What is ahead for Christians in 2015?

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Does the Bible give us any clues from prophecy? Of course it does, and like never before, Biblical scholars are studying the prophecy sections in both the Old and New Testaments. What has stimulated this frenzy is of course what is happening in the Middle East and North Africa as Christians are facing unprecedented persecution.

The rise of ISIS and the atrocities (beheading) against Christians in a number of middle eastern countries draws us to the end times prophecy in Matthew 24:7-9  “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you (Christians) up to be afflicted and will kill you. And you will be hated of all nations for My name’s sake.” ISIS gives Christians three choices: 1. Convert to Islam, 2. Remain a Christian and pay an exorbitant tax, 3. Remain a Christian and be beheaded. Option 2 is not a long term option.

It is also significant that Damascus and its demise is central focus of many old testament end time prophecies: Isaiah 17:1, Ezekiel 38 & 39, Amos 1:3-5. Some commentators refer to Syria’s involvement in the 1948, 1967 and 1973 wars as the three sins mentioned in Amos with a fourth still to come in the End Times. Jeremiah 49:23-27 also discusses Damascus downfall with similar language to Amos. Isn’t it interesting the West particularly America is trying to decide what role they should take in Syria as it continues into increasing chaos.

It was thought the overthrow of Morosi’s government in Egypt would help Christians but this has not happened. An outburst of violence against Christians by Morosi supporters in 2013 was not halted by the new government not wanting to offend the Islamists. Seventy four churches were burned or desecrated and a grand total of one person was arrested though ten’s of thousands of Islamists were involved.

The British author and journalist (Daily Telegraph & Prospect) concluded in his outstanding column on the fate of Christians in the Middle East with “The story is not of expansion followed by persecution but of persecution leading to elimination”.

It seems fanciful to see a world where Islam is ruling the nations unless of course the Bible’s prophesy of a one-world leader is true and that leader happens to be the 12th Imam (al Mahdi, the “Rightly Guided One”) that the Muslim world believes in and his appearance is imminent.  A recent survey amongst Muslims revealed 42% of them believe this Islamic superman will appear in their lifetime. When you read what Muslims believe al-Mahdi will achieve, you would think you are reading the Bible’s description of the Ant Christ. Dozens of books have been written about Mahdi by both Sunni and Shiite scholars and both believe he will come to prepare the world for Allah’s judgment. Jerusalem will even be the centre of Imam, al-Mahdi’s Islamic rule according to a hadith from Muhammad. If you want to read more about the similarities between the Bible’s Antichrist and al-Mahdi get the book by Ralph Stice, Arab Spring, Christian Winter: Islam Unleashed on the Church and the World (2014). Ralph says to keep your eye on Turkey (old Ottoman Empire). Joel Richardson’s DVD “The Return is Near” is another valuable resource.

I believe Jonathan Cahn in his best selling book and DVD “The Harbinger” has identified correctly the judgment God is meting out on America starting with 9/11. There is no sign of repentance and turning back to God in this nation. In fact, the opposite is true so more judgment is ahead. Jonathan expects September 13th, 2015 to be a significant day for more economic judgment as it marks the next Shemitah. The last Shemitah 9/29/2008 signaled the collapse of Wall Street – drop of 777 points (7%).

Of interest, I met Jonathan unexpectedly in a hotel in Jerusalem last month. It was no coincidence. I was there for the “Gathering” put on by Watchmen for the Nations. Three and half thousand Christians were meeting in Jerusalem to praise God and pray with and support the Jewish and Arab Christians in Israel. Jonathan had no knowledge of this event or of the group putting it on. I was God’s messenger to connect Jonathan with this group. What really astounded Jonathan was that more than half of the Christians at the Gathering were Chinese. It demonstrated what he knew to be true that just as the economic power has swung from the west to the east, Holy Spirit power has also swung from the west to the east.

Chinese Christians are carrying out God’s call to send evangelists on the three Silk Roads back to Jerusalem. They go as Jesus sent His disciples to spread the Gospel, no two pairs of shoes. It is happening. The book “Back to Jerusalem – Call to Complete the Great Commission” by Three Chinese Church Leaders is a must read to know what God is doing in these last days.

Russia is back in the news. If oil prices remain this low for much longer, the former Soviet Union will face recession. Last week the ruble fell 36% against the dollar. A desperate interest rate increase has reversed the trend for a time but it is known the oil price is below the production cost for the debt ridden state -owned Rosneft. Clearly Putin’s geopolitical ambitions were financed on $100 + oil, but with $60 oil, Russia is fighting to keep itself afloat. Desperate circumstances often bring desperate action.

Debt ridden European Union countries are in crisis. This quote by George Diez in Spiegel Online International says it all. “It is in the nature of this crisis that the longer it continues, the more confusing it gets. It becomes more difficult to follow its twists and turns and to see who is responsible for what. And the whole time, alternatives are disappearing before our very eyes.”

The Ebola epidemic in West Africa poses a catastrophic threat to the region, and could spread further reports The Economist.

As I write famine warnings are being sounded for South Sudan and Somalia.

The world is being shaken as never before and yet God is in control of world events. Jonathan Cahn’s “The Harbinger” reveals the truth that God is in control of world events. The stock market fell 777 points ( 7%) exactly 7 years to the day after 9/11.

The Bible is God’s HISTORY and it reveals how events are going to play out in the not too distant future. Put your trust in our loving heavenly Father and what He has provided for you through His son Jesus.

 

ISRAEL’S FUTURE FORETOLD AND ASSURED

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Jeremiah 600 BC said:

” ‘For behold , the days are coming, says the Lord’, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it”. Jeremiah 30:3

“Hear the word of the Lord, O Nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say HE who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock”. Jeremiah 31:10

The message itself is simple. First it was God who scattered Israel (from their own land). Second the same God who scattered Israel is now regathering them (to their own land). Third God will not merely regather them; HE will also keep (protect) them. Thus the ultimate safety of Israel is guaranteed by God.

Another remarkable prophecy concerning Israel’s regathering is made by Isaiah 750 BC:

“Those who war against you shall be as nothing, As a non-existent thing. For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand.” Isaiah 41: 12,13

When Israel declared itself a Nation on May 14, 1948, the armies of seven Arab nations marched in defiance against her, boasting that they would push the Jews into the sea. Outnumbered 100 to 1, Israel not only repelled the invaders but acquired more of Palestine than was granted in the UN partition plan. Many miracles occurred as Biblical tactics were employed.

One of the greatest military feats in history was the 1967 War. The Arabs again boasted they would destroy Israel. However in six days Israel overran the combined forces of Syria, Jordan, Egypt and took the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem, the West Bank (Samaria and Judea), and the Sinai.

Psalm 129: 5,6 and Psalm 125:3 reinforce what Isaiah declared.

“Let all who hate Zion be put to shame and turned back. Let them be as the grass on the housetops, which withers before it grows up”

“For the sceptre of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous ….” 

‘The sceptre of the wicked’ is I believe an accurate description of Islam.

Finally Psalm 33: 8-12 is an unequivocal declaration that it is God’s Word that brought the world into being; and that it is the same Word that directs the course of history. Nations and their governments may hold their councils and issue their decrees, but whenever these are in opposition to God’s prophetic Word, they will come to nothing.

“Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people He has chosen as His inheritance.”

As the surrounding darkness increases, the light of biblical prophecy grows correspondingly brighter. It is the only reliable source of information concerning the Middle East.  Whilst bible prophecy signals tough times ahead for Israel we do know that God will fulfill all His counsel and His promises. The critical point of the Lord’s revelation to Israel is prophetically depicted in Zechariah 12:10

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieves for a firstborn.”

Two chapters further on, Zechariah pictures the actual return of the Messiah, JESUS in person on the Mount of Olives.

Reflections on The Gathering

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Gathering in Jerusalem

As mentioned in the previous report it is difficult to describe what God is doing with these Gatherings. They started in Canada with God raising up Watchmen for the Nations to gather a remnant from that nation to unite in John 17 unity to fulfill His purposes.

When Watchmen for the Nations began to prophesy that God was going to use Canada to bring healing to other nations particularly Israel, it seemed impossible, but then transformation began  with constant prayer being offered up in the nation’s capital.

The liberal government was replaced by the Conservative Party with Stephen Harper, a committed Christian as their new Prime Minister. A group from ICCC Canada also played an important role in bringing repentance and unity between the indigenous people’s – First Nations and the Inuits.

Stephen Harper initiated the nation to repent of turning away almost 1,000 Jews on the MS St Louis in 1939 and recently vowed to stand with the nation of Israel during their current trials.

Watchmen for the Nations next call was to China and the first Gathering took place in 2010 with 3,000 in attendance in Hong Kong, 6,000 attended in 2011, 12,000+ in 2102 and 24,000 in 2013. Through the “Kingdom Come” DVD’s and CD’s (www.asiagathering.hk), you can experience the journey of the 2012 Gathering. God has led believers from more than twenty nations to affirm the leadership role He has called the Chinese to play in His end time purposes on earth.

Chinese Christians believe God put them through over 40 years of persecution under Mao to prepare them for a final three Silk Roads evangelism effort back to Jerusalem. These evangelists  go as Jesus sent his disciples just one pair of shoes. The passion Chinese Christians exhibited at The Gathering in Jerusalem put me to shame.

The Gathering in Japan in July was another watershed event with 3,000 in attendance. The Japanese Christians believe that God sent many Christians from other nations to break open the demonic stronghold over Japan. They saw themselves as the lame man who was lowered down in front of Jesus after they had broken open the roof of the house. The timing of the Gathering – 70 years after the end of World War 2 was also considered significant. The Japanese Christians now believe that God has finally released them to take part in the final evangelism effort being launched by the Chinese. A friend of mine reported that a breakthrough was achieved on the second night with the praise and worship reaching new heights.

Where will the next Gathering take place? I can now confirm that the next Gathering will be in Kobe Japan in 2015 to follow up the one in July of this year. I am still praying that God will bless Australia with one.

Upcoming Trip to Athens and Jerusalem.

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ICCC Athens Conf

I am attending two important events in October and November. The first starts this week in Athens. It is the International Christian Chamber of Commerce Conference, “Possessing The Land – It’s Time”. I hope to post reports on this Conference next week.

Last year ICCC was forced to re-evaluate what God wanted of us when He took both the President and Vice President home unexpectedly.

ICCC is not alone among Christian organisations and churches that are being shaken like this at their very foundations.

I was part of a Leadership Conference in Cyprus in February when the new International Board shared with the ICCC Boards of the Nations their vision for the future. This has now been fine tuned and will be presented at the Athens Conference under the banner “POSSESSING THE LAND – IT’S TIME”. I am excited about what God will do at this conference and of course the opportunity to meet up with many good friends. Watch this space for the reports I will post as time permits.

Gathering in Jerusalem822-banner

The second meeting I am attending which is a very important one is the 822 Gathering in Jerusalem November 10th to 13th.

“At this kairos hour, the Lord is calling forth a remnant, a representation of the family of believers worldwide, to come together as one new man in Jerusalem. In the power of unity submitted fully to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, we will stand in the gap and decree that the hour has come for the bride of Christ to wake up and to make herself ready for her bridegroom”.

check out the website http://www.822call.org.

In between the two conferences I am joining a tour “The Hidden Treasures of Israel” sponsored by Kingdom Builders and the Australian friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem from Nov 2nd until Nov 10th. It also promises to be an exciting time.

I look forward to sharing with you insights into what God is doing at the “late hour”.

 

RADICAL EVANGELISM IN SOUTH AMERICA

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Almost 2.5 million accepted Christ in one day

During the seventh International street evangelism “The Gospel changes” that took place on October 18, about 2,483 567 people accepted Christ, said the press-center of the movement “Gospel changes,” reports The Christian Telegraph.

The evangelism was attended by 26 countries: Austria, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, USA, France, Honduras, Mexico, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, Ukraine, and Uruguay.

Recall that the main motto of the seventh evangelization was: “Together Save 2 million people.”

It is worth noting that during the last evangelism more than 1.6 million people were saved.

Such evangelism is held every three months. Any church of any denomination may participate in the international evangelism. (John 17 unity)

The vision of “The Gospel of change” was born in Venezuela. Due to the movement, which is now bearing its fruits in many different countries, the Gospel has been introduced to millions of people around the world. Despite the fact that the vision of “The Gospel of change” was born and began to spread mainly in the Spanish-speaking countries, it is actively coming to the English and Russian speaking world. The ministers from different countries gather at a huge conference in Venezuela, and the ministers from the Eastern European countries come to Spain to learn from their experience.

CHECK OUT THIS WEBSITE  www.evangelieizmenyaet.com/

Muslim extremists marching down Madison Ave, New York?

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Check out this amazing video. Where were the media? Is this for real? Muslim Day Parade in New York with Hanged and Caged Women!

Watch as dozens of Muslim men and women are given free rein by the local authorities to break the laws of the city. Watch as the parade, which supposedly trumpeted the “shared values” of Islam and the USA, degenerated into a show of support for violent and evil Islamic terrorists the world over.

The government still insist the USA does not have a Muslim problem only a terrorist problem. When the founder of the Muslim religion teaches (Qur’an & Hadith) what these extremists are acting out they should know that the Muslim religion and the USA Constitution (Bill of Rights) are incompatible no matter what so called conservative Muslims say.

Surely what has happened in Europe is enough warning. In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighbourhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels , because he was drinking during the Ramadan

ARABS SELF DESTRUCT: ENEMY NOT ISRAEL

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Abdulatif-Al-Mulhim-Correct_44Mosul destruction

Abdulateef  Al Mulhim, regular writer for ARAB NEWS poses important questions for the Arab World in a recent article. “I decided to write this article after I saw photos and reports about a starving child in Yemen, a burned ancient Aleppo souk in Syria, the under developed Sinai in Egypt, car bombs in Iraq and the destroyed buildings in Libya. The photos and the reports were shown on the Al-Arabiya network, which is the most watched and respected news outlet in the Middle East. The common thing among all what I saw is that the destruction and the atrocities are not done by an outside enemy. The starvation, the killings and the destruction in these Arab countries are done by the same hands that are supposed to protect and build the unity of these countries and safeguard the people of these countries.”

So, the question now is that who is the real enemy of the Arab world?

Since 1948 there have been three wars and many minor and major conflicts. “What has been the real cost of this Arab-Israeli hostility to the Arab people? What was the real cost of not recognizing Israel in 1948 and why didn’t the Arab states spend their assets on education, healthcare and basic infrastructures instead of wars?” The hardest question he says no Arab national wants to hear is whether Israel is the real enemy of the Arab world and its people? He states: “The real enemies of the Arab world are corruption, lack of good education, lack of good health care, lack of freedom, lack of respect for the human lives and finally, the Arab world had many dictators who used the Arab-Israeli conflict to suppress their own people. These dictators’ atrocities against their own people are far worse than all the full-scale Arab-Israeli wars.”

Concerning the current conflict in Gaza, Hamas knows well that Israel will hit back and hit hard if attacked. So, if Hamas is capable of building a sophisticated network of tunnels why haven’t they built simple bomb shelters to protect their citizens? Is Hamas willing to sacrifice Palestinians, even their children to get more Arab and foreign financial aid?

Wake up call: Australian Muslims call for Caliphate

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Post on Caliph Lakemba to Gaza

People march in Sydney in protest over Israeli attacks on Gaza. Picture Toby Zerna Also a couple of hundred men marched past the Lakemba Hotel in Sydney, Australia a week ago chanting their support for Gaza and with it a threat. Here is what they shouted while waving black flags of Jihad Palestine is Muslim land

The solution is Jihad …

You can never stop Islam From Australia to al Sham (Syria)

One umma (Muslim community) hand in hand From Lakemba to Gaza

One call “khalifa” (Caliphate) – (read my previous post)

Andrew Bolt of the Herald Sun tells it as it is : That chant is a wake-up for a political class now too cowed or craven to judge between the civilized and the primitive. Our cultural and political institutions have also surrendered our values, or made them seem no better than some we’ve imported so recklessly. Just last week, the N.S.W. Community Relations Commission chairman, Vic Alhadeff, a Jew, had to resign for simply noting Palestinian terrorists were firing rockets at Israeli civilians, and Israel would naturally “do whatever is needed to defend its citizens”. Yes, supporting a Western democracy against an Islamist terrorist tyranny now makes you unfit to foster proper community relations. WAKE UP PEOPLE SUPPORT POLITICIANS THAT SEE THE THREAT AND ACT.

The proposed changes to section 18c of the Racial Discrimination Act put forward by Senator Brandis would have helped people speak out against this threat, sadly the government gave in to the minority voices again.

 

Iraqui Jihadist declares a new Caliphate

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Alleged ISIL leader appears in video footageJihadist map of Muslim Caliphate

 

On Friday, July 4th, a 42-year-old Iraqi Jihadist leader who fights under the name Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appeared in a mosque in the city of Mosul, which his group ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) had seized weeks earlier, along with swathes of Iraq and Syria. Al-Baghdadi, dressed in long black robes delivered a sermon announcing that he would henceforth be known as Caliph Ibrahim, emir of the faithful in the Islamic state.

A caliphate is an Islamic state – and then some. In theory, a caliphate is more than just a country that happens to be officially Muslim; it is supposed to encompass every Muslim on earth. The last time that sort of caliphate existed was many centuries ago. But the word caliphate still evokes the idea of a glorious and unified Islamic civilization.

What does a caliph do, exactly?

Originally, the caliph was the person who took over Mohammed’s (1) rule over the unified Islamic state and (2) responsibility for all Muslims. Over the next seven hundred years, Mohammed’s memory obviously faded, but those remained the two defining responsibilities: rule over a unified Islamic state and bear responsibility for the community of all Muslims, or the ummah.

The present-day Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in declaring himself a caliph and his terrorist mini-state a caliphate, is communicating that he believes he is fighting on behalf of all Muslims worldwide (he does not count Shia Muslims in this, only Sunnis) and that he is the representative of God on earth. He is also sort of suggesting a desire to continue ISIS’s advance until he has conquered all Muslim-majority lands, which is an aspiration that’s hinted at frequently in jihadist maps of a unified Islamic empire – see map above.

Could this man lead the armies in the battle of Gog and Magog referred to in Ezekiel 38 & 39 which occurs about the middle of The Tribulation?

Financial Crisis Inevitable – going to end badly say the experts

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If this dialogue between two well known and respected financial experts doesn’t convince you we are in the Biblical end times nothing will.

Chris Martenson of Peak Prosperity interviews John Rubino author of two best sellers “The Crash of the Dollar” and “The Money Bubble”.

You need to listen to these two experts because they know that whilst the 2008 Economic Crisis was bad, the next one is going to be humungous. Why, because governments have allowed those that created the problem which was ‘out of control debt’ to try and fix it with more debt. People who should have been jailed are still there creating another big debt bubble which is then fixed with more debt. We see the smart architects of the problem get out and sound the warning of impending disaster. They caused the problem but now want to be seen as the voice of sanity. People like Greenspan write best selling books and still earn a fortune on the author circuit.

It can only end badly says John Rubino. “Debt is growing beyond all reason, it is going to end badly, it is beyond our control”.

Governments are already preparing for civil unrest and domestic terrorism. During the 2008 crisis the government was days away from instituting martial law. Well, the debt situation is exponentially larger with no fix possible because the complexity of the deregulated financial markets is such that even the experts can’t predict what will happen, let alone governments. They will have difficulty working out what happened and who was responsible even after the collapse. Listen to some of the descriptions: “Moral corruption in governments”, “Financial markets devolving into a branch of the Mafia”, “Sound money is a moral issue”, “Need to impose financial morality on governments”.

John Rubino suggests a good solution for each of us at the end of the interview. Get together with your local community and start preparing now for the inevitable.

As Christians we know what is coming and we know the ultimate solution – Jesus ruling and reigning on this earth. In the meantime we should be doing what He taught us to pray for “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Let us play our part in bringing His Kingdom to bear in our sphere of influence. Let our church and our families be examples of what His Kingdom looks like.