15 Aug
Does Iran Have Nothing To Fear?
After two years of fruitless talks, European negotiators have all but given
up on persuading Iran to halt its nuclear program. The Iranian government
triggered the latest crisis by announcing it would proceed with
plans to convert more than 40 tons of raw uranium into uranium hexafluoride
- the gas that when spun in centrifuges yields enriched uranium.
Unless a last-minute diplomatic solution is hammered out, the matter will
most likely be referred to the UN Security Council. If Iran refuses the
will of the General Assembly, Tehran could find itself facing economic sanctions.
There is growing realization that the process of endless dialog may be part
of the problem. Iran and North Korea have mastered the game of diplomatic
cat and mouse. As the talks have dragged on, their atomic scientists
continue the work of building a nuclear arsenal. North Korea has already
won. They now have several nuclear devices. Iran is following the same
strategy.
The zooming price of oil has to be to Iran's favor. Because it supplies
Europe and China with a large portion of their oil needs, any disruption of the oil flow would prove to be painful for these consumer
nations.
The military option is being weighed as a next step. President Bush has
said he might consider using force as a last resort to press Iran to give up
its nuclear program. Unfortunately, most analysts believe that the US has
trouble enough with Iraq and Afghanistan to risk getting involved with Iran.
Israel is the only other nation with an interest in stopping Iran from
getting the bomb.
Iran has a long-stated policy of calling for Israel's destruction. Outside
the entrance of the foreign ministry in Tehran, there used to hang a 40-foot
banner bearing the message: "Israel Must Burn." Once Iran achieves nuclear
capabilities, the slogan would take on a more threatening tone.
You may remember that Israel is the nation that did the world a big favor by
destroying on Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor. Iran has been mindful of
Israel's daring 1981 air strike. The Islamic state has deliberately spread
its facilities far and wide, using nine locations for its nuclear
infrastructure.
There are other factors that would make an Israeli raid a difficult task.
With each of Iran's facilities buried under tons of reinforced concrete,
they are much harder to destroy. Because Iran is further away from Israel
than Iraq, it's questionable whether Israel's fighters could reach their
target and make it home without refueling.
If Iran were to achieve nuclear capability, the world would become a much
more dangerous place. The non-proliferation treaties that have kept the world safe from a nuclear holocaust could come unraveled. Once a radical nation like Iran goes
nuclear, other nations will feel compelled to follow its lead. Most nuclear
watchdogs believe that a nuclear armed Iran would force Saudi Arabia to seek
the bomb.
With more than 40 countries having some type of atomic research project, it
would be very easy for most of them to produce bomb-grade material. I've
pointed out before that even the dirt-poor nation of Bangladesh has a
nuclear program.
The book of Revelation talks a lot about death and destruction on a massive
scale. For centuries men thought that fire and brimstone came from God.
Once the atomic bomb was developed by mankind, it came clear to students of
prophecy that much of the calamity may be self-inflicted.
Checking Up on Checking Your Spiritual Health
The voluntary involvement drive that I posted in the June 6 update is paying
off. A look at the The Newest Articles block will reveal a large number of
articles that have been added to the site. Because I'm miserably backlogged,
several projects for the Timeline section and the Glossary page are still in
the works.
I've noticed that whenever I ask for people to contribute to various
projects, the level of interest has a very short life. I get an initial
flood of emails, then response quickly trails off.
Because I know there is a core group of people who generally want to help,
I feel bad about not being able to better connect with them. One big
hindrance is the lack of understanding of what needs to be done.
I'm always trying to think of better ways to involve volunteers in the
building process. To get around the communication problem, I've decided to
try focusing on projects that are functional but that need to be improved.
The new Checking Your Spiritual Health section at the top of the left column
is our first example. I'm happy with how the basic design of the page
invites people to think about their spiritual health, but I'm not quite yet
satisfied with what we have so far.
I'm looking for input from you folks on how we can improve this section.
What I need is ideas on the general layout of the section, and the wording
of the pages. You can send your suggestions to me at:
todds@raptureready.com
Key Prophetic Signposts Merge
Two of the most significant signposts that this generation stands at the end of the Church Age have merged into one. The confluence has taken place in recent times in a number of religious organizations that claim to be “Christian.”
It is not for me to say that these organizations –or constituent parts within them-- are not “Christian.” I will let their own dealings with the Word of God speak for their status in that regard. I do have my opinion, but will restrict it to reporting the facts, juxtapositioned against the Holy Scriptures.
The two end-time matters that need to be looked at because they are observably on the scene and merging today are homosexuality and apostasy growing within the churches that claim the name of Christ.
The prophecies that are most relevant in dissecting this end-time manifestation are found in the following:
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all (Lk. 17:26-29).
The chief reason for Sodom’s complete destruction, i.e., God’s wrath, was the homosexuality that had infected that culture. Jesus prophesied that it will be that way again in the culture of the world when He comes back.
The second part of this merging end-time dual signal – “the falling away,” from the Greek word apostia, or apostasy—is found in the following:
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition… (2 Thes. 2:3).
Many denominations could be named here. We’ve heard and read of the homosexual priests and their pedophile activities within the Catholic Church. We have been aware for some time of the debates within the Episcopalian branches of Christendom concerning whether to allow gay priests to serve as ministers.
Same goes for a number of other denominations. Presbyterian, Methodist, and others, have gay activists asserting their rights to worship and serve as teachers and preachers within the mainline structures of these church organizations. We will look, as an example of what is happening on an increasingly troubling level, at the current controversy within the Lutheran Church.
A recent news article tells the story.
ORLANDO, FL--Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America expressed anger,
hurt and confusion about what role gays should have in their denomination at a hearing Tuesday on a forthcoming vote at their national convention…
More than 400 delegates and observers crowded into a hotel meeting room where Lutheran leaders invited comments about proposals on blessing same-sex unions and ordaining gays who are not celibate (LUTHERANS SORTING OUT GAY issues, by Rachel Zoll, The Associated Press, Wed. Aug. 10, 2005).
While it is encouraging that there is, at this late date, some degree of opposition to the apostasy that is gathering steam, end-time prophetic forewarnings leap to mind while reports continue to inundate our daily news. We can clearly see the compromises developing, and they are Luciferian at their roots.
The key proposals before the 1018 delegates in Orlando are based on years of work by a task force on sexuality that tried to find a compromise policy for the 4.9 million-member church.
The measures would, according to the source quoted above:
* Affirm the church ban on ordaining sexually active gays and lesbians, but allow bishops and church districts called synods to seek an exception for a particular candidate if that person is in a committed relationship and meets other conditions.
*
* Uphold the denomination's prohibition against same-sex blessings, but give bishops and pastors discretion in deciding how to minister to gay couples.
*
* Call for unity, even though congregants disagree on the issue” (Ibid.).
A subsequent report gives more encouraging news.
ORLANDO, FL--A national meeting of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America rejected a proposal Friday that would have allowed gays in committed relationships to serve as clergy under certain conditions.
The measure would have affirmed the church ban on ordaining sexually active gays but would have allowed bishops and church districts called synods to seek an exception for a particular candidate--if that person was in a long-term relationship and met other restrictions.
Delegates voted against the measure 503-490…(LUTHERANS REJECT LOOSENING RULES TO ALLOW ORDINATION OF MORE GAYS, by Rachel Zoll, The Associated Press, Fri. Aug. 12, 2005).
Even though the Lutheran Church seems to have determined to hold to Bible truth this time around, we begin to get the totality of meaning found within God’s disgust with the Ladocean church.
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth (Rev. 3:14-16).
Acceptance of homosexuality –which Scripture calls “abomination”-- as godly flies in the face of a holy, righteous God. Such compromise literally makes Him sick, according to His own words given above. Obviously, because of God’s words to the Laodicean church, such compromise is especially despicable in His view.
In anticipation of receiving the label “homophobic” in writing this commentary, please know that the bottom line I wish to convey is that God loves the person caught up in the sin of homosexuality. He has moved heaven and earth, literally, to save the person who commits that abominable sin, the same as He moved heaven and earth (gave His only begotten Son –John 3:16) to save all sinners.
God must and will judge all sin, including the sin wrapped up in this dual end-time signal --the melding of homosexuality with apostasy prophesied in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2.
Christ’s call to His true Church could happen at any moment!
--Terry
