Jan 5
There is an amazing amount of optimism focused on the incoming Obama administration. The media just loves the man. It has generated a small mountain of coverage comparing him to other presidents like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, and John Kennedy.
The Washington Post plans to increase its number of White House reporters from two to four, including its first full-time blogger, while The Washington Times is expanding its number of White House correspondents from one to three.
The general public also has been caught up in Obama fever. A recent Wall Street Journal/NBC survey found 73 percent of voters approve of the way he is handling preparations for taking office in January. Obama enjoys more support than Bill Clinton after his election in 1992 and George Bush in 2000, according to the poll. You have to go all the way back to Ronald Reagan to find a president with equal approval numbers.
A small central Alabama county whose mainly black residents gave Barack Obama more than 70 percent of the vote on Election Day has created an annual holiday in honor of the president-elect. The Perry County Commission voted 4 to 1 to observe the second Monday in November as "The Barack Obama Day." County offices will close and its roughly 40 workers will get a paid holiday. (Associated Press, "Alabama County Sets 'Barack Obama Day' as New Holiday," 1/3/09).
Even so-called prophets of God are proclaiming Obama has the Almighty's approval. Here is Kim Clements's prophecy concerning Obama:
For the Spirit of God says, “Hear, oh people of Zion. Those who have been afraid in Zion, those who have been afraid in this nation–fear not! For your news media has intimidated you, and therefore, it is My turn. Next week, I will arise. I will change everything.”
“I’M TALKING ABOUT OBAMA”
For they have unfairly spoken against an African man, and I’m not talking about Jeremiah Wright; I’m talking about Obama. For God said, “Even though you may think this or that, there is an element of righteousness inside of him to reach out for Jesus. Therefore, I will sway it next week,” says the Spirit of God, “and I will cause My man, My power–to exalt in the White House what is necessary to declare victory. For this time, I shall rise up and I shall make known who I am in a way that I have never done it in this nation,” says the Lord.
I did manage to find one person who mocked the Obama hype in a viral email: "Immediately after his inauguration, Obama will balance the budget, revive the economy, solve the real estate problem, solve the auto industry problem, solve our gas/alternative energy problem, stop the fires and mudslides in California, ban hurricanes and tornadoes, stop identity theft, reverse global warming, find Osama, solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, get rid of corruption in government and achieve world peace. Then on the 7th day, He will rest."
At some point, the bubble of optimism will have to burst. The rupture may not take place right away. In fact, the comments made in the viral message might be a better reflection of how the Obama administration starts off.
The rapture of the church is the next event I’m looking forward to. Since there are so many dark clouds on the horizon, a period of sunshine is needed for the rapture. Jesus said the removal of the Bride would occur during a time of calm. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" (Matt. 24:44).
It wouldn't seem to fit the "think not" hour if the world descended into economic and political chaos. I can easily envision how the current Gaza conflict could rapidly evolve into the Gog invasion, but obviously that scenario can’t happen because the Church is still here on earth.
I’ve been giving much thought to the idea that the Obama bubble will provide cover for the rapture. It’s certainly possible that his proposed $1 trillion stimulus spending plan will buy the global economy a few more months, and his foreign policy team, led by Hillary Clinton, will be able to put one more Band-Aid on the Arab-Israel conflict. We only have to wait two weeks to see whether the Obama magic is real.
"Watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).
-Todd
Zechariah’s Prophecy Builds
Divinely inspired words issued by Zechariah foretelling the position of God’s chosen nation at the close of human history take on increased significance at the beginning of 2009:
“The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.” (Zech 12: 1-3)
Hamas, the Islamic fanatical terrorist organization, has for months been firing rockets into Israeli territory--this, despite a supposed ceasefire agreed to by all concerned. Hamas increased the rocket fire the moment the sham ceasefire reached its official ending date. The rockets are now coming dangerously close to heavily populated areas, and to a nuclear power plant facility.
Israeli IDF air strikes have killed hundreds of Hamas terrorists and their rocket-launching facilities, although many remain and continue to try to inflict as much damage on the hated Jews as possible.
The IDF began a ground assault against Hamas positions Saturday, January 3, concentrating at first on the northernmost section of the 27-mile-long, two-mile-wide Gaza strip. As of then, around 500 Palestinians, mostly Hamas forces, had been killed since Israel began the air assault.
The world at large, especially international media, say hardly a chastising word against Hamas; rather, they point condemnation at Israel, who has said "enough is enough" and is retaliating. Israel’s accusers point incessantly at the killing and maiming of civilians by the Israeli Air Force strafing and bombing. They say nothing about the fact that Hamas deliberately do their cowardly rocket firing from positions imbedded within the Palestinian civilian populations. They fire from schools, mosques, and from deep in the center of residential areas.
Media and governments alike characterize Israel’s military retaliation as “disproportional” to the rocket launches of Hamas. “Disproportional!” The ludicrous characterization makes manifest the insanity of our day in the matter of political correctness. The question that should be asked to those who make the characterization is: How long would you allow an enemy to rain such deadly munitions down into where you and your children are supposed to be safe, without doing whatever necessary to put an end to it? Would you take care to be politically correct when the next blast from a rocket might land in your child’s bedroom? Yet the citizens of Israel are expected to just absorb these murderous attacks and keep sending notes of protest to Hamas leadership.
Hatred that will ultimately isolate Israel and Jerusalem as the source of all opposition to peace can be observed swelling even in the nation God raised–in my view—to be Israel’s friend among a world that hates the modern Jewish state.
“‘Israel is a terrorist state,’ chanted some of the close to 1,000 participants in one of Tuesday's bigger demonstrations, held in Dearborn, Michigan, home to one of America's largest Arab populations…Protests were also held in New York, Los Angeles, Boston and several other cities, with Jewish groups scrambling to hold counter-demonstrations upon learning of events being held opposing Israel's action against Hamas…” (Hilary Leila Krieger, JPost correspondent in Washington, D.C., "Tense battle for public opinion rages on US streets," 1/1/09.
Earth’s governments' opposition to Israel at every turn is in fact defiance to God. World pundits and leaders shake their collective fist in the Almighty’s face, many of them declaring in their defiant rage that Israel has no place in the Middle East. Some even believe Israel has no place on the planet period.
Criticism of Israel on the diplomatic level is measured at present, but increasing blame put on Israel for all the problems in the Middle East can be sensed boiling just beneath the diplomatic terminology issuing forth.
“At a meeting of the European Union's foreign ministers in Paris on Tuesday, Michael Spindelegger, Austria's new conservative party minister, criticized the IDF operation, saying ‘the scores of civilian victims over the last few days are unacceptable.’ He referred to a request of the EU that Israel ‘avoid a disproportional’ response to Hamas rocket attacks… Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey, like her Austrian and German counterparts, declined to see Hamas as responsible for instigating the Israeli counterattacks, and on the ministry's web site she ‘condemns the disproportionate reaction of the Israeli military.’” (Benjamin Weinthal, JPost correspondent in Berlin, "IAF operation draws mixed reactions in Central Europe," 12/31/08).
Israel’s military action has stimulated a strong renewed call for peace in the region.
“European foreign ministers called on Tuesday for an immediate and lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Gaza… ‘There must be an unconditional halt to rocket attacks by Hamas on Israel and an end to Israeli military action,’ the statement said. It also called for a return to the peace process interrupted by Hamas rocket attacks and Israel's retaliatory air strikes. ‘There is no military solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, in Gaza or elsewhere,’ the statement said… A number of European leaders and foreign ministers are expected to visit Israel in the coming days in a bid to help restore a truce. According to estimates, pressures on Israel to halt its military operation will increase in the coming days” (Roni Sofer, ANET News/Reuters, "Sarkozy to visit Israel to promote truce…Quartet calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza, southern Israel," 1/1/09).
Peace won’t come to the region with this renewed effort by the humanistic powers that be, any more than it has come since modern Israel was born on May 14, 1948. Israel is and will be the sticking point for true peace until Christ, Israel’s Messiah, intervenes to bring and enforce world peace.
The world is, in fact, insane when it comes to the nation called Israel. This world belongs to the prince of the power of the air–for now, at least—and Satan, the father of lies, deludes the minds of governmental leaders and news pundits with sin-infection that will bring about the fulfillment of Zechariah’s 12: 1-3 foretelling.
We are, I believe, the generation that is witnessing the world’s governments beginning the process of Israel’s isolation outlined in that prophecy.
--Terry
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