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Now – No Wise Men Left in Persia – No Birth Star to See in its Western Sky!

Matthew 2:10 – When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Soon – The Glory of the Sun of Righteousness will be visible in Persia’s Western Sky coming to end a terrible time of Chaos!

Luke 21:25-28 – And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; [26] Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. [27] And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. [28] And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Malachi 4:1-3 – For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

[2] But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. [3] And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

December 24, 2006

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

The Wise Men and the Star in the West!

Was it a Star as We Understand Stars in the Heavens

?

Matthew 2:1-3 – Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, [2] Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. [3] When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

They were the Magi, the wise men, the descendents of their Magi forefathers who, some 600 years before the King of the Jews was born, had known Daniel and his teachings in the Kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. They had seen a new light in the east glowing in the western sky, and believed it to be a star, but not just a star, the symbol of the birth of a King, which the ancients thought announced a new Kings birth, and not just any King, but a King of Israel. Was what they saw really a new star in the high heavens that was millions of light years away

? I would say they saw it low on the western horizon to have headed so specifically toward Israel, and any new light, seen twinkling so far away on the horizon, would have been called a star. But was it a star they saw? And how did they know it was the King of Israel that was born? There were other countries to the west of their position that had kings when the Magi first saw the star.

We know the prophet Daniel was in Babylonian captivity from the time of Nebuchadnezzar to King Cyrus of Persia, and that he was personally acquainted with the astrologers and the magicians, who made up the magi, the wise men of the Babylon kingdom, and later the kingdom of Persia.

Daniel 1:19-21 – And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king. [20] And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm. [21] And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

And we also know that Daniel was placed over the Magi in the kingdom after he interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about a great statue.

Daniel 2:48 – Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

We also know that Daniel had the first five books of the Old Testament because he quoted from them. We know he had Jeremiah’s writings because he quoted from him, and it is very likely he had the writings of the prophet Isaiah, who wrote some 100 years before his writings. And I seriously doubt that Daniel would not share with the descendants of Abraham these writings if they were willing to listen to them. I am confident that some of them did, and that they passed Daniel’s teachings on down through their descendants, who would also likely have been Magi through birth inheritance from their forefathers. So I am confident the Magi were familiar with Numbers 24:17.

Numbers 24:17 – I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

They knew the Star from the loins of Jacob, who God gave the new name of Israel, had to be a King because the Sceptre was carried by a king as the symbol of his authority. And they knew this would be a very special King, probably from the writings of Isaiah, and what Daniel taught them concerning his coming and kingdom.

Isaiah 7:14 – Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6,7 – For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. [7] Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Daniel 7:13,14 – I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. [14] And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Once the wise men saw the star they had to prepare for their journey, which would be long and dangerous.

To go from Babylon to Israel was not done by going west in a straight line, which is, of course, the shortest distance between two points.

One did not even think of passing across the barren wasteland directly between Babylon and Israel. They would have trekked northwest on the eastern side of

the Euphrates for safety reasons and to have a constant water supply, and probably attached their army to a larger caravan to provide safety from the many robber bands that plundered small parties of travelers. They would have followed the fertile crescent, going northwest up the Euphrates, then west through the Palmyra valleys, then south down the Jordan. Gathering up their people and possessions to accompany them, finding a caravan that was leaving for Israel, and the general preparations might have taken more than a month. And the journey itself, if unforeseen acts of fate occurred along the way, which they usually did, might have caused their arrival before Herod more than a year after they first saw the star. Once they saw the star they knew to head for Israel, and they did. They did not need to see the star every night. They simply told Herod “we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” It is probable they did not see the star after their first sighting, such that when they finally did reach Israel, where they knew the Israeli King would be born, they naturally went to the present King of Israel, who they thought would surely know where the new king was born. Although the Scriptures do not state it, it was only natural for them to assume Herod was his father, and that may have been the reason they came naturally to him.

We all know full well what happened after this, when the priests and scribes quoted Micah as to where Messiah was supposed to be born.

Micah 5:2 – But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

And we know that when the wise men departed from Herod, the star suddenly reappeared, probably for the first time since they had seen it more than a year before.

Matthew 2:9,10 – When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

If this star was high in the heavens they could not have known which house in the village it stood over.

The star would have to have been low enough for them to be able to tell which house it stood over. It was a moving star, and “went before them.”

Now, please allow me to speculate, and I admit it may not be correct, but it is something to think about. Angels are, at times, in the Scriptures, referred to as stars, as in Revelation 12:4, where one-third of the angels rebelled against God with Satan, and the heavenly one who comes to earth in Revelation 9:1 is labeled as a star.

Revelation 12:4 – And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Revelation 9:1 – And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

Jesus refers to himself as the one who has sent the angel of the Lord to testify unto the churches, and then names himself as the morning star in Revelation 22:16, and calls himself the morning star in Revelation 2:28,29.

Revelation 22:16 – I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Revelation 2:28,29 – And I will give him the morning star.

[29] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

When the ancients saw a new light appear in the heavens they referred to it as a star. Although I cannot say with certainty if what I am about to suggest is true, it is a very interesting possibility that does not violate the linguistics of the Bible. The Hebrew word for star is “kowkab,” which, according to Strong’s Dictionary of Words found in the Old Testament, means “a heap of blazing,” hence “a star (as round or as shinning).” The ancients would have identified a heap of blazing in the sky on a distant horizon as a star. They saw it on the night of the Kings birth, so what do I think they saw – They saw the light of the glory of his birth manifested in the heavens on the distant western horizon as a round ball of light, which they would have called a star – They saw the Glory of God manifested in the heavens around the multitude of angels proclaiming his Son’s birth.

Luke 2:7-14 – And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

[8] And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9] And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. [10] And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. [11] For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. [12] And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. [13] And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, [14] Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

The wise men would have studied the stars looking for the sign of the coming King of which Daniel had informed their forefathers, and they recognized the light from the many angels that announced his arrival as a distant star on the western horizon. I speculate it disappeared soon after they saw it, but they knew it was time to head west to worship the new Jewish King from what Daniel had taught them. And I further speculate it did not reappear until an angel of light, appearing as a round, blazing ball of light, which looked like a small star, began to lead them to the exact place where the young child (who was then likely between one and two years of age) dwelled with Joseph and Mary.

Just as the blazing light of the Lord from the cloud of his glory guided Israel as they traveled by night across the Sinai, so did this blazing light, which appeared as a star, guide them directly to God’s Son. The star may have been the angel of the Lord, or one of the archangels. I confess that what I have just written is speculation on my part, and may not be correct, but I like it, and as long as the Lord does not bother me about writing it, I feel no obligation to keep it to myself.

Matthew 2:9-11 – When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. [10] When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. [11] And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

II Corinthians 9:15 – Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Many Will Spend Their First Christmas in Mount Zion this Year!

December 24, 2006

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

Many of our departed loved ones will spend their first Christmas in Mount Zion this year! They have left their loved ones on planet earth and joined a great spiritual group of fellow believers in heaven.

Hebrews 12:22,23 – But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, [23] To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

They are more anxious to return to earth and reign with Christ than most of us are anxious to go to Mount Zion to be with him and them.

Revelation 6:9-11 – And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: [10] And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth

? [11] And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Please read the Jerusalem Post Article “Going Home for Christmas” by Elwood McQuaid in the Jerusalem Post, which follows our exposition of Micah 5:2. As a Christian Zionist, he presents a different perspective of Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2 – But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

This is one of the most beloved verses in Scripture concerning the birth of Israel’s Messiah, Jesus Christ. It has been put on display Christmas after Christmas, and preached vividly during that season from millions of pulpits. By the time it was fulfilled by Christ’s birth in Bethlehem, traditional teachings concerning the Messiah’s birth had replaced God’s account, and it is truly sad that Herod had to ask where he would be born, and perhaps even sadder that the scribes had to look it up. Some traditional teachings, by the time th at Christ arrived, taught th

at Messiah the Prince would be born of royalty, or perhaps by the wife of the High Priest, or at least of wealthy parents who had great influence. Traditional teachings had completely departed from those verses found in Chapter 53 of Isaiah. He was not expected to be a suffering servant, but rather a great conqueror that would fight and destroy Israel’s enemies in battle after battle until Israel reigned supreme. Some traditional teachings suggested he might be born in the great city of Jerusalem. But when he came only a handful knew who he was, a man child whose Father was God, born of a virgin from the dirty little town of Nazareth, laying in a manger outside the inn in a cave in the small city of Bethlehem. Many “traditional” teachings of today will also cause most of the world to receive the man of sin, the antichrist, as the true Messiah.

He was sent by His Father “to be ruler in Israel,” but Israel rejected him as both judge (Micah 5:1) and ruler, and they were without excuse, for all the prophets from Moses to Malachi had foretold of His “goings forth,” which had been from of old, from everlasting. His characteristics, His goings forth, His life, His purpose, and His death had been clearly revealed by God’s word before His Living Word arrived in sinless flesh. The following Scriptures reveal this truth.

Had they studied His word and believed it they could have recognized Him.

Deuteronomy 18:18,19 – I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. [19] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require

it of him.

Isaiah 53:6 – All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Malachi 3:1 – Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

John the Baptist was the messenger God sent before the Messiah, who was Jesus Christ, the messenger of the covenant made to the seed

of Abraham and David. The Messiah came quickly to the temple after His temptation in the wilderness to cleanse it to be a house of prayer, not a den of thieves. And, at the final Passover, when He came again to cleanse it, He found the identical den of spiritual and physical thieves saturating it with ungodliness. That is why He cried from the Mount of Olives before His arrest: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gat hered thy children toget

her, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! [38] Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. [39] For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that co

meth in the name of the Lord. (Matthew 23:37-39).

Judging from the rapid fulfillment of prophecy in Israel at the present time, I am convinced that Israel will finally be calling Him blessed in the near future.

Begin Jerusalem Post Article

Going home for Christmas

ELWOOD MCQUAID, THE JERUSALEM POST

December 23, 2006

I’ve done an inordinate amount of traveling over the past 50 years. It seems that everywhere I’ve been, whether here in the United States or abroad, has an appeal of its own. Sometimes it’s in the place; sometimes, in the people. Either way, few places are difficult to leave behind once my purpose for being there is exhausted.

Something inside says, “Go home. You’ve been here long enough.”

Then it’s time to return to familiar faces and surroundings. This sort of homing magnetism is especially true when the holidays draw near.

Despite all the good things that can be said about revered seasons of celebration, for me as a Christian, no holiday quite measures up to Christmas.

If asked why this is true, one reason must be the desire to go “home” for Christmas, to Bethlehem in the Holy Land. In fact, the vast majority of the two billion-plus adherents to Christianity, representing 33 percent of the world’s total population, make the trip literally or in their hearts and minds every year.

I was struck by this phenomenon a few days ago when my wife and I were traveling home to Virginia after a visit with family in Florida. We were listening to Christmas music sung by the choir of the National Cathedral in our nation’s capitol. These magnificent voices sang about Bethlehem and the events that took place there over 2,000 years ago. And as I listened, the thought came flooding into my mind: All over the world in these days before Christmas – in cathedrals, churches, millions of international locales, and around family fireplaces – believers are making a spiritual pilgrimage back to Bethlehem. They’re going home to where it all began.

In reality, they are responding to the words of the prophet: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

THESE “ascenders,” if you will, are making their way up the slopes of the Shepherds Fields where the ancient shepherds were first ordered to make the journey: “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them… Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David [Bethlehem] a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'” (Luke 2:8-11)

For Christians, there is a fusion of biblical truth from the Older Testament and the Bethlehem chapter in the New. It emanates from the “Immanuel” (God With Us) prophecies, particularly those of Isaiah.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).

The great wonder of it all for Christian believers is that God has chosen to visit this planet. How and where did He choose to do so

? It was in a stable in an obscure Jewish village in Judea, through a Jewish virgin’s womb, and in the person of a Jewish Baby in a manger. Mortal man could never have conceived such a plan.

Yet God accomplished it.

So it is that there is no end to depictions of the sacred event, be it in church pageants, elegant symphonic presentations, or congregations and traveling singers lifting familiar carols heavenward. They all exist because of the miracle of Bethlehem.

I’M SOMETIMES asked if I believe the Bible’s account to be literal and his

torical, or a quaint story stuffed with allegory and excesses conjured up to fit the simple notions of the faithful. I believe every word: the star in the east, the shepherds, the angelic host, the inn, the stable, the virgin, and above all the Babe lying in swaddling clothes in Mary’s arms. I am a believer.

For me, going “home” for Christmas is a personal journey, one I have taken in a literal way dozens of times and never tire of. But more significantly, one I took when I became a follower of the Jesus, who revolutionized my life and altered my reason for living. That’s the real story of Christmas.

And whether or not you endorse all aspects of the account, you’ll have to agree that we can’t argue the sentiments of the angelic multitudes’ closing refrain: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:14)

Merry Christmas!

The writer, a pastor, is a leader of the Christian Zionist movement in the United States.

End Jerusalem Post Article

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WHAT CHRISTMAS IS TO ALL OUR OFFSPRING!

December 23, 2006

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

Children of God – Please do not sent me any poison pen e-mail, advising me Christmas came from a pagan observance or that Jesus was not born on December 25, or that as a Pastor I should tell people not to have a tree in their house because it is worshipping the tree and not Christ, or that to let young children believe in Santa Claus is an abomination to God, which will cause them not to believe in Jesus when they grow up. If you must get it out of your system, go ahead, go ahead, maybe it will make you a little jollier – Ho, Ho, Ho! Believe me when I tell you I was saved in the sixth grade, and had no trouble in repenting of my sins and accepting Jesus as being absolutely real.

I Corinthians 13:11 – When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

I believed in Santa Claus until I was in the fourth grade, and so did all the other kids in the

fourth grade. It was a great childhood joy of my life, so please don’t knock ole Santa. One Christmas all ole Santa could give was a-29-cent toy cannon, but it was from him,

and that was what mattered. Yes, we drag a big Christmas tree into our house and I play Santa Claus for all our great-grand children, and we have more fun than a barrel of monkeys! And don’t tell me I’ll go to hell for what we do, or that I will live outside the heavenly city because we have so much fun, and that Jesus will punish me now and at his Judgment seat. If that is the case, why not leave my judgment up to him, rather than passing it on me yourself!

My offspring all do love Christmas and have fond memories of all our many past Christmas Eve’s waiting for Santa and decorating the tree and house – but we all love Jesus, and can separate quite well between fact and fiction, and now we are waiting for the one who gave us the unspeakable gift which lasts forever, and he not only lives in us and among us on Christmas, he is in us and among us now and forever. He is our living Christ and is so much more than “mas” I cannot describe the joy I know in him. But yes, he is there in the gifts we give, all the tinsel and decorations, and the tremendous joy we experience as we all assemble together as one extended family (this year it was yesterday on December 22 because that is when everybody could get here and then return to have their own tree and ole Santa). Tomorrow, Lord willing, Dardanelle Missionary Baptist Church

will assemble as a local visible body of God, and Christ will be in our hearts and in our midst. We will not be celebrating his birth but his life, as we do whenever we assemble as a local visible body, his body, in a building at 1201 North 2nd Street, in Dardanelle, Arkansas. There is a burning desire in me to assemble tomorrow and worship him with his local, visible, body. And I can’ t wai

t until I get to worship him by sight in heaven. I would set out some cookies and milk for him before church tomorrow, but he doesn’t want cookies and milk, he wants my life, and he gave me his, so I could offer it to him.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, th at ye present your bodies

a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

I Peter 2:5 – Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:22 – In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Ephesians 1:22,23 – And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, [23] Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Ephesians 3:21 – Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

And, Lord willing, I will be preaching the message you may read, which follows.

CHRISTMAS EVE MESSAGE

Christmas – Spent Rejoicing in God’s Gift or Our Gifts!?

Christ’s Spirit Pleasure Is Eternal – Flesh Pleasure Is Temporal!

Rejoicing in Christ’s Spirit or in Flesh? Which One Lasts?

II Corinthians 9:15

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Some Go through this Life and Never Believe It Exists!

John 3:18 – He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Some Wander through Life, Never Spiritually Seeing It!

John 3:36 – He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Some Pass through this life and Never Receive It!

Luke 8:12 – Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Some Who Receive it, Never See the Joy of How Truly Great It Is!

John 5:24 – Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Some Never Accept It was forever Finished by Jesus for them as a gift!

John 19:30 – When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Colossians 2:9,10 – For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

[10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Some Complete in Him Never Let Him Work in Them!

Philippians 2:13 – For it is God which worketh in you both to will and

to do of his good pleasure.

Some Grieve Him by Never Letting Him Change Them!

Ephesians 4:30 – And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

[31] Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: [32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Some Never Make His Church a Part of Their Lives!

Ephesians 5:26,27 – That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, [27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Some Never Let Him Be the High Priest of their Lives!

Hebrews 10:21-25 – And having an high priest over the house of God; [22] Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. [23] Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) [24] And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: [25] Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Happy Christ to you! My prayer for you is that you won’t just be found worshipping him tomorrow on Christmas Eve in one of his churches, but that you will be found assembling regularly in one of his local, visible, New Testament, Churches in the coming year, worshipping him in Spirit and in truth.

John 4:24 – God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit

and in truth.

I Timothy 3:14,15 – These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: [15] But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Wild Walter and the Weirdoes Prophetic Gumbo from Iran!

December 23, 2006

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

The two articles which follow, the first from YNet News, and the second from the New York Post, present the weird prophetic dreams of the once great 600 B.C. Persian Empire of Biblical Daniel’s day, mixed with a hodgepodge of the Qoran and Islamic traditional prophetic teachings since 600 A.D.!

Begin YNet News Report

Ahmadinejad: What would Jesus do Today

?

Iranian president in New Year’s message to Christians: ‘God willing, Jesus will return with Imam Mahdi and wipe away oppression’

YNet News

Yaakov Lappin

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has sent a greeting to the world’s Christians for the coming New Year, in which he has linked Christianity’s deity, Jesus, with the Shiite messianic figure, Imam Mahdi, saying he expected both to return and “wipe away oppression.”

“I wish all the Christians a very happy new year and I wish to ask them a question as well,” the Iranian leader said, according to the Iranian Student News Agency.

“My one question from the Christians is: What would Jesus do if he were present in the world today? What would he do before some of the oppressive powers of the world who are in fact residing in Christian countries

? Which powers would he revive and which of them would he destroy?” the Iranian president asked.

“If Jesus were present today, who would be facing him and who would be following him?” He added.

‘Occupiers warned to evacuate Iraq’

Ahmadinejad then linked Jesus with Imam Mahdi, a Shiite leader believed by the Iranian president to have gone into hiding centuries ago, and who is expected by Shiite Muslims to return and usher in a period of messianic dominance for Islam.

“All I want to say is that the age of hardship, threat and spite will come to an end someday and God willing Jesus would return to the world along with the emergence of the descendant of the Islam’s Holy Prophet, Imam Mahdi and wipe away every tinge of oppression, pain and agony from the face of the world,” Ahmadinejad said.

The Iranian president also called on the United States and Britain to evacuate Iraq, saying, “We warn the occupiers that if they do not evacuate Iraq on their own accord, then the powerful hands of the Iraqi nation would do that and cast them out of this country in shame and humiliation.”

End YNet News Report

I wonder what the Wise Men, who observed the Star of Jesus to the west as they stood in the eastern area of the vast Persian Empire, would have thought of Ahmadinejad’s Eschatology teachings.

Matthew 2:1-6 – Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, [2] Saying, W here is

he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

[3] When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. [4] And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. [5] And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, [6] And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

The Dream Nightmare of Imperialist Persia is coming to life again in the Middle East!

Begin New York Post Report

Imperialist Iran Imitates Ambitions of Ancient Persia

Amir Taheri

The New York Post

December 21, 2006

Although presented in religious terms, Ahmadinejad’s ambition to restore Iran’s position as the dominant regional power has deep roots in Persian nationalism. Ever since it emerged as a state over 25 centuries ago, Iran has always tried to extend its western frontiers and reach the Mediterranean.

With the shattering of the balance of power in the Middle East, partly thanks to U.S. intervention that destroyed Iran’s enemies in Afghanistan and Iraq, such moves are no longer regarded as a fantasy

in Tehran.

Iran is already present in Iraq and hopes to dominate the county once the U.S. has abandoned it. Iranian influence is also expanding in Syria, where Iran maintains a major security presence while thousands of Syrians are converting to the Khomeinist brand of Shiism. Iran is also trying to seize control of Lebanon through its Hizballah proxies, who have declared war on Premier Siniora’s democratic government.

Ahmadinejad has claimed that the U.S. was already defeated in the Middle East. “They are like rubble, and we are like the flood,” he said. “That kind of talk can only lead to war,” says Sami Faraj, an expert in regional security. “Ahmadinejad feels that, with the U.S. wavering in Iraq, nothing can stop him.

The region may have to pay a high price to prove him wrong.” (New York Post)

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Temporary Setback for Ahmadinejad in Persia!

December 22, 2006

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

One day in the future, Persia (Iran) will be one of the 10 toe s

in Daniel 2, the 10 horns in Daniel 7, the 10 horns in Revelation 13, and the 10 horns in Revelation 13 and 17, which will push against Israel through Lebanon and Syria. (Please see Archive Whole Numbered Prophecy Update Numbers 27 to 39 for Full Exposition)
Ezekiel 38:4-12 – And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: [5] Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: [6] Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. [7] Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself,

thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

[8] After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. [9] Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. [10] Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: [11] And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, [12] To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

Ahmadinejad suffers Elections Setback

The four articles which follow, from various news sources, give a good overall picture of the power struggle that is currently going on in Iran between moderate and extremist conservative Islamic factions.

Associated Press, THE JERUSALEM POST

December 21, 2006

Final results showed Thursday that hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s opponents have won elections for local councils, an embarrassing blow to the hardline leader.

Moderate conservatives opposed to Ahmadinejad have won a majority of the seats, followed by reformists who were suppressed by hard-liners in 2004, results released by the Interior Ministry showed.

The vote was widely seen as a sign of public discontent with Ahmadinejad’s hard-line stance, which has fueled fights with the West and led Iran closer to UN sanctions.

Ahmadinejad’s anti-Israel rhetoric and staunch stand on Iran’s nuclear program are believed to have divided the conservatives who voted him into power.

Some conservatives feel Ahmadinejad has spent too much time confronting the West and failed to deal with Iran’s struggling economy.

The voting also represented a partial comeback for reformists, who favor closer ties with the West and further loosening of social and political restrictions under the Islamic government.

The election does not directly effect Ahmadinejad’ s admini

stration and is not expected to bring immediate policy changes. The local councils handle community matters in cities and town across the country.

But it represented the first time the public has weighed in on Ahmadinejad’s stormy presidency since he took office in June 2005. The results are expected to pressure him to change his populist anti-Western tone and focus more on Iran’s high unemployment and economic problems at home.

Leading reformist Saeed Shariati said the results of the election was a “big no” to Ahmadinejad and his allies.

“We consider this government’s policy to be against Iran’s national interests and security. It is simply acting against Iran’s interests,” Shariati said. His party seeks democratic changes within Iran’s ruling Islamic establishment and supports relations with the United States.

Similar anti-Ahmadinejad sentiment was visible in the final results of a parallel election held to select members of the Assembly of Experts, a conservative body of 86 senior clerics that monitors Iran’s supreme leader and chooses his successor.

A big boost for moderates within the ruling Islamic establishment was visible in the big number of votes for former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, who lost to Ahmadinejad in the 2005 presidential election runoff.

Rafsanjani, who supports dialogue with the United States, received the most votes of any Tehran candidate to win re-election to the assembly. Also re-elected was Hasan Rowhani, Iran’s former top nuclear negotiator whom Ahmadinejad repeatedly accused of making too many concessions to the Europeans.

End Jerusalem Post Article

Begin National Review Article

Iranian Supreme Leader’s Health Worsening

Michael Ledeen (National Review)

December 22, 2006

There is a very intense power struggle going on inside the Iranian regime, catalyzed by recent evidence of the worsening health of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In considerable pain from his cancer, for which he consumes a considerable quantity of opium syrup, Khamenei recently was forced to spend 2-3 days in a Tehran hospital.

His doctors told him several months ago that he was unlikely to survive much past the end of March, and he seems to be more or less on schedule.

The writer is resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

End National Review Article

INTERNAL BATTLE FOR POWER IN IRAN CONTINUES!

Begin Two UK Articles

Ahmadinejad Stifles Student Dissent

Kay Biouki and Colin Freeman

University authorities in Iran have adopted a “star rating” system for politically-active students as part of President Ahmadinejad’s crackdown on dissent within the academic elite.

Regime critics are given between one and three stars according to the perceived threat they pose. The star system has, however, become a badge of honor among those who have acquired them on their records.

Students have likened it to the German Nazi-era practice of making Jews wear the Star of David. (Sunday Telegraph-UK)

Iranian Students in Fear for Lives after Venting Fury at Ahmadinejad

Robert Tait

Iranian student activists who staged an angry protest against President Ahmadinejad last week have gone into hiding in fear for their lives after his supporters threatened them with revenge. (Guardian-UK)

End Two UK Articles

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more detailed information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. You may use material originated by this site. However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.