August 4, 2010
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LIVING ON BORROWED TIME - DVD
A morally and spiritually bankrupt society …A worldwide economic meltdown…A planet racked with increasingly intense manmade and natural disasters…Are we the Final Generation?
Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:42-44
Reviews: The DVD should be seen by small groups and youth ministries far and wide. The clear quoting and referencing of bible verses is especially strong. The collage of dramatic imagery - both in photography and artwork, grabs the viewers' attention and weaves the conclusion that God is about to continue His plan in a major way. The video is so fresh - the oil explosion and spill in the Gulf of Mexico is shown as one example of how this old world is wearing out and is in flames
The video next defends the authorship and reliability of the bible before showing eight unmistakable developments in our world that point toward the soon return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The number one sign given to our generation is the return of the Jewish people to form the nation of Israel. Jesus Christ is now standing at the door waiting to take his beloved bride- His true believers. Like the admonition from the Book of Jude, verse 23, I pray that this DVD will be used by the Holy Spirit to pluck dying people out of the fire before the borrowed time runs out. - John Wicklund - Chair- Olive Tree Ministries Board of Directors - Maple Grove, MN
Great Job! We have watched all your DVD’s and we think this is the best one so far. After someone watches this DVD there is no way they could argue that we are not living in the last days! – Don & Cindy K. – Bakersfield, CA
The DVD came and it was great. GOOD JOB ! ! – Julie A. – Whitefish, MT
God bless you, the new DVD is amazing! I know that if there is anyone out there who doesn't know what the bible holds or has no clue about what is really going on after seeing this DVD they will surely be enlightened about what is truly going on in the world today. - The Taylor's - Bakersfield, CA
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Iran claims to have S-300 anti-aircraft missiles - Ali Akbar Dareini – www.news.yahoo.com
TEHRAN, Iran – Iran has obtained four S-300 surface-to-air missile systems despite Russia's refusal to deliver them to Tehran under a valid contract, a semiofficial Iranian news agency claimed Wednesday.
The Fars news agency, which has ties to the country's most powerful military force, the Revolutionary Guard, said Iran received two S-300s from Belarus and two others from another unspecified source. Fars didn't elaborate, and there was no official confirmation of the report.
Russia signed a 2007 contract to sell the S-300s, but so far has not delivered. The sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles would significantly boost Iran's ability to defend against air strikes and Israel and the United States have strongly objected to the deal.
A spokesman for Belarus' state military trade committee, however, denied there were any missile deliveries.
"Talks with the Iranian side about the delivery of such systems have not taken place and, consequently, no deliveries to Iran have taken place, neither of these systems or elements of them," said Vladimir Lavrenyuk. "The Belarusian side strictly observes all international agreements on export control."
The S-300 is capable of shooting down aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missile warheads at ranges of over 90 miles (144 kilometers) and at altitudes of about 90,000 feet (27,432 meters).
The report comes as Iran faces increasing pressure from the West over its nuclear program.
The U.S. accuses Tehran of seeking to build an atomic weapon, a claim Iran denies. The United Nations has imposed four rounds of financial sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, a process that can be used to produce fuel for a reactor or a warhead. Iran says it has a right to conduct enrichment for what it says is its peaceful nuclear program.
Moscow said in June that the latest round of U.N. sanctions would prevent it from delivering the S-300s to Iran. The U.S. State Department said that Washington appreciates Russia's restraint.
But last month, Sergei Chemezov, the head of the state-owned industrial giant Russian Technologies, said the contract for the delivery of S-300s to Iran had not been annulled yet pending a decision by President Dmitry Medvedev.
Asked to comment on the Iranian report, Vyacheslav Davidenko, a spokesman for the Russian state arms trader Rosoboronexport, said that his company hadn't delivered any S-300s to Iran. "We are abiding by the U.N. sanctions," he said.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has forged close ties with Tehran, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who visited the ex-Soviet nation in 2007, has called the Belarusian leader one of his best friends.
Former Belarus' leader Stanislav Shushkevich, now an opposition politician, said that Russia in the past has used Belarus as a conduit for weapons deliveries to rogue nations.
"Belarus might well have used the established "gray" schemes to deliver S-300s to Iran," Shushkevich told The Associated Press. "The deliveries of S-300s from Belarus to Iran would have been absolutely impossible without Russia's knowledge and sanction."
Iran has insisted that Moscow is under an obligation to carry out the contract to provide the S-300 missiles to Tehran.
"Iran possesses four S-300 PT missiles," Fars reported.
The agency said Iran's possession of the missiles was revealed for the first time last year by Al-Manar TV, which is affiliated the Iranian-backed Islamic militant Hezbollah group in Lebanon. Fars said Iranian government officials never denied the report.
It added that Iran may try to start building the missiles itself.
Russia — which has sold other air-defense missiles, aircraft and other weapons to Iran — is in a difficult position in the international standoff with Iran, in part because it does not want to jeopardize decades of political and trade ties with the Islamic republic.
Still, Moscow has lately shown increasing frustration with Iran, and last month backed the new sanctions.
Iran to launch submarine in Persian Gulf soon – www.english.people.com.cn
Iran's army commander Major General Ataollah Salehi said Tuesday that a submarine will be launched by the Iranian navy in the next ten days, the official IRNA news agency reported.
"The submarine will be used whenever the Iranian vessels are in danger," Salehi told IRNA.
"This domestic submarine will be used in far-off waters or anywhere the Iranian ships are threatened," he was quoted as saying.
"The navy's continued missions in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean call for high potency of the Islamic Republic of Iran's navy," he said.
In July, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said that the country plans to launch a hi-tech submarine equipped with advanced weapons in the near future, the semi- official Fars news agency reported.
In June, head of Iran's Army Research Center Mohammad Sadri announced that Iran is intending to build new radar-evading drones that can be operated by its submarines, according to satellite Press TV.
Iran warns any war in Mideast ‘would not be limited’ to a single country - www.tehrantimes.com
TEHRAN - Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki has warned that any war triggered by the U.S. or the Israeli regime in the Middle East “would not be limited” just to a single county.
The Zionist regime’s military movements and its threats against Lebanon and Syria indicate that Tel Aviv plans to launch new wars in the region, Mottaki told the Al-Alam TV in an interview broadcast Sunday night.
Mottaki warned that any new wars by the Israeli regime and its allies against regional countries “would be a big mistake.”
The top diplomat lashed out at the U.S. and its Western allies for creating rift among regional states, saying, “There are some players outside the region who, in collaboration with the Zionist regime, plan to sow the seeds of discord and create crises and tension in our region.”
Mottaki further touched on the nature of past wars launched by the U.S. and its Western allies in the Middle East, saying they were mostly economically motivated.
“Some wars and conflicts already imposed on our region have been only intended for economic purposes,” Mottaki commented.
Nuclear fuel swap deal
Iran, Turkey, and Brazil signed a declaration in Tehran on May 17 under which the Islamic Republic would ship 1200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be exchanged for 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel rods to power the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment.
He also said Tehran wants to determine details of the fuel swap deal with the Vienna Group (the U.S., Russia, France and the IAEA).
“Iran wants to enter talks with the Vienna Group to determine and approve details of fuel swap for Tehran research reactor,” Mottaki said.
Mottaki also referred to Iran’s letter to IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano in which Iran had expressed readiness for talks with the Vienna Group. “Mr. Amano has forwarded the letter to other members of the group and it seems that he is arranging the meeting.”
Mottaki added, “Iran is ready to take part in the meeting brokered by Amano.
Ahmadinejad: 'Stupid Zionists have hired mercenaries to assassinate me'... – www.news.yahoo.com
TEHRAN (AFP) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was unhurt on Wednesday after an explosive device, officially described as a firecracker, went off near his motorcade.
Ahmadinejad was on his way to a sports arena to make a speech in Hamedan, south of the capital, when the explosion occurred.
Conservative website Khabaronline, the first source to report the incident initially said a hand grenade was thrown at the hardliner's motorcade but later in the day dropped "grenade" in its report and used the word "firecracker" instead.
"This morning a hand grenade exploded next to a vehicle carrying reporters accompanying the president" the website, close to parliament speaker Ali Larijani, said first.
"Ahmadinejad's car was 100 meters (yards) away and he was not hurt," it said, adding that the alleged attacker was detained.
Iran's Mehr news agency quoting witnesses as saying a "hand-made noise bomb exploded a far distance from the president's car."
"Nobody was hurt and several people have been arrested," the agency said.
Ahmadinejad later delivered his speech and made no reference to the incident.
An official in the president's media office told AFP the explosion was from a "firecracker."
The ISNA and ILNA news agencies also said the blast was caused by a "firecracker," while Fars news agency said a "hand-made grenade" had been thrown at the motorcade.
"After the president's motorcade passed someone threw a hand-made grenade at the vehicles behind it," Fars said.
The agency used the Farsi word "narenjak," which means both a hand grenade of the military sort and a noisy home-made firecracker, the size of a tennis ball that Iranians set off at festive events such as the New Year fire festival.
"Security agents arrested the person who threw it," Fars said, adding that the incident had "irritated" well-wishers, but not saying if anyone had been hurt.
The incident came only two days after Ahmadinejad repeated his claim that Iran's archfoe Israel wants him dead.
"Stupid Zionists have hired mercenaries to assassinate me," Ahmadinejad said in a televised speech to expatriate Iranians on Monday.
On Tuesday, Iran's foreign ministry spokesman also insisted that the hardliner is on Israel's hit list.
"It is quite evident that the Zionist forces are under state orders to assassinate different figures in the Islamic world," Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters.
"They may dare in their mind to assassinate Islamic world figures as soon as they have access to them and one of the greatest enemies of this regime is Dr Ahmadinejad."
The animosity between Iran and Israel has steadily worsened under the presidency of Ahmadinejad who has infuriated the world powers by dismissing the Holocaust as a "myth."
Israel too has never ruled out a military strike against Iran to stop its nuclear program. On its part, Iran does not acknowledge Israel.
UN disputes Lebanese claim Israel violated border - Bassem Mroue and Zeina Karam – www.news.yahoo.com
DEIR EL-ZAHRANI, Lebanon – U.N. peacekeepers said Wednesday a cypress tree an Israeli soldier was cutting down just before a border clash with Lebanese soldiers erupted was in Israeli territory, contradicting Lebanese claims that their frontier was breached.
The clash Tuesday left a senior Israeli officer, two Lebanese soldiers and a Lebanese journalist dead and was the most serious since Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah fought a brief war in 2006. It was a stark reminder of how volatile the border remains, even though both sides appeared to be trying to restore calm and prevent an escalation.
The Israeli soldier was cutting down the tree — something Israel does occasionally to improve its sight line into Lebanon — when Lebanese forces opened fire. The Lebanese army and a witness said U.N. peacekeepers intervened to ask the Israeli to stop cutting the tree, but Israel refused. UNIFIL, the peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, has not commented on that.
Both sides claimed the tree was in their territory.
Lebanon acknowledged Wednesday that the tree was south of an official, U.N.-drawn boundary known as the Blue Line separating the countries. The line was drawn in 2000 following the end of a two-decade Israeli occupation of south Lebanon that began with a war in 1982.
However Lebanese Information Minister Tarek Mitri said his country disputes the Blue Line demarcation in certain areas, including the village of Adeisseh where the clash took place, and saw Israel's act in as a clear provocation.
"UNIFIL established, however, that the trees being cut by the Israeli army are located south of the Blue Line on the Israeli side," said force spokesman Lt. Naresh Bhatt. He said the peacekeepers were still investigating the clash.
Israel said the U.N. announcement clearly corroborated its version of events.
"Our routine activity yesterday was conducted entirely south of the frontier on the Israeli side and that the Lebanese Army opened fire without any provocation or justification whatsoever," government spokesman Mark Regev said.
Tensions along the border have risen in recent months. Israel claims Hezbollah, a powerful force within Lebanon, has significantly expanded and improved its arsenal of rockets since their 2006 war with help from its allies Syria and Iran.
However Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak sought Wednesday to calm the situation.
"I hope we will have a quiet summer and things will return to their normal course," he told Israel Radio.
An Israeli military spokesman said the army was continuing operations as usual in the area and pruning more trees on Wednesday. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations.
Mitri, the Lebanese minister, said Lebanon had been notified in advance of Wednesday's pruning under UNIFIL supervision and approved it. He said if Israel had done the same on Tuesday, "we wouldn't have had the escalation."
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Andy David said the army was surprised by the violence because Israel carries out maintenance on the border regularly.
"Once a week, the army prunes bushes and trees on the border in coordination with UNIFIL, which coordinates with the Lebanese," David said. "There was nothing unusual in the procedure."
The border area where the clash took place has been a point of tension between the two countries in the past few years with several small incidents during which Lebanon accused Israel of crossing or encroaching on Lebanese territory.
"While (Lebanon) has respected the Blue Line and committed itself to respect the Blue Line, it has always affirmed that the Blue Line is not the international border and there are areas south of the Blue Line that are Lebanese territory," Mitri told reporters in Beirut. "The area where the tree was to be cut yesterday ... is south of the Blue Line but is Lebanese territory."
A fence that Israel erected may contribute to the confusion about which territory the tree is in. An Associated Press photo from Tuesday shows an Israeli standing on a crane reaching over the fence and into a wooded area, angering people on the Lebanese side.
But the fence does not match the Blue Line boundary in all places.
Lebanese and Israeli army officers and UNIFIL planned to meet later Wednesday along the border, the U.N. force's spokesman Andrea Tenenti said. The gathering had been planned before Tuesday's fighting, but it has taken a new urgency now.
Hezbollah did not take part in the latest violence, but the group's leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, said Tuesday night that his forces would not stand by idly if Israeli troops ever attack Lebanese forces again.
Adding to the friction, more than 70 people in Lebanon have been arrested since last year on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.
In Beirut, security officials said Wednesday a former army brigadier general was detained on suspicion of spying for Israel a week after a current lieutenant colonel was arrested also on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.
Also Wednesday, funerals were being held for those killed Tuesday.
In the southern Lebanese village of Deir el-Zahrani, hundreds turned out as Lebanese Sgt. Abdullah Tufeili's coffin was carried through the streets.
His 3-year-old daughter, Zahraa, and 6-year-old son, Mohammed Jawad, marched behind their father's coffin draped in Lebanon's white, red and green flag as a military band played funeral music.
As Tufeili laid to rest in his grave, his father, Mohammed, held back his tears as he shouted: "You are a hero, you are a hero!"
Hizbollah threatens to join violence on Lebanese border with Israel – Adrian Blomfield - www.telegraph.co.uk
Hizbollah has threatened to get involved a violent battle on Lebanon's border with Israel, sparking fears that tensions in the region could spiral out of control.
Five people were killed in the clash along the Blue Line, the historically volatile frontier between the two states. The unrest was the most serious since Israel invaded southern Lebanon four years ago.
In response, Hizbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said his militants would not "stand idle". Lebanon has also upped the stakes, saying it would retaliate in the event of new Israeli "provocation".
The United Nations called for "maximum restraint" and said it was working with both sides to restore calm.
As soldiers on both sides opened fire on each other, Israeli tanks and a helicopter gunship joined the fray. An Israeli lieutenant-colonel as well as three Lebanese soldiers and a Lebanese journalist were killed in the six-hour exchange.
The deadly attacks were triggered by an attempt by Israeli soldiers to cut down trees along the fence dividing the country and a disagreement over which side of the border the trees grew. A Lebanese army officer claimed that the tree was on the Lebanese side of the border, while the Israeli military said in a statement that the tree was in Israeli territory.
A retired Israeli general claimed that the incident was a Lebanese "ambush", saying that snipers had opened fire on his colleagues after they defied instructions made by loud hailer to retreat. He said that the Israeli soldiers had crossed a border fence that did not hug the border itself, and so was in Israeli territory.
"What we understand is that it was a planned ambush," Maj-Gen Yaakov Amidror said. "Immediately after the change of words, the snipers opened fire, killing the commander and wounding a captain."
Both sides presented different versions, although they agreed that the incident was sparked by an exchange of fire following the tree dispute.
The United States is “extremely concerned” about violence and urged “maximum restraint” to avoid escalation, State Department spokesman P J Crowley said.
“We are trying to understand what happened ... Our greatest concern is that whatever did happen not be repeated. The region has enough tension as it is. The last thing that we want to see is that this incident expand into something more significant,” Mr Crowley said.
Further escalating the tension, Israel's foreign ministry gave warning that any repeat of the incident could lead to serious Israeli retaliation.
"Israel views the government of Lebanon as responsible for this grave event and warns of possible consequences if these violations continue," it said in a statement.
The clash was the first fatal cross-border incident since Israel's campaign against Hizbollah in 2006.
Despite the undeniable gravity of the altercation, both Lebanon and Israel have tried to play down its gravity and the local United Nations peacekeeping force was quickly able to broker a ceasefire.
"I believe this is a one-time event," said Maj Gen Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Israeli military's northern command. "We received requests from the highest ranks in the Lebanese Army to cease fire."
While there was also relief that Hizbollah itself was not involved in the clash, many observers said that the incident underscored the increasingly fragile situation along the border.
"The situation has been very tense for some time," said Eyal Zisser, a specialist on Lebanon at Tel Aviv University. "I think it is an isolated incident, but it is still very worrying. It could happen again tomorrow or next week as long as the atmosphere remains not very positive."
The clash came against a backdrop of growing recrimination between the Israeli and Lebanese governments.
Israel has grown increasingly fretful over the scale of Hizbollah's rearmament since the war in 2006. The movement is believed to have received tens of thousands of rockets from Iran and Syria, its traditional sponsors.
Last week, Ehud Barak, the Israeli defense minister, gave warning that Israel would attack Lebanese government institutions if Hizbollah resumed rocket attacks on Israeli soil.
During its incursion in 2006, Israel bombed civilian infrastructure but did not target the Lebanese government and army. With Hizbollah now represented in the Lebanese cabinet, Israel says this time it will not make any such distinction.
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The Israeli-Hezbollah War is Inevitable - Elias Youssef Bejjani - www.analystnetwork.com
Most Middle East analysts and political observers are more than sure that the war between Israel and the West on one side, and Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas and Iran on the other front is inevitable. Its occurrence has become just a matter of time. The Middle East is in the eye of the storm and, apparently, no one can avert the confrontation that has become necessary for the agendas of all parties involved.
According to observers, the predisposing factors that build for a war are precipitating in the Middle East. Ali Hmade, the renowned Lebanese political analyst, shed light on some of these factors in his last Tuesday's column published in An Nahar Beirut Daily. Meanwhile, other American, European, Arab and Israeli analysts have written extensively on these tensions and added other pivotal factors to the Israeli-Hezbollah war formula. Below are some of these factors:
The recent fiercest border clashes since 2006 on the Lebanese - Israeli border in which three Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist ,and an Israeli officer were killed accompanied by the loud threats made by Hezbollah's General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah a few hours after the end of the clashes.
The serious internal conflict amongst Lebanese sparked by Hezbollah's bold attacks against the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). Hezbollah is threatening to retaliate against Lebanon and its people with a possible coup in case the unlawful and terrorist dictates of Hassan Nasrallah are not fulfilled by Lebanese PM Saad Hariri, Saudi Arabia, and the United Nations (UN). Nasrallah is demanding that the tribunal be totally abolished. He alleges it is a tool of the Israeli-American conspiracy set to target his organization through indicting a score of its members and leaders in the 2005 assassination of Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri.
The statement made by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on his country's Army Day in which he said: "The specter of real peace in the region is disappearing and the possibility of war is increasing."
Assad and the Saudi King made a joint visit to Beirut on July 30th 2010. Both officials held extensive meetings with the country's leadership in a bid to calm down the war rhetoric of Hezbollah in face of the STL. Meanwhile, Assad seems to be playing on many ropes and appears even more scared of the STL than Hezbollah. Reliable American sources unveiled this week that Syria is behind the so-called "STL leaks" and not Israel or other Arab countries.
Hamas' resumption of firing rockets from Gaza into Israel, and the retaliation of Israeli warplanes by bombing Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza and the targeted killings of Hamas militants. In response, Hamas is threatening to reignite the cycle of violence.
Hamas' opposition to the direct negotiations between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Israelis brokered by the United States, the Arab League, and the majority of the Arab countries. Hamas seems well -prepared to ignite a war against both Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas in a bid to abort the negotiations.
The firing of rockets from Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where Islamic militants have operated in the past, hitting the Israeli and Jordanian Red Sea port resorts of Eilat and Aqaba. These attacks killed one Jordanian civilian and injured three others. Israel claimed the rockets used were made in Iran.
The mysterious terrorist explosion aboard a Japanese oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
The renewal of skirmishes in Yemen between government forces and the pro-Iranian Houthis after a series of cease-fire violations and exchanges of accusations.
The increasingly loud calls on the US administration to be more decisive in its Middle East policies and the numerous recommendations for a pre-emptive war against Iran and Hezbollah. "The US should work to avoid another Hezbollah-Israel conflict, but could benefit from pre-emptive military action in Lebanon..." according to Israel’s former Ambassador to Washington. A report authored by Daniel Kurtzer, written for the US Council on Foreign Relations, warns that Hezbollah's proliferating weapons stockpile could bring Israeli aggression to far outweigh the bombardment of Beirut and southern areas during the 2006 summer war. “Hizbullah has steadily rearmed in contravention of UN Security Council Resolution 1701,” Kurtzer wrote. “Israel could decide the security threat posed by Hezbollah has reached intolerable levels and take pre-emptive military action.”
President Obama's approval of recommendations for a European missile shield made by US military leaders to shift focus to defending Europe against Iran's short and medium-range missiles. "This new approach will provide capabilities sooner, build on proven systems, and offer greater defenses against the threat of missile attack." Under the new plan the U.S. would initially deploy ships with missile interceptors and in a second phase, would field land-based defense systems. The confirmation made by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen to the NBC network: "The United States has a viable military plan to attack Iran and its nuclear facilities, though, such a strike was probably a bad idea." Mullen has often warned that a strike against Iran would have serious and unpredictable ripple effects around the Middle East. At the same time, he has said that Iran developing a nuclear weapon is unacceptable.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) warnings of a devastating Middle East war. A new Israel-Lebanon conflict is likely to be far more violent, inflict greater damage to civilian and government infrastructure, and lead to the direct embroilment of other regional actors warned a new report released by the ICG. "A new conflict will also likely affect greater parts of the country, especially the Bekaa Valley, and will not be isolated to the south or the Shiite areas of Beirut which were systematically targeted in 2006," said the report entitled Drums of War: Israel and the ‘Axis of Resistance.’ The Lebanese Government is advised to take immediate steps to significantly increase troop numbers in the south and to improve the range and quality of military training and equipment available to its troops as a bulwark against a slide to war. Although conflict is far from imminent and many inhibiting factors continue to prevent the escalation of menacing rhetoric on both sides, the political roots which led to the outbreak of the 2006 war remain unaddressed and the regional situation could prove explosive. “Today, no party can soberly contemplate the prospect of a war that would be uncontrolled, unprecedented and unscripted,” said the Project Director Peter Harling of Crisis Group Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, “but the underlying dynamics of the logic of deterrence carry the seeds of possible breakdown.”
The alarming information leaked from high-level sources in Europe reporting that a number of prominent EU and Arab leaders foresee in the horizon a destructive regional war in the Middle East between Israel and "Axis of Evil" countries and organizations.
The ongoing Iranian threats to burn Israel and set the whole Middle East ablaze if Iran's nuclear facilities are attacked by either the US or Israel. "If the Americans make the slightest mistake, the security of the region will be endangered. Security in the Persian Gulf should be for all or none," threatened the deputy head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Yadollah Javani. "Tehran will burn down Tel Aviv" in response to any attack, said Mohammed Khazaee, Iran's ambassador to the United Nations.
Based on all of the above facts, and on many other factors, another devastating war between Israel and Hezbollah that could also involve Hamas, Syria and Iran seems to be inevitable. Sadly, Lebanon is again going to be a battlefield in this coming war.
Hopefully, this time Israel backed by the Western and moderate Arab countries will push Hezbollah out of Lebanon as it did in 1982 with the PLO. The region deserves a lasting peace that cannot be achieved while Hezbollah holds the Lebanese people hostage, Syria breeds and exports terrorists while oppressing its own people, Hamas enslaves the residents of Gaza residents by aborting all peace initiatives with Israel, and Iran endeavors to own a nuclear bomb with dreams of reviving the Persian Empire by terrorism and mass destruction.
History tells us that peace prevails only in the aftermath of wars. This is what happened after the World Wars. Once again, peace will be the fruit of the coming Middle East war if Israel, the West, and moderate Arab countries stand tall and courageously execute a well planned war to defeat the "Axis of Evil" countries and their terrorist proxies.
Is Another Great Divide Coming? - By Jan Markell - www.olivetreeviews.org
Amnesty for 20 million illegals? That is what the faith community is pushing for including Catholics, Mainline Protestants and the National Association of Evangelicals. Compassion and common sense are at war. To brand all illegals as suspects hardly seems fair, but talk to Americans living near the southern border. The character of some illegals is that of destruction. They have destroyed property, livestock and human life. They have broken into homes and stolen everything not tied down and some things that were tied down! In recent weeks, 23,000 Mexicans have been killed in the drug war along the border. Kidnappings in Arizona have broken all records.
Most Americans appreciate the generations before us who went through hellish ordeals to come to the land of the free. My paternal grandparents fled the Czars of Russia to become merchants in America. They, along with millions more, endured filthy steerage quarters with one faucet for 200 people. Ellis Island was no picnic either. Sick kids were often sent back to the old country leaving parents in agony as to what to do. These immigrants paid a price beyond dollars and America is much richer because of them. I wrote about this in a true story, Gone the Golden Dream, published by Bethany House in 1981 and now out of print.
People of faith--both liberal and conservative--have now entered into this amnesty drama. The religious Left formed the Isaiah solidarity prayer vigil and fast across the summer. Members include Jim Wallis's Sojourners, United Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and Episcopal Church agencies, left-wing Catholic groups like Pax Christi, and the Islamic Immigration Center, among others. These organizations have a two-fold goal of legalizing the illegals and also of re-electing Barack Obama. All on the Left need the immigration vote to survive.
But in the fall of 2009, amnesty for illegals became an evangelical issue as well. The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) adopted a pro-liberalized immigration stance that is creating ripples among its conservative membership. They are calling for a path to citizenship for illegals and "a realistic program to respond to labor needs." Here is the resolution. Sen. Chuck Schumer, no friend of evangelicals, called this "a moral imperative for all people of faith."
Schumer read letters from other evangelicals signing on including NAE official Joel Hunter and Willow Creek's Bill Hybels. Hybels is quoted as saying, "We believe that most Americans would be moved to pass comprehensive immigration reform if they could see the faces of immigration as we have seen them." These leaders also stated that many of these illegals are actually evangelical Christians who are in their denominations by the millions.
Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention, and other notable conservative Christians, have signed on to An Evangelical Call for Bipartisan Immigration Reform. This document calls for all the right things until it gets to amnesty for illegals.
But plenty of evangelicals and conservative Christians are hesitating! The NAE Web site reveals only 11 of NAE's over 40 member denominations endorsing the immigration stance. And only 11 individuals are signers, though reportedly 75 NAE board members voted for it.
The question is, where does Christian compassion end and practicality rule in light of the fact that our borders are being crossed by some who seek America's demise or will contribute to its demise through crime and violence? The publication Human Events reports on the flood of Other Than Mexicans (OTMs) into America. Over l80,000 illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico were apprehended from 2007 through mid-March 2010. Even our State Department has acknowledged that tens of thousands are from Middle East countries and even Africa.
There is evidence that blatant terror groups such as Hezbollah have illegally crossed the border into the U.S. Tattoos have been found on drug gangs in U.S. prisons showing the influence of Iranian-directed Hezbollah terrorists. One of my radio guests who must remain anonymous has information that radiation has crossed our southern border on at least three occasions. Spell that dirty bomb. They're here. And many faith communities want to legalize them.
According to Christianity Today, polls show church members are deeply divided on this issue of amnesty for illegals. The often-quoted commandment in Leviticus 19 that "you shall not oppress the alien" provides no clear guidance on how the United States should set limitations on immigration. The question still remains, how do we balance justice against mercy toward those who have broken the law? And the United States is not analogous to ancient Israel. Biblical "sojourners" are not easily comparable to modern-era illegal immigrants. The "foreigners" in ancient Israel were non-Israelites who were permitted to pass through or reside in Israel. They were required to comply with Israel's laws and respect its customs.
Though most faith groups insist that their motivation represents a "Christian" rather than a "political" agenda, the 20 million illegal’s seeking amnesty will be quite a boon to the political Left. Illegals given amnesty could sway elections in 2010 and 2012. While many conservatives leaders mourn the dismantling of America by the current socialist regime, they are playing into their hands. Handing Barack Obama a second term as president in 2012, thanks to the illegal vote, could spell the demise of America as we know her. Capitalism is hanging on by life-support.
I think when Christian conservatives sitting in the pews learn that their leaders are pro-amnesty for illegals, they might have grounds to be a bit upset. We are dealing with the most hostile-to-Christianity administration in history, yet some conservative Christian leadership seems to be okay with that and will assist the efforts of the Obama administration thanks to their push for amnesty for illegals.
I believe the future of America should come before amnesty for 20 million illegal aliens and others crossing the borders, some of whom are blatant terrorists taking advantage of the system. I believe the hearts of the evangelicals are right but their motivation lacks common sense. To suggest that these illegals are members of evangelical churches seems to be a stretch as well. While a small remnant may be, the majority would not be found in the First Baptist Church of any city.
Church members have every right -- and an obligation -- to quiz their leadership and to regain assurance that compassion and not politics are at the root of this action. Our nation is divided now -- yes, those crazy red states/blue states. Are evangelicals and conservative Christians about to hit a big divide as well? Is there coming a great divide between pulpit and pew as members find out that their leaders are contributing to the daily dilemma of a tanking America?
The Proverb that haunts Americans in these prophetic times – Bill Wilson – www.dailyjot.com
The man who occupies the Oval Office has nominated to the Supreme Court a political hack with no experience, and there are five Republicans in the Senate who are going to allow your citizenship to be devalued by voting for Elena Kagan. Maine Republicans Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, New Hampshire's Judd Gregg, Indiana's Richard Lugar, and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham have said they will vote for Kagan. If these Senators of questionable judgment were to stick with the Party line, Kagan would be rejected. But rather, the Republicans have done little or nothing to prevent this travesty of immense proportions. In fact, Graham could have stopped Kagan in committee if he had voted against her.
From illegal immigration to abortion to so-called marriage between homosexuals to gun control to socialism to support for the military, Kagan has proven to be against the Constitution. Kagan has unethically influenced decisions when she was a political hack in the Clinton Administration. Columnist Robert Knight says, "She falsified a physicians' group's document on partial-birth abortion to reflect her own view instead of theirs - and submitted it to the Supreme Court as evidence. This is fraud, plain and simple." How can someone of such questionable ethical and moral character become a member of the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court?
Because people who have been elected to office--including the Presidency and the Senate--share the same character. The Founding Fathers were clear about the need for virtuous and moral leaders. John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." These wise men knew that the only way to secure a prosperous nation was to have virtuous leaders, a principle found in Exodus 18:21, "Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens."
When America has leaders who are willing to compromise sound and proven ethics and morals, then the nation falls into despair. Proverbs 29:2 says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn." And Proverbs 14:34 says, "Righteousness exalts a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people." Much of America's leadership is sinful, unethical and lacks virtue. This is the reason why an Elena Kagan can be approved by the Senate to the highest court of the land. This is the reason why homosexuality is rampant, socialism is entrenching, and Biblical values are considered hateful and judgmental. But then again, who elected these leaders?
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
The Purpose of a Testimony – Greg Laurie – www.harvest.org
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
— Romans 5:8
When you tell other people about what God has done for you, you are sharing your testimony. A testimony is when you share your story of how you came to faith. Every Christian has a testimony.
Some Christians have dramatic testimonies where they tell of being delivered from a life of drug addiction or crime or some sordid deeds. Other Christians don't have testimonies that are quite as dramatic—but they are just as significant.
I like to hear how people came to Christ, but I don't like it when people go into gory details about their past. Then there are testimonies where people tell how much they have given up for Jesus. They'll say things like, "I gave up this and that for Jesus. I have made such sacrifices for the Lord. I have done it all for Him!"
Your testimony is not about what you gave up for Jesus. It's about what He gave up for you. Don't share what you have done for Jesus. Share what Jesus has done for you. Jesus is the one who has done the work. It is Jesus whom we are proclaiming.
A good, strong testimony will lift up what Christ has accomplished. The fact of the matter is that all of us were sinners hopelessly separated from God, traveling in the same boat on our way to hell; and the same gospel came and transformed us. That is the testimony we all have.
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Five for Five - By Jason Lovelace – www.raptureready.com
Keys for Today:
“And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.”
– 1st Samuel 17.40
In the battle between David and Goliath, we see the weapons both men used. Goliath was arrayed in heavy armor (some experts think it may have all weighed around 250lbs.) with larger than normal weaponry for his stature. David, by contrast, was armed as a shepherd, with a staff, a rod, a sling, and a pouch for stones. We read in 1st Samuel 17 that David chose five stones out of the brook in order to fight Goliath. The question today, is, why did David choose five stones? How does this also connect with us in our daily lives today? How does David’s weapons – particularly the five stones – apply to our lives as believers in Jesus Christ? How can we overcome the giants that we face on a daily basis?
A Giant Problem
Goliath could very well have been the physically largest person ever to have walked the earth. The King James Version of the Bible states that Goliath was, in height, six cubits and a span. To understand what this means, a cubit in ancient times is equivalent to about 22 inches in today’s American measuring system (58 centimeters in the metric system. When we multiply this 22 inches (58cm) by 6-1/2, we get just under 12 feet tall (11.92ft; 3.78m). Taking into account that Goliath had been trained form his youth as a warrior, it is a safe bet to conclude that he may have weighed anywhere between 6OO and 9OOlbs (273 ~ 410kg). All this to say, Goliath was one huge man! We also see that his weapons and armor were also larger than normal. Arrayed in his “Sunday Best”, Goliath was a sight to behold: His Iron or bronze armor was polished, and shone in the sunlight like gold. His sword, strapped to his belt was gigantic and razor sharp. His spear was the size of a weaver’s beam, and its tip glinted off of the sunlight like a star. His shield – carried in front of him – was likely larger all-around than a man, and probably weighed as much. For forty days, according to the story in 1st Samuel 17, Goliath walked out of his camp, challenging and calling on the Army of Israel for a champion to come forth to fight in single combat. The conditions were serious enough. Victory for Goliath, and the Israelites were to be the servants and slaves of the Philistines; victory for Israel’s champion meant the Philistines would serve Israel, and as a n added bonus, King Saul had offered the victor his daughter’s hand in matrimony, and his family to be tax-free for life. Yet all the same, the Army of Israel produced no champion. In fact, according to Scripture, the Israelites were scared stiff, from King Saul, all the way down to the lowliest foot soldier.
A King the Size of a Mountain…But with the Heart of a Chicken
King Saul – though not quite as tall as the imposing Giant Goliath – was himself a large man, even by modern standards. 1st Samuel records King Saul’s stature and physical form:
“…Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.”
–1st Samuel 9.2
“and they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. And Samuel said to all the people, ‘See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?’ And all the people shouted, and said, ‘God save the king.’”
– 1st Samuel 10.23 ~24
We can see from Scripture here that King Saul was the tallest in the kingdom, head and shoulders – literally – above the rest. It is estimated that Israelites of King Saul’s and David’s day were between 5’3” and 5’5” in height. Looking at Saul towering above everyone else, it is possible that Saul was at or around seven feet tall. In the beginning of his reign as king, Saul did very well, and was zealous for the Lord against the Ammonites and Philistines (ancestors of the Jordanians and some Palestinians respectively). However, in the last two-thirds of his time as king, Saul did very poorly, disobeying the Lord on two occasions. So bad was King Saul’s attitude that these tragic instances are recorded:
“But the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.”
– 1st Samuel 16.14
“And Saul asked counsel of God, ‘Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them in to the hand of Israel?’ But he answered him not that day.”
– 1st Samuel 14.37
“And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor Urim. Nor by prophets. Then said Saul, ‘Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her’…Then said the woman, ‘Whom shall I bring up unto thee?’ and he said, ‘Bring me up Samuel…And Samuel said to Saul, ‘Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?’ And Saul answered, ‘I am sore distressed…God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams…Then said Samuel, ‘Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?’”
– 1st Samuel 28.6 ~7,11, 15, 16
You see? Even though Saul was king, and was a huge man in and of himself, he had become lily livered. Because God was not with him and the Spirit of the Lord had departed, he was timid and afraid. Following 1st Samuel 15 and Saul’s final disobedience, we see that Saul was plagued by fear at every turn. When Goliath stepped forth to challenge the army of Israel, it should have been her king, the huge, tall, and powerful Saul (1st Samuel 8.20). While Saul didn’t quite measure up to Goliath’s stature, with God, victory should have, could have, and would have been sure. Instead, because Saul was hiding in his tent, plagued by fear and distress, the entire army was also in fear of huge Goliath. As we have already learned, the real tragedy of Saul wasn’t that he started off so well, but that he disobeyed God, remained in an unrepentant state, and when Goliath came challenging, was found hiding out in fear and trembling, rendering the entire army useless, scared, weak, and unable to take up the challenge. The king may have been a giant in his own right, but he had the heart of a coward.
Enter David, Exit the Misconceptions
We see that David was left behind, once again, when the Army of Israel left for the front to go and face the Philistines. As his father had left him behind when Samuel the Prophet came looking for a king, so, too, this time was David left behind due to his youth. Since Jesse was regarded as an older man at this time, it is safe to say that his sons probably ranged in age from 25 or 26 to seventeen. His three eldest sons had followed the King into Battle, leaving David and his five next older brothers at home, as was the custom of the day to take men over the age of 20 and under the age of 60 to fight (see Numbers chapter 1). Instead, David was employed as a supplier from home, and was sent to the front with food and other victuals for his brothers, their captains, and the king. As we read 1st Samuel 17, we see that David heard Goliath’s challenge, and, being full of the Spirit of the Lord, volunteered to fight him. Though his eldest brother and King Saul tried to discourage him, in the end, King Saul relented and dressed him in his own armor and weaponry. Now, a close read of this story shows that David turned down the use of the King’s Armor. Why so? Many experts and theologians speculate that David didn’t use the armor because it was too big, the sword to unwieldy. David has been portrayed at this time of his life and in this battle as a very young man, maybe aged between eleven and fifteen. However, look again: the king gave him his own armor. Why would King Saul do such a thing if he knew it would be too large for David to use? Wouldn’t it be better for David to have tried on the armor of a smaller man, such as a shield bearer or cavalryman? Instead the King dressed him in his own armor, and this is what we must conclude: David wasn’t a small, pasty, pre- or mid-teen boy, but instead a nearly grown man of possibly seventeen to nineteen years of age, with broad shoulders and a tall stature (possibly above six feet, and maybe even 6’4”: we see, later, King Saul’s son, Jonathan, giving David his own weapons and armor later [see 1st Kings 18]). David was no small boy himself. The reason he didn’t take and use King Saul’s weapons and Armor is as follows:
“And Saul armed David with his armour, and, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, ‘I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them.’ And he put them off him.”
– 1st Samuel 17.38 ~39
You see? The reason David didn’t take Saul’s armor and weapons is simply because he wasn’t used to them, not because he was too small or too little to wear the armor of the king.
Why Five Stones?
David, instead of wearing the king’s armor, went with what he was familiar with, and that is the dress and weapons of a shepherd: A shepherd’s rod and staff, a sling, a pouch, and some stones. Now the question that we read in the introduction must be asked here again: Why did David pick up five stones out of the brook? There was only one giant: why the five stones? Why not just one? If Goliath was the champion that the Bible states that he was, having been a warrior from his youth, how likely is it that David would get the time or the chance to sling more than one stone? Why five stones, then, and not just one? We need to understand that David wasn’t facing Goliath as a scared little boy, or as a fearful young man. He may have had some nervousness, but by his words throughout this 17th Chapter of 1st Samuel, we can easily see that he had God with him, and because of that, he knew he was going to slay Goliath: one stone was more than enough, as we see later. Why then the other four? We need to understand that there are no accidents in the Bible: things are written there for a reason. In this case, too, David didn’t pick up five total stones merely for extra ammunition, or because he was afraid of missing Goliath (he was twelve feet tall and weighed several hundred pounds! Even without God with him, David would have been hard-pressed to miss). The simple reason for David choosing five stones is because Goliath had four younger brothers; David wanted the other four stones in case Goliath’s brothers showed up (please read 2nd Samuel 21.15~22 and 1st Chronicles 20.4~8). David merely wanted to be prepared for Goliath’s brethren, which is why he took five stones.
Bullies Always Need and Have Flunkies and Followers…
Anyone ever had a bully? Was there some guy or some girl that bullied you almost incessantly when you were at some point in school? How did this bully operate? Did s/he operate alone? In this writer’s case, there were three times that he had bullies: Elementary school and Junior High. In elementary school, there was a bully named Jonathan. Jonathan was large, came from a rather dysfunctional home, and used his fists. One day – out of the blue – Jonathan had a friend grab this writer by the arms from behind, hauled off, and punched him hard in the stomach. Jonathan remained a bully until 6th and 7th grades. Then another bully appeared: his name was Timmy, and he was actually smaller than this writer, but he was the worst of troublemakers. He also ran with friends, and one day an argument nearly ended up with blows being traded. It would have been a mismatch because Timmy had two others working with him. Then, in the 8th grade, this writer and his family moved across the state to another county and school. It was then that the worst trial of bullies happened for this writer. There were six girls that tormented him every day for two years, from the beginning of the 8th grade until the beginning of the 10th grade. These girls would often work together, but on occasion would work separately. Their boyfriends and other male friends would also often cause a lot of trouble for this writer. You see? In the same way, this is how giants work: they rarely come alone. Goliath not only had the entire army of the Philistines behind him, he also had four brothers. The devil also works this way. He never comes against a believer alone: there are always followers of him ready to do his bidding (whether knowingly or not), and they always come in groups.
Five Stones for Five Giants and their Tactics
As David chose out five stones to fight Goliath and his brothers (who showed up much, much later), so today, we will look at five giants every believer faces, and the five stones with which to fight them. These “Giants and Stones” will come out of the Book of Nehemiah.
Giant Tactic Number One: Ridicule and Mocking – whenever someone comes to Christ or chooses to commit him/herself to the Lord, it never fails that the Devil always shows up, and the first weapon he employs is ridicule. Take a look at what happened to Nehemiah when he got the people of Israel to work rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem:
“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat hears that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, ‘What do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?’ Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, ‘Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.”
– Nehemiah 4.1~3
The story of Nehemiah is one of great effort and more importantly the grace of and the reliance on the Lord. God gave Nehemiah and the returnees from the Babylonian Captivity a great charge: to rebuild the walls and fortifications of Jerusalem. Anytime we begin to do a work for the Lord and make a serious decision for him, the enemy will come and try to monkey up the works. Now, we need to understand something very key to this whole thing: when we determine in our hearts to make a decision in favor of Jesus Christ, it makes the Devil hoppin’ mad. He won’t admit it, but the fact of the matter is that whenever we choose Christ, the Devil will become unhinged. It’s the same with bullies everywhere: when a bully sees a potential threat – such as a potentially more popular person – that bully gets so ripped up on the inside. It happens the same with the devil. Here we see how Sanballat and Tobiah joined forces (see? Bullies always need more than one). David got it in a different form:
“And Eliab, his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, ‘Why camest thou down hither? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.’…And Saul said t o David, ‘Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.’…And the Philistine said unto David, ‘Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said unto David, ‘Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.’”
– 1st Samuel 17.28, 33, 43~44
Anyone here reading this have an older brother or sister? When you set out to do some task, did you get encouragement firm your brother or sister? Can you relate to Dav9id and his situation? Not only did he get trouble and ridicule form Goliath, he didn’t get any support from the King nor from his own brother! Friends, that’s how the Devil works! He will not only give it to you from his end, but he will also work it so that people who are supposed to be with you or on your side also launch in with the ridicule! And not only was the Giant angry with him, but so was his eldest brother. Friends, this is the simple truth: if we choose to go God’s way, we will get the ridicule from just about every imaginable direction, even from those who love us the most.
Stone Number One: Prayer for Your Ridiculers – Jesus Christ states it best:
“But I say unto you, ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven…”
– Matthew 5.44~45
Nehemiah followed this prescription to the letter:
“Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.”
– Nehemiah 4.4~5
When we face ridicule in what we are called to do by God – whether it be to salvation, to sanctification, or to fulfill His Call up on our lives - the ridicule will come, and when it does, we need to get close to God, pray, and give the trouble to him, praying for our enemies and those who are persecuting us. If we do so, those ridiculers will not only walk away, but they will, in turn, possibly become friends later.
Giant Tactic Number Two: Threats – Eventually, the ridicule will turn into something a bit more sinister – threatening. Take a look at Nehemiah 4 again:
“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdothites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.”
– Nehemiah 4.7~8
David had the same experience:
“…the Philistine arose, and came nigh to meet David…”
– 1st Samuel 17.48
We all know how a bully works, right? When s/he sees one of us, the laughter, the ridicule, and the mocking start. Inwardly they are as angry as a stirred up nest of hornets, but outwardly, they are ridiculing. When we ignore them, it makes the bully and his pals especially angry, and then here come the threats. “You better pay attention, or I’ll pound you!” “I said, ‘Give me your milk money or else!” We remember those – or threats similar to them – from elementary and junior high, right? In the same way, the Devil threatens us, too. “If you get saved, you’re friends will leave you high and dry!” “If you let the Holy Ghost have control, you’ll be in big trouble!” “If you answer God’s Call, you’ll get a job you hate and a life of dull boredom!” He oftentimes will threaten our families with sickness, injury, or death, or even threaten us our person similarly.
Stone Number Two: We Are Not Alone, and Be Prepared to Fight – One thing that bullies do not like is someone who will buck up and stand their ground. It makes them so angry to see us walk along and ignore their ridicule, so it turns them to do something else. So it is with the Devil:
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
– James 4.7
If we are submitted to God, when we resist the Devil, he will flee from us. He won’t stay away for good, but he will leave us for a time (see Matthew 4.1~11; Luke 4.1~13). So it is when we are faced with threats from the enemy. If we will resist, remembering that god is with us, then generally those threats will disappear. Sometimes, the threats turn into action by the enemy, and for those times we need to be prepared, but generally, the saying is true, “his bark is worse than his bite”. This is how Nehemiah responded to the threats he faced:
“Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.”
– Nehemiah 4.9
This is exactly what we need to do: give the problem to God, realizing that he is with us, and set a prepared watch.
Giant Tactic Number Three: Infiltration – This is by far the most devious, and most successful, tactic that the enemy has to use in his repertoire. If the ridicule doesn’t stop us (and form any it does), and the threats don’t cower us (and sometimes it does), then the enemy will ultimately turn to infiltration. Wars in the past have been won on the back of infiltration as a means of destroying the enemy from within. When the Allied Forces invaded France in 1944, already the French Underground had been at work in preparation for the day when liberation would come form the Allies. This is a very successful trick the Devil uses. Here is what Nehemiah’s situation was:
“And Judah said, ‘The strength of the bearers of the burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish: so that we are not able to build the wall.’ And our adversaries said, ‘They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.’ And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt beside them came, they said unto us ten times ‘From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.’”
– Nehemiah 4.10~12
What we see here is that due to the fatigue and exhaustion of the people and the greatness of the work, the vigilance was less than what it needed to be. As a result, the enemies of the Jews were in ripe position to infiltrate and destroy the work God had put forth for Nehemiah to do. Such is the case with us when we are tired, exhausted, and worn out from doing the bidding that God calls us to perform. Face it, folks, we are all people: flesh and blood with limited strength and abilities. Just as doing heavy manual labor – such as rebuilding a broken down city will – or physical exercise is exhausting and long, so too is our life and living for Jesus Christ. There will be times when the fatigue is too much, the exhaustion is too overpowering, and the wear and tear unbearable. It is in times such as these that we need to be extra careful, because the enemy is waiting, like a ninja, to do us in. The danger from a ninja isn’t his weapons or expertise with the sword, but his ability to disrupt, assassinate, and destroy key points in his enemies’ territory. So, too, the devil waits an opening, and all he needs is a small, small crack and he’s in, causing confusion, making us angry, and encouraging us to lash out or just give up altogether.
Stone Number Three: Lean On Each Other and On God – Folks, this is the simplest way to defeat infiltration. You see? The ninja is best when he can isolate his enemy, entrap him, and cut him off from help. In nature, we see this with wolves. A wolf is an expert killing machine and hunter. When a wolf sees his prey, he will do everything he can to cut it off from the main body. Then the wolf’s fellow pack members move in for the kill. When a wolf’s prey sticks close to its herd or group, safety is assured. It’s the same with us. Most Christians fail because of something very, very simple: they stop going to church. Did you know this? You see? Churches fail when they are split up. Christians fail when they stop going to Church. This is why going to church as often as possible and fellowshipping with other believers is so key: we strengthen each other, and there’s strength in numbers. The Bible is rife with examples:
“Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they can have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him: and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
– Ecclesiastes 4.9~12
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
– Galatians 6.2
“Confess your faults one to another, ands pray for one another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”
– James 5.16
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
– Matthew 18.20
“The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.”
– Proverbs 22.2
“Can two walk together except they be agreed?”
– Amos 3.3
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together…”
– 2nd Thessalonians 2.1
“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’”
– Psalm 122.1
“‘Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts: I will go also.’”
– Zechariah 8.21
These verses above, and many more like them in the Bible, make it clear that we need to depend on each other as believers and follows of Jesus Christ. Alone, we are easy prey for our enemy, the Devil. Nehemiah, again in Chapter four, places great emphasis on the need for each other:
“Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the LORD, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing.”
– Nehemiah 4.13~23
In the verses above, Nehemiah puts great effort in getting the people of Jerusalem to rely on one another, and listen for the call of danger or trouble. So should we in this day and age, for without others there to help us, we will surely fall.
Giant Tactic Number Four: Compromise – When the enemy sees that his tricks aren’t working, that the ridicule, threats, and infiltration have all failed, he will try another way, and another one that is highly effective: Compromise. We see what happened with Nehemiah when his enemies wanted him to compromise:
“Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.”
– Nehemiah 6.1~2
Here, Sanballat wanted Nehemiah to come and meet with him and his cronies in order to get Nehemiah to compromise. Remember that when the enemy fails in his attempts to intimidate you away from following the Lord, he will try to get you to compromise, and this is probably the most effective tool the Devil has. So many churches today have lost their effectiveness simply because they gave in here and there, and it wasn’t in the big areas, but in the little places and little ways. Some of the congregation don’t believe this about the Bible, so what do we do? Instead of convincing them of the truth, the church decides to cut out the controversial part. Soon other parts are cut out, ignored, or overlooked. The result is that the church is no longer really the church, and what do we have? No lifestyles, no lives changed, abortion, homosexuality, theft, and single parenthood rising like skyrockets in the church. Compromise is the most effective weapon of the devil in the church at large, and it’s also a dangerous tool for individual Christians as well.
Stone Number Four: Keep Working – Perhaps the best thing we can do to avoid the trouble of compromise is to ignore the calls to meet with the enemy, and continue on with the work at hand, This is exactly what Nehemiah did:
“And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”
– Nehemiah 4.3
When faced with compromise, we need to keep right on doing what we are called to do, and not give in. New Christian, just keep on growing in the grace that God has given you with Bible study, prayer, and church attendance. Newly called into ministry in one form or another, just keep on preparing, planning, and staying close to the Lord, and he will guide you. Newly sanctified and filled with the Spirit, let the Holy Ghost guide you and lead you on into Christian life. Don’t stop for a moment when the tempter comes and desires a compromise with you, because, friend, there is no compromise with the enemy!
Giant Tactic Number Five: Persistence, Persistence, and More Persistence – The enemy will never quit. This is a fact of life and living for Christ. So long as we draw breath and live in this flesh, the enemy will continue to attack and attack and attack some more. This tactic is played out by Nehemiah’s own hand:
“Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; Wherein was written, ‘It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, “There is a king in Judah”: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.’ Then I sent unto them, saying, ‘There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.’ For they all made us afraid, saying, ‘Their hands shall be weakened form the work, that it not be done.’ Now, therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”
– Nehemiah 6.4~9
So long as the devil is free to do his deeds, so long as man continues to be rebellious and unrepentant in this world, so we will always have trouble.
Stone Number Five: Persistence, Persistence, and More Persistence…in the Lord! Just as the devil never quits, so we need to keep at it, and keep our eyes on Jesus! Whatever it is that we are about doing, whether it be preparation for fulfilling the call of God in some sort of ministry, learning what it means to be a Christian, or learning to live indwelt by the Holy Ghost, we need to stay strong and keep on doing what we’ve been called to do. If we will stay the course with Christ, trusting in him for our life and growth, then no matter how persistent the devil will be, the Lord will be infinitely more present and he will help us be more persistent in our walk with him.
The Bottom Line – Use Your Tools!
Friends, when David went out to fight Goliath, he didn’t use the King’s armor because he wasn’t used to Saul’s kind of weaponry or protection. David was a shepherd and used a set of shepherd’s tools (not to mention experience) to go out and meet Goliath in the Spirit and strength of the Lord. Nehemiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem didn’t use special weapons or new ideas to fight the enemies in Samaria, Syria, and Ammon: they used the tools and weapons they knew and trusted in God. We need to do the same thing. When in doubt and under assail from the Devil, turn to the Lord and pray. When needing comfort and peace, look up a passage in the Bible. When facing trouble and difficulties, talk to your brethren at church, and make an appointment to see the Pastor. As David defeated Goliath (and later his four younger brothers) and as Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem completed the construction of the City Wall, so, too, we can live a victorious Christian life if we will but trust in the Lord, and use the tools and weapons he has given us.
Conclusion – what Giants Are You Facing?
What Giants are you coming up against? What difficulties do you have? How is the enemy stacking his forces against you? Do things look overwhelming? Does the enemy fill the countryside while your resources look like two little flocks of baby lambs (see 1st Kings 20.27)? Then fear not…and in fact, rejoice, for victory is at hand! If you will keep your trust in God, your faith in Jesus Christ, and your reliance on and in the Holy Ghost, you need never fear the enemy and his tricks, even if you suffer as horribly as Job. What giants are staring you down? Are you trying to face them alone? Friend, if you go out and try to take out giants in your own strength, defeat will surely be the result. But if you will keep your trust and faith in Jesus Christ, you can never lose.
Invitation
Have you taken on a giant, only to lose? Have you lived in a way that is against the will of the Lord? Have you sinned? Friend, sin is the surest way to face defeat and death both in this life and in eternity to come. You can be victorious, but only if you ask Jesus Christ into your life. If you walk away form Christ, then sin is crouching at your door, and disaster is waiting (Genesis 4.7). Christ is waiting at your door to save you, and to release you from the snare of sin (Revelation 3.20; John 8.32, 34, 36).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we praise you and thank you for this day. We love you Lord. Father, in this hour, there are those who are facing giants of unimaginable size, strength, and power. They are facing enemies who seek their destruction. They are looking at hopelessness and powerlessness in the face of their difficulties. We pray, O Lord, that you would remind them that though they think that they have no strength, you are waiting to pour out blessings and help and that you are never more than a cry away. Help us to remember, O Father, the tricks of the enemy, how he works, and what his ways are, and help us, dear Jesus, to stand and resist him in thy power and thy strength, and use the tools and weapons you have given us. We bless thee and thank thee, Father, and we pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord, Amen.
Verse to Remember
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
– Ephesians 6.13
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Maranatha!
(Lord Come Quickly)
"On Christ the Solid Rock I Stand, All other ground is sinking sand."
"Let Us make the short time we have left count for all eternity!"
YBIC-Randy
