Over the last several decades, science has taken a grand “turn”. In the early years of science, there was an understanding that one had to be a rigorous slave to the systematic requirements of discovery. To “know” anything it had to be measured and tested, and then retested.

Conclusions could only be drawn from what was ascertained, not only from testing but from the duplication of the results by independent sources. This would inhibit emotional and political biases from “sneaking” into the pool of what was understood as Truth at the time.  Even then it was understood that one piece of new data could “turn over” their perspective in any given area, or possibly their entire world view.

As measuring devises became more and more precise, more and more was discovered to be either outright wrong, or at least suspect. There was a certain humility built into the system. Somewhere in time, science changed from being an area of discovering to a religion dedicated to proving its dogma. Whether this was a result of cross-contamination from the involvement of the church, or a reaction to the realization that the universe (and consequently the data in it) was much more vast than anticipated, science drifted away from “theorizing-and-then-proving” to “proving-the-theory.”

This may seem like a minor point, but it is one which can violate the very definition of science itself. SCIENCE requires conclusions to be drawn from hard (provable, see it to believe it) data. Now theories can be treated as if they are Laws. Then the task is to disprove the theory. No longer is hard data required—only consensus of the majority, the most influential, most political or wealthiest.

This is present in our everyday discussions. Do we ever discuss the “Law of Evolution”? Even its proponents still refer to it as “the Theory of Evolution” while they militantly assure you that it is absolutely the foundational Truth. Any data that threatens any of its dogmas is attacked with accusations of biased, uneducated “opinions.” This is the true dominant religion of our time.

Science is a system, and as with all systems, the systems can be in error without the parts, for the most part, having some devious agenda. Most scientists are well-meaning, hard-working, dedicated technicians. But, much like the persecutions that took place when rigorous science first started drawing conclusions that threatened the prevailing dogma, those trying to adhere to a conservative definition of science are being vilified, isolated and condemned within their disciplines.

96% of the Universe

There has been a problem for some time with the mathematics of the universe. For all to work within the current “theories” of a gravitational Universe there is a factor that is off by 96%. All of the visible matter in the Universe amounts to approximately 4% of what the math tells us should be there. With such a large discrepancy, there are two possible obvious explanations:  1) the missing 96% is there but can’t be seen, or 2) the underlying presuppositions of the math are wrong. Of course, we are told that the most likely explanation is that this 96% consists of “dark matter” (you can’t see it or measure it). And so, in a worldwide effort involving billions of dollars (and Euros, Yen, etc.) there has been a frantic attempt to find this unseen mass. After all the time and money spent, there really hasn’t been much in the way of hard data proof revealed. With the pressures of failure looming, they are now looking for secondary “effects” or by-product particles.

About a year and a half ago, an “antimatter” (positron) detector in space started its search. Just this week the first results were released with excitement and hesitation. The excitement was that positrons were actually detected. The disappointment was that there is no fundamental understanding of the various sources of positrons.

It is “theorized” that when dark matter particles collide, one of the resultant effects is the release of positrons. The difficulty is that Pulsars, a rotating super-dense star, emits positrons also. Our understanding of this release by pulsars is not fully understood.

The only conclusion to be drawn so far is that there are positrons in space (which we already knew). The space-based detector has proved more sensitive than their terrestrial counterparts. But with no ground zero calculation on the “normal” background resulting from other sources, there is no hope of drawing any concrete conclusion on the existence of dark matter.

Since we know that Pulsars emit positrons, it is more likely that they are the sources of the positrons recently detected. Since there is no evidence for dark matter, there must be another explanation in which the mathematics actually works.

Of course there are other “theories” that could explain this mathematical discrepancy, but that would involve giving up some of our most engrained accepted “theories,” such as a gravitational-dependent universe, black holes (which have never really been seen, you know), fusion cycle in the stars, etc.

As with all “revolutions” in science, it takes at least 50 years to discard one paradigm for a new one. There is always great social upheaval involved. Scientific edifices fall and others are raised up. As we build one “theory” on top of another, we are crawling further out on the limb. Be discerning about what you believe is true.

Space-station experiment deepens antimatter enigma

Dark matter (Wikipedia)

The dark side of matter

(Editor: This article is from the April 8, 2013 weekly update, eNews. It was contributed by Dr. Gordon McDonald. For more information on subscribing for FREE to this weekly email publication or the monthly eNews Journal, Personal UPDATE, CLICK HERE.)

A skeptical perspective (maybe paranoid) feared that this was for containment of a resistant population reacting to a federal authority which had chosen disregard the Constitution and dissolve personal freedoms. Private militias were form and commenced training. the stock piling of food stuffs and weapons took went ballistic.

Whether this was a rational response or just prudent disaster planning by the Federal Emergence Management Authority (FEMA), a suspicious rift grew between a segment of the population and the federal government.

Now many years later the  same issues have resurfaced once more. This time there is many more overt actions by the federal government that need clarification. These issues have become so concerning that Government officials on both sides of the isle have requested enlightenment to the ultimate implied intentions.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics data for 2008 there are now 70 different federal law enforcement agencies employing over 120,000 officers that have the authority to carry firearms and arrest. This represents a nearly 30% increase from 2004-2008. This is a staggering number. The consequential increase between 2008-2013 can only be extrapolated because current data is not available.

There are presently 73 Offices of the Inspector General (OIG) attached to different departments of the Federal government. Because the OIG is tasked with not only auditing their respective agency’s actions but uncovering misconduct, fraud and illegal activities, the individual federal agencies have secured the services of fully trained and armed agents dressed and acting as tactical units. Just a few of the agencies so equipped are the State Department, The Department of Education, The Department of Energy, US Fish and Wildlife Services and the National Parks Services. Even NASA as such a team. This might not sound extreme until you recognize that the Constitution of the US forbids a federal police force who’s purpose is to act against its citizens. The federal government only has authority outward, not inward.

If this wasn’t concerning enough now it has come to light that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the last year has been stockpiling ammunition. Not just a little. So far the estimates are close to 2 BILLION rounds. This amounts to a 24 year supply.  Just yesterday it was revealed they have ordered 340,000 more rounds. There are even reports that these are hollow point rounds that are twice as expensive as regular full metal jacket ones. A curious point is that the Geneva Convention on “civilized” war forbids the use of hollow point bullets. Even our military doesn’t use hollow point ammunition.

Several enquiries have been made to DHS about their intentions with this stockpiled inventory. At first they said they were “bulk” buying to save money. When the price issue was presented they became silent. Even the efforts of several Congressmen have to garnered any answers. Pressure is mounting from both sides of the isle for an explanation.

It is said that “nature abhors a vacuum”. With the lack of verifiable information the public is left to “speculate” as to the intentions of the federal government. And speculate it will. With more guns being sold than any time in our country’s history, and ammunition to the general public becoming more restricted because of DHS’s apparent purchasing, frustration and suspicion is growing. The plausible explanations for this type stockpiling drifts to either trying to curtail Second Amendment rights by restricting supply or preparing for an extreme situation of civil unrest. Either explanation is frightening. Either they want to ignore and invalidate the Constitution and/or they want to be equipped for the consequences when they do

If there is a plausible explanation we the people need to hear it and soon. Otherwise the words of our president, during his first campaign in Colorado, echo in our ears:

” We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”

http://www.wnd.com/wnd_video/congressman-doug-lamalfa-on-dhs-ammo-purchases/

http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/While-ammunition-is-hard-to-find-Department-of/__1tKhra5EaP41rnjsTh-Q.cspx

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/congress/item/14891-congress-seeks-answers-on-huge-homeland-security-ammo-contracts

(Editor: This article is from the April 1, 2013 weekly update, eNews. It was contributed by Dr. Gordon McDonald. For more information on subscribing for FREE to this weekly email publication or the monthly eNews Journal, Personal UPDATE, CLICK HERE.)

Through the history of man, we can discern three major trends in Epistemology: Premodernism, Modernism and Postmodernism.  Each is tied to a time frame and is extremely general.  There are many exceptions within each group.  The focus here will be on Premodernism.

A Premodern epistemology assumes that God exists and knows everything.  Our knowledge and ability to learn truth depends on divine revelation from God Himself.  In other words: truth begins with God.  Premodernism was the first known epistemology and lasted up until a bit after 1600 AD, during the Enlightenment period of history.  René Descartes is generally attributed with the shift to Modernism.

Modernism assumes that truth can be found through the senses of man.  What we can feel, see and measure becomes the focus of how truth is learned.  This is where science plays a much more important role in society.  Science, after all, just seeks truth through what man can observe.  While an existent God is compatible with Modernism, we see the focus shift from God being the source of truth to man being the source of truth.

Modernism has lasted up until just the last few decades.  Indeed a vast number of people hold to a Modernistic Epistemology but something called Postmodernism has begun to take hold over the past thirty years or so.  Postmodernism is not an easy thing to define, however there are a few general trends that can be understood.

Postmodernism denies that absolute truth can be known, or even that it is desirable that it should be known.  The process of learning or discovery is the important thing to postmodernity; the end point of this process should never be reached.

Jim Leffel, director of The Crossroads Project, an apologetics ministry designed to equip Christians to understand and effectively communicate in our postmodern culture, summarized the main tenants of postmodernism with these five points:

• Reality is in the mind of the beholder. Reality is what’s real to me, and I construct my own reality in my mind.
• People are not able to think independently because they are defined—“scripted,” molded—by their culture.
• We cannot judge things in another culture or in another person’s life, because our reality may be different from theirs. There is no possibility of “transculture objectivity.”
• We are moving in the direction of progress, but are arrogantly dominating nature and threatening our future.
• Nothing is ever proven, either by science, history, or any other discipline.15

Postmodernism also denies that any story or written word has an absolute message.  The author’s point or intent is not important, only what the reader receives has value.  The written word only has meaning in how the reader interprets it.  Here we can see that the focus of truth has moved from man to the individual, each who may define his own truth.

The Emergent Church can be thought of as a marriage of the Church with Postmodernism.  There are many leaders in the movement, but each of them seem to share a dissatisfaction with the conservative evangelical churches from where they usually came.  The stated goal is to reach the Postmodern society, but the means to this are to become Postmodern themselves.  Thus absolute things such as sin, hell and judgment are not talked about.  Instead members are encouraged to find God and their own truth through a number of means including many things that the evangelical Christian community (and the Bible) would call occultist.

Obviously this description does not do the movement justice.  Books have been written on the various aspects of the Emergent Church.

The stated goal to reach our changing society is certainly a good one.  Jesus gave the Great Commission in the end of Matthew 28.  Verse 19 reads “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  The next verse, though is verse 20 which starts with “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.”

Verse 20 follows verse 19 by a comma; it is the method Jesus says to make disciples.  Christians are not supposed to make disciples by telling people to find their own truth.  Disciples are to be made by teaching them to observe all the things Jesus commanded.

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  Each person finding his own truth is not compatible with this.  Jesus is the one and only truth.

Instead of becoming Postmodern to reach the Postmodern, the example of Paul should be followed in Acts 17 when encountering the philosophers in Athens.  Paul didn’t become a Stoic or Epicurean; rather he understood their philosophy and spoke the gospel of Jesus Christ to them in terms they would understand.

The ‘emerging church’ movement may urge us to concentrate on telling people about God’s love for them, but if we fail to warn them of the need to repent of their sin and believe the gospel, they will die—and God will hold us accountable for the Holy Spirit tells us in Ezekiel:

“If I should say to a certain wicked person, “You wicked man, you’re certainly about to die,” but you don’t warn him to turn from his wicked behavior, he’ll die in his guilt, but I’ll seek retribution for his bloodshed from you.” (Ezekiel 33:8, ISV)

(Editor: This article is from the April 1, 2013 weekly update, eNews. It was contributed by Dr. Steve Elwart. For more information on subscribing for FREE to this weekly email publication or the monthly eNews Journal, Personal UPDATE, CLICK HERE.)

The Eye Test

Take a look at both what today’s map of the Middle East looks like as well as the borders of the Land that God promised Israel in Genesis 15.

The Palestinian Myth

Did you know that the letter “P” is unpronounceable in Arabic?

If you were an Arab, would you call your country Palestine if you could not pronounce the letter “P”?

— Leah Krakowsky

The truth is that the Palestinians are Arabs and all the Arab nations have refused to allow them to assimilate back into their countries. Unlike what happened with the miraculous assimilation of Jews into the nation of Israel.

Israel and Palestinian Authority

Take a listen to the words of the Peace Partner the world wants Israel to negotiate a Peace Treaty with:

“I will NEVER allow a single Israeli to live among us on Palestinian Land.”

— Mahmoud Abbas

Now take a look at their new logo and tell me what they consider their part of the Land to be?

Israel and Iran

Why does Israel seem to be so pre-occupied with Iran? Ahmadinejad repeatedly demonizes the state of Israel and openly calls for its destruction at every opportunity. Most notoriously, he described Israel as a “fake regime” that “must be wiped off the map”.

He termed Zionists “the most detested people in all humanity” and called the extermination of six million Jews during World War II “a myth”, claiming that Jews have played up Nazi atrocities during the Holocaust in a bid to extort sympathy for Israel from European governments.

Israel, Syria and Hezbollah

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah finally threatened to attack Israel and strike it with thousands of “Fajr” missiles and the question remains … what about the WMD in Syria?

WASHINGTON – Israeli Ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, told Fox News that should any chemical weapons reach Hezbollah, Israel would considered it a “red line” and a “game-changer” in the region.

Now for some timely quotes:

“The nice thing about being surrounded by your enemies is that you can just shoot … you are bound to hit something!”

— Lt General Lewis Puller

“If Hamas would lay down their weapons, there would be peace! If Israel lays down their weapons, they will no longer exist.”

— Benjamin Netanyahu

When Golda Meir was asked about when their would be peace between Israel and the Arabs she replied: “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.”

Sometimes pictures are worth a 1000 Words

Now for a final look at the use of Human Shields and the Hamas Ceasefire.

“That’s all I have to say about that.”

— Forrest Gump

What is equally true is that the very negative aspect of freedom the internet represents is its greatest strength and our greatest protection. The present environment assures negative and positive content without restrictions. You can’t have assurances of one without the other. If we allow controls to be put in place that would limit undesirable content, we open the ourselves to becoming categorized as “undesirable” also. Soon a very few would control not only all communication but ideas as well.

Next weekend (December 3-14) in Dubai a conference (The World Conference on International Telecommunications) under the instigation of the communications arm of the United Nations–The International Telecommunications Union (ITU)–and away from the scrutiny of the media, will seek changes to the International Telecommunication Regulations treaty (previously signed by a 178 countries) that would transfer the issue of Internet control and administration from ICANN (the present private administer) to the ITU. Along with administrative control the U.N. is expecting funding from Internet access to help with its diminishing revenue flow. This would require individual countries to charge local access fees, something we are presently “free” of.

Restricted documents have recently leaked out exposing these closed-door (secret?) meetings and their agenda. With political control it would not be long before Internet access would be restricted and the privacy that we are afforded by the present system could, and would, be regulated. Not only would this move present an opportunity for global control of communications but commerce and free-expression as well.

We should expect that it is only a matter of time before some form of control is instituted. There is just too much money and ideas changing hands on the Internet and growing every year. There are too many groups who see this as a revenue source of increasing magnitude. But ever since President Barak Obama was caught in an recorded, unguarded moment with the Russian Ambassador promising “more flexibility” after the Presidential election, we must remain diligently on guard as to what further “Great Changes” are planned.

For more information:

http://www.zdnet.com/u-n-readies-for-protests-on-eve-of-secret-internet-regulation-treaty-7000007962/?s_cid=e539

We left the base and headed to the Mizpe Ramon crater and, while overlooking the crater, we noticed quite a bit of air activity with distant explosions toward the west.  At our last stop of the evening at the Valley of Elah (David and Goliath), we heard the report that Israel had struck Gaza and killed Ahmed Jabari.  Jabari was Hamas’ military chief as well as the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, a man whose hands have been drenched in blood.

From Elah we headed to our farewell dinner, just a few miles from the Ben Gurion airport.  We said our goodbyes and sent our Issacharians off and thankfully all of them are now in the air heading home.  Sharon and I are remaining in Israel for a few more days and will keep all of you updated from here in Jerusalem.

Here is a review and the latest update as things stand today:

Timeline Of The Gaza Escalation

NOVEMBER 6

An explosion along the Gaza border fence wounds three IDF soldiers.  Palestinians later fire a Kassam rocket into southern Israel.  The same day, Palestinians detonate a massive tunnel along the border, causing no injuries, but knocking an IDF jeep sideways.

NOVEMBER 8

In a firefight with Palestinians, apparent IDF fire kills a 13-year-old Palestinian boy. Palestinian mortar shells lightly wound a soldier along the border later in the day.

NOVEMBER 9

Palestinian fire an anti-tank missile at an IDF jeep on patrol along the Gaza border, wounding four soldiers.  Immediately afterward, IDF tanks return fire into Gaza, killing five Palestinians and wounding at least 25. Palestinians later fire a number of Kassam rockets into southern Israel.

NOVEMBER 10-12

Palestinian terror groups fire upward of 160 rockets and mortars into southern Israel.  Islamic Jihad and a Salafi jihadist group claim a responsibility for a majority of the rockets.  At least eight Israeli civilians are wounded.

Bibi Netanyahu hosts 50 foreign Ambassadors in Ashkelon, well within the range of the Hamas Kassam rockets, and presented video clips of attacks and personal terror victims’ testimonies.

NOVEMBER 13

An apparent cease-fire is mediated between Israel and Hamas, with both sides conditioning their silence on the other side’s halting attacks.  Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu warns of future strikes, saying “I am responsible for choosing the right time to exact the highest possible price – and it will be.”

Jerusalem Post Staff

NOVEMBER 15

Headlines in the Jerusalem Post

IAF hammers Hamas targets in Gaza offensive

* Pinpoint strikes kill military chief Ahmed Jabari at onset of Pillar of     Defense (In Hebrew – Pillar of Cloud)

* Palestinians fire nearly 70 rockets into the South

* Security Cabinet approves reserve call-up

* PM:  If needed, army is prepared to broaden operations

* US:  We support Israel’s right to defend its self

The battle for the South has begun

Hamas:  This means war! … The Gates of Hell are now Open!

NOVEMBER 15

At the time of this writing rockets are falling in Southern Israel.  Today three Israelis have been killed and IAF air strikes continue in Gaza.

Quotes from the archives of the Palestinian Media Watch from Ahmed Jabari

Al-Ja’abari: “The Jew who comes to the soil of Palestine… is fighting us, and we will fight him and kill him”

“Sacrifice your souls for the sake of Allah, until the rats (i.e., Israelis) return to their holes”

“Haifa, Jaffa, and Tel Aviv… all of Palestine” will be liberated!

*  In Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, 10,000 Muslims staged a protest, burning and stamping on American flags.

*  In Libya, at the US Consulate, the US ambassador was assassinated along with three other Americans.

*  Thousands chanted  “Obama, Obama, we’re all Osamas” outside the US embassy in Cairo.

*  In Tehran, after Friday prayers, thousands shouted, “Death to America, Death to Israel.”

* In Afghanistan, protesters shouted “Death to America” and urged President Hamid Karzai to cut relations with the U.S.

* In Turkey and Pakistan we had similar demonstrations of hatred and venom being spewed out to both America and Israel.

Have you ever wondered what America and Israel ever did to Iran to cause this hatred?  Is this rational? Is this justified?  It is obvious that this hate didn’t start with a low-budget YouTube video.  It is interesting that all of this transpired during the time when Jews were inspecting their lives in order to see if their names are written in the Book of LIFE!  What a contrast. DEATH from one, LIFE from Israel.

At the same time when Christians and Jews are being demonized for a YouTube video that criticized Muhammad, we have the following comments from the Palestinians:

* The moderator at a Fatah ceremony demonized Jews as “the descendants of the apes and pigs.”

* A PA TV narrator said that Jews praying at the Western Wall are “sin and filth.”

* Senior PA official Jibril Rajoub referred to Jews as “Satans” and “Zionist sons of bit*****” on PA TV.

And then we have the world’s representatives gathering at the UN in New York City.  On the one hand we have the Iranian President speaking on Yom Kippur, declaring that he represented “a great and proud nation that was a founder of human civilization.” Ahmadinejad said: “There is no doubt that the world is in need of a new order and a fresh way of thinking.”

Part of this new world order includes his desire that “…Israel…will under God’s grace be wiped off the map,” and Israel was a “cancerous tumor [that] should be wiped off the map.”

On the other hand, on the following day, we have Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, stating:

“Yesterday the President of Iran stood at this very podium, spewing his latest anti-Semitic rants. Just a few days earlier, he again claimed that the Holocaust is a lie.”

“Yesterday, the man who calls the Holocaust a lie spoke from this podium. To those who refused to come here and to those who left this room in protest, I commend you. You stood up for moral clarity and you brought honor to your countries.

But to those who gave this Holocaust-denier a hearing, I say on behalf of my people, the Jewish people, and decent people everywhere: Have you no shame? Have you no decency?

A mere six decades after the Holocaust, you give legitimacy to a man who denies that the murder of six million Jews took place and pledges to wipe out the Jewish state.

What a disgrace! What a mockery of the charter of the United Nations!”

History has shown us time and again that what starts with attacks on the Jews eventually ends up engulfing many others.

This Iranian regime is fueled by an extreme fundamentalism that burst onto the world scene three decades ago after lying dormant for centuries.

In the past thirty years, this fanaticism has swept the globe with a murderous violence and cold-blooded impartiality in its choice of victims. It has callously slaughtered Moslems and Christians, Jews and Hindus, and many others. Though it is comprised of different offshoots, the adherents of this unforgiving creed seek to return humanity to medieval times.

Wherever they can, they impose a backward regimented society where women, minorities, gays or anyone not deemed to be a true believer is brutally subjugated. The struggle against this fanaticism does not pit faith against faith nor civilization against civilization.

It pits civilization against barbarism, the 21st century against the 9th century, those who sanctify life against those who glorify death.”

And so we have Death, Hatred and Insanity vs Life, Tolerance and Rational Thinking.

Thank God for clarity – the lines are being drawn as we breathe today … Which path will you choose?

Choose Life!

The burden of the word of the Lord against Israel. Thus says the Lord, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of  man within him: ² “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. ³ And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.

Zechariah 14:2

Behold, the day of the Lord is coming,  And your spoil will be divided in your midst.  For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem;

Hmmm…. Today, in your hearing ….

This last week world leaders (Mohamed Morsi – Egypt, Abu Mazen – PLO, and UN general secretary Ban Ki Mun) gathered in Tehran for a conference that once again called for the total annihilation of the Jewish State!  Can we really believe that Egypt, the PLO and the UN are partners for peace?

Regarding the Peace Process and a global plan of action to deal with Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had the following comments:  “I believe that the truth must be said, the international community is not drawing a clear red line for Iran, and Iran does not see international determination to stop its nuclear program.”

“Until Iran sees this clear red line and this determination, it will not stop its advancement of the Iranian nuclear program. Iran must not have a nuclear weapon,” he declared.

The question now is what will that Red Line be comprised of?  There is talk of an Obama / Netanyahu Summit the day after Yom Kippur (September 26th) in order to craft a “red line” definition. Insiders believe that the meeting between Netanyahu and Obama will lead to Israel agreeing to postpone an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities for a period of several months  to half a year.

Obama is expected to outline two types of red lines. The first one is the red line will deal with the possibility of a US attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities and the date of such an attack.  The date would be post-November elections and no earlier than the summer of 2013.

In addition to this, a second facet would be that Obama will make it clear to Netanyahu that the United States will intervene in an attack on Iran only if U.S. Army facilities in the region are attacked or if the Israeli population is hurt. The thought is that this will go far in convincing Netanyahu to hold off on an Israeli attack for the time being.

The reality is that Zechariah is dead on, Jerusalem will be a global hernia!  Shalom comes to the Believers when we call to mind that the God of Israel neither sleeps nor slumbers and He alone holds Israel in the palm of His hand.  But with that being said, let us continue to follow the words of David in Psalm 122 and Pray of the Peace of Jerusalem.

Last week in a speech in Jerusalem, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated:

“I don’t believe that the Jewish State and modern Zionism would have been possible without Christian Zionism. I think that the many Christian supporters of the rebirth of the Jewish State and the ingathering of the Jewish people in the 19th century made possible the rise of…modern Jewish Zionism. We always had the deeply ingrained desire to come back to our land and rebuild it. …That was made possible in the 19th century, by the resurgence of Christian Zionism…”

I believe that at this crucial time in history where Israel is being threatened with annihilation, Christians need to understand their role as being Christian Zionists.  We must get our heads out of the ground and look around!  Take a look at the events of just this week alone:

The host committee for the Democratic National Convention is raising a number of eyebrows after choosing to proceed with featuring Islamic “JUMAH” prayers for two hours on the Friday before its convention, though Democrats earlier denied a Catholic cardinal’s request to say a prayer at the same event.

The Charlotte Observer reports that on August 29, a “JUMAH” prayer service will be held in Marshall Park in uptown Charlotte.  This event will be followed by an Islamic issues conference that will address such topics as “Islamophobia, Anti-Sharia, Middle Eastern Crisis, the Palestinians’ right of return, etc., as well as the Patriot Act, and the National Defense Authorization Act.”

The purpose, according to BIMA (Bureau of Indigenous Muslim Affairs), is to attract national and international attention to the plight of American Muslims and to hold political parties accountable for issues that affect them.

What we are experiencing today is the stealth rise of a radical Muslim Brotherhood that views themselves as the Communist Party of Islam. The Brotherhood wants a Sharia state. It would like a caliphate (the Islamic form of government representing the political unity and leadership of the Muslim world — run by itself, of course).  It wants Israel wiped off the map and America kicked out of the Middle East. It wants women put into second-class citizenship and gays put into their graves. It wants Christians subordinated or thrown out.  And it will pursue these goals with patience and strategic cleverness.

One step forward, one step back; tell the Western reporters and politicians what they want to hear. Pretend to be moderate in English while screaming death curses in Arabic.  We are witnesses here in America of this strategy taking place… right here and right now!

As the proverbial sand runs out of the hourglass, let’s take a quick look at the US, Israel and Iran situation.  Moshe Yaalon, who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud, as well as the country’s Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs.  (Moshe has also been one of our past Speakers on our ISSACHAR Tour*) states:

“  If Iran crosses Israel’s red line and Obama does nothing, the chances are that Israel will go solo against the Iranian nuclear weapons sites. Some Israeli pundits have warned that Prime Minister Netanyahu might even do so before the presidential election on Nov.6th. But without real solid evidence that Iran had started its ‘breakout’ for the bomb, this would be a rash move leaving open Israel to damaging charges that it had intervened in the U.S. election. Moreover, the PM would require cabinet approval for such a grave decision and that is an open question.”

Stay tuned!

And finally, as we get ready to send our kids back to school this next week, let’s take a look at what transpired in Israel this week as they send their children back to school:

Gaza terrorists fired a kassam rocket on the Sderot area minutes after students arrived at their classes for the first day of school.

Sderot area students began their lessons by responding to the Color Red siren, which gives them 15 seconds to run for cover before the incoming missile explodes. Monday morning’s kassam exploded in an open area, reducing injuries to shock and trauma.

Remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and to STAND with Israel today!

* We still have room on this year’s ISSACHAR Tour to Israel where we seek to give our travelers a look at the Israel of the Bible as well as a strategic perspective of the Israel of today.  Our group will be briefed at the Knesset, as well as at other locations, by Israelis, MK’s, former members of Shin Bet and/or Mossad, etc.  For more information please email Sharon Stolebarger at sharon@khouse.org.

This week the “MOUTH” spoke once again in Iran but the question is “Who’s Listening?”

Here is a recap of the noise coming out of Iran:

*  Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei, publicly stated that “Zionism is a danger for entire humanity” and that Israel “is a cancerous tumor … in [the] heart of [the] Muslim world.”
*  President Mahmoud
said that the “the very existence of the Zionist regime is … an affront to all world nations” – and called on “all human communities to wipe out this scarlet letter, meaning the Zionist regime, from the forehead of humanity.”
*  Iran’s President alleged that “the two world wars were designed by Zionists … [who] have been inflicting very heavy damage and suffering on the whole humanity for over two thousand years.”
*  General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, Commander of the Aero-Space Forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, threatened that Iran would take action to destroy Israel, saying “the forged regime will be wiped out of the map and thrown into the trash bin of history forever.”

Certain Western intelligence sources were reminded of a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu in 2006 when he quoted a Holocaust survivor as saying:  ”My main lesson from the Holocaust is that if someone tells you he is going to exterminate you, believe him. And I add to that. Believe him and stop him!”

CHATTER

*  Israel contemplating EMP attack on Iran
*  The latest in regards to a delayed Israeli attack on Iran:   if …
President Obama will formally inform the two houses of congress in writing that he plans to use military force to prevent Iran from arming itself with a nuclear weapon.
President Obama would come to Israel.  This would send a clear message to the Israeli people that “preventing a nuclear Iran is a U.S. interest.”

*  Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are convinced the US really means to strike Iran next spring.

*  One of our speakers on a past ISSACHAR Tour and Israel’s former national security adviser, Uzi Dayan, told The New York Times that Netanyahu and Ehud Barak have not yet decided to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities and could be dissuaded from a strike, if President Barack Obama approved stricter sanctions and publicly confirmed his willingness to use military force.

*  Israeli polls indicate that Romney is seen as pro-Israel – by a 2 – 1 margin over Obama

*  Netanyahu warns the enemies of Israel:  It cannot be ruled out that at this point Israel may decide to disable Iran’s nuclear program by going for its leaders. The Mossad has a pretty impressive record!

*  Finally, check out the t-shirt messages on the streets of Israel today:

KEEP CALM cuz The MOSSAD is HERE
KEEP CALM and STOP IRAN – Israeli Air Force
KEEP CALM cuz WE HAVE the IDF
KEEP CALM and CARRY ON
KEEP CALM and LOVE ISRAEL
KEEP CALM cuz YOU’RE JEWISH
KEEP CALM and PRAY for JERUSALEM
And finally
KEEP CALM cuz AMERICA is BEHIND U (Hope and Pray this is TRUE!)

http://www.israeli-t.com/Places-t-shirts/Jerusalem-t-shirts/Keep-Calm-and-Pray-for-Jerusalem-T-Shirt-4800/?utm_source=Mailinglist&utm_medium=NL21AUG12KEEPCALMISRT

As the chatter continue and the drums of war grow louder, it is important to remember the following words of Scripture:

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.  Psalm 121