THREE EXISTENTIAL THREATS FACING AMERICA
* Come tour Israel & Jordan with me & The Joshua Fund this October.
* Register for April 19th special simulcast on “The Third Target” & the future of Christianity in the Middle East.
By Joel C. Rosenberg (@joelcrosenberg on Twitter)
(Asheville, North Carolina, March 13, 2015) — Greeting from the Billy Graham training center known as “The Cove” here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee. On Thursday, I had the unexpected honor and joy of going to my friend Anne Graham Lotz to spend time with Dr. Graham at his home in Montreat. This weekend, Anne and I are teaching a seminar on Bible prophecy. I hope to post my notes on the blog in the days ahead.
For now, though, I wanted to let you know that I have posted on the blog the notes I used for my recent address to the closing dinner of the National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville. While I did not deliver the speech verbatim, you will get the essential points I made that night.
WHEN YOU SEE A SWORD COMING: Three Existential Threats Facing America
Address to the National Religious Broadcasters Convention
Nashville, Tennessee
February 26, 2015
My text tonight is Ezekiel chapter 33, verses one through nine. It is a famous passage — one that you all know — about the role of the “Watchman on the Wall.” I believe it is deeply relevant to our times.
“And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’ 7 “Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. 9 But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.”
More than 2,500 years ago, the Lord spoke these words to the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel. A man of God. Born in Israel. Exiled and living in Iraq. Amidst grave dangers rising.
What was Ezekiel commanded to do? The text is clear. Listen to God. Watch for threats. Warn the people, come what may.
This was a divine calling — an enormous responsibility. And God was clear. Some would listen to Ezekiel’s warnings. Some would not. Ezekiel was not going to be held responsible for the decision others made to obey the Lord or not. He would be held responsible for obeying the Lord, teaching people the Word of God and warning the people when God told him to speak. Fortunately, Ezekiel was faithful to the task.
As followers of Jesus Christ — and as pastors and ministry leaders and religious broadcasters — each of you are, in our modern times, also watchmen on the walls. In many ways, you have the same calling. The same responsibility. To listen to the Word of God, found in the Bible. To speak the Word of God — to tell people the bad news and the good news according to the Scriptures. To warn people of threats that are rising. To speak the truth in love, come what may.
God warned Ezekiel — as He warns us today — that if He speaks and we don’t share His Word with others, we will be held to account. What’s more, if we see threats rising, and we do not warn people, we will be held to account.
Tonight, as I look out America, I see three existential threats.
* Threat #1 — What if America is not simply in a season of decline but heading towards collapse, towards implosion, towards judgment?
* Threat #2 — What if America is not simply at rising risk of attack by Radical Islam but heading towards the risk of annihilation by Apocalyptic Islam?
* Threat #3 — What if America is not simply entering a season of strained relations with Israel but heading towards total abandonment of the Jewish State?
Let’s take those one by one.
In the State of the Union address in January, the President covered a range of issues and challenges that we face, but this was his central case. “No challenge — no challenge — poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.”
I respectfully disagree. There is a long list of reasons America faces implosion, but I can sum it up in one number: 58 million. Since 1973, Americans have aborted 58 million babies. Think about that: 58 million. It is a staggering number. And if something doesn’t happen soon to change course, in less than two years we will hit 60 million. If this happens, we as Americans will have murdered ten times more human beings than the number of Jews murdered by the Nazis.
We know the judgment of God that fell upon Nazi Germany. What do we think is going to happen to a nation that exterminates ten times more people than the Nazis?
The judgment of Almighty God is coming. There is no way out. The souls of 58 million babies are crying out for justice — and they will get it. But for this to happen we need to be pleading with God to have mercy on us. We need to be calling people to prayer, fasting and above all repentance. Only another Great Awakening, and perhaps the emergence of a leader as godly and wise and deeply rooted in the Scriptures as the ancient King Josiah, could forestall the judgment that is coming….
[To read the rest of this speech, please go to the blog.]
——————–
COME TOUR ISRAEL & JORDAN WITH ME & THE JOSHUA FUND IN OCTOBER
It is with great excitement about God’s love for the people of Israel and her neighbors that I cordially invite you to join us for The Joshua Fund’s next “Prayer & Vision Tour Of The Holy Land.”
The Israel portion of the tour will be October 14-25, 2015. And for the first time ever, we will lead an optional additional tour to the Biblical sites of the Kingdom of Jordan for those who want to extend their time and learn more. This will be from October 25-29, 2015.
If you have never been to the Holy Land, it is hard to describe what a profound spiritual effect such a journey can have on you and your family. You may have heard others say God’s Word seemed to “come alive” in a new way when they walked where Jesus walked, from the shores of Galilee to the Mount of Olives and into the streets of Jerusalem. Well, it’s true, and I believe our 2015 Israel trip will allow you to experience this for yourself and intensify your desire to walk more closely with Jesus Christ.
[To learn more about the trip — and to register — please go to the blog, or to www.joshuafund.com.]
——————-
REGISTER NOW FOR OUR SPECIAL SIMULCAST ON “THE THIRD TARGET”
Amidst the horrific attacks by ISIS terrorists in Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, France, and elsewhere, Christians throughout North America and around the world are asking many questions. Who is ISIS? What do they believe? What do they want? How serious is the threat to us? Is it true that genocidal conditions are emerging for Christians in the Middle East? And is there any good news? How can the Church advance the Gospel amongst Muslims?
I am pleased to announce that Tyndale House Publishers, In:ciite Events and I are partnering to present a special simulcast event on Sunday evening, April 19th, to answer these questions. You, your small group, and/or your church — small, medium, or large — can register now to view the simulcast and to share the message with family, friends and neighbors.
Full details are available at the link at the bottom of this email, and on the blog.
—————————–
KEY ARTICLES ON THE BLOG RIGHT NOW:
* Netanyahu could be defeated as Prime Minister in Israeli elections next week. Here’s the latest.
* Iran’s leaders reject Obama deal, calling it “unacceptable.” It’s been a bizarre few days. Here’s the latest.
* On eve of Purim, Netanyahu warns of rising Persian threat to Israel & the world and danger of making a bad deal with Tehran. Here’s my analysis. (Also: audio my interview with NBC’s Kathie Lee Gifford on the PM’s speech, “Apocalyptic Islam” & “The Third Target”)
[To read these and other stories, or to order THE THIRD TARGET — or to find links to the latest news and analysis of events and trends in the U.S., Israel, North Africa, Russia, and the Middle East — please go to:https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/.]
————————————
PRAYER NEEDS — please pray for….
* A Third Great Awakening — a sweeping spiritual revival — in the U.S. and Canada.
* The peace of Jerusalem — geopolitical but also spiritual peace through the Prince of Peace
* The Lord to superintend the Israeli elections on March 17th and the process that follows from there.
* The Palestinian people in Gaza to be liberated from the reign of terror imposed by Hamas and other terrorist groups
* Israeli, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders to have wisdom to know how best to protect their citizens going forward and live in quiet and calm with their neighbors
* The President of the United States and his top advisors to have a change of heart and to truly stand unequivocally with Israel, America’s best friend and most faithful ally in the Mideast
* The President and other nations to know how best to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons, defeat ISIS and stop the genocide, and prevent terror attacks on the U.S. and our allies
* Persecuted in Christians throughout the epicenter to be brave and bold for Christ and faithful lights amidst such darkness
* The protection of moderate Arabs and other Muslims in the region from Radical Islam, particularly in Jordan
* The Lord to strengthen His Church and reveal His Word and the transforming power of the Gospel to all the people of the epicenter, and that the Father would draw them to His Son
* The Joshua Fund to have the wisdom to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, as the Lord guides and provides
————————————
* TWITTER — Please track the latest developments @joelcrosenberg.
BLESS ISRAEL & HER NEIGHBORS — AND COME ON A TOUR OF ISRAEL & JORDAN: Would you prayerfully consider giving a generous, tax-deductible gift to THE JOSHUA FUND? Come help us educate and mobilize Christians around the world about God’s love and plan Israel and her neighbors; provide food, medical supplies and other humanitarian relief to the poor and needy, to Holocaust survivors, and to widows and orphans; teach the Scriptures throughout Israel and the epicenter; strengthen the Church in the epicenter; and assist ministries helping Syrian & Iraqi refugees. Thanks so much, and may the Lord bless you and your family as you invest in the work of The Joshua Fund at this critical time. (www.joshuafund.com)
To order THE THIRD TARGET in hardcover, e-book, and audio formats, please click here (or visit your favorite bookstore).
To read Joel’s blog, please click here — https://flashtrafficblog.wordpress.com/
www.joelrosenberg.com
To learn more about the SPECIAL SIMULCAST on ISIS & Radical Islam — or to register — please click here.
PRAYER & VISION TRIP TO ISRAEL, AND JORDAN EXTENSION TOUR: To learn more, and to register, please click here
