The Bible Teaching Ministry of David Hocking
“The Word of our God shall stand forever” Isaiah 40:8

Archive for August, 2006

THE PROPHET AMOS SPEAKS!

Saturday, August 26th, 2006

A BRIEF OUTLINE OF THE PROPHECY OF AMOS

1A. THE REVELATION OF THE LORD’S COMING JUDGMENT – 1:2-3:15

1B. The PICTURE of the LORD as a lion that roars – 1:2
2B. The PUNISHMENT of Israel’s enemies – 1:3-2:3
3B. The PEOPLE of God are punished – 2:4-3:15

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2A. THE REASONS FOR THE LORD’S COMING JUDGMENT – 4:1-9:10

1B. Their RETURN to the Lord did not happen – 4:1-13
2B. Their REFUSAL to seek the Lord was quite obvious – Amos 5:1-27
3B. Their RELIANCE upon themselves would prove to be a disaster – 6:1-14
4B. Their RESISTANCE to the message of the prophet would bring the judgment of the Lord upon them – Amos 7:1-17
5B. Their RESPECT for the poor and needy was neglected and abused – 8:1-14
6B. Their REBELLION would not hide them from the Lord – Amos 9:1-10

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3A. THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL – 9:11-15
“in that day”

1B. The PLACE of worship will be rebuilt – Amos 9:11
“In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen”

2B. The POSSESSION of the nations will be fulfilled! Amos 9:12
“which are called by My name” “the remnant of Edom”
Jordan will be back in the hands of Israel – Jacob and Esau will be re-united!

3B. Agricultural PRODUCTIVITY will be amazing – Amos 9:13
“Behold, the days come”

4B. The Jewish PEOPLE will return from captivity – Amos 9:14
“I will bring again the captivity of My people”

5B. The PROMISE of God will never allow them to be uprooted from their land – Amos 9:15
“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.”
In spite of their sin and unbelief, God will be faithful to his promises.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a brief sampling of David’s Sermon Notes that are available on many books of the Bible. This general outline of the Book of Amos is expanded and put in more detail with commentary and notes of historical and grammatical interest. These Sermon Notes are available in either hard copy (8 1/2 x 11 notebook style) or CD format.

PEACE FOR ISRAEL?

Saturday, August 26th, 2006

From a Jewish perspective comes this very important article that we want to share with our readers.

PEACE IN ISRAEL IS POSSIBLE, BUT ULTIMATELY NOT THROUGH THE FORCE OF ARMS! by Rabbi Noson Weisz

The State of Israel may be 58 years old, but we are still fighting for our existence. We do not need the experts to tell us that this ceasefire is merely a respite; experience has taught us that lasting peace in the Middle East is a chimera.

The Declaration of Independence in 1948 defines the State of Israel as a Jewish country. No other country on earth is defined in terms of its religion. There are many countries where the majority of the population is Moslem or Christian, but a Christian has no right of return to England or France or the United States, nor will Egypt or Iran accept every Moslem. Every Jew, however, has the right of return and can become an Israeli citizen on demand. Why? Because Israel is the Jewish homeland and a place of refuge for world Jewry.

This is an inspiring concept, but it presents the Jewish people with an extremely challenging issue; how to define a Jew. It is absurd to call yourself a Jewish country if you have no clear idea of what being Jewish means, and yet that is precisely our situation.

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

To appreciate the problem from a Torah standpoint, we need some historical perspective.

At the time of the Exodus over 3,000 years ago, the world Jewish population stood at well over a million. All things being equal, the Jewish population today should be roughly equivalent to the Chinese; yet there are only 14 million Jews worldwide.

No doubt this enormous discrepancy is partially attributable to our blood drenched history, but most of the attrition in our numbers is the result of fallout. It took a lot of self-sacrifice to be Jewish throughout most of recorded history, and many Jews elected to drop out under compulsion or when the opportunity presented itself.

For example, in 1492 when the Jews of Spain were faced with the choice of conversion or expulsion, two thirds elected to convert rather than face exile. As the creation of the Inquisition attests, this conversion was no more than lip service, but over the course of generations these Jews disappeared entirely. Five hundred years down the road it is impossible to distinguish between the descendants of these conversos and ordinary Spaniards.

We owe the survival of the Jewish people to the Jews who chose to pay the cost of being Jewish in a hostile world.

We owe the survival of the Jewish people and therefore by extension, the existence of the modern Jewish state, to the Jews who elected to remain in the fold throughout the ages and pay the cost of being Jewish in a hostile world. The most recent evidence of the enormous cost of being Jewish is the Holocaust, an unprecedented phenomenon in human history. Not that genocide is rare, but systematic genocide on such an enormous scale when there is no territorial dispute between the contending racial groups to trigger the violence has no historic parallel.

The Holocaust in particular has a special connection with the establishment of the modern State of Israel. The collective guilt and horror of the nations of the world at the immensity of the atrocity perpetrated against the Jewish people was the major factor behind the recognition granted by the international community to the nascent Jewish state. For a brief moment, the peoples of the world recognized the necessity of a Jewish refuge. The State of Israel was paid for with Jewish blood — the blood of the six million victims of the Holocaust as well as all the Jewish blood spilled over the last 2,000 years.

MODERN ISRAEL

The majority of Israelis are secular and perceive themselves as members of the developed world; the aspirations of the modern Israeli are more or less the same as the aspirations of Western Europeans or Americans. Walking around Haifa or Tel Aviv feels little different than walking around Manhattan, Los Angeles or Toronto. The cars and buildings are not as big, but the people look and feel the same except that the language is Hebrew instead of English.

We have a long, long way to go before reaching end of Jewish history.

Is this what all the bloodshed, suffering and self-sacrifice of the past 2,000 years were about? Is this an appropriate culmination of the mighty heritage of the Jewish people? Did the heroic Jews of history surrender their lives to preserve their faith and stubbornly cling to their unique Sinaic covenant so that their descendants could enjoy the “good life” in the Holy Land and recreate a Hebrew speaking version of New York?

Modern Israel is not the culmination of Jewish history. It may be a step toward the fulfillment of our destiny, but given the fact that there is nothing particularly Jewish about happily pursuing the “good life” sheltered and protected by the might of the Israeli army, it is clear that we have a long, long way to go before reaching end of Jewish history.

THE DIVINE RESPONSE

The Almighty has made a covenant and He will not allow Jewish destiny to slip into oblivion. If the present situation in Israel fails to justify the existence of a Jewish state, Divine Providence will by necessity react with a tailor-made response designed to deliver the clear message that the Jewish nation requires. Israel will not be allowed to simply live peacefully here in the Holy Land when a wake up call is in order.

World Jewry and in particular Israeli Jews will be forced to confront the issue of their Jewishness and to reflect on the significance of living in a Jewish country. We are compelled to face these issues existentially when we are forced to pay a price for being Jewish in a Jewish country.

Jews are an extraordinary people. When I encounter non-Jews, I always attempt to enquire if they have any idea how many Jews there are in the world. The general response is hundreds of millions. This makes sense to me. Who could really believe that a people who are less than one percent of the world population could accomplish so much? Jews have won 30 percent of the Nobel prizes in science since they were awarded. Much of the intellectual progress made in the 20th century was fueled by the ideas of three Jewish thinkers: Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx.

Jews are an appreciable percentage of the intelligentsia of the developed world; they are doctors, lawyers, professors, writers etc. out of all proportion to their numbers. In prestigious universities they are a large percentage of the student body. Jews are at the forefront of all movements for social justice, and despite their relatively tiny numbers are responsible for a lot of the philanthropy in the Western world. They have managed to rebuild the Jewish state after a 2,000 year hiatus and to revive a dead language, both unprecedented accomplishments in the annals of human history.

Jews themselves are the only people in the world who do not realize how special they are. The desire to fit in and be like everyone else prevents them from focusing on the significance of their Jewishness and reaching clarity about what being a Jew means. There is little urgency in defining a Jew if Jews are identical to other people anyway. They need to be reminded that they have a unique historic mission which sets them apart, and it is essential to their security and well being to understand this mission and define it clearly. Divine Providence will present them with thought-provoking stimuli whenever they show signs of ignoring their Jewishness and abandoning their mission.

CONFRONTAION

There is no question that a terrorist is fully accountable for his evil acts. It goes without saying that anyone who commits indiscriminate horrors in God’s name will ultimately suffer due retribution. In addition to this fact, let us touch on the behind-the-scenes workings of Divine Providence that transcend the willing agents of destruction.

God will not let us ignore the question.

The suicide bomber who blows up a bus and the Hezbollah terrorist who aims his Katyusha rockets at innocent people with the declared intent of killing as many Jews as possible are powerful spiritual stimuli. They force Israelis to confront the existential issue of their Judaism. Why us? Why is it our fate to suffer bloodshed no matter how reasonable we try to be and no matter how many withdrawals we make? Why is it necessary in today’s world, where civil rights have finally become entrenched in all developed countries, to maintain a Jewish enclave in the Middle East at such great cost? If we are really no different than other people, why is it worth sacrificing our children’s lives to maintain a Jewish State? Perhaps we would be better off in the U.S. or Europe?

God will not let us ignore the question. The Jewish people signed a solemn agreement with God to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”. This undertaking is our social contract; it defines our place in the world as God’s representatives. And this is especially true about the Land of Israel. The Almighty’s promise to Abraham to deliver the land to his children is clearly conditional on their observance of their covenant with God. For I have loved him, because he commands his children and his household after him that they keep the way of God, doing charity and justice, in order that God might then bring upon Abraham that which he had spoken about (Genesis 18,19).

Peace in Israel is possible, but ultimately not through the force of arms. Our forefathers who were driven out of Israel twice knew this well, and Divine Providence treated them with greater severity than it treats us. Instead of sending them a wake-up call, Divine Providence banished them altogether.

In contrast, the typical modern Israeli is ignorant of the need to hold on to the Covenant of Abraham in order to hold on to his country. Providence will not banish him; it will provide him with stimuli to prompt a series of soul-searching questions that if taken to heart, could provoke genuine change.

This is no doubt painful, but the thrust is entirely benevolent. In Jewish thought ignorance is never bliss and the acquisition of knowledge is always painful. But through the workings of Providence, the Jewish people are learning. When the lesson is fully internalized there will be lasting peace.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
While studying at the famed yeshivas of Chaim Berlin, Lakewood and the Mir in Jerusalem, Rabbi Noson Weisz also received a degree in Microbiology from the University of Toronto, MA in Political Science at the New School for Social Research and his LLB from the University of Toronto. Rabbi Weisz is currently a senior lecturer at Yeshiva Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem.

IS ALLAH THE GOD OF THE BIBLE?

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006

IS “ALLAH” THE GOD OF THE BIBLE?

While many sincere and well-meaning Christians (and pastors!) have argued that the word “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for “God,” the facts are something quite different. Even among Islamic scholars there is general agreement that the term “Allah” refers to a pagan deity before Islam came into existence under the leadership of Mohammed.

The pre-Islamic Arab culture spoke of 360 gods of which “Allah” was one of them. The correct Arabic name for “God” is the word “Al-ilah.” It became a generic title for whatever god was considered the highest god. Each Arab tribe used “Allah” to refer to its own particular high god. For example, the moon god called “Hubal” was the god to whom Arabs prayed at the Kaa’ba and when they prayed they used the name “Allah.” Historians have said that “Allah” was the chief of the 360 gods that were worshipped in Arabia at the time that Mohammed came to prominence. Some Muslims will become angry when hearing this history about “Allah.” They don’t want to believe or accept that “Allah” was already being worshipped at the Kaa’ba in Mecca by Arab pagans before the time of Mohammed. There is also evidence that the term “Allah” was used by heathen Arabs not only in Arabia but also among the Nabateans.

The name “Allah” was well known in pre-Islamic Arabia (as even the Qur’an testifies). The feminine form of the word is “Allat” (simply means “the goddess”) “and is found in many inscriptions from North Africa as well as in Arabic inscriptions prior to Islam.

“Allah” is not a common name in Arabic for “God.” Muslims must use another word or form to indicate any other than their own peculiar deity.

Other gods mentioned in the Qur’an are all female deities: “Al-Lat” and “al-Uzza” and “Manat” which are represented by the sun, the planet Venus, and Fortune or Destiny. At Mecca they were regarded as the daughters of “Allah.”

Among the pagan Arabs before the time of Mohammed, the term “Allah” represented the chief god of their pantheon at the Kaa’ba with its 360 idols. The central shrine at Mecca, the Kaa’ba, is a cube-like stone structure that has a black stone in one of its corners (perhaps a meteorite) that must be kissed as an essential ritual of the Haj, the pilgrimage that all Muslims must take at least once in their life to Mecca.

IRAN’S NUCLEAR PLANS

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2006

A senior Iranian nuclear official in Tehran: Iran is ready to enter into “serious negotiations” on a “new formula” submitted Tuesday

August 22, 2006, 5:46 PM (GMT+02:00)

The contents have not been released of the formula just submitted in response to the six-power incentives package offered in exchange for Iran halting enrichment.

The contents of the Iranian response have not been released. US Ambassador John Bolton told reporters: “We will study the Iranian response and if it is not satisfactory are prepared to move on elements of a UN resolution very quickly.”

Twenty-four hours earlier, Iran announced its Arak heavy water plant would soon be operational. The announcement came from Dep Dir of Iran’s nuclear program Mohammad Saidi hours before Tehran’s response was handed in. Iran’s supreme ruler Ali Khamenei said nothing will turn his country from its course. According to an unnamed source in Vienna talking to AKI, new centrifuges have been installed at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility over the past week.

The Arak plant could produce plutonium for nuclear bombs by an alternative method to the uranium enrichment process.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The United Nations is now facing a serious confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program and its intentions toward Israel. Remember that Iran (ancient Persia) is mentioned first in the confederacy of nations who attack Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). Bible scholars and teachers disagree over when this attack (which has NOT ever happened in history!) will occur. Some say BEFORE the Day of the Lord or the Tribulation begins. Others says DURING the Tribulation, and others say that this battle is the same as The Battle of Armageddon and CONCLUDES the Tribulation. God knows – we do not! As our Lord Yeshua taught us – keep your eyes on the return of our blessed Messiah – He is our HOPE but now and forever!

IRAN IS CONCERNED!

Saturday, August 19th, 2006

DEBKAfile report – link is on our list of “links” on the front page of our web site!

While the damage caused Israel’s military reputation has dominated Western assessments of the Lebanon war, DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report an entirely different perception taking hold in ruling circles in Tehran.

After UN Security Council resolution 1701 calling for a truce was carried Friday, Aug. 11, the heads of the regime received two separate evaluations of the situation in Lebanon – one from Iran’s foreign ministry and one from its supreme national security council. Both were bleak: their compilers were concerned that Iran had been manipulatively robbed of its primary deterrent asset ahead of a probable nuclear confrontation with the United States and Israel.

While the foreign ministry report highlighted the negative aspects of the UN resolution, the council’s document complained that Hizballah squandered thousands of rockets – either by firing them into Israel or having them destroyed by the Israeli air force.

The writer of this report is furious over the waste of Iran’s most important military investment in Lebanon merely for the sake of a conflict with Israeli over two kidnapped soldiers. It took Iran two decades to build up Hizballah’s rocket inventory.

DEBKAfile’s sources estimate that Hizballah’s adventure wiped out most of the vast sum of $4-6 billion the Iranian treasury sunk into building its military strength. The organization was meant to be strong and effective enough to provide Iran with a formidable deterrent to Israel embarking on a military operation to destroy the Islamic regime’s nuclear infrastructure.

To this end, Tehran bought the Israeli military doctrine of preferring to fight its wars on enemy soil. In the mid-1980s, Iran decided to act on this doctrine by coupling its nuclear development program with Israel’s encirclement and the weakening its deterrence strength. The Jewish state was identified at the time as the only country likely to take vigorous action to spike Iran’s nuclear aspirations.

The Ayatollahs accordingly promoted Hizballah’s rise as a socio-political force in Lebanon, at the same time building up its military might and capabilities for inflicting damage of strategic dimensions to Israel’s infrastructure.

That effort was accelerated after Israeli forces withdrew from the Lebanese security zone in May 2000. A bunker network and chain of fortified positions were constructed, containing war rooms equipped with the finest western hi-tech gadgetry, including night vision gear, computers and electronics, as well as protective devices against bacteriological and chemical warfare. This fortified network was designed for assault and defense alike.

Short- medium- and long-range rockets gave the hard edge to Hizballah’s ablity to conduct a destructive war against Israel and its civilians – when the time was right for Tehran.

Therefore, Iran’s rulers are hopping mad and deeply anxious over news of the huge damage sustained by Hizballah’s rocket inventory, which was proudly touted before the war as numbering 13,000 pieces.

Hizballah fighters, they are informed, managed to fire only a small number of Khaibar-1 rockets, most of which hit Haifa and Afula, while nearly 100 were destroyed or disabled by Israeli air strikes.

The long-range Zelzal-1 and Zelzal-2, designed for hitting Tel Aviv and the nuclear reactor at Dimona have been degraded even more. Iran sent over to Lebanon 50 of those missiles. The keys to the Zelzal stores stayed in the hands of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards officers who were in command of Hizballah. Nasrallah and his officers had no access to these stores.

But Tehran has learned that Israel was able to destroy most of the 22 Zelzal launchers provided.

That is not the end of the catalogue of misfortunes for the Islamic rulers of Iran.

1. The UN Security Council embodied in resolution 1701 a chapter requiring Hizballah to disarm – in the face of a stern warning issued by supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in person in the early days of the war. Revolutionary Guards commanders went so far as to boast: “No one alive is capable of disarming Hizballah.”

The disarming of Hizballah would therefore be a bad knock to the supreme ruler’s authority and prestige as well as a disastrous blow for the deterrent force so painstakingly and expensively fashioned as a second front line to protect the Islamic republic from a safe distance.

2. Hizballah’s ejection from South Lebanon, if accomplished in the aftermath of the ceasefire, would moreover deprive Tehran of the sword hanging over Israel’s head of instantaneous attack.

For the sake of partial damage control, Tehran handed Nasrallah a set of new instructions Sunday, Aug. 13:

First, to find a way of evading the ceasefire and keeping up war operations against Israeli forces.

Second, to reject the proposal to disarm before the Lebanese government meets on this Monday afternoon. In fact, that meeting was called off after Hassan Nasrallah sent a message to the Lebanese ministers flatly refusing to have Hizballah give up its weapons in the south. He also turned down a compromise proposal handed him later, whereby the Lebanese army’s first mission after deploying in the south would be to help Hizballah evacuate its fighters with their arms to positions north of the Litani River.

The strategy evolving in Tehran since the ceasefire went into effect Monday morning requires Hizballah to employ a range of stratagems – not only to prevent the truce from stabilizing but to stop the Lebanese army from deploying n the south and, above all, the entry of an effective international force.

Furthermore, Hizballah is instructed to stretch the military crisis into the next three or four months, synchronously with the timetable for a UN Security Council sanctions-wielding session on Iran.

According to exclusive reports reaching DEBKAfile’s sources, the Iranian government believes that Israel and the United States are preparing a military operation for this coming October and November to strike Iran’s nuclear installations. It is therefore vital to keep the two armies fully occupied with other pursuits.

Iranian leaders’ conviction that the Lebanon war was staged to bamboozle them rests on certain perceptions:

As seen from Tehran, Israel looked as though it was carrying out a warming-up exercise in preparation for its main action against Iran’s nuclear program. The Israeli army was able to explore, discover and correct its weak points, understand what was lacking and apply the necessary remedial measures. They therefore expect the IDF to emerge from the war having produced novel methods of warfare.

They also have no doubt that the United States will replenish Israel’s war chest with a substantial aid program of new and improved weaponry.

From the Iranian viewpoint, Israel succeeded in seriously degrading Hizballah’s capabilities. It was also able to throw the Lebanese Shiite militia to the wolves; the West is now in a position to force Nasrallah and his men to quit southern Lebanon and disarm. The West shut its eyes when he flouted the Resolution 1559 order for the disarmament of all Lebanese militias. But that game is over. The Americans will use Resolution 1701 as an effective weapon to squeeze Iran, denied of its second-front deterrence, on its nuclear program.

Tehran hopes to pre-empt the American move by torpedoing the Lebanon ceasefire and preventing the termination of hostilities at all costs.

JEWISH ROOTS OF FAITH

Saturday, August 19th, 2006

We receive a great deal of questions and comments regarding the Jewish Roots of the Faith. Certain segments of Christianity believe that the Christian Church not only replaced Israel in God’s prophetic program, but they also believe that the early roots of Christianity were not Jewish as the Bible teaches. They believe that if Jews become believers, they are no longer Jews, but Christians (Modern Judaism believes the same – interestingly!).

Acts 11:26 makes it clear that the early believers were “called Christians” at first by outsiders who lived in Antioch of Syria. In Acts 24:5, the Bible says that a “certain orator named Tertullus” began to accuse the Apostle Paul in front of the Roman ruler named Felix. It was Tertullus (supported by Ananias the High Priest and certain elders) who called Paul “a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.” The Hebrew word is “notzrim.” It is not from the same root word as “Nazarite (like Samson)” or someone from the city of Nazareth. The origin of the word is no doubt the Hebrew word “netzer” which means “branch.” Prophecies in Isaiah 11:1 and Jeremiah 23:5-6 and Zechariah 6:12-13 refer to the Messiah as “the Branch.” Jews who became believers in Yeshua (Jesus), fully accepting Him as the promised Messiah of Israel, were known as “Netzerites” or believers in the Branch!

Believers in Yeshua did not call themselves “Christians” until the late 2nd century AD (long after the Bar Kochba revolt which the Emperor Hadrian suppressed and renamed the Land of Israel as “Palestinia” – to show his disgust for the Jews – he named the Land after the name of their ancient enemies – the Philistines). These “believers” were now quite different from the original group presented in the Book of Acts. With the Gentile domination of Christianity, it soon became apparent that anyone who called himself a “Christian” would have to renounce all things Jewish.

The early Jewish believers, the “notzrim” or “netzerites” had many doctrinal agreements with the Pharisees. They still attended synagogue services on the Shabat (Sabbath Day – Saturday – as Yeshua did), they kept the “feasts” (Jewish celebrations of worship – Leviticus 23 – plus Hanakkah, Purim, etc.), they accepted the Torah and the writings of the Brit Hadasha (New Testament) as they became available. They were evangelistic toward both Jews and Gentiles and at a major church meeting (Acts 15) they fully recognized the Jewish Bible’s predictions concerning the salvation of Gentiles. These early Jewish believers had full confidence that Yeshua was the Messiah, that He was the divine Son of God, eternal, and possessing all the attributes and abilities of God Himself.

The “church” (or Messianic congregations) is a word that translates the Greek word “ecclesia” meaning a “called-out” assembly. It is also the Greek word that translates the Hebrew word for the “congregation” of Israel. It began in Jerusalem, NOT Rome, and the first leader (“pastor”) of the congregation was Ya’acov (James) NOT Peter. According to the writings of Flavius Josephus, Ya’acov was the brother of Yeshua and in 62 AD was arrested by the Chief Priest (a Sadducee) who ordered him to be thrown from the pinnacle of the Temple. That fall did not kill him so he was clubbed to death.

When the new Roman governor arrived in Jerusalem he was confronted with a great controversy concerning the death of Ya’acov (who was well respected by the Jews because he spent much time at the Temple in prayer). The people who protested his death to the Roman governor the most were the Pharisees.
At that time in history there is no evidence that the Jews of that day were boycotting the Jewish believers in Yeshua. Ya’acov was replaced by a cousin of Yeshua (Shimon ben Clopha) who was chosen by the elders of the Messianic congregation of Jerusalem. Ben Clopha served for almost 50 years. After his leadership, the congregation of “notzrim” or “netzerites” had 13 different leaders (all Jewish) until the Bar Kochba rebellion. Following that tragic event, history records Gentile leaders in the congregation at Jerusalem.

This is only a brief synopsis but hopefully it will be helpful to all who are concerned about the “roots of Christianity.” The early leaders were Jewish and still found themselves accepted within the various sects of Judaism. They had a Jewish Bible, practiced Jewish festivals, attended services on the Shabat, and tried to be observant Jews to the laws and demands of the Torah. They also followed the precepts and teachings of the Brit Hadasha. They gave strong witness to the true identity of the Messiah, our Lord Yeshua, and had no doubts about His Divine attributes and His mission of redemption. They believed without question that His death was substitutionary for our sins, and that He arose from the dead in a physical body. His post-resurrection appearances were known to these early believers – many of whom had seen Him with their own eyes!

The Bible teaches in Ephesians that Gentiles who were once without hope and without God and strangers to the covenants of God can become “joint-heirs” and “partakers” of the inheritance God promised to the children of Abraham who put their faith in God’s everlasting covenant and accept the finished work of redemption of Messiah Yeshua. Jews and Gentiles are now “one” in the body of Messiah! To God be all the glory!

CONSIDER THE FACTS!

Wednesday, August 16th, 2006

The continued attempts to “re-write” history by this contemporary culture and its journalistic confusion has caused enormous difficulties in coming to righteous conclusions about Israel, its right to exist and its God-given right to its land. Consider these facts:

1. ISRAEL became a state over 3000 years ago – long before Islam ever existed!

2. Arab refugees began calling themselves “Palestinians” in 1967 after the Six-Day War – 20 years after ISRAEL became a Nation once again!

3. Jews ruled the Land of ISRAEL for 1000 years, and in spite of the conquests of Rome, and attacks by Islam and the Ottoman Turks, they have maintained a presence in this Land for over 3000 years!

4. The only time in history when anything close to Arab conquest occurred was in 633 BC, and lasted just 22 years!

5. For over 3000 years, JERUSALEM was (and still is!) the capital of ISRAEL and was never the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity – even under Jordanian rule. Not only was JERUSALEM not made the capital by others, but no Arab leader ever came to visit it!

6. JERUSALEM is mentioned over 800 times in the Bible by various names, but not once is it mentioned in the Qur’an.

7. King David established JERUSALEM as the capital; Mohammed never set foot in the city!

8. When Jews pray they face JERUSALEM; when Muslims pray they face Mecca. If they are between the two cities, Muslims also face Mecca with their backs to JERUSALEM!

9. In 1948, Arab leaders urged the Arabs in ISRAEL to leave, promising to “cleanse the land of Jewish presence.” 68% of them fled without ever setting their eyes on any Israeli soldier!

10. Some 300,00 to 600,000 Arabs (the figures are radically different in all reporting) left ISRAEL in 1948, while one million Jews were forced to leave the Muslim countries due to violence and pogroms.

11. In spite of having vast territories at their disposal, the Arab refugees were deliberately prevented from assimulating into their host countries to which they fled.

12. Arabs (technically – Islam!) started all five wars against ISRAEL, and lost every one of them.

13. Under Jordanian occupation, Jewish holy sites in JERUSALEM (and elsewhere!) were vandalized and were “off limits” to Jews; Under ISRAEL’s rule, all Muslim and Christian holy sites are accessible to all faiths and people.

14. Out of 175 UN Security Council resolutions, 97 were against ISRAEL; Out of 690 General Assembly Resolutions, 429 were against ISRAEL!

PLEASE, LET’S START FACING THE FACTS AND TELLING THE TRUTH! There are problems on all sides of the issues facing the Middle East. There have been terrible things done in the name of religion and political negotiation. But, it is time to face the facts and start consulting with the only historically accurate book about ISRAEL in the world – the BIBLE, the whole BIBLE, and nothing but the BIBLE!

Thanks for listening.

SPEECH BY ISRAEL PM

Wednesday, August 16th, 2006

In the light of what is currently going on in Israel (much disagreement and anger over events surrounding the “cease-fire” proposed by the United Nations), it is interesting to review what Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on July 31st (just a couple of weeks ago!):

“The Israel Defense Forces will continue to attack targets from which missiles and Katyusha rockets are fired at hospitals, old age homes and kindergartens in Israel. I have instructed the security forces and the IDF to continue to hunt for the Katyusha stockpiles and launch sites from which these savages are bombarding the State of Israel. We will not hesitate, we will not apologize, and we will not back off. If they continue to launch missiles into Israel…we will continue to bomb…today, romorrow, and the day after tomorrow!

“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time you understood: the Jewish State will no longer be trampled upon. We will no longer allow anyone to exploit population centers in order to bomb our citizens. No one will be able to hide anymore behind women and children in order to kill our woman and children. This anarchy is over. You can condemn us, you can boycott us, you can stop visiting us and, if necessary, we will stop visiting you.

“A voice for six million citizens – today I am serving as the voice of six million bombarded Israeli citizens who serve as the voice of six million murdered Jews who were melted down to dust and ashes by savages in Europe. In both cases, those responsible for these evil acts were, and are, barbarians devoid of all humanity, who set themselves one simple goal: to wipe the Jewish race off the face of the earth, as Adolph Hitler said, or to wipe the State of Israel off the map, as Mahmoud Ahmedinjad proclaims. And you – just as you did not take those words seriously then, you are ignoring them again now! And that, ladies and gentlemen, leaders of the world, will NOT happen again – NEVER AGAIN will we wait for bombs that never came to hit the gas chambers. NEVER AGAIN will we wait for salvation that never arrives!

“Every place from which a Katyusha is fired into the State of Israel will be a legitimate target for us to attack. This must be stated clearly and publicly, once and for all. You are welcome to judge us, to ostracize us, to boycott us, and to vilify us. But to kill us? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

“In a loud clear voice, looking you straight in the eye, I stand before you openly and I will not apologize. I will not capitulate. I will not whine. This is a battle for our freedom. for our humanity. For the right to lead normal lives within our reconized, legitimate borders. It is also your battle. I pray and I believe that now you will understand that. Because if you don’t you may regret it later, when it’s too late.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: The above quotations from PM Olmert’s speech are strong, but Israel’s desire for the approval of world leadership is undermining what he said. There is only One to Whom the Nation of Israel must answer – it is the LORD GOD of ISRAEL – and it is time to repent and to turn to the only One Who can truly help them in this hour of great need and difficulty! May our prayers for the lasting peace of the Messiah become a reality soon!

DON’T BELIEVE THE LIES!

Saturday, August 12th, 2006

Subject: “DON’T BELIEVE THE LIES!”
Scripture: I Timothy 4:1-2

I Timothy 4:1-2 – “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron.”

LIES ABOUT THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL

1. Abraham offered Ishmael, not Isaac, on Mt. Moriah! Genesis 22:1-2, 9, 12; Hebrews 11:17; James 2:21

2. The Jews never owned the Temple Mount – it is an Islamic holy site! II Samuel 24:18-25

3. There never was a king named David!
Psalm 78:70-72; 89:34-37 (mentioned 1085 times in the Bible)

4. The Jews never built a temple on the Temple Mount and there never was a king named Solomon! I Kings 6:1; II Chronicles 3:1-2

5. The city of Jerusalem never belonged to the Jews – it was and is a holy site for Muslims. (Jerusalem is mentioned 811 times in the Bible; not once in the Koran!) I Kings 11:36; II Chron. 6:6

6. The land was and is called “Palestine” until the modern State of Israel occupied it. Matthew 2:20-21 – The name “Palestine” was not officially given to the land until the 2nd century AD when Hadrian named it after the Jewish Revolt under Bar Kochba to offend the Jews by naming it after their ancient enemies – the Philistines.

7. The modern State of Israel was started by Jews who took land away from the Palestinians! The Jews were given a homeland by international agreement
but never took any land away from anyone! When the holocaust Jewish survivors came to Israel, Egypt told some 300,000 Arabs to leave their homes in Palestine for a few days while the armies of seven Arab nations would wipe out the Jews. When they lost the War of Liberation in 1948, the Jews invited all of these “refugees” to return. Some did; others did not. The Jews paid huge prices for land from a few Arab landowners – mostly swamps, desert land that was filled with rocks.

There never were a Palestinian people, culture, nation, or language. There never was an Arab state on that land. The late Syrian leader, Hafez Assad, said: “There is no such thing as a Palestinian people; there is no Palestinian entity – there is only Syria!”

8. Tel Aviv is the capital of Israel, not Jerusalem! Jerusalem is the only capital Israel has ever had, both from ancient times to the present day!

LIES ABOUT THE LAND

1. Israel forfeited its right to the land by their disobedience and sin! Leviticus 26:40-45

2. This land belongs to Islam! NO – it belongs to the GOD of ISRAEL – Leviticus 25:23

3. God’s covenant to Israel about the land was conditional and temporary!
Wrong – Genesis 17:7-8 and Psalm 105:8-10 says it is an “EVERLASTING” covenant!

4. If the Jews give up land to the Palestinians, it will bring peace!
The policy of “land for peace” has failed 10 times (including GAZA)!
Psalm 83:2-5

5. There is nothing unbiblical about dividing the land between the Jews and the Palestinians! Wrong again – Joel 3:1-2; Daniel 11:36-39

LIES ABOUT ARABS

1. All Arabs are Islamic! No – over 50% are Christians!

2. All Palestinians are Arabs. NO -Many Palestinians (those who have lived in this land prior to 1948) are Jews. Most of today’s so-called “Palestinians” are Jordanians who lived on land held by Jordan from 1948 to 1967.

3. Most nations in the Middle East are Arab nations! WRONG AGAIN!
Most nations are Islamic, but not Arab. The Arabs live within those nations. Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and even Saudi Arabia, are not Arabs. The Arabs are the direct descendants of the 12 sons of Ishmael, the son of an Egyptian handmaiden named Hagar – I Chronicles 1:29-31

4. Jewish settlements are being built on Arab land. No settlements have ever been built on confiscated or privately-owned Arab land. The land upon which they exist was given to Israel by God, and the modern State purchased much of this land from Arab land owners who never lived in this land.

5. The Middle East problem is between Jews and Arabs! NO – the problem is between Jews and Muslims (who are committed to the destruction of the State of Israel and the extermination of the Jewish people).

THE “LIES” CONTINUE TO BE TOLD – The Bible tells us exactly who is behind all the “lies” – it is SATAN Himself, the “father of lies” – John 8:44.

THE TRUTH ABOUT LEBANON

Saturday, August 12th, 2006

The reports of the Media concerning this war between Israel and Hizb’allah continue to be distorted from the real truth. We are glad for the proposal of the UN Security Council (the vote was 15-0) that is calling for a “ceasefire” but we are not convinced that the terms are right, nor are we convinced that the attacks upon Israel are going to stop.

The Media has been promoting a continual scenario for Lebanon that has all groups (including Christians) supporting Hizb’allah. That simply is NOT true! Consider this report carefully:

SPECIAL REPORT: Christians in Lebanon Used as Human Shields by Hezbollah
Friday, August 11, 2006
By: Christian Solidarity International

Hizb’allah is using Christian villages to shield its military operations in violation of International Law!

Hizb’allah is using Christian villages to shield its military operations against Israel. Southern Lebanese Christian villages, such as Ain Ebel, Rmeish, Alma Alshaab, and others are being used by Hizb’allah terrorists for launching missile attacks.

“Hizb’allah is repeating the same pattern that it practiced against Israel in 1996,” says former South Lebanese Army commander, Col. Charbel Barkat. “Hizb’allah is hiding among civilian populations and launching attacks behind human shields.”

A Christian from the village of Ain Ebel, who is nameless because he fears retribution by Hizb’allah, discovered Hizb’allah guerillas were setting up a launcher to fire Katyusha rockets from the rooftop of his home. Ignoring his pleas to stop, they fired the missiles. He immediately gathered his family and fled his home, which indeed was bombed and destroyed 15 minutes later by an Israeli air strike.

In addition to having their homes commandeered for launching Hizb’allah’s attacks, there have been attempts to obstruct Christians from fleeing their villages.

Recently, Hizb’allah fighters fired upon several Christians fleeing Rmeish with their families, wounding two according to Christian sources in south Lebanon. Hizb’allah has been the ruling power in the south since Israel withdrew from Lebanon six years ago. Christian villages suffer from extensive neglect of infrastructure under Hizb’allah rule. Even though Christians pay the taxes for basic government services, such as road repair and other utilities, these services are rarely provided. On the other hand, Shiite villages supportive of
Hizb’allah do not pay taxes and benefit from infrastructure development and new residential and business construction. Once the majority, the Christian population in Lebanon since the civil war has declined to under 40% due to pressures by Islamic militias supported by Iran and Syria.

“Hizb’allah is the issue,” warns Dr. Keith Roderick, Washington Representative of Christian Solidarity International and Secretary General of the Coalition for the Defense of Human Rights. “A misrepresentation of the position of most Lebanese Christians is underway.” Roderick recently traveled to Lebanon to meet with the leaders of the Cedar Revolution and Lebanese activists. Sami El-Khoury, President of the World Maronite Union, says that reports on Christian support for Hizb’allah are misleading. Contrary to Western press
reports, indicating high percentages of Christian support for Hizb’allah, 90% of Christians, 80% of Sunni and 40% of Shiites in Lebanon oppose Hizb’allah,”
says El-Khoury.

“The Lebanese government should focus their rage against Hizb’allah, not Israel!”

EDITOR’S NOTE: It is extremely important for true Bible believers not only to support Israel in this conflict but also to care about (and pray earnestly for) the Christian believers in Lebanon. Do not be deceived by misrepresentation of the facts and the distortions of public media over the support for Hizb’allah. That is simply NOT true!


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