Churches Attacked in Israel and Iraq

URGENT: CHURCHES ATTACKED IN ISRAEL AND IRAQ
By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Dallas-Ft.Worth, TX, November 3, 2010) -- As I prepare to speak at church events this week in Texas, I am deeply saddened by tragic events in the epicenter. My colleagues and I are calling on followers of Jesus Christ around the world to pray urgently for our brothers and sisters in the Middle East.

In recent days, churches in Israel and Iraq have been attacked by terrorists.

• The seige of a church in Baghdad by radical Islamic terrorists leaving at least 58 dead and 67 injured received significant international media coverage. The New York Times called it “the worst massacre of Iraqi Christians since the war began here in 2003.”
    
• But the firebombing of an Arab Christian church in Jerusalem has received almost no media coverage. On The Joshua Fund website (www.joshuafund.net), we have an exclusive report from the pastor of the church in Jerusalem that was attacked.

Clearly, our brothers and sisters in both places need us to intercede on their behalf, and to mobilize others believers to pray for them and to stand with them in their time of need. This is a key mission of The Joshua Fund, mobilizing Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, according to Genesis 12:1-3. Please join with us in prayer at this critical moment. And please urge other Christians you know to pray as well.

In the meantime, please keep praying for:

• Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier being held hostage by Hamas in Gaza
    
• Prime Minister Netanyahu as he comes to the U.S. for meetings with Jewish leaders this weekend
    
• The conviction of Jack Teitel, the Jewish terrorist who allegedly tried to kill an Israeli pastor and his family in March 2008, among many of his other Jewish and Arab targets. The trial has been delayed for several reasons. Please pray the trial happens and is successful.
    
• Other prayer requests are on The Joshua Fund website.

Thanks and God bless you.

For more details, and the latest headlines from the Middle East, please go to Joel Rosenberg’s blog -- http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/

Israeli PM Issues Warning to Iran

ISRAELI VICE PM WARNS IRAN: CHOOSE “THE BOMB” OR “SURVIVAL”

People from 90+ countries participated in Epicenter webcast


By Joel C. Rosenberg




(Philadelphia, PA, June 29, 2010) -- In a blunt message at the 2010 Epicenter Conference that suggested a war between Israel and Iran may not be far off, Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon on Saturday warned Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to choose “the Bomb” or “survival.”

Yaalon said he agreed with the U.S. assessment that Iran is between one and three years away from acquiring a nuclear weapon. He said there is still time to stop Iran, but time is running out. He warned that “any American hopes of attracting Syria, Lebanon, or Turkey away from Iran would effectively be dead” if Iran builds nuclear weapons. He also said Turkey is rapidly shifting from a moderate democracy to an Islamic republic and suggested this is of great concern to the Israeli government. Yaalon delivered a powerful and detailed 55 minute policy address, then did a 30 minute Q&A session with me that covered everything from the status of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit being held by Hamas, to Islamic eschatology and the Twelfth Imam, and Yaalon’s fascinating personal history and where his family came to Israel from.

Thanks so much to everyone who participated in the 2010 Epicenter Conference, and everyone who helped pull the event together. We were encouraged that people from over 90 countries around the world viewed the webcast, including those from Israel, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Algeria, Oman, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Sudan.

At wwww.epicenterconference.com, you can now order a DVD set of all of the messages delivered at the conference. This includes fascinating presentations by Vice PM Yaalon, Lt.-General Jerry Boykin, Greg Laurie, Kay Arthur, Tony Perkins, Israeli Pastor Wayne Hilsden, Iranian Pastor Hormoz Shariat, as well as my closing talk on “How To Build A Global Movement To Bless Israel and Her Neighbors, Come What May.” The DVD set also includes a bonus feature, a two-hour seminar by Hormoz Shariat and Mideast ministry expert Tom Doyle on how to share the love of Jesus Christ with your Muslim friends and neighbors.

I would encourage you to get a set of the DVDs to watch as a family, and with your small group Bible study or home fellowship group. You may also want to send a copy to Christian workers that you pray for and support around the world.

CBN correspondent Erick Stakelback posted an on-line report on Saturday night on Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon’s address and Q&A session at the 2010 Epicenter Conference. “Yaalon was undoubtedly the most anticipated speaker for the roughly 1,500 in attendance and 20,000 tuning in via satellite from around the world,” Stackelback wrote. “I’ll be filing a report on the conference for Tuesday’s edition of the 700 Club, but I wanted to fill everyone in right away on what I think was a very newsworthy speech by Yaalon, who is the second highest ranking official in the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yaalon received no less than three rousing standing ovations at Epicenter-one lasting for at least two minutes and punctuated by raucous cheers of support. A former Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, Yaalon has a reputation for being a serious man who’s as tough as they come. But he appeared genuinely impressed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and affection he received from the Epicenter audience and gave it right back with some kind words for evangelical Christians throughout his almost one hour speech, which was followed by a hard-hitting Q and A session with Rosenberg in which “Bogie” addressed everything from Iranian nukes to Turkey’s Islamist turn to the state of U.S./Israel relations. Below are some of the highlights from a riveting afternoon with the Vice Prime Minister. Yaalon began his speech by outlining Israel’s four primary strategic challenges….”

To read the rest of the CBN report, please go to Joel’s weblog, http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/.

LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter on Joel’s weblog (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com), please click here

PRAY: Sign up for Joel’s email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests.

GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here and visiting our new website, www.joshuafund.net.

GO: Join Joel’s “Epicenter Team” on Facebook.

GO: To learn more about -- and/or register for -- the 2011 Epicenter Conference in Israel and The Joshua Fund’s prayer & vision trip to Israel in May 2001, please click here (www.epicenterconference.com)

To purchase a DVD set of the presentations at the 2010 Epicenter Conference, please go to www.epicenterconference.com, or click here

Israeli Rabbis Predicting Armageddon?

ISRAELI RABBIS SAY CURRENT EVENTS COULD LEAD TO “WAR OF GOG AND MAGOG”

By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., June 3, 2010) -- A pastor friend of mine who is helping us set up the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia later this month just sent me an urgent text message with this headline from Israel National News:

“RABBIS: FLOTILLA CLASH SIMILAR TO GOG AND MAGOG PROPHESY.”

As you might expect, it caught my attention right away.

Excerpts:

• The Rabbinical Council of Judea and Samaria issued a statement Thursday in which it said that the results of the incident in which Israel intercepted a flotilla trying to break the naval blockade of Gaza seem like the Biblical description of  the beginning of the Gog and Magog process where the world is against us, but which ends with the third and final redemption….
  
• The Council was formed by Rabbi Zalman Melamed of Beit El and includes leading religious Zionist rabbis who are the spiritual leaders of communities in Judea and Samaria….
   
• “Gog and Magog” is a reference is to chapters 38 and 39 in the book of Ezekiel, a part of which is read on the intermediate Sabbath of Sukkot (Tabernacles). These chapters describe a vision of a war where the world is united against Israel that will precede the final redemption of Israel and the world. The prophecy’s symbolism involves a prince called Gog of Magog, leader of Rosh, Meshech and Tubal, who leads a coalition that includes Persia (Iran), Cush, Phut, Gomer, and Beit Togarmah against Israel. There are various opinions regarding the modern identity of these nations.

There is growing interest in the Ezekiel prophecies and whether they could play out in our lifetime. I believe it is still too early to say anything definitively. But I agree that current events are strikingly consistent with the prophecies and I believe it is possible that we could see these events unfold soon.

The mention of “Gomer” in Ezekiel, for example, refers to the modern-day State of Turkey which will be an enemy of Israel and part of a Russian-Iranian alliance against the Jewish state. I’m not saying the prophecy will necessarily come to pass soon, but I can’t rule out that possibility.

We’ve never seen a convergence of geopolitical and spiritual events so consistent with Ezekiel 38-39 in history like we are seeing today. We need to be prayerful, sober, alert and prepared.

At the conference on June 25-26 in Philly, I will address the latest developments. But I knew you’d want to see this article.

It’s posted on my weblog -- http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com.

---

2010 EPICENTER CONFERENCE UPDATE

• Over 1,300 people registered
• Over 700 radio stations and several TV networks will be broadcasting portions of the conference
• Just 24 days left to register to attend or to show the webcast to your congregation

LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter on Joel’s weblog (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com), please click here

PRAY: Sign up for Joel’s email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests.

GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here and visiting our new website, www.joshuafund.net.

GO: Join Joel’s “Epicenter Team” on Facebook.

GO: To learn more about -- and/or register for -- the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here (www.epicenterconference.com) 

Israel Prepares for War

ISRAEL BEGINS FIVE DAY NATIONWIDE DRILL TO PREPARE FOR WAR

* Fmr. Delta Force commander Lt.-Gen. Jerry Boykin to speak at 2010 Epicenter Conference.


By Joel C. Rosenberg


(Washington, D.C., May 24, 2010) -- Israelis on Sunday began a massive nationalwide home front exercise to prepare for the possibility of a major with Iran, Syria, and/or Lebanon.

"The exercise, 'Turning Point 4,' is due to last five days and be carried out in all parts of the country," reported Haaretz. "During the first three days the drill will involve the Israel Defense Forces' various command centers, the police, emergency services, ministries and other government offices. The exercise, which is held annually in May, will be broadened on Wednesday to include civilians, with a siren sounded at 11 A.M. throughout the country. Civilians will have to seek cover in shelters or other secure areas."

* "The main scenario for the police will be a strike on Be'er Sheva by missiles fitted with chemical warheads....The distribution of gas masks, something already underway over the past three months, will be expedited during the drill to include other parts of the country. Home Front Command will be tested on its ability to shift to emergency distribution on a national level.

* "Extensive participation by volunteers, nongovernment organizations and youth movements is expected to be part of the drill, especially in helping local authorities reach people and communities in distress or needing special assistance."

The Joshua Fund continues to prepare for war by stockpiling supplies in our new warehouse and training and equipping those running seven food distribution centers. At the Epicenter Conference, I'll give an update on how those preparations are coming and how you can be involved in helping. Please keep praying for peace and please keep praying for our team and our allies in Israel as we keep preparing for the possibility of war.

------------------------------------------------

What are the implications of a regional war with Iran? Former Delta Force commander Lt.-General (ret.) Jerry Boykin will provide analysis at the the 2010 Epicenter Conference. Please be sure to register today at www.epicenterconference.com to join us in Philadelphia June 25-26. Pastors, please visit the same site to sign up to show the live webcast to your congregation. Thanks and God bless you.

New report finds Israel has 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas

U.S. GOVERNMENT REPORT: ISRAEL HAS 122 TRILLION CUBIC FEET OF NATURAL GAS OFFSHORE

* 2010 Epicenter Conference to examine whether we are seeing events consistent with Ezekiel 38-39
By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., May 17, 2010) -- A recently-released report by the U.S. Department of Interior indicates that Israel has massive reserves of natural gas and oil supplies just offshore, lying under the Mediterranean. "The U.S. Geological Survey estimated a mean 1.7 billion barrels of recoverable oil and a mean of 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Levant Basin Province using a geology based assessment methodology," stated the report's executive summary.

Israelis for years have lamented that if God wanted to bless them with a "promised land" He could have given them the oil-rich Arabian peninsula. Thus the report has become big news in the Israeli media and the energy industry. Several oil and gas companies are already at work there and have made more modest discoveries in recent years. But this is by far the biggest development to date and some reports indicate Israel could begin using the natural gas -- and possibly exporting it -- within two years.

What intrigues me is that such developments are consistent with several Bible prophecies that indicate petroleum will be discovered in Israel in the last days, adding to the nation's prosperity. For more details, please see Chapter Five of my 2006 non-fiction book, Epicenter: "FUTURE HEADLINE: ISRAEL DISCOVERS MASSIVE RESERVES OF OIL, GAS."

Just five weeks left to the 2010 Epicenter Conference. Please be sure to register today at www.epicenterconference.com to join us in Philadelphia June 25-26. Pastors, please visit the same site to sign up to show the live webcast to your congregation. Thanks and God bless you.

-------------------------------------------------

OTHER KEY STORIES ON THE WEBLOG (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/)

* Israel plays wargames assuming Iran has nuclear bomb
* Russia to sell jets, air defense systems to Syria
* NYT: Iran strikes nuclear deal with Turkey -- "Iran announced an agreement on Monday to ship some of its nuclear fuel to Turkey in a deal that could offer a short-term solution to its ongoing nuclear standoff with the West, or prove to be a tactic aimed at derailing efforts to bring new sanctions against Tehran."
* Iran step could boost ability to enrich uranium, diplomats say
* Washington Post: Iranian cleric wants creation of 'Greater Iran' -- "A radical cleric called Saturday for the creation of a 'Greater Iran' that would rule over the entire Middle East and Central Asia, in an event that he said would herald the coming of Islam's expected messiah, [the Twelfth Imam]"

(Graphic source: U.S. Department of Interior) 

Israel Ready for War?

ISRAEL PRIMED FOR WAR WITH IRAN SAYS VICE PRIME MINISTER Family Research Council President Tony Perkins confirmed to speak at 2010 Epicenter Conference on how to mobilize support for Israel. By Joel C. Rosenberg (Washington, D.C., May 11, 2010) -- Israel is primed and ready for a war with Iran should that become necessary, says Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon. Yaalon is slated to be the keynote speaker at the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia next month. He will give participants an exclusive briefing on the Iranian nuclear threat and the prospects for war in the Middle East. "There is no doubt that the technological capabilities, which improved in recent years, have improved range and aerial refuelling capabilities, and have brought about a massive improvement in the accuracy of ordnance and intelligence," Yaalon told a conference of military officers and experts, reported Reuters. "This capability can be used for a war on terror in Gaza, for a war in the face of rockets from Lebanon, for war on the conventional Syrian army, and also for war on a peripheral state like Iran." Also, I'm pleased to announce that Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council, will speak at the 2010 Epicenter Conference as we seek to educate and mobilize Christians to show unconditional love and unwavering support to Israel at this critical moment. Tony will join Janet Parshall and me on Friday night, June 25th for a panel discussion on practical ways that Christians can bless Israel. Tony will specifically discuss Israel-related legislation moving through Congress and how to support or oppose such measures, as needed. Other Christian leaders joining us on that panel will be Lt.-General (ret.) Jerry Boykin, Kay Arthur, Pastor Greg Laurie, Pastor Joe Focht, and a special guest. On Saturday, June 26th, the conference continues with additional guests, including Vice Prime Minister Yaalon, Hormoz Shariat (the "Billy Graham of Iran"), and a video presentation by Mosab Hassan Yousef (the "Son of Hamas"). I will be giving the final keynote address on Saturday night. For more information, or to register individually or as a church, please visit www.epicenterconference.com. I hope you will join us! LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter on Joel's weblog (http://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com), please click here PRAY: Sign up for Joel's email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests. GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here and visiting our new website, www.joshuafund.net. GO: Join Joel's "Epicenter Team" on Facebook. GO: To learn more about -- and/or register for -- the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here (www.epicenterconference.com)

New Talk of War As Israel Turns 62

AS ISRAEL TURNS 62, U.S. LACKS STRATEGY TO STOP IRAN

* Report on preaching the gospel into Iran via satellite TV broadcasts
* Iranian evangelist to speak at 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia
* Fresh update from The Joshua Fund in Israel
By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., April 19, 2010) -- Israel turned 62 on Sunday. Israeli leaders marked the occassion by warning Iran not to mess with them. But a secret memo by Defense Secretary Robert Gates indicates that the U.S. does not have a clear decisive strategy to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons. Details on the weblog.

Meanwhile, Russia will allow the Iranian nuclear reactor facility at Bushehr (near the Persian Gulf) to go live in August. Now Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has a fateful decision to make. Will he order a preemptive military strike against all of Iran's nuclear sites before August when the Bushehr site becomes "hot"? Also, Jordan's King Abdullah warned over the weekend that he is increasingly convinced that a major war could break out by this summer.

We must pray for peace, but prepare for war. Here are a few ways we can prepare:

* We need to preach the gospel to all the people of the epicenter, including our enemies. Last Tuesday and Wednesday, I had the remarkable opportunity to go on live satellite TV into Iran and share the gospel, teach on Bible prophecy, and explain God's love for Iran and Israel and all the people of the world. Millions saw the program. We answered live calls from Iran, Europe, the U.S. and even China. Two Iranian Shia Muslims even called in to pray to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord! More details on those programs are posted on my weblog.

* Hormoz Shariat, the most widely listened to Iranian evangelist in the world, has agreed to speak at the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia. Please register at www.epicenterconference.com and come hear his astounding insights and wisdom into what Jesus is doing in Iran today.

* Update from The Joshua Fund's executive director who just returned from Israel with our director of operations: "We have 7 storefronts [food distribution centers] up and running and hope to have the 8th one set up a little later this year....During our stay we received the equivalent of approximately two semi truckloads of food. The warehouse is beginning to fill up. Soon, as we bring more storefronts on line we will most likely need to install shelving and begin to go vertical to accommodate the supplies. We currently have approximately 77 tons of food in stock....Our first food delivery from the warehouse was made to an organization in Jerusalem. [The director] just told me that the first bag of food that they delivered from the food we supplied went to a holocaust survivor. It was a small delivery (approximately 1 ton) as they are desirous of starting out small and building to a larger operation as the Lord directs....Our new truck has a lift gate that allows us to easily make deliveries that do not have a dock or a forklift and as we were beginning to unload all the children came out to help us unload the truck, so instead of using the lift gate we decided it was very exciting to see the children getting involved wanting to help with the ministry. It was an awesome blessing to watch and be part of this."

Also on the weblog:
* An open letter from the leader of the World Jewish Congress strongly criticizes President Obama for his positions on Israel and Iran
* A new poll indicates Jewish support for the President is plummeting
* The Joshua Fund's new website has details on our 2011 tour and Epicenter Conference in Israel

(Note: There was a technical problem with my last Flash Traffic email and many of you were unable to read it. Sorry for that. I think we've corrected the problem.)

LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter, please click here

PRAY: Sign up for Joel's email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests.

GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here.

GO: Join Joel's "Epicenter Team" on Facebook.

GO: To learn more about -- and/or register for -- the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here. 

Netanyahu Arrives in Moscow to Discuss Iran Crisis

NETANYAHU ARRIVES IN MOSCOW TO DISCUSS IRAN CRISIS 

Joel posts on-line his notes for forthcoming Purim message on "Israel, The Iran Threat, and Lessons From The Book of Esther"

Sign up now for 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philly
By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Washington, D.C., February 15, 2010) -- Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu arrived in Moscow at 2:45am local time for two days of meetings with senior Russian leaders at the Kremlin. His goal: to persuade President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin to support "crippling economic sanctions" against Iran at the U.N., and to promise not to deliver and install the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system that Russia agreed several years ago to sell to Iran. Please pray for Netanyahu and his team.

IRAN CRISIS: LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

* Vice President Joe Biden will head to Israel is the next few weeks to coordinate U.S.-Israeli policy against Iran.

* Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was just in Israel over the weekend for meetings with top Israeli defense officials. He warned an Israeli first strike could have "unintended consequences," but pointedly noted that the military option was very much on the table.

* Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is in Saudi Arabia today and was in Qatar over the weekend urging the Arabs to unify against Iran and promising to defend America's Arab allies if a war with Iran should erupt.

* What does all this mean? I've posted analysis of these events on the weblog.

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CALL TO PASTORS TO PREACH ON BOOK OF ESTHER ON FEBRUARY 28 -- At the request of several pastors, I've also posted on-line a draft of my notes for my upcoming Purim message on "Israel, The Iran Threat, and Lessons From The Book of Esther." I'll be delivering this message at a church in Northern Virginia on Sunday, February 28, and at the National Religious Broadcasters convention in Nashville on Monday, March 1. If you're a pastor, please prayerfully consider preaching or teaching on the Book of Esther on February 28th, and feel free to use all or part of my notes directly, or as some background as you prepare your own message. Given the seriousness of the moment, I believe it is vital that pastors around the world call followers of Jesus Christ to pray and fast for the peace of Jerusalem, and for the Lord to save and protect the people of Israel, and Iran, and all the people of the epicenter.

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2010 EPICENTER CONFERENCE -- Please also prayerfully consider joining us in Philadelphia on June 25-26 as we hold the 2010 Epicenter Conference. We will provide you with the very latest geopolitical updates from the Middle East, in-depth Bible teaching and very practical training on how to help mobilize a global movement to "learn, pray, give and go" to the Lord's work in the epicenter. Among my guests will be Lt.-General (ret.) Jerry Boykin, fmr. commander of Delta Force and fmr. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence; Kay Arthur, the internationally renowned Bible teacher; Greg Laurie, the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in California who has preached the good news of Jesus Christ to more than 3.8 million people around the world; Janet Parshall, the nationally syndicated radio talk show host; and other wonderful guests we will announce as we get closer to the event.

Find more details -- and register on-line -- at www.epicenterconference.com.

LEARN: To track the latest news and trends from Israel and the epicenter, please click here

PRAY: Sign up for Joel's email alerts and receive the latest news and analysis from the Mideast, Joshua Fund project updates and prayer requests.

GIVE: Help The Joshua Fund stock the new warehouse and bless the poor and needy in Israel and among her neighbors. Please make a tax-deductible donation of $50, $100, $250 or a monthly commitment by clicking here.

GO: Join Joel's "Epicenter Team" on Facebook.

GO: To learn more about the 2010 Epicenter Conference in Philadelphia on June 25-26, please click here.

Healing for the Nations

In the midst of a stressful week, we received comfort and blessing from a word of wisdom delivered by our dear sister in Christ, Judypie. Her words give us assurance of God’s purpose to not only heal our lives... but also to heal the nations. What was so significant that she had to say?

Take a look at this:

Father, we are your children... heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ who share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory. We ask You, Father, to make the nations our inheritance, the ends of the earth our possession for Your glory and Your purposes. In the name of Jesus, we pray for the healing of the nations. Praise God! It is our Lord Jesus who will bring true justice and peace to all the nations of the world. Amen

And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.

Romans 8:17 [AMP]

I will declare the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, You are My Son; this day [I declare] I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth as Your possession.

Psalm 2:7-8 [AMP]

His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!

Isaiah 9:7 [NLT]

THEN HE showed me the river whose waters give life, sparkling like crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the broadway of the city; also, on either side of the river was the tree of life with its twelve varieties of fruit, yielding each month its fresh crop; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing and the restoration of the nations.

Revelation 22:1-2 [AMP]

..the Lord is all I need. He takes care of me. My share in life has been pleasant; my part has been beautiful (Psalm 16:5&6).

This is a wonderful meditation... given the bad news that seems to face us every day. There are problems here at home... and problems overseas. Still, as we put our faith and trust in the Lord, we have peace and comfort regardless of what the world throws at us.

But what about the bad news that comes as relentlessly as the tides that roll up on the beaches and crash against the breakers? For example, Joel Rosenberg recently hosted a dinner with Dr. Dore Gold (advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) and a number of other dignitaries. Some of what Dr. Gold shared with Joel and his dinner guests probably affected their appetites. Here is a brief quote from Joel’s recent flash traffic:

Gold told the group -- which included former Senator Rick Santorum, former. Rep. Steve Largent, radio host Janet Parshall, and journalists from CBN, National Review and World magazine -- that he is deeply skeptical of the West’s efforts to engage Iran diplomatically, arguing that the evidence clearly indicates Tehran has used previous negotiations to buy time to aggressively advance the country’s nuclear program.

He noted that Hassan Rowhani, who served as Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator from 2003 to 2005, once bragged to hardliners in a closed-door speech in Tehran: “When we were negotiating with the Europeans in Tehran, we were installing equipment in parts of the facility in Isfahan.” It is the opening anecdote Gold uses in his fascinating new book as he documents how Iranian leaders are engaged in a systematic campaign of “strategic deception” with the West to hide the enormity of its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.

You can read the full story in Joel’s blog.

So how should you react to threats of nuclear disaster... terrorism... economic downturns... cash for clunkers... and etcetera?

Our advice would be to follow Judypie’s advice and pray for the healing of the nations. It is not impossible for God to move a mighty revival through Iran. In fact, we have heard other reports of the Spirit of God moving in that part of the world, but there is persecutiion of Christians in Iran.

Dedicate some time this week to pray for the healing of the nations. As Judypie advised us a couple months ago, God is the Great Reconciler.

Father, in Jesus’ name, You are the Great Reconciler! Of marriages! Of children! Of families! Of brothers and sisters in You! Of all relationships! It is in Your strength, and by Your grace that I will go to the person with whom I have had conflict. You have planted the Seed of Love in my heart, and I will humble myself by asking forgiveness regardless of who was at fault. I pray that the relationship will be healed and the breach mended. I purpose to do this in obedience to Your Word and for Your glory, Lord Jesus. The Repairer of Breaches in relationships is working on my behalf! Amen.

For if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say], it is for God and concerns Him; if we are in our right mind, it is for your benefit, For the love of Christ controls and urges and impels us, because we are of the opinion and conviction that [if] One died for all, then all died; And He died for all, so that all those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him Who died and was raised again for their sake. Consequently, from now on we estimate and regard no one from a [purely] human point of view [in terms of natural standards of value]. [No] even though we once did estimate Christ from a human viewpoint and as a man, yet now [we have such knowledge of Him that] we know Him no longer [in terms of the flesh]. Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come! But all things are from God, Who through Jesus Christ reconciled us to Himself [received us into favor, brought us into harmony with Himself] and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation [that by word and deed we might aim to bring others into harmony with Him]. It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favor). So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us. We [as Christ's personal representatives] beg you for His sake to lay hold of the divine favor [now offered you] and be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness].

2^nd Corinthians 5:13-21 [AMP]

And [He designed] to reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united] in a single body by means of His cross, thereby killing the mutual enmity and bringing the feud to an end.

Ephesians. 2:16 [AMP]

And God purposed that through (by the service, the intervention of) Him [the Son] all things should be completely reconciled back to Himself, whether on earth or in heaven, as through Him, [the Father] made peace by means of the blood of His cross.

Colossians 1:20 [AMP]

One final note...

While we look at the turmoil overseas... things aren’t exactly holding hands and singing love songs here. Yes, we have political differences. Some people love our current President... others may feel otherwise. Still, God tells us scripturally what we should do... regarless of who is in the Oval Office:

FIRST OF all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men, For kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way.

1^st Timothy 2: 1-2 [AMP]

You want to live the good life? Then follow what the Lord commands of you.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

I was listening to Pastor Mike Macintosh today talking about the situation in the Middle East with hundreds of rockets aimed at and/or fired at Israel... and retaliatory strikes by the Israeli armed forces. This has been going on for days... and yet we are just hearing about it now...

Mike related these events to Biblical prophecy... and it is eye opening when we consider how the nations of the world are bankrupt... the ongoing Jihad is putting pressure on Israel and who knows what they are plotting against the USA...

I guess the bottom line is... do your best to enjoy life... love everybody... and seek to walk humbly before the Lord while you can. Who knows what tomorrow brings?