see and hear in the press, careful of what entertainment we support with our money and time and careful of how we vote.  If the everyone who attends church this Sunday and considers them self a Christian began to take responsibility for their own behavior and began to exercise a Biblical world view, society and culture would turn for the better.  Unfortunately, many who are sitting in the pews on Sunday, worshiping, are the same ones behaving like atheists on Saturday night.  We can no longer afford to have a foot in both worlds as the world around us is becoming increasingly hostile toward God and His followers.  

    As I have stated in many of my blogs, people are not the enemy, the spirit if anti-Christ and Satan are our enemy.  Our battle position  is on our knees and our weapon is the Word of God.  As always, I urge that we pray for our president, for our national leaders, for our soldiers, for the peace of Jerusalem and for those who are entangled in the deceit of Satan.  God loves sinners, but He will judge them.  We are called to test the fruits, we are called to love and we are called to shine light in the darkness, which means we are to expose sin, especially in the church.  Tolerance has no place in our worldview, nor does hatred and bigotry.  As the world system, a system under Satanic control, continues to demonstrate hate and intolerance for God and His people, we must be the difference, speaking the truth in love and demonstrating God's salvation in our thought, word and deed.

     

ISLAM IS SATANISM - MUSLIMS NEED JESUS - AND OUR PRAYERS

The religion of Islam is veiled Satanism that calls it's adherents to kill Christians and Jews, oppress women and promises it's martyrs unlimited booze and sex.  What part of any of this sounds like a loving creator God?  Unfortunately, society's obsession for political correctness encourages us to believe that Islam is religion of peace and Muslims worship the same God as Christians and Jews... just in a different way.  The truth is, Allah is not God and Islam is not a religion of peace.

WHO IS ALLAH?

In the early 600's AD, Mohamed, an illiterate Arab from Mecca, unified the Arab world into a monotheistic religion called Islam(translated "submission").  Prior to that time, each tribal community had it's own polytheistic pantheon of gods.  Allah was most identified as a moon god and the chief of gods.  Mohamed declared that Allah was the one true "God" and that he alone was to be worshiped. Mohamed would have "visions" which he would dictate to his followers who would, in turn, write down his pronouncements.  Mohamed took his revelations to the Jewish and Christian leaders of his time and was summarily rejected, and rightfully so.  When the Christians and Jews would not embrace his mad rantings, Mohamed turned against them and began to pronounce death to the infidels.  

Unfortunately, Arab Bibles translate the name of God as Allah.  This is very unfortunate and causes great confusion as to the difference between the God of scripture and the Allah of Islam.  The name of God is reveled to us in Exodus when Moses encounters God in a burning bush.  Exodus 3:15  God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 

"The LORD" in the above passage is actually the true name of God, written in Hebrew, with the vowels removed: YHWH.  YHWH is most commonly pronounced Jehovah or Yaweh.  No matter how you arrange these Hebrew letters or how many vowels you add, you will never come up with the pronunciation of Allah.  Allah is definitively not the name of God.

Interestingly, Satan's name, before his fall from grace, is not told to us in the Bible, despite the fact that we have been led to believe that his name was Lucifer.  Isaiah 14:12 refers to Satan as the "the shining one."  The Hebrew word Helel is translated as lucifer in the Latin Vulgate.  Lucifer means shining one.  Tradition has wrongly named the enemy of God Lucifer.  Could it be possible that Allah the moon god of ancient Arabia is a form of Satan's true name?  

WHY ALLAH IS NOT YHWH

YHWH, the Creator God of the Bible, has revealed Himself to us in 3 persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Jesus clearly identified Himself as God, the Son of God. Numerous passages or the Koran state that Allah has no son: It is not befitting to (the majesty of) Allah that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! when He determines a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is. Quran 19.35( Surat Maryam , verse 35)

he Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Al-Masih the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!
[31] They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Al-Masih, the son of Maryam; yet they were commanded to worship but One God: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).
 [32] Fain would they extinguish Allah's Light with their mouths, but Allah will not allow but that His Light should be perfected, even though the Unbelievers may detest (it).
[33] It is He Who hath sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it).
[34] O ye who believe! There are indeed many among the priests and anchorites, who in falsehood devour the substance of men and hinder (them) from the Way of Allah. And there are those who bury gold and silver and spend it not in the Way of Allah: announce unto them a most grievous penalty. Quran 9.32,34 ( Surat  At-Touba , Verses 32..34)

Either the Bible is true, and Jesus is the Son of God or Islam is true and Jesus is just a good prophet.  The two religions cannot be reconciled.  If Allah is God then Jesus is a liar, if Jesus is God, Allah is a counterfeit.  

ALLAH IS AS SATAN DOES

Islam has a term called taqiyya which allows it's adherents to lie to non-Muslims when it will promote their cause.  The Bible teaches that God "hates a lying tongue" and that Satan is the father of lies.  Allah encourages lying to unbelievers.  

Allah has told his followers that any man permitted into paradise will be welcome with women and rivers of wine.  I find it very interesting that the very thing that destroys the lives of so many is the reward for faithful Muslim men.  Who would offer such a reward for faithful service???  I have found no passage in the Bible in which God promises sensual pleasures in heaven.  Satan has lured many a man to his death with wine, women and song. This is reminiscent of "sex, drugs and rock and roll(the term "rock and roll" was originally a metaphor for sex in a car).  

God loves Israel and the Jews but Muslims in Iran, Syria and the surrounding area continually threaten Israel and the Jews with annihilation.  Who would hate the people of God so strongly?  Obviously Allah does.  Satan also hates the Jews... hmmm.

ISLAM IS REPACKAGED SATANISM

Modern Satanists are mostly fringe worshipers who for the most part do not even believe in Satan, or God for that matter.  The Church of Satan was started by atheist Anton LeVay, who used the concept of Satan to promote a hedonistic lifestyle.  The Temple of Set does believe in a literal Satan but has very few followers in comparison to the big 3 religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam.  Satan's greatest and most successful religion is Islam.  The behavior and ideology of radical Muslims can only be described as pure evil.  We are told that the radical Muslims are very few and most Muslims love God and want peace with their Christian and Jewish neighbors.  Case in point, if everyone who called themselves Christian lived according to the Bible, the world would be a very different place indeed.  Many so called Christians are culturally identified as such but in essence live as unbelievers.  The same is true of Islam.  Those who are dedicated to the literal interpretation of the Koran cannot see Christians and Jews as anything but enemies.  

Islam is a religion of violence, deceit, repression and hate.  Muslims are called to destroy all that God calls good.  Muslims are encouraged to lie to non-Muslims if it is advantageous.  Muslims are promised debauchery in heaven.  This is a religion that could only have been conceived by Satan.  Every time a Muslim dies, Satan laughs at his wretched soul.  Satan has the Islamic people under the bondage of Sharia law, promising them a paradise that offers everything they are denied here, in this life, and delivers nothing but the fires of hell.  

Muslims are deceived by the great deceiver.  Muslims serve the hater of their souls believing him to be the creator God.  Muslims need our prayers.  It is easy to look at a Muslim terrorist and hate him, however, God calls us to love our enemies, to bless those that curse us and to pray for those who persecute us.  God is doing a work among Muslims, many are coming to Christ through dreams and visions.  "We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against powers and principalities."  "It is not by might, nor by power, by by My Spirit says YHWH."  God, the real God, the God of the Bible, loves the Muslim people and desires them to be saved.  Allah hates them and encourages them to kill themselves in the name of Jihad.  Pray that the Muslim people will see Jesus, the Son of God, as more than just a prophet but as the Savior.  

EZEKIEL 20 - ONE OF MANY PROOFS THAT REFORMED THEOLOGY IS WRONG WHEN IT COMES TO ISRAEL

                             

              REFORMED THEOLOGY = ANTISEMITISM

                                                              


In a previous blog, I wrote about the Presbyterian Church(USA) voting to divest itself of any stock holdings of companies who do business in and with Israel.  PCUSA claims that the move is in support of the Palestinian people but in reality is born of an ingrained antisemitism that results from Reformed Theology.  PCUSA holds to a Calvinist/Reformed theology that makes the grave mistake of believing that God has abandoned Israel and all the promises that were made to Israel now belong to the church. This is also known as Replacement Theology, meaning the Church has replaced Israel as God's chosen people.  This is a severely flawed world view that is not even remotely supported by scripture. The final third of Ezekiel 20 clearly describes God's future plans for the nation and people of Israel.

In fairness to those who developed Reformed Theology, the nation of Israel had been erased when these doctrines were conceived.   Undoubtedly, the early church leaders who concocted this theology were too short sighted to understand that God could and would restore Israel as a nation.  Some grace is extended to those who could not fathom the rebirth of a nation as it had never happened in the history of the world.  However, in 1948, when Israel was reborn and in 1967 when Jerusalem was reclaimed, any vestiges of Reformed Theology should have been abandoned.  Today, I personally view Reformed Theology as veiled antisemitism.  Some of Martin Luther's later writings testify to his hatred for the Jews.

The Bible repeatedly and emphatically reveals that God is not done with Israel and that Christ will return, remove Israel's sin and fulfill all the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua and David.  If Reformed Theology is accurate, God is a liar and cannot be trusted.  What happens if the church does not live up to God's expectations?  Will He then create a new covenant with another group of people and abandon the church to hell?  This idea is ludicrous and unthinkable.  God can no more abandon and discard Israel than He can cancel the covenant of Christ's blood.  A promise is a promise and God cannot change.

Ezekiel 20 verses 33-37 is one of numerous passages that leave no doubt that God has future plans for His chosen Israel: Ezekiel 20:33-37  "As I live, declares the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. 
  I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. 
  And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 
 As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord GOD.   I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 

Verse 33 could not be more emphatic: "As I live says the Lord God..."  God is declaring by His very being, that He will do what He has promised.  That promise is unmistakable: "With a mighty hand ... I will be king over you...I will bring you our from the peoples and gather you ...I will enter judgement with you face to face..." This has never happened in the history of the world.  God has not yet judged Israel "face to face."  Verse 37 talks about a time that Christ Himself described in Matthew 25.

Passing under the rod is a reference to a shepherd accounting for the sheep and bringing them into the sheepfold.  The judgement spoken of was explained by Christ as an event that would take place at the end of the age.

Matthew 25:31-34  "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.
  Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Jesus, Himself, referenced the events Ezekiel referenced and Jesus placed those events at the end of the world.  There is no way to square Reformed Theology with this passage.  If Ezekiel was speaking God's word to Israel concerning Israel's future and if Jesus also referred to this event as taking place in the future, then PCUSA and any other group holding to Reformed Theology is on very dangerous ground.  End time events concerning the restoration of Israel and the turmoil leading up that restoration will be the subject of a future blog.  

If Ezekiel 20:33-37 was the only passage in scripture referencing Israel's restoration, Reformed Theology would be exposed as fraudulent.  The truth is that dozens of passages refer directly to God's plans for Israel's restoration and Christ's future kingship in Jerusalem.  Sadly, Satan, the ultimate antisemite, has deceived many into believing God hates the Jews.  God swore by Himself that He would redeem Israel and declared that He would bless those who blessed Israel and curse those who curse Israel.  Those who hold to Reformed Theology curse Israel by definition.