Are You Hopeful or Hopeless?

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Are You Hopeful or Hopeless?

Guest blogger: Mark Goodman

In a song from Les Miserables, Fantine mourns her shattered dream.  Weeping, she sings:

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hope apart
As they turn your dream to shame

And later:

Now life has killed the dream I dreamed.

Everyone reading this has lost a dream to the strangling grasp of life.  What dream did you bury?  What dream do you continue to exhume?

On a now-famous day in August of 1963, a man well-familiar with personal pain and shattered dreams stood before a crowd of thousands on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and declared his dream.  Later he still held to that dream as he evidenced in the words from 1967 that we now hear:

If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all.  And so today I still have a dream.

This week marks the beginning of the Advent season, a time of expectant waiting.  We imagine what it was like for the Hebrew people awaiting the Messiah’s arrival and we experience our own wait for the Lord’s return.  Today we focus on the Hope of Advent. 

As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so beautifully stated, hope is indeed “that courage to be.”

I want to point you in the right direction in which you can choose to travel and to the journey along which you will discover the sources of Hope from which come strength as you tap into them.

Like the Oz-bound brainless Scarecrow pointing in all directions, shared opinions, spoken philosophies, and a plethora of spiritual teachers will steer you toward a hope found in self-actualization and/or the true fulfillment of your inner being.  For the follower of Christ, however, the only true guidance comes from Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).  This Christ spoke all things into being, including the Word of God as found in the New and Old Testaments.  Let us, then, turn to the Old Testament to find the map for our journey toward Hope.

1 Hear my prayer, LORD;
let my cry for help come to you.
2 Do not hide your face from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
3 For my days vanish like smoke;
my bones burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;
I forget to eat my food.
5 In my distress I groan aloud
and am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake; I have become
like a bird alone on a roof.
Psalm 102:1-7 (1984 NIV)

Withered heart, vanishing days, no appetite for food – the situation appears hopeless.  Yet (oh yes, yet), the afflicted man dares raise his eyes to take in the wider view of life.  There his eyes or, perhaps more so, his spirit found a profoundly delightful focus.  God came near.

25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants will live in your presence;
their descendants will be established before you.”
Psalm 102:25-28 (1984 NIV)

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, wrote:
“Hope is hope for infinite Hope.”

Notice the capitalization of the last “H” in the sentence.

To push “shift” as one types that last word’s first letter, is to recognize that hope, in order to last, must claim God as its source, motivation and destination.

In 1626, from the pulpit of the immense and magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, the English poet and pastor John Donne proclaimed the following words about death on Christmas Day, of all times.  I am glad he did.

Others die as martyrs, but Christ was born a martyr.  He found Golgotha (where he was crucified) even in Bethlehem where he was born.  For to his tenderness then, even the straws were almost as sharp as the thorns after, and the manger as uneasy at first as his cross at last.  His birth and his death were but one continual act, and his Christmas Day and his Good Friday are but the evening and the morning of one and the same day.  (Hendrix 53)

While I am quite sure that Jesus the newborn child did not formulate thoughts of the cross while still in the manger, I do know that when the soldiers led Him up to Golgotha, it was no surprise to Him.

Ultimately and immediately, you will discover Hope if you will look forward to the Lord’s return and will look backward to see His willingness to die.

Works Cited
Hendrix, John. Celebrate Advent Worship and Learning Resources. Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys, 1999.

_______________________________________________

Many thanks to guest blogger Mark Goodman. You may visit his blog here. He shared this about himself and his family:

 

I have served in Christian Ministry for over 25 years in Texas and Alaska. Since 2008, I have been living in Anchorage, Alaska and serving as the Senior Pastor of Rabbit Creek Church. As a pastor and teacher, my passion is guiding people and helping them in their journey with Christ. I was raised in Arlington, Texas. I earned my Bachelor’s Degree from Baylor University and my Master’s Degree from George W. Truett Theological Seminary. I earned my Doctor of Ministry degree from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, Alabama. My wife, Vonda Kay, and I have three children. All of us love Alaska!

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Resurrected Life

Karen BurkettLeave a comment

Today’s post was contributed by Rev. Anita Keire, the author of A Parent’s Guide to Prayer; the ten levels of non-denominational Mustard Seed Series Sunday school [or homeschooling] curriculum for churches, individuals, homes, and religious schools; Resurrection Dialogues with Skeptics and Believers; and Walking on Water: Skeptics and Believers Discuss Whether Jesus Matters. I encourage you to visit her website to learn more: MustardSeedSeries.com.

_____________________________

One thing we can learn from the resurrection of Jesus is that what looked like a dead end is just the beginning of new life. The same applies to the life cycle found in nature. Spring has arrived. Trees and plants are coming to life. Soon they will be in full bloom fulfilling the purpose for their existence.

As we awaken to our own new life found in Jesus Christ, let us commit ourselves to be our Lord’s heart, voice, and hands in this world. For starters, let us reflect on the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi on peace.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

 

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

Think about it.

  • Do you agree with this peace prayer? Why or why not?
  • How does this prayer reflect the way we live our lives?
  • Should we take into consideration the fall of our lives? Why or why not?
  • Have you truly internalized this prayer?
  • What does the empty cross image suggest to you?

ALS: A Widow’s Point of View

Karen Burkett1 Comment

FALLEN SOLDIERS MARCH® is a 501(C)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing biblical counseling, service dogs, and veteran advocacy. I encourage you to visit their website to learn more about what they do and how you can help.

With Jim Retzke’s permission, from time to time I will post articles from their newsletter. (Jim is president of the organization.) This one is titled “Widow’s Point of View into Operations Desert Shield-Desert Storm 100% Service-Connected ALS.

2 Timothy 4:7: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

We met in early fall of 1998. It was Friday night. Keith Button watched me walk past him toward the Virginia Beach’s Septembers Club dance floor.  Keith had decided that after he finished his cocktail and potato skins, his next step was to ask me to dance.  Shortly afterwards completing his beverage, he looked to see where I was, but he could not find me.

A friend and I had left to go to Worrell Brothers on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.  We had no plans to return to Septembers.  However, two hours passed, and we still didn’t see any of our friends. So, we decided to return to Septembers.  Shortly after we arrived, Keith began walking toward me as we made eye contact.  He saw me roll my eyes at him with disinterest.  He had long spiral curled hair down to his waist, not exactly “my” type.  Keith decided to still “proceed as planned.” If I said no, he would continue walking toward the exit door behind me.

Up close, his burly looks did not match his very polite, relaxed and soft-spoken demeanor. “Yes!” I thought to myself; this Harley riding, pot smoking, tall and handsome dude has “no lines memorized?”  I was quickly reminded of the hazards associated with judging a book by its cover.

Keith was a devoted father, libertarian, Christian and Army Veteran, having served as a Water Craft Engineer in the Gulf War (1987-1991).  He rode a bike; however, did not smoke pot!  Keith’s deep green eyes and kind smile became very attractive . . . minus the long hair!  As he walked me to my car, he offered to give me his number, thinking to himself I would not give him mine.  I told him I will not call. “I am old fashioned – I don’t call guys.”. He politely asked for my phone number, returning one of the biggest smiles when I gave it to him.  I woke up the next morning to my phone ringing. Keith and I talked for hours.  Days led to weeks, weeks to months, and we became inseparable for 18 years.

What was our marriage like?  We planned, strategized like soldiers ready for combat, argued at times and learned to agree to disagree.  No matter what challenged us, we owned it and tackled it “together.”  Keith learned to roll egg rolls like a pro and sweep with a bamboo “filipino broom.”   An Indiana native, he learned to love the beach just as much as I do.  Keith taught me to tile floors, build a flagstaff stone Koi pond and enjoy an organic garden!  Marriage was challenging at times; we both had ex-spouses and three teen age girls in the mix!  We loved to entertain, and friends visited often.  My daughter married and had a baby girl who fondly called him “Grampa.”. Keith was the apple of her eyes and vice versa—I learned to accept being the third wheel.

Our lives were blessed with the companionship of two Shih Tzus named Tobi and Lulu.  Our home was full of love and laughter.  We worked hard at being “debt-free” and managed to vacation on the beaches of the Outer Banks.  We were grateful that through the kindness and generosity of a dear friend, we always had open invitation accessibility to his beach house. Memories of beach horses, grilled rib eyes and seafood feasts abounded!

However, during our summer vacation in late August of 2011, Keith tripped going down the beach house steps, resulting in a limp.  The limp lasted several months before progressing to a “dropped foot.”  Keith saw my chiropractor and several specialists in vain.  Several more months passed, and the dropped foot exacerbated. Keith began dragging his leg while walking, occasionally losing his balance and falling.  Keith’s sprained ankle clearly was getting worse, not better!

What Is ALS? 

Life was not perfect, but life was good.  We had matured as a couple and had arisen to many challenges.  I remember co-workers celebrating my recent promotion at a luncheon.  My employer punctuated this promotion by remodeling my office, replete with new furniture.

On a winter day in 2012, I was eating lunch at my desk while looking out the window; I thanked the Lord for all the blessings in my life—my heart was full.  The phone rang, Keith calling after returning from another appointment concerning his leg.  I could hardly understand him as he was sobbing.  All I heard was “A-L-S . . . 2, max 3 years to live.”  What in the world is A-L-S???  My frantic research began on the internet.  Lou Gehrig, aka “Iron Horse,” played Major League Baseball as a New York Yankee (1923-1939).  Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS, ended his career in 1939, and lost his ALS battle in 1941, just  two years after his initial diagnosis.

“ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. . . . Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body.”  www.alsa.org/about-als/what-is-als.html

Keith’s “dropped foot” progressed to a “dropped leg,” causing Keith to lose his balance and fall.  Keith was 6’2″, 250 pounds.  I could not lift him up when he fell to the floor; often I had to call the Fire Department for help.  The local Fire Fighters were an insightful, cheerful team of guys that graciously cheered him up, joking about his beloved “Steelers” to distract Keith from being embarrassed.  Often Keith’s solemn facial expression would quickly turn into a big smile, at times, laughter.  The Firefighters would always arrive within five minutes, no matter what time of the day or night they were dispatched.  As Keith’s falls became more frequent, out of appreciation for the Fire Fighters’ rapid responses, I would pre-make home-made eggrolls, freeze them and have them ready to serve, sweet and sour sauce on the side to hand to them.  Although they were happy to help, it became clear that their service was only an interim solution. Keith’s disease progression signaled I would need additional help and equipment to take care of him.

By the fall of 2014, Keith needed full time home care or VA hospital confinement in Hampton, VA.  Hampton is a thirty-minute drive, much longer during rush hour traffic.  My career was demanding; commuting to the hospital would have only allowed me to see him on weekends.  The progression showed no sign of slowing down, but I trusted God to guide my thoughts and daily path.  The Bible says we are to place our marriage and spouse second only to God.  Consciousness toward biblical knowledge and obedience does not make an immediate decision to walk away from a thirty-year career easier, transforming into a full-time care giver for a disease I knew nothing about.  Immediately I was challenged to learn medical terminology, to accelerate medical equipment and supply deliveries and scheduling home care medical staff, my “new norm.”. The challenges did not end there—I did not have a clue what would come next.

The financial burden was astronomical.  However, because ALS is 100% service connected (predicated upon deployment location and years of service), the VA provided most equipment, supplies and a grant to modify our home.  Unfortunately, the disease progression often accelerated faster than I could obtain time-sensitive critically needed medical equipment and home modifications to adapt to Keith’s rapidly declining independence.

Suddenly, Keith was no longer able to climb stairs, and an Automatic Lift Chair was required to help him reach our second-floor bedroom.  Until installation, Keith was forced to sleep on the first-floor couch.  Keith ultimately required two Hoyer Lifts for each floor to assist me in lifting him off the floor when he fell, into a chair or onto his bed.  Walking with a cane rapidly declined to purchasing a pair of “walkers” for each floor.  Within several weeks, Keith’s impairment deteriorated, prompting the purchase of manual wheel chairs for each floor to facilitate mobility.

ALS Diagnosis Is 100% Service Connected for Gulf War Veterans

“Scientists have yet to find a cause for why America’s military veterans are approximately twice as likely to develop ALS than other segments of our population. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes ALS as a service-connected disease and provides financial and medical support to those with at least 90 continuous days of military service.

“Study after study continues to demonstrate this to be true: If you serve in the military, regardless of the branch of service, regardless of whether you served in the Persian Gulf War, Vietnam, Korea, or World War II, and regardless of whether you served during a time of peace or a time of war, you are at a greater risk of dying from ALS than if you had not served in the military.

“Factors that might contribute to the increased risk of ALS in veterans include exposure to lead, pesticides or other environmental contacts. Tobacco use also increases the risk of ALS, independent of military service.”

Source ALS Association

Ultimately, our home was ADA modified, replete with a ceiling lift, deck and elevator, hardwood floors and wide doors to accommodate a power wheelchair.  The challenge was finding an ADA Contractor who is knowledgeable, efficient and experienced.  Moreover, it was difficult identifying a contractor willing and able to complete the required paperwork expeditiously to transition efficiently to each new construction phase.  The Specially Adapted Housing Grant is available to veterans or service members who are entitled to compensation for permanent and total service-connected disability due to the loss, or loss of use, of both lower extremities.  Currently, the grant is limited to $81,080:

Many challenges exist when constructing an ADA compliant home addition: weather conditions, material availability and inspections.  Additionally, ADA-focused inspections and milestone payments complicate construction progress.  Our VA Grant Administrator warned us, sometimes a veteran passes away before construction is completed.  Knowing how to evaluate and select a seasoned, reliable and trustworthy contractor is a critical decision before beginning a project of this magnitude.

By early spring of 2015, Keith lost complete use of his arms, and a power wheel chair replaced all manual wheel chairs.  VA Grant was insufficient to replace our carpeted rooms. However, we identified supplemental non-profit grants to replace all first-floor carpeted rooms with power wheel chair compliant hard wood to accommodate functionality, an additional $6,000 expense.  God is good; the ADA compliant room addition was completed in June of 2015.

Three years after being diagnosed with ALS, Keith and I celebrated our 15th year Wedding Anniversary in February 2015.  Before ALS, Keith could outrun friends ten years younger than himself and move  machinery weighing in access of 450 lbs unaided while working.  Keith was a “Work Horse” in terms of natural strength, determination and energy.

However, three years after his initial ALS diagnosis, Keith was confined to a hospital bed, kept alive by an oxygen machine and nourished via a feeding tube.  This is a message I sent friends two days before the anniversary party, so they were not shocked after arriving into our home:

“For those who can come, but have not seen Keith in several months, I want to make sure you are prepared. Unfortunately, he is unable to speak or shake hands.  Recently, he began having trouble swallowing and drinking water. So, last Friday he had a PEG surgically installed in his core/abdomen area. The good news is, in just a matter of days, he gained a little hand and fingers function that he lost, improved his nutrition, hydration and even his breathing levels.

Although “he is still very sore in his core/abdomen area,” he is not as fragile as he looks! He still has his wit and will enjoy a conversation, even if all he can do is nod his head. He is able to manually spell out words on his homemade key board and his nurse or I will be delighted to help, if needed.”

My 30+ year contracts and procurement career did not prepare me for the challenges I faced.  Learning the medical terminology and how to use medical equipment was daunting.  In the beginning, we were blessed with a loving and thoughtful nurses’ aide, Suzanne.  Although the VA provided equipment and a nurses’ aide, VA polices, procedures and logistics fostered hassle factors—not necessity, efficiency or effectiveness. Case in point, nurses’ aides can only assist; they are not licensed to legally operate any of the medical equipment.  Simple acts of showering or grocery shopping subjected Keith’s life to risk if any of the equipment required immediate attention or troubleshooting.  I learned how to aggressively strategize, contest and override VA policies that led to the assignment of registered nurses, approved to troubleshoot the oxygen machines and feeding tubes essential to keeping Keith alive.

After 4.5 years, Keith and I lost our battle with ALS.  Keith returned to be with the Lord on January 22nd of 2016. I remember sitting in the Emergency Room, hearing the heart machine stop, watching the hospital staff swarm over him. I was only able to see his feet from my vantage point.  A nurse stood guard, keeping me away from Keith as they tried to resuscitate him.  I remember praying, asking the Lord that if I lost Keith that God would let me know that Keith went to heaven.  Unexpectedly, I saw an opportunity, I quickly passed by the nurse, grabbed both of Keith’s feet to caress, crying with heartache and anguish for the state of my husband.  I recall gazing up toward the heart monitor machine, and Keith’s heart began beating again. Within seconds, the nurse pulled me over, isolating me away from Keith’s  bed. The machine quickly lost its sound and displayed Keith’s heart stopped beating.  I am forever grateful for our good friends, Kathy and David, who were kind enough to come to the hospital to help me face the darkest time of my life.

On the same day, I praised God for answering my prayers.  Unbeknownst to me, Keith had generated and sent me an e-mail using his “Eyegaze” equipment two days prior to his death, a message I read the night of his passing:

“I have been praying to Jesus for direction.  I believe that He is not done with me.  He wants me to help others and save them from the misery and pain.  I believe that is why he put me through this to humble me.  To know the pain so others won’t.”

Knowing in my heart that Keith is in Heaven has provided the comfort I needed to pick up the pieces and look forward to what God had in store for me next.  Keith would not want me to feel sorry for myself, be bitter or sad.  Keith knew I am happiest caring for others; he would want me to share what I learned with all patient caregivers and veterans diagnosed with Motor Neuron Diseases: ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease along with a myriad of other debilitating diseases.

It’s 2019, I praise God as I write this article.  I was gifted a new life and my career has been restored.  I was even given yet another chance at love with Jim Retzke, President of Fallen Soldiers March (FSM) who like me is a devoted Christian with a passionate heart driven to assist veterans and military families challenged by the “consequences of war.”  FSM lovingly gifts Certified Biblical Counseling, Service Dogs & Veteran Advocacy to our National Heroes.

If you or your veteran suffers from motor neuron diseases, as the Fallen Soldiers March Director of Veteran Advocacy, I am passionately connected to your journey.  I will walk, stand by and fight with you to get not just what you need—I will work diligently to get it when you need it.

by Gigie Button, Fallen Soldiers March Director of Veterans Advocacy

Posted In Featured Newsletter

What Does a Chaplain Do?

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chaplaincy

chaplaincy - Jim Kirkland

Make a friend, be a friend, draw your friend to Christ

A Vision for Chaplaincy and Life Coaching
By Pastor Jim Kirkland
Executive Director
Christian Chaplains & Coaching

There are two important questions we ask our chaplains and life coaching clients to consider.

What is God saying to you right now about what He wants you to do, and what are we going to do about it?

If you actually became the person God wants you to be, what would that look like?

We get to spend the rest of our lives answering these questions and if you are still breathing, you’re not done yet!

The first question is divided into two thoughts. 1) What is the calling on your life? Who are the people God is calling you to reach? 2) Who are the “we” who will serve with you, like a family and on mission to reach those very people in your community as you help each other make progress at walking the walk we talk?

The second question is designed to motivate action toward creating a personal statement of purpose to help you make progress. This will help you to change from the person God does NOT want you to be and into the person He DOES want you to be.

Chaplaincy is not an office in the church, nor does it hold authority in the church. A chaplain is not a pastor/elder, or deacon. These are different offices with different purposes. Chaplains in general are credentialed servants of Christ who are legally recognized as clergy. This will open doors to ministry. A Chaplain does not occupy an office in the church, to the church, or for the church. A Chaplain is distinctly focused on mission and ministry for Christ outside the church to the community in which they live.

What a Chaplain does is, well, exactly what Christ asks all believers to do: “Glorify God, proclaim the good news of Jesus, walk in their Gospel Identity, share their testimony, help people in need, offer encouragement and assistance, build friendships with the unsaved, draw people to Christ, and make disciples who make disciples.”

When we ask someone to consider chaplaincy it is NOT asking them to add something new to their already busy plate. Rather, it is simply asking them to arrange their lives around the mission Christ gives to all disciples. And, we empower them with training and a credential that facilitates their ability to do what Christ has already commissioned them for.

As a Pastor my primary job description is rooted in Ephesians 4:11-12 “… the pastor/teacher, who equips believers for ministry until the Body of Christ may be built to completion” (personal translation). In this passage, the words “pastor and teacher” describe what we pastors do, “We pastor (shepherd) the flock and teach them from scripture how to live for Christ.” This work is expected to produce believers who do the work of ministry outside the church so that the Body of Christ is increased.

Therefore, Chaplaincy becomes an equipping tool that enables mature believers and ministry leaders to hold a nationally recognized credential that opens doors for ministry. As a Chaplain instructor I stress the importance of certain key themes:

  1. Gospel centrality: Jesus is always at the center of everything we do.
  2. Gospel fluency and personal testimony: We always go deeper into our knowledge and understanding of the Gospel while learning to share it effectively with others.
  3. Ministry in community with other believers: The New Testament church is described as “The Body of Christ” and not as “The Lone Rangers.” We do mission together.
  4. Find a people to whom you are called: Finding a particular people group, neighborhood, or network of relationship to be on mission to.
  5. Finally, Lay Chaplains who carry the Christian Chaplains & Coaching title of “Ordained Chaplain” are expected to work within their community, in cooperation with their church and in submission to their pastor.

Encouraging mature believers to become a Chaplain is the way we equip them to do what God is already asking them to do. We believe that “Every believer is either a missionary or an imposter” (Charles Spurgeon). We stress the biblical expectation that our Chaplains will be on mission with others, like a family, to draw people to Christ and help them live for Him. The work is, I believe, primarily outside the church. This is best accomplished when we do life on mission together as a family that increasingly looks like the body of Christ.

Therefore, Chaplaincy is a major benefit in the equipping ministry of Pastors. It is my hope that you will partner with us to encourage chaplaincy. There is something inexplicable that happens for many who receive the credential of “Ordained Chaplain.” It is empowering in ways that are difficult to explain but we have observed. It recognizes and confirms that every believer at your church is expected to be a servant who is on mission with Jesus to a dying world.

In the hands of a mature believer the Chaplain credential will open doors to ministry. The legal recognition as “Clergy” creates opportunity for conversations to prisons, jails, hospitals, nursing homes, sports leagues, motorcycle riders, halfway houses, first responders, homeless, workplace, neighborhoods. recovery, and many others.

Please feel free to contact me. I would love to talk with you.

Phone: 229-355-3021 Ext. 1  –  Email Jim@christianchaplains.org

Website www.christianchaplains.org

More from Hal Lindsey

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hqdefault
Here is a follow-up email from Hal Lindsey, the second half of “2018: The Prophetic Year in Review.” I hope you will take a few minutes to read it.
January 18th, 2019

As I noted last week, at the beginning of each year, it is my practice on “The Hal Lindsey Report” to review the previous year and highlight both major and minor events or developments that I believe have prophetic significance.

This week, I’ll present the second and final part of “2018: The Prophetic Year in Review.”

On May 14, 2018, Israel celebrated the 70th anniversary of its rebirth as a nation. On that day, the United States finally did what its Presidents had been promising to do for years. It officially moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel’s actual capital, Jerusalem.

Since then, several other nations have followed America’s lead or plan to do so. President Trump said the move only acknowledged “the plain reality, that Israel’s capital is Jerusalem.”

But at the end of the year, President Trump announced another move. It, too, is one that may have definite prophetic significance.

He said the United States will withdraw its military forces from Syria. The primary goal of the US had been to destroy ISIS and the President feels that has been largely accomplished.

However, by withdrawing a US presence, it leaves Russia, Iran, and Turkey as the three controlling forces there. Ezekiel 38 predicts that these three powers will form a coalition and one day invade Israel from the north. Syria and Lebanon, which is controlled by Hezbollah which is controlled by Iran, sit on Israel’s northern doorstep.

By propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iran has prolonged that devastating civil war. More than half a million Syrians have died and more than eleven million have fled their homes. Five million have fled the country. Most of them ended up in Europe, which is on the verge of collapse from the weight of the migrant invasion.

In 2018, Israel had better relationships with several of the Arab Muslim nations than at any time in modern history. But as the year ended, that progress was placed in jeopardy by the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

It appears he died at the hands of Saudi operatives. And they may have been acting on the orders of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

It may well be that the Crown Prince had this man murdered. It is consistent with his family’s philosophy and history. And that is an abhorrent deed.

But from the beginning, the mainstream media has deceived the public about Jamal Khashoggi. Only at the end of his life did he write a few columns for The Washington Post. But the American media claimed him as one of their own. TIME magazine made him their “Person of the Year” and called him a “guardian of truth.”

But they downplayed the uncomfortable fact that he had been a longtime friend and associate of Osama bin-Laden. He publicly blamed the 9/11 attacks on “Americans who neglected the suffering of Palestinians for half a century.”

Like bin-Laden, he joined the Muslim Brotherhood as a young man. Throughout his career he was an apologist and advocate for the Brotherhood. And, like Israel and Egypt, Saudi Arabia considers the Muslim Brotherhood its enemy.

Canada Free Press called Khashoggi “a cynical and manipulative apologist for Islamic terrorism, not the mythical martyred dissident whose disappearance the media has spent the worst part of a week raving about… [he was] not a moderate.”

Also, though he worked in the Middle East as a journalist, Khashoggi was not a supporter of a free press. According to Canada Free Press, he complained loudly that the Saudi government allowed “some journalists to report positively on Israel.”

None of that means that he should have been murdered, but it’s an important part of the story and it should have been reported.

And it’s telling that the western press took at face value the word of Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He was the first to point the finger at the Saudi government. Erdogan is a known liar and despot. After an alleged failed coup, he jailed more than 180,000 Turks. He professes to champion a free press, but more than 170 journalists are being held in Turkish prisons, on Erdogan’s orders.

Unfortunately, some national leaders in our world do despicable things all the time. Why is the American media so vehemently against Prince Mohammad, yet turns a blind eye to other global villains, like the Chinese communist government or the mullahs in Tehran? Perhaps it is because in April of 2018, the Prince became the first Saudi royal to publicly say, “The Israelis have the right to have their own land.”

But Syria and Lebanon aren’t the only places Iran is exerting a controlling influence. According to the United Nations, if the civil war in Yemen continues, that country faces the “worst famine in 100 years.”

The media blames this disaster solely on Saudi Arabia. But the Saudis did not cause Yemen’s civil war, Iran did, through their proxy, the Houthi rebels.

Iran wants to control Yemen because of its strategic location. It borders the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. That connects the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Five million barrels of oil pass through this narrow strait every day.

Iran itself sits beside the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, where even more oil passes to the world daily.

With at least partial control of both straits, Iran could disrupt much of the world’s oil supply. That could destroy the economy of Saudi Arabia, its mortal enemy. It would send the west into a deep depression.

In other words, by fighting Iran’s takeover of Yemen, the Saudis are protecting the world economy. But you would never know it if you only get your information from the western mainstream media.

In 2018, Hamas intensified its efforts in Gaza to provoke war with Israel. It convinced Gazans to participate in its “March of Return.” Hamas assured the Gazans that the March would be the beginning of the “liberation of all of Palestine, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.” In other words, the beginning of Israel’s annihilation.

So thousands of Palestinians crashed the Israeli border fence day after day. They burned thousands of tires, creating massive clouds of dangerous smoke. They threw Molotov cocktails at Israeli soldiers and planted explosives along the border fence.

They flew kites and balloons with incendiary devices into the skies over Israel, causing wildfires and burning thousands of acres of grassland in the process. They fired almost 400 missiles and crude rockets at civilian population centers in southern Israel.

Besieged Israeli soldiers, guarding the nation’s border with Gaza, responded with remarkable restraint. Yet the media blamed Israel for everything.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement that put it succinctly: “The border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip separates a sovereign state and a terrorist organization.”

But the Israel Defence Forces weren’t the only ones under attack in 2018. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a series of storms, as well. He was accused of crimes. (Sound familiar?) His wife was accused of crimes. His governing coalition fell apart late in the year. It didn’t crumble because the liberal Knesset members were displeased. It fell because the very conservative Netanyahu was not conservative, or aggressive, enough for some members of his coalition.

Now, Israel is facing new elections in April, 2019.

In October of 2018, a gunman entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Shouting anti-Semitic slurs, he began firing. He killed 11 and wounded seven. It was the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in US history. But it was only one of an increasing number of attacks against Jews worldwide.

In November, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan tweeted a video of himself from a few years ago. In it, he laughingly scolded people for calling him an anti-Semite. He said, …[when they] call me anti-Semite, stop it! I’m anti-termite!” The crowd roared with laughter.

To her credit, Chelsea Clinton publicly denounced him for it. She tweeted: “Comparing Jews to termites is anti-Semitic, wrong and dangerous. The responsive laughter makes my skin crawl.”

However, the world’s worst aggressor against Jews continued to be the United Nations. In 2018, the UN continued its unending onslaught of anti-Israel, anti-Semitic actions.

But perhaps a 2018 headline in The Jerusalem Post gave a glimpse into a future spiritual awakening among the Jews that is prophesied in Revelation 7. It read: “Study: One-fifth of Jewish millennials believe Jesus is the son of God.”

Revelation 7:4 mentions the gathering of 144,000 Jews, during the Tribulation, who will go forth into the world and preach the Gospel. They will be from all the tribes of Israel.

Obviously, these revelations from 2018 are not a fulfillment of Romans 11, but it does indicate that there is a growing awareness among some Jews that there is more to the claims of Jesus Christ than they have been led to believe. And that may be a precursor to its fulfillment. It may be one of the most definite signs yet that we are getting extremely close to the end of this age.

As I said last week, it’s past time to get ready to leave this world behind!

Don’t miss this week’s Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, various local stations,mwww.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.

Happy New Year!

God Bless,
Hal Lindsey

mail: HLMM, P.O. Box 470470, Tulsa, OK 74147
email: comments@hallindsey.com

A Must-Read

Karen BurkettLeave a comment

f3261d54cf0850326b5f38344e90d9feI am on Hal Lindsey’s mail list and receive this email this week. It’s a great overview of prophecy fulfilled in 2018. I hope you will take a few minutes to read it.

January 11th, 2019

At the beginning of each year, it is my practice on “The Hal Lindsey Report” to review the previous year and highlight both major and minor events or developments that I believe have prophetic significance.

This week, I’ll present Part One of “2018: The Prophetic Year in Review.”

At the beginning of his masterpiece, A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens wrote: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.”

Wow! He could have been writing about the United States of America in 2018. All we ever hear is that it is the worst of times. Reality says that, in many ways, it has been the best of times.

Off-the-charts employment — for all racial groups — and increasing wages. A booming economy as manufacturing returns to the US. “Merry Christmas!” is back. We regularly hear God’s name invoked in public by our top leaders. There has been a resurgence of respect for America’s strength and leadership around the world. In many ways, it seems like America is becoming America again.

Yet 2018 was also a year of constant rage. Especially in the media. There was an uptick in the number of mass killings. Protests turned violent. Political rhetoric burned red-hot. Accusations of harassment, rape, racism, even murder, were flung willy-nilly, often without a hint of real proof. Lives were turned upside down, or ruined, for political gain. America’s moral foundation continued to crumble. Censorship and persecution emerged from the shadows.

But these things were not just limited to the United States. It is happening all over the world. There were record levels of drug use and record numbers of suicides. Political turmoil has become the norm, not the exception, in nations across the world.

In some ways, these developments could describe past years, but there seems to be an increased sense of urgency and anxiety across the world as 2019 dawns. But then, we know to expect that. Jesus warned us that it would be this way as the time of His return to earth approached.

On this week’s program, I will discuss some of those things — many of them downplayed in the media — that contribute to this sense that the world is spinning out of control. I will look at the sinister collusion of the world’s most famous and powerful technology firms as they lay the groundwork for the coming Antichrist.

Two of them, Facebook and Apple, were exposed by the media for their deceptive practices and their collusion with foreign communist and repressive dictatorships. As a result, both of these firms lost massive amounts of value — mind-boggling sums — and have brought the world to the brink of financial catastrophe. Yet the upper leadership of neither firm has been held accountable for those actions. (Probably because they are closely allied with the Left in America and the globalist forces worldwide.)

Jesus warned of increased “pestilence” near the end of this Age of Grace. Throughout the year, I reported on the rise of antibiotic-resistant “superbugs,” but 2018 also saw an increase in another form of pestilence: computer viruses and cyber warfare malware. And just like a physical virus, they spread exponentially and with increasing speed until stopped. And with the world’s increased — and in some case near total — dependence on computers, these viruses literally put billions of lives at stake.

In 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a new generation of nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed missiles. With almost unlimited range and frightening speed, these new missiles ratcheted up the existential threat that Russia poses to the world. Though the initial tests were unsuccessful, near the end of the year, it appears the Russians may have figured out their problems.

Many analysts and military experts are predicting that this may ignite a new Cold War. Undeniably, a new global arms race.

That includes the European Union where its two most powerful leaders are calling for the creation of an Army of Europe. French President Emmanuel Macron is promoting the idea so that Europe can protect itself from Russia, China, and… the United States. Apparently, we’ve moved from friend to foe in Macron’s globalist imagination.

But we shouldn’t be surprised. Bible prophecy indicates that the Antichrist will emerge from Europe and, of course, he’ll need his own powerful military machine. As we say each week at the top of the Report: “Yesterday’s prophecies. Today’s headlines.”

In 2018, President Donald Trump made good on his campaign promise to withdrew the United States from the insidious Iran nuclear deal. Of course, the mainstream media (along with former Secretary of State John Kerry and President Barack Obama) howled that Trump’s action would ignite a global catastrophe. Further, he had cast aspersions on the integrity of our trusted co-signer to the deal, Iran.

A few months later, Israel validated the wisdom of President Trump’s decision. Israeli agents had discovered the existence of Iran’s “Atomic Archive” in a nondescript warehouse in Tehran. It was a hidden cache of information and documentation of Iran’s attempts to create nuclear weapons.

So they stole it. And hauled it back to Jerusalem. And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed it to the United Nations and the world.

The archive confirmed what we all knew, but the Obama administration ignored. Iran’s leaders have been lying all the time. And by agreeing to the deal, we cleared Iran’s path to nuclear weapons and, in a bizarre twist, provided substantial funding. Iran has been exposed to the world and their intentions cannot be denied.

2018 saw the continued coalescing of the three powers that the Bible predicts will someday launch an attack on Israel: Iran, Turkey, and Russia. All three now have a military presence in Syria, on Israel’s northern doorstep.

China has the second largest military budget in the world. Five times greater than the United Kingdom. They are feverishly working to perfect a “railgun.” Using electromagnetism rather than gunpowder or cordite to propel its projectiles, a railgun’s range is significantly greater than conventional artillery. Its projectile travels at five times the speed of sound.

China is also on the cusp of having a working HD1 supersonic, anti-ship missile. It is often described as the “aircraft carrier killer.”

Since the beginning of 2019, China has landed a probe on the dark side of the moon. This indicates that China is deadly serious about its space program. I say “deadly” because China’s paramount purpose for its space program is to destroy US satellites. And the most powerful military machine in the world — the US armed forces — is dangerously dependent on its satellites.

But, as I often observe, Bible prophecy does not appear to indicate a role for the United States in the cataclysmic events leading up to Jesus Christ’s return to this earth. That’s why every threat to America, be it economic, moral, political, or military, must be viewed as prophetically significant.

I’ll discuss all of these developments and more on this week’s broadcast.

Folks, I know I say this often, but things really are heating up! If you’ve not been serious about getting ready to leave this world when Jesus comes back for us, don’t waste another moment! No prophecies remain to be fulfilled before that day happens. He could come at any moment. Get ready!

I’ll continue “2018: The Prophetic Year in Review” next week with Part Two.

Don’t miss this week’s Report on TBN, Daystar, CPM Network, various local stations,www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Check your local listings.

God Bless,
Hal Lindsey

mail: HLMM, P.O. Box 470470, Tulsa, OK 74147
email: comments@hallindsey.com