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Prophe-Zine Issue 077
PropheZine #77
May 1, 1999
Bob Lally Publisher
Mimi Nila Senior Editor
Rick Woodcock Asst. Editor
Abraham George Asst. Editor
Lori Eldridge Asst. Editor
Bob Ippolito Asst. Editor
ARTICLES
Mike........................Would God Dismember Christ's body?
Paul Becker................Only the Prepared Christians?
David Hocking................The Incomprehensible Peace Of God
Lambert Dolphin..............The Concept of the Remnant
John W. Chalfant..............Abandonment Theology
COMMENTARIES
David Hocking.....Euroland (NATO/EU) Flexes Its New World Order Muscles
Valerie Richardson.........Evangelical tone of memorial spurs backlash
Berit Kjos.............Don't Mention Jesus
NEWS ITEMS FROM ISRAEL
ICEJ News.........1.Palestinians Delay Statehood Decision
2.Palestinians In Bid To Resurrect Resolution That
Would Carve Up Israel
3.Palestinians Support For Armed Attacks Against
Israelis Increases
4.Yisrael B'aliyah Campaigns For Interior Ministry
Post
5.Russian Immigration Doubles In First Quarter Of
1999
POEMS, Etc.
Submitted by Kevin Haselton...........A Kid's Look at the Bible
****************************************************************
Hello Everyone!
I would like to apologize in this issue for the last one, which contained
the following table and was in error in the Berit Kjos article on Kosovo.
Here is the table of information in the correct order. I am sure most of
you figured that I had entered it incorrectly. But I definitely owe Berit
Kjos an apology for printing it incorrectly.
--------------------------------------------------
THE PARADIGM SHIFT: Total Transformation
NEW PARADIGM OLD PARADIGM
========================================================
Beliefs Blend of earth-centered religions Based on Bible
Culture Global solidarity Western individualism
Values Based on human idealism Based on Bible
Morals Sensual freedom Moral boundaries
Rights Social controls Personal freedom
Economy Socialist collective Free enterprise
Government By those who control the masses By the people
--------------------------------------------------
This issue deals primarily with the "readiness" of believers, and the controversy or confusion some people may feel over the rapture of the church and who will go and who will not. I trust that you will as always follow Acts 17:11 in receiving this.
Acts 17:11 "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
In His Service,
M. Nila
====================================================================
"INCREDIBLE!" "BRAVO!" "It had me sitting on the edge of my seat." See what many are calling the best Christian film ever--APOCALYPSE II: REVELATION. Biblically accurate, Hollywood quality production, highly entertaining and powerfully evangelistic! Visit this full-length movie's complete website now at www.jvim.com/apocalypseii to learn more about APOCALYPSE II: REVELATION and how to order your own copy on video today!
Also visit the Jack Van Impe web site at http://www.jvim.com
====================================================================
|==========================================
|
| WOULD GOD DISMEMBER CHRIST'S BODY?
| by Mike Lester
|
A lot has been said about the rapture, or "gathering" of the Church, versus God's children. Some scripture and commentary may have raised some doubts amongst some of us. I have done some work on this subject because I think it is vitally important that every believer understand this in order to engage in a successful and abundant walk with our loving Father. We all must fully understand what God, through Jesus Christ, has done for us in order that we may have the peace of God in our hearts. We can disagree on many things, but let this not be one of them.
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7). (All scripture KJV)
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful" (Colossians 3:15).
US IN CHRIST
First, before we start we must clarify what the main use of the phrase "in Christ" means. Does it mean the renewed mind? Or does it refer to our fixed relationship with God established by God through Jesus Christ? The majority of the time it refers to our fixed relationship with God. Being in Christ means having God in Christ in you - although in some 'contexts' it can mean abiding in Christ which refers to our walk of obedience with God.
You are in Christ from the time you are born again as we will see later.
Let's examine this phrase in the context of the Word of God and build our knowledge and believing from there.
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony [mysteries] of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:1, 2).
Paul could not teach the mysteries (the deeper meaning) of God's Word to the church at Corinth, so he stuck to the simple teachings of "Christ, and him crucified."
"And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
Paul could not teach this church the deeper meaning of the Word of God because they were carnally minded, so he stuck with the carnally understood teachings which were centered around Christ's death and resurrection. He had to feed them with milk, not with meat. They had not renewed their minds, or gown up spiritually, to the point where they could receive the meat of the Word of God, they where a pretty immature and sinful church who had not put on the mind of Christ. How sinful? Look at this next verse.
"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife" (1 Corinthians 5:1).
That's bad! Now, Go back to 1 Corinthians 3:1 and take note of the phrase, "babes in Christ." Paul referred to these immature and unruly people as "babes in Christ." They were IN CHRIST. Yes, they were still in Christ even though they didn't have the renewed mind and they were not walking the walk. And, even though they were engaging in unholy practices, God's inspired Word still refers to them as being in Christ.
This is a perfect illustration of how we are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. Being in Christ means having God in Christ in you, this will become even clearer as we go on.
Look at the phrases and how they are used:
"Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen" (1 Peter 5:14) .
Now, would Peter be telling his brethren to ONLY greet those who "had the renewed mind" with a kiss? Would Peter be telling them "Don't kiss just any believer, only kiss the ones that have the renewed mind"? And, would Peter say "Peace be with you" to the ones that ONLY had the renewed mind? No.
Just think, if you just met a fellow believer for the first time you'd have to wait a while before greeting them until you could observe their walk to see if they where in Christ.
"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24).
Are we redeemedâ before or after we renew our minds? It says we are justified freelyâ by his grace. So, if freely by Grace, we don't have to do anything. It's freely, and it's grace.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38, 39).
Nothing, not even our works or lack there of can separate us.
"So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another" (Romans 12:5).
"And every one members one of another" - means all of us are of the body of Christ, all in one and one in all. And because we are of one body we ALL go together in the gathering. Why would God dismember Christ's body?
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17).
When we are born again we are a new creature in God's eyes, old things have passed away with Christ's death, and ALL things are new in his resurrection. If all things are new and perfect how could we possibly make them better and newer?
"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:26).
We are ALL the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. You can't make it any clearer. If we are all God's children we will ALL be a part of the gathering.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24).
All one in Christ, no condemnation, and life ever lasting - simple and clear.
IT'S NOT BY WORKS IT'S BY GRACE
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work" (Romans 11:6).
This is saying if it is by grace it is no longer on the basis of our works.
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law:
for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:16).
We are justified by the faith "of" Jesus Christ and not by the works of the law.
"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began" (2 Timothy 1:9).
WE'RE ALREADY THERE
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:6).
"Even while we are here on earth as ambassadors, as far as God is concerned, we are already seated in heaven with Christ at the right hand of God. Again, the phrase "in Christ Jesus" in this context means those who are believers. Look at these next verses and the context.
"And ye are complete in him, which [who] is the head of all principality and power" (Colossians 2:10).
We are complete "in him." If we are complete, we are not lacking even one thing - and it wasn't by our own works that we were made complete. Why?
Look at this verse:
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10).
We are HIS "workmanship" made perfect and complete which has nothing to do with 'our' workmanship. Now, I would like to point out something about the force of the Greek word "complete" as used in Colossians 2:10. If you were to translate it accurately into English it would be read "completely completely absolutely complete."
If we needed to do something else it would say so. If we needed to haveâ
something else it would say so. It is God in Christ in you that makes you "completely completely absolutely compete."
FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD
"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? . . .
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:20,26).
"Faith without works is dead," is a figure of speech. In this case it means inactive or dormant. When we are born again we receive the Holy Spirit, God's 'incorruptible' seed (1 Peter 1:23). Incorruptible means "not liable to corruption or decay, or imperishable." If the Holy Spirit is indestructible how could our lack of faith kill it - don't forget when we receive the holy spirit we receive life ever lasting.
Having received the Holy Spirit, we are endued with power from on high (Luke 24:49). This power is potential power. The believer operates and manifests this power through believing, "And the [holy] spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (1 Corinthians 14:32). The Holy Spirit is power, faith is the switch. The good works of God are the manifestation of that power which is turned on by faith (the switch). If you don't engage in works lead by the spirit your faith is dead - so to speak. Jesus was empowered with the Holy Spirit, his miracles were performed by faith, and his works were a manifestation of the Holy Spirit driven by that faith. That scripture is not scripture of condemnation, it is scripture of explanation and encouragement.
REWARDS AND THE TREE OF LIFE
"And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I COME QUICKLY; and MY REWARD IS WITH ME, TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HIS WORK SHALL BE " (Rev. 22:10-12).
Yes, there will be rewards given by Jesus to those who have accomplished certain Godly works. These rewards are crowns of glory, see (1 Peter 5:4). To the believer the kingdom of God is a promise NOT a reward. To conclude that the gathering is a reward is a conclusion not born out clearly in the Word as we will soon see. On such an important point God would make it absolutely clear.
"Blessed are they that DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, that they may have RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE, and may ENTER IN through the gates into the city" (Rev.22:14).
All children of God have the right to the tree of life. Again this is a promise that is made to the Christian, the one who is born again into the family of God. How could God deny one of his beloved children the right to ever lasting life when He has promised it in His Word? We need clarification here:
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;
To him that overcomethâ will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).
Who "overcometh" is the key word which will lead us to clarification.
Let's take a look at who overcometh - at least from a believer's perspective in this age of grace that we now live in:
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4, 5).
This is how wonderful our loving Father is! All we need to do is "believeth that Jesus is the Son of God" and we have overcome the world.
We have access to the tree of life! Whether we do works or not we still have the promise. "Christ in you the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). I
would like to point out that Christians have life ever lasting, and that it may not be necessary for us to eat of the tree of life in order to live since we will have perfect incorruptible bodies.
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the DEAD IN CHRIST shall rise first" (1 Thess. 4:16).
Obviously this is talking about all the Christians who have fallen asleep in Christ. Based on what we've seen so far how could it not be? Look at this next verse.
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians 15:52).
Does it say anything about a select body of believers here? If this were so, God would state it over and over again.
Let's go back over some basic, clear scripture.
"If thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shall be 'saved'"
(Romans 10:9,10).
What does saved mean? Saved means to set aside, or to set apart from. We are saved (set apart) from death, we are saved (set apart) from God's wrath, we are saved (set apart) from the day of Judgment. This bit of scripture is so straight forward. There are no other conditions written into this verse. If there were any other conditions to our completeness in Christ it would have been mentioned here. If we are "complete" how is it that we must earn the gathering? If we are 'His' workmanship how could we improve on it? To say that we can improve on God's workmanship is to say that God is imperfect.
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and ye believe on the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13) .
No conditions here, we know we have eternal life. The gathering is the beginning of our eternal life.
"Except a man be born again, he can not see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).
Does this verse say; except a man be born again and "abide in me", he can not see the kingdom of God? No. God says what he means and means what he says.
WE ARE ALL ONE THROUGH CHRIST - WE ARE IN CHRIST AND CHRIST IN US
Just before Jesus was crucified Jesus prayed to God for the salvation of all that would come to Him through his name. Within this beautiful heart-wrenching prayer is an amazing and revealing set of verses that tells us what will happen to all who come to Jesus.
"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me" (John 17:21-23).
This is so wonderful it is beyond words. Jesus is revealing that he is one with the Father and that the Father is one with him. Then, the believer is to be one with Jesus and Jesus is to be one with the believer, and that allâ believers are to be one with each other (one body in Christ). This is amazing!!! This is why we are "in Christ" and "Christ is in us," we are spiritually intertwined. God in Christ in you - we are all one body. We have been reunited with the Father through Jesus Christ - we are the sons and daughters of God.
"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God" (1 John 3:1).
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).
Many Christians magnify our weaknesses and shortcomings above the greatness of what God made us to be through Jesus Christ and then project it onto the Word, this is so sad and limiting.
God Bless You All - and peace be with you!!
Mike Lester Copyright Sun, 25 Apr. 1999 Mike <mrl@direct-internet.net>
|===========================================
|
| "REFLECTIONS"
| a poem by Janelle Gregory
|
"Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art
mine." (Isa 43:1b KJV)
I called.
You answered
and, Oh, the joy
that filled my soul.
Nothing changed,
Everything changed
and, yet, it was
only me.
I cried
You held me,
and let the tears
run down Your face.
I worked.
You fed me
ever so patiently
til dusk shadowed
the sun's eye.
Not once,
Once
did You ever
change Your mind.
When I stumbled,
You smoothed my steps.
When, in anger,
I slammed the door,
You stood without
and gently knocked
knowing,
Knowing,
I needed You.
When,
in unguarded moments
I catch You
staring at my face,
through a rainbow
or the clear reflection
on the lake
I drink anew
of this Pure fountain
its depths
magnificently hued.
Janelle Gregory
Copyright April 29, 1999
WINGS1962@aol.com
http://fly.to/UndeniableTruth
http://fly.to/JustWrite
For more of Janelle's poetry check out PZ's Endtime Poetry page:
http://www.prophezine.com/poetry/index.html
====================================================================
"INCREDIBLE!" "BRAVO!" "It had me sitting on the edge of my seat." See what many are calling the best Christian film ever--APOCALYPSE II: REVELATION. Biblically accurate, Hollywood quality production, highly entertaining and powerfully evangelistic! Visit this full-length movie's complete website now at www.jvim.com/apocalypseii to learn more about APOCALYPSE II: REVELATION and how to order your own copy on video today!
Also visit the Jack Van Impe web site at http://www.jvim.com
====================================================================
|==========================================
|
| Only the Prepared Christians ?
| by Paul Becker
|
As people visit the VW website, they write in to subscribe or often, simply, to express appreciation for the site being there; and they may express their own sense of "urgency" regarding the return of Christ, and their diligence to make sure "Christians are ready" for the Rapture. For a while I thought that was a "strange" twist of words until recently somebody sent a rather lengthy treatise on the "Ten Virgins." And then I realized what this is all about.
Folks, what we have is an insidious error. Even more so than "pre- wrath", "post-trib", "a-millennial", etc. views.
While I've only just recently seen it, a friend tells me that it has been around since, at least, Watchman Nee.
In a nutshell: this "new" twist by the aberrant-rapture views is that the Lord is coming for those Christians "who are prepared." That the "Christians" who "aren't prepared" won't get to participate in the "pre-trib" rapture. And, they're taking this from the "10 virgins" parable. The 5 were prepared, and the other 5 weren't. But since they were all "virgins" they are all "Christians." And their teaching is that the "unprepared" will get in "later" once they've been through the purifying of the Tribulation.
What makes this so "dangerous" is that it is setting up the deception for after the Rapture has taken place...for those left behind to think that they are "Christians" anyway...but just...weren't prepared...so now, they've gotta "work hard" to get prepared for the second coming. Oh, the cleverness of the deceiver!! If they are already "Christians"
they don't need to repent (Acts2:38) and be born again.(Jn3:3) Whereas, at least for those of the other viewpoints who were not Believers, when the Lord comes for the Church before the Tribulation, can realize that they were "wrong" and can hopefully still be of a soft heart to humble themselves before God and "call upon the name of the Lord" and be saved.(Joel2:32)
First of all, let's consider a couple of major flaws to this viewpoint, and then, let us be reminded of what it takes to be "ready" for Jesus to "receive us to" Himself.(Jn14:3)
If only a Christian who is "ready" will be received by Jesus, WHAT EXACTLY is the criteria constituting "readiness?" At what point is a Christian NOT ready; then, where along the "scale" of relative preparation has the person BECOME ready? You will notice I am not referencing these questions with Scripture. There is none. Scripture plainly teaches a person is either saved, or lost.
And then, the primary MOST DANGEROUS part of this view is that they can "work hard" to become purified, and then get in to the "Wedding Feast"
LATER. But if we look at Mt25:10-12 we see that the "door was shut." When the five "foolish" ones came "later" and are calling out, "Lord, Lord, open to us!" He says "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you." It should be obvious that these words are not to the same people He said, "I will prepare a place for you...I will come and receive you to Myself" ...calling these to whom He is saying these wonderful things, His "friends."
(Jn14:2-3,15:14-15) Those who seek to come "later" will have "delusion"
because they "did not believe"(2Ths2:11-12)
A couple years ago we spoke regarding the "5 Wise - 5 Foolish" ...and we noted that the 5 wise had "oil" with them.
Oil, symbolizing the "Holy Spirit." We know that the Holy Spirit is a defining property of a Christian.(Rom8:9) If a person does not have the Holy Spirit, "he is not His." Thus, the "5 foolish" (with no oil) were NOT Believers. But for everything, they "looked like" Believers. They "appeared" to be virgins. They were attired like virgins. They were located and could be seen along-side the real virgins. They were even participating in a "Jewish" wedding ritual. Paul writes, "But with most of [Israel] (who had gone through all the rituals) God was not well pleased."(1Cor10:5) As Jesus spoke about the "tares" the enemy sowed amongst the wheat.(Mt13:24-30) As we have often discussed, it is often impossible to distinguish between the desired produce and the weeds. Oats and wild oats looks essentially identical. Potatoes and some forms of thistle look very similar.
Those that these people are talking about are not only "unprepared Christians." They are NOT Christians. The Master "does not know" them.
So, what is the situation with those being "received unto" Jesus at His appearing? (Tit2:13) John writes, "And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. (1Jn2:28) A person who "abides in" Christ, is one who is "..in Christ, old things have passed away, all things have become new."(2Cor5:17) He has been "born again" of the "Spirit".(Jn3:3,8)
So, what about the "state of readiness" of the Believer? Will those who have been Christians a "long time" be sure of being raptured, but those just recently saved...left behind? What if a person wasn't working "hard enough" for the Lord? Does that make a difference?
Our state of "readiness" is something the Lord does to/for us. It is "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit."
(Ti3:5) When the "landowner" paid out the wages to his workers (Mt20:1-16) everyone received, precisely, a denarius. The ones who had worked all day through the heat, as well as those who had just been hired, gotten to the vineyard and only just were filling out their W4's and hadn't actually done any work yet. Some complained, thinking there ought to be a difference, and the landowner said, "Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things?"(vs15) As we remember that salvation is a "gift of God, not of works"(Eph2:8-9) God's gift is to "all who call upon Him"(Rom10:12) because it is "the righteousness of God which is through faith in Jesus Christ TO ALL and ON ALL who believe. For there is NO DIFFERENCE."(Rom3:22)
So, what about the Christian who has squandered away his life in Christ?
Lived a carnal life and wasted the precious time he could have been of service to his Lord? Upon repenting the "prodigal" was received back with open arms and feasting.(Lk15) And Paul speaks to this subject directly with relationship to the "building" we do on the foundation of Jesus Christ.(1Cor3:10-15) There are some whose lives are so characterized by futility, immaturity, and rebellion that their works will all be "burned up" when tested.(vs13) But you notice he says, "if anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but HE himself WILL BE SAVED, yet so as through fire."(vs15)
The Christian's salvation (and rapture) are not based on works, but on God's grace. The ONLY way to be "prepared" for the rapture, is to be a born-again Christian. Just as we cannot work to become a Christian, we also cannot work to participate in the Rapture. That, too, is God's gift. Jesus'
promise.
Amen!
Paul Becker voice@cet.com http://www.cet.com/~voice/main A Voice in the Wilderness is a FREE publication covering various topics regarding Biblical Christian Faith. Its purpose is to point people to God and His Truth through the Scriptures. [E-mail Subscriptions] -include Monthly Articles, Commentaries & various Weekly Bible studies, Q/A's and offerings. Postal address: Box 9531, Spokane, WA 99209 USA
|==========================================
|
| The Incomprehensible Peace Of God
| By Pastor David Hocking
|
Six Things You Can Know About The Incomprehensible Peace Of God:
A Biblical Overview
There is a great hunger for peace in our fractured world today and an equally urgent hunger for personal peace in our lives. In the New Testament, the Greek word for peace is "eirene" which means to bring peace,to be at peace, to live in peace, to be undisturbed in all circumstances.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, of the several words used for peace, the principle one is "shalom" - which also means completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, to be at ease spiritually and emotionally, and to have a sense of internal well-being despite adverse circumstances. The precise meaning is determined principally by the context. Peace is used over 265 times in the O.T., 95 times in the N.T. God intended and has made provision for us to have His peace and to maintain it in our lives.
The Scriptures speak of different kinds of peace. First, to be peace WITH God (see Romans 5:1). All believers have this peace. Second, God wants to bring peace between believers and among adversaries. Third, God also wants us to personally possess the peace OF God and to rest in His sovereign control in our life. Not all believers have this. It's a gift from God which is for our benefit which can be accessed at any time and under any circumstances when certain biblical prerequisites are met
I. You can Know That God Is The Source Of Our Personal Peace!
It is from above - "He maketh peace in His high places" (Job 25:2). It is a mark of God's presence and blessing - "The Lord will bless His people with Peace..." (Psalm 29:11). It is bestowed by God Himself - "For He will speak peace unto His people and His saints" (Psalm. 85:8). It is the perfect answer for fear and anxiety - "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou Lord, only makest me to dwell in Peace" (Psalm 4:8) and he is the "Prince of Peace" (Isaiah" 9:6). God's peace is a wonderful gift - "The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee and GIVE thee PEACE" (Numbers 6:26).
Jesus promised special peace to his disciples - "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you (John 14:27). And, our Peace is an act of His grace -"Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 1:2).
II. You Can Know That God's Personal Peace Depends On Our Faith And Obedience!
His peace protects - "Great peace have they that love Thy Law and nothing shall offend them" (Psalmll9:165). It is healthful - "My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: for length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to you" (Proverbs 1,2). God's peace may be uninterrupted - "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose MIND is stayed on Thee" (Isaiah 26:3). It is accessed by our attitudes and faith. Paul suggests a progression of steps - "stand fast..., rejoice in the Lord always ... be moderate ... pray, make supplication," ("deesis" - to desire, petition, entreat with emotion) - and it results in the guarding of the heart and mind in Peace (Philippians 4:1-9).
III. You Can Know That Gods Peace Manifests Deep Joy Regardless Of Circumstances!
"To the counselors of peace there is Joy" (Prov. 12:20). "When a man's ways please the Lord he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7). "Her ways (God's wisdom) are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace" (Prov.3:17). "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace...." (Galatians 5:22,23) "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17). God's presence in our life results in "joy and peace in believing"
(II Thessalonians 3:16), and our relationship to the Holy Spirit will assure our personal peace. "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy, and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Romans 15:13).
IV. You Can Know That God's Peace Comes By Your Choice!
You can have God's peace if you wish it, but you must choose to receive it as you would a gift. God's personal peace is only available to believers -
"There is no peace saith the Lord unto the wicked" (Isaiah 48:22; 57:21).
Peace is God's promise to all those who love Him and He cannot fail to keep His promises (Romans 11:29) - "neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee" (Isaiah 54:10, Ezek.34:25, Ephesians 1:2). God's peace for believers is compared to a never diminishing river - "Behold I will extend peace to her (Israel) like a river..." (Isaiah 66:12). When Our Lord is enthroned in our hearts, God's perfect peace is operative in our life because God Himself IS our peace (Micah 5:5. John 14:27.
16:33).
To experience God's perfect peace, we must focus on Him. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee" (Isaiah 26:3). When our peace is threatened by bad news or our failure to see God's "light in the darkness", the song writer suggests that we - "Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace." The peace of God should be the ruling principle in our life - "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts to which you are called in one body and be ye thankful" (Col. 3:15).
God's peace in our lives is in response to a pattern of behavior and thinking (see Philippians 4:1-9 and I Thessalonians 5:23) - Paul explains, "These things ... do ... and the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus"(Philippians 4:9).
V. You Can Know That God's Peace In You Can Be Shared With Others!
"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace always and by all means (i.e., in every circumstance)." The Apostle Peter suggests that it can also be communicated to others through "...preaching peace by Jesus Christ..."
(Acts 10:36). Francis of Assisi prayed as we should, "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace." Another sage suggested that we are to "...
practice the presence of God." May that be our desire. And may we share God's incomprehensible peace with others.
VI. You Can Know That God's Peace Can Flourish In Your Life.
When your personal peace becomes frayed through circumstances, pause for a moment to confess your faith in His love, His sovereignty, His control, His provision, His never-failing love and His power, and then thank Him for His renewed peace. In other words, read and follow the instructions from the "Manufacturer." I've also found in those moments of solitude when I face situations which challenge the peace of God in my heart, if I sing to myself the words of some of the great hymns and gospel songs, it helps me renew my focus on Him, and I become spiritually refreshed and enriched.
Like a tender shepherd, my great Shepherd restores me (Psalm 23). For example try singing, "When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot He has taught me to say, It is well with my soul." Or try singing, "Peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the father above. Sweep over my spirit forever I pray, in fathomless billows of love." Or enjoy singing, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee. When shadows fall and darkness comes, HE GIVETH PERFECT PEACE. Oh, He is my only resting place, HE giveth perfect peace. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee" (from Isaiah 26:3). May God enable you to relax and rest in Him. But I must warn you, you can't explain it because it is truly incomprehensible.
You may even hear from some of your friends, "You're in denial."
Appropriate and enjoy God's Peace!
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If you live in Southern California, you might enjoy visiting his [Pastor David Hocking's] midweek Bible study which meets on Wednesday nights in the facilities of the Salvation Army Church in Tustin Ranch. It is located four and a half miles north of Interstate 5 in Jamboree.
Visit our Web Site on the Internet at www.hopefortoday.org. Studies on various biblical themes and theology are available. Listen to Hope For Today whenever you want...at www.audiocentral.com. Hope For Today is also on KBRT 740AM at 530pm and KWVE 107.9FM in Southern California, CHRB, Calgary, Alberta, at 530pm M-F.
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| The Concept of the Remnant
| by Lambert Dolphin
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The concept of a remnant, or the remnant, is an important theme woven through the Bible, especially in the Old Testament. The term remnant can apply to (a) a historical remnant such as those few who survive a battle or a catastrophe, (b) the faithful remnant who remain loyal to God despite persecution peer-pressure and testings, and (c) the eschatological remnant who survive times of great judgments in history culminating finally in the second coming of Messiah.
The Hebrew words yether ("what is left") (Deut. 3:11, 28:54) and she'ar ("the remainder") (Ezra 3:8, Isa. 10:20, 11:16), she'erith ("residue") (2 Kings 19:31, Isa. 14:30) all denote that which is left over after a war, after a time of testing, a disaster, or a period of apostasy. When the Hebrew Old Testament was translated into the Greek Septuagint (LXX) the Greek verb leipo (and derivative verbs such as kataloipo, hypoleipo, perileipo, and epileipo) was used. When used (rarely) in the New Testament this word leipo is usually translated "to fall short, to lack, or to be in need."
In the 16+ centuries between Adam and Noah a good many millions of earth's inhabitants no doubt were saved. That is, they knew God personally, were spiritually regenerated and had been justified by their faith in Him. They all died, were buried and each "went home to be with the Lord." All these will be raised at the resurrection of the just on the Last Day. Enoch, the seventh from Adam in the godly line of Seth, was an exception in the Antediluvian age since he was translated directly into heaven without seeing death, (Gen. 5:21, Heb. 11:5, Jude 14. Note: Elijah was also translated, 2 Kings 2).
The world-population before the Flood grew rapidly as the sons and daughters of Adam and Eve spread over the earth and lived out their lifetimes---which were nearly a thousand years in length. By the time of the Flood earth's population could easily have been 10 or more billions of people. The gospel was proclaimed but increasingly ignored as the age progressed.
At the end of the Antediluvian Age Noah and his family suffered 100 years of scorn and ridicule while constructing the Ark. That age came to an end with a believing (eschatological) remnant of but eight persons. This is a very small eschatological remnant indeed. Billions of persons, an entire ancient civilization, was utterly destroyed in the great Flood (Gen. 7-8, 1 Peter 3:18-20, 2 Peter 2:4-5, 3:3-7).
Abraham interceded for the city of Sodom where his Nephew Lot and family had taken up residence. God said he would spare the city if there were but 10 righteous citizens in that city of some thousands (?) of inhabitants, (Gen. 18:32). In the end only Lot was saved. The righteous remnant in this case appears to have been only one individual (2 Peter 2:7).
Only two righteous men, Joshua and Caleb, survived the wilderness wanderings of the Jews of the Exodus (Deut. 4:27, Lev.26:36, 39; Deut 28:54f, Num. 26:65). The whole nation was "saved" out of Egypt (1 Cor.
10:1-5) and of course many individuals knew God personally and so were saved in the ultimate sense, yet the eschatological remnant was only two persons.
During the conquest of the land under Joshua, Israel did not fully exterminate the Canaanites as God had ordered. A remnant of these peoples was left, causing countless problems in later history (Num. 33:15, cf.Judges 3:1).
The earliest writing prophet, Amos, warned of the approaching crisis with Babylon from which only a remnant of the Jewish nation would escape (Amos 3:2, 12; 4:1-3; 5:3; 6:9; 9:1, 9f). Isaiah develops the concept of the remnant fully (6:11-13; cf.1:4-9; 10:22f. 6:13; 4:2-4 cf. 1:24-26. 10:20f;28:5f; 30:15-17; 7:2-17). Isaiah mentions that the "holy seed" [Messiah] will be preserved in the stump remaining after judgment (6:13), and that Messiah will be one of the final members of the remnant, (7:10-17). The second half of Isaiah is full of promises to the remnant (46:3-4; 45:20;49:14-26; 54:1-7; 59:15-20, etc.).
The other Minor Prophets dwell on the subject of the eschatological remnant as well. (See Joel 2:32, Zeph. 3:12f, Zech.8:12; 13:7-9, and especially Micah 5 which is quoted below). Elijah in the days of Ahab and Jezebel complained that all had left loyalty to Yahweh except himself (1 Kings 19:4). To this God replied, "Yet I shall leave 7,000 in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal and every mouth that has not kissed his lips" (1 Kings 19:18, Romans 11:4).
Jeremiah was pessimistic about the historical remnant which he said would become insignificant if not totally destroyed (Jer.6:9, 29f; 21:8-10).
Those Jews who flee to Egypt were not to be the carriers of the divine promise (42:13-22). Yet it is Jeremiah who eloquently speaks of the final regathering of the Jews and the New Covenant (Jer. 31).
Ezekiel pleaded with God to add mercy in the midst of punishment (Ezek.
9:8, 17:13). He understood that a historical remnant would survive and be scattered among the nations (6:7-9; 7:16; 14:22f; 24:26f; 5:10-12; 12:15f;
17:21). Ezekiel also knew that God would bring a future generation back into the land under the New Covenant (11:16-21, cf. 36:26) involving "a new heart" and "a new spirit." Daniel in Babylon emphasized the importance of the remnant in his prophetic writings (7:18, 25, 27; 12:1-7).
At the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in First Temple times, the population of Israel seems to have been on the order of a few million Jews.
Nebuchadnezzar's early raid in 605 BC brought Daniel and his three godly companions along with an unknown number of other Jews to Babylon. In his second raid a few years later, (in 597) Nebuchadnezzar took 10,000 prisoners including the king, Jehoichin, and probably also Ezekiel (2 Kings 24). Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem to plead with people to leave and to turn to God, but his 40 years' of preaching seems to have borne no fruit nor brought anyone to God. When the final destruction of Jerusalem came in 586 BC as many as a million people died.
Not all those who fled to Babylon or who were taken there by force were believers as the book of Ezekiel makes clear. The "believing remnant" at the time of the Babylonian captivity would therefore seem to have been at most a few thousand in number.
Remnant: Summary:
The Scofield Bible notes on the "remnant" are helpful:
In the history of Israel a remnant may be discerned, a spiritual Israel within the national Israel. In Elijah's time 7000 had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19:13). In Isaiah's time it was the "very small remnant" for whose sake God still forebore to destroy the nation (Isaiah 1:9). During the captivities the remnant appears in Jews like Esther, Mordecai, Ezekiel, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. At the end of the seventy years of Babylonian captivity it was the remnant that returned under Ezra and Nehemiah. At the time of our Lord, John the Baptist, Simeon, Anna, and "those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem" (Luke 2:38) were the remnant. During the Church Age the remnant is composed of believing Jews (Romans 11:4-5). But an important aspect of the remnant is prophetic.
During the great tribulation a remnant out of all Israel will turn to Jesus as Messiah, the "sealed" Israelites of Revelation 7:3-8. It is inferred by many students of Scripture that the great multitude of Gentiles of Revelation 7:9 will be saved by the witness of the 144,000 of vv. 3-8. Some of these will undergo martyrdom (Revelation 6:9-11), some will be spared to enter the millennial kingdom (Zechariah 12:6-13:9). Many of the Psalms express, prophetically, the joys and sorrows of the tribulation remnant.
Note on Jeremiah 15:11: The remnant, of which Jeremiah is the representative, is carefully distinguished from the unbelieving mass of the people. They must share with the nation the coming captivity, for they too have sinned (v.13). However the LORD's judgment upon the nation will be but a purifying chastisement to them, and they receive a special protection (v.11). Verses 15-18 give the answer of the remnant to vv. 11-14. Two things characterize the believing remnant always - loyalty to the Word of God, and separation from those who mock that Word (vv. 16-17 cf. Rev. 3:8-10).(Notes, The New Scofield Reference Bible, Oxford University Press, New York, 1967)
Seventy years later a godly remnant of Jews would return to Jerusalem to rebuild: first the temple, and later the walls and the city. This took place under the leadership of outstanding godly individuals: Nehemiah, Ezra, Haggai, Zerubbabel, et al. Most of the Jews stayed behind, comfortably living in Babylon after the time of the return. Only a small fraction returned (Ezra Chapter 2 names 49,860 returnees). This returning group is considered "only a remnant" (Hag. 1:12, 14; 2:2, Zech. 8:6, 11f).
The Old Testament closes with the Book of Malachi who addresses God's final redemption of Israel. Malachi's admonition resulted in a remnant responding by writing their names in a book of remembrance:
"Behold, I send my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the LORD. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years. Then I will draw near to you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the orphan, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts. For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed..."
"Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another; the LORD heeded and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and thought on his name. 'They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. Then once more you shall distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him'" (Malachi 3).
The Course of the Church Age:
John the Baptist, a genuine prophet, came to Israel as the forerunner of Messiah with a call for repentance. His appeal was clearly addressed to a minority who were willing to listen and respond:
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Now John wore a garment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle around his waist;and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit that befits repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire" (Matthew 3:1-12).
Jesus was well received by the crowds during his early Galilean ministry, and hailed by the Bethany village populace even at his Palm Sunday entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. The leaders were fully conspiratorial towards him, and popular support completely evaporated as the week progressed.
Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified." And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified." So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified (Matthew 27:20-26).
Even his disciples forsook him---the eschatological remnant was reduced now to one person, the Messiah himself. Upon this one man all the hope of Israel and the world now rested.
"Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, "Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me.But all this has taken place, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. (Matthew 26:53-56) Following the resurrection and Pentecost there was again an initial period of enthusiasm in Jerusalem as the Good News was spread throughout Israel.
As recorded in the book of Acts, this positive response soon gave way to persecution of the believing Jewish community in Jerusalem---they were forced to shift their focus north to Antioch. Soon the gospel spread through the Gentile world.
Not many years later, Titus destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple, again with terrible loss of life. The Jews in Israel were then scattered throughout the nations in the diaspora. Through the centuries a small fraction of these Jews have remained faithful to the Torah and the promises of God, but the majority has assimilated and disappeared into the mainstream flow of the gentile world.
One hundred years ago God began to recall the Jews, in a state of unbelief, back into the Land, in fulfillment of his many promises to their forefathers (e.g., Ezekiel 37). The Bible teaches that eventually God will bring all the Jews back to the land. At the present time no more than one-third of Jews of the world are in Israel. The Jews who have made "aliya" and now live in Israel have endured many sacrifices in order to live in Israel under dangerous and uncertain conditions, yet most remain committed to secular and non-religious views that do not differ much from the values and cultural norms of the Gentile nations.
There is a believing remnant in Israel at this hour, numbering probably into the thousands. Messianic Jews in Israel who clearly identify themselves with Yeshua as their Lord and Messiah are, strictly speaking, members of the church and can be expected to be raptured along with all other true followers of Jesus Christ. During the present age, both Jews and Gentiles are being saved through the church, (Ephesians 3). Yet there is also a "believing remnant" among the Jews as Paul states in Romans. These believers are apparently not part of the church.
Ultimate Salvation for the Nation of Israel Through a Remnant
Micah Chapter 5 is a remarkable passage clearly showing that God's intention from the beginning has been to preserve a godly Jewish remnant until the Last Day when He would, in grace, bring the nation of Israel as a whole community to salvation:
"Now [in Hezekiah's time] you (Jerusalem) are walled about with a wall;
siege is laid against us; with a rod they strike upon the cheek the ruler of Israel [fulfilled when Jesus was struck before Pilate]. But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he [God] shall give them [Israel] up [into the hands of their enemies, the Romans] until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest of his [Messiah's] brethren [who are both Jews and Gentiles] shall return to the people of Israel.
"And he [Messiah] shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they [the Jews] shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And this shall be peace, when the Assyrian [Sennacherib in Micah's day, or in the end time the last King of the North] comes into our land and treads upon our soil, that we will raise against him seven shepherds and eight princes of men; they shall rule the land of Assyria [Syria] with the sword, and the land of Nimrod [Babylon, i.e., Iraq] with the drawn sword; and they shall deliver us from the Assyrian when he comes into our land and treads within our border.
"Then the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD, like showers upon the grass, which tarry not for men nor wait for the sons of men. And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of many peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep, which, when it goes through, treads down and tears in pieces, and there is none to deliver. Your hand shall be lifted up over your adversaries, and all your enemies shall be cut off. And in that day, says the LORD, I will cut off your horses from among you and will destroy your chariots; and I will cut off the cities of your land and throw down all your strongholds; and I will cut off sorceries from your hand, and you shall have no more soothsayers; and I will cut off your images and your pillars from among you, and you shall bow down no more to the work of your hands; and I will root out your Asherim from among you and destroy your cities. And in anger and wrath I will execute vengeance upon the nations that did not obey" (Micah 5).
Romans Chapter 9 offers us further confirmation of the guaranteed secure future of the nation of Israel:
"What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the vessels of wrath made for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for the vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory, even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?" As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'my beloved.' And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,'they will be called 'sons of the living God.'" And Isaiah [10:22] cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved; for the Lord will execute his sentence upon the earth with rigor and dispatch." And as Isaiah predicted, "If the Lord of hosts had not left us children, we would have fared like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah." What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; but that Israel who pursued the righteousness which is based on law did not succeed in fulfilling that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it through faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone [Yeshua, the true Messiah] that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall; and he who believes in him will not be put to shame"(Romans 9:22-33).
The eventual restoration of Israel from a small present-day remnant (Rom.11:5) to a whole believing nation is even more clear from Romans 11. After the rapture, the remnant of God-fearing Jews will grow in numbers, especially as God adds 144,000 Jews from the 12 tribes to the list of followers of Yeshua. These valiant evangelists will bring the message of God's grace and the gospel of the kingdom not only to Israel but also to the entire world, bringing many millions into the family of God. These so-called "tribulation saints" will not be members of the church, but a body of believers having a different relationship with God than the church has been given.
"I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 'Lord, they have killed thy prophets, they have demolished thy altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.' But what is God's reply to him? 'I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.' So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it sought. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, 'God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day.' And David says, 'Let their table become a snare and a trap, a pitfall and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs for ever.'
"So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.
Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as first fruits is holy, so is the whole lump; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the richness of the olive tree, do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember it is not you that support the root, but the root that supports you. You will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in." That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast only through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you."
"Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off. And even the others, if they do not persist in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you [Gentiles] have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree. Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in, and so [then] all Israel will be saved; as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob'; 'and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.' As regards the gospel they are [presently] enemies of God, for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now [for the time being] been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy. For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy upon all (Romans 11:1-33).
The appeal of Jesus to the nation of Israel and to the world is a universal appeal for everyone to come to him for salvation freely granted to all who are willing to believe.
The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come." And let him who hears say, "Come."And let him who is thirsty come, let him who desires take the water of life without price. (Revelation 22:7) But looking to the end of time, Jesus said, "When the son of man returns will he find (the) faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8) These words cause us to question the final state of the church around the world at the time of Second Advent. The Old Testament is a dismal record of Israel's continued and repeated failure---despite the patient long-suffering love and mercy of God. Why then should we expect the church to succeed where other sinful sons of Adam have failed? The Jews are not inherently more sinful than anyone else. All men have descended from Adam and inhe
rited Adam's sinful nature. Had God chosen any other nation or ethnic group as His chosen people their history and generally downhill course of apostasy would surely have been nearly the same as that of Israel.
Actually, the promises of God and provisions made under the New Covenant are stronger and more powerful than those given to Israel under the Old Covenant, but in spite of this, the predicted end of the church in the New Testament is failure.
Only a "remnant" will be saved out of professing Christendom-as was the case with Israel. The majority of professing nominal Christian church-goers will, sadly, go into the false, or harlot church of the tribulation period.
Theologian John W. Walvoord of Dallas Theological Seminary says this:
The idea that the Gospel would gradually subdue the people of the world and eventually bring them to the feet of Christ is contradicted alike both by the Scriptures and by history, and the result has been the rapid decline in the twentieth century of optimism in relation to the triumph of the church in the present age...A survey of Scriptural prophecy as it relates to the spiritual trends of the present age should have made clear to any inquirer that the present age will end in apostasy and divine judgment rather than victory for the cause of Christ through the triumph of the church. Major passages of Scripture deal with this subject and the expositor is embarrassed by the wealth of material which plainly teaches that the end of the age will be characterized by apostasy (Matthew 24:4-26; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 1 Timothy 4: 1-3; 2 Timothy 3:1-9; 4:3,4; 2 Peter 2:1-3:18; Jude 3-19; Revelation 3:14-16;6:1-19:21).
An examination of these major passages on apostasy in the New Testament will reveal that the development of apostasy will be in three stages: (1) the doctrinal and moral departure in the church prior to the rapture, i.e., during the last days of the true church on earth; (2) the apostasy in the professing church after the true church is raptured, i.e., in the period immediately following the rapture: (3) the final apostasy in which the professing church as such will be destroyed and the worship of the beast, the world ruler, as the human representative of Satan will be inaugurated (Matthew 24: 15; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Revelation 13:4-8; 17:16-18). Of major importance is the fulfillment of the prophecy relating to apostasy in the church being fulfilled in the contemporary situation, a subject to which the Scriptures give considerable space. (John F. Walvoord, The Nations, Israel and the Church in Prophecy, Zondervan, 1967)
In seven parables of the kingdom of heaven recorded in Matthew 13, two apply directly to the weakened decadent, corrupt state of Christendom at the end of the age of the church:
Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."
Ray Stedman comments on this parable as follows:
Mustard seeds are small seeds and ordinarily grow into reasonable shrubs. Mustard is a spice, an irritant, used in earlier times to make burning mustard plaster, which when placed on the chest was thought to cure all manner of ills. Here Jesus describes the state of the kingdom of God (at the end of the age) as an outlandish, overgrown, useless tree in which the vultures perch. The final state of the church will be like an inefficient bureaucratic organization infiltrated with evil birds of prey, no longer a company of pilgrims on a journey out of this life-pilgrims who should be salt and light wherever they go.
How visibly this has been demonstrated in our day when from the pulpits and the spokesmen of the church have come up a flood of stupid, crazy, mixed-up ideas-evil concepts which have blasted and blighted and ruined the hearts and minds of people, just as our Lord said. These things have only occurred since the tree has become fully grown and branched out, as we near the end of the age. (Ray C. Stedman, Behind the Scenes of History (Matthew 13)
The second parable is equally ominous in its warning about the course of the age:
Jesus told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened." (Matthew 13:31-33)
Ray Stedman writes concerning this parable:
Leaven in scripture is always a symbol of evil. The measures of flour represent the fellowship God intended for his people to enjoy with him and with one another. The pervasive influence of the leaven of hypocrisy which was the leaven of the Pharisees, the leaven of the Sadduccees which was rationalism, the leaven of materialism, characteristic of the Herodians, the leaven of legalism---all have worked together to ruin the quality of spiritual life God intended for his church. What an instructive parable this is! As we apply it to ourselves we can see that this is what has been happening. This is why churches are oftentimes charged with being cold and unfriendly---because there's no fellowship. It is too often only on the most superficial basis that people come and sit together in the congregation, not as members together of one great family, but as individuals listening to a service but not relating to the person next to them. But that isn't Christianity as it is intended to be manifested. That is only a form, only a moment in the Christian life. The major part is to be the sharing of each other's concerns, the bearing of one another's burdens, the confessing of our faults one to another and praying for one another that we may be healed, the opening of our lives and the transparency of our actions before others. This is the great fellowship that our Lord is seeking. As you trace this pattern down through history you can see how leaven has been working. The very ones who were responsible to keep God's house free from it---the leaders, the pastors, the elders, the teachers within the church-are the ones responsible for allowing these conditions to come in and to prevail. And each time they have done so they have destroyed this marvelous fellowship (Stedman, op. cit., p. 90).
A great apostasy, or falling away, from true, biblical Christianity is another clear sign of the end of the church age according to Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians:
"Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day [of the Lord] will not come, unless the apostasy comes first...The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are to perish, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends upon them a strong delusion, to make them believe what is false, so that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2).
As noted earlier, the term "remnant" is not used in the NT as often as it is woven through the entire OT. Yet there is plenty of NT evidence that only a small fraction of the professing Christians in the world will find salvation. As with Israel of old, a good company of individual Christians will be personally saved but will not have lived fruitful lives nor contributed much to the extension of the kingdom. Numerous challenges and exhortations are given throughout the NT urging believers to move beyond externals and superficial doctrinal issues to real fruitbearing. Failure to bear fruit was part of God's strong indictment against Israel:
"Let me sing for my beloved a love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He digged it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, a cry!" (Isaiah 5:1-7) "Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, with instruction about ablutions, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits. For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned" (Hebrews 6:1-8).
In the Book of the Revelation the Greek adjective loipoi ["the rest" or "the remnant"] is used eight times. That which "remains" in the church of Thyatira (Rev. 2:14, 19) indicates those who remain faithful and who have not fallen into "the deep things of Satan." The church in Sardis is virtually dead but "what remains" is to be strengthened (3:2) because there are still a "few" who (3:4) who are faithful.
When Jerusalem is destroyed by a great earthquake at the time of the Second Coming of Messiah, (Rev. 11:13), the "rest" who were left "gave glory to the God of the heaven." The final, eschatological remnant includes those who keep God's commandments and have the testimony of Jesus (Rev. 12:17, 14:12, 19:10).
Each of the letters to the seven churches in Revelation (Chapters 2 and 3) contains a special message to the remnant of true believers in every congregation and in every age. This minority group in every church is described as overcomers. Each of these groups is given a special challenge appropriate to their situation and circumstances.
Church history reveals that individually great local churches tend not to last more than a generation or two. Denominations seem to have a season of strength but all too soon they become mediocre at best. All of the original seven churches quickly faded into obscurity in spite of their strong foundations. All Christian churches now in existence can be described as belonging to one of these seven generic groups typified by the Seven Churches of Revelation 2 and 3. In addition, the course of the church age from the First Century (till now) enjoyed a season of time in which each of these churches in turn has been the congregation of predominant influence in that age-beginning with Ephesus and closing with Laodicea.
To the church which is doctrinally sound but has lost its love, warm and openness (Ephesus) the remnant is urged to recover that lost love fervent love for the Lord Jesus-and for one another. They are promised: "To him who overcomes I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
To Christians who are suffering persecution and great hardships, Smyrna-type believers are encouraged to not fear and to endure, if necessary, to the death. "He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death." Pergamum-like churches with their hidden idolatry and permissive attitude towards immorality need urgently to repent and correct these serious problems. Their faithful remnant is promised: "To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone which no one knows except him who receives it."
In both the church of Pergamum and Thyatira, Jesus was gravely concerned about their continued toleration of sexual immorality and associated idolatry infiltrating in from the pagan world outside. Thyatira's faithful remnant was given the challenge, "He who overcomes and who keeps my works until the end, I will give him power over the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received power from my Father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Sardis' remnant Christians, who have not soiled through garments through defilement by the world are encouraged, "He who overcomes shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
There can be little doubt the church in America (and certainly in Europe also) today is fully Laodicean. The age of Philadelphian Christianity has quietly slipped away from us in the past half-century. The Philadelphian Christian remnant was told, "He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God; never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Since the Laodicean church is representative of the church as a whole at the close of our age we should pay special attention to the Lord's analysis of this church and his words of exhortation to the faithful remnant that remains at the end of the age.
"The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. 'I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. He who overcomes, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
The Application for Christians
From even a brief study of the Bible it seems that in any age the number of true believers among either religious Jews or professing Christians is a very small fraction. With the passage of time the believing minority tends to become a smaller and smaller fraction of the professing religious community. The tendency towards backsliding, compromise, and spiritual decline in society is like the principle of ever-increasing entropy in the physical universe. The longer one waits the smaller the fractional remnant, except when God grants times of repentance and revival (Acts 3:19).
Those believers who wish to continue to follow God must therefore swim upstream against the mainstream current of the professing religious majority. Godly men and women need to take care to (a) carefully remain separated and unstained by the world (James 1:27), yet, remain "in the world but not of the world;" (b) maintain a solid personal prayer life (1 Thess. 5:17) and a life-long habit of studying all of God's word (2 Tim.2:15, 3:16), (c) regularly seek out the fellowship and wisdom of other believers (Heb. 10:25).
Love of the world completes with the love of God (1 John 2:15,16; James 4:4). Normal Christian living will bring persecution, (2 Tim. 3:12) suffering, and pressures from the flesh, the world, and the devil (Gal.
5:17-26). Spiritual warfare is a life-long reality (Eph. 6:12, 2 Cor.
10:4). Christ demands our undivided attention, our submission to Him and a path of demanding discipleship (Luke 14:26-35).
Nominal religious belief does not suffice! The remnant in any age is small.
"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.' "Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes" (Matthew 7:21-29).
As the age we live in comes to a close and we near the time of the rapture it is important for the followers of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, to pay attention to what He is beginning to do in Israel. Israel today is severely divided and the polarization between secular and religious is increasingly apparent. Israel contains many today who, like the Pharisees and Sadduccees of the Roman era, are virulent enemies of God. These are enemies not only of Christians but of all those Jews who are responsive in their hearts to the call of the living God of Israel. Christians in our time, as never before in the past 2000 years are in a position to seek out, support and encourage the Jewish people, especially those whose hearts are tender and seeking after the things of God. The Jewish nation, not the church, has been called to go through the tribulation period which lies ahead. The world's last and most terrible war will devastate and destroy their beautiful land. Jerusalem will be captured and overrun one more time by heathen nations. The majority of the Jewish people will die in those terrible times.
The remnant who endure will undergo great suffering and trial. But Jesus, the true Messiah will return on schedule and all His righteous ones will receive their long-awaited inheritance.
"Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that you may do the will of God and receive what is promised. 'For yet a little while, and the coming one shall come and shall not tarry; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.' But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and keep their souls" (Hebrews 10:35-39).
REFERENCES International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Wm. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, 1988.
W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Jr., An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Thomas. Nelson, Nashville , 1984.
J.D. Douglas & Merrill C. Tenney, The New International Dictionary of the Bible, Zondervan, 1987.
The Concept of the Remnant by Lambert Dolphin Email: dolphin@best.com Web Pages:
http://www.best.com/~dolphin/
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|
| Abandonment Theology
| by John W. Chalfant,
| President of America-A Call to Greatness, Inc
|
Call to Action:
The Clergy and the Decline of American Christianity
What is Abandonment Theology?
Abandonment Theology is a term devised by the author, after many years of research, to describe a contemporary faith which deceptively pawns itself off as Christianity by operating in the name of Christ, but which produces fruits destructive to America's God-given freedoms.
It is a "feel good" theology that patronizes Jesus Christ and thereby gains legitimacy while at the same time produces disobedience to the commands of God and desertion of Christian duty in our crisis world.
Such abandonment by the clergy has brought our God-given country to the brink, but it's not too late!
Today's Crises The majority of people reading this are aware of increasingly perilous threats to our God-given freedoms-not due to future erosion, but from sudden destruction in the near term. Which will it be?
1) Y2K, which could conceivably shut down a major portion of the power grid on which civilization depends; or 2) Perhaps a worldwide economic collapse catalyzed first by Asia, then by Brazil and other countries in our hemisphere. After all, there's only so much of the world the United States can bail out by sending taxpayer money through the IMF without destroying ourselves in the process; or 3) An attack on the United States by intercontinental ballistic missiles armed with chemical, biological and/or nuclear warheads. We can watch them come in, but by official political design and the full knowledge and specific intent of Congress, we cannot shoot down even one attacking missile. What's more, there are at least 20 Typhoon class Russian submarines off our coasts, each carrying enough missiles to "take out" 200 U.S. cities. What's more, Castro has an arsenal of chemical or biological warheads manufactured in Cuba.
The above is a mere periscope view of the horrors facing our country. What is the answer for America? IS there an answer?
What if all three tidal waves-Y2K, the economy, and nuclear/chemical/biological attacks, strike simultaneously? Could anyone, or our nation, survive? If so, certainly not under an independent, free, sovereign United States. Most likely the form of government would be a New World Order under the merciless brutality of the godless United Nations.
Not a very pretty picture, is it? The ultimate questions are:
1) How could America have reached this condition so quietly?
2) Can anything be done about it at this late hour?
3) What will it take to save our country... and who's responsibility is it?
The bottom line regarding America's condition today is this: it appears, based on actual evidence accumulated over the past forty years, that God is just plain fed up with Americans, and He's letting us reap the harvest for having repeatedly slapped Him in the face in defiance of His Word-the Bible.
It isn't necessary to guess what God says or means on any crucial freedom issue. In the Bible He addressed them all, from national sovereignty and national defense, to right-to-life, to the relationship of man to his brother and to God (the Ten Commandments), to the very balance-of-powers structure of our American Constitutional Republic.
Do you realize that all the civil laws of our Constitution came directly out of the Bible? We have often heard it said, "This is a government of laws, not of men." Well, that's a half truth. Properly stated: "The American Constitutional Republic is a government of God's laws, not the laws of 'fallen man.'"
If you are one of millions who is not aware of the above facts about our government, you are a living testimony to the brainwashing triumphs of the enemies of our freedoms through our educational system, beginning with the clergy of America. That's what needs to be fixed first if America is to be saved.
We must understand that America was born in the pulpits. By the testimony of the founding fathers, and even of America's British enemies during and at the conclusion of the War for Independence (whose motto was "No king but King Jesus!), our nation's birth was nothing short of a series of miracles by our intervening, prayer-answering God Himself. Washington's stunning triumphs defied all odds, all chance, all possibility of being explained as coincidental.
By contrast, today's America, having repeatedly mocked and defied an extremely patient God in recent decades, is in peril of perishing, led by a nation of silent, abdicating pulpits.
To be effective and victorious, America's clergy and Christians must understand that freedom is not a secular concept. On the contrary, its origin is spiritual, as recited in the Declaration of Independence and in countless pages of writings by the Christian founders of America, even by the U.S. Supreme Court, which in 1892 identified the Author of our freedoms as "the Redeemer of mankind, that is, Jesus Christ."
Our founding fathers, concerned that future generations might forget the source of their freedoms, even carved verses from the Bible into the stone of every federal building, and into the interior and exterior of the Washington Monument, the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the halls of Congress, and even the fireplace mantles of the White House.
Why? Because they knew the real strength and power of our country did not reside in political strategies alone, but in Jesus Christ and the steadfast commitment of America's citizens to search and master the Scriptures, and to obey His ordinances.
What warning does God give us if we choose to mock Him through our disobedience of Him?
All nations that forget God shall be turned into hell (Ps 9:17) From Genesis through Revelation God delivers the same tough-love message:
If ye will not harken unto me and will not do all these commandments... I will set my face against you...and they that hate you shall reign over you (Lev 26:14). It is absolutely imperative that at least a remnant of Americans understand the nature of our battles for freedom, to wit...
We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph 6:12 ). We must also understand the battle-cry dimension of the mission of our leader, Christ, whom we as Christians are mandated to follow:
The Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn 3:8).
How much power have born-again Christians been given through the Holy Spirit to accomplish our sacred mission of freedom and to send the workers of iniquity fleeing?
That is, is it still possible for one to...chase a thousand (Josh 23.10)?
I give you the power to tread on serpents...and over all the power of the enemy.
(Lk 10:19). That is, Satan is no match for a committed Christian!
What about today's "end-times, last-days" clergy, most of whom preach a doctrine of despair that sums up: "We're in this world, not of it, so to heck with it...nothing is important except that we be 'saved.'"
But a "saved" (born-again) Christian is "transformed" and is by definition committed to the battle with "all [his] heart, soul and mind." That is, he is in essence a warrior, totally committed to do battle according to his calling.
What does God command His people to do in times like these?
Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free (Gal 5:1).
Occupy till I come (Lk 19:13).
(Note: "Occupy" is an action term.) Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? (Ps 94:16). With few exceptions, the abandonment ministers have one thing in common: they have thrown in the towel and written off America. Their end-times messages, send would-be Christian frontline fighters to the bleachers in retreat as confused, neutralized spectators, where they concentrate on praying for the "rapture" (which will happen in God's timing, not ours) and the quick escape.
What does God say about the future for those who preach a watered-down doctrine?:
...but if the salt has lost its savor it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of tyrants (Mt 54:13). Isn't that what's happening to America today? What about the separation of Church and State? And, what about Romans 13:1-2, which seems to direct Christians to keep our hands out of the affairs of state?
Every aspect of our government is the business of the Christian citizen-the concept of a "two-way wall of separation between church and state," is an insupportable fabrication of the 1947 U.S. Supreme Court, with no foundation in law or the writings of the founding fathers.
Is There Hope for America Today?
The abandonment clergy say NO, but here's what God says:
When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee...(Deut 4:30-31). This is a declaration by God for all generations, including ours, of His sovereignty and power over all nations. He never asks for a majority before He will save a nation from destruction, rather, for a minority... a remnant.
The formula is total commitment to Him, not just through prayer, but through action, through obedience to Him. If we truly trust God there can be no doubt that even at this precarious hour for Christian America, the blessings of liberty can still be reclaimed.
When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him (Isa 59:16). That is the promise of God in exchange for our obedience. Can anyone, especially the abandonment clergy, declare that the battle for America is finished? We think not! The tide will turn for America when a remnant of clergy and Christians obey God's mandate:
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 (Eph 6:13). From all of the above, it is obvious that the blessings of freedom result from a partnership between God, the Creator and Author, and we, His vessels, through our uncompromising obedience to Him. Thus, the thousands of promises of God in the Scriptures are inevitably conditional:
"If you will, then I will..." To wit, if you will obey, then I will bless."
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. (Ps 32:12)
* * *
This 3-part study consists of: 1) the total involvement Christian faith of the founding fathers, which gave America God's blessings through her Constitutional Republic; 2) what happened to that faith whereby it became compromised and watered down to impotency, resulting in the perils we face today; and 3) How to turn the tide and restore our country to unprecedented greatness.
A compelling expose which explains our current American cultural meltdown.
After identifying the problem, John Chalfant provides real answers, hope, and a battle plan for those in our country who cherish freedom and their religious heritage.
The Clergy and the Decline of American Christianity, order this book at www.christianbooks.com/shop/.
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PROPHEZINE NEWSLETTER - Commentaries
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EUROLAND (NATO/EU) FLEXES ITS NEW WORLD ORDER MUSCLES
By David Hocking
We now have a United States of Europe, headquartered in Brussels with a bureaucracy of over 15,000. It also has a parliament with 626 members and a substantial military. The first step was the formation of a European superstate was the Benelux Agreement on June 8, 1948. It was a treaty between three very small countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
Several years later, in 1957, in the city of Rome, and with a document called, "The Treaty of Rome," those three countries joined with three other countries, Italy, France, and Germany to create the EEC (European Economic Community) which is also known as Common Market. Today the 15 member organization is known as the EU (European Union).
In 1973 the United Kingdom (England) came in along with Ireland and Denmark, making a total of nine nations. In 1981 Greece became the tenth member of the union. Spain and Portugal joined in 1996 and in 1995.
Finland, Austria, and Sweden were added to the official list. In December 1998 11 of the 15 nations introduced a common currency called the "Euro They are now creating a political union and expanding its military establishment, including the development of aircraft of their own design.
Israel enjoys special trading partner status and about 4000 of her exports go to EU countries. The scriptures clearly teach that such a global political and military entity will emerge and will become a major factor in the end-time scenario in which Europe will be a major player (Daniel 2:31-35; Daniel 8:1-12).
According to the BBC they are now called "Euro, Euroland," or "Eurozone." PA chairman Yassir Arafat, a poster boy with the EU, has officially requested that Euroland play stronger role in the Middle East peace process. In March 1998, Israel was threatened with economic sanctions on its exports to the EU. They insist that Jerusalem is a "corpus-separado" and do not recognize Israel's right to control of their ancient capital.
Many also believe that the EU is also seeking to challenge the U.S. role as the sole superpower in the world.
Others, believe that what we are seeing in Yugoslavia is a rehearsal for Israel's biblical end-time scenario. Astute observers also note that Milosevic's Kosovo strategy is at its heart Islamics vs Christians, with a lot of innocent people caught between. Frank Gaffney, director of the Center for Security Policy, says he fears NATO's actions may actually be helping the KLA create a European haven for Islamic terrorists in Central Europe. "I think Americans ought to be very troubled by this."
The 30,000 strong Kosovo Liberation Army versus the Christian Serbians whose religion and much of its culture was birthed in Kosovo. It is an unmistakable parallel to Israel & her neighbors.
It represents a significant move by the U.S. and other nations to favorably influence the huge Islamic "market" which just happens to control most of the world's oil supplies. If that is the case, it does not bode well for Israel.
SIDEBAR ON THE KOSOVO SITUATION The Serbian/Kosovo struggle is 800 years old, when calculated from the 13th. century Moslem invasion. It's noteworthy that 600 years ago the Ottomon Islamic Empire defeated Serbia, but failed to penetrate any further. The KLA/Yugoslavian situation is a full blown civil war into which the European Union, NATO, and the U.S. are inserting themselves ever deeper.
-Whatever else it is, it is also a religious war. Patrick Eddington, a former CIA analyst says, "They (the KLA) want an independent Kosovo which would then potentially be re-integrated into Albania." Gaffney warns, "If in fact the now-radicalized Islamic populations of the Balkans are given their head you will see them become a base of terrorism in Europe the likes we've not seen before."
-After WW I, the allied powers repudiated President Woodrow Wilson's 14 point plan and created new boundaries. But they failed to adequately take into account the ethnic and religious nature of the population or its history. In the artificial boundaries created, Kosovo became part of Serbian Yugoslavia which today numbers 10 million citizens (smaller than southern California) and a well-trained and equipped army of 90,000.
-In 1974 Yugoslavia gave Kosovo autonomous status. This was later withdrawn by Milosovic to stem the flow of Albanian Moslems into the tiny state.
Since that time additional thousands of Albanian Moslems and others have emigrated to the Kosovo and as a result, today only boo of Kosovo's remaining population are Serbian Christians.
-The Serbian orthodox Church's traces its origins to Kosovo.
It's considered a shrine or Holy Place and is described by the Serbs as their "Jerusalem." The Serbians withstood Hitler's invasion in a bitter struggle and won. They successfully resisted Stalin and never became a full partner in the USSR. Given the fact that military experts say it would take an army of 460,000, (4 times that of the entrenched defenders) to displace the Serbs, it does not seem likely that they will surrender or divide their sovereignty over Kosovo (A B. C. TV 4/4/99).
-Milosovic's tactics in the extermination of portions of their Kosovo population or the forced exile are reprehensible & inexcusable and need to be stopped. We certainly should be praying for these suffering people and finding ways to help them. It's interesting that Israel was among the first nations to send aid which included a complete field hospital.
-A force of 8,000 radical fundamentalist fighters called Mujahadeen, many of them trained and equipped by the U.S. during the Afghanistan/Russian war, are a strategic part of the Kosovo Liberation Army. They are now trained, financed, and controlled by Islamic Iran & its clone, the Sudan, with financing from other Islamic nations. They are also committed to the Islamic goal of a world under Islam's political control. The Mujahadeen moved their operation to Kosovo after the Bosnia settlement (where they were armed by the United States) and are now a major force among the KLA.
-Much like the Palestinians who are threatening to establish their own independent state in Israel on May 4, the Kosovars want their own independent Islamic state with a view to eventually annexing it to Albania.
The Palestinian approach was learned through their progenitors' association with Hitler in WW II. It is the same agenda executed by Hitler (with the approval of France and England) in his 1938 take over of Czechoslovakia, beginning with Czechoslovakia's ethnic, German speaking population of the Sudetanland. It is being modeled today in several places, including Israel.
The agenda is a step-by-step approach. It begins with infiltration, progresses to ethnic population growth, political subversion, demands for self government, and recognition as an independent state.
-One of the underlying reasons for the fervor of the European Union (of which the U.S. is not a member) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization to defend the Kosovars is explainable in terms of an ongoing, world wide, orchestrated campaign to capture 1 Billion-strong Islamic market. Coincidentally they also control most of the world's marketable oil. Oil i.e. energy, has been a motivating factor which has dominated the foreign policy of many of the European Countries, and the U.S. since before the first world war (See, The Hidden War Against the Jews John Loftus and Mark Aarons, St. Martin Publishers, New York).
-But, the bottom line for Bible Believers who study and under-
stand the prophetic scriptures is the emergence of Fuoroland (the restored Roman Empire) from which many people believe the Anti Christ will come (see Daniel 2:31-35; Daniel 8:1-12). It's deserving of close observation and careful study.
Stay tuned.
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Evangelical tone of memorial spurs backlash
By Valerie Richardson
The Washington Times Littleton, Colo.
Some liberal Christian, black and Jewish leaders are outraged over the strongly evangelical Christian tone of last Sunday's memorial service for those massacred at Columbine High School.
"The entire community was invited to come and mourn, and then it turned into an evangelical prayer service," said the Rabbi Stephen Foster of Temple Emanuel in remarks before the Denver Interfaith Clergy Alliance.
"I've had many complaints from people saying, 'Where were the Jews?' but that's not the issue," he said. "The issue was one of insensitivity to the kind of statements being made that were exclusively directed to not just Christians, but fundamental Christians."
Another rabbi called the service reflective of an "ignorant, narrow-minded" streak of Christianity.
None of the parents expressed objections about the memorial or its speakers, which included a rabbi. Several of the slain students were known for their born-again Christian faith, and the testimony of one of them, Cassie Bernall, in the face of death seized the attention of millions of readers and viewers across the nation.
One of the gunmen, who seemed to be seeking out believers, asked her whether she believed in God. She looked him in the eye and said, "Yes, I believe in God." He shot her dead.
Critics are trying to arrange a meeting with Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, a Republican, whose office organized the service. About 70,000 persons attended the service in a parking lot across the street from Columbine, which was attended by Vice President Al Gore and Colin Powell, the retired general. Both sat on the platform. "The consensus was [that the program] was not inclusive to all faith communities," said the Rev. Michael Carrier of Calvary Presbyterian Church.
Critics said they were aware of numerous phone calls to the governor's office objecting to what they called the "lopsided nature" of the service, although Owens spokesman Dick Wadhams said he was unaware of any complaints.The rabbis apparently took offense at remarks by the Rev.
Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, and Jefferson County pastor Gerald Nelson. Both, following the custom of many Christian funerals, encouraged listeners to follow the example of several of the slain students to accept Christ as personal savior.
Mr. Nelson told an anecdote about two women Holocaust prisoners, one of whom said she overcame her despair through her faith in Christ.
The rabbis said they took this an an implication that Christians had a better chance of surviving the Holocaust. "That's pretty offensive," said Rabbi Foster. The program also featured songs with a Christian theme by Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Phil Driscoll. Two Columbine students, Jonathan and Stephen Cohen, sang "Columbine, Friend of Mine," a song with a Christian spiritual message they wrote with help from their pastor.
Rabbi Fred Greenspahn, who gave the service's closing prayer, told the Denver Post the program exhibited "a pretty ignorant, narrow-minded streak of Christianity." He was the only non-Christian religious leader featured during the service.
Some black religious leaders complained that the program featured only white speakers, even though one of the victims, 18-year-old Isaiah Shoels, was black. Gen. Powell, who is black, sat on the dais but did not speak.
Dick Wadhams, the governor's spokesman, bristled at the criticism, describing the complaints as "inappropriate and groundless" in the wake of the massacre. Two Columbine seniors killed 12 students and a teacher in a shooting and bombing spree April 20 before committing suicide.
"It's just reprehensible that they would try to politicize the memorial service in the immediate aftermath of such a tragedy," he said.
Mr. Wadhams said the event was organized in about 72 hours with advice from ministers in the community.
"[The critics] were nowhere to be found last week when this was being put together," he said. The Rev. Lucia Guzman, executive director of the liberal Colorado Council of Churches, said the memorial service was representative of the Columbine community, which is heavily weighted toward "what you might call evangelical or independent churches."
"In no way do I feel I was excluded, but I have many rabbi colleagues who were incensed by the one-sided nature of the service," she said. "You can't put the focus on that [evangelical Christianity] and then say it was inclusive of the whole community."
But she said her organization would not complain. "The entire community is in such an emotional state, and our governor's office is new, and they had so little time to plan this thing," she said. "At another time, this might have been planned with a little more sensitivity."
Stephanie Auger, director of the Holocaust Awareness Institute at the University of Denver, said she doesn't know whether she thinks the service was lopsided. "That's a tough call, because if you look at the community where it happened, it was fairly inclusive. There isn't a lot of diversity in that particular section of Denver. If you're looking at the whole Denver area, then I think there could have been more inclusion."
Another debate with religious undercurrents bubbled over a row of 15 crosses on a hill overlooking the makeshift Columbine memorial, each cross named for a dead student, and includes the gunmen, Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17. The gunmen have been excluded from much of the mourning surrounding the tragedy. At the service, Mr. Owens read only the names of the 13 victims, and 13 doves were released to memorialize them. Several mourners said the two crosses should be removed. "I don't think it's right to have the killers up here with the victims," said Anna Whitcomb of Denver. Others said the crosses show the community may be ready to forgive, if not forget. On the Harris and Klebold crosses, someone had written, "Hate breeds hate," but another message said, "I forgive you." This story was based in part on wire service reports.
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to:
www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
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DON'T MENTION JESUS
By Berit Kjos
"What's church and state, Mom," asked seven-year old Sallie.
"Why do you ask?" answered her mother.
"My teacher told me to keep them apart and not talk about Jesus. She said I should save that talk for Sundays."
The rule made no sense to Sallie. Jesus was special to her every day-not just on Sundays. And she knew God wanted her to tell others. Yet she didn't like to break rules. So when she wanted to bring her Bible for "sharing day" at her elementary school in Los Altos, California, she felt unsure. It might upset her teacher. In the end, she decided not to bring it.
One of her classmates brought a small Buddha statue for the sharing time. The teacher didn't seem to mind the Buddhist religion.
Sallie's mother was in the classroom for a Thanksgiving celebration when the teacher asked all the students to say in one word what they were grateful for. Sallie raised her hand right away. She was thankful for Jesus. But the teacher ignored her hand and called on all the others.
Finally, at the very end, she let Sallie say her special word. The teacher seemed irritated, and Sallie felt ashamed.
One day, when Sallie was talking about Jesus with a classmate who had come to her Vacation Bible School, the principal came by and heard some of their conversation.
"Don't talk about Jesus so much," he told her.
Sallie felt confused. "But Kara needs to hear about Him." she said. She knew that her friend was hurting.
Even though Sallie could read and write well, she didn't score high on the new tests that gage how well children are accepting the beliefs and values of other cultures around the world. She trusted the Bible, and it told her to shun other gods and spirits. She couldn't blend her beliefs with those who celebrated other religions.
That meant that she wasn't learning to be a group thinker - someone willing to seek "common ground." So the school assigned her to a "Child Study Team". A Resource Specialist would try to change her thinking, teach her habits of group learning, and help her accept the new ideas about God, unity, and the world.
"She doesn't smile, Mommy," said Sallie, who felt uncomfortable in her counselor's presence.
Her parents asked a lawyer what rights they had as parents to protect Sallie from religious intolerance. The lawyer warned them that the school might consider Sallie "overly religious" and refer her to Child Protection Services (CPS). At that point, Sallie's parents quickly transferred her from the local public school to a Christian school.
Sallie misses her friends, but she thanks God for her freedom to talk about Jesus with her new friends and teachers.
God's Word Jesus isn't surprised at the growing hostility toward Christians. He told us to expect it:
If they persecute me; they will persecute you because they do not know the One who sent me." (John 15:20-21) If you trust and follow Him, the people who reject your Lord will probably reject you also. Are you ready to follow Jesus--even when it hurts?
Let's talk about it.
1. What did Jesus say about persecution?
2. How does John 15:18-21 help you understand what happened to Sallie at her school?
3. How did Sallie show her love for God?
4. What does God promise those who are faithful to Him?
Insights for parents:
Perhaps you are wondering how this could be happening in America. What happened to free speech? To religious freedom? To the rights of parents to raise Christian children? Many Christians are unaware of the rising hostility toward biblical beliefs and values. It doesn't fit our understanding of American rights and freedom. Dr. Brock Chisholm, former chief of the United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO), summarized this anger back in 1946. Notice how it equates faith with hate, thus vilifying Christian parents:
"We have swallowed all manner of poisonous certainties fed us by our parents. The results are frustration, inferiority, neurosis and inability to... make the world fit to live in.
"It has long been generally accepted that parents have perfect right to impose any points of view, any lies or fears, superstitions, prejudices, hates, or faith on their defenseless children. These things cause neuroses...."Surely the training of children in homes and schools should be of at least as great public concern as are their vaccination... [People with] guilts, fears, inferiorities, are certain to project their hates on to others...."Such reaction now becomes a dangerous threat to the whole world...." Two years later, the International Congress on Mental Health held a world conference in London where it issued a report titled "Mental Health and World Citizenship." It echoed Dr. Chisholm's sentiment:
Social institutions such as family and school impose their imprint early Thus prejudice, hostility or excessive nationalism may become deeply embedded in the developing personality often at GREAT HUMAN COST Change will be strongly resisted unless an attitude of acceptance has first been engendered.
Now, fifty years later, that "attitude of acceptance" has largely "been engendered." Statistics that show the climbing rate of pre-marital sex and abortions even among Christians, tell us that God's people are embracing the world's concept of tolerance. Evangelical leaders are ashamed to use words such as sin and guilt. Tolerance toward taboos seems kinder than obedience to God.
With the media on its side, the educational establishment has won the freedom to immerse students in earth-centered religions, myths, and rituals in schools across the country. Young and old absorb the pantheistic impressions hidden behind seductive entertainment in movies such as Pocahontas and the Lion King. And with the opening of each new Olympics, the world celebrates a fresh model for the envisioned global spirituality that would unite humans everywhere.
Children who refuse to blend their beliefs with other religions in classroom discussions are considered "at risk" of failing meeting the new education goals that test attitudes and group thinking rather than traditional values. They will not meet the mental health standards set by the UN agencies such as WHO and UNESCO.
UNESCO's "Declaration on Tolerance" became "soft" international law when signed by "member nations" in 1995. Though our Congress pulled the U.S. out of the Marxist-leaning UNESCO during the eighties, our nation leads the way in implementing its guidelines in our schools and culture. Take time to ponder each point:
Declaration on Tolerance - UNESCO
- Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world's cultures It is not only a moral duty, it is also a political and legal requirement.
- Tolerance involves the rejection of dogmatism and absolutism. [Biblical truth?]
- Tolerance means that one's views are not to be imposed on others.
[Would this end freedom to share the gospel with others? Could the UN still share its views?]
- Intolerance is a global threat.
- Scientific studies and networking should be undertaken to coordinate the international community's response to this global challenge, including analysis of root causes and effective countermeasures, as well as monitoring.
- Tolerance promotion and the shaping of attitudes of openness, mutual listening and solidarity should take place in schools and universities, and through non-formal education... at home and in the workplace.
- Promote rational tolerance teaching methods that will address the cultural, social, economic, political and religious sources of intolerance-major roots of violence.
Once the new international education system is in fully in place, students like Sallie may be shut out of college and good jobs. No matter how well they do in math and reading, they simply won't demonstrate the politically correct values and collective mind set needed to earn the required work certificate - now usually called the Certificate of Initial Mastery.
But God promises far better rewards, and Sallie knows it well. Her Father and Friend is also the sovereign King of the universe. In Him she is safe forever and ever!
For more information about "lifelong" training in the new global values, read Brave New Schools (Harvest House Publishers) and A Twist of Faith (New Leaf Press - 800-643-9535) by Berit Kjos. Available through Christian bookstores web site: www.crossroad.com1 800-643-9535.
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PROPHEZINE NEWSLETTER - ISRAEL IN THE NEWS
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FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1999
1. PALESTINIANS DELAY STATEHOOD DECISION
Palestinian leaders decided Thursday to draw out deliberations on statehood until after Israeli elections, effectively ending speculation on whether a Palestinian state would be declared on May 4th.
The Palestinian Central Council instead will await election results in Israel, and meanwhile form committees charged with preparing different aspects of statehood, such as for drafting a constitution and for elections. Abdel Karim, a member of the Council, said that "The prevailing tendency is that the council should remain in session until the beginning of June."
Palestinians are concerned that should a unilateral declaration of statehood be declared on May 4th, the Israeli electorate will shift towards Netanyahu, considered to be firmer with the Palestinians than candidates Ehud Barak and Yitzhak Mordechai. Other Council members, speaking off the record, acknowledged that the guiding principle in the decision to draw out deliberations is to deny Netanyahu the opportunity to claim his tough threats to annex parts of Judea/Samaria prevented a declaration of statehood on May 4.
Nevertheless, Netanyahu took credit for the delay, saying that "Arafat gave in to our pressure. After a whole year of Arafat's threats to create a Palestinian state on May 4, he gave in - and he did this because he knows that we won't stand for it, that for as long as I am prime minister, there will be no Palestinian state and no division of Jerusalem."
Many members of the international community strongly advised Arafat to delay a statehood declaration. A senior US source said that the Clinton administration would be satisfied should the PLO decide not to declare statehood.
The European Union, Egypt and other countries had urged Arafat not to follow through with the declaration, warning that doing so likely would strengthen Netanyahu's chances in the elections.
Some reports indicate it is possible Arafat will declare statehood once the June 1 run-off for prime minister is over. Senior Netanyahu advisor David Bar-Illan warned the Palestinians against ever making a unilateral declaration if Netanyahu is re-elected.
Israeli elections for the Knesset and prime minister will be held on May 17th, with a second round of elections for prime minister on June 1st should no candidate receive 50% or more of the vote during the first round.
2. PALESTINIANS IN BID TO RESURRECT RESOLUTION THAT WOULD CARVE UP ISRAEL
The Palestinian Authority has launched a campaign to revive an old UN resolution in a bid to expand the borders of their future state well beyond the Gaza Strip and "West Bank."
And a leading United Nations body has added its weight to the attempt.
The Israeli government regards the move as a significant threat, saying what may seem "absurd" now could well become conventional thinking, given time.
In a decision virtually ignored by the media, Palestinian lawmakers Tuesday rejected a state limited to the territory captured by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War, saying such a state must include all areas outlined in Resolution 181 of 1947.
This means large portions of pre-1967 Israel - including much of the Galilee, some of the Negev wilderness and an enclave on the outskirts of Tel Aviv - would be Palestinian, while Israel would be reduced to three segments of territory, the largest comprising arid and sparsely-inhabited desert.
Tuesday's decision was overshadowed by another taken in the same session of the Palestinian Legislative Council, to okay the delay of a declaration of statehood beyond May 4.
David Bedein, who heads an Israeli media resource center, said Thursday that "most of the media have decided not to report the essence of the PLC decision, preferring instead to focus on the more tangential issue of whether or not the Palestinian state will be established on May 4."
During his recent world tour to gauge international support for Palestinian independence, PA chairman Yasser Arafat repeatedly referred to resolution 181 - also called the Partition Plan, which has not been cited in any of the agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians to date.
All Mideast peace initiatives, including the Madrid Peace Conference and the Oslo Process, have taken as their basis UN resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973), which call on Israel to withdraw from land captured in 1967, and for all states in the region "to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries."
Arafat's repeated references to 181 prompted Israeli officials to issue statements insisting that the resolution had been overtaken by events - the Arab countries rejected it in 1947, and six of them subsequently attacked the nascent Jewish state.
The new PA move was initially played down. The Jerusalem Post on April 8 quoted a European diplomat at the UN as saying Israel's reaction was much ado about nothing: "The Israelis and the Palestinians are the only ones talking about it."
This week, however, the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva passed a resolution, supported by Europe, calling for Palestinian self-determination on the basis of 181. The commission further cited a resolution (194) which demands the repatriation of Arab refugees to homes they left in 1948 -areas today inhabited by the majority of Israel's population.
The UNHRC pronouncement made no explicit reference to resolutions 242 and 338. Of 53 countries in attendance, only the United States opposed the measure. Official U.S. policy continues to be based on 242 and 338.
In response, Israel's ambassador to the UN, Dore Gold, said the Geneva decision was "part of an orchestrated campaign by the Palestinians to press 181."
Claims of such a concerted effort have been backed by PA officials themselves.
PA Minister of International Cooperation Nabil Sha'ath was quoted by Arab-language media last week as saying that "in his tour through most of the world's countries, [Arafat] spoke of the right to a Palestinian state, a right that is based on Resolution 181 of 1947 and not on the resolution of the Madrid Conference and the Oslo Accords."
Sha'ath said the PA wanted to replace the bilateral framework of Oslo with a multilateral, UN framework.
He cited the "model of Namibia", in terms of which all territories Israel occupies beyond the 1947 Partition Plan boundaries - including the whole of Jerusalem - would be temporarily transferred to UN trusteeship, pending determination of their final status through a Palestinian referendum.
While the scenarios may seem far-fetched, the Israeli government is taking the 181 campaign seriously.
David Bar-Illan, senior advisor to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, called it "an indication that the PA is not thinking of peace but of destroying Israel."
He told CNS Thursday that while "these things at first may seem absurd and ridiculous, they gather momentum and become more acceptable with time, and with brainwashing."
Israel had learned this lesson the hard way in the past, Bar-Illan said.
"The question of redividing Jerusalem seemed absurd in 1967, but now it's a mantra of EU nations and leftist parties in Israel. The notion of a Palestinian state was rejected by most nations 10 or 15 years ago, but now it's considered an inevitability of history, a historical imperative."
Bar-Illan noted that 181 had been "fought by all the Arab regimes and the Palestinians at the time, and greeted by them as an opportunity to destroy the embryonic state of Israel."
Addressing foreign diplomats in Jerusalem Wednesday, Netanyahu reiterated that 181 is "null and void, from the legal point of view, from the practical point of view, and from the moral point of view."
Note: For more on Palestinian attempts to revive UN resolution 181, see the current issue of the Middle East Digest, available on the ICEJ website at http://www.icej.org.il.
3. PALESTINIANS SUPPORT FOR ARMED ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAELIS INCREASES
A poll conducted by the Center for Palestine Research and Studies between April 15-17 shows that almost one of every two Palestinians support armed attacks against Israelis. Forty-five percent of Palestinians said that they support the attacks, up f
rom 41% just two months ago.
70% of respondents say they support the peace process while 26% oppose it.
Other interesting findings: 63% of respondents see no difference between Israeli prime minister candidates Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak in their ability to move the peace process forward.
The poll in its entirety can be accessed on the internet at:
www.cprs-palestine.org/polls/99/poll40a.html
4. YISRAEL B'ALIYAH CAMPAIGNS FOR INTERIOR MINISTRY POST
In what could prove to be a decisive factor in the pending Israeli
elections, Natan Sharansky and his Yisrael B'Aliyah party have staked their political fortunes on a bid to capture the important Ministry of Interior portfolio in the next coalition government. In doing so, they have directly challenged the Sephardic Shas party and other ultra-Orthodox, religious parties who traditionally have controlled the Interior cabinet seat.
The high stakes gamble sets two large blocs of voters - the Russians and the ultra-Orthodox - against each other and also opens up new opportunities, or perils, for the two front runners in the race for prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak.
Yisrael B'Aliyah apparently has set an aggressive campaign course aimed at winning the Interior ministry, a powerful government agency that controls key aspects of immigration policy and procedures and also oversees municipal budgets throughout the country.
Sharansky's party represents primarily new Russian immigrants and reportedly spends much of its time helping Russian olim with problems encountered in dealings with the Interior ministry. By vying for mastery over the lucrative Interior posting, Yisrael B'Aliyah hopes to keep Russian voters >from wandering off to rival Russian parties (like Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu) and also to be in a better position to help their constituency once in power.
The strategy was evident in the opening round of election ads on Israeli TV, where the Yisrael B'Aliyah spot on Wednesday evening featured Sharansky saying: "The Interior Ministry in our hands." This was a softened version of earlier party slogans that mentioned Shas by name.
Leading figures in the Yisrael B'Aliyah camp stress that this is not a "war between the Russians and the Moroccans," but the use of legitimate tactics to resolve specific grievances encountered by their followers in the Interior Ministry.
The Interior Ministry staff reacted angrily, defending itself against charges that it discriminated against Russian immigration. The latest dispute centered on the accuracy of an Yisrael B'Aliyah ad recounting the story of an IDF soldier who claims his Russian parents were not allowed into Israel recently.
Interior Minister Eli Suissa of Shas also has been charged by MK Roman Bronfman of Yisrael B'Aliyah with sending ministry aides to campaign among the Arab sector.
Some political commentators expect Labor and One Israel candidate Ehud Barak to court the Russian vote by announcing he will hand the Interior portfolio to Sharansky if elected prime minister. Such a move could undermine a crucial segment of support for the incumbent Netanyahu, who won 62% of the Russian vote in 1996.
Barak essentially has given up on attracting large numbers of ultra-Orthodox voters, and thus is free to favor openly the Russian side of this newest domestic rift. Netanyahu, on the other hand, has little room to make the same promise of the Interior posting to Sharansky, since he cannot afford to rile either Russian or ultra-Orthodox voters.
The Russian immigrant and Sepharic voting blocs are two of the largest and fastest growing demographic groups in the Israeli electorate, with the Russian sector containing perhaps the largest bloc of swing voters. With the huge influx of some 750,000 new immigrants from the former Soviet Union, the Russian vote has had a tremendous impact in the past two general elections, tipping the scales in favor of Labor's Yitzhak Rabin in 1992 and then the Likud leader in 1996.
Meanwhile, Shas also has been the subject of even wider criticism for distributing a video in which party leader and convicted felon Aryeh Deri attacks the judicial system for targeting him at election time. The video has Deri likening the judiciary's high-profile criminal prosecution of him with "the Eichman and Demjanjuk trials," a reference to two figures tried in Israel for Nazi war crimes.
5. RUSSIAN IMMIGRATION DOUBLES IN FIRST QUARTER OF 1999
HA'ARETZ reported that Jewish immigration from Russia doubled in the first quarter of 1999. Israel absorbed 5,737 new immigrants from Russia during the last three months, doubling expectations, according to Jewish Agency Director Sali Meridor. Two thousand, seven hundred and thirty-seven Russian immigrants arrived in Israel during the first quarter of 1998.
One of the reasons for the rise in immigration is due to the economic recession in Russia that began in August of last year. A second and related reason is the sharp increase in anti-Semitic attacks against Jews and their property as well as the increasingly anti-Semitic rhetoric coming from the legislature and various national figures.
Immigration from the Ukraine has declined, possibly due to the local government objections to Jewish Agency activity. Ukraine has seen some of the most virulent recent attacks against Jews.
SOURCES: THE JERUSALEM POST, HA'ARETZ, ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTRY, CENTER FOR PALESTINIAN RESEARCH & STUDIES, MIDEAST DISPATCH, CONSERVATIVE NEWS SERVICE This bulletin was compiled and written by Patrick Goodenough, David Parsons and Cale Hahn.
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Poems...etc.
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A Kid's look at the Bible..
"In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the
world, so He took the Sabbath off."
"Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree."
"Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark."
"Noah built an ark, which the animals came on to in pears."
"Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night."
"Samson was a strong man who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like
Delilah."
"Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread,
which is bread made without any ingredients."
"The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert."
"Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Amendments."
"The First Commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple."
"The Fifth Commandment is 'Humor thy father and mother.'"
"The Seventh Commandment is 'Thou shalt not admit adultery.'"
"Moses died before he ever reached Canada."
"Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol."
"The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand
still,and he obeyed him."
"David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar."
"David fought with the Philatelists, a race of people who lived in Biblical
times."
"Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines."
"The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels."
"The epistles were the wives of the apostles."
"St. Paul cavorted to Christianity."
"Paul preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage."
"A Christian should have only one wife. This is called monotony."
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