85% OF ISRAELIS NO DIVIDING JERUSALEM

JERUSALEM DIVIDED

ZECHARIAH 12:1-5 King James Bible
1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.
2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.
3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.
4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.
5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

JOEL 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.

ZECHARIAH 14:1-9 King James Bible
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.
4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:
7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.
8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

JERUSALEM POST ONLINE Poll: Israelis remain proud and patriotic Oct. 5, 2008
ANDREW TOBin and jerusalem Post staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Israelis have continued to display resilience and optimism in defiance of Palestinian terrorism, the Iranian threat, political uncertainty and occasional economic downturns, according to the 2008 Survey of Patriotism among Israeli Jews. In the survey, published by the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Herzliya Inter-Disciplinary Center, 92 percent of those questioned said they were proud to be Jewish, while 90% said they considered themselves patriotic. Eighty-five percent said they opposed dividing Jerusalem in exchange for peace with the Palestinians, while 92% said they would actively engage in a military battle for Israel. Despite the threats Israel faces, 87% of those polled said they preferred being Israelis than citizens of any other country; 86% said they would prefer living in Israel, even if Iran acquires nuclear weapons. Eighty-three percent expressed support for the hoisting of the flag on Independence Day, while 90% said they were enraged when people act contemptuously during the nationwide siren on Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars.

In 2003, the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago conducted the most comprehensive study of global nationalism in history. It determined that America, with a similar level of citizenship satisfaction as Israel, was more patriotic than any other country in the world. This suggests that the people of Israel are currently among the international leaders in national pride.

JPost is Correct: Feiglin will Not Surrender the Land of Israel
December 4, 2008

The Jerusalem Post editorial of December 3rd accurately states that Moshe Feiglin will not continue the [suicidal] Land for Peace process that has affected each and every Jewish citizen of Israel. As a consequence of the policies of the current and previous Israeli governments, virtually every citizen of Israel personally knows and cries for Jewish victims who were murdered by Muslim terrorists and for others who have been maimed for life. More than 12,000 Jews have been murdered or maimed by the process which has at various times been called The Oslo Accords, Land for Peace, Reciprocity, The Road Map, Disengagement, Annapolis, and Convergence. Since the Arab enemy has no rights to the Land of Israel, whether legal, moral or historical, these titles are only Orwellian euphemisms which convey one message to the Arabs and that is: terror pays, and it pays good.In response to seeing Bibi Netanyahu unleashing his entire arsenal of dirty tricks against Moshe Feiglin to try to keep Moshe and his affiliated candidates off the Likud’s Knesset list this coming Monday, those in the non-Likud nationalist camp may very well be saying I told you so right now to Feiglin. However, the nationalist camp has not been on the front lines in trying to present a leader to become the Prime Minister of Israel. The only thing that this right has accomplished since the Oslo Accords were signed is to negotiate better terms of surrender – they have not tried to achieve victory.

So why is Netanyahu so afraid of Feiglin? What does the Likud charter say and who really represents it? The Likud Charter actually calls for Israel to annex and settle all parts of the Land of Israel, and for Israel to be run in accordance with Jewish Values. Netanyahu’s personal platform does not include these planks. Voters must question Bibi as to why his platform opposes his own party’s Charter, and why he is so desperately trying to bring unapologetic leftists into the Likud and keep out those who support the Charter – namely Moshe Feiglin and his affiliated candidates. It seems that Netanyahu’s goal is to ingratiate himself with the forces of the extreme left which control Israel’s media, governmental bureaucracy and its “justice” system. Feiglin's platform is one that represents Jewish values, Jewish education, family values, building up and not tearing down the Land of Israel, no concessions to our enemies, and no negotiating of Jewish Land. Moshe Feiglin stands in the way of Netanyahu connecting with these forces of the left.

Moshe Feiglin believes that the average Likud rank-and-file voter believes similarly to the Likud charter. Feiglin sees that these Likudniks have had enough of Land for Peace, which has only brought death and destruction to Israel, and that they are yearning for a leader who will cling to their heritage and not run away from it. Feiglin believes that these Likudniks will see through the dirty tricks and put Moshe Feiglin onto the Likud's Knesset list on Monday in a spot from where he will be elected to the Knesset on February 10th.Bibi Netanyahu is afraid that Moshe Feiglin’s message of Jewish pride and hope – which is in line with the Likud’s own Charter - is becoming more and more mainstream and accepted by Likudniks and Israeli society in general.Moshe Feiglin has outstretched his hand to Bibi Netanyahu in the hope that the Likud can and will represent what is best for the people of Israel. Unfortunately for us all, Netanyahu has so far refused to outstretch his hand back.
The Manhigut Yehudit website is www.jewishisrael.org

EUROPEAN UNION ARMY

DANIEL 7:23-25
23 Thus he said, The fourth beast (EU,REVIVED ROME) shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth,(7TH WORLD EMPIRE) which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.(TRADING BLOCKS)
24 And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings(10 NATIONS) that shall arise: and another shall rise after them;(#11 SPAIN) and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.( BE HEAD OF 3 NATIONS)
25 And he (EU PRESIDENT) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.(3 1/2 YRS)

DANIEL 8:23-25
23 And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king (EU DICTATOR) of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences,(FROM THE OCCULT) shall stand up.
24 And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power:(SATANS POWER) and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.
25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes;(JESUS) but he shall be broken without hand.

DANIEL 11:36-39
36 And the king (EU DICTATOR) shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.
37 Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers,(THIS EU DICTATOR IS JEWISH) nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.(CLAIM TO BE GOD)
38 But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces:(WAR) and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things.
39 Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god,(DESTROY TERROR GROUPS) whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many,(HIS ARMY LEADERS) and shall divide the land for gain.

REVELATION 19:19
19 And I saw the beast,(EU LEADER) and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse,(JESUS) and against his army.(THE RAPTURED CHRISTIANS)

Defiant Somali pirates await EU navy force DEC 6,08 by Mustafa Haji Abdinur Mustafa Haji Abdinur – Sat Dec 6, 7:34 am ET

MOGADISHU (AFP) – Somali pirates were undeterred Saturday as a new European Union naval forces readied to launch an operation aimed at curbing relentless attacks that have rattled world maritime trade.The EU's anti-piracy drive, dubbed Atalanta, was to formally kick off on Monday, increasing the military presence in the Gulf of Aden, which has in recent months become the world's most dangerous stretch of water.

The Gulf of Aden commands access to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, a key trade route between Asia and Europe, and Atalanta will attempt to reassure shipping companies.Pirates equipped with speedboats, assault rifles and rocket launchers, have carried out more than 100 attacks since the start of the year.They have raked in tens of millions of dollars in ransom money after hijacking foreign vessels, from luxury yachts to the Sirius Star, a 330-metre crude carrier which is still being held.Arguing that foreign fishing fleets have for years plundered Somali fishing resources illegally, pirates have secured strong support from the coastal communities in a country ravaged by conflict and starvation.The presence of European war ships will undermine the Somalis' ability to protect their natural resources from illegal fishing, said Mohamed Said, a pirate leader whose group has held the Saudi super-tanker Sirius Star for ransom since November 15.Many of the polluters of Somalia's waters, those who dump toxic waste, are Europeans. This force will contribute to giving them unimpeded access to our waters, he told AFP.With five of six EU ships expected in Somali waters this month, the international naval presence in the region will be further enhanced, restricting the pirates' room for manoeuvre.

But despite the added support of NATO, the US navy and Asian powers, experts argue the number of war ships will remain insufficient to root out piracy.According to UNOSAT, a UN-affiliated agency that anaylses satellite data, the recent increase in naval vessels has done little to deter pirates, only forcing them to concentrate their attacks in specific areas.Out of the 80 attacks reported in the past three months alone, half of them occurred in or around the so-called corridor which merchant vessels have been encouraged to use in order to benefit from navy monitoring.While the success rate of the pirates' attacks has dipped slightly in recent weeks, the sheer numbers of attacks continues to thwart the West's state-of-the-art naval machine.You would need at least 100 naval ships in the area to make a decisive impact but this is impossible, said Jean Duval, a maritime expert with French private maritime security outfit Secopex.Duval's firm, which expects to clinch contracts with shipping companies in the coming weeks, is one of dozens of private companies hoping to cash in on the surge in piracy in Somalia's strategic waters.While navies only can actively combat piracy and detain pirates, private firms seek to offer complementary services by escorting ships through the Gulf of Aden.The EU and its international partners are aware of the limits to their action, admitting that piracy can only be eradicated if durable solutions are found to stabilise Somalia.Everything needs to be done to change Somalia from a failed to state to a country where the authorities are in a position to maintain law and order, Vice Admiral Gerard Vallin, who heads France's naval forces in the Indian Ocean, told AFP. Navies have been powerless to free hijacked ships once they have been seized by pirates. Somali pirates are currently holding 16 ships and more than 350 crew. Pirates gave the owner of the Sirius Star up to the end of November to pay a ransom of 25 million dollars.

NATO-Russia deal shows EU influence Published: Dec. 6, 2008 at 9:46 AM

BRUSSELS, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- NATO's move to resume talks with Russia shows the increasingly key role the European Union is taking in setting the West's agenda with Moscow, analysts say.EU leaders have expressed skepticism at NATO saber-rattling in the wake of Russia's conflict with Georgia this year and have also been wary of a confrontational approach taken by the Bush administration toward Moscow, Time Magazine reported Saturday. NATO's move this week to restore ties with Russia is being seen as a victory for the EU view that the West must work closely with Moscow, analysts told the magazine.With the Bush administration now the lamest of lame ducks, the NATO agreement reflect desires in Europe to avoid offending Russia -- especially on topics like Georgian and Ukrainian membership that many European leaders feel is an unnecessary provocation of Moscow, Andrew Wilson, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations in London, told Time. The U.S. didn't really push too hard on the membership issue, because it knew it couldn't win.

At the NATO summit that ended Wednesday in Brussels, it was agreed to resume high-level relations with Moscow through a measured and phased approach to restoring ties. 2008 United Press International.

Ignatieff, Rae say Grits must move quickly to replace Dion By Jim Brown, The Canadian Press DEC 7,08

OTTAWA - The main contenders to replace Stephane Dion as Liberal leader are putting the pressure on him to make way for a new chief early in the new year, rather than waiting until May as previously planned. Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae have both made it clear they believe the party needs a new and permanent leader by January. That's when Prime Minister Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government has promised to bring down a budget. The Liberals will then have to decide whether to vote against it, a move that would precipitate either another election or a renewed call for Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean to let the Liberals form a coalition cabinet with the NDP and govern with the tacit support of the Bloc Quebecois as the silent partner in a three-way deal. I think that Mr. Dion has to consider his options,
Ignatieff told said Sunday. There's an emerging feeling in the caucus that, given the importance of this (budget) vote in late January, it would be appropriate to have a permanent leader in place . The caucus is considering various options about how to do that.Rae agreed the parliamentary crisis over the last week has changed the political landscape and forced the Liberals to speed up the leadership decision that had been scheduled to take place at a convention in Vancouver in May. Former cabinet minister John Manley suggested, in an opinion piece published Saturday, that the party executive and parliamentary caucus should choose at least an interim leader as soon as possible. But Rae said a closed-door decision by those bodies - both of which are top-heavy with Ignatieff supporters - wouldn't be the right way to choose a permanent leader. I think there's going to be a problem if some people decide that they can somehow anoint themselves as the people who are going to force this issue in that way, Rae told a national news agency. I think there would be a tremendous reaction in the party against that kind of approach.Rae suggested instead that an accelerated leadership race, including televised debates and a vote by rank-and-file members, could be organized with the goal of installing the winner by the middle or third week of January.

If Dion should decide to step down before then, he said, it would be all right for caucus and the executive to select an interim leader to fill in while the process runs its course. Although Dion negotiated the power-sharing deal with the NDP and the Bloc that brought the Harper government to the brink of a non-confidence vote, the prime minister dodged the bullet by persuading the Governor General last week to let him suspend Parliament for seven weeks. He has also mounted a massive public relations campaign, including anti-Dion television and radio ads, contending that a leader whose party captured just 25 per cent of the vote in the Oct. 14 election doesn't have a legitimate mandate to govern. Many Liberals acknowledge privately that Dion's continued presence as the public face of the party has complicated efforts to sell the idea of an alternative coalition government. They point, as an example, to the embarrassing communications snafu last week in which Dion's team was an hour late delivering a videotape to broadcast outlets offering the Liberal response to a televised address by Harper.

Please help us get this information into the hands of as many people as possible by forwarding it to your entire e-mail list of family and friends. Seechless... Silencing the Christians airs at 9:00 pm Eastern tonight on INSP. Also available on AFA.net. Tonight's episode is Defending the Faithful Dear Stan,Facing rising persecution and discrimination, many Christians feel hopeless, uncertain what to do. This episode of Speechless . . . Silencing the Christians is filled with practical advice and realistic suggestions. People who have been on the frontline share their insights. Hear the first-hand accounts of agencies that assist people who experience faith-based discrimination. You’ll learn what Christians can do to combat bias and prejudice in the workplace, schools, courts, and other areas. And how you can be prepared if you feel the pressure to be silenced for your faith.Speechless . . . Silencing the Christians airs on INSP cable network each Saturday night at 9:00 pm Eastern. INSP is available on cable systems nationwide (Check your local listings) and on satellite services Dish Network (Channel 259) and DIRECTV (Channel 364.)You can watch Speechless anytime on the Web at AFA.net. Click on the Speechless banner.
Sincerely, Donald E. Wildmon,Founder and Chairman American Family Association

Hundreds protest Vatican's opposition to pro-gay UN text Sat Dec 6, 4:41 pm ET

VATICAN CITY (AFP) – Some 250 people staged a sit-in by St Peter's Square on Saturday to slam the Vatican for its opposition to a UN resolution that would decriminalise homosexuality worldwide.Under banners of the two main gay and lesbian advocacy groups Arcigay and Arcilesbica, many held candles and some wore nooses around their necks, dramatising the fact that homosexuality is punishable by death in nine countries.More than 80 countries have laws against homosexuality.France launched an initiative in May for a UN resolution for the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality, opposed by the Vatican because it might encourage gay marriage.Arcigay president Aurelio Mancuso slammed the bad choice the Vatican has made as a state, not as a church.Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi argued that such a resolution could clearly become a way to pressure or discriminate against those who ... consider marriage between a man and a woman to be the basic and original form of social life.He said, however, that the Roman Catholic Church opposed all forms of violent or discriminatory penal law regarding homosexuals.... No-one obviously wants to defend the death penalty for homosexuals.The Vatican is a foremost campaigner against the death penalty.

Bangladesh seeks $40 mln loan from World Bank Reuters - Monday, December 8DHAKA, Dec 7 08

Bangladesh has requested a $40 million loan from the World Bank to improve the efficiency and skill of workers and reduce poverty through employment generation, the bank said on Sunday.Bangladesh has made commendable progress towards sustaining a growth rate in excess of 6 percent over recent years, despite a series of natural disasters and external shocks, it said.Skills development plays an important role for growth and poverty reduction through employment generation, the bank said in a statement.Bangladesh's interim government is now preparing a five-year project to develop an efficient and demand-driven technical and vocational training delivery system to improve employment outcomes.The project, scheduled to begin in the middle of next year, aims to support training in select sectors, through a limited number of institutions chosen in a competitive manner, an official of the World Bank in Dhaka told Reuters on Sunday.The project would work to strengthen public-private partnerships for effective delivery of training services through institutional autonomy and partnership with industry, the official said.The trade and commercial associations, employers associations, and industry will determine the demand for different types of training programme to ensure they lead to employment.It will also focus on improving the institutional capacity of key entities such as the department of technical education and Bangladesh Technical Education Board.The project will be implemented in close collaboration with multiple stakeholders to ensure it is complementary to the efforts of other development partners like the European Commission, Asian Development Bank and International Labour Organisation.

Russia's Strike Shows The Power Of the Pipeline By Steven Pearlstein
Wednesday, August 13, 2008; Page D01

It was surely not lost on Russia's bully in chief, Vladimir Putin, that the oil giant BP decided to shut down the pipeline that runs through parts of Georgia controlled by Russian troops. Indeed, that was one of the aims of the cross-border incursion. Putin understands better than anyone that oil and gas are the source of Russia's resurgence as a military and economic power and his own control over the Russian government and key sectors of its economy. It is oil and gas that provide the money to maintain Russia's powerful military, along with a vast internal security apparatus and network of government-controlled enterprises that allow the president-turned-premier to maintain his iron grip on the levers of political and economic power. A little pipeline history: It was just as Putin was coming to power in 1999 that an agreement was reached to create the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline. The project would allow Azerbaijan and its production partner, BP, to bypass Russia and transport their newly drilled oil instead through Georgia and Turkey to a port in the eastern Mediterranean. Because of its control of the only pipeline system linking former Soviet republics with the West, Russia had been able to extract most of the profit from any oil and gas that these newly independent countries could produce. But with BTC, which had the active support of the U.S. and European governments, Russia would lose its monopoly chokehold, opening the way for Western oil companies to make multibillion-dollar investments in the energy-rich Caucasus states.

No sooner was BTC completed, however, than Western officials began exploring the possibility of other pipelines that could reach beyond Georgia and Azerbaijan to Turkmenistan, which was thought to have some of the world's largest gas reserves. Their interest was not only in energy security and the prospect of oil riches for Western energy companies, but also in promoting Western-style democracy and free-market capitalism in the former Soviet republics. In time, much of their efforts focused on a $12 billion project known as Nabucco, named after the Verdi opera, that would take gas across the Caspian sea, through Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, finally reaching a terminal near Vienna. With Europe already dependent on Russia for a quarter of its natural gas, and that number set to rise with construction of a new northern pipeline running under the Baltic Sea to Germany, European leaders were keen to find alternative sources of natural gas. The effort took on greater urgency in winter 2006 after Russia briefly cut off supplies in its gas-pricing dispute with Ukraine. Nabucco also became a top priority of the Bush State Department -- in particular, of Matt Bryza, a deputy assistant secretary of state, and C. Boyden Gray, a Bush family confidante who was named a special envoy for Eurasian energy, who began actively courting the leaders of Azerbaijan. Putin, quite correctly, viewed Nabucco as part of a larger campaign by Washington to contain and isolate Russia and limit the expansion of its burgeoning energy empire. With Gazprom, the state gas monopoly, Putin launched his own competing proposal called South Stream to build a new pipeline to the Caucasus. Suddenly the Russians were offering to pay Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan multiples of what they had previously offered to secure long-term supply deals. They penned an agreement with Italy and its oil company, Eni, to build a pipeline that would run under the Black Sea from Russia to Europe and end up at the same Austrian terminal as Nabucco. And Russian officials offered highly favorable transit agreements, ownership shares and guaranteed gas supplies to secure transit agreements from Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary. To industry observers like Ed Chow, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Nabucco has always looked more like a diplomats' pipe dream than a viable economic project. Its promoters had not only failed to secure supply and transit agreements but also had yet to identify an oil company eager to champion the project and finance the pipeline. Now, with its successful military incursion, Russia has raised serious doubts in the minds of Western lenders and investors that a new pipeline through Georgia would be safe from attack or beyond control of the Kremlin. What we've been reminded once again is that Vladimir Putin is perfectly willing to sacrifice the rule of law and the good opinion of others to protect the Russian empire and the energy monopoly that sustains it. The techniques he used to bring Georgia to heel, while more lethal and destructive, have the same thuggish quality as the techniques Putin uses to silence domestic opposition and to expropriate the energy assets of Yukos, Shell and BP.

For the United States and Europe, this ought to be sufficient warning about the folly of extending membership in NATO or the European Union to every one of Russia's neighbors, particularly when they are unwilling to back it up with military action.

But it also is a reminder of the futility of trying to co-opt Putin by offering him a seat at the G-7, membership in the World Trade Organization or the honor of hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics. We may not be willing to send troops to Tbilisi, but at the least we should be willing to deny Russian companies the right to raise capital on Western stock exchanges, extend their pipelines into Western markets or use their energy profits to buy up major Western companies. Vladimir Putin thinks he has looked into the soul of the West and discovered that we need him more than he needs us. It's time to convince him otherwise.

Sarkozy denounced for meeting Lama
Dec 8, 2008 3:09 AM

French President Nicolas Sarkozy drew angry protest from China on Sunday over a meeting with Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, with Beijing warning of broader damage to relations with the European Union.The two met on Saturday, five days after China had called off a summit with the EU in protest against Sarkozy's plan to meet the Dalai Lama, branded by Beijing a splittist for advocating self-determination for his mountain homeland.In the first official reaction since the meeting, Beijing said it had summoned the French ambassador to China, Herve Ladsous, to issue a sharp rebuke.We urge the French side to prioritise bilateral relations and interests of the two peoples, to ... fully understand the damage generated from the meeting between Sarkozy and the Dalai Lama on bilateral relations as well as Sino-EU relations, Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said on state-run CCTV.France currently holds the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc.The West is pushing for closer Chinese co-operation, especially in the areas of trade and currency, to limit damage from a worldwide economic crisis. Beijing, in its turn, views Europe as a major market for Chinese industrial goods which it sees threatened by further tariffs or restrictions.Some French commentators criticised what they called Sarkozy's inconsistent policies over China and human rights.

They are only punishing the numerous about-turns in our policy, Jean-Luc Domenach, a researcher on China at Sciences-Po university, told the Journal du Dimanche newspaper, which is usually supportive of Sarkozy.Since the Tibetan riots in March, Sarkozy has changed his attitude towards Beijing several times. First he was very pro-Chinese, then he took a harder line before returning to a position in the middle, Domenach added.Sarkozy campaigned on the promise of putting human rights at the centre of his foreign policy, saying he opposed lifting an EU arms embargo on China that was imposed after Beijing's crackdown on student protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989.But shortly after taking office, he reversed his position on the arms embargo and went on a visit to China during which French companies sealed some $30 billion (NZD$56.1 billion) in business deals.Following the deadly riots in Tibet, Sarkozy said he might not attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, depending on China's handling of the situation in Tibet. It was not until July that he said he would go.

Too little, too late?

An official in Sarkozy's office told reporters last week he had seen no sign of any French products being boycotted, adding that the EU and China are mutually dependent economically.We have all got each other by the beard, he said, adding that Carrefour employs tens of thousands of people in China and is the biggest French purchaser of Chinese goods.Domenach said China might suspend some firms' contracts. There could also be political fallout at home. To many French observers, Saturday's half-hour encounter was too little, too late.Funny place for a meeting, said wide-circulation daily Le Parisien in its Sunday edition, referring to the encounter in Gdansk on the fringes of 25th anniversary celebrations of Polish pro-democracy leader Lech Walesa's Nobel Peace Prize. It is in Gdansk, pearl of the Baltic, Poland's main port, north of Warsaw and... 1,500 km from Paris that Nicolas Sarkozy finally met the Dalai Lama yesterday, it added.A cartoon in satirical newspaper Le Canard Enchaine showed Sarkozy arriving at a car park in Poland in dark glasses. An aide says: He's waiting for you on the 6th floor below ground, in a Lada with tinted windows. Sarkozy replies: He could have been a little more discreet!

MUSLIM NATIONS

EZEKIEL 38:1-12
1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog,(RULER) the land of Magog,(RUSSIA) the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW)and Tubal,(TOBOLSK) and prophesy against him,
3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech(MOSCOW) and Tubal:
4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws,(GOD FORCES THE RUSSIA-MUSLIMS TO MARCH) and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords:
5 Persia,(IRAN,IRAQ) Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:
6 Gomer,(GERMANY) and all his bands; the house of Togarmah (TURKEY)of the north quarters, and all his bands:(SUDAN,AFRICA) and many people with thee.
7 Be thou prepared, and prepare for thyself, thou, and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.
8 After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them.
9 Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.(RUSSIA-EGYPT AND MUSLIMS)
10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.

ISAIAH 17:1
1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

PSALMS 83:3-7
3 They (ARABS,MUSLIMS) have taken crafty counsel against thy people,(ISRAEL) and consulted against thy hidden ones.
4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.
5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:(TREATIES)
6 The tabernacles of Edom,and the Ishmaelites;(ARABS) of Moab, and the Hagarenes;
7 Gebal, and Ammon,(JORDAN) and Amalek;(SYRIA) the Philistines (PALESTINIANS) with the inhabitants of Tyre;(LEBANON)

EZEKIEL 39:1-8
1 Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog,(LEADER OF RUSSIA) and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech (MOSCOW) and Tubal: (TUBOLSK)
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,(RUSSIA) and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
3 And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.
4 Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands,( ARABS) and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.
5 Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.
6 And I will send a fire on Magog,(NUCLEAR BOMB) and among them that dwell carelessly in the isles: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more: and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.
8 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.

JOEL 2:3,20,30-31
3 A fire(NUCLEAR BOMB) devoureth before them;(RUSSIA-ARABS) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army,(RUSSIA,MUSLIMS) and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.(SIBERIAN DESERT)
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(NUCLEAR BOMB)
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Radio: Iran tests missile during naval maneuver Sun Dec 7, 5:10 am ET

FOX News TEHRAN, Iran – Iran's state radio says the country's navy has test-fired a sea-to-sea missile during a six-day naval maneuver in the Sea of Oman.Sunday's report quotes the maneuver's spokesman Adm. Ghasem Rostamabadi. He says the mid-range missile was launched from a battleship late Saturday in the waters off the port town of Chabahar near the Iran-Pakistan border.The report did not elaborate on the range or give other details about the missile, dubbed Nasr-2 or Victory-2.Iran said last week it launched the large-scale naval maneuver that was to cover 50,000-square miles of Iranian territorial waters and involve about 60 warships.Iran regularly holds war games in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.

Pakistan militants torch 65 NATO supply trucks: police by Saad Khan Saad Khan – Sun Dec 7, 8:37 am ET

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AFP) – More than 200 Taliban militants launched a pre-dawn raid Sunday on a NATO terminal in Pakistan, torching 65 trucks containing supplies for troops in Afghanistan, police said.The militants surrounded the terminal outside the northwestern city of Peshawar and disarmed about a dozen security guards before dousing the trucks in petrol and setting them alight.Police described the attack, in which one guard was shot and killed and two armoured vehicles were also destroyed, as the biggest of its kind so far.This is the first time the militants came in such large number, senior police officer Abdul Qadir Qamar told AFP, calling it a coordinated and well-planned attack.The insurgents, who had stolen the petrol from a nearby gas station, fled when police arrived at the scene, Qamar added.One security official said they had struck as police were busy investigating Friday's huge bomb blast in Peshawar that killed 34 people and wounded 120 others.It was also a weekend and security was relatively relaxed because of Eid vacations, the official said. Pakistan celebrates the Muslim festival of Eid on Tuesday.The trucks were loaded with supplies bound for Afghanistan, where NATO forces are battling a growing Taliban insurgency.Taliban- and Al-Qaeda-linked militants have in the past attacked oil tankers and trucks on their way to Afghanistan.Sunday's raid came less than a week after Taliban militants destroyed another dozen trucks in Peshawar containing supplies for NATO troops in Afghanistan, killing two people in the process.

Qamar said the number of guards at the terminal had been increased in the wake of that attack, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of militants.We are preparing a new strategy to prevent such incidents in future, he added.Pakistan last month barred delivery of sealed containers and oil tankers through the Khyber Pass for a week after Taliban fighters in the rugged lawless area hijacked 15 trucks destined for Afghanistan and looted the vehicles.NATO has around 50,000 troops in Afghanistan and the pass is a lifeline for the force. Pakistan's army chief vowed last month to keep the supply line to Afghanistan open, reaffirming support for the alliance's mission there.Pakistan's tribal belt became a safe haven for hundreds of Taliban and Al-Qaeda extremists who fled Afghanistan after the US-led toppling of the hardline Taliban regime in Kabul in late 2001.NATO said on Monday the earlier attack had not substantially affected the alliance's operations in Afghanistan, but that it was looking at alternative routes to the Khyber Pass.

A MESSAGE OF HOPE FROM DR. JACK VAN IMPE DEC 8,08

The Deity of Christ

The thought of an eternal God being born may seem to be a contradiction of terms, but when one studies the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, insurmountable evidence supporting this truth manifests itself upon the pages of Holy Writ. The teachings of Christ's deity must be an accepted truth if one is to enter the eternal home of the redeemed.John, in his first epistle, makes this dogmatic assertion: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us) (1 John 1:1, 2). There is no doubt that the One John saw, heard, and touched was that Eternal Life which was with the Father.In chapter 2, verse 22, of this same epistle, John goes on to say, Who is a liar but he that denieth...the Father and the Son. When one denies that Christ is the eternal One who came to earth clothed in human flesh, this skeptic or doubter immediately is classified as a liar and an antichrist. Since no liar or antichrist may enter the presence of God in that condition, it is abundantly clear that the one who denies the eternity of Christ is lost.In 1 John 4 another warning is presented. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. How does one recognize the false prophets? Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist (verses 1-3). Since spirits refers to teachers or preachers, the apostle is saying that preachers denying the doctrine of God coming in the flesh are preachers or teachers possessed by the spirit of Antichrist. God wrote it. I only quote it, but I believe it.

Then John states in chapter 5, verse 1, Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Messiah, translated Christus or Christ means the Sent One. Since He was sent from the Father, the conclusive proof is that He already existed. If He preexisted His mission to earth, He did not begin in Bethlehem's manger. The teaching of the Holy Bible is that He eternally existed as God, the second member of the Trinity, and came to earth to be clothed with a body containing blood so that He might die for sinners. Is He really God? Did He really exist before His birth upon earth? What does the Holy Spirit state in the Word of God?

Christ's deity in the Old Testament

Isaiah 9:6 states, For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder. This prophet speaks about Christ's incarnation and humanity in the phrase a child is born and about His eternity and deity in the other phrase a son is given. Incarnation comes from the Latin words in and carnis, meaning flesh or in the flesh. Thus, at this incarnation or coming in the flesh, He was the child born. However, as the son given, He always existed -- uncreated and unborn.Micah 5:2 states, Whose [His] goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. This again points to the uncreated, eternal Son of God. Psalm 45:6: Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre. This great Old Testament scripture, addressed to God, is about the Lord Jesus Christ. Who said so? The greatest authority in heaven and earth -- Jehovah, the Father. Prove it? I will!In Hebrews 1:8 we find Jehovah God of the Old Testament speaking: Unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, 0 God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. Isn't this fantastic? The Father calls Christ God for ever and ever. Followers of Jehovah would be wise to listen to His voice and give Christ the glory due His holy name. God had His Son with Him from all eternity past. Christ was present when the human race was created. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were involved in Genesis 1:26 when God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. The pronouns us and our speak of a plurality or trinity of personages. This same Christ was present when the earth was formed and set into motion. Proverbs 30:4: Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? The Son is present in the Old Testament scriptures hundreds of years before His human birth occurs in the New Testament. Rational, logical contemplation makes one realize that He preexisted as God, the Son.

Christ's deity in the New Testament (The Trinity)

The title of God is given to our Saviour on numerous occasions. Matthew 1:23 declares, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. In the first chapter of John, Christ is called the Word. Verse 14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us. The only member of the Trinity who became flesh was Christ. Since the term Word is synonymous with Christ, as has just been proven, let's put the term Christ in place of Word in John 1:1-3 and see the results. In the beginning was [Christ], and [Christ] was with God, and [Christ] was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by [Christ]; and without [Christ] was not any thing made that was made.John 1:10 states, He [Christ] was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. Now we have just heard from the Author of this book, the Holy Spirit, who said that Christ was from the beginning, that He was God, and that He created the world. Yes, Christ shared this creative ministry with the Father and Holy Spirit. This is so because all three members of the one Godhead always existed.To prove that the Holy Spirit was also present at the time of creation, one need only study Genesis 1:1, 2. In the beginning God [this is the plural noun Elohim, meaning more than one] created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. The combining of John 1:10 and Genesis 1:1, 2 proves conclusively that the entire Trinity was present at the creation of the world.Some scoff at the teaching of a Trinity. They say, The word Trinity is not found in the Bible, so there can't be such a doctrine. Well, the word Bible is not found in the Bible either, but I guarantee that there is such a book -- and the teaching of the Trinity is found repeatedly throughout God's Word. Man has given the title Trinity to the doctrine because the meaning of the word is three. Since there are three -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- Trinity is a properly designated theological term.

Let's continue our search of the scriptures concerning the deity of Christ. The Philippian jailor cried out in Acts 16:30, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Paul and Silas replied, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house (verse 31). The entire family made a commitment to this Christ and verse 34 finds them rejoicing. Why? Because they believed in God with all their house. Here is unequivocal proof that Christ is God. Compare the two verses again. Acts 16:31: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Verse 34 says he believed in God -- the Christ of verse 31.Again we see the truth in Romans 9:5 which states, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. First Timothy 3:16 declares, Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, and Hebrews 1:8 says, But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever. This is Jehovah God telling the world that His Son is God. Never mind the book peddlers who run from door to door with their teaching of Christ being an inferior God, a little created God. Some even call Him Michael, the archangel. Jehovah knows everything for He is omniscient and all-wise, and He calls Jesus "God." I say with Paul in Romans 3:4, Let God be true, but every man a liar.

Christ's Deity through a comparison of Old and New Testament texts

Perhaps the most interesting and exciting proof of Christ's deity is discovered when one compares the statements of God in the Old Testament with His revealed truth in the New. For example, in Isaiah 42:8, God states, I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Since Jehovah will not give His glory to another but is willing to share it with Christ, it is only logically deductible to say that they must be one and coequal. The sharing of this glory takes place when God's people lay their crowns at the feet of the Saviour in Revelation 4:11, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.Again the King of glory is Jehovah in Psalm 24:10. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory. The noun LORD in this text is the Hebrew word Jehovah, the name of the Father. However, when one examines 1 Corinthians 2:8, he discovers that the Lord of glory was crucified. Thus Christ is also called the Lord of glory. Will you Bible manipulators tell me how there can be two Lords of glory, coequal, if there is no Trinity? Once again Isaiah 9:6 calls the child born and the son given, The mighty God, The everlasting Father. If these are titles of the Son, how many mighty Gods and everlasting Fathers are there? The answer is one because of the unity and oneness of the Trinity. Jesus said, I and my Father are one (John 10:30). Psalm 10:16 says, The LORD [Jehovah] is King for ever and ever. Again we have problems if there is no Trinity because we now have two kings. When one studies Revelation 19:11, 16, he finds that Christ, the King of kings, comes to set up His kingdom upon this earth. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True. Verse 16: And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

This constant reiteration of identical names and titles for both Father and Son can mean only one thing to honest, searching hearts. It is that Christ is God, coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Deuteronomy 32:39 states, There is no god [but Jehovah] and yet 1 Timothy 3:16 tells us that God was made manifest [came] in the flesh. The only solution is the doctrine of the Triune God which the saints of all ages have proclaimed. The only groups in the annals of history that ever fought this precious truth were rebel-rousing heretics.Mr. Scoffer, you who would make Christ but a mere man, what will you do with Jonah 2:9? Salvation is of the LORD. Or Isaiah 43:11 which says, I, even I, am the LORD [Jehovah]; and beside me there is no saviour. If there is no other Saviour but Jehovah, and Christ is called the Saviour scores of times in the Bible, then He and the Father must be one or there are two Saviours. Christ is the God who left the bosom of the Father to die on Calvary's cross. There He shed the pure sinless blood that coursed through His veins so that sinners might be eternally saved. The Bible teaches that He is the only Saviour. Acts 4:12: Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Since both Jehovah and Christ are called Saviour, let's believe that the Trinity alone presents the answer.

Christ was incarnated, not created

There are those who teach that the Father always existed and that Christ was created. Perish the thought! Christ always existed and was not created. Isaiah 43:10 states, Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. In simple English, no God was created before or after Jehovah. They coexisted as a Trinity eternally. Thus Christ was from all eternity or He wasn't. Either He always existed or He didn't. Since no God was created before or after Jehovah, we take Micah 5:2 for what it says about the One who was to come to earth and experience a human birth. He was from of old, from everlasting. Thus, His human birth was not His creation. Rather, as we discussed earlier in this chapter, the word incarnation comes from the Latin words in and carnis, meaning in the flesh.An eternal God having a birth is not contradictory. In eternity He was God. To become a man, a birth had to occur. None of us can become another species without the miracle of a birth. God had to become incarnated (become flesh) so that He could shed the pure, sinless blood that flowed in His veins. The miracle of the Holy Spirit's insemination of the virgin Mary's ova and womb with the body and blood of God the Son made this shedding of blood possible. This was a necessity because the blood of animals could not take away sin, only cover the sinner's transgression.Hebrews 10:4 states, For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. So verse 5 has Christ saying, A body hast thou prepared me. God lived in that body, went to the cross in that body, shed the blood in that body to take away the sins that had only been covered, died in that body, arose three days later in that same body, ascended to heaven in that body, and will throughout eternity live in that body in which He had the birth. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9).There it is. The eternal God left heaven to be born into human flesh because a body could contain sinless blood through a virgin birth. That blood was shed for sins and can wash you from every stain and taint of this world's defilement when you put your trust in the God in whom the Philippian jailor trusted, the Lord Jesus Christ. Do it today.

FROM THE HEART OF DR. REXELLA VAN IMPE

Seeing Him for the first time

She was very young ... and very pregnant. Her name was Mary, the daughter of a poor family from Nazareth, and the wife of a humble carpenter from the same village, a good man named Joseph. The two of them had just made the long journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem to pay their taxes, Mary riding on the back of a donkey over dust-choked roads and steep mountain trails.Totally exhausted when they arrived, they hadn't been able to find sleeping accommodations anywhere. In desperation, Joseph finally found them a place to rest in a stable behind an inn and devised a makeshift bed for Mary out of hay and straw.A few hours later, Mary was jolted from sleep by wrenching cramps and birth pangs. It was time for her to give birth. And so it was that this young woman - far from home in a strange city, still weary from travel - lay on the straw-covered floor of a dark stable and gave birth to her firstborn son. With Joseph's help, she managed to wash the tiny infant and wrap Him tightly in a long cloth brought along in the saddlebags. Then, as Joseph brought over a manger filled with hay to serve as a cradle, Mary gently kissed her newborn baby on His head and laid Him in her lap. In the flickering light of a crude torch Joseph held over her bed, she looked into the face of her son for the first time.A group of raw-boned men dressed in leather girdles and homespun robes hurried through the dark streets of Bethlehem. Shepherds from the fields outside of town, they seemed out of place and ill at ease in the city.This is where the angels said He would be, the leader of the group said. But how will we know exactly where to find Him? Look! the youngest shepherd replied.There is the bright new star we saw. It seems to be standing just over those buildings there. He must be inside. Let's go and find Him.

Almost running in their excitement, the shepherds hurried to the inn, then slipped around it to the back, noticing a faint light coming from the stable door. And just above, the star shone brightly.Awkwardly, noisily, they made their way inside the stable. A young couple sat close together, hands resting on the edge of a roughhewn manger, gazing at their newborn son sleeping on the hay.The shepherds gathered around, one by one, dropping to their knees in reverence and awe as their eyes drank in this amazing scene. Somehow they seemed to realize that this was no ordinary baby. For the first time in human history, they were looking into the face of God.

If I had been in Bethlehem on that first Christmas morning, I believe I also would have been irresistibly drawn to that humble stable to find Mary, Joseph ... and baby Jesus. I can scarcely imagine the thrill of seeing Him.I believe that what I beheld there would have taken my breath away and left me with the deepest faith possible for the rest of my life. It would have been an incomparable moment that would have left me forever changed. For I, too - for the first time - would have seen my Lord.

No doubt I would have recognized Jesus by His divine presence for the Apostle Paul tells us that in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). Think of it - all the fullness of the Trinity residing in that one body. I think that means that when we get to heaven, the only body we will see when we look at God will be the glorious form of Jesus Christ.

The eyes of the Savior

If I could have seen Him on that original Christmas morning, I believe the first thing I would have noticed would have been the eyes of the Savior. Even today when I am introduced to people, I have a tendency to look first into their eyes - the windows of the soul.The eyes of baby Jesus would have been eyes of innocence. But soon the eyes of this God-man would look past the faces of men and women and see deep inside to their true hearts, knowing their innermost thoughts and intents.

Remember the gospel account of Peter's sin when he denied Jesus three times during those awful hours before the crucifixion? The Bible says that when they brought Jesus outside to lead Him away, His eyes looked deep into the eyes of Peter... and an instant later, the disciple turned away and wept bitterly, overcome by shame.Can you imagine the eyes of God looking at you and seeing inside your heart? That's a really intimidating thought, isn't it? But somehow I believe that, had I been there with Peter that day, even in the intensity of Jesus' gaze, I would still have seen great love, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness.That's how I see Him today. And, thank God, that's the way He sees me.

The mouth of God

After seeing the eyes of baby Jesus, I think the next thing I would have noticed would have been the tiny mouth that was so quiet as He was born. But it would not be quiet long. This was the mouth that, with a word, had already brought eternity to life and spoke the world into existence.This was the mouth that would disarm a lynch mob by demanding - Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. And when the guilty accusers had all slunk away, this mouth would dispense grace to a fallen woman, saying, Thy sins be forgiven thee.From these lips would come the cry that would open a grave and call a dead man to life - Come forth, Lazarus! This mouth would challenge the doubters and hypocritical religious leaders with unparalleled wisdom and stern words of rebuke and admonition.And this mouth would someday proclaim the greatest sermon that had ever been delivered to a multitude of hungry hearts - the Sermon on the Mount.Oh, what an inestimable thrill to realize that today you and I can still hear Him speak to us - inside our hearts in a still, small voice.

The hands of Jesus

After seeing His eyes and His mouth, I think probably my eyes would have been drawn to the Christ child's tiny little hands. The hands that I saw would not be resting on beribboned satin covers, but would be nestled in the hay that filled His manger bed. For God did not send His son to an opulent palace, but entrusted Him to the care of a carpenter and a simple Jewish maiden who received Him in a stable.These hands would never enjoy a golden ring, but they were reserved for something much greater. Someday they would heal the sick and comfort those who were mourning.The hands of Jesus would bless and multiply a little boy's lunch of loaves and fishes to feed a multitude. These expressive hands also pointed lost and wandering people back to the plan and path of God.These same hands would overturn the tables of the moneychangers and grasp a whip to drive these irreverent and scornful reprobates out of the Temple, God's house of prayer.And these hands now so small and gentle, would one day be forced against the crosspiece of a rough-hewn Roman cross while huge, iron spikes were driven through the palms. Even in death, His hands reached out to every sinner who would ever live, offering the precious gift of salvation and new life.

The feet of our Savior

I'm sure I would have wanted to see the feet of baby Jesus - tiny, unblemished, and at rest. But not for long.These were the feet that would help Him toil beside His earthly father in the carpenter shop, and carry Him on dusty trails around the village of Nazareth. These feet would take him to Jerusalem at the age of twelve to confound the wise men and scholars with His divine wisdom and amazing knowledge of deep spiritual truths.These feet would become tired and dirty as Jesus went about His Father's business. They would carry Him throughout Judea, giving the message of life and hope. His feet took Him up rocky trails to the top of mountains to pray.

Once, during a fearsome storm on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus's feet walked on water to reach the boat carrying His disciples who were crying out in terror.On one memorable occasion, a woman recognized the beauty of Christ's feet, washing them with her tears, drying them with her hair and anointing them with precious perfume.And, of course, these were the feet that ultimately made the anguished walk to Golgotha ... and on to Calvary.The feet of Jesus would seldom rest because His work on earth was never completely finished - He ultimately commissioned His followers to continue His work, proclaiming the gospel in all the earth.

The heart of God

If I had been permitted to kneel before the manger and put my hand on the chest of Mary's baby that day, I would have felt the beating of His precious heart. That heart pumped the blood of life through Him, and would enable His earthly body to grow strong and healthy.But I simply cannot comprehend the full measure of the heart of Jesus. It was, indeed, the heart of a man, subject to every passion and pain of mankind. But it was - and is - also the heart of God, with a limitless capacity for love and understanding and forgiveness.I believe this heart thrilled to the beauty and majesty of His creation, the mountains and plains, the deserts and the seas. I think Jesus watched the animals of the forest with pleasure, and listened raptly to the song of the birds. And He never got tired of walking and talking with people, enjoying the company of children, and having fellowship with His friends.But this was a heart with a mission - a divine purpose that could never be forgotten. And one day this heart would be broken. Can you hear the cry of Jesus' heart as He reached out to all of mankind in love and compassion, only to be rejected by them. Looking out over Jerusalem as the shadows of destiny darkened the sky, He lamented, Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how oft would I have gathered you to Myself as a hen gathers her chicks, but you would not.No wonder the prophet Isaiah described our Lord as a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He came to save the lost, but they turned their backs on Him.The other day a person asked me, Why are there no pictures of Jesus laughing? I quoted that verse from Isaiah, and reminded my questioner that Jesus knew the hearts of men. I asked, If you could look into the faces of people today and know their hearts, would you be laughing? Oh, my friend, we are so prone to sin. And only the heart of God understands our frailty. This is why Jesus came - to seek and save us from our sins. His heart drove Him on a life-and-death mission on our behalf.

We shall see Him face to face

Obviously I was not in Bethlehem on that first Christmas morning. I did not see the newborn Jesus with my natural eyes as Mary did ... as the shepherds did. I can only look back with faith and see Him with the eyes of my mind.But with all my heart, I believe that one day I will see Him face to face. He will not be an infant, He will not be hanging on the cross or sealed inside a stone tomb. He will be alive, in His resurrected body.He will be laughing on that day, rejoicing because His work - and that of His saints - will finally be completed. His eyes will behold the purity of righteousness. His lips will never stop smiling. His hands will be freed from the torture of the cross. His feet will walk on streets of gold. And He will rest in the embrace of His Father.Oh, I want to see Him, don't you? And I believe we will. Well did the beloved disciple, John, prophetically write - Now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; FOR WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS (1 John 3:2 emphasis mine).

This is what Christmas is all about.This is why Jesus came to earth.And this is why He is coming again!

* * * * FLASH TRAFFIC: WASHINGTON UPDATE * * * * ARE PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA AND SECRTARY OF STATE-DESIGNATE CLINTON READY FOR A NUCLEAR IRAN? By Joel C. Rosenberg

(Jerusalem, Israel, December 3, 2008) -- On Monday, I did a telephone interview with reporter who asked a number of intriguing and provocative questions. Here are three, with an executive summary of my answers:

1. What is the most serious foreign policy challenge facing the incoming Obama Administration?

A: Without a doubt, the biggest challenge to U.S. national security - and the security of our allies (namely Israel) - is the threat of Radical Islam. Al Qaeda leaders and other Jihadists are actively preaching that Israel is the Little Satan and America is the Great Satan and both must be annihilated. So are the leaders of Iran, whose brand of Shia Islamic eschatology (End Times theology) is driving them to try to destroy Judeo-Christian civilization as we know it in order to hasten the coming of the Islamic Messiah known as the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam.

Such Radicals are actively planning and trying to execute catastrophic terrorist attacks Americans and Israelis. True, we as Americans haven't been hit since 9/11/01 here at home. But that's not because the Jihadists aren't trying. The fact is, U.S. and foreign intelligence services have thwarted at least twenty serious terrorist attacks targeting the homeland.

The nightmare scenario would be a Radical Islamic group obtaining nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and using them to accomplish their genocidal objectives. Just this morning, the Times of London has a major story noting: Iran poses the greatest foreign policy challenge to Barack Obama, the President-elect, with Tehran on course to produce a nuclear bomb in the first year of an Obama administration, a coalition of top think-tanks gave warning yesterday.

That said, the second biggest challenge we face is this: the rise of an increasingly totalitarian, anti-Semitic, imperialist and violent Russia under Czar Putin. I'm deeply concerned that Russia's invasion of the democratic Republic of Georgia last summer is a sign of more aggression to come.

2. Are you encouraged by the selection of Hillary Clinton as the country's next Secretary of State?

A: Unfortunately, no. As I have previously written, I am not convinced that President-elect Barack Obama truly understands the nature and threat of Radical Islam in general or the threat posed by the current leaders of Iran, in particular. His choosing Hillary has not dispelled those concerns. During the Pennsylvania primary, Hillary said on ABC's Good Morning America: Well, the question was, if Iran were to launch a nuclear attack on Israel, what would our response be? And I want the Iranians to know that, if I`m the president, we will attack Iran. We would be able to totally obliterate them. That`s a terrible thing to say, but those people who run Iran need to understand that. Because that perhaps will deter them from doing something that would be reckless, foolish and tragic.

It sounded tough and hawkish at the time, and it probably helped Hillary win the Keystone State. But think about her words more carefully. First problem: she is suggesting obliterating Iran after Iran obliterates Israel. Shouldn't we be doing everything we possibly can to prevent a second Holocaust of six million Jews, not simply threaten retaliation after that Holocaust occurs?

Second problem: Hillary believes Washington can deter Iran from using nuclear weapons, if they obtain them. Is that true? I'm not convinced. Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believe they have been chosen for this moment to usher in the return of the Islamic Messiah by destroying Israel and the U.S. They believe this is their divine destiny. This is why they are feverishly trying to build, buy or steal nuclear weapons to trigger the End of Days. How exactly can one successfully negotiate with much less contain or deter leaders with an eschatology that requires them to obtain and use weapons of mass destruction? Hillary's fundamental misreading of the beliefs and goals of the Iranian leadership tragically compounds the President-elect's misreading of the situation. I am praying for them both, and for their other national security advisors. But I am not encouraged by what I have seen so far.

3. What do the terror attacks in India tell us the next stages in the Global War on Terror?

It tells us two things. First, the Jihadists are targeting Americans, Jews and Christians for death and destruction wherever they can find them. No country is off limits. There are no safe havens. The war with Radical Islam truly is a global war and we need all hands on deck in the struggle to defeat the Jihadists.

Second, the Jihadists are trying to trigger a nuclear war between India and Pakistan. During my interview with him for Inside The Revolution, former CIA Director Porter Goss urged me to keep my eye on the India-Pakistan conflict and warned this could be one of the next major flashpoints. Seems he was right. Let's be praying that the Lord would intervene and bring true peace between those two increasingly critical countries.

To visit Joel's new weblog site and get the latest developments in Israel, Russia and the epicenter -- including links to stories mentioned in this Flash Traffic report -- please click here

To join more than 80,000 other >> FLASH TRAFFIC << subscribers who are receiving (free) geopolitical and prayer updates from Israel and the epicenter, please click here. To purchase a copy of EPICENTER 2.0 from Amazon.com (32% off), please click here. To learn more about The Joshua Fund's efforts to bless Israel and her neighbors and to make a tax-deductible financial contribution -- by mail or on-line -- please click here. To visit Joel's website -- www.joelrosenberg.com -- please click here

JOSHUA FUND UPDATE

Thanks so much for your prayers while I was traveling through the Middle East in November. More updates on that soon.

But first, I'd be grateful for your prayers for my team and me this weekend. Lord willing, I am speaking at Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego, along with Lt-General (ret.) Jerry Boykin, former commander of Delta Force. We'll be teaching on God's love for the people of Israel and the threats to the U.S. and Israel today from Radical Islam. We will also be speaking on the importance of mobilizing evangelical Christians to learn, pray, give and go to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus. We have no idea how much time there is before the next war against Israel, but we want to move quickly to stockpile as much humanitarian relief supplies in Israel as possible, as well as to strengthen the churches there so the believers in Israel can love their neighbors and their enemies, as Jesus commands.

On Monday, I will attend a conference in Dallas organized by Dr. Tim LaHaye with some four hundred pastors, theologians and seminary professors from around the country. To be clear, I am by no means a seminary-trained theologian. Nevertheless, I have been asked to discuss the prophecies of Ezekiel 36-39 in light of recent geopolitical events and the implications of such trends. I'd be grateful for your prayers that the Lord would give me wisdom, discernment and the right words to speak.

As always, we will do our best to keep you up-to-date on the kinds of projects we are doing, and brief you on how those projects are proceeding. We will also let you know about the kinds of projects we are developing for the future. In no way do we want to pressure anyone to give financially. We fully believe the Lord will provide for the needs of the people we seek to serve. But if you or others wish to help, we welcome your support, and all financial gifts are tax-deductible.

To contribute to the on-going work of The Joshua Fund please make your check payable to The Joshua Fund and send to:

The Joshua Fund
18950 Base Camp Road
Monument, Colorado 80132-8009

Thanks so much and may the Lord richly bless you and your family as you bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus -- especially at critical moment in history of the epicenter. Would you consider making a donation of $25, $40 or $60 a month to The Joshua Fund? Please click here to find out more, and/or to make a secure donation on-line. To get the latest prayer requests and updates from Israel, Iraq, Afghanistan and other epicenter countries, please visit The Joshua Fund's weblog.

The CARMEL ALERT Dec 5th 2008 A compilation of news reports from the past week for the information of those committed to praying for Israel and the salvation of the Jewish people.David's Comment: The Real Star Wars - Which Kingdom Are We Really Living In ? Col 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (NKJ)

My comment this week was inspired by the Pastor Candido's comment last week on the influence of Babylon, and by an excellent book on the influence of Greece that I am reading - Who Told You You Were Naked authored by former nuclear physicist, Victor Schlatter.The story of the Bible is really the story of the age old war between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of YHVH's arch enemy, Lucifer. All was well in the Kingdom until the day that Lucifer attempted a mutiny which we read about in Isaiah 14:12-14 How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.The result of the attempted revolt against the Most High was the original Star Wars. Revelation 12:7- 9 And war broke out in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, Of course Lucifer lost the war and was banished to rage all over the Earth - but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

The next strategic event occurs in the Garden of Eden where we find Lucifer in the form of a snake, deceiving God's ultimate creation out of the right to be the King and Queen of the Kingdom. Because of sin, the Kingdom returned to Heaven and mankind stepped out of the garden into a 6000 year battle between good and evil, really the battle between YHVH and Lucifer - it is the battle of the kingdoms. When Lucifer lied to Eve he hijacked God's kingdom and the account of the 6000 years of man's tenure on planet Earth is the account of the war that has been raging between the kingdoms. Israel represents the Kingdom of God and Egypt, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and finally Rome have all represented Lucifer at their appointed time of history. So in the 21st century those Satanically driven empires are all behind us - right ? WRONG ! Each subsequent empire did not eradicate the one before, but enveloped it and absorbed the spirits that dominated it, to the point that so much of the way in which we live has been passed down to us from each those kingdoms. From Babylon we inherited the occult. From Medo-Persia we inherited the unbridled lust to satisfy the flesh. From Greece we inherited un-Biblical philosophies and the worship of sport and entertainment, and from Rome we inherited Democracy. Those are the things that Europe and the Western world lust after today.There are two clear and simple ways to live - to live like the Devil would have us live or be a true disciple of the second Adam, Yeshua the Messiah, and live not according to the ways of the worldly kingdoms, but to live according the way of God's Kingdom, as He instructed us to through His Torah ( please do not translate that as law, but as instructions ). Sadly most of the world, and even a great majority of people who see themselves as Christians have rejected God's Torah and the way we live mirrors the Babylonian.Persian, Greek and Roman way, and not the way that God instructed us, and Yeshua demonstrated to us when He came to live amongst us. The way we think, the way we learn, the way we want to be entertained is not the Biblical way. And then we wonder why we dont see the amazing power of the Kingdom manifested in our lives.

Victor Schlatter suggests in his book that is also why the Western World is so against Zionism. I would add that Zionism is really Godism. The now post-Christian West doesnt have too much of a problem with an Israel that is simply just a physical homeland for the Jewish people, but the secular West cant stand the idea of a Biblical Israel, because it points to the existence of the Creator who describes Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, the God of Israel and the Jewish people. My how the world hates that ! What is really shocking is that so many people who consider themselves to be Christians hate the existence of Israel too. That extraordinary fact proves that the Church is far more influenced by Babylon and Greece than by the Bible. And from what we are witnessing in churches these days it is getting more like the world as each week passes.I could expand on this subject for hours, but I wont do that right now. The Bible was written by Hebrew speakers by Hebrew speakers about the Hebrew people. World events and in particular, events concerning the State of Israel cause me to believe that King Yeshua will soon be returning to once again, and this time forever, establish the Kingdom of God on the Earth. Time is short and we are called to prepare the way of the Lord . A part of the preparation process is to prepare ourselves to live as kingdom citizens. The Kingdom of God is a Levitically based Kingdom. Life in the Kingdom will be like God showed the Israelites it should be. It will once again be based on the Torah and every Kingdom citizen will finally reach the goal of being just like Yeshua - a Torah living son or daughter of the Most High God - the God of Israel.Lets begin to prepare ourselves now for eternal life in the Kingdom of the God of Israel. Lets pray and ask the Holy Spirit to fully deliver us from the power of darkness and convey us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (NKJ)

For a greater revelation of the battle that we are in, I strongly recommend you read the book I quoted above - Who Told You You Were Naked - you can order it here http://www.spim.org.au/books.htm .The Lord bless you as you bless Israel by standing in defense of her right to exist on the land given to the Jewish people by the God of Israel. Lets pray that Israel will turn back to their God. Do not be silent, but share this with your fellow Christians, share it with your pastors, and with anyone you have a chance to speak to. Lets also pray for that breakthrough to the Muslims, and please remember to pray for our son Jordan, and all of his fellow soldiers in the IDF. Shabbat Shalom .... David & Josie


I RI PRAYER BULLETIN - DECEMBER 2008
Isaiah 62:10 ... Go thru, go thru the gates, Prepare the way for the people, build up, build up the highway, take out the stones Shalom Everyone - blessings to you from Mt. Carmel......

THANK YOU - Thank you Out of Zion and IRI intercessors for laboring with us thru another year. You are all amazing, and much fruit has been borne for the coming kingdom thru your intercessions - your intercessory support means so much to David and I, more than what we can express or place in words or on paper. You also bring us much personal strength thru your loving faithful commitment, to pray us thru each day, each ministry trip, each event, each trial and each year that we walk thru. We simply cannot do it alone - we need you all very very much.

May you each have a blessed, safe, joyous and relaxing Festive season -may you each hear His voice more than ever, may each of you sense His amazing love in your hearts more and more each day, may each of you continue to be drawn into your secret place and have sweet fellowship, and may the eyes of each of your hearts continue to be opened to see His glory and have greater revelation and understanding.

ALIYAH - Psalm 137..... How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land?.... Isaiah 5:26 He will lift up a banner to the nations from afar and will whistle to them from the end of the earth, surely they shall come with speed swiftly.

Financial crises driving Israelis in US back home
Israeli consulates located in North America have reported an influx of requests by Israeli citizens living in the US, asking for help in getting back to Israel. The desire to return is thought to be directly related to the current global financial crisis and the dashing of their dreams of great success in America. We've had cases of Israelis telling us they were being evicted from their homes, after faltering on their mortgage payments, said Eli Yifrach, the Israeli consul general in Florida. Many simply don't have enough money for airfare, causing aid agencies and government offices to look into ways to help. Sharon Glassman, of the Immigrant Absorption Ministry was recently quoted as saying, Absorption Ministry Director-General Erez Halfon has instructed us to look into ways in which we can cooperate with the Foreign Ministry and form an aid fund which will help those in need to purchase tickets back to Israel.

Jews were purposely targeted and sought after in the recent Mumbai attacks - this could become trend in any future possible terror attacks in the nations - The Jews needs to come home now - Pray ALL Jews in the nations, will see the handwriting on the wall, loud and clear.

Pray that more and more Jews will truly see the danger of living out in the nations and will choose to come home now.Pray that our Government will see that God has already made a plan to see a predominantly Jewish populated state thru Aliyah and will begin to place a greater emphasis and plan on getting Jews home from every nation - Pray that the Lord would release a flood of funds to enable all those that want to return at this time to be able to.Pray the Lord to put a new song in the hearts of Jews still loving in foreign lands - a song of return Pray that the Zionist dream will return to their hearts

Aliyah of Jewish Believers......... Hosea. 11:9-11 Pray that God will remove the stone of materialism. Pray for the stone of anti-messiah, which is impeding Jewish believers that are wanting to return to Israel,to their homeland. Jews, who are Atheists, Satanists, believers in false Messiahs have been allowed to make Aliyah, but Jewish believers, who believe in the true Messiah are turned away. Pray that these stones will be removed. Remove all stones of stumbling from Your people that prevents them from coming home (Isaiah 62:10)Pray for Messianic Jews preparing to come on Aliyah for wisdom, and direction, for favor, for the double doors to be opened up before them that the gates will not be closed. (Isaiah 45) Pray for supernatural favor for Messianic believers as they apply for their citizenship with the Jewish Agency in their nation.

RAIN - Send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.....This coming weeks weather forecast is for more fine, sunny, cloudless skies with warm temperatures - that means no rain !..........If we read Deuteronomy 11: 12,14,16,17 God tells us that if we are obedient and love and honor Him and keep His commandments then He will send the rain. But if we are disobedient , He will shut up the heavens. Let us ask Him to forgive us for our gross sins as a nation (daily) , and that He would be merciful to us forgive us and send the rain. He promises that He will cover the heavens with clouds and prepare rain for the earth (Pray He will prepare the hard, dry earth here in Israel to receive the heavenly rains Pray and remind the Lord of His promises, giving thanks for the rain that has come. Pray He will open up the heavens and let the rain and snow fall to water the soil of this dry land - Pray for an outpouring - Rend the heavens O Lord and send the rain Pray also for a good snowfall this winter

ISRAELI FRIENDS - John 12:32 ................ But when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself.Smadar and Israel Levi, Shlomo and Yehudit Zayit, Mel and Gita Cornfield, Tami, Neeva, Uriah, Hanah Sherbo.Pray for the Lord to draw them unto Himself, to reveal His love, to appear to them, to remove the blindness from their eyes, to increase their curiosity about Messiah. Please continue to pray with us for these beloved friends.

NEW LEADER FOR ISRAEL/ELECTCIONS FEBRUARY 2009

The two main contenders for the office of Israel’s prime minister are Tzipi Livni (of the Kadima party founded by Ariel Sharon and presently led by Ehud Olmert) and Benjamin Netanyahu (of the longstanding Likud party). Mr. Netanyahu is the projected winner and candidate favored by most Israeli Jewish believers. Unlike Ms. Livni, he has a more cautious and biblical approach toward the concept of trading land-for-peace. He also embraces more traditional Zionist values, rendering him less likely to succumb to mounting international pressure toward enemy appeasement. Politically surrounding Mr. Netanyahu are the descendants of some of Israel’s most famed Zionist pioneers and leaders, such as Ze’ev Jabotinsky, Menacham Begin, and Moshe Dayan. It seems God may be mercifully raising up men who have inherited their fathers’ mantles to help steer Israel toward her prophetic destiny. Pray with us that the candidate whose heart is most malleable to the King’s will be elected prime minister at this critical time. When they [the Israelites] cried out to the Lord, he raised up for them a deliverer. (Judges 3:9; see also 3:15; 10:15-16, 21) Meanwhile, please pray that current Prime Minister Olmert’s plans to implement certain policies contrary to God’s heart and plans will be thwarted. Pray for the appointed shepherds that the Lord promised in Jeremiah 3 pray for the deception that if we give the Golan back it will bring peace, pray for a government that will have a righteous heart (Light of Zion , December 2008)

OUR IDF SOLDIERS -

Zechariah 9: ............... And raised up your sons of Zion....... The Lord God will save them on that day.......... they will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown.Many of the sons of Israel, are our young IDF soldiers, who are being trained for combat and war, and also for dangerous assignments in enemy territory. The reason why we can sleep at night here in Israel, eat in our restaurants and enjoy drinking coffee in our great cafes in safety,have peace about sending our kids off to school, kindergarten, work in our respective work places , is because of our 19, 20 and 21 year old soldiers in the IDF that patrol the borders of our nation and man checkpoints, 24/7, and go into enemy territory in the middle of the night, and do what they need to do, so that our enemy does not enter into our land and slaughter us. Their training and what they are called to do, demands tremendous courage and strength physically, mentally,phsycologically and emotionally .

In Zechariah 9 it talks about the sons of Israel being like jewels - When we go to buy a precious jewel, the most important thing we will look for will be the quality of that jewel. Well, that is how I see all our soldiers, like jewels. they have many excellent qualities Faithfulness, steadfastness, courage, sacrifice, endurance, commitment......... Please read, pray and personalise in prayer, Zechariah 9: 11-17 for our soldiers.They are worthy of our daily intercession - please, those of you who stand with us here in the land, declare the word of the Lord over them for great success and victory in all they do, pray for them personally to be strengthened, prepared and renewed physically, mentally and emotionally that they may mount up with wings like eagles, they will walk and not faint, they will run and not be weary. Intercessors for the Restoration of Israel Prayer Summit - 10-18 MAY, 2009.Proverbs 21:31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but deliverance comes from the Lord

I am still seeking the Lord for the theme of next years prayer summit. The God of Israel has always called upon one man and a remnant of people to stand in the gap on behalf of Israel. In the days of old, He called upon Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Habakkuk, Ezra and many others to intercede for His people and His nation, Israel. God heard and answered those intercessors as they stood in the gap and pleaded before the God of Israel to deliver, save, and redeem Israel from her enemies. We, Intercessors for the Restoration of Israel, and thousands of other intercessors around the world, are the God of Israel's intercessors for today. Deliverance for Israel is as crucial today as it was when Moses stood at the edge of the Red Sea, with nowhere to go, the ocean before him and the enemies of Israel banking up behind him. Would you consider prayerfully joining us in Israel in May, to stand firm on the promises of God and stretch out our rod (the word of the Lord,) and believe together for Him to deliver Israel once again .We are beginning to fill up our 50 only places for this prayer summit, so register soon if you know you are to be a part of this strategic time. You can email me at josie9@netvision.net.il or kiwi@netvision.net.il (in the next few weeks there will be flyer on my website with cost, and other pertinent details ) www.iri.out-of-zion.com

EMAILS - Over the last last 6 months, I have been experiencing some problems with my emails. There have been a number of emails I know I have not received and also a number of my email replies have not arrived. If you have written to me and I have not responded,you will now know why as I (and David) personally answer each email that we receive - hopefully it is going to get better, so keep on writing ! Thank you for your prayers for Judy and Eileen - please continue to pray for total recovery and healing.Abundant blessing love...........Josie.

TORAH PORTION FROM DEC 07 - 13, 2008

SINCE WHAT ISRAEL READS WILL BE FULFILLED IN THAT WEEK I WILL BE PUTTING THE WEEKLY TORAH PORTION ON FOR ALL OF US TO KEEP TRACK OF ISRAEL HAPPENINGS.

TORAH PORTION FROM DEC 07, 2008 6PM TO DEC 13,2008

GENESIS 32:3-36:43
3 And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.
4 And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:
5 And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.
6 And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him.
7 Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;
8 And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.
9 And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.
11 Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children.
12 And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.
13 And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
14 Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,
15 Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.
16 And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove.
17 And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee?
18 Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.
19 And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.
20 And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me.
21 So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company.
22 And he rose up that night, and took his two wives, and his two womenservants, and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.
23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had.
24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.
30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
31 And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he halted upon his thigh.
32 Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

GENESIS 33:1-20
1 And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.
2 And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.
3 And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.
4 And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.
5 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.
6 Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.
7 And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.
8 And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.
9 And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.
10 And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.
11 Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.
12 And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.
13 And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.
14 Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.
15 And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.
16 So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.
17 And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.
18 And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.
19 And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.
20 And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe–Israel.

GENESIS 34:1-31
1 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.
2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.
3 And his soul clave unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel, and spake kindly unto the damsel.
4 And Shechem spake unto his father Hamor, saying, Get me this damsel to wife.
5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.
6 And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.
7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.
8 And Hamor communed with them, saying, The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter: I pray you give her him to wife.
9 And make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.
10 And ye shall dwell with us: and the land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.
11 And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me I will give.
12 Ask me never so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me: but give me the damsel to wife.
13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:
14 And they said unto them, We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one that is uncircumcised; for that were a reproach unto us:
15 But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we be, that every male of you be circumcised;
16 Then will we give our daughters unto you, and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.
17 But if ye will not hearken unto us, to be circumcised; then will we take our daughter, and we will be gone.
18 And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem Hamor's son.
19 And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter: and he was more honourable than all the house of his father.
20 And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,
21 These men are peaceable with us; therefore let them dwell in the land, and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them; let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.
22 Only herein will the men consent unto us for to dwell with us, to be one people, if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.
23 Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us.
24 And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all that went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all that went out of the gate of his city.
25 And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males.
26 And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.
27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.
28 They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field,
29 And all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives took they captive, and spoiled even all that was in the house.
30 And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites: and I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house.
31 And they said, Should he deal with our sister as with an harlot?

GENESIS 35:1-29
1 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
2 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
3 And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
4 And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.
5 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.
6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him.
7 And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
8 But Deborah Rebekah's nurse died, and she was buried beneath Bethel under an oak: and the name of it was called Allonbachuth.
9 And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.
10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel.
11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;
12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land.
13 And God went up from him in the place where he talked with him.
14 And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he talked with him, even a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.
15 And Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel.
16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour.
17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also.
18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.
20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.
21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar.
22 And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve:
23 The sons of Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Zebulun:
24 The sons of Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin:
25 And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali:
26 And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob, which were born to him in Padanaram.
27 And Jacob came unto Isaac his father unto Mamre, unto the city of Arbah, which is Hebron, where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.
28 And the days of Isaac were an hundred and fourscore years.
29 And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

GENESIS 36:1-43
1 Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.
2 Esau took his wives of the daughters of Canaan; Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;
3 And Bashemath Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.
4 And Adah bare to Esau Eliphaz; and Bashemath bare Reuel;
5 And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these are the sons of Esau, which were born unto him in the land of Canaan.
6 And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.
7 For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.
8 Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.
9 And these are the generations of Esau the father of the Edomites in mount Seir:
10 These are the names of Esau's sons; Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Bashemath the wife of Esau.
11 And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.
12 And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz Esau's son; and she bare to Eliphaz Amalek: these were the sons of Adah Esau's wife.
13 And these are the sons of Reuel; Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah: these were the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.
14 And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife: and she bare to Esau Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.
15 These were dukes of the sons of Esau: the sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau; duke Teman, duke Omar, duke Zepho, duke Kenaz,
16 Duke Korah, duke Gatam, and duke Amalek: these are the dukes that came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah.
17 And these are the sons of Reuel Esau's son; duke Nahath, duke Zerah, duke Shammah, duke Mizzah: these are the dukes that came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Bashemath Esau's wife.
18 And these are the sons of Aholibamah Esau's wife; duke Jeush, duke Jaalam, duke Korah: these were the dukes that came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.
19 These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their dukes.
20 These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land; Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah,
21 And Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan: these are the dukes of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.
22 And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna.
23 And the children of Shobal were these; Alvan, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shepho, and Onam.
24 And these are the children of Zibeon; both Ajah, and Anah: this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.
25 And the children of Anah were these; Dishon, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.
26 And these are the children of Dishon; Hemdan, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.
27 The children of Ezer are these; Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Akan.
28 The children of Dishan are these; Uz, and Aran.
29 These are the dukes that came of the Horites; duke Lotan, duke Shobal, duke Zibeon, duke Anah,
30 Duke Dishon, duke Ezer, duke Dishan: these are the dukes that came of Hori, among their dukes in the land of Seir.
31 And these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.
32 And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom: and the name of his city was Dinhabah.
33 And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.
34 And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of Temani reigned in his stead.
35 And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Avith.
36 And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.
37 And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.
38 And Saul died, and Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.
39 And Baalhanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.
40 And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth,
41 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon,
42 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar,
43 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these be the dukes of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession: he is Esau the father of the Edomites.

PROPHETS PORTION

HOSEA 11:7-12:12
7 And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.
8 How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.
9 I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.
10 They shall walk after the LORD: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west.
11 They shall tremble as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria: and I will place them in their houses, saith the LORD.
12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit: but Judah yet ruleth with God, and is faithful with the saints.

HOSEA 12:1-12
1 Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily increaseth lies and desolation; and they do make a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt.
2 The LORD hath also a controversy with Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways; according to his doings will he recompense him.
3 He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God:
4 Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake with us;
5 Even the LORD God of hosts; the LORD is his memorial.
6 Therefore turn thou to thy God: keep mercy and judgment, and wait on thy God continually.
7 He is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand: he loveth to oppress.
8 And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin.
9 And I that am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt will yet make thee to dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of the solemn feast.
10 I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets.
11 Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrifice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the fields.
12 And Jacob fled into the country of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep.

OBADIAH 1-21
1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumour from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us rise up against her in battle.
2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.
5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?
6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!
7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee, and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee: there is none understanding in him.
8 Shall I not in that day, saith the LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount of Esau?
9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.
10 For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.
11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them.
12 But thou shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the day of distress.
13 Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity;
14 Neither shouldest thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress.
15 For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.
16 For as ye have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been.
17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.
18 And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.
19 And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
20 And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.
21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD’S.

NEW TESTAMENT PORTION

1 CORINTHIANS 5:1-13
1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife.
2 And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.
3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:
10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.

REVELATION 7:1-12
1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.
11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.