Avalon Chronicles #42: "The Gathering Storm"

Avalon Chronicles #42: "The Gathering Storm"

by Allen B. Clark              allenbclark@aol.com
www.combatfaith.com      www.combatfaith.blogspot.com

     On January 17, 2015 at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas prolific author Joel Rosenberg spoke on the topic of "The Gathering Storm." His points were compelling enough for me to relate them to my Avalon Chronicles friends. As best as I am able, I will relate his major subject matters. My own comments will be underlined in parentheses.
     He read from Ezekiel 33: 1-9 regarding the "Watchman on the Wall". In ancient times alerts of danger were sounded by the watchmen on the walls of the cities. (The prophet Ezekiel was taken captive to Babylon in 597 BC, eleven years before the final fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BC. He was a preacher for twenty two years to the Jews in exile in Babylon). He preached about God's judgment if the Jews did not repent and obey God. Joel Rosenberg is a modern day "Watchman on the Wall" and he urges each of us to become one also.
     Rosenberg addressed three major arenas of modern day life. The first relates to the manner in which America has been traveling in sinfulness and lack of attention to God's laws. He is convinced America is due for God's judgement.  (God's hand of protection has been over our land, but political decisions and deliberate willfulness in sins of the flesh are not pleasing to God). Joel believes that we will face corporate judgment just as did Israel. (The book of Revelation prophesies the seven churches/periods of the Church Age since Christ. The seventh and last one is the Church of Laodecia, typically denoted as having begun in 1900 AD. Laodicea is defined as 'lukewarm," indifferent and apathetic without passion to the teachings and proper living of our Christian faith. Sound familiar?). Joel spoke in strong terms about the genocide in our own land, exceeding geometrically that of the Holocaust, of the fifty seven million babies aborted since the Roe v Wade case. He spoke of our past Great Awakenings and asked our prayers for a new Great Awakening and that America needs another Josiah. (Josiah was the king of Judah from 641-609 BC and was credited with recognizing the consequences of not following God's laws. He led Israel back to obedience to God's covenant and judgment was delayed). I believe one of the most important points Joel made strikes at the heart of Christianity. Jesus died on the cross for the redemption of our sins, a gift of which, if we do not accept from Him, we will pay for on our own for our sins.
     Joel's second major point related to support of Israel. He spoke of blessings to those who support Israel and curses to those who do not. (This issue today is very topical as to the political efforts in different quarters to support Israel or to condemn her. Anti-semitism is on the rise. In France many Jews are departing France especially after the recent attacks in Paris).
     The third point he raised was to discuss the genocide in the Middle East perpetrated by ISIS and other Islamist terrorists.He implored the Chrisian community to reach out in support of those threatened. He said we must be awakened and not neglect to understand radical Islam. He believes we are asleep at the wheel in not recognizing this threat. (Personally I believe many in our media, the educational sectors, and the government are not just ignorant of the threat, but have become willful appeasers and perhaps even traitorous in denial of the dangers).
     (The bottom line is this. Perhaps God is using the Islamic radicals to be part of the judgment on our land just as He used the Babylonians to punish ancient Israel? Babylon is not awfully far from the current day area of operations of ISIS!).