"It Is Time to Take a Stand! Praying For Israel and the Middle East's Destiny" James W. Goll

"It Is Time to Take a Stand! 

Praying For Israel and the Middle East's Destiny"

James W. Goll, Franklin, TN

The Elijah List

For more than a decade I have been declaring in many gatherings in many cities of the earth: "While all eyes would be on Iran, watch Syria. Iran will pose a great threat, but the imminent danger to Israel, and the entire Middle East would arise out of Syria." I have warned of chemical and biological weapons being stored up in this rogue nation and how they would attempt to export them to their puppet regime of Lebanon. I have seen a terror that would emerge out of Syria – and now it is right in front of our eyes in ISIS. I have seen this multiple times in dreams over the years. 

But I also believe that prayer changes things! It is time to take a stand!

Sometimes I have grace and faith to pray that what I see does not occur. Sometimes I sense grace to intervene. Other times, like many of you, I have called forth the "Shields of the Lord to Arise" and protect Israel. (Photo via pixabay)

At one point I called forth for 91 Days of Prayer for the Homeland Prayer Initiative to protect the borders of the United States of America. Sometimes I have sensed things are "out of God's appointed timetable" and to call forth angels from Heaven into the earth realm to hem in the demonic enemy. Sometimes I sense the clock is ticking according to God's prophetic calendar and in the midst of turmoil, His purposes are coming forth. It takes discernment to pray properly!

A Pivotal Time in My Prayer Life Journey

In the fall of 1987, an angel of the Lord visited me and declared to me that times of great distress would come to the Persian Gulf. In that angelic visitation, when we lived in south Kansas City, Missouri, I was given the exact dates of both Gulf War invasions in 1991 and 2003. I was assigned by the Lord to be a "Crisis Intercessor" for the entire month of February 1991, when there would be a "ground engagement" in the land of Iraq. 

I took my place and I did my part along with others around the world. It started on February 1st and ended on February 28th. Later, I saw in the Spirit that Syria would conspire a scheme of invading the Golan Heights as things would heat up and temporarily go "out of control in the Middle East." Years ago the Holy Spirit spoke to me about the Fall of 2013, and how things would heat up and spill over into an eruption in 2014 and potentially till 2020.

I have meditated on Psalm 83 where it says, "The nations will conspire to wipe Israel off the face of the earth to be remembered no more." I have written and spoken on Psalm 83 for the past decade. Like many of you, I have logged many personal hours over the years being up the middle to night to "watch to see what the Lord would speak."

The Countdown to Zechariah Twelve

In January of 2004, the Lord woke me up in the middle of the night and said, "Watchman, tell Me, what do you see?" I looked up and in a visionary experience saw a clock, that was not there in the natural, hanging on the bedroom wall. The time on the clock read 11:53 p.m. and above the 12 were the letters "Zech." The Holy Spirit then said, "Watchman, tell Me, what do you hear?" Then suddenly the external, audible voice of the Lord came: "It is the countdown to Zechariah 12." (Photo via Wikimedia)

I rested in the presence of God for a while and did not move until His manifest presence withdrew. Then I turned on the light and read Zechariah 12. It is the most amazing chapter, all about a city named Jerusalem. Let's read a portion of it together:

"The burden of the word of the Lord concerning Israel. Thus declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundations of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him, "Behold, I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that causes reeling to all the peoples around; and when the siege is against Jerusalem, it will also be against Judah. It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it...."

"In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. And... I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." Zechariah 12:1-3, 8-10

The countdown to Zechariah 12 is on. I never have stated that this would happen in the next seven minutes, seven years or even seventy years. What I do know is that God's prophetic clock is moving toward a kairos moment when God's plan for Jerusalem will be consummated. This is the final countdown!

God has a Road Map, and it points toward Zechariah 12:10. It is easy to identify with Zechariah 12:3, as we hear about the nations coming against Jerusalem. But read further and you will see that Zechariah 12:10 declares that God will "pour out the Spirit of grace and supplication on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and they will look upon the One whom they pierced and will mourn."

Let's arise and pray for Israel's destiny and that of the entire Middle East! There is coming a great outpouring of the presence of God and tens of thousands will turn to the Lord.

Romans 11 through Isaiah 53

Since that revelatory encounter those many years ago, I have pondered on the time shown on the clock: 11:53. Perhaps it is something like this: Romans 11 will be fulfilled through Isaiah 53.Romans 11 – "all Israel will be saved" – will be fulfilled by a revelation of the suffering Messiah in Isaiah 53.

Romans 11:12 speaks of how the Jewish people's rejection of their Messiah has brought salvation to the Gentiles. Paul says, "If their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!" Romans 11:15 goes on to say, "For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?"

What do you think "life from the dead" looks like? Zechariah 14:5, 8-9 and 11 gives us a glimpse of that day:

Then the Lord, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!... And in that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem... And the Lord will be King over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one, and His name the only one...

People will live in [Jerusalem], and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security.

The Father will reward His Son, the Messiah, for His sufferings. The salvation of Israel is a key component of that reward, and the Father will not do without it. If we are going to align ourselves with the God of Israel, we are going to have to align ourselves with His covenants and His prophetic promises of the salvation of the Jews and the restoration of Jerusalem. (Photo via pixabay)

It is not difficult to find political analysts, historians, reporters and even theologians ready to explain their theories and share commentary on Israel's current state of affairs. But despite the abundance of opinions and strong feelings, the future of Israel still remains a mystery to most of the world. Paul, the apostle and bond slave of the Lord Jesus Christ, did not want Believers to be uninformed of this mystery or to be wise in their own estimation concerning Israel (see Romans 11:25). The Holy Spirit through Paul made a number of very clear points in Romans 11.

Despite what it may look like, Israel has not fallen so far from God that they can never return. In fact, their falling away was ordained by God as a measure of grace to us, the Gentiles. Paul said it this way: "He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit"(Galatians 3:14, NIV).

The Gentiles are being embraced by the Jewish Messiah in part to make Jews jealous (see Romans 11:11). Gentiles are not "natural branches" on God's family tree, but rather "wild olive shoots" who must recognize that they have been grafted in. God's plan is to graft the "natural branches" into their own olive tree once again (see Romans 11:24), resulting in the reality that "all Israel will be saved" (Romans 11:26).

God Has a Grand Plan!

We must not be wise in our own estimation when it comes to Israel or be uninformed of this mystery. Romans 11:25 says that, "A partial hardening has happened to Israel until..."

Until what? Maybe you have read this verse many times. Have you realized that the word until is the key word in this passage? "A partial hardening has happened to Israel until..." That means there is a point in time when the hardening will be removed. That time is when "the fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (Romans 11:25).

What does the fullness of the Gentiles look like? Perhaps it deals in part with the day Jerusalem was released from Gentile control and restored to Israeli rule in 1967. But knowing the God that we serve, this probably does not deal only with land but with hearts as well. 

Oh yes, He has the hearts of the people of the Middle East in His heart and plan! (Photo via Wikimedia)

What Gentile people group would, in the minds of most people, be the most unlikely to come to faith in the Jewish Messiah? Would it not be the Islamic people? What if the Holy Spirit moved powerfully upon a remnant of the Islamic people and they turned away from their false god to serve the Jewish Messiah? What if a movement of God fell upon them with the signs and wonders of an apostolic dimension, and they were grafted in as wild olive shoots to the Master's tree? Talk about pricking the Jewish heart to jealousy!

What I do know is God has a Road Map, and it is different from the international Quartets Road Map or other political agendas.

God has a grand plan and ultimately His will shall be done!

A Watchman for Such a Time As This!

Dr. James W. Goll
Founder of Encounters Network • Prayer Storm • God Encounters Training e-School

Email: info@encountersnetwork.com
Website: encountersnetwork.com

Dr. James W. Goll is the president of Encounters Network, director of Prayer Storm, and coordinates Encounters Alliance, a coalition of leaders. He is director of God Encounters Training – an e-school of the heart, and is a member of the Harvest International Ministries apostolic team. He has shared Jesus in more than 50 nations worldwide, teaching and imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry, and life in the Spirit. 

James is the prolific author of numerous books and has also produced multiple study guides and hundreds of audio and video messages. James was married to Michal Ann for 32 years before her graduation to Heaven in the fall of 2008. James has four adult children who all love Jesus, and continues to make his home in Franklin, Tennessee.

To subscribe to The Elijah List go to:http://elijahlist.com/subscribe

THE SONG - Inspired by the Song of Solomon - movie opens Sept. 26, 2014

Catch it at a theater near you. | View in your browser

BOOKS | BIBLES | GIFTS | KIDS | MUSIC | VIDEO | APPAREL | CRAFTS & MORE | CHURCH & EDUCATION | SALE | CLEARANCE

THE CODED MESSAGE OBAMA DELIVERS WHEN HE SAYS ISIL INSTEAD OF ISIS

NTEB News Desk | September 1, 2014 | 

The following is an NTEB Original Story. Please provide a link back when reposting this.

DECODING OBAMA’S SPEECH REVEALS SOME STARTLING REVELATIONS

“And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 12:3

In one press conference after another, when referring to the Muslim terror super-group ISIS, United States President Barack Obama will use the term ISIL instead of their former name ISIS or current name Islamic State. Have you ever wondered about that? We have.

What makes up the near exact center of the Muslim Levant? Israel.

ISIL stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant. Now, to us Westerners we don’t really make much of a distinction, do we? No, honestly from our perspective its all about the same. But how would a Muslim living in the Middle East view it? Just what is the Levant anyway? Let’s take a look.

The geographical term LEVANT refers to a multi-nation region in the Middle East. It’s a land bridge between Turkey to the north and Egypt to the south. If you look on a map, however, in the near exact middle of the nations that comprise the Levant, guess what you see? Come on, guess!

It’s Israel.

When Barack Obama refers over and over to the Islamic State as ISIL, he is sending a message to Muslims all over the Middle East that he personally does not recognize Israel as a sovereign nation, but as territory belonging to the Islamic State.

Now you know why Obama says that he has no plan, no goal, and no stated aim for dealing with ISIS. But he does have a plan, and it’s a really nasty, diabolical one. Obama’s plan is to drag his feet for as long as he can, doing only the bare minimum that Congress forces him to do. His “plan”to buy ISIS as much time as possible to make as many gains as they can.

Listen as Obama painstakingly spells out the letters I-S-I-L so there is no doubt in your mind:

And it’s working.

The Islamic State has garnered millions of dollars, a vast cache of weapons, and in their latest foray have captured Syrian fighter jets. With each passing day that Obama fulfills his stated aim of doing nothing, the Islamic State grows by leaps and bounds. The ultimate goal, of course, has not changed and will never change.

The ultimate goal is the destruction of Israel.

Now you know a little bit more why Obama chooses his words so carefully, and what’s really in a name. Shakespeare had it right.

Link back to NTEB

How a Pakistani Muslim Became a Zionist

By John Waage and Julie Stahl

CBN News Middle East Bureau

Monday, September 22, 2014

Ad Feedback

JERUSALEM, Israel -- The recent Israeli-Hamas war sparked huge protests in Europe and exposed a growing epidemic of anti-Semitism. But in an interview with CBN News before the summer war between Israel and Hamas, one British Muslim explained how he became a Zionist just by checking out the facts.

Kasim Hafeez is a Pakistani Muslim born, raised and living in the United Kingdom.

"I was brought up around a lot of anti-Israel feeling and especially from my dad, very blatant and direct Israel hatred and anti-Semitism," Hafeez told CBN News.

As a university student, Hafeez campaigned against the Jewish state, joined protests and called for boycotts of Israel. He said he was even willing to die to free Palestine and rid the world of Israel.

"My narrative was this: there was a Palestinian state, the Jews came from Europe, stole the land, and voila - Israel," Hafeez said.

Then he found Alan Dershowitz' book, The Case for Israel and decided to read it so he could refute what he thought was "Zionist propaganda."

"I thought I'll buy it and be able to disprove it because Israel has no case. I know the history. I'm an expert in it all," he said.

"So I start reading this book, and the most basic of facts about Israel and the Jewish people I had no clue about. I mean one of the most basic ones I came across was a Palestinian state has never existed," he added.

Profiles in Racism

And that was just the beginning. Two years later Hafeez visited Israel but got himself into trouble before he ever entered the country.

"When you go to passport control and they say, 'What is the purpose of your visit?' just say you're here for a holiday. Don't say, 'Well, I used to be anti-Semitic and anti-Israel, now I'm not quite sure so I thought I'd come and see what it's like,'" he explained.

After eight hours in airport security, Hafeez was allowed into Israel despite his confession. But the time spent in airport security was a real eye opener.

"It highlighted Israel's unique security situation," he said. "Look it's not politically correct to say this, it's not nice to say this, but people from my background, people with my kind of name have an awful tendency of blowing stuff up in Israel."

Kasim said he was also "treated with a lot of respect" from the security agent who repeatedly offered him coffee and was very apologetic. He compared it to a trip he had taken to Saudi Arabia four years earlier.

"You want to see racism, go to Saudi Arabia as a non-Arab," he said.

A Huge Surprise

After leaving the airport, Hafeez encountered his next surprise when he arrived in Jerusalem and saw the different ethnic and religious groups mixing in the city.

"Be it Muslims, be it people from African heritage, be it European, be it people from the Middle East -- it's just such a crazy mix of people. And then you see the signs in English and Hebrew and Arabic and it straight away blows away that idea of apartheid and racism," he recalled.

Hafeez said he wanted to know how people from Arab backgrounds really felt about living in Israel, so he asked various people, saying it must be "so difficult for you here."

"They look [at you] like you're mentally ill. They look at you as if you have some sort of problem because they look at you like 'no it's actually fine here, we have no problems here,'" he said, smiling.

He was even more confused when he spoke to people who are Druze, a group that has traditionally been persecuted in the Middle East, he said. They told him, "We love it here. You know, this is our home. My son's in the IDF."

He realized he was seeing "the real Israel you won't see in a lot of the Western mainstream media."

He said nothing changes your mind like seeing it for yourself.

Pro-Israel vs. Anti-Arab?

According to Hafeez, family and friends initially thought Israel's Mossad secret service had recruited him. Now some have come around.

"There's this awful idea that people think it's a zero-sum game, that if you stand up for Israel, you're instantly anti-Arab. It's ridiculous," he said.

"I have members of my family who are quite supportive of Israel now, which is nice. But with friends who have now turned their views to be more supportive of Israel, [they] wouldn't say it publicly," he added.

Hafeez said Muslims refuse to accept Israel's existence in the middle of the Arab world. Then there are conspiracy theories and the pack mentality.

"It's kind of ingrained that there's this global conspiracy by the Jews to destroy Islam and take over the world," he said.

"It's really sad but this whole anti-Israel cause has become very popular. It's seen as the cool cause almost, and nobody wants to kind of break off from the kind of pack and be seen as an outsider," he added, saying it was very difficult for him to admit that he had been wrong.

A Revelation about Israel

Nevertheless, Hafeez said, he believes it's possible for Muslims to have a revelation about the Jews and Israel. But to do so they must honestly assess what they believe and be willing to embrace reality.

They need to take a step back and look at the world and what they stand for, he said, and ask themselves if this "irrational hatred over a group of myths" they've been told is really worth giving their lives for it. They need to ask themselves if they really want peace.

"One of the most frustrating things for me is within the Muslim community. We have a double standard," he said. "We judge Israel and America by one standard, which we refuse to apply to ourselves."

Asked if he thought God had played a role in opening his eyes or giving him the desire to ask questions, Hafeez said his "a-ha" moment came at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

"I sincerely believe that things don't just happen, everything happens for a reason. I believe I'm on a particular path, I don't know where the destination will end, but I feel I'm very blessed to be where I am," he told CBN News.

"Because it has changed my life for the better, you know. It's beautiful to wake up without this hatred, without this anger, you know and I feel so lucky and so blessed," he said. "Is it God? I don't know. Maybe. It's very difficult to say."

Watch the interview: CBN Video Interview

CBN Rosh Hashanah - full program

Gordon Robertson

Watch now: CBN Rosh Hashanah - full program

Paul Wilbur

Watch now: CBN Rosh Hashanah - full program

Twelve tribes of Israel flags

 

Pat Robertson

JEWISH ROOTS

Celebrating the 'Fall Feasts' in Israel

By C. Hart
CBN News Middle East Correspondent

CBN.com – In Israel today, there are set feasts - or appointed seasons of the Lord - that are proclaimed as holy convocations. The first of the Fall Feasts is the Feast of Trumpets, as recorded in Leviticus, Chapter 23. This particular feast is also called Rosh Hashanah. Jews all over the world consider this time to be the Jewish New Year, celebrated by eating apples and honey, and recalling sweet memories.

They greet one another by saying, "Shana Tovah!" This means "Happy New Year." But, the biblical New Year actually begins at Passover, in early spring.

Israelis see themselves as fitting into three categories, spiritually. They consider themselves to be either religious, traditional, or secular Jews. The majority of Israelis fit into the traditional category, and 50 percent are reported to keep a kosher home. Most Israelis seek some way of celebrating the major feasts in Israel, especially the Fall Feasts.

Leviticus 23:23-25:

And, the Lord said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, on the first day of the seventh month (roughly, October), you shall observe a day of solemn (sabbatical) rest, a memorial day announced by blowing of trumpets, a holy, called assembly. You shall do no servile work on it, but you shall present an offering made by fire to the Lord.

Messianic Jewish Bible teacher, Neil Cohen, says he celebrates this holiday by going to a Messianic congregation on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, and then spending the next day at home. "It is a Shabbat; a biblical injunction; a day of no work. Leviticus 23:23 makes it quite clear. It's a solemn assembly."

Jewish people, today, see this feast as a new beginning. They hope, by their work and good deeds, their names will be written in the Book of Life. There are 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) that are holy days to most religious Jews, worldwide. They call these the "Days of Awe." It's a time of personal evaluation, and Cohen explains, it's also a time of repentance and turning from sin. "The 10 days of Awe are a reflection of the relationship with God and with family."

Today, many Israelis are not assured that their sins have been forgiven. They realize that, because the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., there is no place for the high priest to conduct the sacrificial offerings to God for the atonement of their sins. There is no blood sacrifice. So, when Yom Kippur comes, Jews often spend the holiday fasting and repenting, but without assurance of salvation. "The majority of Israelis don't believe in the Messiah. If they have any concept at all, it's in a Messianic age," says Cohen. "Yom Kippur has almost no meaning for the Jews today, because the whole principle of Yom Kippur was the blood sacrifice. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. It's become a ritual day and a day of hope instead of expectation," he adds.

For Messianic Jews, their faith in Yeshua, Jesus, as the Messiah gives them hope. "For us, the blood has been shed. Although not shed on Yom Kippur, the death of Yeshua fulfills the requirement," claims Cohen.

The rabbinical leaders in Israel today teach that Rosh Hashanah was the day that God created Adam, and the day that God gave the gift of motherhood to Sarah and Hanna.

According to Cohen, the focus for Bible believers is that it is the day the trumpet is sounded, heralding the coming of the expected Messiah. "And, that's the connection," Cohen said, "because of Thessalonians 4:14-18– the great trumpet call and Messiah's return – that's the trumpet call that the Jews are waiting for."

When you talk to many religious Israelis today, they answer your questions by explaining what the rabbis say, and not by giving their own personal opinions, formed by their reading of the Holy Scriptures. In fact, they will often explain that the oral law (the Talmud) is just as inspired by God as is the written law (the Tenach, or the Old Testament). But, the oral law is the rabbinical interpretation of the written law, and Messianic Jews disagree that it holds the same weight as the God-inspired Bible.

One of the problems, according to Cohen, is that a basic portion of scripture relating to the suffering Messiah is never heard in synagogues. And the rabbis who read a section of the Holy Scriptures on a weekly basis, called the Haftorah Portion, actually leave out Isaiah Chapter 53.

"The Haftorah portions, five weeks before Rosh Hashanah begins, are from Isaiah Chapters 40 through 60; bits and pieces from there. But, they pass over Isaiah Chapter 53. These are the passages of comforting His people. And the most comforting thing is that the Messiah is coming, and He'll suffer on our behalf and release us from all the pain and suffering. Rabbis don't like that scripture. Messiah is hidden from the Jews by the rabbis, just as He is hidden from the Jews by God, Himself," explains Cohen who also admits that, in this case, the rabbis are actually helping God in fulfilling the prophetic scriptures.

Isaiah Chapter 53 (Amplified Bible):

"Who has believed – trusted in, relied upon and clung to – our message of that which was revealed to us? And, to whom has the arm of the Lord been disclosed?

For (the Servant of God) grew up before Him like a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground; He has no (royal, kingly pomp) form or comeliness that we should look at Him, and no beauty that we should desire Him.

He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and, as One from whom men hide their faces.

He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him. Surely, He has born our griefs – sickness, weakness and distress – and carried our sorrows and pain (of punishment). Yes, we ignorantly considered Him stricken, smitten and afflicted by God. But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement needful to obtain peace and wellbeing for us was upon Him, and with the stripes that wounded Him, we are healed and made whole.

All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has made to light on Him the guilt and iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, yet when He was afflicted, He was submissive and opened not His mouth; as a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

By oppression and judgment, He was taken away; and as for His generation, who among them considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due – stricken to His death?

And, they assigned Him a grace with the wicked and with a rich man in His death, although He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet, it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick. When You and He make Him an offering for sin (and He has risen from the dead, in time to come), He shall see His spiritual offspring. He shall prolong His days, and the will and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.

He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul and be satisfied; by His knowledge of Himself (which He possesses and imparts to others), shall My (uncompromisingly) righteous One, My Servant, justify and make many righteous – upright and in right standing with God; for He shall bear their iniquities and their guilt (with the consequences, says the Lord).

Therefore, will I divide Him a portion with the great (kinds and rulers), and He shall divide the spoil with the mighty; because He poured out His life unto death, and He let Himself be regarded as a criminal and be numbered with the transgressors, yet He bore (and took away) the sin of many and makes intercession for the transgressors – the rebellious."

Watch CBN's Rosh Hashana Celebration with Pat and Gordon Robertson with Paul Wilbur.

Christianity's Jewish Roots

CBN News in Israel

Tour Israel with CBN.com

More from Spiritual Life

God and Atheists in Hollywood by Geoff McClelland

God and Atheists in Hollywood 

by Geoff McClelland

Identity Network

 

Hollywood's Year of the Bible

 

Earlier this year Hollywood released the Bible-based blockbuster Noah to the tune of $100 million in box office receipts. Christians gleefully anticipated the epic ark-building adventure. But glee quickly turned to ire once the movie premiered. The Noah character was wrong, God was misrepresented, and fallen angels were portrayed as good guys - a few heresy issues.

 

In retrospect, this shouldn't have been terribly surprising. A self-proclaimed atheist wrote, produced, and directed the movie. Darren Aronofsky is a filmmaker - a great one at that. But a theologian? Not so much.

 

Another Bible-based movie is slated for release later this year - Exodus: Gods and Kings - which is based on, as you might have guessed, the story of Moses and the Hebrews' flight from Egypt. An even bigger Hollywood talent is producing and directing this one: Sir Ridley Scott. He is not just a great director - he's legendary! However, he is also a self-proclaimed atheist.

 

What's Going on Here?

 

The question we ought to be asking here is, "What is provoking Hollywood moguls to produce Bible-based films?" Some suggest it's for the love of money. After all, who in Hollywood doesn't love money? But there are hundreds of movies that don't mention God and still make a lot of money (you may have noticed this.) There's a trend in Hollywood to produce established, epic stories right now. What is more established and epic than the story of Noah's ark? But I don't think this is it either. The answer may not be what you think.

 

Think about this: The great flood is a testament. Four thousand years of literature across multiple cultures (plus archeology and geology) all indicate that something profound occurred. Aronofsky's movie, in spite of artistic license and flawed biblical accuracy, is one more testament of the flood. Every testimony of God's sovereignty is a strike against the enemy. One of two key factors in overcoming the enemy is "the word of our testimony." Jesus put it more poetically, but He basically said the devil doesn't do the work of God. So it doesn't make sense to hold the position that the devil prompted the making of a movie that testifies against him. That would indicate a house divided.

 

Likewise, the Exodus narrative testifies of God's faithfulness to deliver His people out of slavery from Egypt. God told the Israelites to remember this throughout their generations by writing it on their doorposts, talking of it often with their children, and setting up stones as a reminder of all that He had done. What is the enemy's best strategy regarding this story? Deny, deny, deny! But make it a major Hollywood movie? Hardly. Any error caused by the enemy in these films is damage control, not strategy.

 

Are We Living in the Last Days?

 

The prophet Joel said in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh! How much flesh?  All flesh.  That possibly includes everything that has breath. Is God pouring out His Spirit on believers in these days? Of course He is. But everyone is eligible to hear the Spirit of God in the last days (this does not imply salvation.) If "all flesh" includes unbelievers, it would seem even they have the ability to pick up on the unction of the Holy Spirit.  Albeit they may neither recognize the source or properly steward the call. Atheists don't believe in God, but that doesn't mean God doesn't believe in them. Could it be that God is planting the desire to retell these biblical stories into the hearts of Hollywood kings who don't even acknowledge His existence?

 

Let's interpret the times. Jesus compared the days prior to His second coming to the days of Noah. The ark underwent construction for the better part of a century, serving as a sign for that generation. The plagues of Egypt were signs to the Egyptians, but they serve as signs to us as well. God used Moses to demonstrate to Pharaoh that the Egyptians' resistance to His will is futile. For some reason, God has chosen at this time in history to highlight these historical events once again as a testimony to the world. And He has made use of the multi-billion dollar worldwide distribution system of the film industry to help with this task.

 

God is Sovereign

 

Psalm 135 tells us that the Lord does whatever He pleases, in heaven and on earth. To use an atheist to accomplish His will is not beyond the scope and ability of God. Just ask Cyrus the Great. Over a century before the birth of Cyrus, Isaiah prophesied that he would perform all God's desire; he would declare Jerusalem to be rebuilt and the foundations of the temple to be laid again (Isaiah 44:28). It all came to pass, just as God had foretold, but Cyrus was a Persian king, not a Hebrew. He worshiped false gods - Marduk, Bel, and Nabu - not the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet God still chose to use him to fulfill His plans of restoration for that generation.

 

I can hear some Christians protesting, "What about the bad doctrine and biblical inaccuracy in these movies?" Thankfully God isn't hung up on bad doctrine. We should all cultivate sound biblical doctrine, but we also must realize that everyone is in process. Nobody on earth has infallible doctrine, yet everyone seems to think of himself as the one person closest to it. Pope Francis recently said that if we try to build unity around doctrinal issues, we will only achieve it after the apocalypse. When the criminal hanging on the cross next to Jesus said, "Remember me when You come into Your kingdom," Jesus didn't respond with, "Well, first let's examine your theology and see if you hold correct beliefs."

 

In fact, the religious leaders in Jesus's day were so hung up on correct doctrine that they couldn't accept Jesus as the Messiah when He was standing right before their very eyes. They said, "No one will know where the Messiah comes from, but this guy is from Bethlehem." "Nothing good can come from Nazareth," others suggested. Some even asked, "Would the Savior touch lepers or heal on the Sabbath?"

 

What about today? Could strict adherence to doctrinal beliefs blind us from seeing the work of the Spirit as it did to religious leaders in Jesus's day? Oddly enough, prostitutes and tax collectors didn't have a problem with Jesus. They were open to His genuine love and divine wisdom.

 

The Bottom Line

 

I believe Noah and Exodus are modern-day testaments to a lost world at a key time in history. But I also believe God is trying to provoke His own people to jealousy through them. In the first century, God used Paul as an apostle to the Gentiles in order that the Jews might be provoked to jealousy. This was His wake-up call to break old mindsets and be open to the greater revelation of His purposes. New wine can only be put into new wineskins. And today is no different. God's ways are still higher than our ways, and He shakes our beliefs once in a while to separate that which is divine from that which is human.

 

If we want to see Bible-based movies made by Christians that will more closely adhere to the biblical narrative, then we must stop cursing the film industry (which is essentially just handing it over to the enemy). Instead, we should bless it and pray for those God has placed in its midst. This will bring it back under His authority and move us closer to "on earth as it is in heaven." Let him who has an eye keep watch. I believe God has much more to say through the film industry - hopefully through his people, not in spite of them.

 

Geoff McClelland

www.grasshoppercinema.com

Sign up to receive Identity Network daily articles and receive 

2 FREE MP3 Teaching Downloads

by Jeremy Lopez automatically.

 

(New Subscribers Only Please) 

 

*The Seeing Process of a Seer

*What Next God? Discouraged After Your Prophetic Word.

 A $20.00 Value

 

 

 

Undiluted

Rediscovering the Radical Message of Jesus 

E-Book PDF Download

By Benjamin L. Corey
Price: $15.99
Sale! $10.49

Click HERE to order.

Print Friendly

Paul Wilbur: Celebrating a Life of Worship - ROSH HASHANAH Celebration

Paul Wilbur: Celebrating a Life of Worship

CBN.com –MUSIC CAREER
In the mid-seventies Paul was a young college student studying to be an opera singer and cantor. In Judaism, a cantor leads liturgical prayer and chanting during the service. While he was pursuing his Master’s degree, Paul recalls when he would ask a girl out for a date they would invite him to go to church. During one of those church dates Paul met a man named Jerry Williams. Jerry’s passion for the Lord as he sang drew Paul back to church week after week. Soon, Paul joined a Bible study in his graduate dorm eager to know more about the God of the Bible. A few weeks later on a fishing trip with Jerry, Paul became a Christian and his life took him in a radically new direction. 

He started Harvest, an early Jesus Movement band, and then formed Israel’s Hope, dedicated to bringing the message of the gospel back to the Jewish people. In 1994, Paul finished his fourth year at Midwest Christian Center in Tinley Park, Illinois when the Lord spoke to him very clearly and said, “Ask of me and I will give you the nations.” After much prayer and fasting, Paul and his wife left their local ministry to answer the call of God to the nations. They sold their home, cars, furniture and Baldwin piano. Then they received a call from Don Moen of Integrity Music. Don wanted Paul to record a new project in the land of Israel. The breakout recording, “Shalom Jerusalem”was recorded live in 1995. Then Don asked Paul to do a two week tour with him in the Philippines. That was the beginning of Paul’s international, cross-cultural, multi lingual ministry that continues to this day. 

“The heart of worship is communication from our hearts to God. You can’t expect people to reach out to God in a language they can’t understand. Our goal quickly became to carry the music, message and ministry of the Kingdom to the nations in their own language,” shares Paul. Some of his other releases such as 2005’s “The Watchman,” 2008’s “Paul Wilbur Live” and 2010’s acclaimed “Desert Rain,” were often recorded in a variety of languages. Paul uses the universal language of music to proclaim God’s love for His people. He says, “Singing songs in different language can be challenging at times, but when you are passionate about something it makes the work light.” To date, Paul and his team have recorded twenty projects with Integrity in four different languages (English, Spanish, German and Portuguese). He says, “I am humbled that the Lord trusts me with these opportunities.”
          
ULTIMATE COLLECTION
Integrity Music recently released Paul’s latest cd, “Ultimate Collection” which consists of some of his most popular worship songs. One of the songs on the CD is called “Adonai.” The song came out originally in 2006 and was nominated as one of the worship songs of the year and continues to be a favorite with his audiences. In Hebrew,   “Adonai” means “you own it all.” The song is a declaration that Jesus is Lord of all of you. Paul chose the song for this CD because it was important for the Christian community to make a statement that, “Jesus is Lord.”

ROSH HASHANAH

Paul first led worship for Rosh Hashanah at CBN in 2008. He says it has been a “great honor” to lead worship for this celebration. Paul appreciates the way Pat affirms this celebration for messianic believers each year with such honor. Year after year, worship has been the focal point of this event. “Pat’s vision for this celebration has impacted millions around the world,” shares Paul.
                                                                                               
Once again, Paul and his band will be performing at CBN’s Rosh Hashanah event, Wednesday, Sept 24, 2014.  This will be streamed live at 7:00 – 8:30 pm ET on www.cbn.com.

Your Daily Prophetic Word - Jeremy Lopez- 9-24-14

Your Daily Prophetic Word - Jeremy Lopez- 9-24-14

'Seasons come and seasons go. You MUST let go of the way you did things last season. It will not work that way anymore. YOU don't function that way anymore. Let go and let.....well, you know.'  - God

PLEASE encourage others to sign up to receive 'Your Daily Prophetic Word' given through Jeremy Lopez. Sign up here: www.nowisyourmoment.com.

Thank you,

Jeremy Lopez

www.nowisyourmoment.com

*** If you want to receive a Personal Prophetic Word on MP3 to your email, GO HERE.

TEACHING OF THE DAY:

Prophetic Legitimacy

(MP3 2 Teaching Download)

by Jeremy Lopez

Israel's Population Nears 9 Million

CBNNews.com

Monday, September 22, 2014

JERUSALEM, Israel -- Israelis will welcome in Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, with the population topping 8.9 million, according to the Population and Immigration Authority's report, released Sunday.  For the first time, more than six million Jews will be living in the modern State of Israel.

Nearly 25,000 Jews immigrated to Israel from all over the world, including France and Ukraine, where an increase in anti-Semitism and war, respectively, have contributed to Jewish residents no longer feeling safe in these countries.

Meanwhile, of the 176,230 Israeli babies born this past year, there were 5,062 more boys than girls.

Tamar (which means "date" as in the fruit) topped the list of the 10 most popular names for girls, which included Noa, Shira, Adelle, Talia, Yael, Leanne, Miriam, Maya and Avigail.

Yosef (Joseph) was the most popular boy's name, followed by Daniel and Ori, Itai, Omer, Adam, Noam, Ariel, Eitan and David.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel's growing population is evidence of its victory over the Holocaust and over those who tried to stamp out the Jewish people over the centuries.

"No less important, for the first time in the history of the State of Israel, more than six million Jews live here. This number has great significance in light of our people's history in the previous century as well as in the current one," Netanyahu told ministers at the start of Sunday's cabinet meeting. "While we never lack constant challenges from all sides, I think that we proved over the past year that we can overcome them."