Fruit in Adversity

Dictators have dominated history’s landscape almost from the beginning of time, and regardless of geography or time frame brutal domination spills over not just on those in the immediate area but is usually far reaching.

For instance the Roman dynasty covered an area from Western Europe to Asia and those under the Roman yoke knew full well the harsh realities of the Caesar’s rule.

In more recent times the Axis powers of World War II Japan, Italy and Germany had a death grip that reached almost around the globe. Sadly, Communism stepped into the void and again a large portion of the world was subdued under the hammer and sickle and Red Star of China.

With Communism waiting in respite we have seen the extremes from Saddam Hussein all the way to Slobodan Milosevic and the brutality of the Sudan play out before our eyes. Currently there are still many people living under some type of dictatorship and the cruelty and oppression seems to be unending.

However, from the Caesars to the modern despot the worst of conditions have a positive by product and that is the growth of the church. Jesus told us “the gates of Hades will not overpower it (the church),” Matthew 18:18 NASB

True it is hard to see beyond the harsh circumstances but God’s word is true, the remnant has remained true and the church, despite wars persecution and dictators, continues to thrive under adversity, and we must purpose to do the same. God still is in charge!

Is There a Difference?

If you read the local newspaper last Thursday you would understand that many experts are now ready to admit that Iran’s nuclear threat is as dangerous as many of us have been stating for the better part of a decade. The failed negotiations have kept the world with their fingers crossed so to speak, hoping that diplomatic interventions would put this monster to rest.

Sadly, the reality is this long drawn out monologue has only given Iran time to beef up its air attack defense systems, come closer to completing their projects and has surrogate Syria and its proxy terrorist group Hezbollah to provoke its next war with Israel.

While the world has been focusing on Iran the tunnels and trenches have been dug connecting the bunkers that are housing literally thousands of rockets capable of striking deep into the heart of the Jewish state and its civilian populace. Any preemptive strike against the terrorist enclave in Southern Lebanon could trigger a response from Tehran and visa versa.

The tragic but intriguing elements of the media coverage have left a bunch of terrorist leaders unknown to the world pushing the world to the brink of nuclear holocaust while focusing on Ahmadinejad.

While no one knows just how this scenario will play out exactly Israel is caught between two powder kegs, the fuses are lit and the possibility of Damascus “being removed from being a city,” Isaiah 17:2, is probably much closer than a lot of people realize!

When Worlds Collide

According to the threats of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, he has promised to unleash his wrath on the western powers in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the Islamic revolution. Of course, February 11, 2010 came and went and the attack never came, so was there any reason to fear or was it just an idle threat?

Historically, the first warnings of Islamic attacks on America were forwarded to President Reagan in 1986 but the first World Trade Center attack didn’t come until 1993.

Don’t doubt for a minute that the threats of Iran are just ranting, they are very real and unless stopped will eventually be carried out. The 20^th Anniversary of the Islamic takeover of Iran was the beginning of the war on terror and in the words of the Ayatollah Khomeini it was a “war of Islam against the world.”

Muslim eschatology is a major component of 12^th Imam. Their Messiah must return to the world to right all wrong and the triggering of a global conflict will hasten his return.

Sadly, threats with specific dates have a tendency to affect the stock market, oil prices, and other elements, but when they don’t come to pass, most people are lulled to sleep.

So, Iran will continue to spew hate-filled rhetoric and set more dates, all the while negotiating with the west and simultaneously preparing for nuclear war. Regardless of the actual date, barring some type of intervention the war between Islam and the world is ready to explode.

When in doubt blame Israel

Reports tell us that one million Muslims have died since 1990 and if that is true, the initial blame will fall on the U.S. and Israel.

While that scenario is not true we still must acknowledge that more than 100,000 have died in Iraq as part of the death toll since the war on terror began. As Israel continues to wage a deadly day to day war against terror within her borders there have been a lot of civilian casualties on both sides. However, if you take the total of those two conflicts the glaring truth is 890,000 Muslims have died world wide without U.S. or Israeli action.

Most people do not connect the dots concerning these past two decades of the reports of hotel bombings and attacks at soccer games and the multi billions of dollars of damage.

Far too many of these Muslim deaths happen at times and places where the victims have not taken a side east or west, Sunni versus Shia or due to any other alignment, they are tragic statistics of collateral damage.

There are forces around the world whether they are television, radio, or printed media that would lead you to believe that the ills of the troubled Middle East could be resolved by eliminating Israel. The perpetrators of these heinous acts not only hate the west but Judeo-Christian values and do not subscribe to freedom of the press, religion or human rights, which converts into suppression, volatility, brutal violence, and total domination.

You can blame Israel all you want but the sheer weight of numbers with casualties and damage tips the scales toward fundamental Islam.  God’s promise was that God would bless through the Jews, Genesis 12:3. So let the blame be laid on the right doorstep.

Peace in our time?

The bumper sticker declares, “War is not the answer,” and 6000 years of man’s history proves the statement relevant. Yet at the same time can man’s 6000 year resume really define peace as being the answer?

I am not saying war is hands down the answer but the fruit of peace never seems to last and war cannot help but follow. The peace in the post World War I era gave rise to a new Russia, Japan, Germany and the likes of Mussolini, Hitler, and Ho Chi Minh.

After the close of World War II we saw the Cold War, the attempt of stabilizing peace between Moslems and Hindus creating Pakistan and India and still no resolution to the Balkan issue after both World Wars.

As history continued to unfold to the modern day we see the Balkan conflict has not bee resolved and the peace between Ireland and England again is tenuous at best.

After all this unresolved conflict we now watch the situation in Israel and realize just how utterly useless peace has been. War happens because of the content of men’s hearts, but peace cannot work when men do not honor the agreements and their intentions are not noble. The only hope we can hold on to is the time when Jesus returns to reign. Until then we will see the continual cycle of war and peace with no resolution.

What is really being defended?

The continual threat of Iran’s nuclear program has finally prompted the U.S. to send two naval vessels to the Persian Gulf. Added to the ships will be two Patriot Missile Systems delivered to the nations of Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait.

For the past decade Iran’s saber rattling has been met with failed negotiations, so now this appears to be a bold move of protection but is it really?

The above mentioned nations are avowed enemies of Israel and have done much behind the scenes to assist more aggressive entities in her destruction. True, this missile umbrella could be used against an Iranian attack but this same defense could be used to impede a preemptive strike by Israel against Iran should the need arise.

While the nations of the Gulf region fear Iran it seems highly unlikely that these missiles and ships in the area would in reality be enough to defend them from a regional power like Iran.

If a Shia terror group like Hezbollah can coordinate efforts with a Sunni group like Hamas to wage war against Israel, the same can be true of nations. History has proven that whenever arms and other support is pumped into this region in order to stabilize and balance power Israel has always suffered.

Realistically the pieces of the prophetic puzzle are now falling into place as the prophet wrote.” And you will come up against my people Israel like a cloud to cover the Land.” Ezekiel 38:16 N.A.S.B. Missiles and ships for defense yes, but what is the real nature behind this move? A deterrent against Israel and yet another sign of where the world is prophetically.

Boldness in Prime Time

Tim Tebow has been in the national spotlight for his entire career as a winning collegiate quarterback and he also is projected to go high in the upcoming NFL draft. Tim Tebow is not ashamed of his Christian beliefs to the point that he will have an international audience as he declares his opposition to abortion during this week’s Superbowl half time show.

The controversy swirls and there is a lot of speculation by the opposition about how this time slot will affect people’s perspective on the volatile issue of abortion. Ironically all the speculation thus far is completely irrelevant as no one has seen the commercial and has no idea what the content really is.

If memory serves me correctly, there was a commercial that aired during a Summer Olympic where body bags were piled up in front of a tobacco manufacturer to indicate the grave consequences of smoke.

Our culture is bombarded with anti-Christian sentiment in network sitcoms, dramas and late-night comedy sketches, maybe not in a commercial slot but continually nevertheless.

So when Tim Tebow takes the stage this week the controversy will be unavoidable but this young man has counted the cost and is ready to stand up for what he believes in regardless!

No one really knows about Tebow’s future in the NFL but rest assured of one thing he will reap his reward for taking his stand. He is a leader both on and off of the football field and an inspiration to all!

What is Lost

There are many people that believe the twelve tribes of Israel are lost forever and many times this theory gets spun into some off-the-wall theology. While it is true the Jews were dispersed after the destruction of the Temple in 70 C.E. and have gone to the far reaches of the globe they are still present to those of the Diaspora. In fact, James opens his epistle writing to the twelve tribes dispersed or scattered abroad, James 1:1.

Jesus spoke of the same group in Matthew 19:28 and Luke 22:30 and those that will sit to judge the twelve tribes, so the evidence of New Testament Scriptures carries on.

Even modern history has shown us in the past two decades the lineage of those of the tribe of Levi were being identified by DNA and are bring prepared for service in the Temple to be rebuilt in the near future. However, there is one question that begs to be answered and that is whether the tribes are truly lost or are they just in a place awaiting restoration?

Consider all the covenants and promises given to Abraham and all of his descendants, and then realize God would not covenant land to a lost people that could not occupy it!

I believe that the scriptures define a plan for the “lost tribes of Israel”. Amos 9:15, “And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.”

They are not lost but rather they are ready, waiting for God to fulfill His entire plan. There will be no questions; they will be where they are supposed to be!