George Offerman
We literally could be seeing the last pieces of pre Revelation groundwork being laid right before our eyes, and if true, will prove to be no small matter. I am very aware that many pro lifers come to this site to read pro life news, and want to only read that. As I have mentioned on too many occasions, the shedding of innocent blood is the DIRECT CAUSE of the majority of our problems, and to disconnect these events is not only foolish, but really anti God and denial of causal/effect relationships. God does not operate in a vacuum, and does not make any move without cause. If we don’t take the time to study the times we are in, and to understand the relationship of actions to events, then why do we waste any time worrying about the “elimination of unwanted tissue” as the pro deathers put it?
As I have told countless people, I believe legalized child killing has one purpose for the evil one; and that is the elimination of the 144,000. If this number is changed, the prophecy cannot happen, and thus Satan cannot be cast into the lake of fire at the end of time. Do you think He is not aware of that? Without getting into the whole eschatological reasoning (which would take about 50 pages), the next event on the timeline horizon concerning Revelation is the sealing of the 144,000 and the ‘focused prayers’ by the saints to heaven prior to the casting down of the censer, which ultimately starts the great clock of Revelation.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
Rev. 8:2-6
As it is now, our needs are many, and the ‘saints’ of God pray for numerous things and causes. The opening of Revelation indicates the prayers are focused, and mankind appears to be praying in unity for the same thing. What could that be? One possibility, and many expositors have agreed on this point, could be a limited nuclear war. As we know, Iran is attempting to build nuclear weapons, and their president Ahmadinejad has made the claim that he believes he is the one to usher in the 12th Mahdi who would then rule the world for 7 years and usher in a time of world peace. This guy in Iran may be onto something, plus he may very well have the means to pull off an event that really could usher in a world crisis.
A unified Middle East under Islamic law and having nuclear weapons would be a very dangerous combination and could possibly set off a limited nuclear war with Israel. So while the world sits on the precipice of war, God intervenes with judgments that would make any exchange of nuclear weapons pale in comparison. An event like this would be grounds for the saints praying for the same cause: that of peace. The threat of nuclear war definitely will hold the world’s attention, and be the foremost event for everyone. Very few would expect direct intervention by God, and even fewer would believe the method of intervention once it occurs.
That is why when people talk about the trumpets being fulfilled, or that Revelation has already started, they really have no clue as to the magnitude and the turbulence that will occur in that very small window of time. Revelation has not started, but it looks like it may be very close to commencing. When it does, there will be NO MISTAKING IT. There will be no way to misinterpret it. There will only be great consternation that few saw it coming, and the complacent and lukewarm churches will then be falling all over themselves to ‘explain’ it when they have no clue about it.
We need to be vigilant. We need to be urgent in our manner of handling ourselves and in preparation for the times we live in. To ignore what seems to be so obvious is definitely at one’s own peril, and there will be no excuse of one does any due diligence in studying these matters, and then does not act on this knowledge. The warning signs are everywhere and life as we know it will not return to the ‘good ol days’ as we have been used to and expect. These are new times and our hour of trial is most likely upon us.
This video appeared on the Worldnetdaily.com site yesterday and it gave me the chills. The funny thing is that I started writing this post last Friday, and due to illness, did not complete it until today. I don’t know what to think of it, but studies of Revelation state the opening of the fourth seal precedes the start of Revelation. For your discernment.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.printable&pageId=260049
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Monday, February 7, 2011
Thursday, October 7, 2010
HERMENEUTICS 101: JACOB AND JOSEPH
George Offerman
The story of Jacob and Joseph is very fascinating; in the sense it is one of the few that has a father and son combination that has eschatological ramifications that continue to play out today (and in the times of Revelation). Jacob, known as the trickster, eventually becomes the father of Israel and the twelve tribes, and Joseph models devotion and loyalty, foreshadowing the Christ, and eventually becomes one of the best administrators the world has ever seen.
Jacob was born the second of the twins, and was grasping Esau’s heel upon birth. This was a sign that began the fulfillment of God’s prophecy that the two represented two distinct nations, and would be divided. Jacob then went on to steal Esau’s birthright as well as blessing, and ultimately had to flee into the desert and to his Uncle Laban’s
While serving his uncle Laban, Jacob himself was tricked twice and ultimately had to flee from Laban after the Lord Blessed Jacob with large and strong flocks, leaving Laban’s weak and smaller.
We can see in this story, the law of sowing and reaping, in that Jacob deceived his older brother by initially bribing him with stew to get his birthright, and then deceiving his blind father Isaac with a meal to obtain Esau’s blessing. Jacob then reaps when deceived by Laban, and then has to go back to his own land and face Esau. Jacob is then tricked by his own children when they deceive him by making claims that Joseph was killed by a wild animal, when he was actually sold into slavery. Given that Jacob is seen as one of the ‘big three’ by God, when God introduces himself to those later on, Jacob nonetheless, still dealt with the consequences of his sinful behavior, and had like events happen to him.
Jacob redeems himself by repairing the damaged relationships by being humble, and ultimately struggles with an angel/Lord and requests a blessing from this being, which he gets. Jacob’s name is then changed to Israel, and he then becomes the father to the nation of Israel, with his twelve children representing the twelve tribes. Joseph is one of those sons, and his story has reflections of the coming Messiah in it.
Joseph was the older of two sons born to Rachel, the younger of the two sisters Jacob married. Joseph was favored over the other sons and this caused jealousy among them. Joseph also had two dreams, in which his brothers were ultimately going to bow down before him, and he would have authority over them. The brothers conspired to kill Joseph, but instead sold Joseph into slavery for pieces of silver. Up to this time, Joseph had done no wrong, but was envied by his brothers due to blessings given to him, and having much of his father’s attention.
Even in captivity, Joseph stayed true to his understandings and belief in God. God rewarded this by blessing Joseph abundantly, and Joseph was greatly liked and respected by those who had a chance to know him. Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife chose to pursue Joseph sexually, and ultimately accused Joseph of raping her when he did everything humanly possible to avoid offending God and committing sexual sins with her. Joseph ended up in jail for over ten years as an innocent man, and did not find bitterness or resentment in his heart. This models the longsuffering of the Christ, and how he did not complain or allow his circumstances to dictate his love for the truth.
Joseph continued to have dreams, and was able to interpret the dreams of the two men in Pharaoh’s court. Despite saving the one, this man ‘forgot’ about Joseph for another two years. Upon the time of pharaoh’s dreams pertaining to the seven years of good and seven years of famine, no one but Joseph was able to interpret them, and as a result, Joseph was elevated to the second in command of all of Egypt, which at the time was the world power. God was able to use an evil act of brothers selling their brother into slavery, to having his will accomplished by giving the second most powerful position in the world (at that time) to a ‘foreigner’ and former slave. This has shades of the coming messiah, coming in the form of a slave, but ultimately demonstrating that he is the king of kings and lord of lords to all righteous men.
Joseph’s brothers did not recognize Joseph upon entering the city to buy grain, but Joseph recognized them. The story of josephs revelation is too long to duplicate here, but the points that re relevant are the dreams came true, the family did bow to Joseph, and that God’s promise to Joseph and Joseph’s fidelity to God was rewarded in ways that Joseph could not have imagined. Joseph also could not have become the number two man in the world, had he not been sold into slavery. So, even with the evil intentions of the brothers, God made his will happen, even though many of the circumstances could have resulted in Joseph giving up, becoming angry and resentful, and taking on a victim’s role.
The story of Jacob and Joseph show how those who are close to God still ‘mess things up’ and God is always ready to forgive and make right what was wrong. However, the consequences of bad behavior are also paid, and need to be dealt with. This God, who is unchanging, continues to act in a consistent manner, even though we in this modern world like to believe we know better, and have control over our circumstances. Very few show the tenacity either of these men had, and therefore, we are very lost sheep in very dark times. These stories give us hope that God will not abandon us at our critical hour, and that all matters, regardless of circumstances, can be made good by the grace of God.
The story of Jacob and Joseph is very fascinating; in the sense it is one of the few that has a father and son combination that has eschatological ramifications that continue to play out today (and in the times of Revelation). Jacob, known as the trickster, eventually becomes the father of Israel and the twelve tribes, and Joseph models devotion and loyalty, foreshadowing the Christ, and eventually becomes one of the best administrators the world has ever seen.
Jacob was born the second of the twins, and was grasping Esau’s heel upon birth. This was a sign that began the fulfillment of God’s prophecy that the two represented two distinct nations, and would be divided. Jacob then went on to steal Esau’s birthright as well as blessing, and ultimately had to flee into the desert and to his Uncle Laban’s
While serving his uncle Laban, Jacob himself was tricked twice and ultimately had to flee from Laban after the Lord Blessed Jacob with large and strong flocks, leaving Laban’s weak and smaller.
We can see in this story, the law of sowing and reaping, in that Jacob deceived his older brother by initially bribing him with stew to get his birthright, and then deceiving his blind father Isaac with a meal to obtain Esau’s blessing. Jacob then reaps when deceived by Laban, and then has to go back to his own land and face Esau. Jacob is then tricked by his own children when they deceive him by making claims that Joseph was killed by a wild animal, when he was actually sold into slavery. Given that Jacob is seen as one of the ‘big three’ by God, when God introduces himself to those later on, Jacob nonetheless, still dealt with the consequences of his sinful behavior, and had like events happen to him.
Jacob redeems himself by repairing the damaged relationships by being humble, and ultimately struggles with an angel/Lord and requests a blessing from this being, which he gets. Jacob’s name is then changed to Israel, and he then becomes the father to the nation of Israel, with his twelve children representing the twelve tribes. Joseph is one of those sons, and his story has reflections of the coming Messiah in it.
Joseph was the older of two sons born to Rachel, the younger of the two sisters Jacob married. Joseph was favored over the other sons and this caused jealousy among them. Joseph also had two dreams, in which his brothers were ultimately going to bow down before him, and he would have authority over them. The brothers conspired to kill Joseph, but instead sold Joseph into slavery for pieces of silver. Up to this time, Joseph had done no wrong, but was envied by his brothers due to blessings given to him, and having much of his father’s attention.
Even in captivity, Joseph stayed true to his understandings and belief in God. God rewarded this by blessing Joseph abundantly, and Joseph was greatly liked and respected by those who had a chance to know him. Unfortunately, Potiphar’s wife chose to pursue Joseph sexually, and ultimately accused Joseph of raping her when he did everything humanly possible to avoid offending God and committing sexual sins with her. Joseph ended up in jail for over ten years as an innocent man, and did not find bitterness or resentment in his heart. This models the longsuffering of the Christ, and how he did not complain or allow his circumstances to dictate his love for the truth.
Joseph continued to have dreams, and was able to interpret the dreams of the two men in Pharaoh’s court. Despite saving the one, this man ‘forgot’ about Joseph for another two years. Upon the time of pharaoh’s dreams pertaining to the seven years of good and seven years of famine, no one but Joseph was able to interpret them, and as a result, Joseph was elevated to the second in command of all of Egypt, which at the time was the world power. God was able to use an evil act of brothers selling their brother into slavery, to having his will accomplished by giving the second most powerful position in the world (at that time) to a ‘foreigner’ and former slave. This has shades of the coming messiah, coming in the form of a slave, but ultimately demonstrating that he is the king of kings and lord of lords to all righteous men.
Joseph’s brothers did not recognize Joseph upon entering the city to buy grain, but Joseph recognized them. The story of josephs revelation is too long to duplicate here, but the points that re relevant are the dreams came true, the family did bow to Joseph, and that God’s promise to Joseph and Joseph’s fidelity to God was rewarded in ways that Joseph could not have imagined. Joseph also could not have become the number two man in the world, had he not been sold into slavery. So, even with the evil intentions of the brothers, God made his will happen, even though many of the circumstances could have resulted in Joseph giving up, becoming angry and resentful, and taking on a victim’s role.
The story of Jacob and Joseph show how those who are close to God still ‘mess things up’ and God is always ready to forgive and make right what was wrong. However, the consequences of bad behavior are also paid, and need to be dealt with. This God, who is unchanging, continues to act in a consistent manner, even though we in this modern world like to believe we know better, and have control over our circumstances. Very few show the tenacity either of these men had, and therefore, we are very lost sheep in very dark times. These stories give us hope that God will not abandon us at our critical hour, and that all matters, regardless of circumstances, can be made good by the grace of God.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
CHALLENGING THE RELIGION OF PEACE AT GROUND ZERO
George Offerman
(The hermeneutics piece will appear tomorrow).
I was with the warriors who will be at ground zero in New York tomorrow, for their prophetic witness, challenging the RELIGION OF PEACE to demonstrate they are the RELIGION OF PEACE. If the RELIGION OF PEACE is truly what it claims to be, the Imam who wants to build a mosque near ground Zero will take up Randall Terry’s challenge and denounce Hamas, renounce all violence against Christians and Jews world wide, and to condemn the death threats made against Mr. Terry and others who have stood up and protested the RELIGION OF PEACE violence towards those who disagree with them.
There are those who want to placate the religion of peace, and have verbalized many concerns about the potential for ‘violence’ when making any statements or challenges of those who hold onto these practices. It is very Ironic that this Imam can have the audacity to make a veiled threat to Obama and this country pertaining to the possibility of moving the location of the proposed Mosque, then turn around and state he is for the freedoms of this country, and supposedly loves it. Then, Mr. Imam, declare publicly, you believe that in this country, the first amendment takes precedence over Sharia law, and grants all American citizens GOD GIVEN rights.
Mr. Terry has sent emails, letters and phone calls to this Imam, and they have gone unanswered. What harm would come, if this Imam believes his own rhetoric pertaining to ‘tolerance’ and wanting ‘peace’ if he will not renounce the violence of many in the RELIGION OF PEACE, and insist upon building a Mosque on grounds that were destroyed by fellow travelers of the RELIGION OF PEACE? This Imam, like many from the RELIGION OF PEACE want it both ways: to have their way imposed on non Muslims, while simultaneously pretending to be ‘tolerant of differing belief systems and for those who do not believe in their way of life. It is a scam, and there is no better word for it.
The Insurrecta Nex team is risking much for the sake of engaging the majority in this country to look at this RELIGION OF PEACE and is openly challenging those in the RELIGION OF PEACE to back up their words with deeds. Those in the RELIGION OF PEACE so far, have responded with threats against these people, and have taken their anger out on other Christians in other nations. Not only does this show great intolerance, and violence, that antithesis of peace, but cowardice. They do not at all want peace, nor do they want to ‘tolerate’ any political system other than Sharia. (Ask those in Minnesota) Everything else they may claim is a bald faced lie.
If these people truly represent a RELIGION OF PEACE they would immediately denounce all death threats against anyone disagreeing with their ways. They would immediately denounce Hamas and any in the RELIGION OF PEACE that openly advocates the destruction of Israel. They would immediately denounce violence against Jews and Christians, and they would denounce the cowardly suicide/homicide bombers that plague this world. The RELIGION OF PEACE would be very aware of their tainted and violent reputation, and would clean up their act immediately, so as to insure others would actually take their claims of being a RELIGION OF PEACE seriously.
So, let the denouncing begin. Let’s see if these people are serious, and see if they have the ability or tolerance to act as they claim to believe. Let’s see if they rid themselves of the violence and intolerance of many of their believers and governments advocate as the ‘law of their land’. Let’s see if they come onto our land and attempt to ‘terrorize’ us into compliance with their intolerant ways. I don’t believe they will, and they very well may target these brave men showing up at Ground Zero. It will only prove they are lead by a master, hell bent on destruction.
(The hermeneutics piece will appear tomorrow).
I was with the warriors who will be at ground zero in New York tomorrow, for their prophetic witness, challenging the RELIGION OF PEACE to demonstrate they are the RELIGION OF PEACE. If the RELIGION OF PEACE is truly what it claims to be, the Imam who wants to build a mosque near ground Zero will take up Randall Terry’s challenge and denounce Hamas, renounce all violence against Christians and Jews world wide, and to condemn the death threats made against Mr. Terry and others who have stood up and protested the RELIGION OF PEACE violence towards those who disagree with them.
There are those who want to placate the religion of peace, and have verbalized many concerns about the potential for ‘violence’ when making any statements or challenges of those who hold onto these practices. It is very Ironic that this Imam can have the audacity to make a veiled threat to Obama and this country pertaining to the possibility of moving the location of the proposed Mosque, then turn around and state he is for the freedoms of this country, and supposedly loves it. Then, Mr. Imam, declare publicly, you believe that in this country, the first amendment takes precedence over Sharia law, and grants all American citizens GOD GIVEN rights.
Mr. Terry has sent emails, letters and phone calls to this Imam, and they have gone unanswered. What harm would come, if this Imam believes his own rhetoric pertaining to ‘tolerance’ and wanting ‘peace’ if he will not renounce the violence of many in the RELIGION OF PEACE, and insist upon building a Mosque on grounds that were destroyed by fellow travelers of the RELIGION OF PEACE? This Imam, like many from the RELIGION OF PEACE want it both ways: to have their way imposed on non Muslims, while simultaneously pretending to be ‘tolerant of differing belief systems and for those who do not believe in their way of life. It is a scam, and there is no better word for it.
The Insurrecta Nex team is risking much for the sake of engaging the majority in this country to look at this RELIGION OF PEACE and is openly challenging those in the RELIGION OF PEACE to back up their words with deeds. Those in the RELIGION OF PEACE so far, have responded with threats against these people, and have taken their anger out on other Christians in other nations. Not only does this show great intolerance, and violence, that antithesis of peace, but cowardice. They do not at all want peace, nor do they want to ‘tolerate’ any political system other than Sharia. (Ask those in Minnesota) Everything else they may claim is a bald faced lie.
If these people truly represent a RELIGION OF PEACE they would immediately denounce all death threats against anyone disagreeing with their ways. They would immediately denounce Hamas and any in the RELIGION OF PEACE that openly advocates the destruction of Israel. They would immediately denounce violence against Jews and Christians, and they would denounce the cowardly suicide/homicide bombers that plague this world. The RELIGION OF PEACE would be very aware of their tainted and violent reputation, and would clean up their act immediately, so as to insure others would actually take their claims of being a RELIGION OF PEACE seriously.
So, let the denouncing begin. Let’s see if these people are serious, and see if they have the ability or tolerance to act as they claim to believe. Let’s see if they rid themselves of the violence and intolerance of many of their believers and governments advocate as the ‘law of their land’. Let’s see if they come onto our land and attempt to ‘terrorize’ us into compliance with their intolerant ways. I don’t believe they will, and they very well may target these brave men showing up at Ground Zero. It will only prove they are lead by a master, hell bent on destruction.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
HERMENEUTICS 101: ABRAHAM'S PROMISE
George Offerman
This particular posting goes into the promises, and predictions made by God to Abraham. In it, you will note the accuracy and exactness of the fulfillment, and how the dynamics between the two ‘half brothers’ is still in existence to this day. It also demonstrates how God keeps his word, no matter what interference man throws into the mix. It also demonstrates the exactness of consequences an individual or group will pay when ‘meddling’ with God’s prophecy.
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those that bless you, and him who curses you I will curse: and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves” Genesis 12:1-3
For all the land which you would see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your descendants also can be counted. Genesis 13:15-17
And he brought him outside and said, “Look towards heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be” Genesis 15:5
Three times God made a promise to Abram concerning the future nation of Israel, and each time God made the promise, He used allegories that Abraham would not mistake or misinterpret, and after the third promise, scripture points out that Abram believed this despite having no offspring for himself, and being advanced in age. But due to some mischief from Sarai, with Abram’s cooperation, these plans took a detour, and this misadventure by Abram and Sarai has caused trouble from that day on, and continues to this day.
Sarai’s ‘indecent proposal”
Now, Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; and Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children” go into my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her” And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. Genesis 16:1-2
Scripture refers to the timeframe in which God made a promise to Abram was about 10 years, and Abram and Sarai took it upon themselves to ‘fulfill’ the prophecy given to them by God. However, this had very large and unintended consequences for the future nation of Israel. The intended son, who was to fulfill this prophecy, although not born, and despite the ‘forced’ effort to fulfill God’s prophecy by his parents (similar to today) now would have to contend with God’s promise to make Abram’s descendants as ‘numerous with the stars’ with an illegitimate heir. It was God’s intention of keeping this promise to Abram’s “God given” son, but God kept his promise to multiply ALL of Abram’s descendants, thus causing future problems for all involved.
We pick up after Hagar fled to the desert out of fear of Saria:
The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And He said “Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai. The angel of the Lord said to her “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel of the Lord also told her I will so greatly multiply your descendants that they cannot be numbered for multitude”. And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are with child and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ishmael; because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. He shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen”. Genesis 16:7-12
Ishmael, the illegitimate son of Abram and Hagar, was still entitled to the promise God made to Abram, but it ended up becoming a thorn in the side of the future nation of Israel. God demonstrated through this series of scriptures that He will keep his word, no matter how much interference is run by man’s way of thinking and acting. It also demonstrates what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into when we try to do God’s thinking for him. Scripture is rife with the struggle between these two half siblings and their offspring, and it fulfills passages in scripture, as well as Biblical principles that God keeps his promises.
The descendants of Ishmael eventually inhabited the majority of the Middle East, where they continue to live to this day. They are known as the Arabs, and their religious system is Islam. In considering the series of verses, this prophecy has been fulfilled in totality, as history has confirmed the constant infighting between these two clans. It is of no surprise that many in Islam want to see the total destruction of the Jewish nation and peoples, as they see them as the ‘illegitimate’ son of their father Abraham. As we can see, the struggle between the Jewish nation and Islam has been prophesized and fulfilled in scripture. This struggle will continue until the time of the Anti-Christ, and peace is not possible. We can see this through all the efforts put into the peace process, and it has been written that it will not occur.
The lessons to be gleaned from the likes of Abraham, considered one of the great fathers of the faith is, that no one is ‘above the law’ concerning God and His will. No matter what our perceived status may be, we are subject to His Holy will, and nothing we do can change the mind of God, who knows the beginning from the end.
This particular posting goes into the promises, and predictions made by God to Abraham. In it, you will note the accuracy and exactness of the fulfillment, and how the dynamics between the two ‘half brothers’ is still in existence to this day. It also demonstrates how God keeps his word, no matter what interference man throws into the mix. It also demonstrates the exactness of consequences an individual or group will pay when ‘meddling’ with God’s prophecy.
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those that bless you, and him who curses you I will curse: and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves” Genesis 12:1-3
For all the land which you would see I will give to you and to your descendants for ever. I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your descendants also can be counted. Genesis 13:15-17
And he brought him outside and said, “Look towards heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be” Genesis 15:5
Three times God made a promise to Abram concerning the future nation of Israel, and each time God made the promise, He used allegories that Abraham would not mistake or misinterpret, and after the third promise, scripture points out that Abram believed this despite having no offspring for himself, and being advanced in age. But due to some mischief from Sarai, with Abram’s cooperation, these plans took a detour, and this misadventure by Abram and Sarai has caused trouble from that day on, and continues to this day.
Sarai’s ‘indecent proposal”
Now, Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian maid whose name was Hagar; and Sarai said to Abram, “Behold now, the Lord has prevented me from bearing children” go into my maid; it may be that I shall obtain children by her” And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. Genesis 16:1-2
Scripture refers to the timeframe in which God made a promise to Abram was about 10 years, and Abram and Sarai took it upon themselves to ‘fulfill’ the prophecy given to them by God. However, this had very large and unintended consequences for the future nation of Israel. The intended son, who was to fulfill this prophecy, although not born, and despite the ‘forced’ effort to fulfill God’s prophecy by his parents (similar to today) now would have to contend with God’s promise to make Abram’s descendants as ‘numerous with the stars’ with an illegitimate heir. It was God’s intention of keeping this promise to Abram’s “God given” son, but God kept his promise to multiply ALL of Abram’s descendants, thus causing future problems for all involved.
We pick up after Hagar fled to the desert out of fear of Saria:
The angel of the Lord found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, the spring on the way to Shur. And He said “Hagar, maid of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?” She said, “I am fleeing from my mistress Sarai. The angel of the Lord said to her “Return to your mistress and submit to her.” The angel of the Lord also told her I will so greatly multiply your descendants that they cannot be numbered for multitude”. And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Behold, you are with child and shall bear a son; you shall call his name Ishmael; because the Lord has given heed to your affliction. He shall be a wild ass of a man, his hand against every man and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell over against all his kinsmen”. Genesis 16:7-12
Ishmael, the illegitimate son of Abram and Hagar, was still entitled to the promise God made to Abram, but it ended up becoming a thorn in the side of the future nation of Israel. God demonstrated through this series of scriptures that He will keep his word, no matter how much interference is run by man’s way of thinking and acting. It also demonstrates what kind of trouble we can get ourselves into when we try to do God’s thinking for him. Scripture is rife with the struggle between these two half siblings and their offspring, and it fulfills passages in scripture, as well as Biblical principles that God keeps his promises.
The descendants of Ishmael eventually inhabited the majority of the Middle East, where they continue to live to this day. They are known as the Arabs, and their religious system is Islam. In considering the series of verses, this prophecy has been fulfilled in totality, as history has confirmed the constant infighting between these two clans. It is of no surprise that many in Islam want to see the total destruction of the Jewish nation and peoples, as they see them as the ‘illegitimate’ son of their father Abraham. As we can see, the struggle between the Jewish nation and Islam has been prophesized and fulfilled in scripture. This struggle will continue until the time of the Anti-Christ, and peace is not possible. We can see this through all the efforts put into the peace process, and it has been written that it will not occur.
The lessons to be gleaned from the likes of Abraham, considered one of the great fathers of the faith is, that no one is ‘above the law’ concerning God and His will. No matter what our perceived status may be, we are subject to His Holy will, and nothing we do can change the mind of God, who knows the beginning from the end.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
THE WEATHER OUT THERE
George Offerman
It seems the pot is getting stirred. There are movements in almost every imaginable sector of our lives and it is getting to the point that pretending it is not there is taking a greater effort of faith than to open one’s eyes and see the reality all around. Every day that we wake up and have a ‘semblance’ of normalcy is really an indicator that God is still dispensing his Grace upon us, and showing how long suffering he really is. Unfortunately, this is not being seen, even by many Christians. Events are happening at such an alarmingly fast pace that it is nearly impossible to keep up with them.
We look at some of the man made causes of the disturbances, and can likely start with the political. It is not just in this country, but the world. More countries are piling up on Israel due to their attempted blockade of the Gaza Strip and the threat by Iran and Turkey to assist the ‘Palestinians’ in running the next one. Iran is attempting to build nuclear weapons, and has been abundantly clear that they plan on using them on Israel. The Mid East wars continue and appear to be creating more resentment as more innocent people are killed. More and more countries are on the verge of bankruptcy and will be reneging on all sorts of promises, not only to their own citizens, but debts owed to other countries. The blame game will continue, as tempers simmer.
Environmentally, there is the oil leak that no one seems to be able to stop. The Gulf States are now becoming contaminated with no only oil, but now having problems with the very toxic dispersant used to break up the oil at the site. There are the forecasts that the hurricane season, that started June 1 will be very active and has the potential to create a nightmare situation in the gulf (if this is not already a nightmare).there have been noticeable increases in earthquakes and other natural disasters. There are the unexplained losses of huge numbers of bee colonies, and subsequent issues with disease and the possible linkage to genetically modified plants.
Financially, the world is being buried alive in unsustainable and unpayable debt. Every nation on earth uses fiat money, instead of God’s money Gold and Silver, and nearly every nation is now being subjected to unsustainable growth in their money supply, as well as government promises on services and future entitlement payments. There are financial crisis literally every day, and the monetary foundation has never been more precarious than now. This coupled with the fact that the world’s population is the most unprepared for any breakdown in the infrastructure leads to the most susceptible and dangerous situation imaginable.
This is on top of maybe the most important factor of all, the denial of a Supreme God who demands certain behaviors and demands a certain order of things that the current crop of humanity will not obey. It would seem that the majority of the issues listed above (and this is only precursory) are the result of this rebellion and sinful behavior. It is no wonder that all hell appears to be ready to break loose, as we pull further and further away from the source of all life. Without some fundamental changes in our belief system and getting back to the theological basics, it is appearing more and more that God will soon break into history and begin to take matters into his own hands.
That people still want to pretend that things are salvageable within the modern social rubric of man being his own god, that we can solve all of our own problems, should be seen as the foolish and arrogant beliefs that they are. Without a miraculous return to God and begging him for forgiveness, there is not a chance in any universe that things will get better on our terms. The few events listed in the above paragraphs are but a scratch of the true nature of our ills, and the quickening pace of events only spells the need for some sort of resolution in very short order. It all started out due to pride, and the answer will require that pride is broken.
It seems the pot is getting stirred. There are movements in almost every imaginable sector of our lives and it is getting to the point that pretending it is not there is taking a greater effort of faith than to open one’s eyes and see the reality all around. Every day that we wake up and have a ‘semblance’ of normalcy is really an indicator that God is still dispensing his Grace upon us, and showing how long suffering he really is. Unfortunately, this is not being seen, even by many Christians. Events are happening at such an alarmingly fast pace that it is nearly impossible to keep up with them.
We look at some of the man made causes of the disturbances, and can likely start with the political. It is not just in this country, but the world. More countries are piling up on Israel due to their attempted blockade of the Gaza Strip and the threat by Iran and Turkey to assist the ‘Palestinians’ in running the next one. Iran is attempting to build nuclear weapons, and has been abundantly clear that they plan on using them on Israel. The Mid East wars continue and appear to be creating more resentment as more innocent people are killed. More and more countries are on the verge of bankruptcy and will be reneging on all sorts of promises, not only to their own citizens, but debts owed to other countries. The blame game will continue, as tempers simmer.
Environmentally, there is the oil leak that no one seems to be able to stop. The Gulf States are now becoming contaminated with no only oil, but now having problems with the very toxic dispersant used to break up the oil at the site. There are the forecasts that the hurricane season, that started June 1 will be very active and has the potential to create a nightmare situation in the gulf (if this is not already a nightmare).there have been noticeable increases in earthquakes and other natural disasters. There are the unexplained losses of huge numbers of bee colonies, and subsequent issues with disease and the possible linkage to genetically modified plants.
Financially, the world is being buried alive in unsustainable and unpayable debt. Every nation on earth uses fiat money, instead of God’s money Gold and Silver, and nearly every nation is now being subjected to unsustainable growth in their money supply, as well as government promises on services and future entitlement payments. There are financial crisis literally every day, and the monetary foundation has never been more precarious than now. This coupled with the fact that the world’s population is the most unprepared for any breakdown in the infrastructure leads to the most susceptible and dangerous situation imaginable.
This is on top of maybe the most important factor of all, the denial of a Supreme God who demands certain behaviors and demands a certain order of things that the current crop of humanity will not obey. It would seem that the majority of the issues listed above (and this is only precursory) are the result of this rebellion and sinful behavior. It is no wonder that all hell appears to be ready to break loose, as we pull further and further away from the source of all life. Without some fundamental changes in our belief system and getting back to the theological basics, it is appearing more and more that God will soon break into history and begin to take matters into his own hands.
That people still want to pretend that things are salvageable within the modern social rubric of man being his own god, that we can solve all of our own problems, should be seen as the foolish and arrogant beliefs that they are. Without a miraculous return to God and begging him for forgiveness, there is not a chance in any universe that things will get better on our terms. The few events listed in the above paragraphs are but a scratch of the true nature of our ills, and the quickening pace of events only spells the need for some sort of resolution in very short order. It all started out due to pride, and the answer will require that pride is broken.
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