Israel and Prophetic Proof Part I

About 250 years ago, the King of Sweden had troubling doubts about whether the Bible was really true in every word. He asked Count von Zinzendorf, bishop of the Moravian Church, to give him proof that the Bible was truly inspired of God. The King had set aside 10 hours to hear what might be said. To his majesty's surprise, Zinzendorf informed him that the time allotted was far too much. He only needed to say one word. Astonished, the King asked what that could be. The Count replied, "Jews."

Today we would add one more word, "Israel." In Zinzendorf's day, that tiny and beleaguered nation, born on May 14, 1948, did not exist except in the hearts of Zionists who had never given up awaiting the fulfillment of the "God of Israel's" solemn promises. The continued existence of Israel today, surrounded by more than a billion Muslims who have sworn to exterminate her and who continually plot and repeatedly attack her in the attempt to do so, is one of the most astonishing miracles of modern times.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has blessed the Jewish people with a brilliance that generally far exceeds their cousins the Arabs and the rest of the Gentile world.

The Arabs have the oil, but the Jews have the brains. Lest I be accused of racism, one need only compare the numbers of Nobel prize winners among them. In the Arab/Muslim world of 1.4 billion there are 6 Nobelists: 3 for Peace, and 1 each for Chemistry, Physics, and Literature.

In the Jewish population of 14 million (one hundredth of the Arab world) there are 165 Nobelists: 51 for Medicine, 45 for Physics, 27 for chemistry, 22 for Economics, 11 for Literature, and 9 for Peace. This is astonishing!

Supporting the amazing facts surrounding Israel, there are literally dozens of biblical prophecies foretelling her sudden rise to become the world's premiere military power, the persistent attacks upon her from Muslim nations, and the fear of Israel that grips hostile Arab neighbors today. Yes, well might they fear her. Israel could wipe them out very quickly if she chose to do so. Instead, she has all too patiently endured their outspoken hatred, insults, repeated open threats of extermination, persistent rocket and terrorist attacks, and their continued feverish efforts to build the nuclear capability to destroy her.

Israel's patience ends when the threat becomes too dangerous. As it was with Syria, that may soon be the case with Iran, which is hoping one day to launch a nuclear attack on Israel. Iran would then become the hero of the Islamic world. If such an attack became possible, it would force Israel to preemptively destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, as it did after Syria's attempt to develop nuclear capabilities.

For months, by satellite, Israel followed ship after ship from North Korea as they landed in Syria and watched the convoys of trucks as they discharged their cargo in a "secret" desert destination. She patiently watched the construction of a nuclear facility disguised as a "cement plant" and ridiculously surrounded by the latest Russian radar and surface-to-air missiles. The evidence was shown to President George W. Bush, including photos taken inside the facility and missiles and radar protecting the unusual "cement."1 (Condoleezza Rice, whose "Replacement Theology" prevents her from being a true friend of Israel, was not consulted. The State Department has long been the enemy of Israel.)

With Bush's tacit approval, Israeli planes went in and destroyed the nuclear facility along with the latest Russian protection surrounding it. How did Israeli planes pierce these sophisticated defenses? They are not sharing that secret with anyone, least of all with our "friends" in the State Department.

These current events, like so many others, have been foretold in the Bible. In spite of their accuracy, critics deny their relevance. Some claim to be former Christians. One can only wonder what kind of "Christians" they were to remain in such complete ignorance of the Bible while pretending to know it so well. Gary Lenaire, for example, says that he "spent 15 years in the church...released nine contemporary Christian music albums, was nominated for six Gospel Music Awards...preached the gospel...around the world [and] served as a voluntary Chaplain for the Military Department."2 He writes in An Infidel Manifesto:

This is so pitiful that it is embarrassing. This "expert on Bible prophecy" offers little more than inexcusable ignorance and prejudice. He says, "any so-called prophecies." While some prophecies are difficult to understand, there are hundreds that clearly have been fulfilled to the letter and some are still in the process of being fulfilled.

"So general you could make them to mean almost anything"? In fact, they are so specific that Lenaire's statements would be laughable were they not influencing so many to turn from God.

Here is one of numerous prophecies (circa 600 BC), of which the specificity cannot be denied. "Therefore behold the days are coming, says the Lord, that they shall no longer say 'As the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,' but 'As the Lord lives who brought up and led the descendants of the house of Israel from the north country and from all the countries where I have driven them'" (See Jer 16:14-15; 23:7-8).

Notice the detailed prophetic elements. As the deliverance from "the land of Egypt," spoken of in the book of Exodus, was what Jews looked back to each year in the Passover as a reminder of God's love and power, that event would fade from its prominence in their minds to be replaced by something more recent. The prophecy has two distinct parts: 1) a confirmation of many previous prophecies that the Jews were going to be led captive into "every nation" (Lk 21:24), and 2) their eventual deliverance and return to Israel would almost eclipse from the national memory their deliverance from Egypt. And so it has happened.

The great proof that the Bible repeatedly offers of its veracity is the fact that God, through His prophets, tells what will happen centuries and even thousands of years in advance. There is no arguing with the precise detail and accuracy of any of the Bible's hundreds of prophecies. Yet, Lenaire, in typical atheist fashion, declared that most prophecies were so general that one could make them mean almost anything. Not so!

Lenaire is either deliberately attempting to mislead his readers, or he is displaying an abysmal ignorance. Most prophecies are, in fact, so specific that no one could argue with their meaning.

In Joel 3:2 (circa 800 BC), God declared that the day was coming when all nations would join to divide the land of Israel: "I will also gather all nations...and will plead with them [punish them] for my people and [for] my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land."

This is remarkable! Throughout its entire 3,000-plus-year history, the land of Israel had never been divided. It had been conquered by various nations, but even when the Turks held it as part of their Ottoman Empire for 400 years, they did not divide the land. A conqueror keeps the land he has conquered intact for himself. Why divide it?

This division of Israel has occurred only in our day. Britain, which had been placed in charge of "Palestine" by the allied forces who had conquered it in World War I, had been given the mandate by the League of Nations to see that this land should remain as a refuge for the Jews, who had been scattered everywhere.

Instead of fulfilling this mandate, Britain gave about 75 percent of the land to the Arab Muslims in exchange for oil. In 1947, the United Nations, through Resolution 181 and in fulfillment of Joel 3:2, formalized this breach of trust. Israel finally received a mere 13 percent of what they had been promised. This is now history. Britain and the UN infamously fulfilled Joel 3:2 and parted God's land.

The God of Israel, knowing all that would happen, had warned in advance that He would avenge Himself for this brazen robbery of His people. After being attacked by Muslim nations, who were following Allah's edict through Muhammad that all Jews must be destroyed, Israel, in self-defense recaptured some of this land.

Christ himself made a number of prophecies before His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. Like many other Hebrew prophets, Christ foretold the scattering of Jews all over the earth and the coming Great Tribulation (Luke 21:24-26). Also in Luke 21:24, there is a remarkable and very specific prophecy concerning Jerusalem itself: Jesus declared "Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."

When did this "treading down" of Jerusalem by Gentiles begin? In fact, it has been going on for centuries, beginning with Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of Jerusalem (2 Kings 24:10-11), dated 587-586 BC. This prophecy tells us of what Christ called "the times of the Gentiles." As it has so often, the existence of the United Nations played a key role. In partial fulfillment of Christ's prophecy, a vital part of UN Resolution 181 was the declaration that Jerusalem would be a corpus separatum, never part of Israel and never under the control of Jews.

Consider how specific the following is from the prophet Zechariah:

Two groups are distinguished by the prophet: "all the people round about Judah and Jerusalem" and "all the people of the earth." These groups are identified by two separate prophecies. To the first group, Jerusalem will be "a cup of trembling" and to the second group, "a burdensome stone." The first group is further identified as being united together "in a siege" against Judah and Jerusalem, the second group as "gathered together" against her.

Why will Israel be a "cup of trembling" to her neighbors? As we have just pointed out, Israel is the premier military power in the world, and she could wipe out her Arab neighbors very quickly but refrains from doing so. As for being a "burdensome stone," how better to show the fulfillment of this specific prophecy than by the fact that.from 1967-1989 out of 865 resolutions in the Security Council and General Assembly of the UN, 526 were against Israel.

As we have pointed out, that was the first time that Israel had ever been divided. Now we also see the first time that all nations surrounding it have been united in a common goal. Traditionally, these nations had been enemies. What unites them now? They are all Muslims, and it is Islam (which did not even exist at the time of the prophecy) that joins them in the common desire to destroy Israel.

For all nations to be united against Israel, there would have to be an organization of "all nations." The United Nations came into existence in 1945, just in time to be the means of fulfilling this prophecy.

This 2,500-year-old prophecy is both specific in its details and flawless in its accuracy.

Another amazing prophecy concerns anti-Semitism. There is no rational explanation for this implacable hatred that has continued over several thousand years. What fuels this insane obsession is the determination to exterminate the Jews. No other national people have been the long-term targets of such a goal. In The Secret War Against the Jews, Mark Aarons and John Loftus write:

Yes, many groups of people have suffered  greatly. The Muslims wiped out more than a million Armenians as well as millions of other peoples throughout history. Thousands of blacks were transported from Africa to the American colonies to become slaves in a trade begun by Arabs and assisted by Africans. However, the quote above indicates that the intent was not to exterminate these people, as has been (and still is) the Muslims' goal with the Jews.

Incredibly, the obvious lie persists by religious and political leaders such as recent popes, former leaders President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and now President Obama, that Islam is a religion of peace and has been maligned by critics. In fact, Muslims have murdered millions in their long-standing goal to take over the world, and there is an ongoing slaughter that continues to this day in Indonesia, Sudan, Nigeria, and elsewhere.

In contrast to the persistent praise of Islam as a force for peace in the world, Israel, which has never voiced unprovoked threats against other nations and has acted only in self-defense, has been accused repeatedly in the United Nations of aggression against innocent neighbors.

Fulfilled biblical prophecy stands as undeniable proof that the God of the Bible exists. Furthermore, these many prophecies, of which we will, God willing, have more to say next month, stand as a warning to the world of coming judgment. We will also review the many promises of blessing for those who will heed God's Word concerning Israel.        TBC
 
Endnotes

1.http://www.nysun.com/foreign/israel-north-korea-helped-syria-build-nuclear/64545/;also http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/20/AR2007092002701.html.

2. Gary Lenaire, An Infidel Manifesto: why sincere believers lose faith (Baltimore: PublishAmerica, 2006), back cover.

3. Lenaire, Infidel,120-21.

4. John Loftus and Mark Aarons, The Secret War Against the Jews: How Western Espionage Betrayed the Jewish People (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994).

Quotable

Spurgeon said that "the world pays scantily indeed. What will it do for those it loves the best? When it has done all it can, the last resource of the world is to give a man a title (and what is that?). And then to give him a tall pillar and set him up there to bear all weathers, to be pitilessly exposed to every storm; and there he stands for fools to gaze at...."

     
     C.H. Spurgeon, quoted in William MacDonald, Worlds Apart

Master, we would no longer be

    At home in that which hated Thee,

But patient in Thy footsteps go,

    Thy sorrow as Thy joy to know;

We would-and O confirm the power-

    With meekness meet the darkest hour,

By shame, contempt however tried,

    For Thou wast scorned and crucified.

     J. G. Deck, quoted in William MacDonald, Worlds Apart

Q & A

Question: On the last night of the Tulsa Prophecy Conference, during the Q&A session, a question was directed to Dave Hunt that related to Calvinism. He stated that election and predestination were never unto salvation but unto service. Mike Gendron responded by reading 2 Thessalonians 2:13: "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." Doesn't that sound like God has chosen certain ones to be saved, which of course would mean that the rest are chosen to damnation by default?

Response: I had already stated that I did not want to prolong a discussion about Calvinism. Looking back, I do not want to leave the impression that I had no answer to the verse Mike read. One thing you will notice when this subject comes up: there are a few favorite verses that Calvinists quote. This is one of about four or five, and Mike didn't mention any of the others.

Had I wanted to continue the discussion, I could have noted that whereas Calvinists have a handful of favorite verses, there are literally hundreds proving that God has not chosen certain ones for heaven and others for hell. For example, Christ introduces and explains John 3:16 ("For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.") with a reference to the incident in the wilderness involving the brazen serpent: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." This reference is to Numbers 21. Let's notice the wording there: "Every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live....If a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived" (Num 21:8,9). This was the way Christ explained John 3:16. The Calvinists say that Christ was not talking about the whole world but only the world of the elect. Christ's example shows that this is not the case.

Christ does not allow this misinterpretation. Here is one of the reasons Calvinists generally avoid references to the Old Testament. Calvinism, far from being supported there, is refuted. It was not the homes of a few elect over which the destroying angel passed but every home where the blood had been applied. Who went through the Red Sea on dry land? An elect few? No, everyone who had been delivered from Egypt by the blood. Who ate of the manna in the wilderness? For whom did the water flow out of the rock? Who was led by the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night? Was it an elect few among the Israelites? No, it was all of them, even though all did not believe.

Such examples could be multiplied by the dozens. In comparison, the few verses of doubtful interpretation that Calvinists hold out to prove their case are far from conclusive on their side. Even 2 Thessalonians 2:13, which Mike read, includes the proof that there is more involved than God simply choosing some to heaven. Something more is required of man: "through...belief of the truth."

Question: What information can you give me about the theory that Christianity copied the "messianic" characteristics of the Egyptian God Horus to create Jesus? In that account, Osiris (father of Horus) meets his death at the hands of the evil god Set. Isis, the wife of Osiris, reassembles his dismembered body, bringing about a "resurrection." Horus, "the son," is the one who eventually defeats Set. I had never heard of this comparison to Christ before, and it recently came up in a discussion.

Response: There are messianic figures in other religions, but if the Bible is true, that would be expected. Just as many cultures have stories that parallel the accounts in Genesis (creation of man, the fall, the flood, the tower of Babel, the longevity of the patriarchs, etc., which were all known and passed down from the beginning), it should not be surprising that these groups have messianic figures as well. Because the Bible is true, these things exist. The adversary is always ready with a counterfeit.

Genesis 3:15 is the earliest prophecy of the Messiah. In this one verse we find certain elements. His "heel" was to be bruised.  The serpent's head was to be bruised as well as the Messiah's heel. This "wounding" (speaking of the prophesied death and resurrection of the Messiah) is aped by the later Osirus/Horus myth. The importance of the "woman" in the narrative also would serve as inspiration for the mourning women of other "messianic" stories.

As one example, it is claimed that Quetzalcoatl of Mexico was crucified in 587 BC for the sins of the world. According to legend, he also was born of a virgin mother, descended into hell, and rose on the third day. Psalm 22, with many details about the crucifixion of Christ, was written between 1000-965 BC. Isaiah's prophecies of the Messiah were recorded between 740-700 BC-plenty of time to be appropriated for Quetzalcoatl's claims.

The few details included in the Osiris/Horus myth (circa 2400 BC) parallel (in a distorted form), only the prophecy of Genesis 3:15, which was known to humanity from the beginning. Despite claims by skeptics, there are no further parallels. It is instructive that "messianic" stories containing additional details occur at a later date. They appear after all the prophecies concerning "He who was to come" were recorded in Old Testament Scripture.

If there is a Satan who tries to disrupt the plan of God (and there is); how better to do so than by introducing a counterfeit? Satan knows the Scriptures and selectively quotes them when he deems it advantageous (Mat 4:6, etc.). He can only counterfeit, however, what has been revealed. Consequently, it is not surprising that at a later date, when more prophecy was known, the "fuller" account of Quezalcoatl came along. The virgin birth, forty days of temptation, fasting, etc., had by this time been prophesied in Scripture. Satan is an adversary who is a master of the counterfeit (2 Cor 11:13-14). That being said, among the many differences between these would-be messiahs and the true Messiah, one especially must be noted: all of the "other" messiahs proclaimed a "gospel" of works. This is a far cry from the Gospel of Grace proclaimed by Christ.

Question: I have been aggravated for some time with the controversy surrounding the security of the believer. In other words, the "Once Saved, Always Saved" issue is very controversial in many Christian circles, and there seem to be few resources on this issue. Could you please address this in a future issue of the Berean Call newsletter?

Response: We first addressed the security of the believer in the June 1989 issue of the newsletter. This article has since been reformatted and is now available as the tract "Once Saved, Always Saved?" (www.thebereancall.org).

Regardless of our own perceptions or convictions, we must begin with the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and compare all other scriptures (such as James 5, Ezekiel 18, or the "difficult" passages in Hebrews) to His words. The clearest statement of the Savior's intent can be found in John 10:26-29. He makes six declarative statements with absolutely no qualifications:

1) My sheep hear My voice. 2) I know them. 3) They follow Me. 4) I give unto them eternal life. 5) They shall never perish. 6) Neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand, nor out of My Father's hand.

The language used in the original is very adamant, as the phrase translated "any man" is all inclusive—which includes "us" in the "any man" category. Hebrews 12:5-12 is an excellent (albeit painful) example of how God works in the lives of His children as He disciplines them. There are no qualifiers re how closely they follow, how far they stray in their waywardness, or how dim the voice of the Shepherd may become to them. Furthermore, "If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire"  (1 Cor 3:14-15).

Question: Choo Thomas has written a book called Heaven Is So Real. It is making the rounds of Christian church circles, and many Christians are very excited about it. Even when you confront them with the obvious occultic practices that the author claims are biblical, they refuse to acknowledge that she is a false teacher. I think that what she is doing is nothing more than Astral Projection...an occult practice. What do you think?

Response:This book should be a "slam dunk" for every Christian. In our copy, nearly every page is tagged as error. It is filled with contradictory statements, unbiblical doctrine, and Scripture-twisting to explain her experiences.

We are told repeatedly that the author is a specially chosen vessel, indeed, "the most fortunate individual who had ever existed" (p. 65). "The Lord," sounding more like a Hollywood agent than Creator of the Universe, assures Thomas, "I will make you famous" (p. 70) and "everyone will know you" (p. 75). "My daughter, you are an End-Times prophetess,...and you are living proof of My Word and My prophecies..." (p. 168). During one visit to "heaven," she examines "my mansion" (p. 64). Hers is larger and more sumptuous than many others and has her name on the door.

"Heaven" has different departments. There is a place for "disobedient Christians" located near the pit of Hell (p. 46). Anyone who doesn't "tithe" to Christian ministries is one of the "disobedient children" (p. 21), a useful point for those promoting "seed faith" (see TBC, 1/87 ). When asked how long these disobedient children stay "in this barren, lifeless place," "the Lord" replies, "Forever, My daughter" (p. 46). Another area is an "endless valley" of "sinful Christians." This congregation is "mostly men with a few women" and "most of them will go to the Lake of Fire after the judgment" (p. 58).

On another visit, Thomas is shown a huge room filled with naked babies (p. 38). These aborted babies are kept in this vast room (with no apparent attendants) until their mothers are saved, at which point "they can have their babies back." Those whose mothers are unsaved will be given to others, "when all My children come into the kingdom" (p. 38-39).

Thomas is confused about grace, often stating her unworthiness, while "the Lord" speaks of her good works—she indeed has earned everything, including her mansion in heaven and a mansion on the earth (pp. 134-35). Thomas sums up her writing with the statement, "The truth is, however, that most of the things God has shown me are recorded in the Bible." She quotes Scripture, but fails to demonstrate her claim.

The Bible tells us that Heaven is a place of joy, where the Lord God will wipe away all tears from all eyes (Isa 25:8), not a place where we, like Thomas, are able to look into the pit of Hell and see our mother (or other relatives) "screaming for help from the gaping pit of Hades" (p 50).

It is impossible even to imagine the blessings of heaven. First Corinthians 2:9 tells us, "But as it is written, eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

We are given glimpses. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Psalm 16:11). "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21:4). "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat" (Revelation 7:16).

Contrasted to the truth of Scripture, which glorifies God alone, much of this book is a direct appeal to the fleshly needs and wants of man.

News Alert

The Washington Post, 3/29/09:[Excerpts] Evolution was back in the headlines as the Texas State Board of Education voted 13-2 to require students to "analyze and evaluate" major evolutionary concepts such as common ancestry, natural selection, and mutations, as well as adopting a critical thinking standard calling on students to "critique" and examine "all sides of scientific evidence."

Defenders of evolution ...had pushed the Board to strip the "analyze and evaluate" language from the evolution standards and gut the overall critical thinking standard. Evolutionists typically cast themselves as the champions of secular reason against superstition, but in Texas they tried to inject religion into the debate at every turn.

Indeed, this past week it seemed that they couldn't stop talking about religion...boast[ing] about their credentials as Sunday School teachers and church elders, quot[ing] the Bible and appeal[ing] to theology. And, of course, they attacked the religious beliefs of their opponents, branding them religious fundamentalists.

By contrast, supporters of teaching the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution focused mostly on science, not religion. They even had a procession of Ph.D. biologists and science teachers testify before the Board of Education about their scientific skepticism of key parts of modern evolutionary theory.

Biology professor Wade Warren testified about the challenges to evolutionary theory posed by DNA, the fossil record, and the physiology of the cell. Microbiologist Donald Ewert, who spent much of his research career at the prestigious Wistar Institute in Philadelphia, discussed the limits of what experimental biology can show about natural selection's power to produce major evolutionary change.

Sarah Hicks, who earned her Ph.D. in evolutionary ecology and biology from RiceUniversity described [how] a fellow student who expressed skepticism about parts of evolutionary theory was forced to leave

the program.

Letters

TBC,

Loved your article in the last newsletter [(4/09)"Christian Patriot"]. You did a great job of teaching the importance of remembering where our citizenship is. I want you to know that if the future record reveals that they did take my firearm from my cold, dead fingers, it wasn't because I disagree with a single point you made (because you were perfectly Biblical), but it will be because I played the fool and refused to heed good counsel. KL (WA)

Dear Dave,

Thanks...for...[your] awesome book [What Love Is This?] I almost was persuaded to be a Calvinist, but this book, along with my Bible, of course, has opened my eyes and my heart to the fact that Jesus Christ died for all. Last evening, after reading a couple of chapters, I prayed and thanked the Lord for protecting me from being deceived by the false doctrine of Calvinism. I asked for forgiveness for even leaning in that direction....God doesn't just love, He IS love and never tempts us to sin. Thanks again...you put into words what I didn't have the words for. SG (LA)

Dear TBC,

Thanks for printing Mark Dinsmore's thoughtful analysis of our American mindset (4/09), revealing a very uncomfortable and sure-to-be unpopular way of thinking. The very truth of  "there is not a single example in Scripture of 'armed revolution' of any kind as a pattern for the church" stopped me cold. Like the author, my American history comfort zone included the conservative Christian-heritage instruction to which he referred. Tempting as it may be to be activists against gun control and socialism, our real assignment is, as Mr. Dinsmore reminds, "to preach the gospel and make disciples." Thank you, Berean Call, for being right on target. Again! SN (email)

Dear Dave, T. A., & Staff at Berean Call,

Thank you so very much for continuing to send us the Berean Call. On Feb. 13, we received the November, December, and January [issues], all opened! It's a shocking thing, but our postal service has fallen apart at the seams and our country is in a shambles. We sorely miss The Berean Call when it seems that it will not arrive, however, we thank you and praise the Lord for your kindness. We first received TBC in August 1997, and have them all on file, where we can regularly check for answers. We can honestly say that it has always been a blessing to us in our Christian walk, strengthening us many times when we have faltered due to circumstances in our lives. May the Lord continue to bless you in your very necessary ministry. B&DH (Zimbabwe)

T. A. McMahon,

You are a myopic and self-righteous people who profit from spreading division, distrust, animosity...ignorance, and hate. Your so-called Christian ways are an insult to Jesus Christ and his love and acceptance of all of us, regardless of who we are. Remember, all of humanity, all of creation, comes from the same God and returns to that same God. BY (email)

TBC,

Thank you for the great blessing of your newsletter, especially the latest issue which warned of the attack on the beliefs of our youth. I continue to pray for the health of T.A., Dave, and Dave's daughter. JR (NC)

Dear TBC,

I just finished Judgment Day: Israel, Islam, and the Nations (3rd ed.). Thank you for writing it. I did not know the true history about the name Palestine (chapter 4). It is a shame reading [in] chapter 12 that leaders "who claim to be Christians" will blame Israel but befriend Islam.... MC (TN)

TBC,

I was extremely impressed with the Patriotism article (4/09)...my mind is made up...if the Rapture doesn't happen first, I will go if arrested just as Christ did...and the apostles. Perhaps I can encourage someone or even win someone to the Lord. It would be an honor and a privilege. (Much better than our previous tentative plan to defend ourselves with a weapon...we already have all the armor we need...the spiritual kind!) CR (email)

Dear Dave and T. A.,

After nearly thirty years of reading (and sending to others) The Berean Call and many of your books, we want to tell you again of the Lord's blessing us and our family through your ministry....We praise the Lord for His care in putting us under your teachings, and thank you again for your labors in showing so many the narrow path! We had only just turned to Him with whole hearts, and know now it was His Hand guiding us with haste, since we were already 47 and 50. You will rejoice knowing He placed within us a compelling desire to know Him by reading the entire Bible as soon as possible. We continue to do so, but being in our eighties now, bifocals and aching joints have slowed the pace. Praying God will continue His mercy and healing for both of you and all those in TBC Ministries for His greater glory! G&AT (MT)

Hi,

I wish Dave and everyone else many more years of ministry. I have listened to and have been inspired by Dave since 1988 when I became a Christian at the age of 21 after watching one of his videos. Before that, I was raised a skeptic/atheist from my family upbringing. So I am in debt to you all and to what you do. I have collected, I think, every video tape/DVD that Dave has done since my conversion and use them often in the witness of the Gospel. DM (email)

TBC Notes

Message from Dave

By God's grace and in answer to many prayers, I am making good progress toward recovery. An intensive physical therapy regimen at home and at an outpatient facility have aided greatly in furthering my mobility. God has been faithful indeed during these months of recovery, and, with a full heart, I can say with the Psalmist, "I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me" Psalm 119:75.

I am working hard on completing Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny, and then hope to resume a traveling ministry, as the Lord leads. Please pray for me that I might fully discern God's leading as I face the days of opportunity and challenge that lie ahead.

In Christ's love,

Dave Hunt

TBC Extra

Question: I would like to know God, and I have asked Him to reveal Himself to me, but nothing happens. No lights have gone on, no messages in the sky, no sudden revelation. It seems to me that if God really existed He would want us to believe in Him and He would therefore do something tangible to let us know He exists. Is it wrong to ask for some unmistakable evidence of God's existence?

Response: No, and the evidence is all around you—more than you need. The kind of evidence you seem to be hoping for, however, wouldn't help at all. Suppose some message with your name in it suddenly appeared in the sky. How would you know that God put it there? Suppose right now you heard an audible voice saying loudly, "I am God! Worship me!" What would that tell you about God—and how would you know that He had actually spoken?

In fact, God has spoken to you. The design of the universe is a message from God, telling you of His existence as Creator and of His infinite wisdom and power. Those things that you value most highly and that you know in your heart make life worthwhile—love, joy, peace, moral purity, goodness, truthfulness, justice, kindness-tell you of God's character. Your conscience tells you that you are morally accountable to God, that you have violated His laws and have fallen short of His perfect standard. Your conscience also tells you that there is no way you can make up for having broken God's laws. You can't buy Him off with sacrifice, prayers, good deeds, or ritual.

Suppose you got a speeding ticket. Would you waste your time telling the judge that you've driven that stretch of highway within the speed limit more often than above it? Would he let you off under the theory that your "good deeds outweigh the bad"? You know that won't work with an earthly judge, and it certainly won't work with God.

Would you tell him that if he lets you off this time you will never break the law again? You know what the judge would say: "If you never break the law again, you're only doing what the law requires. You get no extra credit for that. It doesn't make up for having broken the law in the past. The penalty will have to be paid as the law prescribes it." You know it's the same way with God.

Your conscience tells you that the only way you could possibly escape the severe penalty that God's infinite justice must demand for having broken His laws would be if He forgives you. And you know He can't just wipe the slate clean for no reason. For one thing, that would hardly encourage you to improve your behavior. Furthermore, it would violate His own law. He must have some way of paying the penalty Himself—a penalty you can't pay—so that you can be forgiven by His grace.

You don't know what that method may be, but you know that a God of perfect love and perfect justice would somehow provide it. If there is an explanation of this good news, it would surely be in the Bible. In fact, God has explained it all in those pages. Have you seriously studied the Bible and checked out the evidence that shows it is God's infallible Word?

There is more than sufficient historic, archaeological, and scientific evidence to prove that the Bible is God's infallible Word. In fact, in this volume alone we provide overwhelming evidence of that fact. But you don't really need it. That kind of proof is like icing on the cake. If you just read the Bible with an open heart and mind, you will know that God is speaking to your heart as only He can speak.

I recommend that you begin with the Gospel of John and continue through Acts and Romans, then read those three books again. God has promised in His Word: "Ye shall seek me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). That is a promise you can count on! Seek God with all your heart and put Him to the test by looking in the Bible for the revelation of Himself!