Focus Point # 20

The story I'm about to tell you is true. I believe it to be one of the most significant, bonifide miracles in the post New Testament time. First, a little biblical background information.Jesus had been crucified, buried and resurrected from the dead. The tomb was emptied. He had been walking, visiting, eating and drinking with His disciples and other believers for some 40 days. The subject of many of those conversations could be summed up in just two words: "What's next?" Wouldn't that be what you'd want to know? Acts 1:3 says they talked about "The Kingdom of God." Jesus told His disciples to go back into the city (they were on the Mount of Olives, just to the East of Jerusalem). Go there, he said, and wait for the Holy Spirit whom He had promised He would send. (John 14-17)Their question then was, "Are you going to, at this time, restore again the Kingdom of Israel?" A very specific question, right? And His very specific answer was: "It's not for you to know the times (chronos, the sequence or the successions of events) or seasons (Kairos, the nature, the kind of era) Acts 1:6 & 7. Now notice and mark it well, Jesus did not deny that the Kingdom of Israel would be restored. He just said they would not know the when, nor would they know the nature, the kind of restored Kingdom. Most of you who are reading this Focus Point have studied the Bible and are aware of the coming Kingdom, but those disciples didn't know. Not long after that Mount of Olives experience, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army (70 A.D.) The great dispersion, the dispora, took place even prior to 70 A.D.. God purposely scattered the believers. One reason was to spread the gospel, another reason was so the Jewish believers wouldn't all die in Jerusalem destruction (70 A.D.). So from that time on, for hundreds of years, the Jewish people were to be without a land, without a Temple, without a government, without a military, without a currency and without a language.They were scattered all over the world, literally, for the next two thousand plus years. They were and are, hated, abused, molested, persecuted, maligned and murdered. Their beloved homeland? Well, here's the sad history:1. The Roman Period (A.D. 70-325) - 255 years2. The Byzantine Period (325-614) - 289 years3. The Persian Period (614-634) - 20 years4. The Arab Period (634-1072) - 438 years5. The Seljuk Period (1072-1099) - 27 years6. The Crusaders Period (1099-1291) - 192 years7. The Mameluke Period (1291-1517) - 226 years8. The Turkish (Ottoman) Period (1517-1917) - 400 years9. The British Period (1917-1948) - 31 years10. The Independent (Jewish) Period (1948-until middle of Tribulation)If you'll notice, there's no so-called "Palestinian period" on that list. That's because there has never been such a thing as a Palestinian nation or government. The thought or idea of such an entity was not even heard of until after the six day war between the surrounding Arab states and the little fledgling Nation of Israel (June 5-10, 1967).As you well know, during the late 1930's and well into the 1940's, Hitler and Stalin had a mandate from the devil himself to totally annihilate every last Jew they could find. Even after the war, Jewish people were hated and abused, being pushed around like orphaned waifs! The doors of England and the United States were locked tight! Not so today. The gates are opened to all! At least to the Muslims in England.Meanwhile, back at the ranch, during the Ottoman and British periods, Jerusalem and many other Judean cities were occupied with both Arabs and Jews. Then, known as Palestine, Jews and Arabs lived as friendly neighbors. Their kids played with one another, they worked side by side, they celebrated weddings and other happy events with one another. But - now here's the biggie! When talk of a British pull-out and the efforts of the Jewish people to petition for a homeland came, the Arab leaders stated to stir things up. In 1939 the British drew up a document called the "White Paper." The White Paper stated that Palestine would become an Arab state with a Jewish minority limited to 30% of the population. Well, without tredging through the details, that White Paper, in one stroke, broke the promises of the previous document called "The Balfour Declaration." Things got so bad between the Arabs and Jews, the Brits said, "We're out of here!" So they planned to leave - date set: 1948. That meant the Jews and Arabs would have to duke it out on their own. Total chaos? Yes and no.Here's the story: In Washington, D.C., God was at work through the upbringing and integrity of one Harry S. Truman. While in the U.S. Army, WW1, Harry met a fellow soldier, working with him in one of the supply units. This man was a Jew and they decided when they got out of the service they would open a haberdashery in Kansas City, MO. The store was located at 104 W. 12th in downtown Kansas City. It lasted two years and closed, but they remained close friends.President Truman brought to a quick and merciful end, WW2. But the Middle East was festering up again. (When has it done otherwise?) Some of the Zionist Jews were in America trying to raise dollars for the support of the Jewish people. Among them, Golda Meir and Israel's first president, Chaim Weizmann. Eddie Jacobson, the president's long time friend, army buddy and business partner, boldly went to Washington D.C. to see the president. He pleaded with President Truman to see and talk to Chaim Weizmann for the purpose of drafting a formal and official recognition of a new State of Israel. Mr. Truman met with Chaim Weizmann and at first was opposed to such a move, but promised he would discuss it with his Cabinet. He later became convinced that he should honor their request. He held a very heated meeting in the Oval Office. Three were adamantly opposed. They were Gen. George Marshal, Dean Rusk and Clark Clifford. Three others were rather moderate. In the end, President Truman stood alone and signed the document!Someone had given the president a little sign about 8 or 9 inches long. it reads, "The Buck Stops Here." Of all the heroic things he did and stood for, none shines brighter in the annals of history than his signing of that document, without which the Nation of Israel would not have been born when it was.....May 14, 1948. Sixty years ago this coming May. That simple historic document reads:"This government has been informed that a Jewish state has been proclaimed in Palestine and recognition has been requested by the provisional government thereof. The United States Government recognizes the provisional government the defacto authority of the new State of Israel."Three days later Russia signed on. So, for the first time since September 8th, 70 A.D., the Holy Land, by official Gentile action, the United Nations and two supporting, standing governments, recognized the Land of Palestine as belongin to the new State of Israel. Think of it....after one thousand eight hundred and seventy-eight years, most of us reading this Focus Point, saw, we witnessed the beginning of the rattling of Ezekiel's vision in the Valley of Dry bones. That vision was given to Ezekiel in B.C. 587.Ezekiel Chapter 37.From B.C. 587 to 1948 A.D. you have 2,535 years. From 1948 A.D. to 2008 A.D. you have another 60 years, for a total of 2,595 years! Almost 3,000 years ago from Ezekiel's prophecy until now. And to think....we saw it happen. What a day we're living in.And my mind can't help but wonder - supposing that whole scenario hadn't taken place when Harry S. Truman was president? He was an ordinary kid, raised in a Baptist home in the Midwest with some real iblical values and an appreciation for a down-trodden, beaten up, abused race of people called the Jews.Supposing George W. had been the president. Or supposing it was Hillary, or a Liberal Palestinian supporting peanut farmer! And supposing it was none other than Barach Obama? Wow! Talk about God's perfect timing. Do you really think any of these people if they had been the president back in 1948 would have the guts to put their name on that document? I don't think so!I have no idea how many times down through the centuries the Jews have come close to extinction. Probably more than most of us think. And will it ever end? The latest? We don't have to look too far. It seems that the Israeli spy organization located the where-abouts of a long sought after enemy. One named Imad Mughniyah. Both the U.S. and Israel blamed him for bombings, kidnappings and highjacking over the last 25 years. He was one bad dude! So when the Mossad (Israeli CIA) found him....pow! Toast! Well, Imad, you live by the sword - you die by the sword. Now the Hezbollah, the guys wh live at the Arab end of Bush's "Road to Peace" are saying to the Zionists, the Israelis, "So you want war do you? Well, we have a right to defend ourselves and so we will."And here we go again. Jesus told His disciples, "It's not for you to know the times or the seasons." And they didn't. But we do. Not because we watch T.V. or read the newspapers. We have the Word of God.

Blessings,

Bro. Bob Kleinschmidt

Focus Point # 19

Well, just about the time when I think Focus Points ought to be put to bed for good, more requests come my way asking, "When are you going to send #19? Why, just a month or so ago another request came pouring in! Seriously, I don't want to just dribble on and on with no meaningful contribution to point out that the war on terror is just another phase of the angelic conflict - that conflict being the battle from eternity past, the conflict between God and Satan. I know little or nothing about the political dog fights that are now going on. Who really knows? I know less about the long term significance of the latest market plunge or the housing markets. Pay the mortgage payments, that's what I know. But I do read my Bible everyday and I have for almost 65 years. And as I compare what I read in that precious Book with what I read in our liberal Kansas city Star and the rest of the media, I am shocked and amazed.At the outset, let me tell you I love and pray almost daily for my President George W. Bush. I believe he is a believer, a child of God, a born again Christian. I remember reading of his conversion experience in a book written by a Christian author. I can't recall his name, but I looked up the web site of the man who led George W. Bush to Christ. That man's name is Arthur Blessitt. I met Arthur in Los Angeles and San Diego on several occasions. You may have heard or read about his "cross carrying" experiences in either all or almost every country in the world. Believe me when I say, Arthur preaches the Gospel! Well, anyway, a friend of George W. asked him to attend a meeting where Arthur was preaching in Midland, TX. George W. declined because he was the president's son. However, he did call Arthur and said, "Arthur, I do not feel comfortable attending a meeting, but I do want to talk to you about how to know Jesus Christ and how to follow Him." They did meet and the then future President of the United States bowed before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. You can read it for yourself if you go to Google, type in "Arthur Blessitt" and read from his diary - April 3, 1984. That's why I believe the president is on his way to Heaven.But like the rest of us, he is sure running into some big pot holes and detours along the way. And now I think he's really out in the boonies! He's flying all over the place on Airforce One telling his Arab, Muslim counter parts that he prays to the same God they pray to. NO WAY! I think our president is on very dangerous ground that might well be described as blasphemy. I can tell you on scriptural authority that God does not tolerate people taking His name in vain, let alone putting Him on the same level as so-called "other gods." Think of it - his exact words were "I believe in an almighty God and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian or any other religion, prays to the same God."My first observation is - the president may be going to church regularly but he's not getting any Bible doctrine and the second is - you'll never hear a Muslim or Jew say "we all pray to the same God." Not a practicing Muslim or practicing Jew. I give you a quote from Cal Thomas in "Human Events" dated 10/19/07: "Whatever else his critics say of him, no one can fault President Bush for failing to go the extra mile in his efforts to show that neither he, nor the United States is opposed to the Islamic faith, or to Muslim nations."Last week the president and Mrs. Bush hosted their seventh Iftaar dinner, the celebration that breaks the Muslim fast during Ramadan. Immediately after 9/11, the president visited a Washington, D.C. mosque and proclaimed Islam a "religion of peace." He has frequently said that terrorists are not real Muslims, any more than people who proclaim to be Christian and engage in violence are genuine Christians."The president is the most openly evangelical Christian and faithful church-goer since Jimmy Carter. And the evangelical community has mostly embraced him and twice voted for him in overwhelming numbers. But that constituency is likely to be troubled over something the president said in an interview with Al Arabiya Television. In an official transcript released by the White House, the president said... "I believe in an almighty God and I believe that all the world, whether they be Muslim, Christian, or any other religion, prays to the same God." Later in the interview the president repeated his statement: "I believe there is a universal God. I believe the God that the Muslim prays to is the same God that I pray to. After all, we all came from Abraham. I believe in that universality." No way, Mr. Bush. We're Gentiles, not Jew, not Arabs. We all came from Adam, not Abraham!"To paraphrase a remark often attributed to the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moyihan, everyone is entitled to his or her own faith, but everyone is not entitled to define the central doctrines of that faith. The doctrines of what is called Christianity not only stand in stark contrast to Islam, they also teach something contrary to what the president says he believes."It is one thing to try to reach out to moderate and sincerely peaceful Muslims. It is quite another to say the claims of your own faith are of no greater importance than the often contradictory claims of another faith. If we all worship the same God, the president should answer the call of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Osama bin Laden, convert to Islam and no longer be a target of their wrath. What difference would it make if we all worship the same God?"Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (carm.org) has created a useful chart that shows the conflicting claims of classic Christian belief and Muslim doctrines. It is worth studying, whatever one's faith."The central doctrine of the Christian faith is that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for sinners and by repenting of sin and accepting Christ as Savior, one is "saved" and is guaranteed a home in Heaven. Muslims do not believe God had a son and, therefore, no atonement for sin is necessary. Muslims believe simply telling God one is sorry and repenting of sin is enough, if one also lives up to the five "pillars" of Islam. Furthermore, accoding to Muslims, Jesus did not die on a cross (as Christians believe); instead, God allowed Judas to look like Jesus and it was Judas who was crucified. "Evangelical Christians believe the Bible is God's Word and is without error in the original manuscripts. Muslims respect the word of the prophets, but claim the Bible has been corrupted (mostly by Jews) and is only correct insofar as it agrees with the Koran."God calls Himself "I Am" and says He is one, but with three personalities. Muslims believe God's name is Allah and reject the Trinity."How can the president say that we all worship the same God when Muslims deny the divinity of Jesus, whom the president accepts as the One through whom all must pass for salvation? Do both political parties have the same beliefs? Are all baseball teams equal? Clearly not, because only two will go to the World Series.The president can be commended for sincerely reaching out to Muslims, but he should not be commended for watering down his beliefs and the doctrines of his professed faith in order to do so. That's universalism. There are "churches" that believe in universalism. His Methodist church does not. No Christian who believes the Bible believes in universalism. And no Muslim who believes the Koran believes in universalism."President Bush is wrong - dangerously wrong - in proclaiming that all religions worship the same God." (end quote by Cal Thomas)And that brings me to another pot hole George W. has run into. Why would a man as smart and intelligent as our beloved president is, sit at the "peace table" with all the Jew hating, racially prejudiced, ruthless, war mongering, terrorist loving leaders of their so-called holy war? I think I found the answer to the question. At least to me it is the most logical explanation.On November 27, 2007, I received an email from my much beloved son, Donald. The author of the article is Pat Buchanan whom I respect and whose articles I love to read. Read it! It's important:"Ideology Was Bush's Undoing"... by Patrick J. Buchanan"Over lunch, a liberal friend expressed puzzlement. Citing the title of Tom Oliphant's new book about the Bush administration, "Utter Incompetents," he wondered aloud....'Like him or not, Bush is not an unintelligent man and he is a principled and energetic executive. As for Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and the others, almost all had long resumes of accomplishment in politics, government and business. Why, then, do they seem to have failed so dismally?'"In my new book, "Day Of Reckoning," published this week, I offer an answer. If there is a one root cause to the Bush failures, it has been his fatal embrace of ideology."Ideology is a substitute religion, a belief system based on ideas that are often contradicted by history and common sense. Yet men will adhere to ideologies with a zealotry that borders on fanaticism."Marxism, fascism and socialism were, are ideologies, gods that failed. So, too, is democratism, the gospel of George W. Bush."Democratism is a belief that all men are equally endowed with a desire for freedom and an aptitude for democracy. All can be uplifted and all brought to see that democracy is the one true path to peace in our world. In democracy lies our salvation."This conviction lay behind the invasion of Iraq, Bush's crusade to democratize the Middle East and his "global democratic evolution" to "end tyranny in our world." And as Woodrow Wilson's crusade "to make the world safe for democracy" gave us Lenin, Stalin and Hitler, Bush's crusade for democracy is leaving us with asses in our mouths." (end quote by Patrick J. Buchanan)I believe you can see from these two rather long, but informative quotations, the angelic conflict is growing more intensified everyday. From a biblical perspective (mine) we have a Bible believing president who either does not know of the demonic hatred of radical Islamists, or, if he knows, he must be of the persuasion that they will someday change their minds and admit that their terrorist movement is doomed for failure and they will embrace a democratic free society. Yeh right! When pigs fly!Our president, along with the State Department, has taken the initiative and the lead in trying to bring about the "Annapolis Road Map To Peace." This plan, to be completed by the end of 2008, will officially recognize a PLO government and nation with its Capitol to be located in the City of Jerusalem. This holy city, along with other parts of the Nation of Israel, is to be given to the PLO. Of course, this ruthless, fraud land deal stipulates that the holy sites are to remain open to all Jews and Christians. (I see more pigs flyin' here.).To my knowledge there is not one Arab, Islamic terrorist nation that does not want a bonified, recognized, sovereign nation of Jews pushed into the Mediterranean Sea! Not one! And the Jews are supposed to give over the Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and the City of Jerusalem....for the hope of peace. Speaking of those Jew hating nations, Mr. Bush, on his last "good will" trip to the Middle East, has agreed to sell to Saudi Arabia two hundred billion bucks worth of military equipment. I wonder who they intend to use that stuff on. I doubt they'll ever use it on any of their Arab buddies.I sound almost hateful don't I? Well, when you hear about some of those radicals strapping explosives to the bodies of mentally retarded women and marching them into the public square of Baghdad to kill innocent men, women and children, and when you see them training grade school aged kids to become ruthless terrorists....no wonder Im skeptical about a road to peace.We're still in a war on terrorism and 99.99% of the enemy are radical Islamists. And I hold no hope for any political or military good to come from the enemy. Nor am I hoping for any good to come from the "Road to Peace" in 2008! Why? Well, just look at Gaza, a portion of Israel given over to the Arabs and the Palestinians to live in and self control. So what do they do week after week? Lob rockets at the Israelis! The Israelis moved their people out (we watched that on TV) and got nothing but misery when it was supposed to bring peace. Now Gaza is self controlled. Yeah, right! The official government? Hamas! Can you believe we, the USA and other "free world" powers send military aid to Hamas to protect themselves from Jewish terrorists and aggression? No wonder I sound hateful! Read just one short passage from the O.T. That's "Old Testament" just in case someone from the State Department is checking blogs.In Zephaniah 2:4-7 we read of Gaza's coming destruction: "For Gaza shall be forsaken and Ashkelon a desolation; they shall drive out Ashdod at the noon day and Ekron shall be rooted up. Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea coast, the Nation of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you; O Canaan, the land of the Philistines (Palestinians?), I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant. And the sea coast shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed thereupon. In the houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; for the Lord their God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity."This looks like a place on the map to me. As a matter of fact....it is! It's Gaza. I'm glad my eternity is in the hands of a loving God and not the Democrats or the Republicans.

Blessings,

Bro. Bob Kleinschmidt