AUGUST 2003 WORLD NEWS

Israel: Still God's Chosen People (Part 1) - by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

The Chosen People

The Bible is the revelation of God's will to man. It is a self-disclosure by God giving us information we could not gain from any other source. It begins with the book of Genesis, explaining in just a few chapters, how the human race was brought into existence by the personal activity of the God who created the universe. It shows that the first man and woman were the objects of His love and special attention. They were created "in His image" (Genesis 1:26-27), and were given the privilege of regular communication with Him (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:8) One man and one woman were appointed, not only as the progenitors of our race, but also as God's stewards, His custodians and caretakers over the creation. They were created with the characteristics of mind, emotions, personality, and will. They were made creative, imaginative, inventive, artistic, capable of loving and being loved--and above all, able to worship.

As the account of Genesis continues its simple but profound revelation of God's dealing with our human parents, the problem of evil surfaces. Even though Adam and Eve had been created perfect, they had also been created with the ability to choose, or reject, God's will for them. In theory, they could have chosen to obey God completely, but instead, being tempted by Satan, they partook of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3). Evil did not begin with man but with a rebellion among the angels. The angelic rebellion damaged the created universe and its invisible angelic government. (Isaiah 14:12ff.; Ezekiel 28:12ff.) It also brought about the possibility that man, too, could choose a course of action contrary to the perfect ways of God. This first human sin alienated our original parents from their creator. Instead of looking forward to walking with Him in the garden, they hid themselves from Him (Genesis 3:8-10).

The separation from God that is the result of sin is the greatest of all problems for the human race. God had warned Adam that if he disobeyed, "you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17). Adam did not die immediately in a physical sense, although the process of aging and eventual death was triggered by this event of rebellion. But Adam died spiritually (Romans 5:12)--the word "death" in the Bible actually means "separation." Thus, when a person dies physically, there is a separation between the physical and the non-physical aspects of his being: his Soul and Spirit. The body is laid to rest where it will return to dust (Genesis 3:19), while the immaterial part of man goes on to wait the judgment, and the eventual destination of heaven or hell (Luke 16:19-31). There is also a spiritual death separation of man's spirit from the spirit of his Creator. This is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he declared,

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (Ephesians 2:1-2)

Sin, therefore, poses the greatest of all threats to the well-being of our race. Man's fall resulted in his spiritual death. His body was genetically damaged so that all men are mortal because of the sin of Adam. Men cut off from the source of life have no hope--and God IS Life! All life, all forms of life, come from God. Being disconnected from the source of life (for any reason) means an organism will begin to die, and continue to die. Men begin to die as soon as they are born, but God in His love for us did not abandon us in our plight. A god who was simply good might have declared the human experiment a failure, and would have left us to suffer the consequences of our rebellion, or, perhaps, would have put us out of our misery, snuffing out the planet with a momentary explosion, in order to preserve the rest of His creation from possible contamination. A god who was simply just could have easily allowed anarchists and rebels to perish. After all it is His universe not ours.

But God is not simply good, nor simply just. Above all He is holy, and He is a God of love. His very nature is love. (1 John 4:8). In His love, He sought to reestablish a relationship with Adam and Eve by seeking them out. When they hid from Him, the Lord found them and offered a way back, a way of restoration. That restoration involved wearing the skins of an animal sacrifice. An animal sacrificed by God Himself was the first creature to die. The death of the animal was symbolic of the physical death they deserved to die. It demonstrated a great principle of Scripture that "without the shedding of blood there is no remission (removal) of sin." The concept of a substitutionary atoning sacrifice was introduced. Before they received this gift from God, they were in a state of being spiritually dead-cut off from Him. But when they received it and wore it, they were in effect confessing their sin and their inability to solve the problem for themselves. The death of that first animal on their behalf became a "covering" for their sin (Genesis 3:21). Fig leaves and other forms of clothing would come to be symbols of man's self-righteousness. Sin causes man to lose his own righteousness as the prophets tell us, "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6) This would later be the basis for the institution of the system of animal sacrifices. sacrifices and would teach us about "imputed righteousness"--that inherent goodness of Christ with which we are clothed when we place our faith in Him. And the animal sacrifices, in turn, point to a future final sacrifice by the Messiah. That is why Paul continued the explanation in Ephesians this way:

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

The next few chapters of Genesis trace the spread of the human race and its eventual corruption--within less than 2000 years--to the point that God needed to send a flood to destroy the evil. Again, He did not destroy the entire planet, but, in love and grace, God preserved the eight persons who still trusted in Him. Therefore, Noah and his family were saved (Genesis 6-10).

After the Flood, God told men to "be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." (Genesis 9:1) This would require them to gradually migrate in all directions. Those who were migrating East built a city and a tower at Babylon, and established there false religious system in an effort to disobey God and stay together. God confused their languages so they could no longer work together. (Genesis 11)

Chosen to Share the Truth

Several hundred years later people had established cultures in many places. There were some who still retained the truth passed down to them by their fathers from the time of Noah, but there were many who had abandoned that truth. God picked out one man, from the city of Ur of the Chaldees, a place where most people no longer believed in Him. He called Abram (later called Abraham) with these words:

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:1-2)

The Covenants

God does not act whimsically or arbitrarily, but deals with individuals and nations on the basis of great contracts or covenants which He Himself initiates. The very name Yahweh is known as the "covenant name" of God. Yahweh is related to the Hebrew verb "to be" and indicates that God is a living Person who enters into personal relationships with individuals and with groups of individuals. Everything God has done in regards to our salvation is based on one or more of the covenants God has made in the past. None of these has been abrogated or annulled.

Even before Abraham's time God had made a covenant with Noah on behalf of the whole human race. That covenant was a promise never again to destroy the earth with a flood. (Genesis 9:8-17) There are groups of churches today which stress what they call "convenantal theology." We do not disagree with this emphasis on the ways God has chosen to enter into contracts with His peoples. However many of the "covenant churches" would not necessarily agree with our eschatology. The subject of covenants in the Bible is important and complex. The Appendix introduces this subject for the serious student.

Five principle covenants--all still in effect--apply to the nation of Israel. These include the Abrahamic Covenant (later confirmed to Isaac and Jacob), The Mosaic Covenant, the Covenant of The Land, the Davidic Covenant, and the New Covenant.

The Purpose of a "Chosen People": Blessing of All Nations

The Abrahamic Covenant was the promise of a special blessing for Abraham's descendants: a "chosen" people. But it is obviously not for their benefit alone, but that, through them, all people would be blessed!

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." (Genesis 12:3)

The promised benefit to the whole human race was later revealed as the Messiah - - the Deliverer from the penalty of sin. That is, the promise to Abraham was really the promise of one unique seed, Messiah, in whom all the covenants would find their fulfillment (Galatians 3:16). The theological term "eternal covenant" refers to an agreement within the Godhead, made before the foundation of the world, out of which all the covenants with mankind would later flow.

The Promised Land

An important part of the promise to Abraham was that he would be led to a land which God would show him.

Canaan

At the time of Abraham's journey, the land was occupied by various Canaanite tribes, and was therefore known as the land of Canaan. Canaan was the son of Ham, and the grandson of Noah. Following the flood, the descendants of Canaan traveled to the area and settled there. Canaan's sons became the heads of what would become the tribes of Canaan. Canaan himself had evidently participated in his father's sin of mocking and gross disrespect when Noah accidentally became drunk, dishonoring his grandfather (Genesis 9:21-26). Canaan manifested the same moral weakness his father had, but to a greater degree. His descendants, resisting God's grace, became more and more decadent and ungodly as their history unfolded. Eventually these idolatrous peoples were to be deprived of their land. (Deuteronomy 7:1-10)

Israel

Following a long series of conquests of the Canaanite tribes (See the Book of Joshua), the twelve tribes of Israel finally occupied a large portion of the land originally promised to Abraham. In the days of David the land was renamed "Israel" after the new name God had given the patriarch Jacob, whose twelve sons were the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribes were united in one great kingdom until after the reign of David's son Solomon. After Solomon died a power struggle ensued, resulting in a division of the people. The northern ten tribes were still called Israel, but the southern two tribes, and the land which they occupied, was called Judea, after the name of the larger of the two tribes, Judah. This is the name from which the words "Jew" and "Jewish" were derived.

Palestine

The name "Palestine" is not found in the Bible. It has had a variety of meanings. Nelson's Bible Dictionary tells us how the word was first used:

"The word itself originally identified the region as "the land of the Philistines," a war-like tribe that inhabited much of the region alongside the Hebrew people. But the older name for Palestine was CANAAN, the term most frequently used in the Old Testament.

"The term Palestine as a name for the entire land of Canaan, beyond the coastal plains of the Phoenicians, was first used by the fifth century B. C. historian Herodotus. After the Jewish revolt of A. D. 135, the Romans replaced the Latin name Judea with the Latin Palaestina as their name for this province."

As you can see, the name is actually an insult to the Jewish people, denying the name Israel, which it once had, and going back to the Philistines, their earlier opponents.

Before the rebirth of the Nation of Israel in 1948, the name Palestine was virtually synonymous with "The Holy Land." Most writers from the time printed books were first introduced until this generation used the term in a non-political sense for the entire region of the Bible lands. Palestine was a well defined area at the end of World War II. The modern nation of Jordan was carved out of the larger portion of Palestine, and the remainder was the area now known once again as the nation of Israel.

Today the name "Palestine" has a different meaning with highly political connotations. This will be described later in the section on "Modern Israel."

Conditional Nature of The Promise for the Land

Covenants can be conditional or unconditional. As it turns out only one of the covenants applicable to Israel is conditional---the right of the Jews to live in the promised land.

This partly conditional covenant has several elements: (1) dispersion of the Jews was to be a consequence of disobedience. (2) Future repentance will be accomplished by God. (3) God will regather his scattered people and restore them to the land. (4) The people of Israel will be brought to the Lord as a nation. (5) The enemies and oppressors of Israel will be punished. (6) Future national prosperity and preeminence is guaranteed. (See also Deuteronomy. 28, 29.) Because of this covenant, the right of the Jews to live in the land is conditional upon their behavior.

"See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you this day, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you this day, that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land which you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying his voice, and cleaving to him; for that means life to you and length of days, that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them." (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)

The Disobedience and Restoration of Israel - Disobedience and Discipline

2 Kings, Chapter 17, documents God's reasons for His temporarily removing the ten Northern tribes from the Land. The Lord indicates that the approaching 70 year Babylonian captivity would allow the Land to enjoy its seventh-year Sabbath rests which had been ignored by the Jews since their entry into the land under the leadership of Joshua.

Moses had given Israel this warning about what would happen if they forsook the Lord:

I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins. Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths. All the time that it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not have during the sabbaths you lived in it. (Leviticus 26:33-35)

Second Chronicles records the result of their disobedience:

He carried into exile to Babylon the remnant, who escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to powr. The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah. (2 Chronicles 36:20-21)

Repentance

Daniel, who had been among the young men taken captive to Babylon, expressed the repentance that the exiles felt after years of captivity. He had lived out a long and useful life in Babylon serving a succession of governments and administrations, but as an old man he realized the time of the captivity there was about to end when he happened to be reading the scroll of his immediate predecessor Jeremiah:

In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom--in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: "O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. "Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame--the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you." (Daniel 9:1-8) (See also Daniel 9:15-19)

Rebuilding - Ezra, Nehemiah

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah describe the leadership of Zerrubabel and Nehemiah, who led small numbers of Jews back to the Land at the end of the appointed 70 years in Babylon. A modest Second Temple was constructed and the city walls were rebuilt in answer to Daniel's prayer of intercession (Daniel 9:1-19). The land from that time until now was under Gentile dominion, however. Yeshua would later affirm that Israel's subservience to Gentile powers would continue until He returned, (Luke 21:44). This did not change in 1948 when Israel achieved national independence--Jerusalem is to be overrun and destroyed by foreign armies at least one more time. (Zechariah 14:1-3)

Coming of The Messiah

The Gospel of Matthew was written primarily for Jewish readers. It constantly refers to the Messianic prophecies fulfilled by Yeshua (Jesus) as the rightful King of the Jews. Among these striking fulfillments, Matthew cited Yeshua's virgin birth (1:22-23), the place of His birth in Bethlehem (2:5-6), the flight of His parents to Egypt to spare him from Herod's slaughter of children (2:14-15), His boyhood years in Nazareth (2:23), the beginnings of His public ministry in the area of Galilee (4:13-16), His miraculous healing ministry (8:14-17; 12:17-21), His rejection by non-believers (13:13-15), His entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey (21:1-5), His surrender to His enemies (26:54-56), and His betrayal for thirty pieces of silver (27:3-10).

His agony in the garden, illegal trial in the middle of the night, crucifixion, burial and resurrection are vividly described (26-28). The other three gospels give complementary details.

Fulfillment of Prophecy

A comparison of all the Gospels with the Old Testament record results in over sixty different prophecies fulfilled in Yeshua's birth, life and death. The odds against any person coincidentally fulfilling these prophecies is astronomical! It was this fact that convinced His followers that He truly was the long-awaited Messiah. Here are some examples of this fact:

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ)

Philip found Nathaniel and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." (John 1:41, 45)

When Jesus spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well, He revealed to her that He was Messiah.

The woman said, "I know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus declared, "I who speak to you am he."

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" (John 4:25-26, 28-29)

HOME

August 13, 2003

CLONING YIELDS HUMAN-RABBIT HYBRID EMBRYO

Mars moves closer to earth

August 13, 2003

Israel: Still God's Chosen People (Part 2) - by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

The Believing Minority - Apostles and Early Christians It should always be remembered that the entire first church was Jewish. All of the Twelve Apostles were Jewish. Their first assignment was to preach to "the lost sheep of Israel." (Matthew 10:6) Yeshua was reluctant at first to even share the Gospel with the Canaanite woman who asked for His help because His focus was also the Jewish people. (Matthew 25:22-28).

As the nation began to reject their promised King and Messiah (Matthew 12:14-21), Jesus began to conceal truth from the nation, by speaking in parables (Matthew 13). He focused on training. His disciples for the age which would follow, and on His primary mission of arriving in Jerusalem at the time appointed for His crucifixion. God's plan for ultimate blessings promised to the Gentiles came more into view.

On the night of His betrayal at the "Last Supper"--after Judas had left to finalize his plot to betray the Lord--Jesus brought the 11 disciples, as representatives of true, believing Israel into the "New Covenant" which had been promised to Israel hundreds of years earlier by the prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Isaiah. This New Covenant was to be the basis of the spread of the gospel message of Jesus by these same men, after they were made Apostles of the church. The nation Israel was to be brought back to God under the terms of this New Covenant, though for a period of time they were to be set aside because of their rejection of Yeshua as Messiah.

Yeshua's official rejection of Israel and His plan for the calling out of a church was announced at Caesarea Phillippi (Matthew 16:17-19). A few months later, during His final week in Jerusalem, He announced to the nation and its leaders,

"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes' Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [Israel] and given to a people [the church] who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone [Messiah] will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." (Matthew 21:42-44)

Yeshua wept over Jerusalem as He realized the terrible fate that would come upon the nation because of their rejection of Him. For the second time the conditional provisions of the Covenant of the Land were to be enforced. This time their exile ("Diaspora") was to last not 70 years but 2000!

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." (Matthew 23:37-39)

The resurrection of Jesus and His appearances to friends and disciples over the next 40 days, reassured them considerably--for they had all forsaken Him when He died (Matthew 26:31). Promising to send them "Another Strengthener" (John 14:1516), He told His followers to wait ten more days.

Gathering in Jerusalem on the appointed day--the Feast of Pentecost following Passover--the Jewish followers of Yeshua were empowered by the Spirit of God and baptized into a new community of believers known as the church--the Body of Christ. (Ephesians 3:1-21) All of those who first heard the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) were Jewish (including converts and those dispersed to other countries).

It was only after the persecution of the early church by the Jewish enemies of Yeshua in Jerusalem that they were scattered from there, and began to take the message to the rest of Judea and Samaria, and eventually, to Gentiles living in Israel, and even to other Nations (Acts 8:1; 10:1-48; 13:1-4).

Even when Paul, the "Apostle to The Gentiles" would go to any new place, he would first seek out the Jewish people and proclaim the Gospel to them. (Acts 13:5; 14; 14:1-5; 17:1-5; 18:1-6) Typically, some of the Jews would believe and the rest would not. Only then would he began to preach to the Gentiles. Here is an example from the visit to Antioch in Pisidia:

As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: "'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. (Acts 13:42-48)

Paul summarized his God-given method in Romans 1:16 where he stated, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile."

Israel's Unbelief

Rejection of Messiah

The second violation of the conditional provisions of the Covenant Of The Land occurred when Israel as a nation rejected her rightful Messiah, Yeshua, when He came riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as legitimate King of Israel (exactly fulfilling Zechariah 9:9)

As he [Jesus] was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, saying, "Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast up a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation." (Luke 19:37-44)

One might have thought that during the 400 years following the close of the Old Testament (after the book of Malachi was written) the nation would have learned its lessons from history and been ready for the coming of the Promised One. But the priesthood had become thoroughly corrupt and the bulk of the populace wanted relief from Roman Oppression--not release from inner evil, sin and spiritual death. Messiah's rejection as rightful King in the line of David was followed within a few days by His betrayal and execution. When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate the assembled crowd of Jews was given an opportunity to free Jesus who was by all counts completely innocent, or to release a known criminal. In the ensuing clamor the people asked instead for the release of Barabbas,

Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, "Whom do you want me to release for you, Barabbas or Jesus who is called Christ?" For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much over him today in a dream." Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the people to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor again said to them, "Which of the two do you want me to release for you?" And they said, "Barabbas." Pilate said to them, "Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?" They all said, "Let him be crucified." And he said, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they shouted all the more, "Let him be crucified." So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves." And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!" (Matthew 27:15-25)

It is wrong for us to label Jews as "Christ-killers" because quite clearly all mankind is involved in the conspiracy which put Jesus to death. Representatives of each of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth had a responsible role in putting Messiah to death. Had the Son of God been born in any other country, in any other time, the results would have been the same. Yet the leaders of the Jews standing before Pilate in that generation were willing to assume responsibility for the blood of Jesus, "Let his blood be upon us." God will evidently require this of the nation in the final days of the coming tribulation.

The resurrection of Jesus three days after his death, and the sudden and dramatic formation of the church of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (50 days after the resurrection) did not turn the heart of the nation to their Messiah. It was only a matter of time until the Jewish followers of Jesus, some thousands in number, were forced to flee Jerusalem. Soon the unbelieving Jews, in their continuing revolt against Rome, provoked the Romans to remove them from the land. As a consequence, the provisional terms of the Covenant Of The Land were invoked for the second time by the Owner of the Land.

After this second dispersion, lasting nearly 2000 years, God allowed His chosen people to return to their land again. The exciting history of the regathering of the Jews from all lands began a hundred years ago---culminating in the rebirth of the State of Israel in 1948 and the tiny nation's rise to power and a restored place of great power and influence as a modern progressive democracy. Thankfully, God is faithful to His promises in spite our unbelief!

The drama of the Jewish people during their Diaspora is little known to most Christians. It is fascinating reading because it soon becomes clear that God has in fact protected the Jewish people, their religion, values and culture against the great pressures to assimilate, against almost constant terrible anti-Semitism, against horrendous persecution down through the ages. The very existence of the Jews today, the recovery of their language, their regathering to the land of their fathers, and the clear signs of their Messianic expectations, are surely among the greatest miracles one can find on the pages of human history.

HOME

Israel: Still God's Chosen People (Part 3) - by Ron Graff and Lambert Dolphin

Hardening and blindness - Romans 11

In the early years when God had moved to call out a church to His name, and because the majority of Jewish people did not accept Yeshua as Messiah, the Apostle Paul explained that they had become spiritually blind. The same thing happens to any people anywhere in any age who hear truth from God and ignore it. The Jews are representative--not unique--in their demonstration of all of mankind's rebellion against God down through the ages.

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25)

One might ask if the past hundred years of great economic development, prosperity, and overwhelming military victories against enormous odds, has brought the Jews to a place of contrition and repentance and humility as far as their God is concerned---especially since the restoration of the State of Israel was born out of terrible persecution and hardship?

It is quite true that many thousands of Jews from all over the world have become believers in Yeshua over the past 2000 years, and these have been added to the church (see Ephesians 2:11-3:12 for God's purposes in this present age). It is also true that there is a small remnant of some thousands of believing Jews now resident in the Land of Israel (Romans 11:5). Yet for the most part Israel is a secular state. Most of her citizens are not only indifferent to the God of their Fathers, but openly hostile to any notions that the God of the Land is anything more than an interesting mythological character now outgrown and to be discarded.

People who live in Israel can not help but be reminded of their past because the Sabbath is observed, and the major Biblical feasts are kept by many. Furthermore, archaeology is the national pastime, so there are reminders of early history in the news every day. At the present time about half of the Jews living in the land are "Sabras"--that is, they were born in the land and not immigrants. This younger generation is especially involved in a quest for their roots and identity, and from among the young men of this generation, well over 100,000 are already diligently studying the Torah in the many yeshivas of the land.

Although God is known for his great patience and long-suffering, it is appropriate to ask how much longer the Holy God of the Covenants will tolerate the present indifference, rebellion and disregard for His Person which typifies the Israel of the past hundred years? Of course we can not speak much more favorably about the disregard for God in our own country these days, especially since most Americans have already heard the truth about God, but never taken it seriously.

Sadly, we have further indications from the New Testament that tell us that not only will Israel continue in its denial of Yeshua as Messiah--they will in fact readily embrace a counterfeit Messiah. Jesus warned His people when he was with them,

You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men. But I know that you have not the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? (John 5:39-44)

Israel is God's model nation, yet in spite of the fact that Israel's history of repeated failure is on public display in the Bible for all to read, God has neither abandoned nor rejected His chosen people. When all the final scores are in concerning all the nations and their animosity and hatred of the one true God, no one will have any cause for boasting. In fact God will judge all the other nations of the world by how they have treated the Jews (Joel 3).

One hundred years of God's grace, kindness, mercy and favor have not turned the nation of Israel towards faith in their God. Nor are they any closer to accepting their true Messiah. Will then God banish the Jews from the land again, perhaps this time permanently?

The answer from Scripture is clear. Israel's final testing will occur in their land and involve the destruction of a majority of the populace, a time of trial compared to which the Nazi holocaust will pale in insignificance.

Modern Israel

Ezekiel, chapters 36 and 37 plainly predicted that the Chosen People would one day be regathered from the various nations of the world, back to their own land, Israel. The Prophet saw a vision of a valley full of dry bones, shaking and coming back together. Once the skeleton was formed, muscles appeared, then skin covered the reconstructed body which is symbolic of the rebirth of Israel.

The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "O Sovereign LORD, you alone know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.'" So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them. (Ezekiel 37:1-8)

The modern nation of Israel came into existence on May 14, 1948 when the British, who had occupied the area of Palestine since the end of World War II withdrew their forces and ended their occupation of the land.

This was not a surprise, since Jewish people had flocked to the land for decades as part of the Zionist movement, begun in the late 1800's. At the end of World War I the British issued the "Balfour Declaration" which endorsed the establishment of "a national home" for the Jewish people in Palestine During World War II the Nazis killed 6 million Jewish people, (approximately one-third of all Jews living at the time). Because of this, world opinion was in favor of the establishment of a homeland for Jews.

However, all of the nations immediately surrounding the little sliver of land were opposed to the formation of a Jewish state, so, on the very first day of Israel's independence, all of Israel's neighbors declared war against them. Israel miraculously won that war--and four more which have been waged against them during their first fifty years of existence.

The Arab population of the land, who were mostly Moslems, were invited to stay when Israel became a nation. They were offered citizenship if they would stay. Many of them accepted the offer, but the majority fled into buffer areas just inside the borders of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, where they formed Palestinian refugee camps. The neighboring countries would not assimilate them, preferring to use their plight as homeless refugees for political advantage.

Today "Palestinians" are the residents of certain areas of Israel designated by the Oslo Accords of 1963 as areas for self-rule of Palestinian people under the leadership of Yasser Arafat and the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization). There is a great deal of unrest, and occasional terrorist activity, between the residents of these areas and the rest of Israel, all of which threatens to destroy the progress of the "peace process" in the area.

The Nation of Israel has been brought back together as promised in Ezekiel: the skeleton, the muscles, and the skin are in place, but there is still one part of the prophecy which awaits fulfillment. That is the spiritual rebirth of the people. This is symbolized by God breathing life into Israel, even as He did into Adam when he was created.

Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.'"

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army. Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.' Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.'" (Ezekiel 37:9-14)

Israel has moved back into their ancient lands without any special regard for the God of their Fathers, who was doing this for them. The treatment of the immigrating Jews towards the Arabs living in the land was often harsh and unfair. This is surely because they had returned in a general state of unbelief. They had forgotten for the moment the Law of Moses, and God's standards for treatment of strangers and aliens living in God's land. Much of the rebellion by the Palestinian people against the Jews is based on legitimate complaints, and God, of course, can not overlook this in the long run. He has no favorites and is even-handed in His judgments of all people.

Israel's Glorious Future

As mentioned earlier, God's ultimate intention for the nation Israel is that they should one day live under the more powerful, more effectual conditions of the New Covenant which is the covenant which is now in effect in the world-wide church of Jesus Christ,

This is pictured in Ezekiel 36 this way:

"'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." (Ezekiel 36:24-27)

It is after the church is completed that God will turn again to Israel as a nation and focus His activities once again from His unseen headquarters in Jerusalem.

Peter has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written, `After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.' (Acts 15:14-18)--The quote is from Amos 9:11-12).

In his great discourse on Israel's future the Apostle Paul assures us,

Lest you [believing Gentiles] be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brethren: a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in [to the church], and so [or, "then"] all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob"; "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins." As regards the gospel they are enemies of God, for your sake; but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may receive mercy. (Romans 11:25-32)

Aug 11

Global Warming And The End Times by Todd Strandberg

The massive heat wave that Europe has been suffering has made global warming a hot news topic. I’m an old weather buff, and the reports coming out of Europe are almost unbelievable.

For the first time ever, London has reached the 100F degree mark. The German weather service reported it had registered a new national temperature record in the Bavarian city of Roth, which hit nearly 105F degrees on Saturday. The previous record of 104F was also in Bavaria, set in 1983. On Sunday, the city of Gravesend set a new record for England at 100.6F.

We’ve known about the greenhouse effect for several decades now. The burning of fossil fuels puts carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which blocks heat from escaping the earth.

A seemingly endless debate rages over global warming and its relationship to man’s activity. It doesn’t matter if carbon dioxide is the cause of global warming. The simple fact remains that the earth is progressively becoming warmer. NASA has found that the earth warmed by half a degree Celsius between 1960 and 2002. There are two main camps focusing on the issue of future temperature increase. Some scientists say that over the next 100 years the climate will warm by 2 to 5 C, while others say the rate of increase could be 10 to 15 C. A few degrees of change may not seem like much, but that change can be the difference between an area being a productive farmland or an arid desert.

Weather is very complicated, with numerous factors working together to create our climate. A single hot spell does not make the case for global warming. The proof comes from the exponential growth in heat-related weather events. Here are a few examples from the past few years:

The western Pacific during 1998-2002 simply had no precedent in at least the previous 150 years.

The year 1998 was declared the warmest year ever.

In July 1999, a wave of record heat enveloped the eastern third of the U.S.

The year 2001 grabbed the title of warmest year ever.

The year 2002 became the second warmest year, right behind 2001.

In May 2002, more than 1,030 people died from a heat wave in Indian. Northern desert winds led to an abnormally hot May in southern India, with temperatures more than 7 percent above the monthly average.

IN June 2002, scientists, using highly precise airborne laser measurements of 67 Alaskan glaciers from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s discovered that the glaciers are melting an average of six feet a year.

In September 2002, a Russian village was entombed under 3 million tons of ice and mud from a collapsing glacier.

In June 2003, a record heat wave baked the southern region of Japan.

In June 2003, high temperatures in India killed nearly 1,400 people.

In August 2003, several new all-time highs were set across Europe. Some records stretched back nearly 200 years.

In August 2003, six days into the month, temperatures soared to 109F degrees at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, surpassing the old record of 108F set in 1952.

The year 2003 is shaping up to be yet another record year for heat.

The most worrisome component of the current trend towards global warming is not knowing where it is all headed. Venus has an atmosphere that is mostly carbon dioxide, and it has a running away greenhouse effect with an average surface temperature of 900F.

Mankind lives in a very narrow range of the temperature spectrum. It would not require drastic modification in the climate to result in devastating consequences. A small shift in the Gulf Stream current could turn Europe into an icebox.

Global warming could easily fit into the last days. The tribulation hour is a time when everything will go haywire. Some might say the buildup of greenhouse gases is not man’s fault, so it can’t be part of a judgment from God. Because the Holy Father knows the beginning from the end, global warming could be a judgment for the world’s sinful ways.

Earthly And Eternal Bankruptcy

When I first heard about Mike Tyson declaring bankruptcy, I thought that there must not be too much money in professional boxing. Upon hearing that his boxing income over the past 20 years has been $400 million, my wonderment switched to how he possibly could have spent that much money in such a short period.

The simple answer is that it all went to support a lavish lifestyle of incredible magnitude. A good chunk of the money supported the women he shacked up. The legal fees and settlements that resulted from divorce and one unintended pregnancy cost Tyson millions.

Tyson was not a very frugal shopper. He spent his money on things like a $410,000 birthday bash, a $170,000 a diamond necklace, $230,000 worth of cellular telephones and pagers, and a $120,000 pet tiger. Cars cost him at least $60,000 a pop. Most people buy rugs at Wal-mart or Sears for under $20. Mike bought his for $100,000.

You would think that after paying big bucks to financial managers, one would have reminded Tyson that he needs to pay taxes on all the money he earns. He currently owes the US Internal Revenue Service $13.4 million and another $4 million to British tax officials.

Most people would probably think that Tyson's lavish spending indicates that he is not a happy man, but I don’t think that is necessarily true. Most wealthy people are very happy, and the more they spend, the jollier they become. Money can buy happiness, but what it can’t purchase is contentment.

The day will probably never come that we see Tyson scavenging through dumpsters looking for something to eat. In America, a person can file for bankruptcy several times and still continue living on easy street. Because creditors are restricted from placing claims on certain assets, Tyson would almost to have intentionally spend himself into the poor house.

There is no escape from eternal bankruptcy. The greatest lawyers in the world can’t rescue treasures that never existed. Unless someone has trusted in Jesus Christ as his Savior, all is lost. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mat. 16:26).

Because Tyson currently stands as a poster boy for materialism, his torment in the afterlife will largely revolve around what he could have done with all that money he wasted on wine, women and song.

I think one of the reasons the news of Mike Tyson’s bankruptcy was so widely covered is that people of average income like to hear about the misfortunes of celebrities. If we Christians fail to advance the Kingdom of God, our eternal rewards are equally wasted.

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1 Cor. 3:11-15).
-- Todd

HOME

August 15, 2003

At Least 50 Injured in Greece Earthquake

SENATOR AND BRONX MOM SUE CITY OVER GAY HIGH SCHOOL

Pentagon Scrambled F-16s to Guard New York

August 16, 2003

Will the Bible be banned in America? - by Hal Lindsey www.hallindseyoracle.com

Certain parts of the Bible are already being banned from public display in America. An Alabama Judge has been ordered to remove a two-ton stone display with the Ten Commandments on it from the courthouse.

He has defied the order on the grounds that the oath he took as an Alabaman judge requires him to uphold the law as revealed in the Ten Commandments. It is part of the State's Constitution. He also brings forth the valid legal argument that the U. S. Constitution guarantees that the federal government has no jurisdiction over this particular State issue.

Even reading the Bible in most American public schools is forbidden.

An extremely disturbing precedent has been set in Canada that homosexual activists in the U. S. are trying duplicate. According to a December 2001 decision by a Saskatchewan court of appeals, the Bible is hate literature if it is quoted verbatim and in context when it is used to condemn homosexuality as sin. The appellate court ruled for the provincial human-rights board for fining a man for submitting a newspaper advertisement citing four passages of Scripture. The Bible verses that were quoted, all of which dealt with homosexuality, are as follows:

You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. (Leviticus 18:22)

If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them. (Leviticus 20:13)

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse … For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. (Romans 1:18-19 and 26-27)

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

Lorne Gunter in the Edmonton, Alberta, daily writes, "[Imagine] the hand-wringing if ever a federal court labeled the Koran hate literature and forced a devout Muslim to pay a fine for printing some of his book's more astringent passages in an ad in a daily newspaper." Canadian attitudes toward homosexuality have permeated the American media.

The Corinthian verses quoted above reveal some very important truths. There were homosexuals in the Corinthian Church – just as there were fornicators, adulterers, thieves, drunkards, etc. All of these were forgiven and justified before God when they received the gift of pardon purchased for them by Jesus Christ. But just as the thief, the adulterer, the fornicator and the drunkard were required to change their behavior, so the homosexual had to change his lifestyle.

One of the signs of how far America has fallen is the case of Episcopal bishop, Gene Robinson. He's lived in an openly homosexual relationship with another man for 13 years. In spite of this, Robinson was elected as bishop by his diocese in June. But the church requires that a majority of convention delegates ratify his election. After the Anglican House of Deputies approved him as bishop by a vote of 128 to 63, the House of Bishops later approved him as bishop by a vote of 107 to 62.

The fact that the majority of Episcopal leaders ratified him as a Bishop in direct defiance of the clear statements of the New and Old Testament is appalling.

The Bible clearly warned that the great moral apostasy of the last days would be caused by the failure of Church leaders:

But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth [the Bible] will be blasphemed. (2 Peter 2:1-2)

The majority of Americans have rejected the Bible, which is the very basis of truth on which our nation was founded. So I don't believe it will be long before the Bible is banned from all public display or quoting.

Those of you who believe the Bible need to fight for its inclusion in the public life of our country. If we don't, God's warning to Israel will fall upon our country:

"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "That I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine of bread, Nor a thirst for water, But of hearing the words of the Lord. They shall wander from sea to sea, And from north to east; They shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, But shall not find it." (Amos 8:11-12)
HOME

August 19, 2003

The World's Chaotic Summer

Date: 8/18/2003

By Bill Koenig

The following information will give you an idea of some of the major events and news we are experiencing in the United States and throughout the world this summer.

The Quartet Road Map was delivered on April 30 - May 1. Since that time, the world has been experiencing some very unusual times.

As I have mentioned many times before, when pressure is applied on Israel, it disrupts the world. Now that the world community has delivered the Quartet Road Map, they, too, are experiencing disruption within their nations.

To compound matters, the U.S. has begun to accelerate her moral "turn for the worse" in the period from June 20th through the 26th.

---

April 30 - May 12 - Attempt to Parcel God's Land

The Quartet delivered the Road Map, their plan on how to parcel God's covenant land - April 30-May 1

U.S. experiences a record 385 Tornadoes within eight day period - May 2-10

The record European heat wave began first week in May and continues

Powell tells Syria he favors them receiving the Golan Heights from Israel - May 3

State Department official William Burns chastises the Christian Right for interfering with the peace process - May 4

Bush calls on the Palestinians to seize the moment in a commencement address at the University of South Carolina - May 9

Powell meets with Ariel Sharon and Abu Mazen in Israel - May 10-11

American interests bombed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia a few hours before Powell's arrival; the largest terror event against U.S. interests since 9-11-2001 - May 12

---

May 30 - June 3 - Conference on God's Land

The Iraq crisis began to surface in the U.S. on May 30, the same day President Bush left for meetings in Poland, Russia, and the G-8 meetings in Evian, France.

After his meetings in Europe and Russia, President Bush met with Arab leaders in Egypt on the implementation of the Road Map. He then traveled to Jordan to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen on the Road Map.

Bush focused his efforts this week on Israel's covenant land, while at the same time facing a political crisis at home over faulty intelligence information, pertaining to Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.

The following news headlines covered President Bush's six-day trip:

President Bush leaves for trip to Poland, Russia, France, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar - May 30

President Bush and First Lady Tour Auschwitz - May 31

President Bush Meets with Russian President Vladimer Putin - June 1

President Bush arrives at Evian, France for G-8 meetings - June 1

President Bush Meets with French President Chirac on Middle East and other matters - June 2

Colin Powell Meets Pope John Paul II at the Vatican to Discuss Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - June 2

Bush Greeted at Airport by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek - June 2

Bush Meets with Arab Leaders in Egypt - June 3

Bush has three-way summit with Sharon and Mazen - June 4

Bush demands a halt to Jewish settlements - June 4

Bush: Two States Must Share the Holy Land - June 4

President Bush Tells Powell & Rice: Make Mid-East Peace Plan Top Priority - June 4

Bush Greets U.S. Soldiers in Qatar - June 5

The following news headlines on U.S. intelligence and Iraq's alleged WMD corresponded to Bush's peace effort:

Rumsfeld Denies 'False Pretext' for Iraq War - May 30

Iraq war 'not over,' U.S. General warns - May 30

US Intel 'Simply Wrong' on Chemical Attack- May 30

Wolfowitz comments revive doubts over Iraq's WMD's - May 30

Tenet defends Iraq intelligence: CIA chief disputes allegations of administration pressure on Iraq - May 31

Straw, Powell had serious doubts over their Iraqi weapons claims - May 31

Powell Defends Information He Used to Justify Iraq War - May 31

Pressure mounting on Bush and Blair as weapons hunters find no unconventional arms - May 31

Iraqi Troops, Tribes to U.S.: Leave or Face War - June 2

Weapons Of Mass Disappearance - June 2

Ex-Army boss: Pentagon won't admit reality in Iraq - June 3

Lawmakers Seek Answers on Iraq's WMD Intelligence - June 4

Ratchet up the urgency on Iraq weapons search - June 4

Blix challenges war leaders on WMD's - June 5

CIA to Give Congress Thousands of Documents on Iraq Intelligence - June 5

Bush defends Iraq War in Qatar in meeting with U.S. troops - June 5

Bush Pledges to 'Reveal the Truth' on WMD - June 5

Blix decries coalition's intelligence on Iraq arms - June 6

U.N. Presses Bush On Iraq: Return of Weapons Inspectors Urged - June 6

---

June 20 - 26 - God's seed, witchcraft and reprobate behavior

Federal Court Refuses to rehear Roe vs. Wade - June 20

U.S. Senator Kerry threatens filibuster of Supreme Court nominees who do not support abortion rights - June 20

Harry Potter: Released throughout the world at the beginning of the summer solstice - June 21

U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Texas Sodomy Law - June 26

The gay agenda begins to dominate U.S. and World news headlines

---

July - Bush Pressures Israel - He Experiences Pressure - America and Europe Broil

President Bush and his top people call on Israel to release Palestinian prisoners and to stop the construction of the security fence (both not in the Road Map) in order to help Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Mazen. They hold White House meetings with the Palestinians (July 25) and the Israelis (July 29)

U.S. Senators rap administration on Iraq policies

U.S. Warns of Possible Al Qaida Plane Attacks

Bush Meets Saudi Foreign Minister on terror report

North Korean atomic crisis concerns the U.S.

Situation on the ground in Iraq worsens with the loss of American lives, in addition to the sabotage of water and oil. The 2003 cost are estimated in the $50 billion plus range

Major fires devastate forests in Arizona, Montana and other Western U.S. states

Record heat fried the Western United States; Phoenix experienced the warmest month on record

Europe continued to experiences one of its warmest periods on record, major fires and drought conditions a result

----

August 4 - God's Word Misinterpreted

Episcopal Church votes in favor of a gay Bishop and same-sex unions

----

August 14 - 16 U.S. Federal Court Calls for Ten Commandments to be Removed

Alabama's Chief Justice Refuses to Remove Ten Commandments

Friday, August 15, 2003 - Fox News

Please click here for the article.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore stood firm Thursday, saying he has no intention of removing a Ten Commandments monument from the rotunda of the state judicial building, and will file papers taking the case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

"We have a federal judge saying we can't recognize who God is, yet that's the basis of our justice system," Moore told Fox News Thursday. "They have the audacity to come into our court and say we have to remove the foundation of our law, which is the Ten Commandments."

His decision came six days before the Aug. 20 deadline for the 5,300-pound monument to be removed from the building's rotunda, where it is in clear sight of visitors coming in the main entrance.

News

Appeals court rejects challenge to Ten Commandments plaque: Only remaining avenue of appeal is the U.S. Supreme Court - August 14

Alabama's Chief Justice Roy Moore Refuses to Remove Ten Commandments - August 14

Largest Blackout in U.S. History - 50 million people affected - August 14

US public may face bill up to $50 billion for power upgrade - August 16

----
August 17 - U.S. Security Once Again a Major Concern

Study: New 9/11-Style Attack Likely - August 17

----
Major News Headlines from June 20 - August 18

Kerry said he will filibuster Supreme Court nominees who do not support abortion rights - June 20

U.S. Troops Frustrated With Role In Iraq: Soldiers Say They Are Ill-Equipped For Peacekeeping - June 20

Rising U.S. Death Toll In Iraq Spurs Concern: 9 Soldiers Killed in Attacks This Month -June 20

Powell with Sharon: Israel 'quite faithful' to Aqaba commitments - June 20

U.S. Closes Embassy In Kenya After Serious Terror Threat - June 20

Powell says cease-fire not enough - June 20

Children and parents in stores awaiting Harry Potter midnight sale - June 20

Arizona wildfire burns out of control - June 20

Iran Defies International Pressure on Nuclear Aims - June 20

U.S. Told Japan North Korea Has Nuclear Warheads - June 20

East is east, and wet is wet: Spring rains of biblical proportions - June 20

Iraq Weapons Rattle the Hill - June 21

PM: Killing of Hamas militant 'successful' operation - June 21

Powell: Israeli Attack on Hamas Leader Could Set Back Peace Process - June 22

Sharon: Israel Can Continue Expanding Settlements - June 22

Terror expert warns of al-Qaida's third wave - June 25

Pres. Bush Demands Europe Stop Funding Hamas - June 25

US Troops Targeted in Flurry of Attacks in Iraq - June 26

New Explosion Hits Key Iraqi Oil Pipeline - June 26

Supreme Court Overturns Texas Sodomy Law - June 26

Supreme Court's Gay Sex Ruling Will Strike Down Anti-Sodomy Laws in Other States - June 28

As the weapons hunt intensifies, so does the finger pointing. A preview of the coming battle - June 29

Condoleeza Rice Meets Sharon in Israel - June 29

Tropical Storm Bill Forms In Gulf of Mexico - Heads towards the U.S. - June 29

Gays & Lesbians Parade With a New Sense of Pride - June 30

Wildfire Season Heating Up - June 30

Hurricane Watch in Louisiana - Tropical Storm Bill Approaches - June 30

Report: Osama Alive and Plotting - July 1

"Road Map" Needs a "Friendly Presence" in Mideast, Says Vatican - July 1

Cleanup Begins as Bill Leaves Gulf Coast - July 1

North Korea Warns Of Retaliation - July 1

Extreme weather on the rise in the United States - July 3

Bush Taking Heat for 'Bring Them On' Remark - July 3

US offers $25m for Saddam capture - July 4

U.S. Envoy Says Bush 'Twisted' Iraq Intelligence - July 5

Report Calls U.S. Agencies Understaffed for Bioterror - July 6

In Iraq, a 'totally ugly incident' between US and Turkey - July 6

Saddam Recording Deemed Probably Authentic by CIA - July 7

Mideast peace process in danger of collapse - July 8

White House admits Iraq uranium claim was "an error" - July 8

No let up in attacks on U.S. troops - July 9

Democrats want uranium claim probed - July 9

North Korea 'closer to nuclear goal' -'black clouds of nuclear war gathering' - July 9

Confidence in Bush slips further - July 9

Senator Kerry challenges Bush on Iraq - July 10

Bush: CIA Cleared State of the Union Speech - July 10

Bush team united Iraq front unravels - July 11

Bush Stands by CIA's Tenet - July 12

CIA got uranium mention cut in Oct. Why Bush cited it in Jan. is unclear - July 13

Ari Fleischer's Final Briefing Is Not Quite a Grand Slam - July 14

Kennedy assails Bush's Iraq policy - July 15

$455 billion budget shortfall seen: Bush administration projects biggest deficits ever - July 15

U.S., N. Korea Drifting Toward War, Perry Warns - July 15

Hurricane Claudette Bearing Down on Texas - July 15

Dems Demand Probe of Prewar Intelligence - July 15

N.Korea nuclear crisis more serious by the week - July 17

US Commander Calls Iraq Conflict a Guerilla War - July 17

U.S. Troops on High Alert as New 'Saddam' Tape Aired - July 17

North Korea Likely Boosting Effort to Build Nukes - July 20

Saddam's Sons Odai & Qusai Confirmed Dead - Killed Today - July 22

President Bush Discusses Progress in Iraq - July 23

North Korea Threatens to Build Tactical Nuclear Arms - July 24

White House to heap royal honors on Abu Mazen - July 25

President Bush Welcomes Prime Minister Abbas to White House - July 25

Bush Nominee for Secretary of Navy Commits Suicide - July 25

U.S. Sends Troops to Liberian Coast - July 26

White House Criticized for Censoring Sept. 11 Report - July 27

Congress Pushes to Release Classified Sections of Report on Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks - July 27

Saudi Foreign Minister Comes to D.C. to Meet Bush over 9-11 Controversy - July 28

Bush Meets with Sharon at the White House - July 29

Congress Pushes to Release Classified Parts of Report on Sept. 11 Terrorist Attacks - June 29

U.S. Senators rap Administration on Iraq policies - July 29

U.S. Warns of Possible Al Qaida Plane Attacks - July 29

Bush Meets Saudi Foreign Minister on Terror Report - July 29

Scrutiny rises over Saudi ties to al-Qaida - July 29

U.S. Consumer Confidence Plummets in July - July 29

Scrutiny rises over Saudi ties to al-Qaida - July 30

Saudi foreign minister condemns nine-eleven report - July 30

Pentagon says China refitting missiles to hit Okinawa, U.S. troops - July 31

Mystery disease afflicting U.S. Soldiers in Iraq - July 31

U.S. Ferries Warned of Terror Plots -July 31

North Korea says no talks if Nuclear Issue taken to UN - August 2

U.S. presses program for new atom bombs - August 3

Ashcroft: al-Qaida Could Strike Again - August 3

State proposes cut in Israel loans - August 4

Feds to Warn Airlines on Carry-Ons - August 4

U.S. Looking to Keep Up Mideast Momentum - August 5

U.S. Eyes Cutting Israel Loan Guarantees Over Fence - August 5

U.S. Warns of Weapons, Bombs Hidden in Electronics - August 5

July Warmest Month on Record for Phoenix, Arizona - August 4

U.S. Teams in Iraq Investigate Mystery 'Pneumonia-Like' Illness; 2 US Soldiers Dead - August 5

Episcopalian Church USA officially confirms 1st openly gay bishop - August 6

Judge Orders Ten Commandments & History Monument Removed from Alabama Judicial Building - August 6

Relentless Heat Wave Plagues Europe - August 7

World's 1st cloned horse born - August 7

US Episcopal Churches Vote Allows Blessings of Gay Unions - August 8

NOAA Raises Hurricane Predictions - August 8

West Nile Virus Cases Triple in One Week - August 8

Record heat bakes much of Texas - August 8

Record London Temps Break 100 For 1st Time Ever - August 10

Europe suffering under record-breaking heat - August 10

Israel continues building fence, despite U.S. objections - August 11

Terror link to West Nile Virus? Saddam, Castro suspect in spread - August 11

Suspected Missile Smuggler To US Charged: Trying to Support Terrorists - August 13

Arms Race Fear Over New Gamma-ray Bomb - August 14

Largest-Ever Blackout In US History Hits Northeastern U.S. - Around 50 Million without Power - August 14

FBI: Suspected Arms Dealer Planned to Smuggle 50 Missiles Into U.S. - August 14

Appeals court rejects challenge to Ten Commandments plaque: Only remaining avenue of appeal the U.S. Supreme Court - August 14

Alabama's Chief Justice Roy Moore Refuses to Remove Ten Commandments - August 14

Blackout shows Vulnerability of Nation - August 15

Blackout not terrorist act yet - MSNBC - August 16

Weird, Wild Weather From Denver to Delhi Stumps Climatologists - August 16

Report Calls U.S. a Top Target for Terror Attack Within a Year - August 17

Sabotage threatens Iraq's economy - August 17

Citadel has dropped mealtime prayers after federal appeals court decision - August 17

US public may face bill up to $50 billion for power upgrade - August 17

U.S. Troops Shoot Dead Award- winning Reuters Cameraman in Iraq - August 17

Iraqi oil, water pipes sabotaged, officials say - August 18

Bin Laden and Mullah Omar 'still alive' - August 18

North Korea Talks Tough on Atomic Bombs Ahead of Talks - August 18

HOME

August 21, 2003

U.S., KURDISH FORCES BEGIN EXERCISE

'Chemical Ali' in U.S. custody-CNN

• Sobig is biggest virus of all - BBC
The Sobig Windows virus that overwhelmed e-mail inboxes around the world is one of the fastest growing viruses ever.

• Evangelical Christians, our new allies - Isi Leibler
Scarcely a day goes by without a fresh media story in appreciation of our new friends, the Evangelical Christians. Only a few years ago many of us would have been appalled at the prospect of developing warm ties with those we then considered at best eccentrics and more likely anti-Semites obsessed with a fanatical urge to convert us.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• Israel assassinates senior Hamas man; Hamas vows revenge - Ha'aretz
Senior Hamas official Ismail Abu Shanab was among three Palestinians killed Thursday afternoon in a missile attack in Gaza City that Israeli security sources said targeted Shanab.
• Hamas vows revenge for Abu Shanab killing; ditches hudna - Jerusalem Post
The Hamas officialy declared Thursday that it was pulling out of the Hudna (cease-fire) on attacks against Israel in response to the targeted killing of top Hamas official Ismail Abu Shanab in Gaza City earlier in the day.
• U.S. Demands Abbas Quash Terror - Fox News
The Bush administration on Wednesday urged an immediate crackdown by the Palestinian Authority on extremist groups and called for the dismantling of their terrorist capabilities.
• Hundreds of Jews, Christians visit Temple Mount - Jerusalem Post
The Temple Mount was reopened to non-Muslim visitors Wednesday, without the explicit approval of the Wakf, which administers the compound.

August 22, 2003

Around the World
• U.S. request for more troops in Iraq received coolly at U.N. - Washington Times
France and other opponents of the war in Iraq gave a tepid response yesterday to a Bush administration request at the United Nations for additional troops.
• U.N. Bombing Probe Focuses on Security Guards - Fox News
U.S. investigators probing the bombing of the United Nations' Baghdad headquarters focused Friday on the possibility that former Iraqi intelligence agents working as guards in the compound may have assisted the attackers, a U.S. official said.
• Israeli envoy links Syria to UN blast, stirs flap - MSNBC
Israel's U.N. ambassador caused a flap at U.N. headquarters on Thursday, hinting that the truck used in the suicide bombing attack on U.N. headquarters in Baghdad may have come from Syria.
• IMF, World Bank Pull Staff Out of Iraq - VOA
The Washington-based World Bank and International Monetary Fund have moved their personnel out of Baghdad following Tuesday's bombing at the United Nations headquarters there. Both institutions say their commitment to the reconstruction effort in Iraq is undiminished by the tragedy.
• France says heat toll may be 10,000 - MSNBC
President Jacques Chirac promised to correct failings in France’s health service Thursday, his first comment on a heat wave his government said probably killed 10,000 people.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• Palestinians slam Sederot with Kassams, mortars - Jerusalem Post
Palestinian terrorists have been attacking the Israeli Negev town of Sderot and civilian settlements in Gaza with a barrage of Kassam missiles and mortars, a military source told The Jerusalem Post.
• More Qassam rockets fired at south; IDF splits Gaza into three - Ha'aretz
Thirsting for revenge, tens of thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets of Gaza City on Friday to march in a fiery funeral procession for Ismail Abu Shanab, a leader of the militant Hamas group killed Thursday in an Israel Air Force missile strike.
• Palestinian groups revoke cease-fire, vow intensified terror - Jerusalem Post
Hamas officially declared Thursday that it was ending its hudna (cease-fire) on attacks against Israel in response to the targeted killing of top Hamas official Ismail Abu Shanab in Gaza City earlier in the day.

Inside the United States
• Moore Vows to Continue Fight for Ten Commandments - CNS News
Chief Justice Roy S. Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court refused to back down from his defense of a Ten Commandments display Thursday despite a decision by his eight judicial colleagues to move the 2.5-ton monument. [Join the Discussion!]
• Mississippi Supreme Court Expands Wrongful Death Law to Cover Unborn Fetuses - Fox News
The Mississippi Supreme Court, in a decision criticized by one of its members as an assault on Roe v. Wade, held Thursday that a fetus is a "person" under state law and wrongful death claims can be filed on its behalf.
• Wisconsin Legislature Considers 'Born Alive Protection Act' - CNS News
An aborted infant who takes a single breath or has a single heartbeat would be considered a live birth - and thus guaranteed the same legal protections given to babies who survive a normal delivery - under a bill pending in the Wisconsin Legislature.

August 24, 2003

CANADA ARRESTS 19 IN CASE WITH SEPT 11 PARALLELS

ALABAMA JUSTICE SUSPENDED OVER MONUMENT

August 25, 2003

Around the World
• At Least 42 Dead in Bombay Blasts - Fox News
Consecutive bombs exploded in a crowded jewelry market and at a historical landmark in Bombay on Monday, killing at least 42 and wounding 150 others in India's financial capital.
• U.S. to Send Iraqis to Site in Hungary for Police Course - NY Times
Eager to have more Iraqis take responsibility for their country's security, American officials here are planning to ferry as many as 28,000 Iraqis to Eastern Europe for an intensive police training course.
• Foreign militants converging, making Iraq terror battlefield - Washington Times
Iraq is becoming the new lead battleground in the war against terrorism as Islamic militants are being drawn there — a situation more favorable to the United States than having to battle terror at home.
• U.S. checking possibility of pumping oil from northern Iraq to Haifa, via Jordan - Ha'aretz
The United States has asked Israel to check the possibility of pumping oil from Iraq to the oil refineries in Haifa. The request came in a telegram last week from a senior Pentagon official to a top Foreign Ministry official in Jerusalem.
• Al Qaeda Plots Sept. 11-Style Attack in Britain - Fox News
Numerous reports indicate that America's staunchest ally is a possible target for a major, 9/11-style attack by Al Qaeda.
• France: No proof Hamas and Islamic Jihad are terror groups - Jerusalem Post
France voices objections to placing Hamas and Islamic Jihad on the European Union's list of terror organizations, ynet reported Monday.
• UK: Machines will make criminal of every driver - UK Sun
Drivers were reeling last night at Government plans to put a computerised spy in EVERY car.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• Hamas "operations officer" assassinated in Gaza missile attack - Jerusalem Post
IAF helicopter missiles killed four Hamas members in Gaza Sunday, including Ahmed Ishtiwi, commander of the terrorist group's Kassam rocket units, in an attack presaged earlier in the day by military commanders' comments that no terrorists were free from targeting.
• Hamas military wing vows revenge for Gaza assassination - Ha'aretz
Hamas' military wing vowed revenge Monday for Israel's assassination of two senior Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip the night before, Israel Radio reported. Hamas has threatened to retaliate with rocket attacks and suicide bombings.
• Palestinian Authority seals 3 of 12 tunnels from Egypt - World Tribune
The Palestinian Authority has sealed three tunnels from Egypt used to smuggle weapons to insurgency groups.

Inside the United States
• Bush urged to increase Iraq forces - Int'l Herald Tribune
Senior senators of both parties on Sunday urged the Bush administration to send thousands more American troops to Iraq and said that many billions more dollars were needed to stabilize and rebuild that country and Afghanistan.
• NASA Launches New Infrared Telescope - Reuters
A new NASA infrared observatory designed to see objects either too cold to cast their own light or obscured by interstellar dust launched early Monday from Cape Canaveral Air Force station.
• 'Passion' a biblical, powerful film - BP News
Mel Gibson's representation of the sufferings of Jesus Christ in the upcoming movie "The Passion" surpasses all earlier efforts by cinematographers, according to Southern Baptists who were invited to view a rough cut of the film in Dallas.

August 26, 2003

Around the World
• U.S. meets U.N. resistance on Iraq - MSNBC
After a high-profile pitch at the United Nations for more countries to send troops to Iraq, the Bush administration is encountering resistance and may not seek a Security Council resolution after all, U.S. officials said Monday.
• 'Peace' in Iraq as deadly as wartime - Scripps Howard News Service
For U.S. troops, the "peace" in Iraq is on the brink of becoming more deadly than the war.
• Pentagon Makes Case Against More Troops in Iraq - Fox News
The top U.S. military commander running operations in Iraq continues to say he has enough U.S. troops to do the job.
• Report: U.S suspects Iraqi WMD in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley - World Tribune
U.S. intelligence suspects Iraq's weapons of mass destruction have finally been located. [Post your thoughts in the Christian Forum!]
• Loss of trust in Blair stalls poll on euro - London Telegraph
The Government's preoccupation with survival and loss of trust in Tony Blair have finally killed off any hope of a referendum before the next election on joining the single currency, pro-euro MPs said last night.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• Arafat names Jibril Rajoub security aide - Jerusalem Post
In a fresh bid to undermine Palestinian Authority Security Minister Muhammad Dahlan, PA Chairman Yasser Arafat has decided to appoint Jibril Rajoub, the former head of the Preventive Security Service in the West Bank, as his adviser for "national security affairs." Rajoub is regarded by many Palestinians as one of the few influential figures with enough power to stand up to Dahlan.
• IDF imposes curfew on Jenin due to terror threat - Ha'aretz
The Israel Defense Forces imposed a curfew on the West Bank city of Jenin on Tuesday due to warnings that terrorists could be coming out of the area to carry out an attack, Israel Radio reported.
• Hamas chiefs go underground - Jerusalem Post
Top leaders of Hamas were nowhere to be found Monday amid the green Hamas flags and gunmen marching at the funeral of Ahmed Ishtiwi, leader of its military wing.

Inside the United States
• Federal Deficit May Reach $500 Billion Next Year - Fox News
The federal government faces another record deficit in 2004 -- possibly as high as $500 billion -- and will have a tough time trying to carve out a surplus while the country is saddled with the rising twin costs of war and homeland security.
• Ala. Monument Supporters File Lawsuit - AP
Supporters of a Ten Commandments monument have filed a last-ditch lawsuit to prevent its apparently imminent removal from the Alabama Judicial Building.
• Ten Commandments crisis in Ala. puts evangelicals on opposite sides - Baptist Press
Evangelical leaders James Dobson and Pat Robertson came down on opposing sides of the Alabama Ten Commandments controversy Aug. 25, while a third evangelical, Richard Land, released a further elaboration of his position.

August 27, 2003

Around the World
• Bush: U.S. Will Remain Steadfast Against Terror - Fox News
All nations committed to freedom and peace will have to step up in the war on terror and take a stand, President Bush said Tuesday.
• U.S., Afghans Battle Insurgents for Second Straight Day - Fox News
U.S. and Afghan forces clashed with suspected Taliban fighters in the mountains of southeastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, a day after American jets bombarded a camp and killed at least 14 rebels, officials said.
• Nuclear inspectors' find in Iran stirs fears - Los Angeles Times
International inspectors confirmed Tuesday that particles of highly enriched uranium were discovered in two separate samples taken at a nuclear facility in Iran, raising the possibility that Tehran is further along in developing a nuclear weapon than experts had predicted. Uranium enrichment is the purification process that creates fuel for reactors or material for weapons.
• U.N. council OKs shield resolution - MSNBC
The Security Council unanimously approved on Tuesday a resolution intended to protect U.N. staff members, after council members dropped a reference to the International Criminal Court, which the United States opposes.
• Talks on N. Korea's Nuke Program Begin - AP
The United States and North Korea sat down together Wednesday with a handshake and a smile, joining four other nations in talks to resolve their dispute over the North's nuclear program even as Pyongyang issued new demands for a nonaggression treaty with Washington.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• U.S. Mulls International Force for PA - MENL
The United States has been examining the prospect of organizing an international force to stop the Israeli-Palestinian war. [Post your thoughts in the Christian Forums!]
• Hamas terrorists evade IAF targeted killing in Gaza Strip - Jerusalem Post
In an attempted targeted killing of Hamas operatives in the Gaza Strip, an elderly man was killed and 26 bystanders were wounded.
• New Hamas Kassam-4 missile achieves 20-km range - World Tribune
Hamas has fired its new Kassam-4 missile from the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday toward Israel. The short-range missile reached the outskirts of Ashkelon, the largest city in the area.
• Hamas emergency decree limits movements to avoid attacks - World Tribune
The Hamas movement has issued orders meant to prevent Israeli air strikes, after two of its chief operatives were killed in a three-day period.

Inside the United States
• Final days for Commandments monument - CNN
The controversial Ten Commandments monument at the Alabama Judicial Building will be removed by the end of the week, the state's attorney general said Tuesday. [Post your thoughts in the Christian Forums!]
• IRS, FBI Agents to Track Terror Financing in Saudi Arabia - Fox News
For the first time, the United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed to set up a joint task force that will station U.S. law enforcement officials in the desert kingdom to target individuals suspected of funneling millions of dollars to Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
• Minister charged with abuse in boy's death - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A church minister was charged Tuesday with physical abuse of a child in the death of an 8-year-old autistic boy who died as church leaders tried to heal him at a storefront church in Milwaukee.

August 28, 2003

CDC: WEST NILE DOUBLES AGAIN IN U.S.

Around the World
• U.N.-mandated force studied with an American in command - Washington Times
Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said in remarks released yesterday that the United States is considering a U.N.-mandated multinational force for Iraq provided an American general is in charge.
• US says Iraq arms plan relied on deceit - Boston Globe
Investigators searching for Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction will report next month that Saddam Hussein's regime spread nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons plans and parts throughout the country to deceive the United Nations, according to senior Bush administration and intelligence officials.
• U.S. misled by bogus pre-war intelligence? - Los Angeles Times
Frustrated at the failure to find Saddam Hussein's suspected stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, allied intelligence agencies have launched a major effort to determine if they were victims of bogus Iraqi defectors who planted disinformation to mislead the West before the war.
• U.S. miscalculated security for Iraq - Washington Times
Top Bush administration officials grudgingly acknowledge that their post-Saddam Hussein plan for rebuilding Iraq has been substantially flawed on the security front.
• US - N. Korea face-off in second day of six-nation nuclear talks - AFP
The second day of six-party talks on the North Korean nuclear crisis broke up with envoys splitting into smaller groups in an attempt to force a breakthrough to the 11-month stand-off.

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• Hamas, Islamic Jihad reject Arafat's call for renewed cease-fire - Jerusalem Post
Hamas terrorist leader Abdel Aziz Al Rantissi has rejected as "dangerous" Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's call to terrorist groups to reinstate the 'cease-fire', and his coments that he was ready to "implement the law (against militants) on condition Israel stops its attacks". Rantisi said such comments "play into Israel's hands."
• Qassam rocket lands in Ashkelon industrial zone - Ha'aretz
Palestinians fired four Qassam rockets into Israel on Thursday, one of which landed in Ashkelon's southern industrial zone. This is the first time that rockets have landed as far north as the coastal city of Ashkelon.
• Israel says won't recognize gov't set by Arafat if Abbas ousted in vote - Jerusalem Post
If Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas is ousted from power in a parliamentary confidence vote set for next week, Israel will not recognize or negotiate with a new government appointed by Yasser Arafat, diplomatic sources said Wednesday.
• U.S.: Arafat is 'part of the problem' - Ha'aretz
The White House criticized Palestinian Authority Chairman as an obstacle to peace and reiterated a United States position that Palestinian security forces must be consolidated under PA Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas as a step to implementing the road map.
• Jewish and Christian leaders launch countermissionary campaign - Jerusalem Post
B'nai Brith Canada today announced the launch of a campaign to inform members of Toronto's Jewish community about the activities of "Jews for Jesus."

Inside the United States
• Moore Vows Commandments Fight Not Over - Fox News
With his coveted Ten Commandments monument out of sight, suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore teamed up with a prominent evangelist radio host and swore to keep fighting for what he believes in. [Post your thoughts in the Christian Forums!]
• Dobson, Keyes to join Moore rally - WND
Vowing to maintain his campaign despite removal of the Ten Commandments monument from public view, Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore will host a rally today in Montgomery joined by evangelical leader James Dobson and former U.N. Ambassador Alan Keyes.
• Arnold outlines views on homosexual rights, abortion - Washington Times
Arnold Schwarzenegger yesterday gave his first detailed interview on social and other issues, saying that while he is pro-choice and backs homosexual rights, he is against same-sex "marriage" and partial-birth abortion.
• New Poll Shows Schwarzenegger Up 16 Points - Fox News
A new poll out Wednesday on the California recall paints a different political picture than a poll out this weekend, putting Arnold Schwarzenegger far out in front of Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante for the governor's seat.

August 29, 2003

Around the World
• Car Bomb Kills Up to 20 Outside Iraqi Mosque - Fox News
A car bomb exploded during Friday prayers outside the holiest shrine for Shiites in Iraq, and up to 20 people were reported killed.
• Iran shopped for black market nukes - MSNBC
The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said in comments aired on Friday that Iran had shopped for nuclear components on the international black market and called on Tehran to be more “proactive” and “transparent.”
• Fierce Fighting in Afghanistan After Heavy U.S. Bombing - Fox News
Afghan soldiers were waging a fierce battle with entrenched Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan after a night of heavy U.S. bombing that left many Taliban dead, an Afghan intelligence chief said Friday.
• Lithuanian, Polish leaders seek Christian EU constitution - EU Business
The presidents of Lithuania and Poland both favour a future European Union constitution enscribing specifically Christian values, in accordance with the wishes of the pope, a communique published in the Lithuanian capital said Wedneday.
• Attempt to expel US Anglicans at summit - London Telegraph
Conservative archbishops are increasingly confident that they can force the expulsion of the American Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion over its liberal line on homosexuality. [Post your thoughts in the Christian Forums!]

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
• IDF operating in Gaza area from where Qassams were fired - Ha'aretz
Israel on Friday sent bulldozers and tanks into the Beit Hanoun area of the northern Gaza Strip to uproot swaths of farmland the military says is used as cover for cross-border rocket attacks, Palestinian witnesses and the military said.
• IAF kills Hamas mortar cell leader - Jerusalem Post
Hamzi Kalah, the head of a Hamas cell responsible for mortar attacks on Israeli settlements in Gush Katif was killed Thursday night when rockets fired from an IAF helicopter gunship slammed into his donkey cart in Khan Yunis.
• PA, UK Move Against Hamas Charities - Worthy News
Officials from the Palestinian Authority froze the bank accounts of nine Islamic charities affiliated with the Hamas terror group Thursday, as part of a clampdown on armed groups demanded by the United States in the wake of last week’s Jerusalem bus bombing.
• Israeli killed, wife wounded, in W. Bank shooting attack - Jerusalem Post
An Israeli man was killed and his pregnant wife injured in a shooting attack north of the West Bank town of Ramallah. [Post your thoughts in the Christian Forums!]

Inside the United States
• Economy blooms in spring - Washington Times
The economy attained a 3.1 percent growth rate this spring without adding new workers — a surprisingly good performance that suggests an economic boom is under way.
• Rescue Efforts, Pleas for Help Chronicled in WTC Transcripts - Fox News
Haunting images of the moments following the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center emerged as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey released 2,000 pages of transcripts from emergency phone calls and radio transmissions made that horrific morning.
• California Senate OKs 'virtual gay marriage' - World Net Daily
A bill that would grant nearly all of the rights and responsibilities of marriage to same-sex couples in California is another step closer to Gov. Gray Davis's desk for signature.

HOME