Christadelphian Magazine June 2009

1. Being a Christadelphian – Holding fast in challenging times IT is apparent to all of us that Gospel truth is under serious threat in these last days – just as we expected it to be. We are living at a time of unprecedented dependence on material possessions and human solutions, and need to be vigilant about ourselves. The very prophecies that warn of the heedlessness and wilful ignorance of mankind immediately before the Lord’s coming also remind us of this. Attacks on faith rarely come only from without. Paul warned the elders in Ephesus, “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:30). Christadelphian Magazine June 2009

2. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Pet. 3:3-4

3. Being a Christadelphian – Holding fast in challenging times IT is apparent to all of us that Gospel truth is under serious threat in these last days – just as we expected it to be. We are living at a time of unprecedented dependence on material possessions and human solutions, and need to be vigilant about ourselves. The very prophecies that warn of the heedlessness and wilful ignorance of mankind immediately before the Lord’s coming also remind us of this. Attacks on faith rarely come only from without. Paul warned the elders in Ephesus, “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:30). Christadelphian Magazine June 2009

4. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.” Act 20:28-31

5. A robust and comprehensive understanding of what Christadelphians believe and practise (including aspects of separation from the world) is not deemed essential to true baptism. Our distinctive Bible-based beliefs are said to be unreasonable. Instead brothers and sisters are encouraged to ignore existing fellowship boundaries and pursue links with other church groups, to attend ecumenical activities and conferences, and not to restrict fellowship at the memorial table. The scriptural authority of the ecclesia is either ignored or undermined in favour of looser groupings operating on a different basis. The style of worship promoted at ecumenical gatherings is preferred to the worship developed within the brotherhood, aspects of which are reflected particularly in the deeply thoughtful and scriptural words of many of our hymns. Popular Christian literature is read (often indiscriminately) and promoted widely, while material produced by brothers and sisters is frequently ignored, or if noticed it is denigrated and ridiculed. Practices are stridently advanced that are clearly rejected in the scriptures, but which are promoted in our politically-correct world that allows no discrimination on grounds of gender or sexuality. There is an emphasis on what is modern and novel, while terms such as “traditional” and “historical” are used pejoratively. There is a suggestion that there is somehow something shameful about being known as a Christadelphian – a brother or sister of Christ.

6. “... Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8

7. “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” 2 Sam 7:12-16

8. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Isa 9:6-7

9. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” Mat 23:37-39

10. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6

11. Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled: who among them can declare this, and shew us former things? let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified: or let them hear, and say, It is truth. Isa 43:9

12. “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.” Isa 43:10-12

13. And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. Lev 26:18

14. 1 Time = 360 years 7 Times = 2,520 years 604 BC + 2,520 years = 1918 -1 year (no year “0”) = 1917 7 Times

15. "Allenby's service in the Middle East proved more distinguished. In June 1917 he took command of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. The strength of his personality created a new spirit in his army, and after careful preparation and reorganization he won a decisive victory over the Turks at Gaza (November 1917), which led to the capture of Jerusalem (Dec. 9, 1917). Further advances were checked by calls from France for his troops, but after receiving reinforcements he won a decisive victory at Megiddo (Sept. 19, 1918), which, followed by his capture of Damascus and Aleppo, ended Ottoman power in Syria." Encyclopedia Britannica

16. And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence; Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: Jer 32:36-38

17. Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. Isa 66:8-9

18. 1. Zionist conference of 1898 2. Turks defeated and driven from Palestine 3. Balfour Declaration of 1917 4. Britain given Palestine Mandate by League of Nations, 1922 5. NAZI persecution in Europe 6.U.N. Declares Israel a Nation, 1947 7. British Mandate ends, 1948 8. Israel becomes a Nation 1948 Ezk. 37: Bone comes to Bone

19. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. Eze 38:1-6

20. But if the Israelis were looking to downplay the significance of military ties, [between Israel and Georgia] they weren't helped by comments like Yakobashvili's — or by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's enthusing at a press conference earlier this week that "the Israeli weapons have been very effective." “Nor did the Russians fail to notice. "Israel armed the Georgian army," grumbled General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of staff of the Russian military, at a press conference in Moscow earlier this week. An Israeli paper had, last weekend, quoted an unnamed official warning that Israel needed "to be very careful and sensitive these days. The Russians are selling many arms to Iran and Syria, and there is no need to offer them an excuse to sell even more advanced weapons." As if on cue, on Wednesday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Moscow hoping to persuade Russia to sell him sophisticated air-defense systems — and reportedly offering the Russian navy the use of one of its Mediterranean ports. Late on Wednesday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev had spoken on the phone to clear the air over the Georgia conflict and Russian arms sales to Syria.” Time Magazine August 21, 2008

21. The Russian navy is reported to be moving ahead with plans to upgrade its Soviet-era naval base at the Syrian port of Tartus in the eastern Mediterranean. Ria Novosti Monday quoted a senior Russian navy source as saying that "following modernization, the naval maintenance site at Tartus will become fully operational." DAMASCUS, Syria, July 21 (UPI)

22. “Cohen [Brookings Institute Russian expert] says the Russians are key in preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapons program. ‘Unless they are actively engaged and are willing to commit to that, then I don't see a peaceful resolution of that issue. And I think most people look at that whole situation in the Middle East as being very volatile and don't want to see military action taken. But frankly, we've already seen discussions about Israel and I know that Israel is concerned about Iran - as are other countries in the region - very concerned about Iran possessing a nuclear weapon. Diplomacy is key and Russia is going to be key to achieving that diplomatically, he said. “However David Kramer [senior State Dept. Official] says Russia's influence over Iran is limited. ‘I am not optimistic that we will get Russia on board in dealing with Iran. Russia really is not interested in applying pressure to the regime in Tehran - they'd rather have the United States and other countries do that. Russia has other interests in Iran. It has a different perception of the threat, although there were some indications coming out of the summit that there was a narrowing of those different perceptions. I'll believe it when I see it,’ he said. News.com July 12, 2009

23. Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil? Eze 38:13

24. “Ho! Land of widely o’ershadowing wings extending from beyond to rivers of Cush; which sendeth by sea whirling things even upon vessels of fleetness on the surface of waters! Go swiftly, ye fleet messengers, to a nation carried away and oppressed; to a people terrible from this and onward; a nation prostrate and trodden down, whose lands rivers have spoiled.” Isa 18:1

25. "What we have said specifically in regard to missile defense in Europe is that it has always been intended to deter any missiles that might come from Iran," Clinton said. "It remains our position. We have explained that to the Russians before." YNET.com March 3, 2009

26. The Pope gave his most forthright endorsement of a Palestinian state yesterday as his Holy Land pilgrimage took him to a refugee camp in the shadow of Israel’s controversial “separation barrier”. “The Holy See supports the right of your people to a sovereign Palestinian homeland in the land of your forefathers, secure and at peace with your neighbours, within internationally recognised borders,” Benedict XVI told Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President. The German pontiff, who had incurred Israeli anger for not appearing to show enough remorse during a visit to the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, was greeted with exuberant warmth in Aida, a shabby suburb of Bethlehem that started life as a camp for Palestinian refugees from the 1948 war with Israel. “ Times on Line May 14, 2009

27. When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the LORD'S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. DEU 32:8-10

28. "When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD." EZE 39:27-29