2010 Senior Pastors’ Conference – Session 1 – Chuck Smith

·         We are living in extremely exciting days – we wonder just how long the Lord can tarry before He calls His church home.

o   Israel seems to be God’s time piece – you want to know what time it is on God’s clock, look at Israel.

o   Turkey has turned from its alliance with Israel – another piece of the puzzle falling into place.

o   Turkish president has threatened to come himself in the next flotilla to try to break the blockade

§  Also threatened to bring the Turkish navy

·         We really feel that things are starting to wrap up quickly – take the fire home to your congregations, to see people built up & grow in the Lord!

{{Pastor Chuck asks Amir to come up and share}}

·         What we are seeing today is part of the deception that the Enemy is only beginning to unfold on the earth, but which will escalate as we get closer to the eschaton

·         BTW – he (Amir) just came from Jerusalem, and he assures us the tomb is still empty.

·         There is a dual target right now with the enemies of Israel:

o   First, to turn world opinion against Israel

o   Second, to divert the attention of the world so as to allow an easier attack.

·         In fact, the IDF just recently turned back a terrorist thrust, hoping that Israel was so embarrassed by what happened this last week that they’d have lost the will to respond.

o   They didn’t.

·         When the flotilla launched, three different groups merged in an alliance to hit & hurt Israel

o   Obviously, the first is a group of terrorists

o   Leftist activists

o   Journalists {{but I repeat myself – Ed. Note}}

·         The moment the flotilla approached Israeli waters, they realized that they had to make their move before dark so as to  embarrass Israel.

o   First Israeli soldiers who landed on the boat were armed with paintball guns – it was for riot control, not for a firefight.

o   When it became apparent that the terrorists were trying to kill people, the soldiers were given permission to use deadly force to defend themselves.

o   Each of the terrorists who died was holding a weapon – not sticks.

o   {{Amir calls the journalists the “media-ites.”  Hilarious.}}

o   The journalists called it a “slaughter of innocents” – no bias there.

·         Interestingly enough, help came from an unexpected direction:

o   A Lebanese cameraman working for al-Jazeera acutally recorded the truth – that the Israelis were acting in self-defense, and the terrorists were the real provocateurs.

·         “The fact that the Enemy is called the ‘Liar’ and the ‘Deceiver’ means that he knows the truth.”

·         There are more flotillas on the way.

o   Interestingly enough, the excitement of the world is causing people to send ships to the region to help keep things under control – thus making it so that Israel has an easier time to defend herself. {{awesome!!!}}

·         Why the blockade?

o   Last time Israel checked an incoming ship, it was carrying rockets & other weapons

§  Not very helpful for feeding the hungry.

§  Great, however, for killing the Jews.

o   NOBODY is going hungry in Gaza – true humanitarian aid is flowing in from around the world – and from Israel.

o   Israel however will make sure that her citizens are protected from terrorist attack.

·         Israel just found a huge reservoir of natural gas – bigger than the one was found earlier.

o   Also, signs of oil are being uncovered in central Israel.

o   The alliance of Ezekiel 38-39 might not be formed just to kill Jews, but to plunder Israel.

o   Right now, Russia is largest exporter of natural gas in the world – would be threatened with Israel’s latest find.

o   The situation in the Middle East has never been so close to Eze. 38 than it is today.

o   There is no other person in the world – aside from Ezekiel – who could have predicted the situation in the M.E. to such incredible detail.

·         The good news is – GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL.

o   As the urgency of the times and the seasons is birthed in our hearts, remember to provoke the people of Israel to jealousy – pray to & love the Lord with all your heart!

·         Formally, America is no longer with Israel.

o   The latest UN resolutions show that America is no longer on Israel’s side automatically as things sit.

o   Frankly, he says that we are in a better position than they are {{true!!!}} , so he makes a deal with us – we pray for Israel’s salvation, and he’ll pray for ours.  {{DEAL!!!}}