PITP #07

The word that Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw is interesting, concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established at the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. Many people shall go and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord of hosts, to the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge among the nations and shall rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Let's pray. Father, what a great call that we would come and walk in the light of the Lord. Just as the Apostle John, in his first epistle, said that we are to walk in the light as You are in the light. There we have fellowship with one another, and we see that Your blood cleanses us from all sin.

Father, I thank You that tonight, because of the work that Your Son did on the cross on my behalf and on behalf of my brothers and sisters here, we, Lord, have been cleansed by His blood. We stand before You righteous tonight, not because of any works that we have done, but because we have received Your righteousness. We've been clothed in Your righteousness and have been given the call to stand in Your presence. What a blessing it is!

Lord, You have promised that You would speak to us by Your Spirit, that You would guide us in all truth, and that You would teach us all things. I pray that tonight You would speak to us from this passage, that You would continue to reveal to us what it is You are doing in these last days. May we be those who understand the times, recognizing that the days are evil, but also be those who walk circumspectly, walking in the Spirit, for we ask it in Jesus' name.

And all God's people said, "Amen." You can be seated.

Isaiah chapter 2 presents a powerful prophecy given here in these first five verses.

These first five verses speak of the kind of days that you and I look forward to, don't they? Look at what is being described here. It speaks of great peace and God's kingdom here on earth. Most certainly, we desire that the Lord's kingdom would come, amen? As a church, we say, "Maranatha, Lord Jesus, come quickly." Jesus told us that He would one day return. He instructed us to pray, "Your kingdom come."

Here, we see this prophetic promise from 2,700 years ago that the Lord would come once again and establish His house and His kingdom. Many people would go and come up to the mountain of the Lord, as mentioned in verse 3, under the house of the God of Jacob. Notice that He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths. Not just priests or teachers, but God Himself teaching us His ways, and we shall walk in His path.

In verse 4, we also read that He shall judge among the nations and rebuke many people. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Not only does the church look forward to days like this, but humanity looks forward to a day where there is no war. Amen? We are looking forward to sustained peace.

Many Miss America contestants have expressed their desire for world peace. President Carter was one who tried to bring about peace in the Middle East. Reagan also sought to promote peace in the world through the ending of the Cold War. Bush 41 aimed for peace during his presidency, and Clinton did the same. You all remember the Oslo Accords in 1994 and the handshake that was featured in newspapers around the world between Itzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat.

Not only Clinton, but Bush 43 and now our new president, Barack Obama, are also looking to bring about peace. Peace in the world, yes, but most specifically, peace in the Middle East. In fact, it was just last week that President Obama dispatched his envoy to the Middle East. Former Senator George Mitchell is now on the ground in the land of Israel, seeking to broker some sort of lasting peace. There has been a lot of talk in the newspapers about this.

On news shows, in magazines, and all over the internet, there is a desire to bring about peace. The passage we read here, Isaiah chapter 2, verse 4, is one that even the United Nations understands. At the United Nations headquarters in New York City, there is a statue called "Let Us Beat Our Swords Into Plowshares." It depicts a huge, muscle-bound man beating a sword into a plowshare. This reflects the desire of the United Nations to bring about a time when they will not learn war anymore. It is a noble desire and a commendable pursuit for humanity.

However, as we read through the Gospels, we remember that Jesus said that in the last days, people would be speaking of peace, peace, but there would be no peace—no sustained peace. People are looking forward to, hoping for, and desiring this kind of national tranquility, yet it seems to be so elusive. In fact, as we look around the world tonight, there are wars occurring all over the place. Our own nation is engaged in two wars, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. There is a war in Darfur, a war in northwest Pakistan, a war in Sri Lanka, and, of course, a war in Gaza, in Israel. There are numerous tensions around the world that could flare up into another war at any moment.

In the last 2,000 years since Jesus ascended into heaven, there have been many wars, including several world wars in the last century, where nations and kingdoms rose against one another. The passage in Isaiah chapter 2, verse 4, speaks of the cessation of war and the elimination of instruments of war during an extended time of peace. This is something that God has promised will come. However, I believe that before this peace arrives, we will see a fulfillment of another passage that is very similar, found in Joel chapter 3.

Turn in your Bibles to the minor prophet Joel, chapter 3. We have looked at Joel before in our study of the prophets, and this passage speaks of multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, the day of the Lord in the valley of decision. It is this passage that also speaks of the moon...

Being turned to blood and the sun darkened before that great and notable day of the Lord comes. But notice what God, through the prophet Joel, spoke 2,500 years ago in Joel chapter 3, verse 9. God says, "Proclaim ye this among the nations or the Gentiles. Prepare for what? Prepare for war. Wake up the mighty men. Let all the men of war draw near and let them come up."

Look at verse 10: "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" God prophesies through Isaiah. He speaks through Isaiah and says that there is coming a day when they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. But Joel here says completely the opposite, that they will take all of their farming instruments and make them into instruments of war.

All the nations will be gathered together. "Come up, you mighty men. Proclaim among the nations," not just a small group of people, but to all the nations, "prepare for war. Assemble yourselves," verse 11 continues, "and come, all you nations, all you heathen. Gather yourselves together round about. Cause your mighty ones to come up, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there I will sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put in your sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get you down, for the press is full and the vats overflow, for the wickedness is great."

This speaks of the great war that is one day going to come, a war that has often been called by the church the battle of Armageddon. A battle that will take place with all the nations gathered together against God there in the valley of Jezreel or the valley of Megiddo in northern Israel. It's something that many of the prophets look forward to, and it is going to come after this time when the Lord is going to come, as Isaiah chapter 2 reveals, and establish His kingdom.

It will be after this great war that the Lord will rule and reign, and many peoples of many nations will go up to the house of the Lord, the house of the God of Jacob, where He will teach them His ways. But today, the globe is just embattled.

Just as Jesus said it would be, in Matthew chapter 24, He spoke about the last days and the times that would come before His return. He said that nation would rise against nation and that we would hear of wars and rumors of wars, kingdom against kingdom. All of these things are the beginning of sorrows; they are the birth pangs leading up to the time when He would return. For the last 19 centuries, or 20 centuries since Jesus ascended into heaven, that is what we have seen: nation rising against nation, kingdom against kingdom, wars and rumors of wars. It doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. Yes, we look forward to that time when it will end, but still, the wars rage on.

A very interesting thing has happened in the last 60 years—another fulfillment of prophecy. In the book of Zechariah, another minor prophet, if you flip over from the book of Joel, just a few books to the right, you will find the book of Zechariah. Zechariah the prophet, in chapter 12, records what God spoke to him about the days in which we are living. Something happened 60 years ago and is continuing to this day, which is a fulfillment of the prophecy that we read right here in Zechariah chapter 12, verse 2. There, God says through the prophet, "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. In that day, I will make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people. All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it."

God says there is coming a day when Jerusalem will be a cup of trembling unto all people round about—not just the people that are their neighbors, but a burdensome stone, as stated in verse 3, to all people. Do we see that in our day? Ever since May 14, 1948, we have seen that Israel, this little country in the Middle East, on the Mediterranean Sea, has been the central focus of many of the largest nations of the world. There is not a day that goes by that Israel is not in the news in some way. In fact, the very next day after their declaration of independence...

On May 14, 1948, Israel was attacked by its neighbors, marking the beginning of a continuing hostility and a raging war between the Arabs and the Israelis. The Arab-Israeli conflict can be traced back even before 1948; in fact, it began long before the 1900s. This conflict has its roots in biblical history and continues to this day.

There is a struggle over a piece of land known as the land of Israel, which has been referred to by many different names throughout history. It was once called the land of Canaan and Philistine country, especially after the Jews were expelled from their land in 70 AD by the Romans. In modern times, it has been called Palestine, Canaan, or the land of Israel. This small piece of ground remains a source of great contention and is a fulfillment of God's word. It is described as a cup of trembling and a burdensome stone for all people, particularly for those who involve themselves in the conflict and attempt to resolve the issues there.

Several weeks ago, we examined Joel chapter 3, where a promise was given—a prophecy that those who try to divide the land will face God's judgment. Since 1948, there have been numerous attempts to divide the land, leading to ongoing conflict. Every ten years or so, significant conflicts arise. Some of you may remember the events of June 1967, when Israel launched a preemptive strike against its neighbors, who were gathering to attack. Israel targeted the Jordanians, the Lebanese in the north, and the Egyptians in the south. In just six days, they miraculously reclaimed more land. Even Israeli generals today acknowledge that God's hand has been present in every battle they have faced. They recognize that without God, they would not still be here.

Recently, an interesting article was published by Time Magazine. Some of you may have seen it; it featured a cover that sparked considerable discussion. The graphic artist's intent seems questionable, as the design appears to have upset the Israelis significantly. The star of David was prominently featured, which added to the controversy.

The symbol of their flag is behind a brick wall, with barbed wire going across it, and the title reads, "Why Israel Can't Win." The siege of Gaza may punish Hamas, but it won't make Israel safe. Israel is in peril like never before. The author of this article explains why this battle in Gaza, this battle with Hamas and the Palestinians, is not one that Israel can win. Many of the points made by the author, Tim McGrick, are true. Israel is in a very difficult position.

In fact, one of the things he states in this article is that they are doomed if they don't fight back and damned if they do. If they engage in the Gaza Strip, the whole world turns against them in the press. However, if they do nothing, they will continue to be attacked by Hamas. They find themselves in a very challenging situation.

Interestingly, Israel has faced difficult positions many times in the past. I came across another article that responded to McGrick's piece, and I really appreciated what the author had to say at the end. Let me share a few of his thoughts.

Just think about how Time Magazine would have reported on some significant events in Jewish history. For example, in the issue of 1737 BC, the headline might read, "Why Abraham Can't Win." Abraham, son of Terah, the famous revolutionary preacher of the exclusive divinity, has been promised by his God that his offspring will inherit the land of Canaan. This pledge is politically untenable, as the native Canaanites have no intention of ceding the land to this recent immigrant from Ur-Kadizim in Mesopotamia. Moreover, the promise is ludicrous, as the 75-year-old Abraham has no children, and even more to the point, his wife Sarah is 65 years old and suffers from incurable fertility problems.

If Time Magazine had existed during the time of Abraham, that might have been their take. The author continues with "Why Moses Can't Win," in the issue of 1312 BC. Our Midian bureau chief has discovered that the former Egyptian prince, Moses, for the last 40 years a fugitive in Midian, claims to have had a vision of God.

The divinity reportedly promised that He would rescue the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and would bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey, to a place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Egyptology experts agree that the powerful Egyptian empire, led by Ramses II, would never agree to release their formidable slave population. Nor has any slave ever succeeded in escaping Egypt. Even if such an unfeasible escape were ever to occur, the seven aforementioned nations would fortify their walled cities, such as Jericho, and Israel could certainly never win.

In 701 BCE, the army of Assyria, led by the invincible Sennacherib, laid siege to Jerusalem. This same superpower vanquished the northern kingdom of Israel and exiled its ten tribes 19 years ago. The siege of Jerusalem was preceded by the Assyrian army's total destruction of the Judean city of Lachish. Experts agree that Judea's king Hezekiah, a weak monarch ruling over a tiny kingdom, has no possibility of lifting the siege by the Assyrian forces, which number 180,000 strong. The many interlocking challenges facing Judea, some of which cast dark shadows over the long-term viability of a Jewish state in the region, lead us to predict that a crushing defeat for Jerusalem is imminent.

You see, if it were not for God, those would be the headlines for the children of Israel, the nation of Israel there in the land of Israel. Many people look at the current conflicts and see the things that are happening in the world, and they say there is no way that Israel can win. They have a formidable foe against them. But isn't it interesting that just as God prophesied through the prophet Isaiah, through Zechariah, through Ezekiel, through Joel, through Amos, and through many of these prophets, things that were prophesied over 2,500 years ago have come to pass in our day? Cities, the names of which dot the Old Testament all over the place—names like Ashkelon, Ashdod, Hebron, and Gaza—are the same names that we are seeing in our newspapers, magazines, and on news channels today. Why is it that these things are confronting us and seem to be the cup of trembling that they are? Well, it's because that's...

Exactly what God said would happen is unfolding before us. This is not just a physical battle; there is a spiritual battle taking place, a great spiritual battle that has been ongoing for a very long time.

Many in our nation, here in the United States, and in the church at large in America do not understand the significance of Israel, the region of the Middle East, nor the enemy that Israel faces in radical Islam. We need to recognize that the primary enemy Israel is fighting against is a religious enemy. This enemy does not only view themselves as a religious entity; they see Islam not just as a religion, but as a national identity and a way of life. They are fighting against radical Muslims.

There are many people in America who do not understand the complexities of radical Islam. In recent years, some have tried to tone down the rhetoric surrounding this issue, even avoiding the term "radical Islam." They seem to believe that if we stop talking about it, it will leave us alone and go away. However, that is not the case, as we will explore tonight.

Many Americans do not recognize that these radical Islamists view the nation of Israel as the "little Satan," while they see the United States as the "great Satan." Consequently, they view us as their enemy. They perceive the United States of America as a Christian nation that supports Israel, making us as much their enemy as the nation of Israel itself.

Our news media and political officials in America often tell us that Islam is a peace-loving religion. How many of you have heard that before? For the majority of Muslims, that may very well be the case. However, even our news media report that only about 10 to 20 percent of Muslims are radical. This statistic may not seem alarming until you realize that Islam comprises 1.5 billion people. Therefore, 10 to 20 percent of 1.5 billion is a significant number of individuals who do not like us. We need to recognize and consider what this is all about and what is truly going on.

With this group of people who look at the nation of Israel as their enemy, they also view us, Bible-believing Christians, as their enemy. If given the chance, they would kill you. You might think that’s a little harsh to say, but I’m not referring to every single person who calls themselves a Muslim. I am saying that there are radical groups throughout the world that see you and me as their enemies. They have waged war on Christians and Jews globally.

We have seen this war manifest in many different ways. It was evident in our own terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and in the attack in Madrid, Spain, in March of 2004. There was also the attack in the United Kingdom in London in July of 2005, and perhaps the attack just last November in Mumbai, India. Additionally, there have been attacks in Indonesia. There have been so many different attacks as they wage this global jihad, as they call it, in the world.

Their goal is not just to destroy our way of life; they seek to eliminate anyone who does not bow to Allah. This includes those who do not adhere to their profession of faith, which states that there is no other god but Allah and that Muhammad is his prophet. This declaration is the first thing that every single Muslim is to say as they enter into the religion of Islam.

Radical Islam has a desire to conquer the world. Their symbol, the crescent moon, represents this ambition. The belief is that as Islam overtakes the world, the crescent moon will come together. Once it has united, it will signify that Allah and his way have come to pass. There is a very real enemy in radical Islam, which I believe is inspired by our adversary, the devil. We can see this in the way they wage their war and evangelize for their religion.

It's either convert to Islam or die; that is typically how they go about their things. Now, I'm not saying this to scare you. It's not my desire to cause anybody here to look down upon Islam. Why? Because we need to recognize that God does not look down upon these people. It is God's desire that they would come to the knowledge of the truth of the one true God. He loves them and desires that they would come to faith.

The awesome truth is that there are many Muslims throughout the world who are converting to Christianity as we speak. There is a great movement within Islam of people converting to Christianity and finding the love of a loving God, a Christ who died for them and desires that they would know Him. Islam speaks nothing of a God who loves; they don't believe in a loving God. But when they receive the love of God, it transforms their lives.

I am even now trying to see if we can get a man to come and share here at our church. His father was one of the leaders of Hamas, one of the founders of the organization. He converted to Christianity a few years ago and lives right here in San Diego. I've been talking with one of his booking agents to see if we could get him to come and share his testimony with us. He is a modern-day Saul of Tarsus.

The only downside is that they told us he can only come if we have armed security because there have been threats against his life from Al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hezbollah. There are a lot of crazy things going on with him, so you can pray for him.

Again, it's not my desire to scare anybody by saying this or to turn our hearts against those who are Muslim. My desire, more than anything, is that our hearts would go out to them with a desire to see them come to the knowledge of the truth. We should begin to pray for those who have been deceived in this way of thinking and in this religion.

That said, I also want us to recognize what is really going on in the world and understand that these things are happening. Even though in our own nation, sometimes we want to close our eyes and not think about it.

In his inaugural speech and in his first TV interview, our new president, Barack Obama, said that if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, we will extend them a hand. How many of you remember hearing that? President Barack Obama's desire is to reach out with diplomacy, and I am not against diplomacy.

In fact, I think diplomacy is great. I am very thankful that our God diplomatically reached out to me and to you. Amen? He came to us and desired that we would turn to Him. He didn't just come to us with a sword to destroy us, although He had the authority to do so. I'm very thankful for God's diplomacy.

I believe that diplomacy can be a good thing. Certainly, the entire world, especially the European Union, the United Nations, our new president, and many in our own political system here in America, are seeking to bring about some sort of political or diplomatic ends with those who view us as their enemy. The words spoken in the speech are very poetic, but the real question is: will that seriously open the hearts and minds of those with a radical Islamic view?

He specifically addressed Iran. The reaction of the current president of Iran to Barack Obama's inauguration speech and his first television interview is interesting. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, stated that he wasn't impressed with President Barack Obama's words. In a nationally televised speech, Ahmadinejad indicated that the new president would have to do more than talk to resolve the problems between our two nations. He also declared that he would not stop trying to build nuclear weapons.

I find it amusing that Ahmadinejad says our president will have to do more than talk when he himself really loves to talk. Perhaps you've heard some of the things Ahmadinejad has said. On October 25, 2005, in a widely reported speech, he made it very clear that Israel must be wiped off the map. As he spoke at the World Without Zion conference in Tehran, he also addressed the World Without America conference and expressed his belief that America should be destroyed as well. In Ahmadinejad's view, both Israel and America are to be annihilated.

He is a Shiite Muslim who believes in the coming of the 12th Imam. The 12th Imam is also...

There are two different groups in Islam: the Shiites and the Sunnis. The Shiites believe in the 12th Imam, while the Sunnis believe in the Mahdi, who is the Islamic Messiah. They are looking forward to the coming of the Islamic Messiah. Notably, figures like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad believe that the 12th Imam can only appear when utter worldwide chaos occurs. The concerning aspect is that Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, believes that God, or Allah, has called him to bring about that chaos upon the West. This is the same individual who is seeking nuclear weapons for peaceful purposes.

Politicians in Europe, those in the United Nations, and many in the United States are trying to confront the situation in the Middle East and with Iran through diplomatic means. Their desire is to resolve these issues through diplomacy. However, there are two important points I want to share with you tonight about Islam that are particularly interesting. These points could almost be considered doctrines among Islamists, especially among Shiite Muslims, who represent the more radical and extreme side of Islam.

The first concept is called Hudna, spelled H-U-D-N-A. Hudna is a doctrinal belief, an Arabic term that means a temporary truce. It is essential to understand what Hudna entails. It is not a truce in the sense that they simply agree to stop fighting. The concept of Hudna originated with Muhammad in the 7th century. He was quite radical and waged 47 different wars, killing many who would not submit to his views of Allah.

One notable battle occurred in Mecca, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. When Muhammad realized he did not have enough strength to win, he immediately called for a truce, a Hudna, which lasted for ten years. The purpose of this truce was to allow his followers to regroup, rearm, and strengthen their position. Once they were strong enough, they would then attack. Thus, it is one of the tenets of Shiite Islam that when one is weak and cannot defeat their foe, they may raise the white flag and call a truce, or Hudna, but with the intention of committing treachery.

That's one of their doctrinal views in Shiite Islam. Not only is that their view, but there's another one called takaya. This refers to a teaching within Shiite Islam that one can conceal the true nature of their faith under threat or persecution. It literally means to conceal or disguise one's beliefs, convictions, ideas, feelings, opinions, and strategies at a time of imminent danger, whether now or at a later time, to save oneself from physical or mental injury. They use this all the time.

We would see this happen a lot when, years ago, before his death, Yasser Arafat would go on CNN, the BBC, and MSNBC. He would talk about peace, saying how they wanted to have peace and that if they were given land, they would have peace in the Middle East. But immediately after doing that, he would go on Arabic and Palestinian TV, speaking in Arabic, and he would very clearly say to fight them, kill them, and drag them in the streets until they were gone. So basically, one of the tenets of their faith is to establish peace treaties when they are weak and destroy their enemies as soon as they are strong. The other tenet is to say nice things when it fits, to speak peace so that they can deceive their enemy.

You see, Islam moves forward by two things. One of them we've already talked a little bit about: that's jihad. How many of you have heard of what jihad is? Jihad literally means struggle. That's one of the primary ways that Islam moves forward, by struggle and military force. We've seen that in the form of terrorist attacks: 9/11, 3/11 in Madrid, 7/7 in England, and the bombing at the airport in Glasgow in September of 2007. So that's jihad. We see daily jihad in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and also in Israel.

But another way that the Islamists move forward is through fatah. Fatah is to move into an area slyly, undercover, to begin to influence the culture.

There is a man who was a part of Saddam Hussein's army before the fall of Iraq and before the fall of Saddam Hussein. He was an Assyrian Christian, but he held the rank of general in the army of Saddam Hussein. After the fall of Iraq, he defected as quickly as he could to the United States. Not long after, he wrote a book called "Saddam's Secrets." I want to share some of the things he says in this book.

I'm often asked about militant Islam and the threat of global terrorism. More than once, I've been asked about the meaning of the two Arabic words, fatah and jihad. What I normally tell them is that to the followers of the militant brand of Islam, these doctrines express the belief that Allah has commanded them to conquer the nations of the world, both by cultural invasion and by the sword. In some cases, this means moving thousands of Muslim families into a foreign land, building mosques, changing the culture from the inside out, and refusing to assimilate or adopt the beliefs and values of that nation to conquer the land for Islam. This is an insidious doctrine, and it is being carried out in some places today by the followers of this type of Islam.

He goes on to say that they won't be stopped by appeasement. They are not interested in political solutions. They don't want welfare. Their animosity is not caused by hunger, poverty, or anything of the sort. They understand one thing: total and complete conquest of the West and anyone who does not bow to them and their dangerous, outdated theology of hate and revenge.

At another point in his book, he states, "What I want to say next is not easy for me to say, but I think I must say it anyway." One of the nicest things about the American people is that you are generous and friendly. Because of this, you are sometimes naive and overly trusting. You want to be friendly, so you open up to people, and then you're surprised when they stab you in the back. Many brave young soldiers have died in Iraq for this reason. I think this is also a big part of the problem with the State Department and other governments that fail to understand the true nature of this enemy.

Again, this is not to scare people or to turn them against another group of people, but we do need to recognize what is happening, and we need to...

Look around; there are biblical contexts to this. This does indicate that things are happening just as the Bible said they would, but we should not be ignorant. In light of these things, I want us to consider five points.

The first point is that there is such a thing as evil. Many people in the world today have a view and a mindset that evil isn't really a real thing. They believe it is merely the product of poverty, hunger, and difficulty. They think that evil comes from all the horrible things that have happened in the world and that it is built by society. They argue that if we just bring in food, a capitalistic market, and good education into these regions, it will do away with the evils that are inherent in the heart. However, we need to recognize that the Bible is very clear: there is such a thing as evil.

Secondly, these things are happening just as God said they would. As we look at the world and the events occurring, we see exactly what God spoke over 2,000 years ago through the prophets is happening today. We watch it on the news when we get home from work, and we read it in the newspapers and on the internet—exactly what God said would happen.

Thirdly, there is a huge opportunity for evangelism. There is a great opportunity for us to share the love and grace of God with people who do not know a loving and gracious God. These are people who are dying in trespasses and sins, and who are deceived by the enemy. We have the chance to share the love and grace of God with them.

Fourthly, we need to wake up. Do you know that Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America today? Remember when I talked about Fatah? We don't see national jihad every single day in America, but we do see Fatah. Many people are converting to Islam, typically starting with the underprivileged minorities of a nation. I will show you a video in a few minutes that discusses this very issue.

In our prison system today, which is the largest prison system in the world, Islam is the fastest-growing religion among Hispanics.

The fastest growing religion is attracting attention. Why? Because many in the Hispanic community have been disenfranchised by all the scandals of the Catholic Church and have been looking for another area to be reached out to by religion. There are Islamists who are reaching out to them. We need to wake up. Just as Paul told the church at Rome in Romans chapter 13, it's high time that we wake out of our sleep. Our salvation is nearer now than when we first began. Amen?

Fifthly, we need to recognize that God is on the move and He will come again. He is going to come again. The things that we're seeing in our day are exactly what He said would happen just before He returns. To me, that is exciting. Yes, there are crazy things happening in the world. There is such a thing as evil. The events unfolding are exactly what God told us would happen. There is a huge opportunity for evangelism for us to share the love and grace of God with people who don't know a gracious and loving God. We need to wake up and see that God will come again. What great hope we have in Christ.

Now, what we're going to do in just a minute is stand and pray. After we do, I will ask you to sit down again because I want to show you a few pictures and a video. However, this short video contains some graphic images of war scenes. If you have children and you don't want them to see it, I completely understand. I don't know that I want my child to see it either, so you may want to go out into the lobby. But I think it's important that you take a moment to see this video. I found it just a few weeks ago on Ray Comfort's website. You all remember Ray came here and spoke with us back in September. He had posted this on his website, and about a week later, someone sent it to me. I thought, "You know what? This is an interesting thing. I want to show it."

So, what we'll do is stand and pray. As we pray, if you have younger children here tonight and you don't want them to see the graphic nature of the war scenes, feel free to exit to the lobby. But let's stand and pray.

Father, I do thank you so much that you have made clear to us the things that are going to happen before they happen. Lord, I thank you that you still, in the days in which we're living, desire that none would perish, but that all would come to salvation, to repentance, to You. Lord, I praise...

I thank you that you came to us diplomatically. Lord, I thank you that there are many in the world tonight, in radical Islamic areas, who are coming to faith in you, even though it means almost certain persecution. I thank you that so many are turning to you in these last days, just as you promised would be the case.

But I ask, Lord, that you would give us an opportunity here in San Diego County to share your grace, your love, and your truth with those who don't know you. Whether they come from an Islamic background or whether they belong to any other faith, such as Hinduism or Buddhism, or maybe they are atheistic, may we be those who shine your grace and your truth to them. Let us reach out with loving hands.

You told us that we are to love our enemies and to pray for those who despitefully use us and persecute us. So for tonight, Lord, we pray for those within the Islamic community who don't know you. We ask, Lord, that you would open a door of opportunity to share your truth with them. We ask this in Jesus' name.

Lord, I do not believe that you would convince God that you've come from principle to Him. But we pray for the people within your message, that they may understand there is another God. Let us stay most timeless in the Messiah. You have everything, and the Lord comes to us. So again, may the Lord's life be one pure tip of purpose, and may those who believe in Jesus call upon Him.