|
|||
|
|||
|
By Charles Gardner, Special to ASSIST News Service
In
the world of politics, too, there is an “immovable rock” that will
injure those nations wishing to move it. (Zechariah 12.3) Could this
mean that all who attack Jerusalem – “the city of the Great King”
(Matthew 5.35) – will themselves be terrorised?
Best-selling
novelist Jack Engelhard seems to think so, saying that the dreadful
terror attacks enacted by Islamic fanatics in Paris, Brussels, Istanbul
and Nice1 all began in Israel. He said the nations kept telling Israel
not to answer with force, but to make peace with them. Yet every such
gesture was met with more demands and more terror; and the world refused
to figure it out – that it had nothing to do with Israel.
The
Jewish state was merely a laboratory for radical Islam who have
murdered thousands of Israeli civilians with guns, knives, suicide
belts, and now the automobile – reminding us that cars have been used to
ram innocent pedestrians to death in Israel on a regular basis since
last autumn. And referring to the summit called by French President
Hollande to impose peace in Israel, Engelhard asks: “Is he calling for a
peace summit with whoever came to Nice to mow down hundreds of
celebrants?”2
Also
asking questions is evangelist Franklin Graham, son of Billy, who says
terrorists continue to attack because the U.S. government refuses to
recognize the danger of Islam.3
Even
in England, Muslim converts to Christianity require special protection
in the face of threats and persecution from their own families.
Yes,
the grim spectre of violence stalks the earth like a big black cloud.
All this is surely a sign of the imminent return of our Messiah, Yeshua.
(Luke 17.26f, Matthew 24.29f) But it’s a time to fasten our seatbelts… I
believe the Lord was speaking of these days when he said: “In a little
while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the
dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will
come, and I will fill this house with glory.” (Haggai 2.6f)
And
this theme is repeated in the New Testament when, in warning against
godlessness and sexual immorality (Heb 12.16) – an apt summary of
today’s Britain – the writer to the
Hebrews
reminds us of what happened at the giving of the Law on Mt Sinai when
the mountain shook in a terrifying spectacle accompanied by fire. This
would happen again, though on a bigger scale, at the end of the age so
that what cannot be shaken would remain.
Hold
on tight, for we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken. Let’s
not buckle under the pressure of worldly wisdom, but press on as we look
to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. (Heb 12.2) May I
encourage you to “strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” (Heb
12.12), a verse I have taken literally, as a result of which it has
become a constant source of testimony to the power of God. If I had
listened to worldly wisdom, I would have given up running when my knees
got painful but instead, inspired by this scripture, I trusted God to
heal them. It’s interesting that the very next verse says: “Make level
paths for your feet, so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather
healed.”
Now
I am able to continue running with perseverance the race marked out for
me (Heb 12.1), both physically as well as spiritually.
Jesus
said: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass
away.” (Matthew 24.35) He also said that “everyone who hears these words
of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his
house on the rock.” (Matthew 7.24)
Notes
2Jack Engelhard, Nice Terror: First they came for the Jews, Arutz Sheva, July 15 2016
3 www.charismanews.com July 7, 2016
Photo captions: 1) Terrorists preparing for battle. 2) Child terrorists in training. 3) The Nice terror attack (The Telegraph). 4) Charles Gardner with his wife, Linda.

** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).
Please also tell your friends that they can receive a complimentary
subscription to ANS by going to the above website and signing up there.