Light is sown like seed for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Psalm 97:11
Monday, January 23, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Isaac And Ishmael, Then And Now
Isaac And Ishmael, Then And Now
Perspective by Jack Kelley http://gracethrufaith.com/
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”(Genesis 15:1-4)
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.”
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.(Genesis 16:1-4, 15)
Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. (Genesis 21:1-3)
But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”(Genesis 21:9-13)
Abraham was 75 years old when God called him, about 80 when God promised him a son, 86 when Ishmael was born (Gen. 16:16) and 100 at the time of Isaac’s birth. (Gen. 21:5) This made Ishmael 14 years older than Isaac, and about 16 or 17 when Isaac was weaned. When he made fun of Isaac, Sarah demanded that Abraham get rid of him.
That snapshot seems to set the tone for our understanding of Ishmael. God had told Hagar that her son would be a “wild ass” of a man with his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him. (Gen. 16:12) He was bigger, stronger, and older than his helpless baby brother, and yet he thought it sport to mock him.
We can imagine that the jealousy between Sarah and Hagar had its effect on Ishmael and served to frame his view of Isaac from the beginning. And it doesn’t take too much of a stretch to believe that Ishmael was told repeatedly that Isaac was God’s choice to become Abraham’s heir although Ishmael was the first born and, at least in his opinion, the rightful heir. When Ishmael and Hagar were sent away to fend for themselves the sense of abandonment likely made it difficult for Ishmael to trust anyone for a long time. I can almost hear him thinking that his life was a mistake, and wishing he had never been born. No wonder he didn’t get along with anyone.
This feeling of being an unworthy outcast matured into a resentment so strong that it permeated Ishmael’s very soul and from that day to this the descendants of Ishmael have stood against the descendants of Isaac. His anger had given the devil a foothold that grew into a stronghold so powerful that it has lasted through all the generations since. All this happened because Abraham and Sarah grew impatient with God and tried to fulfill His promise on their own.
Once More, With Feeling
A generation later, Esau felt similarly disenfranchised by Jacob’s manipulation of Isaac. This was the case even though Jacob only received that which he had earlier purchased from Esau, who in a moment of extreme hunger traded his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew as though it was a mere trinket. Esau was so angry with his father, who refused to reverse the transaction, that he did the one thing that he knew would hurt Isaac the most. He married Malhalath, a daughter of Ishmael. (Gen. 28:8-9) How he and Ishmael must have railed against Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who in two consecutive generations had humiliated them in the matter of their presumed inheritance. Each recounting of the events added bricks and mortar to the stronghold the devil was building in their minds.
It had been God’s plan all along for His promise to Abraham to be fulfilled through Isaac in Jacob. When Sarah took matters into her own hand after waiting impatiently for six years to give her husband an heir, God promised to make Ishmael’s descendants into a great nation with 12 rulers just as he had in mind for Jacob. “But,” He said, “My covenant I will establish with Isaac.” (Gen. 17:20-21)
And Esau’s descendants were given land east of the Jordan River that the Israelites were not allowed to take as their own. (Deut. 2:4-6) But Ishmael didn’t inherit the covenant position and Esau didn’t get the Promised Land, and to them what they received, though generous, probably seemed like 2nd best. Far from encouraging them to forgive and forget, their anger was further inflamed.
The land given to Esau became known as Edom because of its spectacular red rock mountains and, until their rebellion against God, Esau’s descendants thrived there. The final straw came when the Edomites took advantage of God’s punishment of Israel during the Babylonian wars. Thinking to finally get the coveted Promised Land, they sided with Nebuchadnezzar and cut off the Jews’ escape from the Babylonian armies, ambushing the fleeing Israelites and looting their homes. (Obadiah 1:10-14) As a result, Edom was destroyed to the last person, and the Nabateans, another of Ishmael’s descendants, took their land.
We’ll Return After This Break
During Israel’s 1900 year absence from the world scene, the sons of Ishmael grew into the family of nations that God had promised, but the hostility remained even though the Promised Land was seemingly theirs for the taking. When Mohammed, a descendant of Ishmael’s, failed to convert the Jews in the region to his new religion, he declared war against them and the ancient hostility was born anew. All the old feelings of resentment were re-kindled, and even though the armies of Islam embarked upon an era of conquest that eventually took them all the way to eastern France, they maintained a special hostility toward the Jews.
And then the unimaginable happened. For the third time they were required to step aside in favor of the sons of Israel. God was bringing His people back to the land He had promised to Abraham so long ago. Never mind that the land had been pretty much abandoned for much of the preceding 1900 years, it had been Moslem land and now it was being given back to their sworn enemies, the Jews. It violated their sense of ownership, tainted though it was, and it violated the promise of their religion. Mohammed himself had told them that any land conquered in the name of Allah would never be lost again to the infidels.
Of course by now the majority of Mohammed’s followers weren’t sons of Ishmael, but Persians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, to use their Biblical names. But their historical hatred of the Jews had been kept alive through the religion they all shared in common. And most of the returning Jews weren’t of the original 12 tribes but the descendants of Europeans who had converted to Judaism over the centuries. Only a remnant of today’s Jews can trace their ancestry to Jacob’s 12 sons. But it’s that remnant that validates Israel’s claim under the Abrahamic covenant in God’s eyes.
Therefore, the wars of today aren’t between Ishmaelites and Israelites, but between Moslems and Jews. The family feud has become a battle of religions. Will the God of the Jews prevail, or will it be the god of Islam, for they are not one and the same. The God who inhabits eternity created the land and gave it to Abraham in an everlasting covenant. The god of this world had taken it as his own and refuses to give it up. It’s the most hotly contested piece of real estate in the entire universe, and the contest has both its origin and its resolution in the spiritual realm, not in the assembly halls of human governments.
So now we’ve come full circle. Ishmael, represented by the Moslems, is older, bigger, and stronger, but Isaac, represented by the Jews, is still the child of the promise. And as we’ll soon see, what God has promised, He performs. Against all odds, Ishmael will once again be driven away, and God will use the occasion to re-instate His ancient covenant with the children of Israel, biological or not. It’s another giant signpost that the End of the Age is upon us. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 01-21-12
Perspective by Jack Kelley http://gracethrufaith.com/
After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.”
Then the word of the LORD came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.”(Genesis 15:1-4)
Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.”
Abram agreed to what Sarai said. So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. So Hagar bore Abram a son, and Abram gave the name Ishmael to the son she had borne.(Genesis 16:1-4, 15)
Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him. (Genesis 21:1-3)
But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking, and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”
The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son. But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned. I will make the son of the maidservant into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”(Genesis 21:9-13)
Abraham was 75 years old when God called him, about 80 when God promised him a son, 86 when Ishmael was born (Gen. 16:16) and 100 at the time of Isaac’s birth. (Gen. 21:5) This made Ishmael 14 years older than Isaac, and about 16 or 17 when Isaac was weaned. When he made fun of Isaac, Sarah demanded that Abraham get rid of him.
That snapshot seems to set the tone for our understanding of Ishmael. God had told Hagar that her son would be a “wild ass” of a man with his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him. (Gen. 16:12) He was bigger, stronger, and older than his helpless baby brother, and yet he thought it sport to mock him.
We can imagine that the jealousy between Sarah and Hagar had its effect on Ishmael and served to frame his view of Isaac from the beginning. And it doesn’t take too much of a stretch to believe that Ishmael was told repeatedly that Isaac was God’s choice to become Abraham’s heir although Ishmael was the first born and, at least in his opinion, the rightful heir. When Ishmael and Hagar were sent away to fend for themselves the sense of abandonment likely made it difficult for Ishmael to trust anyone for a long time. I can almost hear him thinking that his life was a mistake, and wishing he had never been born. No wonder he didn’t get along with anyone.
This feeling of being an unworthy outcast matured into a resentment so strong that it permeated Ishmael’s very soul and from that day to this the descendants of Ishmael have stood against the descendants of Isaac. His anger had given the devil a foothold that grew into a stronghold so powerful that it has lasted through all the generations since. All this happened because Abraham and Sarah grew impatient with God and tried to fulfill His promise on their own.
Once More, With Feeling
A generation later, Esau felt similarly disenfranchised by Jacob’s manipulation of Isaac. This was the case even though Jacob only received that which he had earlier purchased from Esau, who in a moment of extreme hunger traded his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew as though it was a mere trinket. Esau was so angry with his father, who refused to reverse the transaction, that he did the one thing that he knew would hurt Isaac the most. He married Malhalath, a daughter of Ishmael. (Gen. 28:8-9) How he and Ishmael must have railed against Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who in two consecutive generations had humiliated them in the matter of their presumed inheritance. Each recounting of the events added bricks and mortar to the stronghold the devil was building in their minds.
It had been God’s plan all along for His promise to Abraham to be fulfilled through Isaac in Jacob. When Sarah took matters into her own hand after waiting impatiently for six years to give her husband an heir, God promised to make Ishmael’s descendants into a great nation with 12 rulers just as he had in mind for Jacob. “But,” He said, “My covenant I will establish with Isaac.” (Gen. 17:20-21)
And Esau’s descendants were given land east of the Jordan River that the Israelites were not allowed to take as their own. (Deut. 2:4-6) But Ishmael didn’t inherit the covenant position and Esau didn’t get the Promised Land, and to them what they received, though generous, probably seemed like 2nd best. Far from encouraging them to forgive and forget, their anger was further inflamed.
The land given to Esau became known as Edom because of its spectacular red rock mountains and, until their rebellion against God, Esau’s descendants thrived there. The final straw came when the Edomites took advantage of God’s punishment of Israel during the Babylonian wars. Thinking to finally get the coveted Promised Land, they sided with Nebuchadnezzar and cut off the Jews’ escape from the Babylonian armies, ambushing the fleeing Israelites and looting their homes. (Obadiah 1:10-14) As a result, Edom was destroyed to the last person, and the Nabateans, another of Ishmael’s descendants, took their land.
We’ll Return After This Break
During Israel’s 1900 year absence from the world scene, the sons of Ishmael grew into the family of nations that God had promised, but the hostility remained even though the Promised Land was seemingly theirs for the taking. When Mohammed, a descendant of Ishmael’s, failed to convert the Jews in the region to his new religion, he declared war against them and the ancient hostility was born anew. All the old feelings of resentment were re-kindled, and even though the armies of Islam embarked upon an era of conquest that eventually took them all the way to eastern France, they maintained a special hostility toward the Jews.
And then the unimaginable happened. For the third time they were required to step aside in favor of the sons of Israel. God was bringing His people back to the land He had promised to Abraham so long ago. Never mind that the land had been pretty much abandoned for much of the preceding 1900 years, it had been Moslem land and now it was being given back to their sworn enemies, the Jews. It violated their sense of ownership, tainted though it was, and it violated the promise of their religion. Mohammed himself had told them that any land conquered in the name of Allah would never be lost again to the infidels.
Of course by now the majority of Mohammed’s followers weren’t sons of Ishmael, but Persians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Assyrians, to use their Biblical names. But their historical hatred of the Jews had been kept alive through the religion they all shared in common. And most of the returning Jews weren’t of the original 12 tribes but the descendants of Europeans who had converted to Judaism over the centuries. Only a remnant of today’s Jews can trace their ancestry to Jacob’s 12 sons. But it’s that remnant that validates Israel’s claim under the Abrahamic covenant in God’s eyes.
Therefore, the wars of today aren’t between Ishmaelites and Israelites, but between Moslems and Jews. The family feud has become a battle of religions. Will the God of the Jews prevail, or will it be the god of Islam, for they are not one and the same. The God who inhabits eternity created the land and gave it to Abraham in an everlasting covenant. The god of this world had taken it as his own and refuses to give it up. It’s the most hotly contested piece of real estate in the entire universe, and the contest has both its origin and its resolution in the spiritual realm, not in the assembly halls of human governments.
So now we’ve come full circle. Ishmael, represented by the Moslems, is older, bigger, and stronger, but Isaac, represented by the Jews, is still the child of the promise. And as we’ll soon see, what God has promised, He performs. Against all odds, Ishmael will once again be driven away, and God will use the occasion to re-instate His ancient covenant with the children of Israel, biological or not. It’s another giant signpost that the End of the Age is upon us. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah. 01-21-12
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Ready for the Wedding?
Ready for the Wedding?
McMahon, T.A. http://www.thebereancall.org
The disciples were greatly troubled as they sat and listened to Jesus say that He was leaving them and that they could not follow Him for a period of time:
"Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards" (John:13:36Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.). He was going to the Cross. They would also be going the way of the cross, but not just then. He would pay the penalty for their sins and ours. They would later proclaim to the world that Jesus fulfilled divine justice, thereby making the way for mankind to be reconciled to God.
The disciples did not understand the words of Jesus beyond being saddened by them. But then He said something that should have caused them to rejoice: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you....I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John:14:1-3 [1] Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.[2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
Jesus was speaking to them in terms that were comforting but at the same time perplexing. Though the Gentile mind may not grasp it, His words pictured a wedding that would take place. His part was that of the Groom; their part would be that of the bride. As it was with most of what Jesus had taught them in their short number of years together, they missed the significance. That would all change, however. Following His departure, the Holy Spirit would take up residence within them and give them understanding. "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John:14:25-26) [25] These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.[26] But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Better yet, and amazingly so, their relationship with Jesus would be far more personal and intimate than when He walked with them. The Holy Spirit would indeed bring to their "remembrance" Jesus' words pointing to a future wedding, and the disciples' increasing love for Him would echo a bride's desire to be with her husband-to-be. In other words, the disciples would embrace the reality that they are the bride of Christ.
Since true believers in Jesus are disciples of the original disciples, what Jesus had to say to them in John:14:1-3 [1] Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.[2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
certainly applies to those of us who have likewise believed upon Him. We are the bride. He has prepared a place for us in heaven. One day, he will return for His bride. In the custom of the ancient Jewish wedding, when the groom left the bride to prepare a place for her in his father's house, she went about making her own preparations for the wedding and her life with her husband-to-be. There's little doubt that her excitement increased as the day of his return drew near. What, then, about " we , the bride"? Are we increasing daily in our excitement as we anticipate the coming of our Lord, our Savior, our Groom, our Blessed Hope? If not, there is something terribly wrong. What might put that excitement off?
Perhaps some are only infatuated with Jesus. Although they call themselves Christians, He's like spiritual eye candy that they find attractive in vague "spiritual" ways--but there are too many specific things about Him that they don't care for. Submission is at the top of their "can't take Him too seriously" list. Jesus did, after all, pose the question, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke:6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?). Their commitment may never have involved giving their heart fully to Him through belief in His death, burial, and resurrection as the only One who could pay the complete penalty for their sins. They were never born again, a criterion Jesus said was necessary for entering the kingdom of God (John:3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.) There is neither an engagement nor a wedding for such folks, nor could there be.
As for those who are truly saved by faith, their affections for Him may have been hindered or cooled down by two common obstacles: their love of themselves and their love of the world. That won't prevent the wedding, but it plays havoc with the bride's preparation. Preparation? Some don't seem to be aware that every believer is going through a preparation of readiness for the day when he or she will see the Lord. The preparation time involves a myriad of things related to our growth in love for Jesus: sanctification, i.e., truly being set apart for Him; growth in our desire to obey and please Him; thankfulness for His choosing us; increasing fruitfulness in our lives, and joyfulness and excitement in our expectation of seeing Him. The Word of God is filled with the bride's preparation instructions. Sadly, the interest in reading and applying what the manual says is on the wane for many of the betrothed.
Critics of the biblical doctrine of Christ's return for His bride characterize it as a false teaching that encourages an escapist mentality -- a kind of "get-your-ticket-and-lounge-around-the-airport" way of thinking, waiting for the "flight to heaven." There are certainly those who think and act that way, supporting the critics' accusations. Although some may cite instances among believers, neither they nor those whom they give as examples have understood the clear teaching of Scripture. John, the beloved of Jesus, gives the bridal preparation instructions: "...abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John:2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.) Moreover, John seems to exude a bride's excitement for seeing Jesus and pleasing Him as he declared, "...we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John:3:2-3 [2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. [3] And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.) The Apostle Paul says as much in his epistle of encouragement to Timothy: "But thou, O man of God, flee [sinful] things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God...that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Timothy:6:11-14).
Too often, when we are commanded to do something, our flesh may react in a way that robs us of the joy that should be involved in obedience; or perhaps we will be deterred from being joyful in our thinking, which then plays out in our lives. That could make for an unenthusiastic bride, at the very least. Yet Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments....He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John:14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.,21). Furthermore, an erroneous view of what God wants us to do obscures what He has made available to us through our life in Christ. Nothing should rob us of our joy in serving the Lord. Peter makes that quite clear: "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter:1:6-9 [6] Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
[7] That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:[8] Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: [9] Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.)
Each of us needs to answer this vital question regarding our own bridal preparation: How much of it involves rejoicing "with joy unspeakable"? Is that our experience more often than not? Any lack thereof is no fault of the Lord: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John:10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.) There is no task, no circumstance, no condition, no problem, no event, no person (other than ourselves!) that can rob us of the joy we have in Christ, especially when we remember that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come...shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans:8:38-39 [38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.) Then we can joyfully fulfill the preparatory works "which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians:2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.)
"But Tom, you have no idea what I'm going through!" That's true, but neither am I oblivious to such things in my own life, as well as the toll of problems in our world, which is still reeling under the curse of sin. Nevertheless, through it all God has made a way for us to "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matthew:5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.) Was Paul conning the Corinthians when he wrote, "I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians:7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.)? Hardly! He further encourages us with his prayer and exhortation to the Colossians: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (1:9-11). That prayer is God's promise. It may not always be our experience , but it is God's Word and His Truth: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew:24:35).
Dave Hunt writes:
Ours is a "heavenly calling" (Hebrews:1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:). We have been "blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians:1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:); and it is in heaven that God has reserved for us "an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled and that fadeth not away" (1 Peter:1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,). Indeed, our hope is in heaven (Colossians:1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;) where our names have been written (Luke:10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.). No wonder, then, that our resurrection bodies are "spiritual" (1 Corinthians:15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.) and "heavenly" (v. 49; 2 Corinthians:5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:), suited for living in God's presence.
The joy in heaven will be so great eternally that we will need new and glorious bodies to appreciate and express it. Heaven is often thought of as a solemn place of pomp and protocol. We forget what David knew: (Psalm:16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.).
Christ endured the cross "for the joy set before him" (Hebrews:12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.), a joy He wanted to share with us in heaven. [Dave Hunt, When Will Jesus Come? , Harvest House, 1993]
Growing up Roman Catholic, which involved a continuous and somewhat extensive Catholic education, I was never taught that I was the "bride of Christ"; that was reserved for the nuns. Neither was I taught that Jesus was coming back to take me to heaven. Those who were brought up in churches that strongly adhere to the teachings of the Reformation would most likely be just as uninformed as I was and perhaps even opposed to the doctrine of Christ returning to catch His bride away to heaven. Although the Reformers rejected the false gospel of Rome, they kept some of its baggage, such as infant baptism and particularly its eschatological teaching of amillenialism, which practically dismisses the return of Jesus for His bride. The sad irony here is that the cry of the Reformation was sola Scriptura , meaning that the Bible is the believer's only authority on matters of faith and practice.
Does the Bible indeed teach the return of Jesus to catch away His bride in order to take her to heaven for the wedding and the feast that He has prepared? Or, as the critics charge, is that the delusion promoted by a 19th century anglo-Irishman named John Nelson Darby? Darby claims that the teaching came from Scripture (see For Zion's Sake , offered in our resource section). The critics and the mockers of this teaching, even in our day, say no. Darby aside (although I believe we owe him a great deal of thanks for encouraging the church to seek out what the Scriptures tell us about this matter), as Bereans, let us "search the Scriptures" to see if these things be so.
As we began this article, Jesus was declaring to His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them and said that He would return. The metaphorical context clearly implied a wedding. How might that take place? "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians:15:51-52 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians:4:16-18) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.[18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.).
Are these words a comfort to you? I hope so, because that is our "blessed hope," the eternal reality of "ever be[ing] with the Lord"! Or are you distracted by focusing on an earth-bound temporal delusion that is causing you to miss the sublime truth that your eternal citizenship "is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20)? Our prayer is that we all might be that bride who looks excitedly, expectantly, "for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus:2:13) We need to heed the words of our wonderful Groom: "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord....Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching.... Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not" (Luke:12:35-37 [35] Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; [36] And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. [37] Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them, 40). tbc
McMahon, T.A. http://www.thebereancall.org
The disciples were greatly troubled as they sat and listened to Jesus say that He was leaving them and that they could not follow Him for a period of time:
"Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards" (John:13:36Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.). He was going to the Cross. They would also be going the way of the cross, but not just then. He would pay the penalty for their sins and ours. They would later proclaim to the world that Jesus fulfilled divine justice, thereby making the way for mankind to be reconciled to God.
The disciples did not understand the words of Jesus beyond being saddened by them. But then He said something that should have caused them to rejoice: "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you....I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also" (John:14:1-3 [1] Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.[2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."
Jesus was speaking to them in terms that were comforting but at the same time perplexing. Though the Gentile mind may not grasp it, His words pictured a wedding that would take place. His part was that of the Groom; their part would be that of the bride. As it was with most of what Jesus had taught them in their short number of years together, they missed the significance. That would all change, however. Following His departure, the Holy Spirit would take up residence within them and give them understanding. "These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" (John:14:25-26) [25] These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.[26] But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Better yet, and amazingly so, their relationship with Jesus would be far more personal and intimate than when He walked with them. The Holy Spirit would indeed bring to their "remembrance" Jesus' words pointing to a future wedding, and the disciples' increasing love for Him would echo a bride's desire to be with her husband-to-be. In other words, the disciples would embrace the reality that they are the bride of Christ.
Since true believers in Jesus are disciples of the original disciples, what Jesus had to say to them in John:14:1-3 [1] Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.[2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[3] And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
certainly applies to those of us who have likewise believed upon Him. We are the bride. He has prepared a place for us in heaven. One day, he will return for His bride. In the custom of the ancient Jewish wedding, when the groom left the bride to prepare a place for her in his father's house, she went about making her own preparations for the wedding and her life with her husband-to-be. There's little doubt that her excitement increased as the day of his return drew near. What, then, about " we , the bride"? Are we increasing daily in our excitement as we anticipate the coming of our Lord, our Savior, our Groom, our Blessed Hope? If not, there is something terribly wrong. What might put that excitement off?
Perhaps some are only infatuated with Jesus. Although they call themselves Christians, He's like spiritual eye candy that they find attractive in vague "spiritual" ways--but there are too many specific things about Him that they don't care for. Submission is at the top of their "can't take Him too seriously" list. Jesus did, after all, pose the question, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke:6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?). Their commitment may never have involved giving their heart fully to Him through belief in His death, burial, and resurrection as the only One who could pay the complete penalty for their sins. They were never born again, a criterion Jesus said was necessary for entering the kingdom of God (John:3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.) There is neither an engagement nor a wedding for such folks, nor could there be.
As for those who are truly saved by faith, their affections for Him may have been hindered or cooled down by two common obstacles: their love of themselves and their love of the world. That won't prevent the wedding, but it plays havoc with the bride's preparation. Preparation? Some don't seem to be aware that every believer is going through a preparation of readiness for the day when he or she will see the Lord. The preparation time involves a myriad of things related to our growth in love for Jesus: sanctification, i.e., truly being set apart for Him; growth in our desire to obey and please Him; thankfulness for His choosing us; increasing fruitfulness in our lives, and joyfulness and excitement in our expectation of seeing Him. The Word of God is filled with the bride's preparation instructions. Sadly, the interest in reading and applying what the manual says is on the wane for many of the betrothed.
Critics of the biblical doctrine of Christ's return for His bride characterize it as a false teaching that encourages an escapist mentality -- a kind of "get-your-ticket-and-lounge-around-the-airport" way of thinking, waiting for the "flight to heaven." There are certainly those who think and act that way, supporting the critics' accusations. Although some may cite instances among believers, neither they nor those whom they give as examples have understood the clear teaching of Scripture. John, the beloved of Jesus, gives the bridal preparation instructions: "...abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John:2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.) Moreover, John seems to exude a bride's excitement for seeing Jesus and pleasing Him as he declared, "...we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John:3:2-3 [2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. [3] And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.) The Apostle Paul says as much in his epistle of encouragement to Timothy: "But thou, O man of God, flee [sinful] things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God...that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Timothy:6:11-14).
Too often, when we are commanded to do something, our flesh may react in a way that robs us of the joy that should be involved in obedience; or perhaps we will be deterred from being joyful in our thinking, which then plays out in our lives. That could make for an unenthusiastic bride, at the very least. Yet Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments....He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him" (John:14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.,21). Furthermore, an erroneous view of what God wants us to do obscures what He has made available to us through our life in Christ. Nothing should rob us of our joy in serving the Lord. Peter makes that quite clear: "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls" (1 Peter:1:6-9 [6] Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
[7] That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:[8] Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: [9] Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.)
Each of us needs to answer this vital question regarding our own bridal preparation: How much of it involves rejoicing "with joy unspeakable"? Is that our experience more often than not? Any lack thereof is no fault of the Lord: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John:10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.) There is no task, no circumstance, no condition, no problem, no event, no person (other than ourselves!) that can rob us of the joy we have in Christ, especially when we remember that "neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come...shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans:8:38-39 [38] For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.) Then we can joyfully fulfill the preparatory works "which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them" (Ephesians:2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.)
"But Tom, you have no idea what I'm going through!" That's true, but neither am I oblivious to such things in my own life, as well as the toll of problems in our world, which is still reeling under the curse of sin. Nevertheless, through it all God has made a way for us to "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matthew:5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.) Was Paul conning the Corinthians when he wrote, "I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians:7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.)? Hardly! He further encourages us with his prayer and exhortation to the Colossians: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (1:9-11). That prayer is God's promise. It may not always be our experience , but it is God's Word and His Truth: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Matthew:24:35).
Dave Hunt writes:
Ours is a "heavenly calling" (Hebrews:1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:). We have been "blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ" (Ephesians:1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:); and it is in heaven that God has reserved for us "an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled and that fadeth not away" (1 Peter:1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,). Indeed, our hope is in heaven (Colossians:1:5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;) where our names have been written (Luke:10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.). No wonder, then, that our resurrection bodies are "spiritual" (1 Corinthians:15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.) and "heavenly" (v. 49; 2 Corinthians:5:2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:), suited for living in God's presence.
The joy in heaven will be so great eternally that we will need new and glorious bodies to appreciate and express it. Heaven is often thought of as a solemn place of pomp and protocol. We forget what David knew: (Psalm:16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.).
Christ endured the cross "for the joy set before him" (Hebrews:12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.), a joy He wanted to share with us in heaven. [Dave Hunt, When Will Jesus Come? , Harvest House, 1993]
Growing up Roman Catholic, which involved a continuous and somewhat extensive Catholic education, I was never taught that I was the "bride of Christ"; that was reserved for the nuns. Neither was I taught that Jesus was coming back to take me to heaven. Those who were brought up in churches that strongly adhere to the teachings of the Reformation would most likely be just as uninformed as I was and perhaps even opposed to the doctrine of Christ returning to catch His bride away to heaven. Although the Reformers rejected the false gospel of Rome, they kept some of its baggage, such as infant baptism and particularly its eschatological teaching of amillenialism, which practically dismisses the return of Jesus for His bride. The sad irony here is that the cry of the Reformation was sola Scriptura , meaning that the Bible is the believer's only authority on matters of faith and practice.
Does the Bible indeed teach the return of Jesus to catch away His bride in order to take her to heaven for the wedding and the feast that He has prepared? Or, as the critics charge, is that the delusion promoted by a 19th century anglo-Irishman named John Nelson Darby? Darby claims that the teaching came from Scripture (see For Zion's Sake , offered in our resource section). The critics and the mockers of this teaching, even in our day, say no. Darby aside (although I believe we owe him a great deal of thanks for encouraging the church to seek out what the Scriptures tell us about this matter), as Bereans, let us "search the Scriptures" to see if these things be so.
As we began this article, Jesus was declaring to His disciples that He was going away to prepare a place for them and said that He would return. The metaphorical context clearly implied a wedding. How might that take place? "Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Corinthians:15:51-52 "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words" (1 Thessalonians:4:16-18) For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: [17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.[18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.).
Are these words a comfort to you? I hope so, because that is our "blessed hope," the eternal reality of "ever be[ing] with the Lord"! Or are you distracted by focusing on an earth-bound temporal delusion that is causing you to miss the sublime truth that your eternal citizenship "is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Philippians 3:20)? Our prayer is that we all might be that bride who looks excitedly, expectantly, "for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus:2:13) We need to heed the words of our wonderful Groom: "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord....Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching.... Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not" (Luke:12:35-37 [35] Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; [36] And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. [37] Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them, 40). tbc
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Without Spot Or Wrinkle
Without Spot Or Wrinkle
From Ask a Bible Teacher. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher
Q. I have a pastor friend who says the rapture is a ways off. His reasoning is that Christ said He was coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle and the present day church is no where near that. Any light that you can shed on this verse would be greatly appreciated. My son and daughter-in-law attend his church and anytime that I bring up how close we are to the rapture they use this argument.
A. In the first place, Jesus never made a statement like that. But to be free from spot or wrinkle means to be free from any and all sin, holy and blameless. Your pastor friend apparently doesn’t believe that the church was made pure, without spot or wrinkle, at the cross (Colossians 2:13-14) even though it’s the only way for sinful man to become so.
No one would argue that Paul, who used the phrase without spot or wrinkle in Ephes 5:27, was himself impure. And yet he said he couldn’t keep himself from sinning (Romans 7:18-20). He said we’ve been given a righteousness apart from the Law that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22). Apart from the Law means apart from our behavior.
If your friend believes the Lord won’t come until we’re worthy, then he’s really saying the Lord will never come, because we can never be worthy.
From Ask a Bible Teacher. http://gracethrufaith.com/ask-a-bible-teacher
Q. I have a pastor friend who says the rapture is a ways off. His reasoning is that Christ said He was coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle and the present day church is no where near that. Any light that you can shed on this verse would be greatly appreciated. My son and daughter-in-law attend his church and anytime that I bring up how close we are to the rapture they use this argument.
A. In the first place, Jesus never made a statement like that. But to be free from spot or wrinkle means to be free from any and all sin, holy and blameless. Your pastor friend apparently doesn’t believe that the church was made pure, without spot or wrinkle, at the cross (Colossians 2:13-14) even though it’s the only way for sinful man to become so.
No one would argue that Paul, who used the phrase without spot or wrinkle in Ephes 5:27, was himself impure. And yet he said he couldn’t keep himself from sinning (Romans 7:18-20). He said we’ve been given a righteousness apart from the Law that comes from God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe (Romans 3:21-22). Apart from the Law means apart from our behavior.
If your friend believes the Lord won’t come until we’re worthy, then he’s really saying the Lord will never come, because we can never be worthy.
Separate Programs of God: Israel and the Church in Prophecy
Separate Programs of God: 01/16/12 from Gary Stearman on Vimeo.
Gary looks at some points used in the study of the bible and the difference between Israel and the church.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
US, Israel in open rift over Iran: Big joint military drill cancelled
US, Israel in open rift over Iran: Big joint military drill cancelled
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis January 15, 2012, 3:31 PM (GMT+02:00) Tags:
US-Israel Iran nuclear Moshe Yaalon military option sanctions Barak Obama US-Israeli discord over action against Iran went into overdrive Sunday, Jan. 15 when the White House called off Austere Challenge 12, the biggest joint war game the US and Israel have every staged, ready to go in spring, in reprisal for a comment by Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon in an early morning radio interview. He said the United States was hesitant over sanctions against Iran's central bank and oil for fear of a spike in oil prices.
The row between Washington and Jerusalem is now in the open, undoubtedly causing celebration in Tehran.
Nothing was said about the 9,000 US troops who landed in Israeli earlier this month for a lengthy stay. Neither was the forthcoming visit by Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff, Thursday mentioned.
The exercise was officially postponed from spring 2012 to the last quarter of the year over "budgetary constraints" – an obvous diplomatic locution for cancellation. It was issued urgently at an unusually early hour Washington time, say debkafile's sources, to underscore the Obama administration's total disassociation from any preparations to strike Iran and to stress its position that if an attack took place, Israel alone would be accountable.
Israel's Deputy Prime minister further inflamed one of the most acute disagreements in the history of US-Israeli relations over the Obama administration's objections to an Israel military action against Iran's nuclear sites in any shape or form. Yaalon ventured into tricky terrain when he pointed out that US Congress had shown resolve by enacting legislation for sanctions with real bite. But the White House "hesitated." He went on to say: "A military operation is the last resort, but Israel must be ready to defend itself."
The friction was already fueled last week by the deep resentment aroused in Israel by Washington's harsh condemnation of the assassination last Wednesday, Jan. 11, of the nuclear scientist Prof. Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, and absolute denial of any US involvement.
Although Tehran has since accused the United States of the attack, the White House treated it as the defiant sign of an approaching unilateral Israeli military operation against Iran to which the administration is adamantly opposed.
Friday, Jan. 13, the Pentagon announced the substantial buildup of combat power around Iran, stationing nearly 15,000 troops in Kuwait - two Army infantry brigades and a helicopter unit – and keeping two aircraft carriers the region: The USS Carl Vinson, the USS John Stennis and their strike groups.
Debkafile's military sources report that a third aircraft carrier and strike group, the USS Abraham Lincoln, is also on its way to the Persian Gulf.
This massive military buildup indicates that either President Obama rates the odds of an Israel attack as high and is bolstering the defenses of US military assets against Iranian reprisals - or, alternatively, that the United States intends to beat Israel to the draw and attack Iran itself.
The official purpose of Gen. Dempsey's visit next Thursday was supposed to be coordination between the US armed forces and the IDF. But his main object was another try to dissuade Israel's government and military leaders from plans to strike Iran without Washington's prior consent.
The "budgetary constraints" pretext for cancelling Austere Challenge 12 is hard to credit since most of the money has already been spent in flying 9,000 US troops into Israel this month. Although the exercise in which they were to have participated was billed as testing multiple Israeli and US air and missile defense systems, the exercise's commander, US Third Air Force Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc, announced that the event was more a "deployment" than an "exercise."
Its cancellation leaves Washington and Jerusalem at loggerheads in four main areas:
1. President Obama believes he is rushing through the sanctions against Iran's central bank CBI and oil restrictions with all possible speed. He needs time to persuade more governments to support him. Israel sees little real progress in the crawling diplomatic bid for backers and is impatient for action. At the rate the sanctions are going through, they will not be in place before the end of 2012 and by then, Iran will have already acquired a nuclear weapon.
Israeli leaders also suspect that the Obama administration may be foot-dragging deliberately in the hope of encouraging Iran to enter into negotiations and so avoid a military showdown. They point out that all previous rounds of talks were exploited for Iran's forward leaps in their nuclear weapon drive, free of international hassle.
2. President Obama insists on the US acting alone in attacking Iran with no Israeli military involvement. This would leave him free to decide exclusively when and how to stage an operation. He is counting on the tightened military and intelligence cooperation he has instituted between the two armed forces and agencies to safeguard Washington against the surprise of a lone Israeli action.
But Israel has declined to make this commitment - even in the face of US officials' efforts at persuasion.
3. US military strategists are counting on an Iranian reprisal for an attack on its nuclear sites to be restrained and limited to certain US military assets in the region, Israeli targets and oil installations in the Persian Gulf, including a temporary and partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world's oil passes.
They expect Israel to refrain from striking back for Iranian attacks and to leave the payback option entirely in American hands. US officials have said they fear an Israeli overkill would tip the entire American military operation into imbalance and generate unforeseen consequences.
The incoming US troops were therefore armed with the sophisticated missile interceptorTHAAD systems (easily transportable Terminal High Altitude Area Defense hit-to-kill weapons) to show the Israeli government that the US would stay on top of all the military moves against Iran - offensive and defensive alike.
On these three points, the US and Israel disagree. Neither Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, nor Defense Minister Ehud Barak or Deputy Prime Minster Yaalon, who are responsible for all decisions on Iran, are willing to put all their trust for defending Israel in American hands or relinquish unilateral military options against Iran. They believe US officials when they assert that the administration is prepared to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, but they want to see proof of the pudding and actions to back up the rhetoric. In the light of credible intelligence that Iran is very close to achieving its nuclear goal, Israel is holding on to its military option over American objections.
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis January 15, 2012, 3:31 PM (GMT+02:00) Tags:
US-Israel Iran nuclear Moshe Yaalon military option sanctions Barak Obama US-Israeli discord over action against Iran went into overdrive Sunday, Jan. 15 when the White House called off Austere Challenge 12, the biggest joint war game the US and Israel have every staged, ready to go in spring, in reprisal for a comment by Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon in an early morning radio interview. He said the United States was hesitant over sanctions against Iran's central bank and oil for fear of a spike in oil prices.
The row between Washington and Jerusalem is now in the open, undoubtedly causing celebration in Tehran.
Nothing was said about the 9,000 US troops who landed in Israeli earlier this month for a lengthy stay. Neither was the forthcoming visit by Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint US Chiefs of Staff, Thursday mentioned.
The exercise was officially postponed from spring 2012 to the last quarter of the year over "budgetary constraints" – an obvous diplomatic locution for cancellation. It was issued urgently at an unusually early hour Washington time, say debkafile's sources, to underscore the Obama administration's total disassociation from any preparations to strike Iran and to stress its position that if an attack took place, Israel alone would be accountable.
Israel's Deputy Prime minister further inflamed one of the most acute disagreements in the history of US-Israeli relations over the Obama administration's objections to an Israel military action against Iran's nuclear sites in any shape or form. Yaalon ventured into tricky terrain when he pointed out that US Congress had shown resolve by enacting legislation for sanctions with real bite. But the White House "hesitated." He went on to say: "A military operation is the last resort, but Israel must be ready to defend itself."
The friction was already fueled last week by the deep resentment aroused in Israel by Washington's harsh condemnation of the assassination last Wednesday, Jan. 11, of the nuclear scientist Prof. Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, and absolute denial of any US involvement.
Although Tehran has since accused the United States of the attack, the White House treated it as the defiant sign of an approaching unilateral Israeli military operation against Iran to which the administration is adamantly opposed.
Friday, Jan. 13, the Pentagon announced the substantial buildup of combat power around Iran, stationing nearly 15,000 troops in Kuwait - two Army infantry brigades and a helicopter unit – and keeping two aircraft carriers the region: The USS Carl Vinson, the USS John Stennis and their strike groups.
Debkafile's military sources report that a third aircraft carrier and strike group, the USS Abraham Lincoln, is also on its way to the Persian Gulf.
This massive military buildup indicates that either President Obama rates the odds of an Israel attack as high and is bolstering the defenses of US military assets against Iranian reprisals - or, alternatively, that the United States intends to beat Israel to the draw and attack Iran itself.
The official purpose of Gen. Dempsey's visit next Thursday was supposed to be coordination between the US armed forces and the IDF. But his main object was another try to dissuade Israel's government and military leaders from plans to strike Iran without Washington's prior consent.
The "budgetary constraints" pretext for cancelling Austere Challenge 12 is hard to credit since most of the money has already been spent in flying 9,000 US troops into Israel this month. Although the exercise in which they were to have participated was billed as testing multiple Israeli and US air and missile defense systems, the exercise's commander, US Third Air Force Lt. Gen. Frank Gorenc, announced that the event was more a "deployment" than an "exercise."
Its cancellation leaves Washington and Jerusalem at loggerheads in four main areas:
1. President Obama believes he is rushing through the sanctions against Iran's central bank CBI and oil restrictions with all possible speed. He needs time to persuade more governments to support him. Israel sees little real progress in the crawling diplomatic bid for backers and is impatient for action. At the rate the sanctions are going through, they will not be in place before the end of 2012 and by then, Iran will have already acquired a nuclear weapon.
Israeli leaders also suspect that the Obama administration may be foot-dragging deliberately in the hope of encouraging Iran to enter into negotiations and so avoid a military showdown. They point out that all previous rounds of talks were exploited for Iran's forward leaps in their nuclear weapon drive, free of international hassle.
2. President Obama insists on the US acting alone in attacking Iran with no Israeli military involvement. This would leave him free to decide exclusively when and how to stage an operation. He is counting on the tightened military and intelligence cooperation he has instituted between the two armed forces and agencies to safeguard Washington against the surprise of a lone Israeli action.
But Israel has declined to make this commitment - even in the face of US officials' efforts at persuasion.
3. US military strategists are counting on an Iranian reprisal for an attack on its nuclear sites to be restrained and limited to certain US military assets in the region, Israeli targets and oil installations in the Persian Gulf, including a temporary and partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one fifth of the world's oil passes.
They expect Israel to refrain from striking back for Iranian attacks and to leave the payback option entirely in American hands. US officials have said they fear an Israeli overkill would tip the entire American military operation into imbalance and generate unforeseen consequences.
The incoming US troops were therefore armed with the sophisticated missile interceptorTHAAD systems (easily transportable Terminal High Altitude Area Defense hit-to-kill weapons) to show the Israeli government that the US would stay on top of all the military moves against Iran - offensive and defensive alike.
On these three points, the US and Israel disagree. Neither Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, nor Defense Minister Ehud Barak or Deputy Prime Minster Yaalon, who are responsible for all decisions on Iran, are willing to put all their trust for defending Israel in American hands or relinquish unilateral military options against Iran. They believe US officials when they assert that the administration is prepared to prevent Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, but they want to see proof of the pudding and actions to back up the rhetoric. In the light of credible intelligence that Iran is very close to achieving its nuclear goal, Israel is holding on to its military option over American objections.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Psalm 98
Psalm 98
http://gracethrufaith.com/bread-from-heaven
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
Many Bible commentators, when writing about the End of the Age, stop at the Lord’s return at the end of the Great Tribulation. This psalm is obviously written about the time beginning immediately afterward. Here’s how things will go according to the Lord’s own account.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matt. 24:31-34,41)
Those who were left on Earth after the Rapture and have survived the subsequent seven years of judgments will know exactly what’s coming. He’s arrived to establish phase two of His Kingdom, the time Christians know as the Millennium, a thousand years of peace. Finally Isaiah’s prophecy, echoed in the message of the angelic choir over Bethlehem, will be coming true.
Israel will once again be Earth’s favored nation, allowed to live in peace in the land promised to Abraham so long ago, never again to be uprooted. And as has happened so often in the past when God’s people are in their land and at peace with Him, the creation itself will blossom and flourish with such energy and exuberance that it will actually break forth in unrestrained praise. The sky will be at its bluest, the grass at its greenest, the weather always perfect. And peace on earth, good will toward men will be the song in everyone’s heart.
The streets will be filled with the happy sound of children playing. Young men and women will dream confidently of a future filled with promise, and the elderly will bask in the contentment of a life well lived. The sound of weeping and crying will be heard no more. Peace will reign on Planet Earth, and in the sky above the New Jerusalem, home of the redeemed, will bear testimony that the ends of the Earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Why can’t we have that now? Because there are three major obstacles to this utopian ideal that currently prevent it.
http://gracethrufaith.com/bread-from-heaven
Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things; his right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The LORD has made his salvation known and revealed his righteousness to the nations. He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music; make music to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing, with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.
Many Bible commentators, when writing about the End of the Age, stop at the Lord’s return at the end of the Great Tribulation. This psalm is obviously written about the time beginning immediately afterward. Here’s how things will go according to the Lord’s own account.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Matt. 24:31-34,41)
Those who were left on Earth after the Rapture and have survived the subsequent seven years of judgments will know exactly what’s coming. He’s arrived to establish phase two of His Kingdom, the time Christians know as the Millennium, a thousand years of peace. Finally Isaiah’s prophecy, echoed in the message of the angelic choir over Bethlehem, will be coming true.
Israel will once again be Earth’s favored nation, allowed to live in peace in the land promised to Abraham so long ago, never again to be uprooted. And as has happened so often in the past when God’s people are in their land and at peace with Him, the creation itself will blossom and flourish with such energy and exuberance that it will actually break forth in unrestrained praise. The sky will be at its bluest, the grass at its greenest, the weather always perfect. And peace on earth, good will toward men will be the song in everyone’s heart.
The streets will be filled with the happy sound of children playing. Young men and women will dream confidently of a future filled with promise, and the elderly will bask in the contentment of a life well lived. The sound of weeping and crying will be heard no more. Peace will reign on Planet Earth, and in the sky above the New Jerusalem, home of the redeemed, will bear testimony that the ends of the Earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Why can’t we have that now? Because there are three major obstacles to this utopian ideal that currently prevent it.
- First and foremost is Satan, the enemy of peace, whose personal war with God has infected and nearly destroyed all of mankind. He’ll be defeated, bound in chains for the duration of the 1000 year Kingdom.
- The second is the debilitating effect of man’s divided will. At the Kingdom’s establishment every surviving non-believer will be removed from the Earth. Finally, there will be only one will on Earth, God’s will. Our centuries long prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven” will have been answered.
- And third, our King, who has been gone these last 2000 years will have returned to personally establish and rule over His Kingdom on Earth. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:7)
Monday, January 9, 2012
LORD OF ETERNITY Fernando Ortega
Lord of Eternity
Blessed is the man
Who walks in Your Favor
Who loves all Your Words
And hides them like Treasure
In the darkest place
Of his desperate Heart,
They are a LIGHT
A strong, sure Light.
Sometimes I call out Your Name
But I cannot find You.
I look for Your Face,
But You are not there.
By my sorrows, LORD,
Lift me to You,
Lift me up to Your Side.
Lord of Eternity,
Father of Mercy,
Look on my fainting Soul.
Keeper of all the stars,
Friend of the poorest Heart
Touch me and make me whole...
If YOU are my Defender,
Who is against me?
NO ONE can trouble or harm me
If YOU are my Strength.
All I ask, all I desire
Is to live in Your House ALL MY DAYS.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Was This A Typo?
Was This A Typo?
From: Ask a Teacher. http://gracethrufaith.com/
Q. In one section of your commentary entitled “Seven Major Prophetic Signs Of The Second Coming” you say the following. “Already nearly one out of every four inhabitants of the world is Muslim, and like most Christians and Jews they don’t really know what they believe or why.” Are you really saying that or was there a typo error?
A. There was no typo. Research shows that most Christians, Jews, and Muslims cannot articulate the basic tenets of their faith. They believe what they’ve been taught to believe without doing their own study to confirm that it’s what their religion really says.
For example, even though Jesus clearly said that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born again (John 3:3) a majority of those who call themselves Christians do not believe it’s necessary to be born again. A majority of those who call themselves Jews don’t follow the Law of Moses and don’t take the writings of their prophets literally, and a majority of Muslims either don’t know or don’t accept all the Quran requires of them.
Some follow a particular religion because of the culture in which they were raised, others because of the influence of someone they fear or respect. But comparatively few have done sufficient independent study to become personally persuaded that what it teaches is worthy of their commitment.
From: Ask a Teacher. http://gracethrufaith.com/
Q. In one section of your commentary entitled “Seven Major Prophetic Signs Of The Second Coming” you say the following. “Already nearly one out of every four inhabitants of the world is Muslim, and like most Christians and Jews they don’t really know what they believe or why.” Are you really saying that or was there a typo error?
A. There was no typo. Research shows that most Christians, Jews, and Muslims cannot articulate the basic tenets of their faith. They believe what they’ve been taught to believe without doing their own study to confirm that it’s what their religion really says.
For example, even though Jesus clearly said that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born again (John 3:3) a majority of those who call themselves Christians do not believe it’s necessary to be born again. A majority of those who call themselves Jews don’t follow the Law of Moses and don’t take the writings of their prophets literally, and a majority of Muslims either don’t know or don’t accept all the Quran requires of them.
Some follow a particular religion because of the culture in which they were raised, others because of the influence of someone they fear or respect. But comparatively few have done sufficient independent study to become personally persuaded that what it teaches is worthy of their commitment.
How Do We Know That the New Testament Is Inspired?
How Do We Know That the New Testament Is Inspired?
From: Ask a Teacher. http://gracethrufaith.com/
Q. I am not questioning whether the New Testament is God’s word, but I find it interesting that there is no place in Scripture that the Lord gives instruction to write the New Testament. On what basis were the books that were included determined to be God’s word? I don’t want to blindly accept this, and have often wondered about it. I do accept the New Testament as the Word of God but I want to know why it is acceptable to God. Thanks for your input.
A. It’s true that the Lord never specifically commanded His disciples to write the gospels. But in John 14:26 He said the the Holy Spirit would remind them of everything He had said to them. It was this supernatural memory that enabled them to recall and write word for word conversations.
The Gospels were written between 50-70 AD, during a time when there were many eyewitnesses who could have disputed their accuracy. There’s no record of anyone alive at the time questioning their accuracy.
About 150 years ago, A Russian immigrant named Ivan Panin began studying the way the Bible was written. He spent over 50 years documenting the numerical properties of words and phrases in the Gospels compiling 43,000 hand written pages in the process. His work demonstrated conclusively that they had to be of supernatural origin.
Paul was forced to write letters to the church because of his periods of incarceration. Paul’s letters were written during the same span of time, and John’s letters including The Revelation, came around 90-95 AD. All of these letters enjoyed a wide circulation through out the Church then as they do now. If someone began passing out a counterfeit New Testament today it wouldn’t take long for us to find out. All we’d have to do is compare it with a legitimate copy. It was the same then.
There are 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament, thousands more than for any other ancient text. Because the copies are so numerous, they can be cross checked for accuracy. This process has determined that the internal consistency of New Testament documents is about 99.5% textually pure. In addition there are over 19,000 copies in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages. The total supporting New Testament manuscript base is over 24,000.
Books that were left out didn’t meet the criteria for inclusion. It consisted of three major points:
1. Were the authors either eyewitnesses to the events they wrote about or at least directly taught about them by the Apostles?
2. Was each book’s teachings consistent with church practice and tradition?
3. Was each book already in general use by the church, and accepted as the Divine Word of God?
In summary there’s substantial evidence supporting both the accuracy and supernatural origin of the New Testament.
From: Ask a Teacher. http://gracethrufaith.com/
Q. I am not questioning whether the New Testament is God’s word, but I find it interesting that there is no place in Scripture that the Lord gives instruction to write the New Testament. On what basis were the books that were included determined to be God’s word? I don’t want to blindly accept this, and have often wondered about it. I do accept the New Testament as the Word of God but I want to know why it is acceptable to God. Thanks for your input.
A. It’s true that the Lord never specifically commanded His disciples to write the gospels. But in John 14:26 He said the the Holy Spirit would remind them of everything He had said to them. It was this supernatural memory that enabled them to recall and write word for word conversations.
The Gospels were written between 50-70 AD, during a time when there were many eyewitnesses who could have disputed their accuracy. There’s no record of anyone alive at the time questioning their accuracy.
About 150 years ago, A Russian immigrant named Ivan Panin began studying the way the Bible was written. He spent over 50 years documenting the numerical properties of words and phrases in the Gospels compiling 43,000 hand written pages in the process. His work demonstrated conclusively that they had to be of supernatural origin.
Paul was forced to write letters to the church because of his periods of incarceration. Paul’s letters were written during the same span of time, and John’s letters including The Revelation, came around 90-95 AD. All of these letters enjoyed a wide circulation through out the Church then as they do now. If someone began passing out a counterfeit New Testament today it wouldn’t take long for us to find out. All we’d have to do is compare it with a legitimate copy. It was the same then.
There are 5,686 Greek manuscripts in existence today for the New Testament, thousands more than for any other ancient text. Because the copies are so numerous, they can be cross checked for accuracy. This process has determined that the internal consistency of New Testament documents is about 99.5% textually pure. In addition there are over 19,000 copies in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages. The total supporting New Testament manuscript base is over 24,000.
Books that were left out didn’t meet the criteria for inclusion. It consisted of three major points:
1. Were the authors either eyewitnesses to the events they wrote about or at least directly taught about them by the Apostles?
2. Was each book’s teachings consistent with church practice and tradition?
3. Was each book already in general use by the church, and accepted as the Divine Word of God?
In summary there’s substantial evidence supporting both the accuracy and supernatural origin of the New Testament.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Saudis, Gulf states on war alert for early US-Iran clash
Saudis, Gulf states on war alert for early US-Iran clash DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 5, 2012, 10:35 AM (GMT+02:00) Tags: Iran nuclear US warships Barack Obama Persian Gulf Saudi Arabia GCC Bombs in the hold of the USS Stennis.
The armies of Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council states stood ready Thursday Jan. 5, for Washington to stand up to Iranian threats and send an aircraft carrier or several warships through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf. Riyadh has been leaning hard on the Obama administration not to let Tehran get away with its warning to react with "full force" if the USS Stennis aircraft carrier tried to reenter the Gulf or Iran's pretensions to control the traffic transiting the world's most important oil route.
Wednesday night, the Iranian parliament began drafting a bill prohibiting foreign warships from entering the Gulf without Tehran's permission.
Debkafile's Washington sources report that Saudi Arabia has warned the Obama administration that Iranian leaders mean what they say; their leaders are bent on provoking a military clash with the United States at a time and place of their choosing, rather than leaving the initiative to Washington. To this end, Iranian officials are ratcheting up their belligerence day after day.
Notwithstanding their military inferiority, the Iranians believe they can snatch a measure of success from a military confrontation, just as the Lebanese Hizballah did in the 2006 war against Israel. In any case, they expect any clash to be limited – at least at first. The two sides will begin by feeling for the opposite side's weaknesses while endeavoring to hold the line against a full-blown war.
America's failure to rise to Iran's challenge will confirm its rulers in the conviction that the US is a paper tiger and encourage them to press their advantage for new gains.
The assessment of British military experts Thursday, Jan. 5, was that the question now is: Who will blink first? Will the US follow through on the Pentagon's assertion that the deployment of US military assets in the Persian Gulf will continue as it has for decades? Or will Iran act on its warnings and block those waters to the entry of American warships?
President Barack Obama can't afford to cave in to Iran, especially while campaigning for reelection in Nov. 2012; Tehran, for its part, has made too many threats to easily back down.
The entire region is now on tenterhooks for the next move, with US, Iranian and Gulf armies on the highest war alert. American and Iranian war planners both accept that their advantage lies in surprising the enemy – without, however, catapulting the Persian Gulf into a full-dress war.
US Navy publications as of Wednesday, Jan. 4 showed a sign of the times: One ran a series of photos of F-18 Super Hornet fighter-bombers standing on the runways of the USS Stennis aircraft carrier ready for takeoff at any moment. Another depicted for the first time ever row upon row of huge bombs in the carrier's hold to show the Iranians what they are taking on.
In the view of debkafile’s military sources, the fact that the US has deployed only one large aircraft carrier in the region does not signify any reluctance on Washington's part to preserve the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. There is no longer a need to rush more carriers to a flashpoint in these strategic waters. The US maintains five huge air bases in the Gulf region – two, the Ali Al Salem and Ahmed Al Jaber bases, in Kuwait; the Al Dhafra base in the UAE; and the largest air bases outside the US – Al Adid in Qatar and the Thumrait in Oman.
The concentration of aircraft carriers at any given location is no longer treated as the marker of an imminent US military operation.
The armies of Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf Cooperation Council states stood ready Thursday Jan. 5, for Washington to stand up to Iranian threats and send an aircraft carrier or several warships through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf. Riyadh has been leaning hard on the Obama administration not to let Tehran get away with its warning to react with "full force" if the USS Stennis aircraft carrier tried to reenter the Gulf or Iran's pretensions to control the traffic transiting the world's most important oil route.
Wednesday night, the Iranian parliament began drafting a bill prohibiting foreign warships from entering the Gulf without Tehran's permission.
Debkafile's Washington sources report that Saudi Arabia has warned the Obama administration that Iranian leaders mean what they say; their leaders are bent on provoking a military clash with the United States at a time and place of their choosing, rather than leaving the initiative to Washington. To this end, Iranian officials are ratcheting up their belligerence day after day.
Notwithstanding their military inferiority, the Iranians believe they can snatch a measure of success from a military confrontation, just as the Lebanese Hizballah did in the 2006 war against Israel. In any case, they expect any clash to be limited – at least at first. The two sides will begin by feeling for the opposite side's weaknesses while endeavoring to hold the line against a full-blown war.
America's failure to rise to Iran's challenge will confirm its rulers in the conviction that the US is a paper tiger and encourage them to press their advantage for new gains.
The assessment of British military experts Thursday, Jan. 5, was that the question now is: Who will blink first? Will the US follow through on the Pentagon's assertion that the deployment of US military assets in the Persian Gulf will continue as it has for decades? Or will Iran act on its warnings and block those waters to the entry of American warships?
President Barack Obama can't afford to cave in to Iran, especially while campaigning for reelection in Nov. 2012; Tehran, for its part, has made too many threats to easily back down.
The entire region is now on tenterhooks for the next move, with US, Iranian and Gulf armies on the highest war alert. American and Iranian war planners both accept that their advantage lies in surprising the enemy – without, however, catapulting the Persian Gulf into a full-dress war.
US Navy publications as of Wednesday, Jan. 4 showed a sign of the times: One ran a series of photos of F-18 Super Hornet fighter-bombers standing on the runways of the USS Stennis aircraft carrier ready for takeoff at any moment. Another depicted for the first time ever row upon row of huge bombs in the carrier's hold to show the Iranians what they are taking on.
In the view of debkafile’s military sources, the fact that the US has deployed only one large aircraft carrier in the region does not signify any reluctance on Washington's part to preserve the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. There is no longer a need to rush more carriers to a flashpoint in these strategic waters. The US maintains five huge air bases in the Gulf region – two, the Ali Al Salem and Ahmed Al Jaber bases, in Kuwait; the Al Dhafra base in the UAE; and the largest air bases outside the US – Al Adid in Qatar and the Thumrait in Oman.
The concentration of aircraft carriers at any given location is no longer treated as the marker of an imminent US military operation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)