Can Bill Clinton Go to Gaza?

Don’t get me wrong; it’s great that the 42nd president made an “unscheduled” visit to North Korea to obtain the freedom of two journalists held by the psycho dictator Kim Jong-il. Two female reporters had been held on vague charges of spying, and sentenced to 12 years of hard labor.

But Bill Clinton buttressed his wife’s State Department efforts and showed up with a private plane to whisk the women to freedom.

Too bad no one will fly to Gaza and demand Gilad Shalit’s freedom. The Israeli soldier is entering his fourth year as a captive of Hamas, the murderous Palestinian terror group.

Shalit’s kidnapping and subsequent captivity is outrageous. It has brought untold grief to his family. Israel is frustrated.

And that’s the point.

Hamas has followed the lead of Hezbollah and others in kidnapping and holding foreigners, particularly Israelis. The family of Ron Arad, the downed Israeli pilot during the 1982 Lebanon War, has been put through pointless agony by Hezbollah, for a quarter-century. No one outside Lebanon knows what happened to Arad.

When the Arabs can’t defeat Israel on the battlefield — a consistent rub for the pan-Arab nation — they do what they can to inflict misery.

And the world does…not…care.

If you scan the news each day, you will not notice any diplomats anywhere offering to travel to Gaza to free Shalit. There are important groups pushing for his release. The International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem comes to mind. Kudos to them.

For the most part, though, Shalit languishes in some unknown location inside the immoral cesspool known as Gaza.

It is a hallmark of our immoral age that “statesmen” like Clinton, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush won’t lift a finger to free Shalit. In fact, Carter’s evident dislike of Israelis would of course preclude him from doing such a thing. But it doesn’t keep him from slobbering over Hamas terrorists during his trips to the region.

(Yehuda Avner’s fascinating recollections of the Carter-Begin negotiations are available from the Jerusalem Post online. Anyone interested in knowing how Carter dealt with the Israelis during the Camp David talks would do well to read Avner.)

In my review of Michael Oren’s extraordinary book, Power, Faith, and Fantasy (you can read the review at WorldNetDaily), I note those American presidents and diplomats who were true friends of Israel, from the beginning of our republic until now.

One can track the erosion of support for Israel from the liberal scholars who began to creep into American seminaries in the 19th century. Oren’s fascinating research traced the American elites’ support for the Arabs to…American missionaries in the 19th century. Frustrated by their lack of converts among Muslims in the Holy Land, these missionaries began to lay the groundwork for today’s social gospel work by jettisoning active evangelism in favor of work projects. They also paved the way for Arab nationalism, in an era when the whole region lacked borders and was loosely a pan-Arab nation.

Today, we have more than 20 Muslim nations in the area, practicing mischief on a daily basis.

All that to make this point: the seeds of American meddling in Israel’s affairs — while pressuring the Jewish state to suicide concessions — have now yielded a harvest of diplomats and statesmen who will fly to North Korea to give a photo-op to a psycho, but will always pass up a chance to free Gilad Shalit.

The Lord of History is watching.

America’s Biggest Creditor

This past week I received a shock when I read a report on the various groups that have been helping the United States government fund its massive $12 national debt. Most troubling was the entity that topped the list as our largest creditor.

The buzzword in the market for U.S. debt of recent has been China. The world’s most populous country is an important buyer of U.S. debt. China's holdings now stand at $739.6 billion as of January. Oddly enough, that nation is not the largest holder of U.S. debt.

It's not Japan. Another major U.S. trade partner, Japan carries a huge amount of the country’s debt, with a stunning $634.8 billion; it currently holds the #2 spot.

It's not oil-rich states. Big oil means big money and big investment into U.S. debt. As a group, these states don't even come close to being a major creditor. Included in the group of oil exporters are Ecuador, Venezuela, Indonesia, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Gabon, Libya, and Nigeria. Together, they hold a total of $186.3 billion of our debt.

It's not retirement funds. One example is pension funds. They control large amounts of money, reserved for personal retirements, and thus are obligated to make relatively safe investments. This group includes both private and local government pension funds totaling $456.4 billion.

It's not insurance companies. According to the Federal Reserve board of governors, insurance companies hold $126.4 billion in Treasury securities. This group includes property, casualty, and life insurance firms.

It's quite a mystery when you consider that none of these debt holders are over the $1 trillion mark.

Drum roll please...The biggest holder of U.S. government debt is the United States itself. The Federal Reserve and other U.S. intergovernmental holdings account for a stunning $4.806 trillion in U.S. Treasury debt. This amount is six and a half times larger than that of the Chinese. I read that the Fed plans to add another $1 trillion to its tab. About a decade ago, total government holdings were "only" $2.5 trillion.

It's absurd to simply declare the Federal Reserve a separate body, with the power to gobble up debt. We are basically printing money to cover our obligations, which is probably the reason the Treasury has stopped reporting on the growth of the money supply.

The Fed holds a lot of debt that is of questionable value. It has purchased $800 billion in bad assets from banks, lenders, and insurance companies just from the recent financial crisis. These agencies are still losing money. Fannie Mae said it plans to tap $11 billion in new government aid after posting a massive $15 billion quarterly loss.

Our government leaders have no plans to rein in this flood of red ink. One of the clearest examples of how ridiculous our spending has become is the so-called “Cash for Clunkers” bill. Under the program, car owners receive $3,500 if they trade in an 18-or-fewer-miles-per-gallon vehicle for a new car getting at least 22 mpg. Vouchers of $4,500 are available for owners who trade in a car that gets 18 mpg or less combined for a model that gets at least 28 mpg. Congress has pledged $3 billion for this popular program.

Why stop at cars? We could have “Bucks for Boats” or “Cash for Computers.” I understand the idea is to stimulate the auto industry, but that debt has to be accounted for at some point in time.

The president and Congress are planning on a major expansion of health care. This new program will add trillions to our future debt load. I already know there will be no Social Security or Medicare when I reach retirement age. This new plan will bankrupt the system all the sooner.

One reason for the massive amount of deficit spending is the lack of money coming into the government coffers. The recession is starving Uncle Sam of tax revenue. The situation could not be more stark: Tax receipts are on pace to drop 18 percent this year, the biggest single-year decline since the Great Depression, while the federal deficit balloons to a record $1.8 trillion.

Our whole financial system is based on blind faith in paper. Modern man is no better than the pagans who prayed to gods made of stone. Once people lose confidence in the almighty dollar, economic Armageddon will ensue.

The question is: Why haven't we seen a collapse? I'm amazed to see that we have gone from one extreme to another. I guess God is the determining factor here. He is the only explanation I can come up with for why our debt bubble has gone beyond every other benchmark history can provide.

The rapture could be the pin that pops the bubble. As I've said before, America has the highest percentage of Christians than any other nation on earth. The loss of such a large portion of the population during the rapture would cause this nation to collapse into total chaos.

End-time Christians already have a good reason not to be fixated on the cares of this world. The perilous state of our financial system should only add to the urgency of being focused on promoting the kingdom of God.

Conclusion

Those who worry about the end of the world or live in fear of a great worldwide catastrophe are not living their lives in accordance with God. For God tells us to live boldly and without fear of the things of this world:

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)

Don't worry about global warming or a nuclear holocaust. Don't live in fear of a worldwide pandemic or asteroids or comets or aliens or massive volcanoes. The Lord is in control of everything, and He has already revealed what will happen to this present age. He will usher in the end of the world and transform the earth into his own dwelling place. Therefore, if we are to have fear of anything, it should be the Lord Himself. The prophet Isaiah agrees:

"Do not fear anything except the Lord Almighty. He alone is the Holy One. If you fear him, you need fear nothing else." Isaiah 8:13 (NLT)

Jesus reminds His disciples of this command while teaching them not to fear persecution:

"Don't be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28 (NLT)

In short, don't fear the end of this world. Celebrate it. Christ is coming. And when He arrives, He will eliminate all the evils of this world, including our fear and worry.

A Nuclear Israel

Uzi Arad is Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top national security expert. Holding a doctorate from Princeton, the former Mossad agent is, not surprisingly, of like-mind with his hawkish boss.

A profile on Arad in a recent issue of the Jerusalem Report was quite revealing, given the international curiosity with Israel’s nuclear capabilities.

Israel has long been coy about its nuclear capability. No one knows how many nukes Israel has, but the nation’s leaders have always insisted that they “wouldn’t be the first to use nuclear weapons in the Middle East.” This is a way of letting hostile neighbors know that the dog has some seriously sharp teeth.

In fact, Israel’s capabilities in this all-important area are sometimes referred to as the “Samson Option,” that is, the Jewish state, if faced with annihilation, would use every weapon at its disposal.

I have long advocated that Israel itself is not in ultimate danger, or existential danger, as the folks like to say. It is true that Iran has threatened to wipe Israel off the map, and others have done the same: Egypt comes to mind in the Six Day War.

All have failed.

And this is where, again, the Bible comes into play. Whether it’s Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, American preachers, or Washington policy wonks, it seems everyone is worried that Israel might…end. I am constantly amazed by this.

I’m so afraid for Israel.

The Iranians have threatened to destroy Israel.

Do you worry for Israel’s safety?

No, I don’t.

An interesting point about Uzi Arad’s appointment by Netanyahu is that he has already constructed models of how “limited” nuclear warfare might work in the Middle East. That is, at what point would Israel use its nukes?

This is interesting because it is a very important topic for our present world, and because it shows us once again that the Bible is rooted in reality. Zechariah and Ezekiel both, in particular, describe what must be nuclear warfare involving Israel.

Almost amusingly, Iran this week issued another (veiled) threat. When U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised the possibility of the Americans “upgrading” the defensive capabilities of the countries in the region, thus in theory blunting the effectiveness of a bellicose Iran, possessed (pun intended) of a nuclear weapon, and threatening Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hasan Qashqavi said there’s no need for such protection of the Saudis, etc., it is just important for Israel to dismantle “its own 200 nuclear warheads.”

Israeli Intelligence Agencies Minister Dan Meridor actually criticized Clinton’s statement, pointing out that it sounds as if Washington has resigned itself to the Iranians having the bomb. He is correct.

No American arming of Iran’s neighbors will prevent the mullah psychos from using the bomb against Israel.

And here is where the Bible is very practical, and not the irrelevant fairy tale its critics claim. Zechariah revealed quite a bit of detail toward the end of his prophecy. In it, he recorded that one day, in a battle for Israel, a weapon will be used that will melt people while they stand on their feet.

Ezekiel, of course, tells us that after an attack against the end-times Jewish state, the Jews will bury what we must assume are radioactive bones.

Israel’s nuclear facility, at a small city called Dimona (southwest of the Dead Sea), was developed in the 1950s. Various American presidents, most especially John Kennedy, leaned on the Israelis not to “escalate” a Middle East nuclear arms race. Thank God they have taken the steps to protect themselves.

Through Isaiah, God declared that “no weapon formed against” Israel would prosper, would work. Iran might nor might not get nukes. It doesn’t really matter.

I believe these things written in the Bible. And it’s no accident that men like Uzi Arad are in positions of influence in these last days

Why Study Prophecy?

I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. (Isaiah 46:10)

Here's a question I'm often asked and it's a good one. If we believe the Rapture will take us away before all the End Times events occur, then why do we need to study prophecy?

There are several good answers to this question. One of the clearest comes from the Olivet Discourse, specifically Matthew 24:15-16. "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand-- then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains." Even though the Lord was speaking primarily to Israel here, He directed everyone who reads Matthew's gospel to understand Daniel 9:24-27, a prophecy given to Israel, and the key to understanding End Times prophecy.

Another good reason is that Paul's letters to the Thessalonians are chock full of End Times prophecy. Every chapter of both letters contains a reference to the 2nd Coming for an average of one every 13 verses. Paul went to such lengths even though it's pretty clear he had taught them that the rapture would take place before the anti-Christ is revealed. If the Bible really is the inspired Word of God, why did He have Paul describe events on Earth after the rapture if He didn't think we needed to know them?

And then there's the Book of Revelation. John shows the Rapture occurring in chapter 4 but then goes on for another 15 chapters, mostly describing conditions on Earth, before re-introducing the Church in Rev. 19. Same question. Why describe events on Earth after the rapture if He didn't think we needed to know them?

Some say it's so those left behind at the Rapture can read Revelation and the Thessalonian letters and find out what's going on to help them endure the End Times. That may be OK for the middle of Revelation, but John's book begins and ends with the Church in view, and the Thessalonian letters were written specifically to the Church. For some reason, we're supposed to know how End Times events unfold.

And Here's The Best One
And that leads me to what I think is the biggest reason. For that we'll go first to Isaiah 44:6-8.

This is what the LORD says- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: "I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

Here is the two-part test for anyone who would be God. Part one: Accurately recall every event of the past. Part two: Accurately predict every event of the future. Of all the so-called holy writings, only the Bible answers this challenge. Other "gods" require that you take them at face value, offering neither evidence of their existence, nor proof of their trustworthiness. But ours says, "I'll prove that I'm real and that you should trust me." He tells us our past (sometimes as personally as Jesus did with the woman at the well in John 4:17-18) and gives us detail about the future that only someone who has already seen it can know. "I make known the end from the beginning," He proclaims, "From ancient times, what is still to come." (Isaiah 46:10) He's chosen this way to authenticate Himself to us because He's the only One who can do it and be right every time.

This is so we need never be in the position of having zeal without knowledge, (Prov. 19:2) believing passionately but unable to defend our position. When we share the Gospel with someone, and they respond with, "That's just something you believe," it's good to be able to justify our beliefs with a summary of God's 4000-year track record for truth-telling (the Old Testament) and to explain that someone who's been that truthful about the past is likely to also be truthful about the future (the New Testament).

Some Personal Experience
When I was a kid in upstate New York, nearly every family went to church on Sunday and ours was no different. We belonged to one of the main line denominational congregations in town. With a few lapses here and there, this habit carried me into adulthood and though I lived in several different places, on most Sunday mornings you could find me in the local version of that same denominational church. But then, two important but unrelated pieces of information came to my attention at about the same time.

The first was from a man who was one of the most influential public speakers of his time and a life long student of human behavior. We happened to share one evening together and over dinner he asked, "Did you know that if you were to devote just one hour each day to the study of any subject that interests you, within 5 years you could be one of the world's leading experts on that subject."

The other piece of information came in the form of 3 cassette tapes that were given to me by a friend. It was a series on Bible Prophecy, a compilation of research done over the years by various scholars. Its purpose was to demonstrate that through out the 4,000 years of the Old Testament God had maintained a perfect record of predicting the future to Israel. No matter what set of standards you apply, statistical analysis, rules of evidence, forensic science or whatever, you'll find that this could not have happened by chance. It could only have been done by someone who can see the end from the beginning, an ability unique to God.

I decided to apply the action step from the first piece of information to the subject matter of the second. Over the next several years I spent hours every day learning all I could about Bible Prophecy. In addition to studying the Bible, I read every view by nearly every respected scholar before forming my own opinion that the pre-trib, pre-millennial view is the one most consistent with a strict literal, historical, grammatical interpretation of Scripture.

If What You Believe Doesn't Result In Action ...
Even though I've spent a lot more than one hour a day for a lot longer than 5 years, I don't claim to be a leading expert on prophecy. But as I studied, the logic of God's claim from Isaiah 44:6-8 became indisputable. The history of Israel is replete with events first predicted and then performed with faultless accuracy. And when it came to the Messiah, over 300 specific prophecies, given over a span of several thousand years, were fulfilled in detail within one generation, the one in which He lived. And so after nearly 40 years of sitting in church every Sunday, I finally opened my Bible and became born again. I also became convinced that through the study of prophecy He can prove Himself to any reasonable person beyond a shadow of doubt. That's when I began teaching what I was learning.

No rush of emotion for me, no gushing of tears while I stumbled blindly down the sawdust trail as a choir sang "Just as I am," but a dead certainty that God has to be Who He says He is, He has to have done what He said He did, and the Bible has to be His inerrant Word. I called it a rush of logic, but the certainty I felt drove me every bit as humbly to the foot of the cross as a teary eyed confession would have, and yet it gave me a staying power that's often missing in more emotional conversions. I knew what I believed and why I believed it and could explain it clearly to anyone who cared to listen.

As often happens to people who undertake a serious study of prophecy, I concluded that if the 40% of the Bible that's prophecy can be trusted then the rest of it can be trusted as well, so I began studying it too. I discovered that God made a whole bunch of promises to us, such as His promises to see us through the tough times we can now see coming, and to take us to be with Him before He judges the world. These promises have more meaning because they're backed up by His proven track record in prophecy.

If you're not every bit as certain as I am about God, then try a study in prophecy. I bet it'll galvanize you into action just as it did me, especially as you begin to understand how little time is left. And even if you're already sure you know who God is, you still have a great reason to study prophecy. But it's not just so you'll be better informed about what's coming. It's so you'll feel the urgency to tell your friends about it while there's still time. Because if you listen carefully, you can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.