Israel

i certainly believe that we are living in the end times. the evil that is running rampant in these times is getting worse. can anyone disagree with that? sure, maybe they thought that evil was running rampant in the 60's compared to the 50's. were they right? was the 70's more evil than the 60's? was the 90's more evil than the 80's? how do you define evil? lets make a statement that no one can disagree with: ever since israel came back together in 1947/48, the world has been drifting in the opposite direction of Holiness, drifting away from God. although i contend that evil still ran its course before then -- it was just socially acceptable to hide it in those days -- after Israel was officially recongized in 1948, the devil really started to let loose. why? many people who study prophecy, including myself, believe that Israel is a KEY factor in the end times. the regathering of Israel is fulfilled prophecy -- '"I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone ... and bring them into their own land ..."' (Ezek 37.21) also -- '"Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles unitl the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled"' (Lk 21.24). in fact, when Jesus says "Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place" (Matt 24:34), many of us believe the reference is concerning Israel as a fig tree beginning to grow leaves, which will then eventually grow fruit.

Israel is Gods chosen land and the Jews are indeed Gods chosen people. -"You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen" ... And what nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land ...' (Isa 43.10) (2 Sam 7.23). Israel is under attack now, just like they have been since the beginning and just like they will until the end of time. as Christians, do we have any stake in this battle? Israel may not be the God-fearing nation we wish it was (it will someday soon), but Israel, remember, is our home nation as well, even though we are not Jewish:

• Christianity is the wild olive branch that was grafted into the cultivated olive tree, which of course is Israel. (Romans 11:24)
• Jesus was a Jew. He taught as a Jewish Rabbi. He celebrated Jewish feasts and holy days.
• when Christ sets up his Millenial rule, (new) Jerusalem will be the center.

in the end times we are going to be forced to choose sides. we had a good run for the last few hundred years, did we not? we were free to do as we wanted. free to choose a side, free to remain neutral, free to relax, free to work hard...free, free, free. well, those days are numbered. no matter what you may think of America, the Bible is clear: there WILL be a one world government. there WILL be a one world currency. the question is not '"if" but "when". i believe we will see these days very soon. i believe the rapture will come after a bunch of this stuff happens, not before.

in the last few years, our own nation of America has become very split. in my opinion, this is another clear sign that we are living in the end times. the whole world now seems to be anti-Israel, and America -- and many Christians -- are on the wrong side. lets look at some FACTS concerning how God feels about Israel:

• FACT: God speaking to Abram, the father of Israel: "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:3
• FACT: and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies"' (Gen 22.17)    
• FACT: '"Whoever assails you will fall because of you ... no weapon that is formed against you will prosper"' (Isa 54.15,17)
• FACT: '"I will be a wall of fire around her ... he who touches you, touches the apple of (the Lord's) eye"' (Zech 2.5,8)

is this to say that we are to turn a blind eye to the evil ways of some of the Jews? without going into detail, we can agree that some Jews are involved in very bad activities. of course, we are not to condone sin, even if it is Gods people who are doing it. but that judgement, that issue is between God and the Jews. He will deal with them as He sees fit. what we do know is that in the end times:

• the Jews will come to know Christ. Romans 11:26-27
• the 144,000 witnesses in Revelation 7 are not only Jews, but are 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.
• Israel will be miraculously kept and saved throughout the age (Isaih 54:17)
• temple will be rebuilt (Matthew 24:15, II Thessalonians 2:4, Revelation 11:1)

let God do what He needs to do to soften their hearts. we need to do what we need to do -- God will judge Israel for her actions and God will judge us for ours. furthermore, why would Jews even want to be a part of Christianity if we Christians turn a blind eye to what the world is doing to them?

speaking of that, what exactly IS the world doing to them? simply put, they are trying to destroy Israel. the verbal threats are not new, but they are certainly increasing. the Muslim world is espically anit-Israel, even to the point where some countries are calling for Israel to be anialated from the face of the earth. even Israels long time friend, the USA, is activily taking steps against Israel. current sentiment towards Israel:

• Obama Sees ’67 Borders as Starting Point for Peace Deal  (May 2011) -- more on this below.
• "Israel should be eliminated from the pages of history" ... President of Iran, 2006
• "In order to protect the security of our country, we have no option but ot have the Zionist regime wiped off the map" Irans cheif commander July 2011
• "Prepare Egyptians for war with Israel" -- (Feb 2011) Muslim Brotherhood, a political party that is very close to being the ruling party in Egypt
• Israel President: 'England Is Anti-Semitic' (Aug 2010)

Jerry Fallwell said in 1981 "To stand against Israel is to stand against God. We believe that history and scripture prove that God deals with nations in relation to how they deal with Israel."

future sentiment towards Israel:

• all the nations will be against Jerusalem to battle (Zech 14.2) (unfulfilled, so still to happen)

what happens to those who stand AGAINST Israel?

• "Whoever assails you will fall because of you ... no weapon that is formed against you will prosper"' (Isa 54.15,17)
• "And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths." (Zechariah 14:12)
• "It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" (Zechariah 12:9)

it is time to get on the right side of things. it is time to make a stand. the Bible shows that israel has a prominent standing in the end times. and as we know, Israel indeed stands in the spotlight -- this little tiny country about the size of Vermont. we as christians are only one step removed from the hate. whatever level the world hates israel, we are right behind. if Israel is public enemy #1, then Christians are public enemy #2. its already creeping all around us: teaching gay history in public schools (yes, here in USA); not allowing Bible studies in private homes (yes, here in USA); Sharia law (Islamic law based on the Koran) being considered in legal arguments in our American judicial system and being actually enforced in Canadian public schools; federal laws allowing children to get tax-payer funded abortions in secret without the parents consent or knowledge; Canadian pastors being arrested for reading Romans chapter 1 because it is anti-gay hate speach. i am not positive, but i believe all the things i mentioned all came about in the last 10 years or so. folks, we need to wake up! this is so BEYOND politics! we are not fighting flesh and blood, we are fighting a spiritual battle (Eph 6:12). time of indifference is over. lines have been drawn in the sand. the middle ground is disappearing FAST. the end times are at hand and the world is changing fast. the uninformed will not be able to make the right decisions when forced to. the uninformed will be decieved and tricked. yes, we all just want to be left alone, but thats not happening any more because as we sit, the world spins and makes regulations against us every day. we Christians and people with values are the target. we are the ones standing in the way of "their" agenda:

• US Representative Sheila Jackson Lee to investigate Right Wing Extremists (July 2011). are you a "right wing extremist"? if you are a Christian that believes there is only one way to Heaven, than you are extreme. if you believe the Bible is 100%, you are extreme.
• the Media has been saying that the Norway shooter than killed 70 some people this summer was a right wing Christian, even though Norways "right wing" is not America's "right wing" and he certainly was not a Christian.
• in the Debt Ceiling debate, vice president Biden called Tea Partiers "terrorists".

what type of people compose the Tea Party? right wing citizens who believe in limited government, controled taxation and basically hold on to the truth that you are responsible for your own actions and it is not the governments job to provide for you. whether or not all Tea Party people are Christians, these are certainly Christian values: God is our provider, NOT the government (so many verses and so indepth that this will be covered in another post); we have a right to our own money that we make and we should be able to distribute it as WE see fit, not the government; churches should NOT be taxed; we should be able to live as FREE PEOPLE -- the government should not be restricting what we can and cant eat, restricting how we raise our kids (some places in the US have laws against spanking, trying to make laws that you cant take your kids to church of they dont want to go, young girls are already allowed to have abortions without parental consent or knowledge -- paid with tax payer dollars), restrict how much food we can grow on our own land (YES, there are laws concerning this), how much food we can keep on hand (again, YES there are laws on this), etc, etc. whether or not you "label" yourself as Right Wing, Tea Party, Libertarian or Conservative, if any of these things strike a nerve with you, than YOU ARE A TARGET. you are NOT on the worlds side and they are moving as fast as they can to see to it that you are broken and converted into their way of thinking -- eventually by force if neccessary ("for the good of humanity", of course).

this september, the UN will vote on whether or not to make Palastine a "state". if they succeed, which they probably will, then the UN will decide where the bouderies are. this will obviously not go well with Israel and there will probably be much mayhem. to say the least, it will not be good. does the UN have the right to tell Israel where its borders are? it has been said that the first land deed ever written is recorded in Gen 15. the Bible also says: '"I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you ... I will give to you and your descendants ... all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."' (Gen 17.7,8). how does our President feel about this? he said a few months ago that negotiations should start with the "1967 borders". those lines put most of the holy places and half of Jerusalem into the hands of the Palastinians. these lines would make Israel indefensable and utterly open for military attacks and assults. the Bible is clear what land is Israels.

what can we do? on August 24, Glenn Beck is hosting a "Restoring Courage" event. "Restoring Courage is an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that Israel does not stand alone. Three events will take place as part of Restoring Courage to unite people around the world from all walks of life in standing with Israel, reminding us of the need to have faith, honor and courage in our own lives." i am going to host a viewing party, which is a local gatherings where we can view the Restoring Courage events. details will follow, but i ask all to attend this historic event. currently, there are viewing parties in all 50 states and several countries. in some countries, people are risking their lives to take this stand. this is not something to be taken lightly. remember, this is bigger than you and me...bigger than Israel. please join me and my family.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." (Edmund Burke)

"First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me." Martin Niemöller, 1946