Iran – Media 4 Life Ministries

Does Israel matter to God?

The Middle East has been in the news lately, Syria, Iran, Egypt and of course Israel with the recent conflict in Gaza. There is hardly a day that goes by without Israel being in the news somewhere. Why is that? How come that a small nation, the size of New Jersey makes it into the headlines just about everyday?

Is it because Israel is one of the leading countries in science and technology? Or is Israel making headlines because of the agricultural achievements over the years? Maybe it’s because of computer science, electronics, genetics, medicine, optics, solar energy and engineering that Israel is in the news?

Israel is a highly advanced country, filled with scientist and engineers that work in aerospace, agricultural, hydraulic and military engineering. But that’s not why Israel makes the news.

Israel makes it in the news because it is surrounded by enemies that want nothing more than Israel being wiped off the map. Iran has openly called for the annihilation of the Jewish State. That is the sentiment in the Middle East. Israel is not welcome there and is not recognized as a State by most of the surrounding countries.

The Palestinian Authority refuses to recognize Israel as a state and even after many concessions from Israel, there is no real peace in sight. Recently Gaza and it’s people are in the news after Israel took out one of the high-ranking Hamas military commanders, Ahmed al-Jabari, who was killed by a precision drone airstrike.

After that rockets from Gaza started to rain down on Israel and we all know from the news what’s going on with that. This could develop to an all out war or maybe there will be some kind of truce between Israel and Gaza as we have seen many times before until it gets broken. I guess we have to see what will happen in the next few days. No one wants war and it is always a tragedy when people die on either side. I am praying for the peace of Jerusalem and Israel as well as for the Palestinian people and Gaza.

Most people look at the current events that are happening around the world from a human perspective rather than from a spiritual perspective.

What is the perspective of YHWH the Creator of all things on Israel? Does this little sliver of land matter to Him? The answer to that question is yes. Israel does matter to God. He loves Israel and His chosen people. With that stated, He loves the Palestinian people and all Muslims as well and He wants them to come to the knowledge of the truth.

From God’s view, Israel is the center of the world and Jerusalem the center of Israel. (The Temple Mount is the Epicenter.)

“Thus says the Lord GOD: “This is Jerusalem; I have set her in the midst of the nations and the countries all around her.” Ezekiel 5:5.

What is Israel to God and how did Israel come into existence? It happened about 3800 years ago in a place called Ur, which is in modern-day Iraq. Abram who was chosen by God lived there with his father and family. One day God told him to leave his homeland.

“Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you.

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan.” Genesis 12:1-5

To make a long story short, Abram was a Gentile and God chose him to become the father of many nations. God gave Abram the land of Cannan which is modern-day Israel. (Gen 13:14-18)

God made a promise to Abram in his old age.

“Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.” Gen 15:5, 6.

God also made an unconditional covenant with Abram, please read it in Genesis 15. These promises and covenant were made while his name was still Abram a Gentile. It is not until Genesis 17 that God renames Abram to Abraham, the father of many nations and Sarai to Sarah, the mother of many nations. In the earlier chapters of Genesis we read that God promised Abram that Sarai would bare him a son, even in their advanced age. Well, the lost their patience and Abram fathered a son with Sarai’s hand maiden Haggar, whose name was Ishmael. They did not wait upon the Lord, but God fulfilled his promise a few years after the birth of Ishmael, when Sarah bore Issac.

Ishmael was the son of the flesh and Isaac the son of promise. In Genesis 17 God once again tells Abraham that Sarah shall bear him a son. Abraham of course thought that Ishmael was his son, by God did not recognize Ishmael, because His covenant with Abraham was to be through Isaac.

“And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!” Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him. “And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. “But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.” Genesis 17:19-21.

So Sarah bore Isaac who later married

Iran, Hypocrites and the Peaceful Muslims

Again we are hearing about a Christian pastor being imprisoned in Iran. Most people are familiar with Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani who was recently released from an Iranian jail after serving three years for being a former Muslim who converted to Christianity. This time, it is a native Iranian pastor, though presently an US citizen, who faces a trial in the very near future. His name is Saeed Abedini, a family man who converted from Islam to Christianity.

Some media outlets cover the story, but to a minimum and this man is facing a very tough judge which some call the “hanging judge” next week, on January 21st. His fate is unknown to this point. Iran does not recognize his American citizenship, and from an Islamic point of view, he is a traitor, which is punishable by death.

Nadarkhani was freed after Fox News reported relentlessly about his imprisonment. Where was the liberal media on this? Where are these so-called human rights activists, or the UN?

What bothers me is, where are all of the peace-loving and peaceful Muslims abroad, and here in the US? I have not seen much protest or outcry from the Muslim community around the world on this injustice that is taking place either.

Is it because Saeed Abedini is a Christian? Why is it that Muslims go berserk over a stupid video, protesting around the world causing death and damages and no one in the Muslim community speaks out? Where is CAIR on this? And where are the peace-loving Muslims in protest of what the Islamic regime of Iran is doing to Christians?

Christians are persecuted around the world, yet nobody seems to care. Much of the persecution comes from the Islamic religion. Muslims want to be treated with respect, but where is the respect of Muslims towards Christians and other faith groups?

In this country, the good old USA, we can hardly say anything against Islam or the Islamic faith without Muslims crying out in protest with the liberal media alongside them.

That is hypocritical and wrong. My dear Muslim, if you want to be treated with respect regarding your faith, respect others as well. As long as Islam is killing Christians because of their faith in Jesus Christ, I will not respect your religion or your prophet.

It is time to stand up and stop bowing down to an intolerant group of people and speak up against the injustice caused by radical Islamist as well as the silent peace-loving Muslims. Their silence makes them irrelevant. Maybe deep within they all hate Christians and are just waiting for Islam to take over the world. May that not be true or ever happen.

I don’t hate Muslims or their faith, but enough is enough. I’m tired of seeing our President going on an apology tour in the Muslim world, while Christians are getting killed and persecuted by Muslims. I’m tired of our government bending over backwards to please the Muslim world, but has no back bone to stand up against the injustice caused by them.

I’m tired of liberal hypocrites and Atheist mocking Christianity, but say hardly anything against the Islamic religion. Why is that? Are people like Bill Maher and Richard Dawkins afraid of them? If they would mock Islam as they mock Christianity, I believe they would be 6 feet under ground.

I for one will not be silent about the persecution towards the Christian faith and the attack by the liberals and Atheist on my beliefs. I hope and pray that Saeed Abedini will be freed, although things don’t look to good for him at this time.

What would you say, my peace-loving Muslim, if America or Europe persecuted you for your faith? Tortured you, and put you in prison? Don’t you think that the Imams in the American Mosque should speak out against the persecution of Christians around the world? After all, aren’t Muslims who live in America supposed to be American?

CAIR is all over the news when they feel that Muslim are being treated unfairly, where are they now? Please people, wake up and don’t be silent like these hypocrites. Saeed Abedini has the right to be a Christian and no one should deny people their faith.

I hope that this will stay in the news and that people will speak out in defense of Saeed Abedini and his family.

I am sure that this Pastor Saeed Abedini is strong in his faith and I know that Jesus will give him the strength to endure whatever may come. May the Lord watch over him.

Iran May Hang Christian Pastor Saeed Abedini For Preaching Jesus. (greatriversofhope.wordpress.com)
Please Pray for US Pastor Saeed Abedini, held in Iran since July 2012 + read letter to his wife (rodiagnusdei.wordpress.com)

The coming war of Gog and Magog?

Looking at the headlines today about the unrest in the Middle East makes one wonder, what’s next? It all started with Tunisia when one man set himself on fire. That set off a wave of protest throughout the Arab world what the media calls the Arab spring. Sudan became two countries, the North and the South with a border along the Nuba mountains. There are reports that came out just recently that a Bible college and 4 churches that are set up by Samaritan Purse have been bombed by radicals Islamist in South Sudan. Sudan is an ongoing battle to this day.

Next came Egypt and the removal of Mubarak after long and heavy fighting of the people against the regime. No one is really certain what the new government will finally look like. Egypt has been a long-standing ally of the US and had a peaceful existence with Israel, which seems to fade fast.

And who can forget Libya and Qaddafi’s regime? He and his son vowed a long and bloody battle. Many people died until Qaddafi was captured and killed by his own people. Now the Syrian regime is in the news and has killed at least 5000 protesters since the unrest by the people started. Just recently the UN failed to come to a resolution to oust Assad, even though the people of Syria are crying out to the world for help. Russia and China are the two countries that are opposed to the ousting of Assad.

The UN has been ineffective many time and is in my opinion irrelevant. They are headquartered in New York City. It might be a good idea to vacate the building and set up shop somewhere in the Middle East. At least it would be much easier traveling for Ahmadinejad and Hugo Chavez who hate the US anyways. And now Iran again is threatening with the annihilation of the state of Israel. Just recently the supreme leader came out with a statement why it is religiously justifiable to wipe out Israel. http://www.wnd.com/2012/02/ayatollah-kill-all-jews-annihilate-israel/

Israel is under tremendous pressure and it seems that the world has abandoned Israel. A nuclear Iran with a rogue regime like Ahmadinejad would be world-changing. Israel cannot allow for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon that would be aimed at them. Just today the Israeli Ambassador to the US declared that Israel will act unilateral if necessary. There are many speculations floating around if and when Israel will attack Iran. Many believe that it could come as early as this spring. Although sanctions have been imposed by the UN and the US, they have not deterred the Iranian regime from developing a nuclear weapon.

The Bible has prophesied many of these things and I believe we are at the verge of an all out war of biblical proportions. Could this be the Gog and Magog war spoken off in Ezekiel 38 and 39? I don’t know, I don’t want to make any predictions, but we are seeing some events unfolding as we have never seen them before. I have a strong sense that by this summer, we will see some events happen that could possibly cause an all out war in the Middle East. The escalation of Iran vs Israel could be the trigger for biblical prophecy to unfold right in front of our eyes. Iran wants to create chaos, in the Shiite religious belief, chaos will usher in the 12th imam or the Mahdi. It is Islams version of the Messiah, which is the Antichrist in Christianity.

What exactly will happen in the near future is uncertain, but I believe we have never been closer to the escalation of Gog and Magog. Many Bible scholars believe that Magog is Russia and as many of you know the former Soviet Union has changed dramatically over the last years. Many of the southern states are Islamic and are at the north of Israel with other Islamic countries virtually surrounding Israel. I have spoken to some Jewish scholars and some believe that China is part of Magog as well. That of course is a possibility, China sides with Russia on many decisions made at the UN. One thing is for sure, Israel has many enemies that surround her.

Coming back to Syria for a moment, there is a prophecy about Syria in the book of Isaiah that declares Damascus will be a heap of ashes. “The burden against Damascus. “Behold, Damascus will cease from being a city, And it will be a ruinous heap.” Isaiah 17:1. That has not happened yet, Damascus is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Seeing what’s happening in Syria, maybe that prophecy is not too far off? Whatever happens in the near future, we need to look at the Middle East, especially Israel. Israel is the center of the world, Jerusalem is the center of Israel and the temple mount i.e Mount Moriah is the Epicenter.

It is also time for us Christians to stand with Israel, our current administration has thrown Israel under the bus and Israel will once again face the threats virtually alone. But on thing is for sure, Israel is the apple of God’s eye and God will not allow anybody to wipe them off the map. His promises to Abraham, Issac and Jacob will be fulfilled and the predictions about Gog and Magog will be fulfilled. God is in control and He will preserve and protect His chosen people. Let us all pray for the people of Israel that face a constant threat of annihilation from her enemies. If this escalation will result in the war of Gog and Magog or maybe a precursor, who knows. The stage is set. We are in the final act.

“For behold, Your enemies make a tumult; And those who hate You have lifted up their head. They have taken crafty counsel against Your people, And consulted together against Your sheltered ones. They have said, “Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, That the name of Israel may be remembered no more.”Psalm 83:2-4.