Friday, September 30, 2011

This Week on 'The Hal Lindsey Report'

Hal LindseyBy Hal Lindsey
The Hal Lindsey Report

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Last week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas made good on his threat. He tore up the Oslo Accords and threw them in the trash. Oddly enough, though, he still claims to be the only one of the two peace partners genuinely seeking peace in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Now some of you are saying as you read this, "Come on, Hal, isn't that being overly dramatic? He didn't tear up Oslo." One of the basic tenets of the Oslo Accords - to which both parties agreed and Abbas himself personally signed - is that neither party would take any unilateral steps to change the status of any disputed territory until there was a negotiated settlement. I would say that asking the United Nations to recognize the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem as an independent, sovereign nation is definitely a "unilateral" step! Wouldn't you?

Of course, none of this should surprise anyone. The Oslo Accords are essentially just wasted words on paper that gives the international community something to cling to - and bludgeon Israel with - in the absence of the nerve to stand up to the Arab-Muslim world's demands. The Palestinians have never fulfilled even the simplest, most basic obligations to which they agreed. The entire process has simply been a stalling effort to give them time to wear Israel down and chip away at the West's integrity.

U.S. President Obama addresses the 65th United Nations General AssemblyAnd it appears to be working.

However, all was not lost last week. President Obama got some good political bounce out of the event. Addressing the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, he is generally credited with giving a speech that was surprisingly "supportive" of Israel. The President did mention that Israel is surrounded by enemies that have tried to destroy her in the past. And he did suggest that Palestine's statehood could not be attained through unilateral declaration at the UN, but needed to be achieved through negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis. He was right on both counts and I give him credit for that.

The problem lies, though, in what he did not say. He never said that the US would veto the statehood resolution in the Security Council (which he should have flatly stated months ago and ended all this frantic politicking). He did not mention the PA's refusal to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state. He said nothing about the PA's use of its education system to inculcate hatred of the Jews in each generation. He said nothing about the PA's support for terror.

Obama's speech totally ignored the fact that on May 16, in a New York Times editorial, Mahmoud Abbas had written:

"Palestine's admission to the United Nations would pave the way for the internationalization of the conflict as a legal matter, not only a political one. It would also pave the way for us to pursue claims against Israel at the United Nations, human rights treaty bodies and the International Court of Justice."
In other words, the statehood bid is not about peace and the Palestinians' right to political self-determination. It's about leverage!

President Obama also failed to mention that certain PLO officials had publicly implied that the new state of Palestine would be "Jew-free." It's odd to me that the world continues to accuse Israel of "ethnic cleansing" when more than one million Arabs/Palestinians live in Israel, most of them as Israeli citizens. Yet the world says nothing when the Palestinians publicly declare their intention to drive every Jew from their new state.

The speech also failed to criticize assertions made publicly by high-ranking PLO officials that even after Palestine becomes a nation, about half of the Palestinian "refugees" currently in the West Bank and Gaza will continue to be held in refugee camps. Further, it will be Israel's and the United Nations' obligation to continue caring for them. And who gives the UN the money to do this? American and European taxpayers!

Yet the world, and many in Israel, were effusive in their praise for President Obama's newfound support for Israel. (Credit Bob Turner's victory in NY-9 for that turnaround.) Of course, we're now seeing that that support may be short-lived. Already this week, the Administration has sharply criticized Israel for approving the construction of some new apartments in East Jerusalem. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she's disappointed that Israel would do something so "counterproductive" and "provocative" just when peace was obviously within our grasp! The Quartet has sung that song before.

And, by the way, that pesky Palestinian bid for statehood has yet to be decided. Wednesday, the Security Council referred the matter to committee for further consideration. It may be weeks or months before the resolution actually gets voted on by the Council. And vetoed by the US? In the meantime, Israel had better mind its p's and q's and keep its nose clean. Don't risk irritating the United States or that "promised" veto might just get lost in the mail!

By now, you can probably venture an educated guess about what I'll be discussing on this week's program. But this isn't all. I'll also have a few words about "Durban III" and the return of Vladimir Putin to the presidency of Russia. As Gomer Pyle used to say, "Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!"

Finally, I'll spend a few minutes delivering what I call "A Watchman Warning." Folks, despite the frustration I obviously feel as I watch the unbelievable displays of blind ignorance and rank arrogance by many of the world's leaders and their minions in the mainstream media, I never lose sight of what it all actually means. It means that we are in the final stages of our time here on this earth. Events are accelerating palpably. Daily we are witnessing Bible prophecy spring to life. Conditions and alignments inconceivable when the prophets wrote of them thousands of years ago are coming into sharp focus. And it's no longer taking millennia or centuries. Now, things change in months, weeks, days, even hours.

Our departure from this earth is growing closer as I type these words. Are you ready? Is your family ready? Don't delay. Accept the gift of pardon that Jesus Christ died in your place to purchase for you.

Trust me. You will never regret it.

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


Related Links
Abbas to go on 'persuasion campaign' - Ynet News
IAF strikes Gaza Strip in response to rocket attack - Jerusalem Post
Charles Krauthammer: A Palestinian invitation to suicide - National Post
Obama’s bomb deal with Israel raises the spectre of war - Globe and Mail
Vladimir Putin is more popular than me, says Medvedev - BBC

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Time Getting Short for Iranian Pastor

Charlie ButtsBy Charlie Butts
OneNewsNow.com

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The American Family Association (AFA) is calling its members into action on behalf of an Iranian pastor who faces execution.

Youcef Nadarkhani and His WifePastor Youcef Nadarkhani never practiced the Muslim faith and converted to Christianity at age 19, becoming a pastor later. But the courts say that since his mother and father were practicing Muslims, he must recant his Christian faith or die. Thus far, in three court appearances, he has refused to do so - and he could be executed at any time (on or after Thursday, September 29). (See earlier story)

According to an AFA Action Alert, when asked by judges to "repent," Yousef replied: "Repent meant to return. What should I return to? To the blasphemy that I had before my faith in Christ?"

The judges replied: "To the religion of your ancestors - Islam." To which Yousef replied: "I cannot."

AFA's Ed Vitagliano suggests it's time for the body of Christ to act. "... Christians in the West need to be praying for our brothers and sisters who are facing, as Pastor Nadarkhani is facing, possible death for their faith," he states.

Other forms of action can be taken by expressing concern to the U.S. State Department, members of Congress, and the White House.

"I think it's incumbent on Christians not to let cases like this just simply slip to the back of their minds," the AFA spokesman suggests. "We're talking about a brother in Christ, a pastor, who faces immediate execution if people in the West don't speak up."

Vitagliano notes that while there are geopolitical differences between the United States and Iran, the United States still can be instrumental "in getting some sort of humanitarian appeal to the leadership in Iran." While the case might be appealed to the Iranian Supreme Court, the nation often acts quickly in administering the death penalty.


Related Links


Nadarkhani Refuses to Repent; Awaiting Final Ruling on Apostasy Death Sentence - International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
White House condemns Iran over Christan pastor facing execution - Telegraph.co.uk
Britain, U.S. Call on Iran to Halt Execution of Christian Pastor - Bloomberg
EU's Ashton calls for Iran pastor release - Focus News
Iran Pastor Remains on Death Row; Prayers Urged - Gospel Herald

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

When Suspending Elections Is No Longer Conspiracy Theory

Bill WilsonBy Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry

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In the political circles there have been rumors and theories that the current regime in the White House may not recognize elections and try to remain in office without the people's consent. Often there are stories circulating the Internet predicting the president will declare martial law and suspend the elections over some national emergency. Judy McLeod, an award winning journalist for the Canadian Free Press, reported September 28,

"Seeing Obama golfing, holidaying and seeming not overly concerned about tanking in the polls, freedom lovers have been waiting almost three years now for the other shoe to drop. They know at heart that for a Marxist ideologue like Obama, the strategy of suspending elections fits."
The mere suggestion of such conjures visions of a third world banana republic having a dictator calling himself "president" for life - kind of like Venezuela's Hugo Chavez. The US Constitution would not allow such an act. But McLeod and others point out that the current occupier of the Oval Office has skirted the Constitution on many occasions. Certainly, ignoring the law has become a presidential precedent in this White House - refusing to issue permits for off shore drilling, selling assault weapons to Mexican drug cartel thugs, not enforcing the Defense of Marriage Act, giving taxpayer money to fund solar energy companies that contributed to the president's campaign - just to name a few.

But what gives McLeod's commentary legs is the proclamation by North Carolina Democratic Governor Bev Perdue speaking to the Cary Rotary Club:
"You have to have more ability from Congress, I think, to work together and to get over the partisan bickering and focus on fixing things. I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that...You want people who don't worry about the next election."
Her office later issued a statement that she was "obviously using hyperbole", but witnesses say Perdue's tone was quite serious.

Beltway Confidential reports September 14, the president told a Hispanic group,
"There are times where - until Nancy Pelosi is speaker again - I'd like to work my way around Congress...we've got laws on the books that have to be upheld. You know as well as anyone that...how we enforce those laws is also important."
You have a president saying that he wants to work around Congress, enforce the laws the way he sees fit, and a prominent Democratic governor floating the trial balloon that elections ought to be suspended.

Jesus said in Matthew 12:34,
"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
As citizens, we ought to get to the heart of the matter.


Related Links
GOP: No 'Joke' for North Carolina Governor to Suggest Suspending Elections - FOX
New audio: NC governor struck serious tone on suspending congressional elections - The Daily Caller
Rush: Democrat 'dead serious' about suspending elections - WND.com (Joe Kovacs)
Two Democrats: We're Getting Pretty Sick of This Whole "Democracy" Thing - Town Hall
Socialism is Not Compassionate, and Why This Should Matter to Christians - FaithFacts.org

Jewish Holidays Begin

David DolanBy David Dolan
DDolan.com

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Tonight at sunset, Jews here in Israel and around the world will celebrate Rosh Ha Shana, the beginning of the Jewish New Year. The coming year will be counted as 5772, meaning there are just another 28 years until the year 6,000, when many Orthodox rabbis and others teach that the current world as we know it may come to an end. Under this teaching, the world will last only 7,000 years, corresponding to the seven days of creation spoken of in the biblical book of Genesis. The final thousand years are thought to be a tranquil period under the benevolent rule of Israel’s Messiah, ruling the nations from Jerusalem. This teaching is echoed in the prophecies found in the New Testament’s book of Revelation, penned by the Apostle John nearly 2,000 years ago.

Here in Israel, shops, schools and most restaurants and places of entertainment will be closed until next Sunday as people get together for festive meals and gather in synagogues to mark the Jewish New Year. Yom Kippur follows the holiday on October 7th .


Related Links


Israel Observes Rosh Hashanah in Uncertain Times - Voice of America
Jews for Jesus Invites You to Worship with Us for the High Holidays - JewsforJesus.org
Rosh Hashanah, The Jewish New Year, Begins Wednesday Night - Arutz Sheva
How did Jesus fulfill the meanings of the Jewish feasts? - GotQuestions.org
Population hits 7.8 million on eve of Jewish New Year - Jerusalem Post

World Opinion Swings Back Against Israel

Ryan JonesBy Ryan Jones
Israel Today

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Even when the Palestinian regime openly identifies itself as an impossible peace partner, it never takes long before the international community finds an excuse to again blame Israel for the lack of a peace agreement.

Earlier this week, the world was taken aback by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' brash unilateral push for statehood at the UN. For a brief moment, the world sided with Israel as it pleaded in vain for Abbas to return to the negotiating table.

But already on Thursday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton returned to the familiar rhetoric, suggesting that the construction of a few apartments in Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem is what's really blocking peace.

Hillary Clinton"We believe that this morning's announcement by the government of Israel approving the construction of housing units in east Jerusalem is counter-productive to our efforts to resume direct negotiations between the parties," Clinton told reporters. "We have long urged both sides to avoid any kind of action which could undermine trust, including, and perhaps most particularly, in Jerusalem, any action that could be viewed as provocative by either side."

EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton and British Foreign Secretary William Hague also condemned what they called "provocative settlement activity."

The three diplomats were referring to Israel's approval of the construction of 1,100 new apartments in the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo, which is already home to tens of thousands of Jews. The Palestinians claim Gilo as part of their future state, as it lies on the side of Jerusalem that was illegally occupied by Jordan prior to 1967.

It is worth pointing out that while Clinton is quick to jump on Israel for building a few apartments, she has not been consistent in calling out the "kind of action which could undermine trust" when it comes to the Palestinians.

For instance, Palestinian police forces have been operating in eastern Jerusalem in violation of signed agreements for the past couple of years. The Palestinian Authority has also resumed political activity in Jerusalem, again in violation of signed agreements.


Related Links


Israel told Jerusalem plan 'a provocation' - Sydney Morning Herald
Egypt slams Israel over new construction in East Jerusalem - Ha'aretz
U.S., EU condemn Israeli plan to expand settlement - Reuters
Ashton shows pro-Palestinian side at EU parliament - EUobserver.com
Bibi Says ‘Yes’ to Quartet, Leaves Abbas Up a Diplomatic Tree - Arutz Sheva

Neutrinos May Be Faster than Light

Chuck MisslerBy Dr. Chuck Missler
Koinonia House

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Neutrinos may indeed travel faster than the speed of light, according to three years' worth of data amassed at a huge underground lab in Italy. Physicists across the world are skeptical of course; Einstein's theory of relativity hinges on the speed of light and the fact that nothing goes faster. If a particle can shoot past light speed, then crazy science fiction dreams like time travel conceivably become possible. If other labs are able to duplicate the results, this discovery will cause theoretical physicists to wrestle once again with the most fundamental concepts about the nature of the universe.

Less massive than an electron, faster than a speeding photon, able to fly through thick rock without hitting a single quark. It's a lepton. It's uncharged. It's... it's... a neutrino!

Neutrinos are tiny subatomic particles without any charge, which makes it possible for them to speed through the earth without interacting with the atoms along the way. Neutrinos are so tiny and finicky to work with, they aren't even assigned a quantified mass. For example an electron has a mass of 9.11×10^−31 kg (which is exceedingly small), but a neutrino's mass is described simply as "non-zero." Just barely there.

The Opera Experiment

Italy's Gran Sasso National Laboratory is buried deep under the ground, out of the way of the Sun's cosmic radiation. There a group of 160 physicists from 11 countries have been collaborating in an experiment called Oscillation Project with Emulsion-Tracking Apparatus, or "Opera" for short. The Opera experiment does not begin in Italy, though. Just over 450 miles away at the CERN Large Hadron Collider on the border of France and Switzerland, naked protons, stripped of electrons, are fired into a graphite target. There they turn into a pulse of smaller particles called mesons that decay into neutrinos and speed through the earth toward the Gran Sasso lab.

Diagram showing the path of the neutrino beam from CERN all the way to the Laboratory of Gran Sasso in Italy.Much to their dismay, the Opera physicists found the neutrinos traveled a distance of 454 miles from the CERN particle accelerator to the underground lab in Italy about 60 nanoseconds faster than a beam of light. That's significant, because the margin of error was only 10 nanoseconds. In 2007, scientists at Fermilab in Chicago clocked neutrinos exceeding light speed, but their margin of error was higher - high enough to render the results inconclusive - high enough to protect the conceptual order and the sanity of the world's physicists.

The Opera scientists are not trying to prove a point, nor do they wish to upset Einstein. They were not even initially focusing on neutrino speed. Neutrinos can morph from one shape to another, and the scientists performing the Opera experiment have been trying to study the transformation of muon neutrinos to tau neutrinos. In the process, they measured the speeds of thousands of neutrinos, and came to the uncomfortable discovery that they were going too fast. After 16,000 neutrinos detected over three years, the physicists only detected one tau neutrino. While the speed of neutrinos is becoming the big issue, OPERA spokesperson, Antonio Ereditato of the University of Bern, said, "We would like to see some tau neutrinos."

Skeptical physicists abound. Few are ready to believe that any particle, however small, surpasses the speed of light. Astrophysicist Martin Rees of the University of Cambridge reminds Scientific American readers that neutrinos and photos arrived about the same time from SN1987A, a supernova first observed in February of 1987. If neutrinos indeed travelled faster than light, then the neutrinos from the supernova should have beat the photons in their space race from the explosion by a good four years. The SN1987A neutrinos had lower energies than the particle accelerator neutrinos, but still. Theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss of Arizona State University voiced the same sentiments, also noting that the experiment appears to violate Lorentz invariance, "which is at the heart of so much known physics."

That's the struggle. So much known physics, tested over and over, depends on the speed of light as the max of the universe. The equations work. The numbers fit over and over again. So, if the speed of light can be surpassed, what does that really mean? Does it mean that neutrinos actually leapfrog forward in time? Or, is there something that physicists have missed?

Most theoretical physicists assume there must be a mistake somewhere. Is there a systematic error that the Gran Sasso team missed? Did they measure the underground distance with the necessary precision, accounting for the tidal bulges in the Earth's crust due to the location of the Moon?

Dr. Dario Autiero, of the Institut de Physique Nucleaire de Lyon in France declared that his group has been trying to explain the results for six months without success.

"We cannot explain the observed effect in terms of systematic uncertainties," Dr. Autiero told the physicists at CERN. "Therefore, the measurement indicates a neutrino velocity higher than the speed of light."

"This result comes as a complete surprise," confirmed Ereditato. "After many months of studies and cross checks we have not found any instrumental effect that could explain the result of the measurement. While OPERA researchers will continue their studies, we are also looking forward to independent measurements to fully assess the nature of this observation."

Physicists in other labs are jumping to see if they can repeat the Italian lab's results. Until others can repeat the experiment and get the same data, it's unwise to take a stubborn position on the issue. At the same time, an editorial in The Guardian warns against rejecting discoveries just because they're uncomfortable:

"[B]ut the history of science cautions against branding it unthinkable...Recall, too, that it was the then inexplicable Michelson-Morley experiment which encouraged the spread of Einstein's early ideas, and the baffling perihelion precession of Mercury which lent support to his general theory. The first thing in science is to face the facts; making sense of them has to come second."


Related Links
U.S. Scientists to Test Findings that Neutrinos Defied Physics' Basic Tenet - International Business Times
Speedy neutrinos challenge physicists - Nature.com
Light speed: Flying into fantasy - BBC
Neutrinos: Everything you need to know - New Scientist
A Lesson in Good Science for Global Warming Faithful - Front Page

 




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