Israel:God is Real

Israel: God is Real

So, I was sitting on the Mount of Olives the other morning. It was early, deserted and I was alone. Listening to Matthew 23 & 24, I was looking down on the Temple Mount, Garden of Gethsemane and the Kidron Valley. 

My imagination ran wild. From this vantage point, I could have seen Abraham with Isaac on the altar then Solomon's shining temple and his priests unable to stand due to the Shekinah glory. I am looking at the ancient epicenter of the world. Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander and Vespasian all approached this city.

With binoculars, I could see Jesus turn over tables and Peter preach. 

Over there, just outside the Damascus Gate, a day would come when three crosses stood and a grave was rented. 

Can you imagine?  The awesome 10th Roman legion of Titus marching up that valley to lay siege at the Temple where not one stone would remain. 

In 1967 I could have watched the Jordanian army vanquished from the Old City when the Wailing Wall became the Western Wall. Another step was taken to fulfill the promise that the Holy City would no longer be trodden underfoot by Gentiles. 

Looking forward, without moving an inch, I could see the anti-Christ announcing a phenomenal peace treaty between Israel and Islam to build another Temple, where he will proclaim himself to be God.  

Two witnesses (Elijah & Enoch?)  will be slain here and will resurrect live on CNN!

Only meters from where I was sitting, Jesus will return to march through those sealed Golden Gates.

End of story. (At least until the New Jerusalem descends from Heaven.) 

I hope to be successful in creating a passion within you for Israel. 

Remember three-quarters of the Bible is about Israel and the Jews. Nearly every Bible book author is Jewish.

The Bible does not make sense if Israel does not exist.

Israel does not make sense if God does not exist.

Here's Why: There is a built-in blessing found in Genesis 12. At a macro-political level, this fact is driving world events in amazing ways. (Because the reverse is also true).

When I was about eight, I overheard my parents saying that Jews were not allowed in the country club. That puzzled me. It was not until years later that I came to grips with anti-semitism and its spiritual roots. 

Satan seeks to insult God in any way possible: Evolution, gay marriage and abortion are all Hell's way of saying: "You are not Who you say You are."

It follows then that since the Lord has unilaterally picked Israel as His chosen people that they are born with a bummer of a birthmark, a bullseye for the devil. As Tavia said in Fiddler on the Roof: "Couldn't you have chosen someone else?" 

I do hope you will all consider a lifelong understanding of and dedication to Israel.  

• Israel is a weathervane of prophecy
• Israel is a barometer of the return of Jesus
• Israel is a tangible, touchable proof of scripture                             

As Bible students, to one degree or another, you are familiar with the classic defenses of Bible truth such as intelligent design, esthetics (beauty) or ontology (nature of being). 

Worthy pursuits all, but why overlook a real physical proof of what we believe? One you can fly to and walk around?

I am concerned that there is a good bit of Israel illiteracy in the current flow of Bible teaching; A general aversion to verse-by-verse Bible teaching is an observable fact. One leader of the 'Frat Pack' actually said, "Verse by verse teachers are lazy."  Oh man, I can hear Pastor Chuck in my head.  He is saying something about not shunning to declare the full counsel of God. 

Yeah, David and Goliath get taught a lot, but that is also true in Sunday school.....  I digress. 

I want to be sure to communicate how powerful, majestic and awe-inspiring Israel is to me.  Let me be clear, current Israel is not the issue, they are secular, profane and in large part ungodly. 

Yes, I respect PM Netanhayu, the IDF and what the Jews have accomplished, but the larger issue is how this minuscule nation has survived and thrived while surrounded by enemies with 500 x the manpower and land. 

It is ancient Israel that has remarkably been maintained for us and is proof of His power. 

Peter's house, Pilate's stone, the Dead Sea Scrolls and yes, the Jesus Boat, are a few of hundreds of places I have walked that confirm what I read in my Bible.  You cannot make this stuff up.

It seems to me that we would be anxious to use Israel as proof of Bible truth. To do so, we must be thoroughly conversant in its history, up to date with its situation and devoted to delving into its mystery. 

Zechariah (12:3-5) said: "Israel will be a stumbling stone to the whole world." And so it is. Israel has had more United Nations resolutions of condemnation than any other country. Ever.  In one year, the UN issued 24, 20 of them were against Israel, ignoring Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela. 

There is a reason for that. 

These are some of the causes for my dedication in traveling to Israel so much, teaching about it and creating a half-dozen documentaries. 

Israel is an undeniable testimony of God's faithfulness. 

Psalm 137:5 If  I forget you O Jerusalem, let my right hand cease to function. 6 May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you if I do not exalt Jerusalem as my greatest joy!

I know there are questions, such as the Palestinean issue, Islam and reverse racism.  (In fact, many Israeli citizens are Arabs who support Israel).

Nonetheless: 

Israel: God Is Real 

Shalom

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Chip 

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Why Moderate Muslims Might Not Matter

It is a thin but common argument to contend that radical Islam does not represent the kind Muslim next door. Granted. Most Muslims wish the world peace, but many also want us in pieces. As Rick Santorum wisely observes, "All Muslim are not jihadists, but all jihadists are Muslims."  This unassailable fact causes great angst for our leaders and media who wish massacres were 'only' work-place violence.
What a few network anchor people need is a field trip to Saudia Arabia, Tehran, Yemen or Somalia.  The females would be especially impressed by progressive Islam when they tried to rent a car at the Riyadh Hertz counter. 

Of course mainstream Muslims are not blowing themselves and others up. So? Let's do some new math. 1.6 billion Muslims, 'only' five to ten percent are radical, while maybe another thirty percent are 'fundamental,'  read that: sympathetic with Sharia law and not too upset by what it will mean to us all. 

Do we really need to be reminded that of the 35 million Germans in 1935, most were 'moderate?'
As were most Chinese in Mao's day, Stalin's Soviets or North Koreans today for that matter. 
That did not prevent horrors and slaughter that are being previewed now.

Radicals often rule, for better or worse. For example, American revolutionaries were radical in 1776, and that turned out well, not so much in Iran today.

I have been to Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, etc., and most of the folks are bright, modern and moderate.
They are not the issue, they are irrelevant to the discussion because they do not have the will or the means to stand up to ISIS, Hamas, Al-Queada, Boko Haram........

Do not believe for a minute that this is merely a clash of cultures or a disagreement about a religious nuance. This is a war of civilizations that has been simmering and boiling over since well before the days of Thomas Jefferson, who read the Koran to understand his enemy. 

Let us not miss the story of Constantinople, (now Istanbul) it was a  Christian city that was subjected to relentless Islam attack. 
It is now 99 percent Muslim. 

And here is a little gem that reflects the symbolism and strategy we are facing. What was the date that Islamic armies were turned back in Vienna, ending their plans to invade all of Europe?  
September 11, 1683. How is 9/11 for holding a grudge? #itisonagain
Patient and relentless, Islam is invading Europe once again with a much friendlier approach. 

Get a grip on this take from Bridgette Gabriel and tighten your seat belts, Jesus predicted a day when there would be 'distress with perplexity.' Distress is bad enough, perplexity means no human way out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry3NzkAOo3s

Jumpstart

Days of Grace

Martin Luther King Jr. was not the first to move masses with the soaring rhetoric of his dream. Jesus Christ spoke incessantly about a coming kingdom. Despite the drawbacks of time and place, the words of Jesus have resonated through the ages. More books have been written about this man, who never wrote one himself, than any other person in history. 

God has always had a dream for mankind, a vision that came crashing down when Adam and Eve fell. Yet, that dream is not dead. It lives in three distinct dispensations. 

Short-Term

God would have all men saved, and wants none to perish. The immediate dream for each person is salvation. If you are not certain of your eternal destiny, today is the day that changes by accepting forgiveness through from Jesus.. 

Mid-Term

Once you are born again, God begins a relentless improvement program on you. For the rest of your time on earth, He is constantly repositioning you between what you are and the best you can be.  This is not prosperity psychobabble, because becoming the best you can be might mean suffering, refinement, and real pain. Nonetheless, God has a picture of what you can be in His wallet, and He is gently determined to move you in that direction, even if you go kicking and screaming. Relax and read Romans 8. 

Long-Term

Consider your first moment in heaven! We all look forward to vacations, trips, and getaways. We pore over websites and magazines, imagining what the experiences will be like. We even sacrifice to make them possible. For some exotic vacations, we count the days and call them, the trip of a lifetime.  Put that in light of eternity…in paradise! It makes Tahiti a ghetto. 

For the child of God, saying, “The best is yet to come,” is the understatement of all time. 

Nuggets of Gold

Paradise

A religious or metaphysical term for a place in which existence is positive, harmonious, and eternal; an ideal or idyllic place or state.

Echoes of Truth

"Sin and death and suffering and war and poverty are not natural—they are the devastating results of our rebellion against God. We long for a return to Paradise—a perfect world, without the corruption of sin, where God walks with us and talks with us in the cool of the day." 

-Randy Alcorn  

This One Thing 

In 2015, you have 12 months to make a mark that will last. What will your legacy be when it comes to contributing to the kingdom this year? Think about it now, then live it out. Just as wise financial planners strategize their stocks, believers can plan their spiritual investments.

The War on Christmas

The enemies of God have often been very clumsy in their overt attempts to stomp out the messianic line.

Pharaoh and Herod are the most blatant examples of those who went way over the top in their homicidal rage against the blueprint of heaven. 

Of course their satanic chieftain is no longer invited to private briefings at the Throne.
Satan knows something very awful is on the way from a demonic perspective, but he does not have the exact details.

But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory.  None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

-Corinthians 2:7-8

This is why the agents of darkness fight with a shotgun approach. They are in the dark too!  Kill all the children, abolish every reference to Christmas and maybe the whole "Messiah thing," will be crushed in the onslaught. 

All the more reason for the children of light to rejoice exceedingly at Christmas. This holiday (holy day) is under attack, and the fight will surely intensify.  

Satan knows the clock is ticking down, which brings us to a good news/bad news verse:

Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.

-Revelation 12:12

So do not expect a truce in this war. Perhaps you ask, "What about the whole peace on earth deal?"

Well, we must properly parse the angelic phrase, it was, "peace on earth to men of good will," more accurately, people seeking God's will.  Be very sure, as Dylan said, Jesus is a "slow train coming."  

Get on it or be left behind.  You do not want to go to Satan's  tribulation party.

Smokescreen?

Reports about the secularization of December 25th are coming in from all regions of the United States.

Some stories are bizarre, others laughable, all of them point to a clear trend.  Strong forces are at work to make the traditional Christmas holiday more pagan and less Christian. 

Bill O'Reilly is red-faced, Jay Sekulow is in court and Pat Robertson has his own theories. 

What is your response?  Detached bemusement or intense outrage? Let us get some perspective before we fall into the "ready, fire, aim," error. 

The attack on the Christ of Christmas is only one front of many that are underway in the spiritual realm. Because Christmas is a visible, symbolic, and emotional  battle-ground, it makes for good press and easy conversation.  

But this topic reminds us of a huge biblical fact, the church is at war, spiritual war. It did not begin with Madalyn Murray O'hair and a liberal Supreme Court and it will not end if we force all Macy's clerks to say "Merry Christmas." 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

-Ephesians 6:12

Further, the battle belongs to the Lord. That is excellent news, because an invisible enemy with super powers is kind of concerning. 

Could it be that this "War on Christmas," is merely a diversionary tactic, a smoke-screen to mask a deeper, more devious strategy?  Remember, winning court battles will not win souls. Displays of the nativity are nice, but minds change when hearts change.  Feel free to fight for symbols of our faith as you are led, but the actual battle is about the gospel, that is the real target here. 

And concerning the preaching of the gospel, we can never compromise or retreat.

We also need to keep this issue in global context. Loss of Christmas greetings at the mall or a plastic Jesus at a courthouse pales in comparison to a very real  and violent war on Christians in many parts of the world.

A Pearl of Great Price

The so-called War on Christmas is merely a skirmish thus far. Corporate protocol battles over the verbiage of clerks and court fights over public nativity scenes are child's play compared to what is on the horizon.

Daniel 7:25 predicts this about a coming charismatic political leader:

He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,

Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,

And shall intend to change times and law.

Then the saints shall be given into his hand

For a time and times and half a time. 

Changing the seasons refers to the calendar and will involve abolishing 

established national and religious holidays and establishing new, pagan ones.

To disorient and reform the world, this leader will have the audacity to abolish 

Christmas and Easter. That will be his demonic goal.  How happy hell would be if 

only this could be done. No Christmas and Jesus is not born.  No Easter, He cannot rise,

and therefore mankind cannot be forgiven. Pompous words indeed. 

The War on Christmas is a much deeper battle than  a fight over "Happy Holidays versus Merry Christmas," this war cuts to the core of the cosmic drama that has consumed the universe since the fall of Lucifer.

God has His purposes in allowing this pretender space in His place. Soon enough, and sure enough, Satan will discover that his claws are too short to box with the Almighty, and that he has merely been an irritant to catalyze and purify the church.  Like a pebble of sand to an oyster, Satan has been used by the Lord to bring forth the pearl of his people. 

A War on Christmas?  We can imagine Gabriel and the angels get a good laugh about that one, this was all set in stone before the foundations of the world.

Detroit: Paris of the Midwest?

It is true. Back in the Glory Days, when Michigan was the engine of  America, Motown was called the Paris of the Midwest.  A slight stretch, but Detroit  in 1960 had a vibrant social scene fueled by the Big Three Auto companies. But that was then. 

Imagine my surprise Friday night when the hotel in-room tourist mag at the Westin Metro airport had the headline: 

New Day in Detroit: Paris of the Midwest. 

Let me say this about that.

I have been to Paris, and, uh, no. 

Get this story:

Back in 1960, the city of Detroit actually had the highest per-capita income in the entire nation.

Between December 2000 and December 2010, 48 percent of the manufacturing jobs in the state of Michigan were lost.

At this point, there are approximately 78,000 abandoned homes in the city.

 An astounding 47 percent of the residents of the city of Detroit are functionally illiterate.

 When you call the police in Detroit, it takes them an average of 58 minutes to respond.

 The violent crime rate in Detroit is five times higher than the national average.

Today, police solve less than 10 percent of the crimes that are committed in Detroit.

Crime has gotten so bad in Detroit that even the police are telling people to "enter Detroit at your own risk".

It is easy to point fingers and mock Detroit, but the truth is that the rest of America is going down the exact same path that Detroit has gone down.

Detroit just got there first.  

That prediction is a bit dark, unless you live in St. Louis or another inner city.

Beyond the economics, Michigan is a quality state and obviously, has some great lakes. If you ever get a chance to go north, do it. Charlevoix, Petoskey and Mackinac are magic. Accurate to say, The Colorado of the Midwest. 

I went back last weekend for a reunion of our campus radio station and there was a CMU football reunion too. 
Radio was a much different animal in the WCHP days, before voice tracking, corporate clusters and centrally planned playlists.
WCHP was a freak of nature, receiving national recognition in the middle of nowhere.  Superb to see some of the pro's I learned radio with. 
Every baby boomer knows the sensation of seeing a friend for the first time in decades, that's why they invented name tags.
At the football game, I wasn't quite ready to see some guys with canes, but football is rough on the knees.

 It was a trip to see my college roommates, Gary Bevington, the QB, Jim Johnson, the running back and DJ, (still playing the hits in Detroit) and Greg Partalis, 'The Greek' offensive tackle and always the one most likely to become a millionaire.  I was a wide receiver in the wrong offense. Coach Kramer thought passing the ball was a sign of weakness.

The campus had an eerie vibe of another life. Glad to have survived the drama and the trauma that goes with campus days. 

Detroit and Michigan seem to be on the comeback trail. I hope so.  I like comebacks, because I made one. 

I Did Not See This Coming

Alivia meets one of her first horse friends in Montana

I can honestly say that until I met our first grandchild, Alivia Sky, eight years ago, I had never given a thought to grandchildren. Maybe it is the branding problem of relating to being a grand parent. I sort of imagined a cross between Grandpappy Amos on the Real McCoys and Marlon Brando stumbling around the garden in Godfather I.  I could not relate.
Actually, I was so consumed raising and surviving the Lusko tribe, this season was never given a glimmer of thought.
Even thirty years of faithful Focus on the Family listening did not prepare me for the obvious when you have a full brood. I do not doubt that the good Dr. Dobson broached the subject, but it just did not penetrate. I am a little thick. No amen needed from you.
Since Alivia made her appearance in So Cal, ten more grandchildren have mysteriously shown up.

Even I get the message, this is a fantastic time to enjoy and invest.  I suppose these kids are like different notes of fine wines, each unique and exquisite.  Amazing really.

All the cliche's about having grandchildren first are understandable, the pressure of parenting is pretty much off, and  unlike your children, you can return them at the end of the day. But that misses the point: Grandchildren are a reward.  A wild blessing and a tremendous opportunity.
Not so much to correct mistakes made on the earlier generation, but to intentionally impact the future.
They will touch tomorrow as grand parents never can.

We are determined to cultivate Jesus as much  as possible in these young vines.
Just the other day, Jaxon asked if he could go forward at the gospel invitation his Uncle Levi was presenting at a church in Denver. Wow. I have frozen that moment, what a joy. And so much more remains.  Eleven grandchildren, so far  that is, Heidi is in the dugout, and a few of the others are still in the game.

Now, this season is not one big My Little Pony or Spiderman party.
Yes, we have pretty much received a double blessing numerically from the first generation, which multiplies the upside. But love is 
always a risk, and so the possible heartbreak is expanded as we so painfully learned when Lenya was called home. 
But we are willing to run those Class IV whitewater rapids.

We are now very conscious of this window of time we have.....so preparing for impact.
Not everyone has this particular channel to the future, but remember, so many young children are fatherless. Nationally, forty per cent of children grow up in single parent homes, In some demographics, it is seventy per cent!  This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals and the church to step in and fulfill what James called, pure religion undefiled.

Now that I see this season, I want to enjoy every moment. Since I am not ready for retirement, my grandkids can expect deep sea fishing instead of a quiet day at the pond and Grand Prix go- karts instead of rocking chairs.
As long as my knees hold out, I'll run as far and fast with them as possible.