1. The worldwide spread of atheism.

2. Liberalism spreads in Europe and America.

3. Ecumenical movement begins.

4. Apostasy and denial of Biblical truth.

5. Moral chaos because of departure from Christian morality.

6. The sweep of spiritism, the occult, and doctrines of demons.

7. Jerusalem- center of religious controversy for Jews and Arabs.

8. The rapture of the church.

9. The restraint of evil by the Holy Spirit is lifted.

10. The one world church is formed by the False Prophet.

11. The Anti Christ destroys the world church.

12. Believers and Jews are martyred.

13. Christ returns at the end of the tribulation.

1. Israel is established as a nation in 1948.

2. Russia emerges as an enemy of Israel.

3. America befriends Israel and promises protection.

4. The Arab nations are strengthened by Europe and Arab nations.

5. America’s influence is weakened by terrorism and immorality

6. Rapture of the church.

7. Israel is forced to sign a peace pact with the leader of a confederacy of 10 nations.

8. Jews celebrate what they think is a lasting peace.

9. First three and a half years, Judaism is revived and temple rebuilt.

10. Russia and Islamic nations invade Israel and are destroyed.

11. Antichrists sets himself up in the temple as God.

12. God has the 144,000 Jewish evangelists and two witnesses.

13. Christ returns to earth and 1/3 of Jews welcome him as Messiah.

14. The Millennial reign of Christ and fulfillment of prophetic promises to Israel.

Intro:

1. Before I get into the exposition of Ezek 38-39, I want to compare the beliefs of Islam and Christianity. These differences of belief, will explain why the Islamic nations play a key role in the war to come in the tribulation period and their hatred for Israel and America.

2. The sovereignty of God has brought Muslims and Islam to the forefront for these last days events.

Transition: Lets examine 9 facts about Islam and Muslims.

1. Christians and Muslims do not worship the same God. Islam is a cult- Islam is a religion of works and Christianity is by Grace.

2. Islam is not a great religion that has been hijacked by Islamic fundamentalists.

3. Muslims hate Israel and us because we befriend Israel. Their hatred for Israel is what drives their obsession of terror. Why?

1]. Jews are descendants of Abraham's son Isaac. The Arabs are descendants of Abraham's son Ishmael [Gen 16:1-16].

2]. Isaac was the promised seed who would inherit the promises to Abraham [Gen. 21:1-3]. They believe Ishmael was the promised seed.

3]. Ishmael would live in hostility toward all his brothers [Gen. 16:11-12].

4]. When the United nations gave land to Israel in 1948, this inflamed the Arabs. Biblically this is the Jews land.

4. Not all Arabs are Muslims, and not all Muslims are Arabs. Followers of Islam are Muslims. Islam means "submission to Allah."

5. The founder of Islam.

1]. Islam was founded by Muhammad who lived from 570 A.D. to 632 A.D. He is believed to be the last and greatest prophet of God by Muslims. He established Islam in Mecca, Arabia in 630 A.D. and united Arab tribes and turned them from idolatry to Islam.

2]. Main sects are Sunni and Shiite.

3]. There is an estimated 1 billion Muslims in the world, with 5 to 8 million in America.

6. Muhammad claimed to have received divine truth from the angel Gabriel in Arabic, which he recorded in the Muslim holy book "Qur'an."

1]. The Qur'an accepts the law of Moses, Psalms of David, and Gospels of Jesus, but teach that Jews and Christians have corrupted these original revelations.

2]. Over 22 years Gabriel revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad.

7. The Muslim "Qur'an" gives Muslims the command to convert people to Islam or kill them, by the Holy war called "Jihad." Radical Muslims are called Jihadists or Islamists Fundamentalists.

1]. Killing an infidel is their only assurance of Paradise with 72 virgins. They can go by keeping the five pillars of Islam, but they have not real assurance unless they kill an infidel or kill themselves while killing an infidel.

2]. Three levels of Jihad- humiliation, shock, and war.

8. The five pillars [tenets] of Islam.

1]. The Confession of Faith- The declaration that there is no god but Allah [Arabic for God], and Muhammad is his prophet.

2]. Prayer- The Muslim is required to pray five times a day facing Mecca- Sunrise, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and before bed. They quote the Qur'an and do this in their "Mosque."

3]. Almsgiving- They are required to give 2.5 percent of their wealth to the poor and/or for the furtherance of Islam.

4]. The Fast- During the month of Ramadan [9th month of Islamic calendar], a fast is to observed from sunrise to sunset. Ramadan is the month they remember the giving of the Qur'an to Mohammad.

5]. Pilgrimage- All Muslims are required to travel to Mecca once in their lifetime. There they travel around the Kaahab [black rock] seven times. This is where Adam and Abraham built an altar.

9. I want to share some differences between the Muslim Jesus and the Biblical Jesus. I have given you handouts on Islam works, Jihad, Muhammad, and comparison charts on Christianity vs Islam.

1]. Islam believes Jesus was created and not eternal.

2]. Jesus was a messenger of Allah to declare the coming of Muhammad. He was the son of Mary but not the son of God.

3]. Jesus was not crucified and there is no resurrection. They substituted another man and Allah raised him up to heaven.

4]. There was no sending of the Holy Spirit.

5]. Salvation is only found in keeping the five pillars of Islam.

6]. Jesus was a slave of Allah.

7]. Jesus is not God in the flesh as the Messiah, and there is no trinity.

8]. Jesus is not to be worshipped, he was only a messenger.

9]. Jesus is not the mediator between God and man.

10]. Jesus will return wearing light yellow garments. You will recognize him because he is a man of medium height with reddish hair.

11]. He will return to Damascus, Syria on the wings of two angels. He will invite the whole world to be Muslim including Christians and Jews, if not, they will be killed by Muslims.

12]. Jesus destroys the Antichrist and a great slaughter of Jews results and the nation of Israel will be exterminated.

13]. Jesus will then marry and have children and live 40 years. He will be buried beside Muhammad.

Con: We treat Muslims like we do lost people.

Pray that God will change their heart and open their eyes [2 Cor. 4:4]. Pray that God will convince them of their need for salvation thru Jesus [John 3:16; 16:7-11]. Live a Godly example before them [1 Pet. 3:1-2]. We must be bold in our witness [Rom. 10:9-10]. Leave the results to God.

1. Baptism does not produce salvation. Baptism follows salvation as an act of obedience. In Acts 2:41 we notice that the people who were saved at Pentecost were baptized after they "gladly received the gospel." Then they were baptized and were added to the church. In Acts 10:44-48 we see the Gentile converts at Cornelius's house were baptized after they received the Holy Ghost [v.47]. If Baptism was essential to salvation, then Paul would have not downplayed baptism [1 Cor. 1:13-7], and would have told us in his letters. In Eph. 2:8-9 Paul makes it clear that faith is required for salvation, and that faith was given to us by God.

2. Jesus never baptized anyone. He never said in the gospels that it was essential to salvation. He did tell us about repentance and faith.

3. Scripture will not teach something contrary to scripture. In John 3:5 the emphasis is on believing and spiritual birth. "Born of water" in v.5 refers to the washing of regeneration by the Word of God [Titus 3:5; Eph. 5:26; John 15:3]. In Acts 2:38 the word "for" means "on the account of, or on the basis of." In other words, because your sins are forgiven, be baptized. In Mark 16:16 notice the absence of the word "baptized" in the last part of the verse for disbelieving. The emphasis is on believing. Baptism is an expected outward expression of belief. Baptism is not the condition of salvation, but an outward proclamation that the person has been saved. If we had to be baptized to be saved, then baptism would be a "work" by man. This would run contrary to the Gospel of grace through faith in Christ alone [Gal. 1:6-8]. Approximately 150 verses in the N.T. state that salvation is by faith alone in Jesus. Romans 6:3-6, refers to baptism of the believer by the Spirit into Christ. Also, the thief on the cross was not baptized and Jesus told him he would be in paradise with Him.

4. Baptism is a matter of obedience. Baptism does not impart saving grace. It is an outward expression of the believer that one identifies with Christ, it pictures the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and is a means of entry into the local church. Baptism is not the event, but the picture of the event.

Evidences that neither prove or disprove saving faith.

1. Visible morality [Matt 19:16-21; 23:27].

2. Intellectual assent [Rom 1:21; 2:17; Luke 4:40-41].

3. Religious involvement [2 Tim 3:5].

4. Active ministry [Matt 7:21-24].

5. Conviction of sin [John 8:3-9].

6. Assurance [Matt 23].

7. Time of decision [Matt 13:5-6, 20-21].

The fruit or proof of saving faith.

1. Love for God [Luke 10:27; 1 John 4:19].

2. Repentance from sin [2 Cor 7:10; I John 1:8-10; Luke 13:3].

3. Genuine humility [Matt 5:1-12].

4. Devotion to God's glory [1 Cor 10:31].

5. Brotherly love [I John 2:9; 3:14; 4:7].

6. Separation from the world [1 Cor 2:12; I John 2:15-17; 5:5].

7. Spiritual growth [Matt 13:23; Eph 4:12-16; I Peter 1:5-10].

8. Obedience [Matt 7:21; Rom 16:25-26; I Peter 1:2, 22; I John 2:3-5].

9. Desire for holiness [1 John 3:7-9].

10. Correction by the Lord [Heb. 11:4-13].

11. Endurance in trials [1 Peter 1:6-7].

12. Continuation [Col. 1:22-23; Heb. 3:14; John 8:31-21].

Why pray when God knows what we are going to ask before we ask it?

1. We pray because God commands us to pray and He gives peace when we ask in thanksgiving [Philippians 4:6-7].

2. Christ and the early church gave us a pattern to pray [Mark 1:35; Acts 1:14;2:42; 3:1; 4:23-31; 6:4; 13:1-3].

3. God intends for prayer to be the means of obtaining His solutions in a number of situations:

A. Preparation for major decisions [Luke 6:12-13]
B. Overcoming demonic barriers in lives [Matthew 17:14-21]
C. The gathering of workers for the spiritual harvest [Luke 10:2]
D. The gaining of strength to overcome temptation [Matthew 26:41]
E. The means of strengthening others spiritually [Ephesians 6:18-19]

4. He has promised that when we ask for things that are in accordance with His will, He will give us what we ask for [1 John 5:14-15].

A. Sometimes He delays His answers according to His wisdom and for our benefit. In these situations, we are to be diligent and persistent in prayer [Matthew 7:7; Luke 18:1-8].

B. Prayer should not be seen as our means of getting God to do our will on earth, but rather as a means of getting God's will done on earth.

5. Prayer is our primary means of seeing God work in others' lives. Because it is our means of "plugging into" God's power.

6. Prayer is our means of defeating a foe and his army [Satan and his army] that we are powerless to overcome by ourselves.

7. Prayer develops our dependence on God [Phil. 4:6].

A lack of prayer demonstrates a lack of faith and a lack of trust in God’s Word.

Prayer in Jesus' name is taught in John 14:13-14, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

Some mistakenly apply this verse by believing that saying "In Jesus' name" at the end of a prayer results in God always granting what is asked for. This is essentially treating the words "in Jesus' name" as a magic formula. This is not biblical!

Praying in Jesus' name means-

1. Praying in Jesus' name means praying through Jesus. Our prayers are in the Spirit, through Jesus, to the Father. We are able to approach the Father by the atoning work of the Son on the cross and our faith in Him.

2. Praying in Jesus' name means the same thing as praying according to the will of God.

"This is the confidence we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him" [1 John 5:14-15].

Our prayers "Whatsoever" and "Anything" [John 14:13-14], is controlled by all that scriptures teach on prayer, and "in His name."

3. Praying in Jesus' name is praying in His person and work, for things that will honor, please, and glorify Jesus.

The great hymn by Squire Parsons has blessed many over the years as we reflect on the promise and desire for heaven. But, what is the connection between Beulah and the Bible?

The word "Beulah" is used one time in the Bible. The only reference is found in Isaiah 62:4. The Hebrew word is Baal [Strongs 1166] which means to marry, to have dominion, to rule over. The word is used of Judah's and Israel's marriage to a foreign god [Mal. 2:11]. It is used figuratively here of God's marriage to Israel [Jer. 3:14]. The word reflects a full restored relationship with the Lord.

The context of the verse is Israel occupying and possessing Jerusalem, which Hephzibah refers to. The Lord is speaking about a sincere and bonding marriage between Him and His children.

While its true we still have a hope and desire for heaven, Heaven is not called Beulah Land in the Bible.

Anything that hinders our communication with God is an obstacle to prayer. The following list provides examples of hindrances to effective prayer.

1. Iniquity and Un-confessed Sins.

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear" (Isaiah 59:1-2). "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me" (Psalms 66:18).

2. Vanity and Selfish Motives.

"Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it" (Job 35:13). "You ask, and receive not, because you ask amiss, that you may consume it upon your lusts." (James 4:3).

3. Haughtiness or Pride.

"God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6).

4. Unbelief and Doubt.

"He will convict the world of sin…because they do not believe in Me" (John 16:8-9). "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:6-7).

5. Covetousness or Stinginess.

"Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard" (Proverbs 21:13). "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10).

6. Unforgiveness.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15).

7. Idolatry.

"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them" (Ezekiel 14:3)?

8. Bad Attitude Toward Wife.

"Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered" (1 Peter 3:7).

9. Asking for things outside of God's Will.

"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us" (1 John 5:14).

1. Intercessory prayer is the act of seeking the presence and hearing of God on behalf of others. The person is acting as a mediator between God and the person or people, closing the gap between them.

* God is searching for anyone who can act as the person to close the gap between Him and men.

* Ezekiel 22:30-31 tells us it would require a person who has fully and whole-heartedly given him or herself over to Christ, submitting completely to the Holy Spirit as their Guide. That person would be giving all praise and glory to God, keeping a clean and open heart to hear God's direction.

* This prayer is done fervently, with the intent of God granting the requests in that prayer (so that it is more than just asking or hoping, but actually expecting God to act).

2. Examples of intercession in the Bible:

* The intercession of the Savior.

The sin of man brought a gap between God and man. Then Jesus was born, acting as the mediator on behalf of us, and closed the gap between us and God when He died on the cross.

He was the greatest mediator (intercessor) that ever lived, and continues to intercede on our behalf (Isaiah 59:16; Rom. 8:34; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:25).

Because of this we can now intercede in prayer on behalf of other Christians, or for the lost.

* The intercession of the Spirit [Rom. 8:26].

* The intercession of the Saints [1 Tim. 2:1]

1. Temporary gifts-

     A. SIGN GIFTS- (Establish the work, foundational gifts)

          1. Miracles-

* An extraordinary event worked by God through human agents that can't be explained by natural forces.
* To authenticate the human instrument God has chosen to declare a specific revelation to those who witnessed the miracle. The purpose was to present a spiritual truth.

           2. Tongues-

* The supernatural ability to speak in a known language you have not learned.
* Given to Israel as a sign of Judgment that there was now a transition from the old to the new covenant. Also, to help get the gospel out of Jerusalem.

          3. Healings-

* Someone with this gift would be able to heal as Jesus and the Apostles did.
* We believe in faith healing (James 5:13-15) but not faith healers.

          4. Office of Apostle and Prophet-

2. Permanent gifts-

      A. SPEAKING GIFTS- (Expound the Word)

           1. Prophecy- (I Cor 14:3).

* Prophet would foretell while prophecy would forth-tell.
* Preaching to edify, encourage, and comfort (I Cor 14:3; I Tim 4:13).
* More exhortation and motivational.
* Confronts sin and false teaching.
* Decisive, opinionated, and outspoken.

          2. Teaching- (I Cor 12:28).

* It is the ability to explain and apply God's Word.
* One has a deep desire to impart God's truths to the hearers.
* Loves to dig into God's Word.

      B. SERVING GIFTS- (Expand the Work)

          1. Faith- (I Cor 12:9).

* Some have a special gift to trust God for the extraordinary things.
* The heroes of faith of Hebrews 11
* It is unshakeable conviction in the face of impossible odds.

          2. Knowledge- (I Cor 12:8).

* The understanding of truth.
* The special ability to discover the full meaning of a text or context.

          3. Wisdom- (I Cor 12:8).

* The ability to apply scripture to ones life.
* The ability to understand God's will and obey it.

          4. Discerning of spirits- (I Cor 12:10).

* Ability to determine true and false teachers and teachings.
* Able to detect counterfeit teachings and deceptions.

          5. Mercy- (Rom 12:8b).

* Can identify with the pain of another believer.
* Compassionate love that acts

          6. Exhortation- (Rom 12:8).

* Ability to come alongside another and comfort, encourage, exhort, warn, and admonish.
* Uses the Word of God to correct a wrong behavior or belief.
* Able to sense needs in the body.

          7. Giving- (Rom 12:8).

* Ministry of providing material goods or meeting the temporal needs of others.
* Does not relate to how much we possess.
* Give behind the scenes without fanfare.

          8. Administration or leading- (Rom 12:8).

* One who can steer, guide, or direct, a helms man.
* Lead with diligence and zeal.

          9. Ministry or helps- (Rom 12:7; I Co 12:28).

* To serve, to wait upon, to render assistance.
* Likes to meet practical needs allowing others to use their gifts.
* Greatest ability is availability.

Spiritual Gift Survey

What is contemplative prayer?

Contemplative prayer is not just "contemplating while you pray." The Bible instructs us to "pray with our minds [1 Corinthians 14:15], so clearly, prayer does involve "contemplation." However, praying with your mind is not what "contemplative prayer" has come to mean.

The concept of contemplative prayer has slowly increased in practice and popularity each year since the mid 1990s along with the rise of the Emerging Church Movement - a movement which embraces many non-biblical ideas and practices. Contemplative prayer is one such practice. It is being marketed through a new DVD "Be Still and Know" which features popular evangelical leaders promoting this type of prayer.

Contemplative prayer is rooted in Buddhism and Hinduism. Contemplative prayer, also known as centering prayer and Mantra meditation, is a meditative practice of going through "Silence." It requires shutting down the mind by the use of a favorite word or phrase repeated over and over to shut off your thinking processes. According to Abbott Thomas Keating, this is how it is done: "Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God's presence and action within. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word. At the end of the prayer period, remain silent and they claim you will then encounter God in the spirit realm. Rather than encountering God through His Word, Christians are now seeking to use Bible passages as mantras in an attempt to experience God in a whole new way.

What's wrong with this type of prayer?

This type of "prayer" has no Scriptural support whatsoever. In fact, it is just the opposite of how prayer is defined in the Bible. "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done" [Philippians 4:6; John 16:23-24]. These verses, and others, clearly portray prayer as being comprehendible communication with God, not an mysterious New Age meditation.

Contemplative prayer, by design, focuses on having a mystical experience with "God." Mysticism, however, is purely subjective, and doesn't rely upon truth or fact. Yet, the Word of God has been given to us for the very purpose of basing our faith, and our lives, on truth [2 Timothy 3:16-17]. What we know about God is based on fact; trusting in experiential knowledge over the biblical record takes a person outside of the standard that is the Bible.

Contemplative prayer is no different than the meditative exercises used in Eastern religions and New Age cults. Its most vocal supporters embrace an open spirituality amongst adherents from all religions, promoting the idea that salvation is gained by many paths, even though Christ Himself stated that salvation comes only through Him [John 14:6]. Obviously, contemplative prayer is in opposition to biblical Christianity, and should definitely be avoided.