2018 A YEAR WITH PROMISE, BUT WHAT KIND?

Dear friends and readers,

As we close out last year and jump into 2018, many questions spring to mind about world events—many of which seem to be spinning ever rapidly out of control. On the surface, particulary in the United States things seem to be looking up as the new President is obviously trying to fulfill campaign promises. New tax laws, role back of silly regulations and a veritable smorgasbord of things WAY past due! That in itself is a breath of political fresh air. On the other hand this president is a polarizing force to reckon with and his enemies will always be his enemies. I am not a political writer and try my best to stay out of the fray in that regard. There have been past Presidents that I flatly did not like but I did always consider that part of my responsibility as a Christian was to pray for them and their families. No matter what political party is in office, that has to be the toughest job on planet earth. No matter what you might do as President at least half the people will love you and the other half hate you. But my article today has more to do with this President and his stance as a friend to the nation of Israel. And in my opinion, a friend he most definetely is. 

I have to admit that I was extremely skeptical that Trump would EVER really move the Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem even though it was his promise to do so. My skepticism was rooted firmly in the reality that all of the past 4 Presidents made that same promise but failed to do so. Every six months each of them found reason to demure. So, why now would that change?

The obvious answer is that it was not in God’s timing and after all, it is He who is really pulling the strings of power here on earth. Many people, including those “of the book—the Bible” (both Jew and Gentile believer) have a tendency to look at personalities when in fact there is a cosmic plan in motion and that plan was sealed as an irrivocable deal by the one true God, long before He chose Abraham and subsequently his son Isaac and then Jacob to be the fathers of the Israelite people. This article is not about explaining the Covenants that God made with these men because they are easily looked up in any Bible, particularly the book of Genesis. My theme today is vastly different because I look at what is happening today in the world as moves on a gigantic heavenly chess board. 

But first a reminder; The New Testament clearly tells us that it is God Himself who puts leaders in office (Romans 13:1). While not clearly stated, that obvious fact is also clearly seen in the Old Testament as well. Do not mistake that to mean that God intentionally inflicted harm on entire nations through the hands of a leader or king who chose to be evil. Case in point; Israels first King, Saul was in fact chosen by God through the prophet Samuel. But Saul CHOSE to rebell and disobey God. Mankind, no matter the social station has a right to choose his or her own path. They can choose to be good or can choose to be evil. By the way, if you are a follower of Christ who is reading this, I sincerely hope you have not been tought that the words “OLD TESTAMENT” in any way infer that the tenets of that book are somehow passed away. The OLD TESTAMENT contains very many Biblical prophecies yet to be fulfilled. Not to mention a wealth of phenominal knowledge and wisdom from directly "on High"! Also we have the statement by Christ Himself that He did not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17-22).  And both Jesus and some of His disciples quoted Old Testament scripture.

A case in point; I once knew a newly self minted pastor who tought his people to completely disregard the OLD TESTAMENT based solely on one NEW TESTAMENT scripture. The one in the book of (Mark 9:7) in which God is heard speaking and says “this is my beloved Son, hear Him”. Not only was this new pastor wrong and leading his people astray but he effectively chopped the foundation completely away from the New Testament. When a foundation is destroyed the building upon which it stands can no longer effectively stand! 

In regard to Israel, the capital of that august nation is now and has always been Jerusalem regardless of what is now seen as being politically correct. In fact there are a few facts that some folks in the church may not be aware of; For hundreds of years, Jerusalem was considered to be a back water little city characterized by almost zero infrastructure, bad roads and surrounded by miles upon miles of maleria infested swamps. With few exceptions over the generations (almost exclusively holy wars between Christian and Arab armies such as during the various crusades), NO ONE WANTED IT!!! It was only when the Jews began returning to the land they were promised by God that folks began to sit up and lust after the land and Jerusalem because?? What was the defining difference? History will clearly show that when the Jewish people were installed in their ancestral land, the land itself began to bloom and produce a bounty, the envy of all who witnessed it happening. Take away the Jewish people from the land and it ALWAYS fell back into swanp land unfit for human habitation. And, oh yes we could talk about the Jewish people being a stubborn and stiff necked lot at times and it was God Himself who punished them in those cases. But God never ever withdrew His covenents with His chosen people and the fact is that every single nation who ever tried to take that land away for themselves—themselves parished. That story is repeated constantly throughout history. Don’t think so?

Ask yourself a question? What ever happened to ALL of the following empires? And what did each and every one have in common? 1). Ancient Egypt  2). The Philistines  3). Assyrian Empire  4). Babylonian Empire  5). Persian Empire  6). Greek Empire  7). Roman Empire  8). Byzantine Empire  9). Crusaders  10). Spanish Empire  11). Nazi Germany  12). Soviet Union  13). and although still a vibrant nation, was it not after the British Empire sided with the Arabs against the Jews during WWII that nearly 3/4 of their worldwide holdings evaporated? What all those empires had in common was a plan in one form or another to either take the holy land away from the Jewish people of subjugate them through conquest. Where are everyone of those empires now? GONE!

And what happened to all the VASTLY SUPERIOR armies that tried to destroy Israel in her wars of 1948, 1967 and 1973? All soundly defeated by tiny little Israel. Not that Israel did not pay a price for victory because they certainly did. Each and every time. But the fact is that no one will ever destroy Israel or the Jewish people because “GOD SAID SO” (Genesis 12:3 ands Galatians 3:8).

In the closing chapter of 2017, within the United Nations, 128 countries voted against the United States because finally an American President had the Chutzpah to  recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. And I think a few other countries will eventually come around and also move their Embassies to the Holy City of God. In line with the United States the nation of Guatemala recently made that very same declaration. Will it be without cost? No, in fact I have no doubt that war will once again break out over this issue. It is only a matter of time if you think about it. Israel is currently surrounded by enemies. Hezbollah, Hamas, Both jordan and Egypt who both have extremely strained peace pacts with Israel and both are under constant threat of themselves being taken over by Islamic extremist factions. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not much better off. They are riding a very sharp edged fence between appeasing their own Arab populations——many of whom are extremist Muslims with terrorist aspirations,  and trying to be a friend to the United States and at the least maintain an uneasy peace with Israel.

Both China and Russia are trying desperately to supplant the United States as the predominant world power. North Korea is threatening to nuke the United States, there are extremely unstable areas and governments all over northern Africa replete with forms of famine and pestilence. There is no organized government in Liberia. Syria is still melting down from vicious civil war. Iran is currently on the one hand, sponsoring terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah and Hamas with an agenda of totally destroying Israel. And on the other hand trying to fend off hundreds and thousands of their own population who are rising up to demand basic human rights.  Turkey has in the past two years gone from a relative democracy to a total dictatorship with Islamic fundamentalist agendas and is beginning to threaten Israel and the west. 

But hey, other than that all is well on terrafirma!

I have no idea how all this will play itself out but my opinion is that war is coming during 2018. And also perhaps one of the biggest financial melt downs of all times. At the very moment the world is on the brink of terrible catastrophe. 

I sincerely hope that I am wrong. But stay tuned because at no time since WWII has the entire world been this unstable. 

I can only urge all Christians to do two things; PRAY and LOOK UP for our redemption draws nigh.

God bless,
Pastor Rance.