Obama Doesn't Get It. Neither Does US Intelligence

This from the Debkafile after today's first meeting between Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House.

US-Israel summit shadowed by Obama's soft stand on Iranian enrichment
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report


Iran has consistently fooled international nuclear monitors
DEBKAfile's Washington sources report that the gap between US president Barack Obama and Israel prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Iran was wider even than on the Palestinian issue. Overshadowing their outwardly easy conversation was the US president's growing inclination to meet Iran halfway on uranium enrichment and call off UN and American sanctions if Tehran allows international monitoring of the process.

Our intelligence sources report that Obama is seriously considering taking up the Anglo-German proposal for an international monitoring mechanism strict enough to preclude Iran's attainment of weapons-grade enriched uranium.

The president was convinced by American intelligence and nuclear experts that this can be done. He also believes that nothing will persuade Tehran to cede its right to enrichment activity on its soil.

Israeli intelligence and military experts take the opposite view. They believe the Anglo-German plan gives Iran the perfect cover for concealing its race for a nuclear bomb, a misgiving shared by the political and military establishments of the moderate Arab governments in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.

It is their view that if Obama adopts this plan, Iran can be sure of arriving at a nuclear weapon capability by the end of 2010.

This dispute did not come up in the Obama-Netanyahu conversation. Both skated around the Iranian nuclear threat separately without touching on options outside diplomacy. The US president said he was in the process of "reaching out" to Iran and was confident he could persuade Tehran's rulers that a nuclear weapon was not in their best interest if they wanted to be fully accepted as part of the international community. He did not mention uranium enrichment or a military option against Iran. Neither would he accept a deadline for negotiations with Tehran, except to say that at the end of the year, "we will see where we stand."

But asked later to comment, Netanyahu said: "We will defend ourselves."

Seen from outside Washington, by Iran's neighbors, Israeli and Arab alike, President Obama has made Iran the gift of seven clear months for developing its nuclear capabilities and enrichment undisturbed.

The only thing left to the Israeli prime minister was to commend "the president's firm commitment that Iran will not attain a nuclear weapon."
__________________________________________________________________________
My Commentary

Ravi Zacherias said recently that: 'We see with our ears, and hear with our emotions.' We bypass logic and reason, refusing to understand anything beyond what we feel. One thing is certain with President Obama: HE FEELS DEEPLY. However, that there is no understanding or wisdom in the Iran/Israeli/Palestinian...foreign policy, is obvious. He continues to ignore the obvious fact that Iran has a reason for developing nuclear weapons, and it is not to join the World Community.

What is spewing out of the mouth of Iran's Ahmadinjad is not rhetoric. He sincerely belives he is called to initiate the firestorm that will usher in the appearance of the Islamic messiah known as the Twelfth Imam, or Mahdi. He is hell bent on starting his own version of Armageddon, all at the expense of Israel and a sleepy, lethargic United States. Obama is only showing a limp-wristed hand to our self-declared mortal enemies. They will see it for what t is: WEAK!

I keep asking: When will Obama wake up to the realities of the world?" I fear the answer will come well after the the end of our world as we know it.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Jimmy Root Jr
Author: Distant Thunder
www.lightningchronicles. com
www.jimmyrootonline.com

No Dark Colored Glass Here

May 12, 2009

It is becoming increasingly clear (pardon the pun) that there is no seeing through a glass darkly when it comes to the direction that Barack Obama, President of the World, is heading.

As I jot, preparations are being made at the great pyramids of Giza to receive the messiah. Once there, Obama will address the Islamic world, probably with a great big smooch. Here is a man, smooth and cool, who is nothing but a calculating fool. Can there be such a thing? I'm sorry to say, YES. Why this man would lay the kiss of friendship upon people who desire to slit his throat is....beyond logic, reason, and defies belief.

At the same time, the only true friend America has had in Middle East is receiving a firm backhand by the President. His position is to strip Israel of its right to protect itself. That he would address Islam from Egypt on June 4th, the eve of the 1967 Arab/Egyption invasion of Israel, is not coincidental. It is calculated. That date was the last 24 hour period in which Islam controlled the Holy City of Jerusalem. Not surprising that Obama desires to divide that city again. hmmm

The worst of it is that Obama is not listening to the majority of Americans, including Jews and Evangelicals, who are clamoring for continued support of one, undivided Israel. Maybe he is smarter than we all think and simply is attempting to fulfill prophecy.
Jimmy Root Jr

Taking a Collective Breath as Netanyahu and Obama Meeting Approaches

The question remains: Will the Obama Administration and the Israeli administration of Benjamin Netanyahu be able to find a way to work together? A large portion of the world holds its collective breath as the first meeting between the two leaders approaches.
To say that Barack Obama has added a sense of vertigo to the Middle East epicenter (a term penned by Joel C. Rosenberg) is an understatement. Leaked from White House operatives over the weekend of May 4th was the US administration's policy of "Expose and Dispose." The long standing, gentleman's agreement of non-disclosure of Israel's possible nuclear arsenal went up in a wisp of smoke with just the hint that Obama wanted to expose Israel's deterrent. Forty years worth of partnership and cooperation suffered an extreme evaporation of trust. In Obama's misguided hunt to bring about a peacefully negotiated settlement with radical Iran, the last true Middle Eastern Allie is having it's face rubbed in the dirt while being told it must not have the right to defend itself. Israel is being stripped of a right that every other nation on earth is allowed to exercise.
On May 18th, Prime Minister Netanyahu will sit down in the White Hose with the President and attempt to salvage some semblance of trust. Whether the gesture works or not remains to be seen. But a few principle differences in positions are clear. First is the ever-present Palestinian issue. Two totally different worldviews are about to clash when it comes to the push for a Palestinian state. Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton, see the absolute necessity of creating two full states, one Jewish, one Palestinian. Both would have the right of self-defense and self-determination. Palestinians (Arab refugees) would have the ability to migrate to the new Palestinian state only, while Jews would migrate to Israel. Never the two would meet.
Problem: Obama and Clinton seem to be ignorant of the radical Islamic element to the equation. A two-state solution is not what the Arab world seeks. It is looking for a ONE STATE SOLUTION....ARAB! Israel remains the 'Little Satan,' and the Jewish state must be destroyed. To radical, Wahabi Islam, Israel must cease to exist.
Netanyahu sees the Obama/Clinton vision as something fraught with danger. He understands the constant peril of his people. A Palestinian state, with the right to create and maintain its own military, is nothing less than handing a gun to an unarmed thief who is attempting to rob you.
Iran must also be considered. What Obama fails to understand is that Iran, and its puppet Syria, are the force and fire behind militant Palestinians. The President is seeking to extend a hand to an entity that wants to remove America from existence. He cannot, or will not see the apocalyptic bent of Mahmoud Ahmadinijad. To expose Israel's nuclear capacity, and push for a unilateral concession on the part of Israel, just to entice Iran to halt its nuclear ambition is naive at best and foolish at worst. Obama and Clinton are using the Palestinian issue as yet another way to soothe and persuade Iran. It's scope is Carteresque in weakness and diplomatic limp wristedness.
I believe Netanyahu will seek to move toward a Palestinian state that is minus the trappings of a sovereign nation, one that will be denied the right of creating a military. It is also increasingly obvious that he will cordially refuse to comply with Obama's 'Expose and Dispose' policy. Why? As Obama turns further away from the thought of defending the Jewish State, Israel's last true deterrent in stopping Iran is its nuclear arsenal. We must keep that in mind as it becomes clearer that Israel will soon have to deal unilaterally with the Iranian nuclear threat.
The question is: will Obama slow his increasingly anti-Israeli tone after the May 18th meeting? Can trust be built between the two men? If not, what will happen next?
Jimmy Root, Jr
Author: "Distant Thunder" August 2009
Support the Joshua Fund www.joshuafund.net

Obama Continues To Dismantle Historic Ties With Israel, To the Detriment of All

If there were any lingering hopes that President Obama would rise above his globalist roots and maintain a strong relationship with America's last true allie int he Middle East, recent developments in the administrations Mid-East policy have dashed them all. Obama is playing the Arab two-step with greater gusto than any President in history. Not only has he begun a systematic reconstruction of the United States of America, he is running rapidly toward Biblical ruin. Is it his Islamic life history, a thumbing of his nose at Democracy, or just plain ignorance in facing a world gone mad? You choose.
Newt Gingrich has his opinion, and I believe he is correct. Read this article from the May 3rd Jerusalem Post...and pray.

Former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Sunday blasted the Obama administration for setting itself on a collision course with Israel and endangering the Jewish state.


"They are systematically setting up the most decisive confrontation that we've ever seen," the leading Republican politician told The Jerusalem Post, referring to news reports about the administration's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

"There's almost an eagerness to take on the Israeli government to make a point with the Arab world," he said, speaking to the Post ahead of his speech before the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's annual conference.

He called US President Barack Obama's program of engagement on Iran a "fantasy," and his Middle East policies "very dangerous for Israel." He summed up Obama's approach as "the clearest adoption of weakness since Jimmy Carter."

Instead, he maintained, the US should be sending the message to Israel that "we are for the survival of Israel" and that "we are not going to tolerate Iran getting nuclear weapons."

He added that creating prosperity among Palestinians was important, and that the US should be helping their leaders grow their society and crowd out Hamas.


The Obama administration has also been trying to support the Fatah party as it shuns Hamas, and is looking to restart the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians in part to accomplish that end. The US government has also been focusing on engaging Iran to try to prevent them from obtaining nuclear weapons, holding out the possibility of more economic sanctions should the diplomatic process fail.

My furhter Comment
Can there be any doubt that we are rushing headlong toward the cataclysmic fulfilment of the Ezeziel 28 & 39 prophecy? Israel will be surrounded by an Russian/Iranian/Arab coalition, and only God will intervene. The nations of the world will finally and completely forsake the Jewish nation. Judgment will follow. The passage in Ezekiel also gives strong indication that, in the immediate aftermath, the gospel of Jesus will resound around the world like never before. Are you ready?

Obama Leaves Israel In a Lurch

This from the Debkafile

Israel shocked by Obama's approval of large Turkish arms sale to Lebanon
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report

April 22, 2009, 10:49 PM (GMT+02:00)

DEBKAfile quotes senior Israeli military circles as staggered by the discovery that US president Barack Obama had approved a large Turkish arms sale to the Lebanese army, including the services of Turkish military instructors. This was taken as further proof that the US president is deaf to Israel's immediate security concerns. Lebanese president Gen. Michel Suleiman has more than once threatened neighboring Israel. When he signed the arms deal in Ankara Tuesday, April 21, he once again pledged publicly to place the Lebanese army at the disposal of the Shiite terrorist Hizballah in any confrontation with Israel.

If that happened, said one Israeli source, Israel could find itself under attack not just by Hizballah as in the past, but by a Lebanese army, well trained and armed by Turkey. He noted that more than 50 percent of Lebanon's fighting manpower are Shiites loyal to Hizballah.

The conviction is growing in Jerusalem that the US president endorsed the transaction as a means of breaking up the long-standing military pact between Israel and Turkey, because it interferes with his Middle East objectives. Our sources note that neither Washington nor Ankara bothered to inform Israel of the transaction or its scope.

After meeting Turkish president Abdullah Gul, Suleiman at the head of a large Lebanese military delegation signed the contracts for the sale and declared with deep satisfaction: "We reviewed the new [US] policies towards the region in the light of President Obama's recent visit to Turkey."

My Comments
The prophet Daniel tells the story of Babylonian King Belteshazzar including the now well-used phrase, "The handwriting is on the wall." While Belteshazzar partied and gloated over the demise of Jerusalem, a hand appeared in mid-air inscribing the words 'mene, mene, tekal parsin' on the wall. The words signaled the braggadocios king's demise. It happened suddenly and quickly. The difference between what happened then and what is taking place now is this: The handwriting on the wall is long and drawn out. We can see Obama's eventual abandonment of Israel coming a long way off. No suddenness here, no secret, no attempt to cover it up. Obama has the great new vision of doing what everyone else has done before, pull the rug out from under the Jewish nation.

Giving approval of Turkey's supplying of Israel's enemies, overt in the face of existing treaties, tells us Obama is either Biblically ignorant, or absolutely bent on doing the exact opposite of what is right. However, his act leads me to believe he is a player in the fulfillment of the Ezekiel 38-39 prophecies. How so? Turkey is most definitely part of the Russian-led coalition that will descend to attack Israel. Togarmah and Gomer are both people groups that settled in what is modern day Turkey. It is also stated that no nation will come to Israel's aid when that coalition attacks, including the United States of America.

I am not surprised, but I am saddened. Not only is President Obama dismantling every foundational aspect of the Constitution and our freedom, he is doing the one thing that will guarantee the judgment of God upon our country. He is rejecting Israel. It's the same as a curse. When Israel next finds itself under the gun by those who seek to destroy her, our president will turn a deaf ear and a stiffened back. I believe that will take place soon. We are quickly approaching the next major fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. It will be catastrophic, but it will also be the last major opportunity for world-wide evangelism. Are you ready?

Jimmy Root, Jr
Author: "Distant Thunder"
To be released August 2009

A Fox in the Henhouse Playing with a Chicken

A fox is in the henhouse, playing with the chicken.
Read this article in today's Jerusalem Post.

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday he was willing to forget the past and build a new relationship with the United States, adding that he was preparing a new package of proposals aimed at breaking the impasse with the West over his country's nuclear program.
The remarks to thousands in the southeastern city of Kerman took a conciliatory tone not usually heard in his speeches.
"The Iranian nation is a generous nation. It may forget the past and start a new era, but any country speaking on the basis of selfishness will get the same response the Iranian nation gave to Mr. Bush," Ahmadinejad said.
He spoke a day after the Obama administration said its immediate goal is to get Iran back to the negotiating table. Though the US government declined to publicly discuss possible new strategies for dealing with Teheran on the nuclear issue, one senior official said they could involve allowing Iran to continue enriching uranium at its current level for some time.

My Comments

Is it a coincidence that not two weeks have passed since newly elected Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared that if the US doesn't do something about the Iranian Nuclear Program, Israel would? I don't think so. Iranian President, Mahmoud Amadinijad, is no idiot. He is wiley and deceptive in offering the appearance of an olive branch to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
In fact, I believe he is smarter than the two of them combined.

Ahmadinijad knows something. First, he understands Obama's drive to be seen in America and around the world as a man of peace. (Peace at any cost, of course, is nothing less than perilouss.) Obama is young, arrogant, and gullable. He is ripe for the picking, and Ahmadinjad is picking. Iran also knows that Obama will do nothing beyond words in attempting to halt nuclear progress. That leaves the threat imposed by Israel. Ahmadinijad is well aware of Netanyahu's history of doing exactly what he says. In other words, Israel is not threatening Iran, they are issuing a warning that something will be done.
Ahmadinijad is a step ahead of everyone. He is playing his card. By offering an olive branch to the US, he is gambling that Obama will, in turn, pressure Israel to stand down and let negotiations and restored relations have a chance. May I say it? Hogwash! The sad fact is this, Obama will fall for the gambit.
Last, for Ahmadinijad to offer to negotiate its nuclear capabilities simply means they now, most likely, have nuclear capabilities. Israeli intel has been saying that Iran would have the capacity to deploy one or more nuclear weapons by June of this year. Logic demands us to acknowledge that those estimates were probably wrong. Iran has either formed a weapon, or can deploy at least a "dirty nuke."
In my book, Distant Thunder, set to be released in August of 2009, Haifa is the target of a tactical nuclear attack committed by Iran and Syria. The odds are growing daily that just such an event will happen. The world will stand by and allow it. Israel will be on its own.

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem before it is too late.

Promise Twenty To Reward Your Patience

Have you ever tried to get a bird to come when you called, or a deer to eat out of your hands? How about a stray cat? Man, I can't hardly get my Jack Russell Terrorist to come when I call.

I once freaked out a perspective girlfriend. (That happened from time to time. Thanks Jean for hanging in there!) There was a wasp flying around the room and I was showing off. You know, just being 16 year old dumb. I stuck my finger into the air at the wasp as he flew by, and then I gave a little whistle. I swear, that thing did a u-turn and lit on the end of my finger. The girl was freaked. I was shocked. And then it hit me...this is painful. Stingers hurt. Oh well. Patience is rewarded from time to time.

God promises a reward for our hanging in there with him and our service to others. There are times when nothing seems to be working right, people don't want to listen, the devil gets the upper hand. But the Lord tells us a harvest is coming...and it will, at some point.

PROMISE Twenty
"Let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't get discouraged and give up." Galatians 6:9

Let me tell you, it is soooo easy to give up. Quiting is simple. Just walk away. Walk away from your mission. Walk away from your effort. Walk away from your spouse. Walk away from your failure. Just walk away. Of course, your trouble is like a yapping dog. It will follow you as you walk away and nip at your heels. My advice is to patiently face what is in front of you and strive to do the right thing. It takes patience! I'll say it again so LISTEN UP...It takes PATIENCE. So hurry up and keep doing right. (Can you hear my struggles?)
Pastor Jim

Promise Nineteen A Reward of Your Faith

I finally won a prize. I had signed a million or so of those little sheets that enter a person in a drawing. Everytime I went to the lumber yard I signed. Once for a prize, once for a bill. Up til then I'd never won a drawing or prize. Then, I got the call. "Mr. Root," said an excited voice, "You've won the drawing." Wow! Cool! I won a fifty dollar ten speed bycicle. (No remember, I was a pastor and just a tad overweight...the ten speed was for junior.) At least I won.

I relished my winning moment; replayed it over and over again to maintain the joy it produced. I even rode the bike a bit. Sometimes you just gotta believe. I suppose it's a faith thing, but the faith is in chance.

Not so with God. It is no accident that God gave you a measure of faith. He gave it so you would express it, use it, practice it. If you just use a seeds worth, big things can happen. I'm talking things that are bigger than ten speed bikes. The more you learn that big things happen through faith, the more you desire to excercise it. God rewards even the smallest faith, for with him, all things are possible!

PROMISE Nineteen
"I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20

I was so pumped at winning, I double my entrances in drawings. I promptly won an all expense paid trip for me and my family to Washington D.C. Got there just in time for Monica Lewinsky's testimony. Wow! Faith...use it or.....use it.
Pastor Jim

Promise Eighteen Refined Desires

I used to think it would be cool to be a pro football player. But then I saw some ex-pros trying to walk. I once thought it would be neat to be a computer programmer. But then I saw a huddle of geeks. Yikes! (Just kidding.) I still dream about being a pilot, but man, have you seen the price tag on getting a license? Shazzam! I think I can wait for the rapture. That'll be real flying!

PROMISE Eighteen
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:4

It's amazing how our desires are refined as we gain wisdom. Now, I'm not a really wise sort of fella, maybe a wiseguy. I still open my mouth wide and stick a foot in with relative ease. But age, and a closer walk with Jesus have put my desires to the fire. The truly good ones come out more like gold than the rest. The closer I get to eternity, the more I desire the things with eternal value. Being a good husband. Being a faithful servant. Being a true pastor. Being a loving dad, and eventually granddad. But most of all, I desire to see the one who died in my place. You may think it strange, but I'm beginning to think about seeing Jesus most of the time.

In difficult times, our desires tend to simplify. Rather than desiring a new house, car, boat, or wife, we may be stuck desiring a drink of water or a slice of bread. I want to challenge you to let your desires become eternal, not temporal. As you've already seen in this promise marathon, the food, water, clothes, roof, and provisions are already promised. You may as well desire the Kingdom because it's coming.
Pastor Jim

Promise Seventeen Blues Busting Joy

PROMISE Seventeen
"Those who sow in tears will reap with joy." Psalms 126:5


The other day, I caught a tear welling up in my eye while I was watching a movie. What a pansy! You know you're losing it when you have to clandestinely reach up and flick away any evidence of emotion. Sissy! Of course, it was only a movie.

I find myself crying more. (Some say that happens after 50.) It's not an age thing. Well, yes it is, maybe not an aging, but tears produced by the current age we live in. This present age really hurts. It is filled with pain, and the pain is increasing. Pain produces tears. (Okay big fella, hit your thumb really hard with a hammer and see if you don't cry some big crocodile tears!) But there is more to it than hard times. I believe God lays upon our hearts a spirit of compassion and empathy. It is an emotion that reaches out and hurts with others.

Many of you are hurting, probably crying deep inside. Listen, the Lord sees those tears, and he is coverting them into nurishment that will produce a harves of joy; just like a cornfield needs water for the kernels to grow. No, we don't enjoy that feeling of sorrow that produces tears, but a harvest is coming. Imagine leaping for joy when you see Jesus for the first time. Imagine his finger, the one that created the universe, wiping away your tears of sorrow for all time and eternity. Makes me want to jump up and dance.
Pastor Jim

Promise Sixteen Comfort

Many people have a misguided view of the character of God. They see him as an old, crotchety, codger who really gets his jollies out of inflicting pain and misery on us poor human saps. That is sad. In fact, it's tragic.

When I was a teenager, the only good Sunday afternoon television programming involved All-Star Wrestling. If it wasn't football, it was wresting. Pure nonsense, but fun entertainment. My favorite villain in the 1970's was the evil, sadistic, Baron von Rashke. He wasn't terribly big, but boy was he mean. He was a raving lunatic, with spittle running from his mouth as he wrestled. He struck fear in his opponents and laughter in his fans. But is was his famous move that made all the difference. It was called, "The Claw," or in the Baron's language, "Zee Claw." His hand would grip a man by the forehead and squeeze the poor guy into submission. NO ONE wants his brains crushed. Oddly, some people see God that way...the Baron with a claw-hand just waiting to pounce when things are going bad. That's not what the word says, and it's not what I know by experience.

PROMISE Sixteen
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Admit it. That doesn't sound like a holy drop kick, or a claw, or God coming off the top rope when we are down and out. It sounds more like the God who really cares about what happens in our lives and is there to lift and encourage us. Maybe we should re-think how we see the one who died for us in that cosmic tag-team match when we were beaten by the enemy.
Pastor Jim

Promise Fifteen Answers!

I have to tell you, I love opened doors. So here's the scoop. The more I age, the more I find joy in the middle of the night trip to the bathroom. You too? I no longer mind interrupted sleep. However, I am also half blind if I don't have my glasses on or contacts in. That means the deep of night visit to the RR (Relieve and Recycle) is done by memorization. I know where the dressers are, where the dog is lying cozy in his bed, where to take a 90 degree turn, etc., etc. You get the picture. I can do it with my eyes shut. But the other night, someone closed the door. As there are only two living in the house, and as I never close doors, that leaves one suspect! Well, you got it...I nosed right into that closed door, and it basically ruined the rest of my night. So, you can see the logic of why I love opened doors.

PROMISE Fifteen
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. And to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

I am especially comforted in knowing that, even during the hardest times, God hears me when I knock in prayer. You see, we serve a DOOR-OPENING GOD. He hears us when we call, when we pray, when we hunt around seeking him. It is not a passive hearing, like the guy who has the ability to turn his hearing aid down whenever his wife needs the dishes done or the trash hauled out the door. NO, it is an active listening. It's as if God has his hand cupped behind his ear just waiting for the slightest whimper or a knock from us. Then, he responds.

Oh sure, you might say some doors need to stay closed, prayers that he responds with a resounding no. True! But he always directs the seeker to the right door. He doesn't leave us standing out in the cold. What a great God! In these increasingly troubled times, don't call on fear or fear mongers. Call on the one who really has this thing under control. He hears, he listens, and he opens.

Promise Fourteen Something to Look Forward To

I'm pulling my hair out for spring. The patience is gone! Can't wait any longer for seventy degree weather. I want to dig some dirt. I must plant something. I can smell the aroma of grass freshly cut. I hear the hum of the lawn mower. Ah...Spring! Come quickly.

Did you know that the word Eden doesn't mean garden. It means DELIGHT. God planted a garden in Delight. To bad Adam blew it. Not the garden part, but the delight. Eden meant purity of union. It meant an unhindered friendship with the Almighty. It meant a walk in the cool of the day with the Creator...every day! Talk about a cardio work out. I can feel my heart beating faster just thinking about walking with Jesus along the river of delight in the New Jerusalem.

Promise Fourteen
"However, as it is written, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

Of course, the verse goes on to tell us that the Spirit has nudged our hearts with an inner revelation of what is in store. But really, we can't wrap our brains around what is ahead. It will be the Garden of Eden on steroids. Whoa! Pure, unstained joy awaits. Fun fun fun! NO SIN! NO WICKEDNESS! NO DEATH! Now I call that something to look forward to. Yet, with all the great dreams we have of eternity, our source of delight will be in the one called Jesus, Son of God. He will be the star burst in our heart. He will be the well-spring that satisfies our thirst forever. He will be the wind in our eternal sails. A daily walk...I can't wait. It's coming. It's promised.
Pastor Jim

Promise Thirteen To Work for our Good

This promise speaks for itself.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Get this...NEWS FLASH...God is busy working! You bet he is! No lazy Lord sitting on the throne. No bored Jesus just waiting for something to do. NO sir! He has his hand in the mix. He has his mind in the game. He has his eyes set on the prize, and guess what; YOU are the prize!

This isn't how he works with just anyone. You've got to be counted among those who actually love him. We know we love him when we keep his commandments, when we do what pleases him, when we seek him with our whole heart. When we live like he is our tomorrow, he makes everything that happens turn into something favorable for us. It might be refinement in our character, but that will allow us to shine like stars in the universe. His working all things together might require that we go without some of the material things of a life. But that simply drives us deeper into a longing after heaven. One thing is certain, whatever circumstances come our way are only going to serve our good! Troubled times mean stronger faith. Wild difficulties only mean a firmer foothold. Hurt only leads to healing. We may as well love him with all our hearts. He does!
Pastor Jim

Promise Twelve A Blessing for Blessers

Did you ever notice how a piece of chocolate works as a tremendous motivational pick-me-up? Life can be going miserably, all hell can be breaking loose, and one Hershey's Bar can change your life. At least it seems that way. I don't know if it is the escapism or the endorphins, I just feel better for a while.

Guess what, blessing others has the same effect. Reaching out and being someone's chocolate has an incredible way of ushering in peace and joy. When you genuinely touch someone who is hurting, or encourage someone who is down, or extoll someone who has acheived, you also experience blessing. In fact, that is God's way. Listen

Promise Twelve
"The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed: those who help other are helped."
Proverbs 11:25

This is becoming rare in our world tainted with intitlement mentality. It seems like most folks have an outstretched hand seeking what they believe is rightfully theirs rather than having a hand out for the purpose of blessing. That is where we can make a really massive difference. Try patting someone on the back. Try buying someone a cup of coffee or bag of groceries. Smile more! Laugh at life! Be infectuous with joy.
BE CHOCOLATE! You will find an abundance of blessing coming your way...so much so that you can share it all even more.
Pastor Jim

Promise Eleven Free From Fear

Promise Eleven
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." Psalm 46:1-3

Have you seen Chicken Little lately? He seems to be everywhere. With that little guy it's either a falling sky, a warming planet, a raging sea, an world economy on the bust, or the coming of the Antichrist. He runs screaming through the countryside with his hands on his head and his mouth open wide. FEAR! It is everywhere.

I recently had a person in my office who was absolutely scared to death the Global Warming was about to bring a swift end to the population of Polar Bears on the Arctic rim. Hmm I had another person that was totally freaked out that the Antichrist was about to issue the mark of the beast by way of debit cards. I mean, come on! If you're going to be frightened of something, be afraid for your unbelieving neighbor.

In these increasingly troubled and fear-driven times, it is awesome to know that we have something different to do that freak out. This promise tells us the earth could give way under our feet and we'd still have a refuge and strength. So what if President Obama opens our borders to suicide-bombing Islamists. We have a very present help in times of trouble. And hey, trouble is coming. But the fear that wants to tag along with trouble is not from God. Rather, he has given us deep courage, a covering of love, and a mind that doesn't reverberate with terror whenever Chicken Little peeps up.
Pastor Jim

Promise Ten An Inexhaustible Supply

Five million. I had it in my hands. I remember counting it out, laying each crisp one hundred increment bill out on the table. I was buying a car, and man was it expensive. The stack of money was incredible. Actually, by the time I was done, I had several stacks of crisp new bills. I slowly pushed it all across the table to the salesman. I'm not sure, but I think I recall that he drooled. I might have cried. But whichever the case, I drove away with a brand spanking new blue Renault, four cylinder sedan. Complete with windshield wipers and a spare tire in the trunk.
I was in Colombia, South America, and the money was in Colombian pesos not dollars.
Had ya goin didn't I?

Money, it always seems to be in short supply. I rarely get to rush out and spend more that a ten dollar bill on anything frivolous. Impulsive buying went out the door in the first few years of married life. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not starving, the bills are being paid, and my wife and I live quite comfortably and satisfied. But sometimes the flesh wants to be able to take a cruise, or fly to Athens, or sit behind the wheel of a sleek Corvet. (Probably couldn't fold myself into it anyway!) Do you ever feel that way?

I could go on with that mindset, but I have something better. You see, not only are we as believers promised a city in which the streets are paved with gold, we a given complete assurance that the Lord will take care of us while we journey through earthly life. Listen,

"And my God will supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

I can honestly say, in my years walking with Jesus, I have never had a true need go unmet. Whether it was the paying of a medical bill for a kid, or food, or utilities, or housing, or money to share with a missionary, we never lacked. The supply was always there. It seems like God knows when to borrow from our treasures stored up in heaven and give us the small loan we need to get buy. Cool thing is there is no interest. Remember though, we are to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven. We do that by giving, not seeking. We store up in a heavenly bank account by blessing our local church. We add to it by being faithful stewards of the funds that actually came from the Lord in the first place. If we do these simple things that tend to go against our fleshly desires, an inexhaustible supply is ours. And you know, God is generous enough to bless us beyond our needs from time to time.
Pastor Jim

Promise Nine Strength in Financially Troubled Times

This is one of my all-time favorite passages.
Philippians 4:12-13
"I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Somehow, we tend to equate strength with prosperity and blessing. We take what comes our way and make it part of our character as if the material circumstances of our lives actually mean anything. Oh, don't get me wrong. I like nice things like paychecks, food anytime I want it, a house, car, boat, and a bike. But should it all be taken, as it is happening to many, will I be any less a man of faith? Now that is the question.

Paul's confession is that he'd learned how to handle both need and abundance. His attitude remained the same in both. I believe he was thankful when he was blessed, and expectant when he was lacking in the accoutrements of life. In any and all situations, his strength came from Christ. He was strong in the inner man. His character was solidly Godly.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" is just that. I can do, or go through anything because Christ's strength is at work within me. Thank God for that! How about you? Do you get low in spirit when things don't seem to go according to your expectations? If so, seek out Jesus. Other things quickly become less important when you are in his strong presence.
Pastor Jim

Promise Eight A Growing Faith

Faith is like riding a bicycle. The problem is at my age, the bike hangs on a wall most of the time.

A while back, a fine Spring day dawned, and I thought to myself, "Man, this would be a great day to go bike riding." As you surmise, the bike had been attached to the wall all winter, basically collecting dust. With great motivation, anticipation, and a burst of energy, I pumped up the tires, oiled the sprocket, and put on my helmet. Seven minutes and thirty-three seconds later, the bike was being hanged on the wall and the helmet was put back on the workbench. My thighs were screaming for mercy. I couldn't catch my breath. I felt no pulse. (That's because my heart was beating so fast it had become one, long, steady beep in my chest.) I will not mention how my backside hurt. (Sorry, I just did.) Again, a lesson was learned. To get in shape for bike riding, one must begin slowly and work up. The first couple of journeys are made around the block on a flat surface, no wind of course. Then comes the first little incline. Finally, you work up enough stamina to take on a trail. From there, anything is possible. Listen to this promise.

Promise Eight
James 1:2-4
"Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."

We know that various degrees of trial come our way, testings that mirror riding a bike up a steep incline. Everything hurts. It's difficult to continue. You can't see the top of the hill because your neck is bowed downward in the effort. Still, the finish line is getting closer. The more you climb those hills, the stronger you will be. Keep your heart bowed in a prayerful effort. Keep your service to others pumping on the pedals of your love. Keep envisioning the Lord waiting for you at the finish line with a cool cup of water and a rest. Then, after you've caught your breath and basked in the accomplishment, he'll turn and point toward the next big hill, or moutain. At least your stamina will have increased. What a ride of faith our life in Christ can be! Keep pumping away, my friend, and pray for me as I take the bike off the wall again this spring.
Pastor Jim

Promise Seven To Bless Your Treasure

Yey, we've moved beyond worry. We've been clothed and fed. We kicked anxiety right into powerful prayer. We rested! Now, it seems, we go to the Bank. Yes! Finally! Money! Or is it?

Promise Seven
Matthew 6:19-21
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and wehre thieves do not break in and steel. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Okay, earthly bank accounts aren't quite the focus. This is more of a heart-thing.
Really, what the Lord is saying is: "It's not the economy, Stupid!" (Sorry, I took a little license there.) We zero in or zero out on what happens to our checkbooks and IRAs, forgetting that it is all going to go up in smoke. Some of it probably has already. "My lands," you say. "What am I going to retire on?" You just forgot that God promised to clothe, feed, and house you. Oops!

Look, you must ask yourself where your heart is. Is it here, or is it there? Have you found that you can actually trust the Lord in all things? Has his love so penetrated your thought process that you can't think of much of anything beyond being with him? If so, that's your treasure. You see, we long to latch onto something of value, even great value. We're built for it. But sin has tainted us to the point that we attribute value to the wrong things. Jesus knew this, and that is why he took out the cloth and spray bottle and cleaned the fog away from our eyes.

The ONLY thing of eternal value is our love for Jesus. From that love flows all the good things that bring us real peace and happiness. Obedience drips from that love. Faithfulness oozes. Joy jumps out of it. Peace permeates it. How can we be so dumb as to believe that money will make us happy!

With the President's big bailout will come a new taxation of the money you so enjoy. You may as well get used to giving it up! That isn't a fear tactic, it is simply the truth. Dollars and cents, pesos and Euros are temporal. Ceasar will come and take them. But your heart...well now, that's another thing all together. Store up your hearts desire in the person of the true King of Kings. He will never let you down. In fact, he will take your loving deposits and store them up where interest and inflation cannot devalue. There is no treasure rot in the Kingdom. Hallelujah.

So, to keep from paying Ceasar now, give more to the work of the ministry. May as well let the church spend it rather than the government. We'll do some real bailing.
We bail some people out of hell.
Pastor Jim

Promise Six To Give You Peace

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praise shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." (The Message)

And there it is again. DON'T FRET! Isn't it canny how the Word goes right to one of our major battles in life? DON'T WORRY! Sounds condemning, but it's not. Rather than beat us down, Paul finds reveals a way for us to redirect our energy. We are to turn our fright in to fight. We're to transform anxiety into an acknowledgement of the mighty power of God.

There was an old hymn I grew up with that was themed with a great admonition. "Take it to the Lord in prayer. In his arms he'll take and shield thee, take it to the Lord in prayer." Maybe you forgot the words. Just hum a few bars. That will do just fine. The fact is, we find our solace, our peace, our strength, and our victory within the presence of the Living God. We get their through prayer and praise.

Don't settle for a little folding of the hands in worry. Go for the upraised hands of one who knows his God. Worry will most definitely be displaced when you do.
Pastor Jim

Promise Five To Lift You Up

IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY

This is my day to get nostalgic. You see, I spent much of my youth living in Valentine, Nebraska, the Heart City. Every year, Valentine's day was big. We had a coronation of a King and Queen, as well as Prince, Princess, and other royalty. I was never chosen for any of it. I wasn't on any ballot. I...was a peasant! I didn't even have a girl friend, though I tried. I mean, my prom date even took off after the banquet to hang with her friends. Man! I used to hate Valentine's Day.

So, I moved. I split. I left the Heart City and took my heart with me. And then I met her, the girl of my dreams. First she made my heart throb, and then she stole it.
For more than thirty years she has made my heart beat faster. Not that it's always rosie. Sometimes she makes me mad, and the heart beats more rapidly. But I get over it, becaue I'm usually the problem. The ole ticker always skips a beat when I see her. That's what love does. Happy Valentine's Day darlin.

One of the aspects of marriage that is difficult to grasp is humility. It is so hard to humble yourself before your lover, at least it is for me. You see, I'm a chest beater...a true blue grunter...you know, the great white hunter type who has no femanine side and doesn't want to find one. But being humble is a must, so I keep trying and failing, and trying again.

That cycle describes how we walk with Jesus at times. We get full of ourselves, and the times and circumstances of our lives tend to drop us down a few notches. Too bad it is so hard to humble ourselves. We generally have to be cut off at our prideful knees. However, Jesus promises to lift us up in the proper way if we just break through in humbling our heart before him. Listen,

Promise FIVE
1 Peter 5:6-7
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Do you want to know how I interpret that verse? Okay, here goes. "Even though you are an expert moron, I still love you and care for you. So, get over yourself!"

His care is the best. His friendship is the change agent I need. He is the King, not I. I must poke myself to remember that fact. Guess what, he cares for YOU too! Happy Valentine's Day.
Pastor Jim

Promise Four To Give You Rest

"Ahhh," you sigh as you sip ice cold tea sprigged with a piece of lemon, "this is the life." Waves slide toward you over crystalline sand. The gentle roar of the ocean soothes your soul. Your feet are at eye level at the other end of the hammock, and sunglasses dim the brightness of the the afternoon just enough to allow your eyelids to join in blissful rest. Too bad my fat belly causes the ropes to snap and the nap is abruptly ended on the ground. (What a way to end a great daydream.)

I love to sleep, but my idea of rest is bigger than night time unconsciousness. Do I have to describe it again?

God is so cool...when the world heats up, and the pace is frightening, we are promised rest. I speak not of global warming, but the expenditure of physical and spiritual energy in our trek to overcome the world. We get weary, don't we? We need that little vacation from time to time. Even a hammock in the back yard works as long as the mosquito's are controlled.

Read Promise FOUR and let your heart float to that beach, or mountain stream, or wherever you find rest. The best place is in the sweet, quiet presence of Jesus himself. Find it!

Matthew 11:28
"Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest." (NCV)

"Ahh," you sigh.....

Promise THREE To Help You Cope With Life

I turned 50 this week. Okay, some of you snicker, others scoff, still others look at me and say, "Oh my God! Lord don't let that happen to me, please, please, please." It makes you pray harder for Jesus to come and rapture the church.

Age is like anxiety (or causes anxiety for some:) It's going to happen. The difference is, you can't do anything about the years ticking by. You can do something about the inevitable moments of worry. You want to remain young, or prosperous, or blessed, or safe, or comfortable, or happy. But circumstances appear on our horizon that threaten to undue what we have come to enjoy. So, we worry and fret. Jesus said, don't do it...not as a sin thing, but with the understanding that it is a total waste of time and energy.

Promise Three
Matthew 6:34
"So, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Live in the moment. Serve Jesus now. Don't fret about turning 50, 60, 70, or 110...you have an eternity awaiting you if you know the Lord. Don't attempt to relive what you were when you were 22. Take your 50 and run with it. The little story that follows is a great attitude to have.

Old age is great

A guy is 70 years old and loves to fish. He was sitting in his boat the other day when he heard a voice say, 'Pick me up.'

He looked around and couldn't see any one. He thought he was dreaming when he heard the voice say again, 'Pick me up.' He looked in the water and there, floating on the top, was a frog.

The man said, 'Are you talking to me?'

The frog said, 'Yes, I'm talking to you. Pick me up then, kiss me and I'll turn into the most beautiful woman you have ever seen. I'll make sure that all your friends are envious and jealous because I will be your bride!'

The man looked at the frog for a short time, reached over, picked it up carefully, and placed it in his front breast pocket.

Then the frog said, 'What, are you nuts? Didn't you hear what I said? I said kiss me and I will be your beautiful bride.'

He opened his pocket, looked at the frog and said, 'Nah, at my age I'd rather have a talking frog.

There you go! We have great promises in Jesus, though they may not include talking frogs. Don't worry...just live!
Pastor Jim

Promise TWO To Provide For You

What goes through your mind when you think of the word feast? I recall images of Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or New Year's Dinner, or Easter, or Sunday's, or Friday night dates with my wife. I think of FOOD....lots of FOOD.

It is now safe to say that we live in a gluttonus society. Americans are the most overweight people in the world. We are gettin fatter by the gram. Big Mac's abound. Hardee's quadruple monster burgers are sucked into throats like dust in a vacuum. Backsides expand disproportionately with brains. Flab flops. Fat cells fuse at alarming rates. What used to be injections of sugar in the veins has become bucket loads. No, don't get angry. I'm speaking of myself, or what used to be me. We live to eat rather than eat to live. It is a sign of decadence in the culture, and emptiness in the heart. What would happen to America if a real depression actually hit us in the mouth, or stomach as it were? Food lines at McDonalds? Come on! Yet it could happen.

Jesus has a promise for us.
Matthew 6:31-33
"Don't ever worry and say, 'What are we going to eat?' or 'What are we going to drink?'Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you." (GWT)

One thing is clear: We don't need as much food as we consume...I speak physically. Not only do we have stores where we can buy food, we have stores of processed food in our systems. If food actually became scarce, we could all go a few days with duct tape over our mouths, and outside of a rebellious, overly ravinous stomach, we would survive just fine.

But one thing we lack is the consumption of the spiritual food offered to members of the kingdom. We don't consume as much spiritual food as we need...just the opposite of our physical diet. Hmmm Jesus promises us a great combo meal. It involves the provision of physical nurishment as well as real spritual meat. Can we not balance both types of diet as we move toward more difficult times? I'm pretty sure I can.
Pastor Jim

God's Promises In Tough Times. Promise One

As I sporadically tuned in to President O's press conference concerning the massive Government Bailout, I was reminded that all things are not as they seem. Yes, America is in a recession and people have lost jobs, but to describe our current conditions as catastrophic misses the mark by a long shot. Catastrophic is what is happening in the Congo, where hundreds of thousands of Christians are living in refugee camps or jungle hideouts. Over one million have died in the fighting, yet none of it is being broadcast over the airwaves because our American Economic crisis is so horribly bad. Again, things are not as they seem.

However, should we find ourselves in a real crisis, God wants us to remember a few of his promises, faithful covenant blessings which prove that things are not what they seem. For twenty-five days, I will shoot a new promise your way. If you are hurting, God never discounts your suffering. But he does give you a promise that will sustain you.

PROMISE ONE
Matthew 6:28-30
"And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"

How easy it is to get hooked on the comforts of the current culture. Standards of prosperity seem to have been set in fashion and status rather than what is happening in the heart. Yet, I have found that the ones who love the Lord with all their heart shine like the lilies of the field, even when it appears their level of prosperity falls short of today's standards. How sad when we box ourselves into a temporary and meaningless lifestyle. Eternity calls for more, much more. Still, in the most difficult of times, the Lord promises that he will clothe us.

Clothing is important. It provides covering us in our nakedness. It gives warmth and comfort in the cold. It protects from harmful rays and snags that come along from time to time. We need it. God knows this. He promises to clothe us, even when there is little ability to provide for ourselves.

But spiritual clothing is important as well, and I believe it is included in the promise. God vows to cover our bodies with needed attire, but he also clothes us in such spiritual garments that whatever is on our bodies is overshadowed by the glory emanating from within. Even though we may not glow with Sack's Fifth Avenue or Donetelli, we shine with a glory much brighter than a field of lilies. Hold to that when pay stubs get shorter or, God-forbid, a pink slip comes your way. You will never see anything out of the government's attempt to bail out the world, but God will provide for you and your family!
Pastor Jim

Enough With Drive-Thru Mentality

I confess I'm in combat mode, all-out war. It's a "good verses evil" fight to the death. I've won some victories, but I've also been bludgeoned more times than I care to admit. The blood flows, and it's filled with insulin. Yes, the battle is against sugar, against empty carbs, against my own, highly developed appetite....oh the humanity!

With that in mind, I will say it plainly: Drive-Thru windows are a curse! No good thing is delivered through those little, Plexiglas squares of gluttony. Except for my friends Andrew, Kelsey, Tyler, and Stephanie, the attendants in those Drive-Thru's are agents of evil. You can see it in their faces. They care not that one may be injecting death into one's body through an open mouth. NO; McDonalds be cursed! Burger King be banned from the search for Whopper Virgins! Sonic, well, no need to curse that which is already spoiled. All that remains of good in this world is found in pizza, but that too has been compromised with fat-filled cheese in the crust. Oh, the despair! I pray that President Obama, with the same stroke of a pen that he used to restore abortion-funding around the world, remove all fast food Drive-Thru windows from American shores. (See the use of sarcasm, please!)

Of course, one generally finds a way to blame another. I mean, come on, it can't be my fault. My parents bought Ice Cream every week in celebration of surviving another Sunday. My football coach told me to drink a large chocolate malt every single day in order to get big and strong. My wrestling coach taught us to binge and purge. None of it is my fault. I mean, my wife was a great cook from the start. And, those rascally church members caused me to keep the Ice Cream tradition alive on Sundays. But mostly, it's God's fault. He gave me taste buds and a massive set of sweet teeth! (Nothing like crying in your splenda covered bran flakes, huh!)

But what sickens me most is how the drive thru mentality has penetrated our intake of spiritual food. I'm talking about the multitudes of believers who rely on a quick window of fast-food every Sunday to get their weekly nourishment. It's good, meaty food, but it only lasts for a short period. The rest of the week, they fill themselves with the empty spiritual carbs being injected into their brains. You know, television, radio, the Internet, the billboards, and all the other means of filling the mind. They feel full, like their lives are really on the right track. But, with that type of diet, we have no more spiritual strength than the poor obese guy on "Biggest Loser." There is no stamina, no endurance, no breath. Oh, but on Sunday, the good food goes in, making the eater think that one moment in the word will make up for all the dead spiritual carbs ingested throughout the week. Wrong!

Jesus tells us in Matthew 10:22 and Matthew 24:15, that "those who endure until the end will be saved." He's talking about an atmosphere of persecution, one in which the believer will have to survive. It's a prophecy of now. Endurance means work! It includes some pain. It hurts. But you hold on because you have strength. You have strength because you've been well-fed. You are only well-fed by ingesting and absorbing the Bread of Life...the Word of God. Enough with the Drive-Thru mentality! I encourage you, dear friend, pick up a Bible. Inject it into your heart in large portions, and over long periods. Chew it. Question it. Slam dunk it into your spirit. Memorize it. Be mesmerized by it. Just DO IT! That no-good spiritual fat will be replaced by Godly muscle...and you will endure until the end. (I like the saved part, don't you?)
By-Passing Drive-Thru's,
Pastor Jim

Jacob's Continuing Troubles

For the last two weeks, questions have arisen about the ongoing crisis in the Gaza strip as Israel attempts to destroy the ability of Hamas to attack. The most common question is: "Will this fight turn into anything bigger?" i.e. the eventual fulfillment of the Isaiah 17 and Ezekiel 38-39 prophecies.

While it is easy to see the possibilities of a quick escalation to the conflict, I do not believe that will happen. Too many things remain in limbo, namely, the fact that until a new Prime Minister is elected in February, Ehud Ohmert continues to govern. He has proven himself to be quick to give ground to international pressure. As the call mounts for a unilateral cease-fire in Gaza, I expect Ohmert will soon comply. Second, Israel will take the fight all the way to inauguration day when Barack Obama steps into the Oval Office. They know the new President will probably "pull the plug" in his first couple of days, forcing Israel to back down. Therefore, I believe the IDF will get all it can done by way of ridding the planet of Hamas leadership before January 20. Agreements will be established, tying Israel's hands and, once again, allowing the terrorists to regroup. If all goes as it has in the last few violent cycles, Hizbollah, on the Lebanese border, will soon take over the firing of rockets into Israel. So goes the Middle East Roller Coaster. "Here we go again!"

However, I fully expected a piece of the puzzle to come into place for the eventual fulfillment of Ezekiel 38-39...and that is the placement of Turkey (Gomer) squarely within the Russian coalition described in the passage. Israel's excursion into Gaza has added that important piece. Listen to the words of the Turkish Prime Minister:

Turkey's prime minister on Friday said Israel should be barred from the United Nations while it ignores the body's calls to stop fighting in Gaza.

"How is such a country, which does not implement resolutions of the UN Security Council, allowed to enter through the gates of the UN (headquarters)?" Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Erdogan spoke before UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was set to arrive in Ankara to discuss the conflict. Erdogan accused Israel of attacking civilians under the pretext of targeting Hamas.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Friday renewed calls for an immediate cease-fire and also urged US President-elect Barack Obama to focus on a comprehensive, long-lasting and fair solution once in office. Meanwhile, Ban urged Israel to immediately stop the Gaza operation. "I strongly urge Israeli leadership and government to declare a ceasefire unilaterally," Ban said in Ramallah. "It's time to think about a unilateral cease-fire from the Israeli government."

Government spokesman Mark Regev dismissed the notion. "I don't believe that there's a logical expectation in the international community that Israel unilaterally cease fire while Hamas would continue to target cities, trying to kill our people," Regev said.

Until the election of Erdogan in 2006, Turkey had leaned heavily toward a pro-Israeli stance, echoing its ties to the United States. But Erdogan changed that stance. His Muslim leaning is in the direction of Shia militantism, thus his radical call for suspending Israel from the United Nations. All he may need now is a bit of sweet talking by Vladimir Putin.

In the final analysis, I believe we have a little bit more time to accomplish the work God has called us to. But don't count on much. Remember, God is the one orchastrating events. And now the good news: The blessed hope of the church could happen at any moment. So, let's work while it is day: the daylight is waning.
Pastor Jim

Twice the Love

Have you ever seen a double rainbow? Everyone loves to see a rainbow. It's like we are drawn to them, and not for the pot of gold. Something in the human heart seems to yearn for the grace that is signified by that beautiful phenomenon. Makes you long from spring, doesn't it? What is really cool is to see a double rainbow. Wow! When one is reflected into two, and it is just as brilliant as the original, it takes your breath away. It immediately produces an urge to praise.

I was reading in Mark chapter nine, and I was struck by a couple of Biblical rainbows, you know, truth that draws you to praise your creator and savior. Jesus tugged Peter, James, and John on the sleeve of their tunics and pulled them off to a quiet mountainside. They were clueless. But there, Jesus was transfigured. Glory surrounded him. Elijah and Moses showed up for a consultation. The entire scene shouts of glory! Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the glory left.

It is absolutely aweinspiring to meditate on the truth that Jesus, the Son of God, emptied himself of his glory in order to come to this earth. According to Philippians two, he laid it aside, stooped down, and became a man. Incredible,but true! God became a man, walked in the filth of the world without being tainted, and then paid the price of our wretched sin. He died with our punishment! Imagine, from glory to shame, all by an act of love. Are you not inspired?

But he not only did it once, he did it twice. Think about it. That moment of Transfiguration was a repeat, a second act, another emptying. There he was in full blown glory, shinning like the sun (or Son), Ruler of the universe, King of Kings, and then, poof, it was all gone. He laid it down again, and then walked back down the mountain and into the dregs of humanity. I am not only inspired by the thought, I am driven to praise. Can you see how much God loves you? And all he asks in return, is that we lay down our lives for one another and for him. That doesn't mean die, though that could happen. It means to lay aside our own pitiful glory, our self-rule, our carefully laid plans. It means to follow him, love him, glorify the one who actually deserves to be glorified.

So, the next time you see a double rainbow, praise him twice as hard. For he loves you with twice the love the love you originally thought, and more.
Be Blessed,
Pastor Jim