One of the most important principles the Lord has taught me over the years is a variation on an old cliche.

When the going gets tough, the tough get praying.

I can't think of any place in the world where things could be tougher than in the nation best selling author Joel Rosenberg calls "the Epicenter" of God's work in this world  - Israel.

The Bible tells us specifically what His desire is for His people when Israel is at risk from her enemies.

There are three specific prayer requests contained in this passage, as well as a special promise for those who put this call to intercede into action.

That certainly provides a good start in our role of providing a prayer covering for the Lord's chosen people.

It also puts us in a great place personally, as God has promised to "bless those who bless" Israel. (Genesis 12:1-3)

But if you want to get even more specific in your prayers, I'd like to share with you some directions that will allow you to be a part of God's prayer team on an even deeper level.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to sit in on a conference call with Joel Rosenberg concerning the work that God is doing in Israel and the Middle East, and an update on the practical impact being made by his relief organization "The Joshua Fund".

As a follow up to that conversation, Joel has sent out the following points for practical prayer in "the Epicenter":

-That the Lord would open the hearts of Israel to their need for the Messiah. That their empty hearts would drive them to search for true meaning.

- That there would be a wave of hunger across the nation to read the Hebrew Scriptures personally - not just religiously.

- That the youth of the nation would begin to hunger and thirst for righteousness.

- That the Lord would provide for the physical prtection of Israel from those nations and enemy organization that choose to attack and persecute her.

- That God would transform the hearts of Mahmoud Ahmadinejhad, Honi Mubarak of Egypt, Bashar Assad of Syria and Sheik Nasrallah of Hezbollah.

- That the Lord would continue to fulfill Ezekiel 37:21-23, drawing Jewish people back to Israel - even those who don't understand why they are compelled to go.

It has been said that we can do more than pray, but that we can't do anything more until we pray.

Let's remember the first step toward changing this world is to fall on our knees!

I'm sure there are atheists and agnostics out there that are really decent, well mannered  people.

The problem is, you would never know it by seeing how the more visible representatives of their point of view conduct themselves.

Here in the states we have show boaters like Bill Maher celebrating the fact that he constructed his documentary "Religulous" by lying to his interview subjects.

In the courts, we have bitter dime store lawyers fretting that saying the Pledge of Allegiance is the first step toward transforming America into an Iranian style theocracy.

But today we discover that in London, that special winsome prickliness of the committed unbeliever

has found another threat to the glories of nihilism.

What does a failed government, failing health and the failure of a politician to think before speaking  have in common?

Destabilization.

In arguably the most dangerous part of the world.

Consider these significant developments that have swirled around the Middle East in the last few days.

Heir apparent to Ehud Ohlmert, Tzipi Lipni failed to cobble together a coalition government that would allow the Kadima Party to stay in power.

The sticking point?

The Ultra-Orthodox Shas party demanded assurances from Lipni that she would not bargain away East Jerusalem and the Temple Mount in U.S sponsored peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority.

She refused.

Shas said, "We'll see you later."

New elections will probably  take place in late January. The British newspaper "The Guardian" provides a good summary of the fall out from the fall of the Kadima Party.

If you want to see a classic case of Christian confusion, bring up the subject of spiritual warfare.

This time of year, debates that generate more heat than light are almost unavoidable.

But the Bible makes it clear that we need to understand not only the foe we face, but also the battle we are called to fight.

Do you need a crash course on the crucial issues of spiritual warfare?

Last night I had the privilege of being a guest on M-88 FM's "Raw Talk".

The subject?

"The Fact and Fiction of Demons".

Follow this link for a wide ranging and compelling discussion on this essential issue!

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can start wars?

A bit of a variation off the old playground theme, but quite possibly on target these days.

If you have been following the story about Joseph Biden's unusually frank prognostication of a major international crisis that will "test the mettle" of Barak Obama if he should be elected president, you know this incident has only gotten stranger.

Stranger, as in -

If you got your news from the mainstream media, you might not have known he made the remarks in the first place.

Stranger, as in -

Barak Obama has dusted this off as one of Joe's well known "rhetorical flourishes", or a general assessment of the situation that would face any president in the first six months of the new year.

Hard to synch that with  -"Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy."

Stranger, as in -

It looks like the Iranians are signing up as the first contestant on the new global geopolitical game show - "Test That President!"

Senior Tehran officials are recommending a preemptive strike against Israel to prevent an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear reactors, a senior Islamic Republic official told foreign diplomats two weeks ago in London.

The official, Dr. Seyed G. Safavi, said recent threats by Israeli authorities strengthened this position, but that as of yet, a preemptive strike has not been integrated into Iranian policy. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1030279.html

Although Biden suggested that there were five possible scenarios that could make up this threat to international security, his additional remarks - " We're gonna have to make some incredibly tough decisions in the first two years. So I'm asking you now, I'm asking you now, be prepared to stick with us. Remember the faith you had at this point because you're going to have to reinforce us." - make it hard to imagine this crisis will not involve Israel.

James Taranto of the Wall Street Journal calls for a timely word of clarification from Biden.

We noted that Biden's remark was open to multiple interpretations and asked for clarification for voters' sake. Reader Ray Hendel observes: "What may be more important is a clarification so Iran does not interpret Biden's remarks the way Hugh Hewitt does and see it as a green light." http://online.wsj.com/article/best_of_the_web_today.html

There was an old saying in World War II, "Loose lips sink ships."

Whether Biden's remarks have caused the Iranians to begin speaking of a pre-emptive strike against Israel is a matter of conjecture.

But the fact is we are living in a particularly dangerous time, where untimely remarks can at the very least add to tensions, and quite possibly spark a regional conflict.

The more we see events in the news develop, the more Jesus' words concerning the time of His return become increasingly vivid.

The aftershocks of Senator Joe Biden's foreboding remarks about a coming "international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy" continue to reverberate in the media.

But the follow up remarks Biden made to this already outrageous statement are now beginning to raise eyebrows as well.

"I've forgotten more about foreign policy than most of my colleagues know, so I'm not being falsely humble with you. I think I can be value added, but this guy has it," the Senate Foreign Relations chairman said of Obama. "This guy has it. But he's gonna need your help. Because I promise you, you all are gonna be sitting here a year from now going, 'Oh my God, why are they there in the polls? Why is the polling so down? Why is this thing so tough?' We're gonna have to make some incredibly tough decisions in the first two years. So I'm asking you now, I'm asking you now, be prepared to stick with us. Remember the faith you had at this point because you're going to have to reinforce us."

"There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, 'Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don't know about that decision'," Biden continued. "Because if you think the decision is sound when they're made, which I believe you will when they're made, they're not likely to be as popular as they are sound. Because if they're popular, they're probably not sound." http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/10/biden-to-suppor.html

Let's put the pieces of this puzzle together.

According to Biden, if Barak Obama is elected:

- There will be an international crisis

- This crisis will be designed to test the new president's mettle

- Decisions will be made that will cause the new president's general approval ratings to tank

- Decisions will be made that will cause the new president's approval ratings to tank among even his most loyal supporters

What kind of a crisis could fit this description?

Hugh Hewitt offers this sobering educated guess.

The most obvious interpretation of [Biden's] ramble is that an Iran-Israel confrontation is coming, and that if Obama is president, America will sit it out with, at best, words that do nothing to support Israel or deter Iran....

... A President Obama will blink when Iran threatens Israel by approaching the nuclear tripwire. A President Obama will seek to force Israel to live with Iran as a nuclear power capable of either striking Israel or shipping to Hezbollah the means of threatening the very existence of the Jewish state, and the supporters of Israel in the U.S. will be stunned and then angry. http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/blog

 

Senator Obama has repeatedly reiterated his support for the nation of Israel. At least publically.

Let's certainly hope that is the case.

Why has the Lord continued to "shed His grace" on the United States?

It is not because of our job performance.

The United States continues to allow horrors like partial birth abortion to continue under the protection of law.

We are the number one producer and exporter of pornography to the world.

We continue to fund international terrorism with our insatiable consumption of narcotics.

So why hasn't judgment fallen?

I believe it is because of one unconditional promise God made not to us, but to Abraham.

I believe God has blessed us because we have blessed the sons and daughters of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - the Jews.

If we turn a deaf ear to Israel in their moment of need, God will in turn allow the full consequences of our unrighteousness to catch up with us.

Perhaps this is why the United States is conspicuously absent in the detailed predictions the Bible gives us concerning the last days.

Let us pray that whoever takes office in 2009 makes a principled stand to support Israel in the face of the hate and increasingly powerful armaments of her enemies.

Our future may very well depend on it.

What could be better than an effort to provide help for the hurting?

Not just any kind of hurting people, but soldiers who put themselves in harm's way in the war on terror.

What could be a better use of the prominent platform given to celebrities than to use that influence to raise money to meet the pressing financial needs of those wounded while serving in Afghanistan?

Who could be offended by that?

 Meet Omar Bakri

 This telling dust up began when a British talent search program called the X-Factor recorded a song called "Hero".

Those who support the wounded troops through this venture are also given a white rubber wrist band to help publicize the effort .

Armband ... Simon Cowell shows support

Seems like a no-brainer, right?

If you're going to be outraged over this, you might as well organize a protest against cuddly puppies and Mother's Day.

Enter, Omar Bakri.

Bakri, 50, ranted: “Some Muslims in Birmingham are wearing the armbands in support of British troops in Afghanistan. This is a form of muadaat (hatred) of the kuffar (non-believers) against the Muslims . . . and it has dangerous implications.”

Bakri, in Lebanon, told followers in a recording put on a Muslim website: “Some people may find excuses for those people — ignorance and so on.

“If after three days, if they continue, you are barred from these people and their deeds. Even watching the show — those people are committing a form, a type, of muadaat (hatred). And that action is a form of kufr (non-belief).”

Security at the X Factor studios usually involves a bag search and name checks for guests.

But the show source said there were plans for X-ray scans and a police presence on Saturday — when finalists will perform the single.

Syrian-born Bakri has before sparked outrage by praising the 9/11 terrorists. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article1834561.ec

Time out for a reality check.

If what you believe is your highway to heaven causes you to condemn as sin the simple act of helping hurting people, chances are you're on the wrong bus.

And it's not a new error either.

The religious leaders of Jesus' day gave way to murderous rage because Jesus put the welfare of people before their steel reinforced spiritual sensibilities.

Sadly, even today, religionists like Omar Bakri are still singing from that same sad hymnal.

I have often wondered if before the high political season descends upon us, the candidates take a solemn oath to tell shades of truth, variations of truth and nothing but spins of the truth, so help then Gallup.

How can you tell when a politician is lying?

Their lips are moving.

But what happens when someone decides not to play by the rules? To be so searingly honest that the journalists and commentators (is there a difference these days?) are left stunned and shaking their heads?

It happened today.

Biden predicts Obama will have to make some unpopular decisions in his first six months in office.

SEATTLE (CNN) — Joe Biden told Democratic fundraisers Sunday night that there is no doubt in his mind a crisis will occur during Barack Obama's first six months in office that will test his mettle and force him to make unpopular decisions.

"Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy," said Biden to a roomful of donors. "The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America."

"Remember I said it standing here, if you don't remember anything else I said," Biden continued. "Watch, we're going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.

"I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it's going happen. I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate." http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/10/20/biden-predicts-early-crisis-will-test-obama/

Consider the words well marked.

When the candidate for the second highest elected office in the land, whose job 1 is selling us on brighter days ahead, tells us the first six months of his administration will bring "an international crisis, a generated crisis", we are definitely in unexplored territory.

Is this just a raging case of a loose canon going off at precisely the wrong moment?

Or perhaps an unintended prophecy?

It has happened before.

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”
And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.” Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad. (John 11:47-52)

Let's face it, there are more than "four or five scenarios" where the fuse is burning on a number of explosive crisis situations.

To say that the next president will have to deal with at least one of them, and quickly, brings to mind the famous Walpole quote, "The wisest prophets make sure of the events first."

But Joe Biden's unexpectedly candid words remind us of an undeniable truth.

If we are looking for a politician to succeed in bringing peace and safety to this world we will end up being either disappointed or deceived.

Although it pains me to do so, I must admit I am old enough to remember black and white television.

There really was a time when the words, "This program is brought to you in living color" were actually a reason to watch what was on.

But I have to say I miss some of those old black and white programs.

The lack of color actually seemed to add to the drama, especially if the program was intended to scare you a bit.

A classic case in point was the old "Outer Limits" series.

The opening line, "There is nothing wrong with your television set" was enough to give me a high grade case of the creeps right off the bat (if you'll pardon the expression).

And unlike the more rareified intellectual air of its competitor "The Twilight Zone", you could always count on the The Outer Limits" to provide a scary monster or two before "the control voice" would dismiss you for another week.

Maybe the creepiest thing about the "Outer Limits" was the monsters had a funny way of being us - regular people either taken over by aliens, or even regular people frighteningly mutated by science or nature run amok.

I used to walk away wondering if evolution was really going to make us into bubble headed six fingered freaks who talked in high vibrato voices about "puny humans".

Turns out, my fears were completely unfounded.

Leading geneticist Steve Jones says human evolution is over

Human evolution is grinding to a halt because of a shortage of older fathers in the West, according to a leading genetics expert.

Fathers over the age of 35 are more likely to pass on mutations, according to Professor Steve Jones, of University College London.

Speaking today at a UCL lecture entitled “Human evolution is over” Professor Jones will argue that there were three components to evolution – natural selection, mutation and random change. “Quite unexpectedly, we have dropped the human mutation rate because of a change in reproductive patterns,” Professor Jones told The Times.

“Human social change often changes our genetic future,” he said, citing marriage patterns and contraception as examples. Although chemicals and radioactive pollution could alter genetics, one of the most important mutation triggers is advanced age in men. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article4894696.ece

Help me with this one.

I remember dutifully taking notes in college classes that assured me that prior to the glories of the industrial revolution, life for the vast majority of humanity was "nasty, brutish and short."

We were assured that for the average cave man, living to 25 was considered a ripe old age.

So where did all those marvelous mutations that molded us from monkeys to men come from back then?

Back in the day, questions like that could get your GPA on full life support by the end of a semester.

But if the eminent Dr. Jones is convinced we don't see humanity evolving today because of inconvenient demographics, could it also be possible that we aren't showing the slightest sign of heading to the Outer Limits because evolution doesn't happen at all?

There is a presupposition not stated . . . . The great geneticist supposes that more mutations equal more genetic information in the DNA. Yet this is never observed to be the case. In fact, the mutations caused always involve a rearrangement or loss of information. Thus, the supposed upward pressure of evolution is, in fact, a downward pressure. Jones almost acknowledged this in an interview on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, on the same day as the article. He commented “there is no evidence that humans today are more intelligent than they were in Victorian times.” He also suggested some even earlier historical periods, where people were equally intelligent to those of us today. Either Jones is suggesting that evolution stopped even earlier, or he is acknowledging that it never actually happened in the first place.

This is what is so amazing about Jones's article. It might be fair to summarise it thus:

1. Actual scientific evidence suggests that humans are not evolving today.
2. We don't have any evidence that they were evolving in the past either.
3. But we think that they were!

As the imperious products of fast forward evolution on "The Outer Limits" taught us, evolution is more than just shuffling certain already present traits to help a species cope with certain conditions.

You have to add beneficial information to the genetic code in order to create the bubble heads with bad attitudes.

It doesn't happen now.

So apart from a desire to explain the miracle of life without a Creator, why should we believe that it happened back then?

Far more credible are the words of Jesus:

Last week in Scott's Blog we provided a review of Bill Maher's anti-God documentary "Religulous".

This exercise in straw man argumentation and winning arguments by cutting room floor editing ends up being the best argument against Maher's particular brand of atheism.

But the problems with this production goes even deeper.

It turns out that what audiences are sold in "Religulous" is a brave new set of ethics that not only tolerates, but celebrates lying.

Lionsgate Bill Maher visits the Truckers Chapel in Raleigh, N.C., one of many stops he makes in his documentary, "Religulous."

“At some point, she did absolutely throw us out,” Maher recalled with a chuckle.

After all, the irreverent HBO “Real Time” host has a rep for railing against organized religion. (In “Religulous,” he again equates it with a brain disorder and warns religion must die for mankind to survive). So why, in heaven's name, would Christian, Muslim and Jewish figures all over the globe – not to mention the big-bellied believers at the Truck Stop Ministries in Raleigh, N.C. – willingly go on camera for a mocking film whose title is a mesh of “religion” and “ridiculous?”

“We lied,” Maher fessed up to his, er, sin. “The working title of the movie was 'A Spiritual Journey,' which doesn't sound so threatening. We would not tell them who the interviewer was, and they generally wouldn't ask.” http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20081003-9999-1c03maher1.html

Maher didn't simply misrepresent his intentions to get his interviews, in the case of his visit to Answers In Genesis it went even deeper.

In his blog, upcoming SRL guest Ken Ham shares his experience with the "Religulous" crew.

The section where I appeared being interviewed by Bill Maher (and the Creation Museum was featured) was one of the more “sane” sections of the movie—though it was a typical cut-and-paste job.

Some of you may recall that over a year ago, a documentary crew, under false pretenses and giving a false name of the producer, came to the Creation Museum (under construction) to interview me. Then, through further clever deception, they set me up to be interviewed by Bill Maher, abusing the privileges our security gave them and breaking our security rules and protocols. But then again, for such God-haters, why would they have a high level of ethics when morality can be whatever they want to define it to be?

I challenge Bill Maher to show the ENTIRE video segment of my interview (uncut) to show what really happened—like the section where Bill Maher claimed there was a particular issue in the Bible of concern to him and when I challenged him to show me—he pretended to look for it—then gave up as he didn’t have a clue. The interview in the movie was a cut-and-paste job—but we weren’t surprised at that as Bill Maher is apparently not interested in truth, only in mocking Christians in particular for the sake of “comedy.” http://blogs.answersingenesis.org/aroundtheworld/2008/10/04/religulous%E2%80%94vulgar-and-blasphemous/

Maher's own behavior demonstrates the ultimately self refuting and self defeating nature of rejecting a relationship with God.

If Maher is claiming to be an advocate of a brave new truth that we need to "grow up" and accept, we might expect to see its positive effects in his own life and behavior.

Instead we see a series of ethical lapses that completely destroy any credibility the production might have had to bring to a decidedly serious subject.

But in a strange way there is a consistency here.

If there is no God, morality is just a shared convention.

If all morality is, is a shared convention, there really is no such thing as right and wrong.

And if there is no such thing as right and wrong, all that matters is desired results.

And if all that matters is desired results, what difference does it really make if you have to lie along the way to get there?

The inconsistency at the heart of "Religulous" can be summed up in two words - Who cares?

Ken Ham expressed it this way -

Of course if one “can’t know,” and life is meaningless anyway, one wonders why he even bothers? And if life is without ultimate purpose and meaning, why would he even honor his mother at the end if she is now a part of nothingness?

At the end of the day, Bill Maher's personal behavior  and his "mock-umentary" will only serve to underscore a timeless Biblical truth.

When I was a kid there were two words that were guaranteed to lift typical school day gloom.

"Field trip!"

Now back in the day, that meant instead of math class we got to visit a dairy, or a harbor, or a museum.

How things have changed.

The radical impulse to go straight past a claimed goal of acceptance, straight to advocacy or even out and out indoctrination is hard to miss in this sad story.

But many are saying, "What's the problem? After all, Jesus never dealt with the issue of homosexuality."

Really?

Jesus defined marriage as one man, one woman committed to each other for life.

Sexual relations either before marriage (fornication) and outside the bounds of marriage (adultery) are undeniably condemned by Jesus.

Notice, it doesn't matter whether the bounds of marriage are violated by homosexual or heterosexual acts, when we practice our sexuality outside of the God given definition of marriage we are in trouble.

And it does us no good to try to redefine sin out of existence.

The root of this problem goes back to our abandonment of God's Word as the basis of our morality.

For years we have been told there is no absolute right or wrong, only point of view.

In fact it has been declared there are absolutely no absolutes.

But if God has spoken that changes the equation completely.

This is the challenge that believers must present to our society - that right and wrong need not be an exercise in poll taking or guess work.

Jesus said, "Sanctify them by your truth. Your Word is truth." (John 17:17)

In a society where most people are willing to concede that Jesus is a good teacher, we have to ask our culture, "So what do you think about what He taught?"

If we don't, that same "It's gonna happen whether you like it or not" rallying cry won't stop with indoctrinating our children about redefined ideas of marriage.

It may also effect what our children are force fed regarding the nature of God Himself.

When last we visited the world was on the edge of an unprecedented economic collapse.

The rhetoric was super heated -

Media outlets like CNN featured breathless reporters questioning whether we had already entered into "a new Great Depression".

Web sites like www.newgreatdepression.com have sprung up over night, telling us that the only thing we can do now is duck and cover.

The $700 billion buy out legislation designed to save financial heavy weights like AIG has also caused the stock market to head into a seemingly terminal nose dive.

An endless roiling economic storm has sweeping in, with no relief in sight.

That was Friday. Gloom and doom everywhere.

Today? Not so much.

Dow jumps 936 as governments pledge bank aid

NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street stormed back from last week's devastating losses Monday, sending the Dow Jones industrials soaring a nearly inconceivable 936 points after major governments' plans to support the global banking system reassured distraught investors. All the major indexes rose more than 11 percent. http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081013/wall_street.html

A pair of traders smile as they work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday Oct. 13, 2008.

Now, no one is suggesting that the current crisis is over, or that the band should strike up a rousing chorus of "Happy Days Are Here Again!"

But the dire predictions of a return to soup kitchens and the New Deal seem to have been overstated.

But the crisis, and the reaction to it have revealed some biblically significant realities.

First, putting our faith in finance is a fools errand.

Second, we are now inextricably a part of a global economy.

As we mentioned on our previous posting, the Bible predicts that the world in the end times will be dominated by a single financial system that will be used to enforce loyalty to the Antichrist.

I always wondered how the Antichrist was going to get nations with economic philosophies as diverse as China and the United States to participate in this same system.

Not any more. We have already signed up.

Finally, the rapid turn around we have seen today is another example of the "birth pain" effect Jesus warned of in Matthew 24.

The word "sorrows" Jesus uses here refers to the pains of a woman in child birth. It is clear that world crises will increase in frequency and intensity as the time of the Lord's return draws near.

We will see disturbances like the economic melt down of the last few weeks come out of nowhere, build to a crescendo, and then just as quickly subside.

With potential flash points like the Iran's rush to nuclear weapons capacity, the growing aggressiveness of  Russia, the increasing boasts of Israel's enemies that a final war is imminent, the next birth pain may well be on its way as we speak.

This week on Scott Richards Live we have received a number of questions about the current economic chaos that has seemingly hit out of nowhere with a devastating impact.

To cut to the chase - Is this a prophetically significant event?

The short answer? Not immediately.

But quite possibly imminently.

Here's what I mean.

As briefly as a month ago the notion of major mortgage and insurance companies being the recipients of $70 billion bail outs from the federal government and the Dow plunging below 9000 was almost unimaginable.

And yet the financial house of cards built on high risk people being given unrealistically high loans has been blown away.

And the impact of this collapse not only illustrates what greed and corruption can do to our economy, but also highlights another fascinating reality.

The interdependent, global economic system that seemed farfetched back in the 80's is an undeniable reality in 2008.

What is most significant about this is that various international monetary regulators, including our Federal Reserve Bank acted simultaneously to try to head off this crisis.

Governments, including our own, have taken the radical step of nationalizing a major portion of the mortgage business.

And history shows us that what a government takes under control it is very unlikely to relinquish.

The prophetic significance?

This may be a preview of another financial crisis that will set the stage for a "radical step, but one the world will welcome".

Noted prophecy commentator Dr. Mark Hitchcock offers this insight.

The bottom line? This economic earthquake will probably subside and business as usual will prevail.

The next shake up may be more permanent.

I must confess that I used to enjoy going to the movies.

In fact, I used to enjoy getting there early so I could watch the previews.

Nowadays, even though I restrict my theater trips to "Chronicles of Narnia" style faire, I find that the previews are becoming an assault on my sensibilities.

Maybe it's having an 11 and and 13 year old sitting next to me, but the unrelenting violence, foul language, sensuality and general disrespect that I see in the previews leaves me feeling like I need to floss my soul.

Now people like me tend to respond by venting on our blogs or bending the ears of family and friends with our complaints.

But there are others that are taking a more proactive and constructive stance.

Faith-based movie “Fireproof” hung in the box office top ten this past weekend, raking in $3.99 million across 852 locations.

Over the past two weeks, the pro-marriage flick has pulled in $12.4 million, according to final figures released Monday by Media By Numbers LLC.

“Facing the Giants,” the last movie produced by Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Ga., had grossed nearly $10.2 million after about four months.

“The only way that this could happen is if after we prayed, God really answered those prayers,” Director Alex Kendrick told the New York Times when asked to offer an explanation for the success of “Fireproof” and movie-based book “The Love Dare.”

With a budget five times larger than that for “Facing the Giants,” “Fireproof” debuted two weeks ago at No. 4 with $6.5 million in ticket sales, marking the year’s second highest grossing opening weekend return of any film released on 1,000 screens or less.

The movie, which stars actor Kirk Cameron, tells the inspiring story of a fireman and his struggle to save his faltering marriage from ending with his newfound faith and with the help of the “Love Dare,” a 40-day spiritual guide that utilizes Scripture to reveal what true love is.

“[I]f Fireproof continues the same pattern as Facing the Giants – a 17-week theatrical run in which it ultimately earned $10.2 million, almost eight times its first-weekend profits – then Fireproof would be on track to earn more than $54 million,” observed Mark Moring, editor of Christianity Today Movies. “And since Fireproof is a significantly better movie than Facing the Giants, we don't see any reason why it wouldn't continue that momentum.”

Earning $54 million “would be astounding for an indie film made primarily by church volunteers for just $500,000,” he added. http://www.christianpost.com/article/20081007/-fireproof-soars-past-12-million.ht

There is an old saying, "Better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness."

Having seen this movie I can say there are aspects to it that really do look amateur-ish. The professionalism and experience that Kirk Cameron brings to his role is compelling, but also makes the lack of same in the rest of the cast stand out.

But the message is on target - and so is the motive.

And apparently so is the response.

A movie that emphasizes that love is a choice, not a feeling-

That relationships need to be fought for, even when the response is cold or even painful-

That faith in God can give someone the power and courage to deal with selfishness and addiction-

Just wouldn't make it beyond a concept pitch in Hollywood.

But it did in a Baptist church in Georgia.

And now people are voting with their feet and their hard earned entertainment dollar.

The moral of the story?

In times like these we can complain about the deterioration of our culture, or we can decide to make a difference.

Maybe we won't make a multi-million dollar grossing movie.

But we can remember to take the love of Jesus with us when we deal with our family, when we get in the car, when we get to work.

Where do you go when you want some insight into the deepest issues of life?

It used to be a lounge at a college student union.

Or a cool espresso shop.

Now, things have changed.

We have cable television programs where we can see the big questions discussed.

Well, maybe not discussed.

Most of the time these presentations degenerate into two people either trying to shout the other down, or a display of such reasonable, well nuanced points like "You're ugly and your mom dresses you funny!"

So how do you get your point across without losing your voice?

Seems like there is a new way around these full throated insult fests - make a movie!

Controversial left leaning documentary maker Michael Moore pioneered the popularity of this approach with his decidedly snarky works "Michael and Me", "Farenheit 911" and "Sicko".

Now, the advantage of making such a film is that you have complete control over the finished product.

Opposing point of view makes you look silly?

Leave it on the cutting room floor.

Experts who disagree might ask you questions you can't answer?

Line up a list of the bizarre and extreme and poorly informed so you can look like you are the voice of reason.

By making a film you can make yourself look like an intellectual Rocky Balboa taking thirty seconds to KO Barney Fife.

The latest practitioner of this less than honorable art?

Wanna be philosopher and comedian Bill Maher and his cinematic offering "Religulous".

Syndicated talk show host and noted movie critic Michael Medved offers this evaluation of three fundamental (Can I use that word?) flaws in Maher's foray into cinema.

 First, and most obviously, Maher selects easy and vulnerable targets for his sneering assaults on God and Jesus. He never chooses to interview formidable religious intellects, like author Dinesh D’Souza, or theologian Al Mohler, or evangelist Ravi Zacarias. Instead he focuses on oddballs like the portly proprietor of a religious curios shop, or the surfer dude who plays Jesus in those theme park crucifixions, or the sleazy, pompadoured Latino evangelist who claims he’s the reincarnated Christ. On the rare occasions that the movie shows him in conversation with a serious thinker (such as Dr. Francis Collins of the Human Genome Project) the interchange is edited to avoid substance and to highlight Maher’s insulting zingers.

Second, the movie concentrates its fire on Christianity in its various forms while giving a free pass to the most dangerous elements of radical Islam. Islamic fanatics and jihadists obviously passed up the chance to talk with Bill Maher (or, perhaps Maher wisely made scant attempt to talk with them), so the only Muslims he encounters look harmless and clueless—like the pair of nerdy middle-aged guys trying to start a gay encounter group for the Islamic community in Amsterdam. Only at the end of the film does Maher make significant reference to Islamo-Nazi terror, and he does so to warn of an alleged world-ending threat from religion in general – conflating the dangers of Islam, Christianity and Judaism (Hinduism and Buddhism are all but ignored) as if each of the Abrahamic faiths counted as equally menacing. A frightening montage cuts together images of burning buildings on 9/11 and Osama bin Laden, with footage of Pope Benedict, President Bush and devout Jews in prayer.

Finally, Maher scrupulously avoids any honest examination of his own spiritual state or pursuit of happiness. At one point, he interacts with his mother and derisively recalls his Catholic upbringing, but there’s no hint as to whether his anti-religious path has led him to enlightenment and satisfaction or merely to bitter loneliness. Since Maher has established himself as a famous and rich comedian, we’re obviously meant to assume that he’s achieved some sort of happiness or fulfillment. But he never reflects on his own lack of a wife, children or family, or his comments elsewhere about his enthusiastic indulgence in drugs and hookers. A bit of honest self-examination might have helped shape a far richer, more provocative film, by undermining Maher’s pose of smug superiority in encountering religious people whose lives, by conventional standards,  count as far more “together” and rewarding than his disconnected and decadent celebrity existence. http://townhall.com/blog/g/ffe78649-7c90-404b-bb75-fde20817cee0

If your definition of deep thinking is sarcasm, sweeping generalizations, straw man arguments and liberal use of vulgarities then "Religulous" may be your cup of tea.

The most ironic thing about "Religulous" is that Maher is absolutely certain that absolute certainty about God is the greatest threat to humanity.

I wonder if he would apply that same standard to those who are absolutely certain religion is the problem?

As Michael Medved summed up:

Maher’s concluding fire-and-brimstone sermon (there is no other phrase) flatly declares that the world would find itself greatly and profoundly improved if every form of faith simply disappeared and humanity learned to live in the pure, cold, blinding sunlight of materialist reason.

To follow up on that concept, perhaps Maher’s next project could feature visits to those favored areas of the planet where religion has already vanished, thanks to the efforts of enlightened and determined leaders. North Korea or Cuba might provide ideal places to begin such a tour, and we can only wish Bill Maher luck in negotiating permission from such benevolent and religion-free governments. http://townhall.com/blog/g/ffe78649-7c90-404b-bb75-fde20817cee0

I think the Bible says it most succinctly:

There was a time when most people assumed that telling the truth was one of the most important values in our culture.

Even if we heard something outlandish, the general reaction was, "They couldn't say it if it wasn't true."

And so we dutifully nodded as PBS specials told us that molecules to man by random mutation was a proven fact. After all, our development as embryos recreates our progression from fish to lizard to mammal to man.

And that the latest sugar crusted oat-like product was really good for you.

And that wearing the right sneaker could make us run faster and jump higher.

But then we discovered that those text book drawings showing that our development as embryos were faked by a turn of the 19th century evolutionary zealot.

And the Choco-Sugar-Wackies we ate for breakfast were causing us to pass out before lunch.

And the shoes? Well, in the end, they were only slightly more performance enhancing than your basic penny loafer.

We realized that we had been fooled - taken in by people we assumed were telling the truth.

One of the most valuable survival skills we need to develop living in the age of hype is the fine art of discernment.

Just because we see it on TV, read it in print, or (heaven forbid) catch it on the internet, don't make it so.

News outlets like the Associated Press that once proudly aimed for objectivity and fairness in every story, now openly practice what is known as "advocacy journalism".

The thinking goes like this, "Human beings are biased. Since biased human beings write our stories, we cannot expect objectivity. Therefore we encourage reporters to allow their own point of view to be represented freely in their dispatches."

 Not only do they admit their reporting is biased, they act as if that is a good thing. And if you suggest that actually striving for objectivity might make for more accurate reporting - you are the one with the bias problem.

The same mentality has now crept even into into the text books that supposedly represent a factual view of history to our children.

Imagine taking your usual seat at your usual worship service at the usual time next Sunday.

But then, the unusual happens.

The pastor asks the ushers to come forward and pass out voter guides.

He then makes an impassioned plea for support of a presidential candidate, going so far as to say that "No Christian in their right mind could possibly support ... John McCain."

Or, "Anyone who knows their Bible couldn't vote for Barak Obama."

Would you support that use of a Sunday sermon? Or would you find yourself looking for a new church?

Many believers may find themselves in just that kind of situation if a move from a conservative leaning legal advocacy group gets their way.

The Alliance Defense Fund has launched an effort to remove the threat of churches losing tax exempt status if they endorse political candidates. http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/news/story.aspx?cid=4690

Should churches wade in on behalf of specific candidates and issues?

Christian political columnist Cal Thomas offers a couple of on target points of caution.

One undeniable truth we enjoy daily on Scott Richards Live is how relevant and relatable the message of the Bible is to even the most modern and contemporary issues. Certainly where the Bible speaks we should speak on the issues of the day.

But the moment we cross the line and endorse individual candidates we invite both division and distraction from our primary purpose as a church - to win as many people as possible to Christ.

This certainly was front and center in Paul's set of priorities.

It is significant to note that although Jesus lived in Roman occupied Israel, He never wasted teaching time railing against Caesar.

Paul was certainly the target of politically motivated persecution, but he never advocated insurrection against the powers that were.

Both were more interested in the peoples' spiritual condition than in public policy.

The moment a church takes a stand for a particular candidate it immediately loses half their audience.

What do we gain if we elect an earthly candidate, but lose the ability to speak to peoples' souls?

Scott's Blog 10/01/08

The Appeal of Appeasement

“Can’t we find out what they want?”

“It’s better to talk than not to talk.”

“I’m sure if we see things from their perspective we can see they have a point too.”

“If we can meet them half way, surely we can live in peace.”

In a perfect world, who would ever disagree with this approach to conflict resolution?

The problem is, we don’t live in a perfect world. Or anything close to it.

We have detailed in this space the hard lesson the world learned almost exactly 70 years ago.

At 1:30 am, September 30, 1938 the Munich Pact was signed. Britain and France gave in to Adolf Hitler’s demands for a strategic section of Czechoslovakia called the Sudetenland.

 

When Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain returned he declared that he believed the agreement was “peace in our time.”

Winston Churchill disagreed. he said, “You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You have chosen dishonor and will have war.”

Three years later, when the German Blitz was laying waste to London “Peace in our time” had become a cruel joke.

There is no doubt that the motives of Chamberlain were noble. But when confronted by evil, all compromise, diplomacy and photo opportunities end up doing is ringing the dinner bell.

I couldn’t help but think of the lessons of Munich when I read of a similar attempt at meeting evil half way that happened recently.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert attempted to find middle ground with Hamas, Hezbollah and their Iranian sponsors by declaring that retreat from territory was his country’s only hope for survival.

Olmert pronounces Greater Israel dead

Published: 9/14/2008

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says the idea of "Greater Israel"-- the main motto of the Zionist founders of the Israeli regime-- is dead.

"'Greater Israel' is finished. There is no such thing as that anymore. Whoever talks in those terms is only deluding himself," the prime minister admitted at a cabinet meeting.

"It doesn't help Israel. The international community has changed its perspective ahead of the possibility of Israel becoming a bi-national state," he said.

" I believed that the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean was all ours since in every place there that is excavated, there is evidence of Jewish History. But finally, after a lot of suffering and misgivings, I came to the conclusion that we need to share the land with whom we are residing if we don't want to become a bi-national state," Olmert said.

The premier also warned that the clock is "not ticking in Israel's favor." http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=251735

 What was the response to this reasoned exercise in what has come to be known as “realpolitik”?

Nasrallah: 'We Killed Greater Israel'

(IsraelNN.com) Hizbullah head Hassan Nasrallah gloated on Tuesday night following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's statement earlier in the week that “There is no more 'Greater Israel.'” Hizbullah was responsible for “pounding the last nail in the coffin of 'Greater Israel,'” he said. “The victories of 2000 and 2006 destroyed the dream of a vast Israeli power,” he said, referring to Israel's retreats from southern Lebanon. “Today, we face 'Mediocre Israel.'”http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/153113

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejhad was more than happy to endorse Olmert's comments and take things a step further.

Ahmadinejad: Israel won't survive in any shape or form

Tags: nuclear, Iran 
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out again at Israel on Thursday, saying that it won't survive in any shape or form.

Speaking to reporters, the hard-line leader smirked at a former mantra of the Israeli right of a Greater Israel that would include Palestinian territories. The idea has since been abandoned, with Israeli consensus now that there will be a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that the idea of a Greater Israel, which includes the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, is a thing of the past, and that anyone who still thinks in this way is delusional. Ahmadinejad said that "while some say the idea of Greater Israel has expired, I say the idea of a Lesser Israel has expired, too." http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1022398.html

The bottom line?  Try as we might, we can't make a peace treaty with evil.

And what is true in the realm of geopolitics is also true in our personal lives.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:


      “ Awake, you who sleep,
      Arise from the dead,
      And Christ will give you light.” (Ephesians 5:11-14)

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. (Romans 8:12-14)

Take it to the bank - If we give evil an inch it will take a mile.

Just as the world learned in Munich, compromise with darkness will only leave us compromised and in darkness.

 

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