Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert paid tribute to his predecessor Ariel Sharon today, marking two years since the time the former Prime Minister slipped into a coma. On the 18th of December, 2005, Ariel Sharon was rushed to hospital by his son after he complained of feeling unwell. The hospital reported that the 77 year old had suffered a minor stroke. They announced that the Prime Minister needed to undergo surgery to repair a hole in his heart, but despite this he was in a stable condition. He was later released from hospital after making a slight recovery, only to be rushed back in a few weeks later suffering from a massive brain hemorrhage. Some reports suggested that the hospital had given Sharon the wrong type of medication, and this may have caused the situation to grow worse. Sharon was rushed back into hospital 24 hours later after it was discovered the previous operation had failed to stem the bleeding. This time the hospital report stated that Sharon had suffered extensive damage to the right side of his brain, and that his left side may be paralyzed and his speech may be slurred. Doctors were unable to awaken Sharon from his medically induced coma, which was meant to prevent more serious damage being done to his brain. The Israeli government later declared Ariel Sharon permanently incapacitated, paving the way for his Vice Premier Ehud Olmert to take the reigns of power. In August of 2005, Sharon's condition worsened, and doctors announced he had contracted double pneumonia. The condition of his brain had regressed again, and an infection was discovered in his blood. He later recuperated, and remains under supervision at the Tel Aviv rehabilitation centre.

Quote: ""I am nostalgic for the long hours that we passed together, for the sound of his voice, for his humour," Olmert wrote in the tribute published in the mass-selling Yediot Aharonot newspaper. "I hope with all my heart that a day will come when he will open his eyes again and return to be among us." In a separate statement published by the tabloid Maariv, Olmert wrote: "I am sure that he would tell me if he could from the place where he is today: follow your path with faith and lead the people of Israel."

Sharon's stroke occurred just a few months after Israel's disengagement from the Gaza Strip, which was portrayed by Sharon as a unilateral move aimed at improving Israel's security situation. Sharon's stroke was widely perceived by both Christians and Jews to be a judgement from God for dividing His land (Joel 3:2). US broadcaster Pat Robertson was criticized for voicing his opinion on the matter, and was later forced to apologize for his remarks. That contrasted with US President Bill Clinton, who said, "it's almost as if God were testing them one more time to rise again, to keep on [striving for peace]". But you won't find that view supported by Scripture. Those who study their Bibles know that this coming peace will herald the arrival of the Antichrist, who will divide the land of Israel for his own gain (Daniel 11:39). Sharon's present condition seems to have prophetic significance, especially in relation to the disengagement from Gaza.

Isaiah 29:1-4, 9-10, 16
Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices. Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel. And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust... Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink. For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered... Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding? 

Yitzchak Kaduri was a Kabbalist Rabbi who had some sort of revelation of the Jewish Messiah. In 1990 Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson met Kaduri and told him that he would live to see the coming of the Messiah. Kaduri died in January 2006, but he claimed that in November 2003, he had personally met Mashiach. He wrote His name on a piece of paper and put it inside an envelope, with the express instructions that it not be opened until one year after his death. On the note was written, "Concerning the letter abbreviation of the Messiah's name, He will lift the people and prove that his word and law are valid. This I have signed in the month of mercy". The phrase in Hebrew has only six words, and abbreviated, the words spell out the name of Yeshua. Yitzchak Kaduri also made several predictions during his lifetime. He once urged that all Jews return to the land of Israel so as to escape the judgements that were coming on the nations. He also claimed that the Messiah would not come until Sharon died. This Arutz 7 article about Kaduri also mentions how the Messiah will come to Israel...

Quote: "Rabbi Eliyahu emphasized that G-d has complete control of nature, and that the Jewish People live "amidst great faith, despite questions that remain open. No question mark can break our strength of great and perfect faith in G-d... This does not prevent us from asking and searching for answers and [logical] explanations, but it all takes place on the solid ground of great faith in G-d... The Bible (Zechariah 14) mentions that in the future, when the Messiah comes, the Mt. of Olives will be split in two... The Messiah can come at any minute, even as you read these lines..."

Thus the New Testament confirms that Yeshua is the true Messiah, for as the disciples watched His ascension into heaven from the Mount of Olives, the angels that stood by said, "this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven", Acts 1:11. At the end of the tribulation period, as the nations of the world gather together to do battle against Jerusalem, the Jewish nation will finally recognize Yeshua as their Messiah when He descends upon Mount Olivet. The question is, is He your Messiah? Isaiah 53 also mentions the Messiah's atoning death on the cross at Calvary. He bled and died to take away your sins. Trust in Him for salvation today.

Source AFP, Arutz 7, Free Republic, WorldNetDaily, Arutz 7

That phrase will adorn billboards across Jerusalem in preparation for President Bush's visit to Israel within the coming days. At the bottom of the poster are the words, "God gave Israel to the Jews". It is intended to be a timely reminder to a US President who has called for the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza, Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem before the end of his term in office. The campaign is being organized by a Jewish group called Am K'Lavee. They believe that the Israeli government has made a mistake in basing the argument for Israel's settlement of Judea and Samaria on purely militaristic and Zionistic reasons, and instead think the claim should be based solely on Scripture which states that the land was given to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob for an eternal possession (Genesis 17:8). Ironically it is unbelieving Jews who are reminding a believing President of what his Bible says.

Quote: ""The Biblical claim of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel was recognized by the British in the Balfour Declaration of 1917, which called for the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine," Fishman states. "The British believed in the Bible and what was written in it, and that was what guided Lord Balfour in winning the support of the British Parliament. "America also believes in the Bible," Fishman says, "and therefore, it is totally unreasonable that America and its God-fearing President should act against the Bible, the pillar of Christian belief." Through the poster, Fishman is embarking to remind President Bush that God's plan for the world supersedes his plan.

Tzvi Fishman is calling on all Bible lovers to unite and join the battle to save Jerusalem. Fishman says its not just about stopping the division of God's land, but also preserving the right to freedom of worship for all religions in the Holy Land. He hopes that his poster will not only be spread across Jerusalem but also the internet, and that if enough people say no to the Roadmap to Peace, they can stop the division of the land and prevent the region from becoming a haven for Islamic terrorism. In light of Biblical prophecy I don't think we can prevent the division of God's land, but I do think we ought to pray for the Jewish people that they would come to know their Messiah Yeshua, and that God would accomplish His will in the Middle East. And I think we should stand up for the Jewish people and support their claim to the land of Israel, which is in accordance with God's Word. 

I don't know whether President Bush is a Christian or not, the Lord knows. But I think that is quite a testimony to have with unbelievers, that he believes in the Bible. And likewise for America. This should be a reminder to us that we are constantly being watched by the world to see if we are living up to what we claim to believe. Paul states in Romans 11:11 that believing Christians, through their relationship with Yeshua, should be provoking the Jewish people to jealousy of their Messiah. Imagine the influence the Church would have in this world if we just lived our lives according to what we believe. The Lord said in John 13:35, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another". Perhaps for President Bush and America, that testimony may be undeserved. Remember the Church of Sardis in the book of Revelation, which had a name that it lived but it was dead (Revelation 3:1). Let our testimony not be in name only but may we live out what we believe, and hopefully through God's help, many people will come to know the Saviour.

Source Arutz 7

Christian, Jewish and Islamic leaders have called for leadership from the United States of America in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams met today to further progress on talks aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in Judea, Samaria and east Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has apparently guaranteed that Israel would discontinue development in east Jerusalem, after coming under pressure from the United States and the Quartet (EU, US, UN, Russia). This latest call from religious organizations for a resolution to the Middle East conflict is just one of many made over the past year. It follows a similar call from the Lutheran Church earlier this month, and a letter from the major "Evangelical" denominations in July. Today's statement was made by NILI - the National Interreligious Leadership Initiative.

Quote: ""On principles for resolving final status issues, including borders, security, settlements, refugees, and Jerusalem, NILI is urging the Administration to support benchmark ideas developed by Israelis and Palestinians in official and unofficial negotiations over many years, and reflected in the Geneva Accord," read an NILI statement released Wednesday. "Public opinion polls report majority support among Israelis and Palestinians for a peace agreement along these lines." 

It's not the first time the NILI group have called for action in the Middle East. They made a similar call in December of last year. NILI group members include all the major apostate denominations in the United States. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (who have blasphemed the character of God and hate Israel); the Episcopal Church (who condone sexual immorality, deny salvation through Christ alone, and have blasphemed the character of God); the Presbyterian Church USA (who condone sexual immorality, drug abuse and hate Israel); the National Council of Churches USA (who have publicly praised Iranian President Ahmadinejad); and Christianity Today (who hate Israel). As we can see, when the Antichrist steps onto the scene offering peace in the Middle East it will be a natural thing for the "harlot church" to rally behind him, for the world is already drunk with the issue of peace in the Middle East. Today, largely thanks to advent of satellite television, much of Christendom is also drunk on the "signs and wonders" movement, and when the false prophet comes on the scene working his "lying wonders" (2nd Thessalonians 2:9), no questions will be asked. They will rally behind this man, and condemn all those who are against this "move of God". This has already happened with the "Word of Faith" movement. Benny Hinn has on several occasions cursed all those who come against his organization in the name of truth. These organizations have twisted the Scriptures in order to support their erroneous doctrines. But praise God we know the truth, and as Jesus Christ said to Satan all those years ago, our answer must be the same - "for it is written", Matthew 4:10. God has given us an answer for everything in His Word, and Satan is powerless against it. As we can see, the world is fast approaching the time of Jacob's trouble, and the harlot church follows in its wake. We do not run with the world, the Lord has better things planned for us. Even so come, Lord Jesus.

1st Thessalonians 5:6-11
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Source United Press International, Christian Post

Just a day following the Annapolis peace conference, Fatah television broadcast a commercial showing a map of the Middle East without the state of Israel. The Jewish state was replaced by a Palestinian flag, with the words "Palestine 2007" emblazoned in the centre. Now the Palestinian Authority is at it again. This time Fatah have created a poster for the party's 43rd anniversary, which displays a map of "Palestine" with no state of Israel. The entire region is covered in the pattern of Yasser Arafat's head-scarf, which has become a status symbol used by both neo-Nazis and Arabs to display their hatred of the Jewish people. An image of an AK-47 runs the length of the Jordan river, proving that President Abbas' Fatah party has not given up the armed struggle against Israel and will not recognize its right to exist. The Palestinian Liberation Organization has recognized Israel's right to exist, of which Fatah is a member. But neither Fatah nor Hamas have ever recognized Israel's right to exist. Indeed, Fatah members have stated that the PLO's recognition of Israel's right to exist is simply a tactical step to bring the "the resistance and the revolution closer to the lands of Palestine".

Fatah's refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist and its continued glorification of martyrdom against the Jews makes a mockery of this whole peace process. Today Israel is blamed for undermining peace efforts through building houses on its own Biblical "birthright", while Palestinian leaders who incite their people to murder are welcomed with open arms by the international community. The same was true during the time of Nehemiah. Following the end of the Babylonian captivity, the Jewish people sought to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. But they were viciously opposed by their Arab neighbours. 

Nehemiah 2:10
When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

Jeremiah prophesied that following the Babylonian invasion, God would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem (Daniel 9:2), to allow the land to enjoy its Sabbaths (Leviticus 26:33-35). When Daniel understood that the time of Israel's restoration to the land was near, he set about confessing his own sin and the sin of his people. As a result of that prayer, God sent an angel to Daniel to give him understanding concerning the future of the nation of Israel. Even while Jerusalem lay in ruins, the angel told Daniel that the city must be rebuilt and destroyed yet again. 69 weeks of Daniel's prophecy have run their course. The Messiah was "cut off" and the "city and sanctuary" were destroyed by the Roman armies in 70AD (Daniel 9:26). Daniel's 70th week states that the "prince that shall come" will defile a future sanctuary and abolish a sacrificial system. Today Israel is once again in possession of Jerusalem, and is seeking to rebuild the Jewish Temple. How close are we to the commencement of Daniel's 70th week? I don't know for sure. I don't think we are in it at present. But we ought to be like Daniel, and to start preparing for the event that we are very close to it. While we haven't been given a specific date as Daniel had, we do have many indications that Christ would return after 2000 years have run their course (Hosea 6:2). Are you ready to meet Him? Trust in Jesus Christ for salvation today.

Romans 13:11-12
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Source Jerusalem Post, Paleo Lithics