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Understanding the Hour in Which we LIve
Sep 1st, 2009
Main StoriesArt Sadlier
Categories: Printed Newsletter;Prophecy;One World Church

It is vitally important for believers to understand the times in which we live. We need to understand that we are living in the Laodicean age and we need to understand the implications of that.

In Revelation 2-3 our Lord gives a message to each of seven churches.  Who are these seven churches?

First – There were seven literal assemblies of believers which were in existence in John’s day in the first century.

Second – The seven churches represent a picture of different kinds of churches that exist in every period of church history.

Third – We are reminded in Revelation 1:3 that the book of Revelation is a prophecy. So we are not surprised to discover that each of these seven churches represent a period of church history.

Now that the church age is almost completed, we can look back over the church age and see that the seven churches are indeed a progressive picture of church history from the day of Pentecost to the end of the church age. Each of the seven churches dominated a period of church history. Each era of church history had a dominant church that had the characteristics of one of the seven churches.

Ephesus – Existed in the first century and it had its own peculiar characteristics. It began as a model church and became a lukewarm Church.

Smyrna – The church of the 2^nd to 3^rd centuries, it was a suffering Church.

Pergamos – The church of the 4^th to 5^th centuries and it was a compromising Church.

Thyatira – The church of the 6^th to 16^th century represents the Roman Catholic Church and it is the church of false doctrine and spiritual fornication.

Sardis – The church of the reformation in the 17^th to 18^th century was the church that came out of Rome and returned to the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone. They are the state churches or the mainline churches of our day. Although they rediscovered the truth of the gospel, they did not go far enough and soon died spiritually. They didn’t live up to what they had discovered.

Philadelphia – The church of the mid 18^th to mid 20^th centuries is the fundamentalist, missionary church. Laodicea – The church of the mid 20^th century to the present day is an unregenerate church.

Understand that Thyatira, the Roman Catholic Church, is still in the world though its day in the ascendency is past. It will continue right on into the tribulation period according to Revelation 2:22.

Sardis is represented by the mainline churches which are still in the world though their day in the ascendancy is past. It will also continue and go into the tribulation period, Revelation 3:3.

Philadelphia, is the Fundamentalist church that is filled with love and zeal for Christ it is also still in the world.  Though its day of ascendency is also past, it will continue as a remnant and be caught up in the rapture prior to the tribulation, Revelation 3:10.

Laodicea, is the Evangelical church that is today in the ascendancy. It is a church that holds the truth but is spiritually dead. It will continue on and miss the rapture and go into the tribulation period to become a part of the Harlot church of Revelation 17. Though it is evangelical in name, it is in name only; it is spiritually dead; according to Revelation 3:16, 17, it is an unsaved church.

The need of the hour is to understand that we are now living in Laodicean age.  We need to understand that the Evangelical church has become the Laodicean church. We also need to understand that it is possible to remain Philadelphian and separate from Laodicea.

There are similarities between Philadelphia and Laodicea, read Revelation 3; 7-22.

Both hold to sound doctrine – Though other churches, Pergamos, Thyatira and Sardis are all warned of false doctrine. No such warning comes to Philadelphia or Laodicea.  Philadelphia is commended, Laodicea is condemned but not for false doctrine or unorthodoxy. Doctrinally there is no significant difference between the two churches. Basically, Philadelphia barred the front door to liberalism and Laodicea came in the back door with her lukewarmness and worldliness and compromise.  I believe that the Emergent church is not Laodicean, but the beginning of the Harlot church, which Laodiceans are in danger of being drawn into.

Both exist side by side until the rapture of the church – Philadelphia will be caught up in the rapture, Revelation 3:10. Laodicea will be cast into the tribulation period, Revelation 3:15.

The differences between the two churches – There is a profound difference between evangelical Philadelphians and evangelical Laodiceans.

Philadelphia has a passion for souls, Rev., 3:8, a missionary passion, a passion to witness. That was the dominant characteristic of evangelicals 50 years ago. Today much of evangelical missions do not involve soul-winning and church planting as it did in the past.  Today most evangelicals have a passion to be like the world so that the world will be drawn to them; the end result is that the world wins the church back into the world from which it came. That is reverse evangelism. Today there is almost no discernable difference between Laodiceans and the world.

Philadelphia is despised by the world – In the days gone by evangelicals were despised by the world. They were called uneducated narrow minded bigots, they were called simple and naive and ignorant.   They were called Funnymentalists.  Look at the contrast, Laodicea is accepted by the world, Laodicea impresses the world, Rev., 3:17.  They have lots of money, beautiful expensive buildings, entertainment and wonderful programs and the world is impressed.

Philadelphia has a zeal for God and His Word, Rev., 3:8. In days gone by evangelicals declared that their only rule of life and practice was the Word of God. They held tenaciously to it, they defended it, they lived it. They preached it exclusively and proclaimed it wherever they could. Today a majority of evangelical pastors do not preach the Word of God exclusively, they mix God’s Word with philosophy and psychology, and they build messages around stories with good moral analogies. Today evangelicals stand on the inerrancy of God’s Word, but fail to preach it, they fail to obey it and they fail to live it.

Warning to all those Philadelphians who have not yet become Laodiceans:

Today we are exposed to Laodiceanism; it comes at us in a thousand ways. Today there is not a church, Bible school or believer that is not bombarded with Laodicean/New Evangelicalism, and tragically many are unaware of the menace. It is a total contradiction of the New Testament pattern for the church. Don’t be caught up in it!  Don’t compromise with it! That is the message that needs to be sounded today! If you are in it, come out of it!

Gradually over the last 50 years Philadelphia has been giving way to Laodicea. There are still Philadelphian churches around and Philadelphian believers around, but their numbers are shrinking fast!

An Analogy – I have stood on the shores of the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans and watched the tide come in.  There is something fascinating about seeing the tide come in. It is almost imperceptible, you have to watch carefully for a while before you can tell whether the tide is rising or falling. The casual passerby does not notice the gradual change that is taking place.

For nearly 2000 years of church history there has been a constant changing situation in the visible church of Jesus Christ. At the end of the first century Ephesus the ideal church gave way to the church of Smyrna, the suffering church. In the fourth century Pergamos, the compromising church replaced Smyrna. In the sixth century Thyatira, the corrupt church replaced Pergamos.  In the sixteenth century Sardis, the reformation church moved to the fore in place of Thyatira. In the middle of the eighteenth century Philadelphia came out of Sardis because of its deadness. Sometimes the change was sudden and dramatic; sometimes the change was slow and almost imperceptible, like the incoming tide. The last church of history is the Laodicean church. For some time now the tide of change from Philadelphia to Laodicea has been imperceptibly creeping over evangelicalism.  Change so slow and gradual that to the average Christian it goes unnoticed.  Like the rising tide an inch at time with changes that are profound and fundamental and drastic.

Those evangelical fundamentalists, who made up the church 50- 70 years ago, would not recognize the evangelical church today as having anything in common with them. The amazing thing is that we do not perceive that we have changed! We are blind to the profound changes which have taken place in the evangelical church; this is why the Lord called the Laodicean church blind. “And knowest not that thou art.......blind”, Rev., 3:17. Blindness is one of the characteristics of Laodicea.

Jeffrey E. Wilson of the Edinburgh Banner of Truth stated, “Today’s Christianity is in a state of decay and disarray and the condition is deteriorating year by year. The truth of God’s Word has been watered down and compromised to reach a common denominator that will appeal to and accommodate the largest number of participants. The result is a hybrid Christianity which is essentially man centered, materialistic, worldly and shamefully dishonouring to the Lord Jesus Christ”.

Today there is a change in the worship service that is sweeping through Evangelical churches. One Pastor in BC told me, we must make the worship service interesting or people will not come back. True worship is focused on God; new worship is focused on man. These changes are taking place to satisfy the growing numbers of unsaved in evangelicalism who are false professors of faith in Christ.

The evidences of this catastrophe that is sweeping over the evangelical church are all around us. Surveys show that only 6% of evangelicals tithe. Divorce rates are higher among evangelicals than in the rest of society.  It has been reported by Chuck Swindoll that 50% of evangelical men are involved in internet pornography, and that 37% of pastors are seriously involved with internet pornography. We are talking about an unregenerate church. I believe Jesus was talking about evangelicals when He said in Matthew 7:21-23, “I never knew you”.

I believe, with all my heart, that by far the greatest single threat to the body of Christ today is the creeping spread of Laodicean New Evangelicalism. The transition from Philadelphia to Laodicea is nearly complete, thank God for the remnant that is holding true to God and His Word.

What the Lord said to the Church of Philadelphia is for us today, “Behold I come quickly:  hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown” Rev. 3:11. Here is how to lose your crown, just follow the Laodiceans, follow their example; just emulate their lukewarmness; just lose your passion for souls; lose your spiritual humility and your zeal for Christ and fall in love with the world AND your crown is gone!

Brothers and sisters in Christ we are living under the sound of the trumpet!  It will not be long! The rise of the Laodicean church is a sure sign of Christ`s soon return. This is no time to yield to the lukewarmness and spiritual apathy that is all around us. Stir up your passion for souls, rekindle your love for Christ, fan your zeal for God`s Word, turn away from the love of the world. ”Hold fast that which thou hast” - “Behold I come quickly”

Tony Blair: Hamas, Hezbollah Could Play Middle East Peace Role
Sep 1st, 2009
Daily NewsNewsMax.com - Edward Pentin
Categories: Today's Headlines;Peace Process

Tony Blair has called on religious leaders to play a more important role in the peace process, and said that he is personally inspired by the example of St. Francis of Assisi.

In an interview with Terrasanta.net, a Franciscan Web site, the Middle East Quartet peace envoy also said he supported the idea that Hamas and Hezbollah should be allowed to take part in peace talks, but only if they renounce violence and back a two-state solution.

“It’s certainly better to have them in the Palestinian context as part of the process,” Blair said. “The trouble is that it’s difficult to bring them in unless it’s on a basis that we’re all working towards the same end.”

He added: “The Quartet principles are that unless there’s a clear commitment to non-violence as the means of achieving their ends, and unless it’s clear that we’re all trying to get a two-state solution, then it becomes difficult to see what the purpose is in involving them in this. The divisions in Palestinian politics are an inhibition. It is better to overcome them, but you can only ever overcome them if there’s some basic agreement on the principles governing the process.”

Turning to the subject of religious leaders, the former British prime minister said they “should play a more significant role” because religion is a key factor within the context of the conflict. “If people sometimes say to me, you know, this is really nothing to do with religion, I will say to them it obviously is to do with religion because religion is part of the context and background within which this dispute has come about,” he said. “So, of course, it would help enormously, and by and large the churches do play a very positive role.”

Asked whether he was inspired by the life and example of St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th- century saint and peacemaker, Blair said: “Yes, absolutely. That message is one that of course has its place, and has its place even among people who don’t necessarily share our belief or our faith.”

Art's Commentary.....Here comes the harlot church of Revelation 17. Mr. Blair is committed to drawing the religions of the world together and into the peace process, that is the activity of the harlot church of the last days.

State Preps to Relocate Quarantined H1n1 Victims
Sep 1st, 2009
Daily NewsWND - Drew Zahn
Categories: Today's Headlines;Warning

'Your home and other less restrictive alternatives are not acceptable'

DES MOINES, Ia. – A blank document from the Iowa Department of Public Health has been discovered online, designed to be filled in with the name of an H1N1 virus victim who is required to relocate from his or her home to a quarantine facility.

The form, which began appearing today in e-mails and on the Internet, has concerned a confused public already swimming in conflicting reports about the severity of the swine flu and intrusive government measures that many fear may be taken if the disease becomes a pandemic.

The Iowa document, which WND confirmed with state officials is authentic, has done little to calm the public's fears.

"The Iowa Department of Public Health has determined that you have had contact with a person with Novel Influenza A H1N1," the form reads. "The Department has determined that it is necessary to quarantine your movement to a specific facility to prevent further spread of this disease.

"The Department has determined that quarantine in your home and other less restrictive alternatives are not acceptable," the document continues, before listing mandatory provisions of compliance with relocation

to a quarantine facility.

The blank-form document, which has no name or case number listed, is titled a "Facility Quarantine Order," and though Iowa Department of Public Health Medical Director Patricia Quinlisk confirmed the state has the form, she told WND it's highly unlikely it will ever be used.

"We've had these kinds of template orders for years, but we hardly ever use them," Quinslick said. "I can count on two hands the number of times – in 20 years – that we've had to relocate a person because of quarantine."

Quinslick wasn't certain who released the blank document, or who signed her name to the bottom of it, but she wasn't concerned that it's been made public.

"We're not trying to hide anything," she said. "This is the kind of form we use."

Art's Commentary...... In the light of all of the moves to set up detention camps this story has an ominous ring.

Revelation 13:5-6
Sep 1st, 2009
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Prophecy;Book Study

“And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months”.  This is the midtribulation point, for 3 ½ years now the beast has been a deceiver, he has been pretending to be Israel’s benefactor. Now he is revealed for what he really is, the mask comes off. It is not that the world has not seen the beast up to this point, it is that the world has not seen the real heart and soul of the antichrist.  Now the curtain is pulled aside, and the real beast steps up.

Notice it says, “And there was given unto him”, the whole conflict between God and Satan is by the permissive will of God. Remember when we continue in sin and do not come under the immediate judgment of God, it is because God is allowing us to continue. The key to our lives is the fear of God, we need to fear lest God might allow us to go on in sin and bring ultimate disaster and destruction into our lives.

Up to this point the beast has been Mr. Nice guy, at least on the outside. “ A mouth speaking great things”, the guise of humility is gone, he now has the whole world in his total control. He is now arrogant and bold, he now begins to act as one who has control of everything,  he now acts to crush everything and everyone who dares to oppose him.

“And blasphemies”, now he rails against God, Satan now thinks he has won the battle with God and his man becomes defiant of God.

One of the amazing qualities of our God is now revealed, His patience and long suffering.  “And power was given to continue forty and two months”.  The patience and long suffering of God are infinite, though His purposes and programs are not to be frustrated by His patience. We who are in His likeness and image are to be like Him, we reflect His glory when we reveal His nature in our lives. We see that manifested in the lives of the tribulation saints who bear the suffering and martyrdom patiently.

“To continue forty and two months”.  This is the darkest hour this world has ever known or will ever know. Jesus described those days in Matthew 24:21-22, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh saved: but for the elects sake those days shall be shortened”.

This is the culmination of the great experiment, Satan implied to God in Job that he could run the kingdom better than God. The kingdoms of this world were given into Satan’s hand.  By the end of the 3 ½  years the world will be in ashes and ruins. Now the world of men and angels will know for all of eternity that only God can govern His kingdom and that sin and rebellion against God are a disaster.

“And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven”.

Notice the four fold blasphemies  of the beast.

First he blasphemes against God.  Satan has just been cast down out of heaven and he is angry against at God.  He seeks some way to hurt God and to strike back at God. The truth is that God is not even touched by these blasphemies. Satan cannot even touch God, this is one manifestation of the victory of God over His foe.

Second he blasphemes God’s name. The name of God is the deadliest weapon that antichrist has to face. God’s name is truth and that is what antichrist fears the most. We need to realize the power that is in the name of Jesus, it is our greatest weapon. Look at that power, “Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do , that the Father may be glorified in the Son”, John 14:13. Satan cannot face the name of God, he fears it and hates it, therefore he attacks it, but his attack is in vain.

Third he blasphemes God’s tabernacle. The tabernacle is the place where God has dwelt on earth and the place where the program of redemption was revealed. The place where Satan’s defeat is revealed in the type of Christ’s sacrifice for man’s sin.

Fourth he blasphemes those who have gone to heaven.  Satan through his man, the beast, has slaughtered millions of tribulation believers only to realize that they have gained the victory over him and are now in the very presence of God.

We see that Antichrist defies everything that connected to his great enemy, the Lord Jesus Christ. Satan now knows that his time is short and that he is  utterly defeated. The fact is that all that is now left to Satan is to blaspheme God.

Report: Obama to Mediate Israel - Pa Meeting
Sep 1st, 2009
Daily NewsArutz Sheva - Maayana Miskin
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel;Peace Process

 
Talks between Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will begin in under a month with help from a new moderator – United States President Barack Obama. So reports the American television news network Fox News, based on an exclusive interview with President Shimon Peres.

Peres told Fox that the three-way meeting is expected to take place at the United Nations compound in New York.

In advance of the meeting, Israeli, American, and European officials continue to talk regarding the PA's demand that Israel freeze construction in Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem. The PA has warned that it will not begin negotiations as long as Jews are allowed to build in areas that the PA claims as the site of a future Arab state.

The PA is backed by the U.S. and the E.U., both of which have pressured Israel to halt construction.

When it comes to the proposed building freeze, Netanyahu “knows he must do it,” Peres said. The prime minister “is aware of the choice, and he knows there is no chance, no escape, no alternative to go ahead and make peace,” he stated.

If negotiations between Israel and the PA resume, they will not include Hamas, Peres said. Hamas became part of the PA leadership after winning the most recent PA elections, but later split from the Fatah-led PA after staging a violent coup in Gaza. Currently, Hamas rules Gaza, while the Fatah-led PA controls Arab towns in Judea and Samaria.

Political Middle Ground in America Vanishing
Sep 1st, 2009
Daily NewsWND - Bob Unruh
Categories: Today's Headlines;Warning

Nation's polarization grows over loss of liberties, rights

A new WND Freedom Index poll reveals a growing chasm between Republicans and Democrats on the subject of freedoms in the nation – just as majority Democrats in Congress are pushing for sweeping changes in how society views the basic relationship between the public and private sectors and tries to orchestrate massive takeovers of health care and environmental policy.

Republicans are "very concerned" that freedoms quickly are being eroded, while Democrats are defending President Obama and his plans for the takeover of the health care industry following his advocacy of massive energy tax hikes and intervention in banking, insurance and auto manufacturing.

The WorldNetDaily Freedom Index for August reveals that the assessment of the future of freedoms in the U.S. stabilized after a drop a month earlier.

The index, a monthly measure of how Americans feel about what might be happening to a basketful of liberties, has ticked upward slightly from July's rating of 53.2 on a 100–point scale to 54.2 in this latest survey.

Just a month earlier, it had taken a nosedive from 57.6 to 53.2.

According to pollster Fritz Wenzel of Wenzel Strategies, the results indicate that while Democrats are becoming more assertive, Republicans' fears over their liberties are rising.

"Republicans now say they are more likely to self-censor themselves when speaking about sensitive topics out of fear of some sort of retribution, compared to just a month ago," Wenzel's analysis of the results says. "Nearly a third – 32 percent – said they regularly or always self–censor what they say in public out of fear of retribution, compared to 28 percent who said the same thing just a month ago."

However, Democrats have moved the opposite direction.

"Fifty-nine percent said they never or almost never self-censor, up from 54 percent who said the same thing last month," the analysis said.

"The index, which includes 10 questions that are repeated every month in a national survey, showed that the partisan divide that usually diminishes at the beginning of a new presidency is re-emerging as Americans evaluate what the new administration's policies might mean to the country," the Wenzel report said.

"Asked if, under the Obama administration, whether freedoms are increasing or decreasing in America, 38 percent said they are increasing, while 48 percent said they are decreasing. That number is similar to our July measurement of the identical question. However, among Democrats, 66 percent said freedoms are increasing – up 9 percentage points from just last month. Meanwhile, 77 percent of Republicans said freedoms are decreasing, which is 8 points higher than just a month earlier," the report said.

Even independents are more fearful, with 54 percent saying they believe freedoms are being lost under Obama. That was up from 49 percent who said that last month.

Poland marks the 70th anniversary of the Nazi invasion and the start of WWII
Sep 1st, 2009
News UpdateJimmy DeYoung
Categories: Jimmy DeYoung News

European leaders and Russia's PM Putin were among the foreign leaders who participated in Poland's commemoration of the outbreak of WWII as they gathered in the historic Polish port city of Gdansk, which was annexed by Germany on September 2, 1939, the day after Hitler's Nazis invaded Poland.

Poland was invaded by Germany on September 1, 1939 and by the Soviet Union some sixteen days later which resulted in more than 6 1/2 million Polish people dying during WWII including some 3 million of its Jewish population.

The Nazis chose to make Poland the site of the largest killing fields in Europe and ultimately the largest Jewish graveyard in the world.

Jimmy's Prophetic Prospective on the News

As Poland marked the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of WWII, historians can see how both world wars played a key role in the end times scenario that God has for the Jewish people according to Bible prophecy.

The controversy in Poland surrounding the outbreak of WWII 70 years ago includes the part that both Nazi Germany and the Communist Soviet Union played in this devastating time for Poland. There are students of secular history and Jewish life over the last 100 years that can clearly see how both WWI and WWII did play a major part in the Biblical plan God has for the Jewish people.

During WWI, the British military brought an end to the Ottoman-Turkish Empire in the Middle East and this world war prepared a land for God's chosen people, the Jewish people. WWII, with its slaughter of six million Jews in the Holocaust, prepared a people for the land.

Jesus warned in Matthew 24, His Olivet Discourse, in verses 6-7 that in the last days, wars and rumors of wars will proceed His return as the Jewish Messiah to the earth. Many Jewish prophets also reveal that these wars during the seven year Tribulation Period yet to come, the time of Jacob's Trouble, will turn the Jewish people to their Messiah.

As Poland marks the 70th anniversary of WWII, there is evidence that we are growing closer to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy predicted for the last days.

Israel, Palestinians Issue Conditions for Renewed Peace Talks
Sep 1st, 2009
Daily NewsIsrael Today
Categories: Today's Headlines;Peace Process

Israel and the Palestinian Authority on Monday issued their respective conditions for the renewal of bilateral peace talks.

As expected, the Palestinians repeated their demand that Israel completely halt the construction of all Jewish homes in Judea, Samaria and on the eastern side of Jerusalem. The Palestinians also insisted that the settlement freeze not have a temporary timeframe, as did the one offered last week by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu has pointed out that since taking office he has already implemented a de facto settlement freeze in Judea and Samaria, but that it will only last as long as the Palestinians reciprocate by honoring their peace commitments. Netanyahu refused to extend the building freeze to Jerusalem.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, meanwhile, told visiting international envoys Tony Blair and Javier Solana on Monday that Israel will back off from meaningful negotiations if the Palestinians promote unilateral steps.

Lieberman was referring to Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salaam Fayad's plan to create a de facto Palestinian state, and to even declare it as such within the coming year.

Fayad plan includes opening several international airports under PA control, as well as building a fully functioning army with US assistance. Israel completely rejects the possibility of the Palestinians operating a full-fledge military force, and wants certain controls over entry points such as airport to prevent Palestinian groups like Hamas from using them to import weapons.

Islam and the Last Days
Sep 1st, 2009
Main StoriesArt Sadlier
Categories: Printed Newsletter;Prophecy;Contemporary Issues

Today Islam is threatening to annihilate Israel, to replace Christianity and turn the whole world into an Islamic State. Today Islam is the fastest growing religion on earth. The main tenant of Islam states, “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet”. You just simply affirm that and you are a Muslim. Understand that in Muhammad’s day the Arabs worshipped 300 gods. The moon god was named Allah and Allah was chosen as the only god to the exclusion of the other 299. That is why the crescent moon is the symbol of Islam.

Fifty years ago, it was completely unforeseen that Islam would rise to dominate world affairs as it does today. Unfortunately some Bible teachers have tried to adapt Bible prophecy to the circumstances involving Islam’s dominate position in the world today. We must never interpret Bible prophecy in the light of the current world situation but rather the current world situation in the light of the Bible. The Bible does not teach that the Antichrist is to be from Islam, it clearly teaches that he is to be the leader of the Revived Roman Empire. These new teachings are a distraction for the Body of Christ. Paul said, “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” Ephesians 4:14a.

The Bible clearly spells out Islam’s end time activity and her sudden demise early in the tribulation period. Ezekiel 38-39 describes how that Islam will be destroyed early in the tribulation period. Ezekiel 39:2 tells us that five of every six Muslims and Russians who come against Israel at that time will be killed, leaving Islam and Russia no longer a factor in the tribulation scenario from that point onward.

Islam hates Israel with a hatred that is hard to comprehend. At this present moment Islam stands in the way of Israel’s rebuilding the Temple on the Temple Mount. We know that the Temple is soon to be rebuilt, in spite of Islam’s vow that it will never happen. Today signs all around indicate the Temple is soon to be rebuilt. The question is, what scenario will suddenly appear to cause Islam to assent to the rebuilding of the Temple?

I believe that as we study Islam’s eschatology the answer will be clear.

The Church has been given an end time scenario (eschatology), Christ will take the Body of Christ home to heaven, Antichrist will appear and sign a Peace Treaty, that peace will be short lived as sudden destruction sweeps the world. Seven years later Christ will come from heaven with the Church and destroy Israel’s enemies and set up the promised kingdom for Israel and the world.

Israel has been given an end time scenario; she is awaiting the coming of her Messiah to bring peace and prosperity to Israel and the world, and to set up the kingdom.

Islam has a system of eschatology; the central figure in Islam’s end time expectations is the Mahdi. His full name is Al Mahdi Al-Muntadar (The awaited Savior). The Mahdi is the universal hope of both Suni and Shite.

The last days will be days of great deception, both Jesus and Paul taught this. Paul said, “Then shall that wicked be revealed … Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie”, 11 Thess.2:8-11.

After the church is caught away there will be three groups that will be deceived by Antichrist. Not only will they be deceived by Antichrist, God will also send them a strong delusion that they should believe the lie that Antichrist is their Messiah. The church will believe that Antichrist is actually Christ. Israel will believe that he is their Messiah. Islam will believe that he is their Mahdi. This will involve an incredible deception that will sweep over men and women who have rejected the claims of God and His Word on their lives.

There is a similarity between the eschatology of Islam and the eschatology of Israel. This is not to be wondered at because in Muhammad’s day before he founded Islam he was greatly influenced by both Christianity and Judaism.

Today there is a wave of anticipation of the coming of the Mahdi. The following news item recently appeared. “Iran last week held a multi-day conference, bringing together politicians, mullahs, students - Shite and Sunni alike – to plot what can be done on this earthly plane to hasten the coming of the anointed one, a messianic, end times personage known as the Mahdi”. This is the fifth annual such conference.

Someday, perhaps soon, Antichrist will come and present himself as Christ to the apostate church that has been left behind after the rapture has taken place.

Someday, perhaps soon, Antichrist will come and offer Israel peace and prosperity. Israel will be deceived into receiving him as their long awaited Messiah.

Someday, perhaps soon, the Mahdi will come and offer to Islam their greatly desired world kingdom.

I suggest to you that the Mahdi of Islam and the counterfeit Messiah of Israel will be one and the same person, the Antichrist. That is the only possible way that a peace treaty could be agreed upon by Islam and Israel.

It is fascinating to understand Islam’s expectations of the Mahdi; there is a striking similarity to the person and program of Antichrist. The following is the expectation of Islam concerning the Mahdi.

---  An unparalleled political, military and religious world leader. (That is also Antichrist).

---  He will be revealed after a period of great turmoil and suffering on earth. (That is today, according to Ahmadinejad)

---  He establishes justice throughout the world. (That is also the promise of Antichrist)

---  He will lead a revolution to establish a new world order. (That is the expectation of both Israel and Islam today)

---  He will go to war against all nations who oppose him. (That is the common expectation of both Islam and Israel and it is what scripture says Antichrist will do, see Rev. 13:7)

---  He will make a seven year peace treaty with a Jew of priestly lineage. (That is the preconditioning of Islam, to welcome Antichrist’s peace treaty between themselves and Israel)

---  The Mahdi conquers Israel for Islam and leads the final battle against the Jews. (That is why Islam will welcome the peace treaty)

 ---  Rules for seven years in Jerusalem. (The expectation of Israel and Islam)

 ---  Causes Islam to be the only religion practiced on earth. (Islam`s great hope)

 ---  Has power from Allah over wind and rains and crops. (That is Antichrist’s signs and wonders - 2 Thess. 2:9)

 ---  He will posses and distributes great wealth. (See Daniel 11:38)

 ---  His face will shine like a star and he will be loved of all people. ( That is a description of Antichrist)

The obvious fact is that both Israel and Islam are being prepared for the moment when Antichrist will appear on the scene. The incredible hatred of Islam for Israel today would lead us to believe that a peace treaty and the building of the Temple is impossible, suddenly the impossible will happen.

The European dictator will appeal to Islam according Daniel 11:38, “....a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things”. What god was unknown to the Romans during the days of the Roman Empire? The answer can only be “Allah”, who was virtually unknown until the days of Muhammad in the 7th century A.D. This text implies that Antichrist will spend great sums to gain the acceptance of Islam, perhaps building a mosque that will be of tremendous wealth and beauty. Perhaps he will move the Mosque of Omar to Mecca?

Among all of the proofs that Antichrist will be a leader of the Revived Roman Empire is the text of Daniel 9:26. We have this statement, ‘...and the people of the prince that shall come (Antichrist) shall destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary;’ It was in 70 AD that the Romans came and destroyed Jerusalem and the sanctuary. That means that the prince that shall come will be a Roman.

I suspect that early in the tribulation period Islam will realize that they have made a mistake and the scenario of Ezekiel 38-39 will unfold. The Islamic nations will come against Israel to utterly destroy her.

Ezekiel tells us that this attempt to destroy Israel will be, according to Ezekiel 38:8:

First – “In the Latter years”, during the end times, that’s our day.

Second – After Israel, “is gathered out of many people” that again is our day.

Third – “They shall dwell safely all of them”, that is not this present hour. This points to the time immediately after the Peace Treaty is signed.

Paul indicates that the Peace Treaty will be short lived (1 Thess. 5:3); therefore this war will take place early in the tribulation period.

The burning of the weapons for seven years (Ezekiel 39:9) indicates that this war takes place very early in the tribulation period. In the Old Testament times, the years of the rule of the kings were numbered from the date of his ascension to the throne, any portion of that year was counted as a whole year, so likewise if they began burning the weapons in the middle of the first year of the tribulation period that would be counted as a whole year. Seven years would then end prior to the beginning of the millennial kingdom. They will surely not be burning these weapons in the millennial kingdom.

Notice what will happen to Islam in this war early in the tribulation period. In Ezekiel 39:2 we read that five out of every six Islamic and Russian soldiers will die. Verse six indicates that this destruction will fall on the homelands of these peoples as well. Islam and Russia will cease to be a factor from that time onward.

If the USA has met its demise by this time, who will be left standing, who will control the oil of the Middle East, who will have the only standing army in the Mideast? The answer is the Antichrist. From that point onward his kingdom will explode, until it fills the whole earth. I suspect that the collapse of the USA will bring an economic recession to China. This will be a situation that will not be relieved until late in the tribulation period when China will come to the Mideast for the battle of Armageddon.

The scriptures spell out the role of Islam in the last days. We do not need to help God out by inventing new scenarios to explain the unexpected rise of Islam.

The stage is being set for the trumpet to sound to call the body of Christ home. The stage is being set for Antichrist to come. The stage is being set for Islam to play out its role in the drama of the last days.

Gaza Heats Up: Rockets Fired, Shots At Sea
Sep 1st, 2009
Daily NewsArutz Sheva - Maayana Miskin
Categories: Today's Headlines;The Nation Of Israel;War

 
The “Color Red” rocket warning system sounded in Sderot and surrounding communities on Monday night for the second night in a row as Gaza terrorists resumed their attacks. Terrorists in northern Gaza fired two projectiles at communities in southern Israel.

It was not immediately clear if the weapons used in the attack were rockets or mortar shells. No injuries or damage have been reported.

Gaza terrorists have stepped up their attacks on Israeli civilians living near Gaza over the past several days. In addition, terrorists have targeted soldiers patrolling near the Gaza security barrier, and civilian workers in the area.

The increasingly frequent attacks follow months of relative quiet after the Cast Lead counterterror offensive in Gaza in December and January.

On Monday afternoon, an Israeli navy ship fired on a Gaza boat after it failed to heed repeated calls to stop. The shots caused a fire aboard the small ship.

Sailors and Gaza fishermen worked together to extinguish the blaze. Gaza Arabs reported that one man was injured in the attack.

Gaza residents said that the boat in question was a fishing vessel, and those on board were civilians. Israeli naval officers expressed skepticism, pointing out that similar “fishing boats” had been used in previous attacks, and that the blaze aboard the boat proved that it had been carrying some sort of highly flammable material.

Buddhism Strengthens Ties to Church
Sep 1st, 2009
Daily NewsThe Denver Post,
Categories: Commentary;Apostasy

What in the recent past seemed exotic and foreign is now almost routinely folded into "the fold."

Buddhism is not only accepted as a mainstream American religion, it is a path increasingly trod by faithful Christians and Jews who infuse Eastern spiritual insights and practices such as meditation into their own religions.

When John Weber became a Buddhist at age 19, his devout Methodist parents were not particularly pleased.

In recent years, however, they've invited their son, a religious studies expert with Boulder's Naropa University, to speak at their church about Buddhism.

"That never would have happened before," Weber said. "They would have been embarrassed."

The Pew Forum's Religious Landscape Survey in 2007 found that seven in 10 Americans who have a religion believe there is more than one path to salvation. A growing number of people are contemplating more than one each.

And they are contemplating contemplation itself.

There are Jubus - Jews who bring Buddhism into their practice of Judaism - and Bujus, who are Buddhists with Jewish parents. Then there are UUbus, or Unitarian Universalist Buddhists, and Ebus, or Episcopalian Buddhists. There are Zen Catholics.

"There is a definite trend and movement that will not be reversed," said Ruben Habito, a laicized Jesuit priest, Zen master and professor of world religions at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. "We are in a new spiritual age, an inter-religious age."

An 'infidel' in Israel
Sep 1st, 2009
CommentaryJpost - LELA GILBERT
Categories: Commentary;Inspirational;Peace Process

Nonie Darwish was born in Cairo, and in the early 1950s moved with her family to Egyptian-occupied Gaza, where her father, Lt.-Gen. Mustafa Hafez, was appointed by president Gamal Abdel Nasser to command Egyptian army intelligence. Hafez founded Palestinian fedayeen units to launch terrorist raids across Israel's southern border. Between 1951 and 1956, the fedayeen killed some 400 Israelis. In July 1956, when Nonie was eight, her father became the IDF's first targeted assassination. He was immediately recognized as a shahid - a martyr for jihad. Nonie eventually graduated from the American University, and later worked as a journalist. In 1978 she moved to the US, where she has become a Christian.

Nonie Darwish's book Now They Call Me Infidel fascinated me, and I remember thinking as I read it that I would love to meet this woman. The opportunity came during her recent visit to Jerusalem to speak at the Feast of Tabernacles.

We began our conversation by talking about her family background.

You attended elementary school in Gaza. What was that like?

In elementary school we learned hatred, vengeance and retaliation; peace was never an option, but a sign of defeat and weakness. Teachers filled our hearts with fear of Jews; that made hatred come easy and terrorism acceptable, even honorable. Looking back, I never heard a peace song in Arabic. All we heard were songs glorifying jihad, martyrdom and winning wars.

In Now They Call Me Infidel, you wrote about the difficulties your mother faced as a widow, even though your father was an Egyptian hero. What was life like for you and your family after he died?

After my father's death, my mother had to face life alone with five children in a culture that respects only families headed by a man. In the 1950s few women drove, and she was called names for buying a car to take us to school.

You've said that you gradually began to question the culture you lived in. Do any specific incidents come to mind that were turning points?

I remember visiting a Christian friend in Cairo during the Friday prayers, and we both heard the verbal attacks on Christians and Jews from the loudspeakers. We heard "May God destroy the infidels and the Jews, the enemies of God…" and believe it or not, if you grow up with cursing prayers, they can sound and feel normal. But my Christian friend looked scared, and I was ashamed. That was when I first realized something was wrong with the way my religion was taught and practiced.

You are very outspoken in your book about the grave consequences of polygamy on women in the Arab culture. Why?

Polygamy has a devastating effect on family dynamics, on the husband/wife relationship and on women's relationships with other women. Many Muslim men have only one wife, but the damage to the wife/husband relationship has already been done in the Muslim marriage contract, in which a man doesn't pledge loyalty to his wife. Besides the name of the bride, the marriage contract has three spaces left blank, to be filled with the names of any other women the man later wishes to marry. Yet in spite of this, a good Muslim woman must accept her destiny under Shari'a law...

How would you describe Shari'a law?

Under Islamic Shari'a law, punishments include flogging, stoning, beheading and amputation of limbs. These are cruel and unusual punishments by Western standards. Leaving Islam is punishable by death. Even if an Islamic state fails to kill an apostate, his death is guaranteed at the hands of a street mob. That makes Islam more than a religion; it's a state, with an elaborate legal system that can put you to death if you leave it. Shari'a guarantees that there is no crossing the "Berlin Wall" of the Muslim state... Amazingly, the majority of Muslim countries don't practice criminal Shari'a simply because they can't stomach it. But family Shari'a law is in every Muslim country. It allows only men the right to an easy divorce, permits up to four wives and allows wife beating. A woman is respected only when she hides her body, face and even her identity.

You've been to Israel several times. In your view, how does it differ from the rest of the Middle East?
Israel really brings hope to the region. Israel is the only country in the Middle East that allows religious freedom. Even though it is the tiniest country in the region, it is not afraid to allow Muslims to have mosques to pray in; it is not afraid to allow Christians all these freedoms. It is really a credit to Judaism that it doesn't have the possessiveness Islam has. You know, it's amazing, with all the land the Muslims have, and all the wealth from oil, and all the armies, that no Arab country is secure in its existence. Why else would 1.2 billion Muslims feel threatened by five million Jews? It says a lot. And I've learned that the fear and hate are by design - of Islam's religious educators, its political leadership and its intellectuals. Hatred for Israel is part of how the Arab world operates. They need an enemy. Because there is so much turmoil inside the Muslim world and no one can really name the reason. Why do we have so much turmoil? Why do we have so much anger? Why do we have such rage in our families? They don't dare say it's because of Shari'a.

You still have family members in Egypt. When did you last see them, and what were your thoughts about life there during your visit?

In August 2001 I visited my birthplace. I was stunned to see how radical Islam had taken over. The level of anger and hate speech was alarming. I saw extreme poverty, pollution, hazardous material and garbage along the Nile. There was high unemployment, inflation and widespread corruption. But when I read the Arab media, all I saw was the bashing of Israel and America. Citizens were unaware of Muslim-against-Muslim atrocities in Iraq, Algeria, Sudan and so forth. I was happy to return to the US on the evening of September 10, 2001.

So the next morning…?

The next morning, when I saw the second plane hit the Twin Towers, I thought, 'Jihad has come to America.' Muhammad Atta was from Cairo, the same city I came from.

I called several friends in Cairo that day, but they were all in denial and asked me, "How dare you say that Arabs did this? Don't you know this is a Jewish conspiracy?"

Were the people you talked to affiliated with radical Islam?
No, these were not radicals, but ordinary Egyptians, who are otherwise very nice people. I hung up and felt alone and disconnected from my culture of origin. Once again, my people are accusing the Jews of something we know very well that we Arabs have done... I started speaking after 9/11 out of respect for the 3,000 fellow Americans who died that day. I also spoke out of empathy for Israel - a country that deserves our respect and not our hatred. And today I speak out of love for my culture of origin, which is in desperate need of reformation. Arab terrorism is destroying the moral fabric and goodness in Arab culture.

You have written about the role envy plays in the Muslim world, describing it as a root of anti-American and anti-Israel thinking. Can you explain what you mean?

As Muslims we fear the evil eye of others. We call it hasad, which means envy. Unlike Christian teaching, which regards envy as a sin of the person who envies, in Islam envy is viewed as a curse brought upon one person by the evil eye of another. As a result we often see Muslims hide good news or keep their distance. Even giving a compliment is dangerous; it could be taken as a curse. The end result is a population that is extremely distrustful of one another...

Islamists are blinded by envy and can't understand Israel's success. They say it must be due to conspiracy and not merit... They have forgotten that Jewish success is due to a culture that promotes excellence and is blessed with self-discipline, education, dedication and a drive to leave this world a better place. There is no conspiracy there! If Arabs want to compete with Jews, let them do it in the realm of innovation and education, and not by terrorizing and eliminating the opposition. Arab mistakes are blamed on Israel, the West, past injustice or colonialism. Looking at a map of Israel in relationship to the Arab world tells us that Arabs don't need land; they need tolerance. There is no shortage of land. There is a shortage of freedom.

Exactly how do Muslim preachers stir up envy and hatred against non-Muslims?

Non-Muslims are not just cursed, but are often described as nagas, Arabic for "filth." The Times of London reported that Muslim students in Britain are being taught to despise non-Muslims as filth. That is why many Arabs believe that the existence of non-Muslims on Muslim land is a desecration... That is why America's defense of the Muslims against the Serbs, the Afghani Muslims against the Soviet Union, feeding Somali Muslims starved by their own leadership, received no credit in the Muslim world. In fact, the results are just the opposite; the more we try to help stabilize the region, the more we are despised. Muslims do not want to be rescued by infidels. This is a proud culture that is easily shamed by feelings of dependency on non-Muslims.

Besides your book, explain the other work you are doing.

In February 2004, I started an organization called Arabs for Israel. Some criticized the name, claiming it implied a lack of support for Arabs. But to support Israel doesn't mean being anti-Arab. I love my people, but for peace to happen, we need a big leap, a new attitude; forgiveness and compassion. We Arabs need to ask "What can we do?" and not focus on what Israel must do to build trust, respect and peace... Improving living conditions for Arabs is not Israel's responsibility, it is the Arabs' responsibility. And Arab kids don't need hatred, they need hope. They don't need jihad, they need jobs.

What are your fears for Israel?

My greatest fear for Israel is that it will lose the will to fight. Its founders are dying off, and now the same liberalism that is making the West weak is here too. I'm afraid Israel will give away too much, and the country will become too small to defend. Because the more you give, the more the Arabs want; it's part of the Arab culture. My Arab people are beautiful people, and I pray to God that they will find forgiveness in their hearts.